Saving Grace | ✓

My True Love, My True Friend

Don't forget to vote, comment and add this book to your library for updates 🌸

***

"You expect me to believe that the fight was all over a silly PlayStation game?" Mrs McDonnell retorted, her face concreted in a scowl.

"Honestly Miss, that's all it was." Liam replied convincingly, if anyone could blag a lie it was definitely him.

Her eyes scanned all three of the boys, before finally landing on me. "Is this true Grace?" 

I gulped, taking a deep breathe. "Of course Miss. Just stupid boy arguments." 

Mrs McDonnell sighed, "Hunter, Liam, Luke you can leave now. Please go to your lessons, and Luke and Hunter you will have lunch time detentions for a week. You know I do not condone violence in this school!"

"Yes Miss." Hunter replied, before walking out of the office door with Liam trailing behind. 

"Are you coming Grace?" Luke whispered, his lips tugging up into the most fabricated smile I had ever seen. 

My heart pulsated, along with my forehead. The last thing I wanted was to walk out of here with him, not after everything that had happened over the last couple of the days. I opened my mouth, trying to fathom together some sort of lie.

"No, Grace is staying here with me." Mrs McDonnell butted in, proceeding to shove Luke out of her blue wooden door.

I sighed in relief, slowly lowering myself onto one of Mrs McDonnell's cushioned blue chairs. My entire school life I'd spent avoiding sitting between these four walls, but right now I couldn't be more grateful to be in here – shut away from Luke's harm. 

"I hope you are aware that you can speak to any member of staff at any time, and if you ever need any help there are plenty of charities that can provide you with advice." Miss McDonnell spoke, placing a cup of steaming tea on the table in front of me.

My eyebrows furrowed, "I don't understand what you mean?"

"The relationship yourself and Luke have is not normal. I've been in this job over 30 years now, and I can see an abnormality in a relationship when there is one." She paused, grabbing some leaflets from the desk behind her.

"Take these and have a read." She instructed, placing a blue leaflet beside the mug with the bold words Domestic Abuse plastered across the front page. 

"Luke and I-" 

"Please do not say you are fine. Don't be afraid to speak to me Grace, or any other member of staff. We are here to help you, to ensure you have a happy and healthy lifestyle inside and outside of school hours." She whispered, her reassuring smile filling me with a comforting warmth.

"How did you know Miss?" 

"A member of staff informed me of the rumours circulating this morning. The whole time you have attended this school, I have become accustomed with how deep yours and Hunter's friendship is, and today he loved you enough to protect you by standing up to the person who had hurt you. Friends like Hunter are hard to find, cherish that friendship because those who have it are truly blessed." Mrs McDonnell whispered, each beautiful word seeping deep into my mind.

Not having Hunter around these last few weeks had been horrific, the one person who I had always relied on in life was no longer there. Hunter is a huge part of my past, an important part of my present and a crucial part in my future plans.

The friendship Hunter and I shared was truly magnificent, and Mrs McDonnell was right – I am lucky. If I hadn't of had him in my life the last seventeen years, I'd hate to think of where I would of ended up. Life's crazy that way, people come into your life for a reason and Hunter he came into my life to be my truest friend and guide me through life hand in hand.

"You and so many other girls go through relationships like yours and Luke's, you do not have to feel alone. There are support groups you can attend, you can meet other girls who have experienced the same thing as you. Leaving him is just the beginning, but it's the after plan that is the most crucial." She continued, before taking a sip of her cup of coffee.

My face lifted into a frown, "The after plan?" 

"In cases like yours, it's found that even after the victim tells the abuser that they want to split the abuser doesn't allow that to happen. It's rare that they remove themselves from their lives, and let it go. Luke will beg for your forgiveness, obviously it is your decision whether you do forgive him or not. But if you want to be apart from him, you need to stay strong and stand your ground. Giving in, speaking to him and hearing him out will only give him more stamina to continue. There are safe houses that you can go into to ensure that he cannot get to you, or we could speak to your parents-"

"No!" I interrupted, "Please do not speak to my parents!" 

The last thing I wanted was them to be involved in this disaster. I'd done so well hiding it from them, that the thought of them finding out gave me shivers. It was worse enough that everyday I would now have to come to school and put up with everybody looking at me as if I am a lost cause, I did not want to have to go home to that everyday too. 

"Are they unaware of the situation?" Miss McDonnell frowned, her eyes filling with pity.

"No, nobody knew until recently. I didn't want anybody to know the truth. I was ashamed." I replied, my head slumping down to face the floor.

"You don't need to be ashamed. None of this is your fault Grace." She sighed, "Unfortunately as for your parents, they got called after the fight because we have to make them aware of this sort of behaviour. Hunter's and Luke's parents have been informed too."

I gulped, my breakfast suddenly had the urge to reappear. My stomach bubbled like a volcano that was about to erupt - I simply could not face my parents if they found out the truth.

"Can I leave now?" I asked, picking up the leaflets and shoving them into the bottom of my bag. I made a mental note to chuck them away in a bin far away from the house, so my parents would never find them.

"Sure, but please remember I am always here Grace. My door is always open." Miss replied, smiling over her steaming cup of coffee.

Without any further words said, I rushed out of the room towards the one place my body, heart and soul ached to be. I needed to wrap up inside his arms, feel the sense of security he had always had the ability to give me. My love for him had never faltered, and after all these years he had never once let me down despite everybody else who always seemed to do the opposite.

Trust isn't something I put into many people, in fact with me it's something you have to earn. My father walking out on me at a young age, made me lose trust in everybody around me. Your parents are supposed to be there for you at every milestone, goal completions and the happy and sad days of your life. My dad was never around for any of those, and it made me question what was seriously wrong with me in order for him to be unable to love me.

Love is a crazy thing - a constant roller coaster with ups and downs. But it was something I'd never been short on, my best friend had always made sure I was loved and felt loved. His adoration kept me going, because even I knew that if I ended up with nothing I would always have him there by my side.

So in that very moment, as my parents were inevitably about to find out the truth about the secret part of my life that I had kept behind closed doors for the last two years - it made sense that the only person I truly needed to breathe right now was Hunter.

Hunter was all I ever needed.

***

A/N:
So Grace's secret is finally out in the open. Her friends know, people who are not her friends know, and her teachers know. But how do you think her parents will react when they find out what has been going on?

- What is your opinion on Hunter?
- What do you think will happen to Grace & Luke next?

If you are going through anything similar to Grace, then please speak to somebody and get help. Speak to a friend, family member, teacher or work colleague or somebody you can trust. You are not alone. ❤️