Steal my Heart.

58

Okay so Niki wanted to see the attachment and I searched a lot for an appropriate picture, but turns out that I didn't get one. So just imagine it for yourselves, as Gracie and Alastair really close, so that it gives off the wrong impression, and the background as a classroom. Meanwhile, the picture loaded above is the scene where she kisses him in front of Emily, the guy is different, but then a reader can certainly imagine things. So here you go. Happy reading. <3
___________________________I immediately called up Alastair.
"Did you get that image and text message?"
"I didn't recieve it on my number. Roland showed me during practice." He said.

"Shit shit shit. Do you even know how pathetic that is? But we're 18, even if we did anything, they shouldn't have a problem! And the students in the school do things far worse than that! And what about the image? It was a harmless hug! Just because we seem too close and intimate, and someone edited the background, it automatically shows that it's a post sex picture? And wait, who the fuck did..."

"Stop ranting Grace." He said strictly."First thing, we're 18, we can do anything, but not within school premises. And it's a rule, that if you're pregnant, they can throw you out of the school. Yes we're just hugging, but the way it is taken shows something else, it's from Emily's party, when I was consoling you in her lawn."
"But I'm fine, not pregnant I mean." I almost whined.

"Exactly. If any teacher asks us, all we have to do is tell them that it's false. Stop cribbing okay?"
"And what about the kids? They'll tell nasty things to us."

"It so happens that I have the entire football team with me here right now, who know about this. If the actual bullies don't say anything, then no one's going to. Relax okay."

I calmed down. I kept the phone and started thinking about who might have done it. Sassy. Uh no. She could have done this long back. Emily Mortez. How come I didn't think of her before!
Emily ofcourse. Jealous hag. I wouldn't say anything to her obviously. She deserves my silence.

•••

The next day I decided to go to school. Since it was a Friday, I thought I might just go to school since Monday. But now I was determined to go to school. The next morning, I wore a jacket and got ready to go to school. The first traces of winter had begun to set in as October was here. I rode over to school and walked through the hallways. I could sense people's eyes on me and their whispers amongst themselves. Everything would be clear soon.

Around the fifth period, an assistant of the vice principal came in the class and said,"The vice principal has called Gracie Hyde in her cabin."
Everyone turned to look at me. I couldn't help but feel a little scared. I got up with a strong facade and walked towards the cabin. Alastair was also standing there. He held my hand and squeezed it. We knocked the door.
"Come in." The vice principal, Mrs. Fernandes said.

We walked in and stood in front of her, a considerable distance between us.
"So Gracie, coming straight to the point? Are you pregnant? Do not lie, we have a medical practitioner here who'll check you." She said, looking point blankly at me.

"No ma'am, I'm not." I said confidently.
"We'll see to it." She gestured to the practitioner who was standing there. She took me to the bathroom and gave me a pregnancy kit. Seriously? This was ridiculous. I anyways tested it out. We waited for two minutes in silence in the cabin which was thick with tension. The result showed up after two minutes on the kit.
Negative.

I almost wanted to jump. I looked sideways at Alastair who was just looking down, totally disinterested.
Mrs. Fernanded cleared her throat. "The issue still remains. Why were you two engaged in intimacy within the school premises?"

I was about to speak when Alastair spoke up. "Ma'am, that picture is edited. Both of us have always respected and abided by the rules of this school. Do you really think we'll do anything like that? You can even check the CCTV cameras of the past few weeks." He said this so very sincerely.
Mrs. Fernandes contemplated for a moment. Another one of our teachers who had entered the cabin right then, spoke up,"Ms. Hyde is one of the toppers in academics and Mr. Kerr is the top sportsperson of our school. They don't even have a history of misbehaviour. I think we should believe them."

Mrs. Fernandes was silent for a while and then she said,"Okay students you can go back to the class. The case is dismissed as a rumour."

I heaved a sigh of relief and we walked back to our respective classrooms.
We met after school. Some people were surrounding us and asking if that was really a rumour and how they had not believed it at all and all that stupid shit. Bloody hypocrites. I was beginning to swear a lot. I needed to control my tongue.

We saw Emily glaring at us from the corner. Not that I felt anger, rage or jealousy, I just felt pity towards her. She was stooping way too low for even her standards. She looked away after a while.

We went home. So many obstacles we had got over together. It made me more than happy that we still stuck together.

I hopped off his bike and started going towards the door. He held my hand from behind and pulled me towards him.
"What? Van can see us you know?" I said.
"I don't care." He winked.
"Doesn't this bullshit get to you? I mean, aren't you fed up with people poking their noses in our business?" I asked, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"I really don't give a damn. It took me a long while to learn that people will judge you no matter what, haters will always spread rumours and jealous ones will try to pull you down. Rise above that." He said.
"Philosophy eh?" I said.
"Yeah. I'm a smart guy."
"So modest."
"Gracie."
"Yes."
"Stop trying to unbutton my shirt. You know, Van's watching."
"Stop quoting my line."
"Listen."
"Say."
"I want you to attend a wedding."
"Our wedding? But I don't wanna marry you. I just lust you."
"I'm serious."
"Okay sorry."

"So yeah there's this wedding of a friend. My senior, I'm really close to them. So all of them have a fiancee or a wife and I want to introduce you to them. So just please attend this wedding with me?"
"You really want to?"
"Yes."
"When is it?"
"October 17."
"I'll attend this thing."
"I love you."
"I love you more."
"Not more than I love you."
"So much that you don't even know."
"I love you so much that I don't even show."
"Okay bye."
"Bye."

___________________________
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