Page 17 of Fall From Grace

I washed his hoodie that night and the next day after school, I handed it to him.

I whispered, “Thanks.”

He smiled. “I borrowed a new book from the library today, wanna go in the treehouse and read?” he asked, something that was always normal.

I grabbed my stomach, that feeling was there, along with the unease of my nerves.

“I think I want to play a game of HORSE, do you want to?” I was afraid to be alone with him.

“Yeah, I can read tonight. Do you know where we last put the ball?” he asked, and I felt relieved.

“I think it’s next to the ball goal.”

“You didn’t have cheer today?”

I shook my head. “No practice for you either?”

“Nope,” he answered. “We got a game this Friday though.”

I laughed. “I know, I’ll be cheering at it, remember?”

“I know,” he groaned. “Grace?” I looked over at him as we walked around the house. “Your uniform looks good on you this year.”

I blushed. “Noah,” I groaned. “That’s a little embarrassing.” He laughed. “You look the best on the field, too. Even I can’t help but think you’re cool.”

He covered his smile with the back of his hand. “I’ll win for us this weekend, just watch,” he said with a wink.

I felt myself blushing again.

I was starting to realize Noah was not the one that’s changed.

It was me.

That Friday, Noah scored the winning touchdown.

9

Grace age 13

Noah age 13

I want to kiss her, touch her, see what else my hands can do. The way that Grace is a little more nervous and wary of being alone with me tells me that she’s thinking of the same things I do.

I shouldn’t… But I do.

And I will because she’s Grace.

I think I can un-promise now.

N.P.

I turned thirteen today. It was a Saturday and I spent the morning waiting on Noah to arrive. I looked over all the wooden pieces he had gotten me so far. Every year, he carved me a new animal. I had a bear, two cubs wrestling, another more improved bear, a wolf and his mate that I got the following year, and an eagle from my 12th birthday—that was his best work yet. His hands steadily improved over the years. I kept them on my desk.

There was a knock on my door. I raised my chin up from the desk and smiled when Noah cracked open the door. He saw what I was looking at and smiled back. “Happy Birthday, Miss Priss.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe you still call me that,” I told him. I finally figured out his birthday last year, and the only reason I found out was by snooping in his backpack the first of the school year and seeing where he filled out his information on the paperwork that had to be returned to school. May 5th. I grinned thinking about how Mom and I bought him a pair of shoes this year for his birthday. He treated them like they were amazing and only wore them for basketball.

“I’m forever going to call you that,” he teased with a smirk as he dropped down on my bed. He held my new piece to add to my collection this year. It was wrapped in a grocery bag. I got up and flopped down beside him on the bed.

---