truthfully.
I stepped back as he attempted to stand up, not wanting to relinquish either object in his hand and suffering from lack of coordination as a result. “You’re a liar ,” he slurred, stumbling as he finally got to his feet.
I shook my head in denial, and continued to back away from him, his steps becoming surer, if not more determined. “I saw you were home. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
His hand flew out at me, the beer bottle that was in it whizzing past my face, and I cringed as I heard it shatter behind me as it hit the wall. “Get out of my house, you freak!”
I turned around and ran outside, stopping only when I heard the door slam shut behind me. I turned around again, shaking slightly from the entire episode. I had never known just how bad Graham’s dad’s drinking had been, or how long it had been going on. The video took it back at least eight years, but you don’t get that way overnight.
I walked over to the steps in front of my house and sat down to wait for Graham’s return. There was so much that he had gone through that he hadn’t shared with me, and I was confused as to why. Was it pride? He couldn’t have thought that I’d judge him based on his father’s drinking, could he? Not Grace the Freak?
The afternoon sun was beginning to remind me of what spring held in store for us when he finally showed up. I waited as he parked the car and exited, taking a long look at the house that held his drunken father, and then finally walk over to me. “Hey Grace! The sun’s out, pretty nice, huh? What are you doing outside?”
I motioned towards his house with my head and frowned. “I went over to see how your dad was doing. He’s watching home movies and drinking. I don’t think he likes me very much right now…or ever.”
A nervous laugh that seemed to startle him came out of his mouth as he ran his fingers through his hair—he did that a lot, I noticed. “It’s the alcohol talking, Grace. You know he loves you.”
I shook my head at the obvious lie. “What I heard wasn’t love. He called me a freak; he was right.”
Graham’s remorseful tone suddenly turned angry and my mind quickly jumped to his reaction when I had told him that I was in love with him. It had been such a quick turnaround, a nearly 180 degree reversal of emotions, and I had been shocked by it. This second time caused me to worry instead.
“Grace, you need to stop selling yourself short. You’re not a freak. You’re just a girl who happens to not be like everyone else in a way that people can see. I don’t think you’re a freak, and I definitely don’t think Stacy, or Lark think so either,” Graham grumbled, his voice rough with the anger that flashed in his eyes.
“Graham, why didn’t you tell me about your dad? Why didn’t you tell me about the drinking?”
I watched the dark ring of his irises thin out as his pupils widened, nearly swallowing the color completely in its blackness. “I didn’t tell you because I was ashamed of him. I didn’t want you to know, didn’t want you to think of me the same way that I…”
I nodded my head, understanding. He didn’t want me to think of him in the same way that he had thought of me…with pity. I rubbed the top of his spikes with my hand, needing to lighten up the mood a little. “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re going to get through this together now. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
He looked at me with confusion in his eyes, and pain surrounding his mouth. “Why are you just letting this go?”
I shrugged my shoulders and let out the breath that I had been holding in. “Because you’re my best friend. You helped me through some of the toughest times in my life because you wanted to. I want to help you now, because I want to. No other reason.”
Graham’s eyes traveled towards the
I stepped back as he attempted to stand up, not wanting to relinquish either object in his hand and suffering from lack of coordination as a result. “You’re a liar ,” he slurred, stumbling as he finally got to his feet.
I shook my head in denial, and continued to back away from him, his steps becoming surer, if not more determined. “I saw you were home. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
His hand flew out at me, the beer bottle that was in it whizzing past my face, and I cringed as I heard it shatter behind me as it hit the wall. “Get out of my house, you freak!”
I turned around and ran outside, stopping only when I heard the door slam shut behind me. I turned around again, shaking slightly from the entire episode. I had never known just how bad Graham’s dad’s drinking had been, or how long it had been going on. The video took it back at least eight years, but you don’t get that way overnight.
I walked over to the steps in front of my house and sat down to wait for Graham’s return. There was so much that he had gone through that he hadn’t shared with me, and I was confused as to why. Was it pride? He couldn’t have thought that I’d judge him based on his father’s drinking, could he? Not Grace the Freak?
The afternoon sun was beginning to remind me of what spring held in store for us when he finally showed up. I waited as he parked the car and exited, taking a long look at the house that held his drunken father, and then finally walk over to me. “Hey Grace! The sun’s out, pretty nice, huh? What are you doing outside?”
I motioned towards his house with my head and frowned. “I went over to see how your dad was doing. He’s watching home movies and drinking. I don’t think he likes me very much right now…or ever.”
A nervous laugh that seemed to startle him came out of his mouth as he ran his fingers through his hair—he did that a lot, I noticed. “It’s the alcohol talking, Grace. You know he loves you.”
I shook my head at the obvious lie. “What I heard wasn’t love. He called me a freak; he was right.”
Graham’s remorseful tone suddenly turned angry and my mind quickly jumped to his reaction when I had told him that I was in love with him. It had been such a quick turnaround, a nearly 180 degree reversal of emotions, and I had been shocked by it. This second time caused me to worry instead.
“Grace, you need to stop selling yourself short. You’re not a freak. You’re just a girl who happens to not be like everyone else in a way that people can see. I don’t think you’re a freak, and I definitely don’t think Stacy, or Lark think so either,” Graham grumbled, his voice rough with the anger that flashed in his eyes.
“Graham, why didn’t you tell me about your dad? Why didn’t you tell me about the drinking?”
I watched the dark ring of his irises thin out as his pupils widened, nearly swallowing the color completely in its blackness. “I didn’t tell you because I was ashamed of him. I didn’t want you to know, didn’t want you to think of me the same way that I…”
I nodded my head, understanding. He didn’t want me to think of him in the same way that he had thought of me…with pity. I rubbed the top of his spikes with my hand, needing to lighten up the mood a little. “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re going to get through this together now. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
He looked at me with confusion in his eyes, and pain surrounding his mouth. “Why are you just letting this go?”
I shrugged my shoulders and let out the breath that I had been holding in. “Because you’re my best friend. You helped me through some of the toughest times in my life because you wanted to. I want to help you now, because I want to. No other reason.”
Graham’s eyes traveled towards the
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