Actual event 8- Wait, what?

Gracie walked into school differently. Well, at least she felt different. She felt confident, strong, and just plane awesome. A few kids noticed this change in her too. They were used to seeing her head down and her feet dragging.

Not anymore.

"Gracie!" Kelly called from the lunchroom. Gracie waved and walked toward her. Kelly was sitting next to Freddy and Connor was across from her at the last lunch table in the cafeteria. The sight of Connor made Gracie giddy. She slid onto the bench next to him. He gave her a small smile as if thinking:

'They'll be so surprised.'

Gracie smiled at him in return:

'I know.'

"So," Kelly started. "What were you guys going to tell us?" Freddy leaned forward to hear the answer. Gracie and Connor exchanged looks before they smiled and both spoke at once:

"We're a couple."

Their friends looked back and forth between them, as if processing what they had just been said.

"Wait, what?" Kelly and Freddy asked.

Gracie and Connor sat in silence, glanced at each other, then busted up laughing. Kelly and Freddy exchanged looks. Their eyes were huge.

"Well, see you guys later," Connor said, then looked at Gracie. "You want to come?" She smiled.

"Sure." Connor took her hand and they walked off together. Kelly watched them walk off, then turned to Freddy.

"What just happened?" She asked. Freddy shrugged.

"I think they just said they were a couple."

"Not that!" Kelly exclaimed. "Did you hear what they just said?" Freddy gave her a blank look. Kelly sighed. "They just said they were a couple! Do you know what this means?" Freddy still gave her the blank look. Kelly appeared exasperated. "If they break up, it will tear us apart!" Freddy scoffed.

"Yeah right. Like a break up will do that to us."

"I'm not kidding, Red." Kelly was deadly serious. "If they break up, they could be mad and make us choose sides." Freddy laughed.

"Oh, calm down Kelfish! Things will be fine. Friends are friends." Kelly sighed and folded her arms.

"I'm just worried, that's all."

---------

"Is everything in place?" Rachel muttered to Tiffany. Tiffany nodded in return, pretending to be looking through her backpack.

"Everything's clear. The boys are in the gym waiting." Rachel smiled in her mirror on her locker door.

Things were right on schedule.

"Great, now we wait."

"For what?" Tiffany asked. "I don't understand this whole plan..."

"Don't worry about it," Rachel said smugly. "Just watch as they are torn apart." She laughed as she applied her lipstick. "It hasn't even been a week yet and they're goners!" Her face turned serious and she looked at Tiffany. "Nobody makes Rachel McGill unhappy."

She slammed her locker.

------

"Connor," Gracie timidly asked as they walked toward the gym. "Are you sure our friends are okay with this?" She glanced down at their intertwined hands. Connor followed her gaze. It took him a few seconds to respond.

"I'm sure they're fine with it," he said confidently, looking up.  Gracie stared at his face as they walked.

"How can you be sure?" He looked over at her and smiled.

"Just let things work out. We did our part, now we just have to see how other people take it." Gracie nodded and took a deep breath.

"Yeah... You're probably right about that." Connor smirked.

As the two of them entered the gym, someone called out:

"Hey Connor!"

Connor turned to see some boys walking toward the two of them. They were a mix of the basketball team, football team, and soccer team. Gracie could tell the difference. The basketball team were mostly the tall kids while the football boys were bigger and had more muscle in their arms. The soccer players and some wickedly strong calves.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked, sounding very surprised the popular sport groups had walked up to him.

One of the football players stepped forward. He was the biggest and the tallest of the football team. His hair was brown, nothing special, but he had bright intelligent eyes and a crooked smile. You could tell this guy played football a lot.

"The principal is looking for you." He gave Connor a look of pity. "Sorry man." Connor blinked.

"What do you mean?" A basketball players jabbed his thumb behind him.

"Principal Haile is waiting at your locker. Our group walked by and saw her there. She said to tell us to bring you to her. It seemed pretty urgent." Connor swallowed nervously, but nodded.

"Alright. Lets go." He squeezed Gracie's hand and she began to follow.

What was about to happen was not going to be good.