Saving Grace | ✓

Our Only Hope

Hunter's POV

With less than a week left of school before the summer holidays, not much was happening during classes. We'd watch a few movies, or spend the entire lesson on our phones doing absolutley nothing. This was my favourite time of an academic year, sure I worked hard in school and I wanted to get somewhere in life one day; but doing nothing, that has to be the best thing ever. 

The only downside to the last few weeks have been the lack of Grace, I'd barely seen her or even heard from her. I'd texted her, called her and even stopped by at Liam's after school to check in on her but she refused to see me. It was worrying. She'd enclosed herself in her room for the last two weeks, only coming out when nobody else was in the house. Presumably to get food, and drink. Liam had tried to speak to her, to get her to let him in the bedroom but she'd never reply to his demands, or his caring whispers either. She wanted to be alone, and honestly who could blame her for that?

The police were doing shockingly bad with their job, it was of course their responsiblity to keep this neighbourhood safe yet Luke is still happily walking the streets. I'd seen him out and about, drinking at the pub with his mates or down at the local skatepark doing tricks on his skateboard. Luke had no worries, he had no reason to hide or to lock himself away in his bedroom. The only worry he had was where to go or what to do during the summer holidays, whereas Grace's worries were the opposite. 

Rumours had spread round the village, parents informing other parents about the rebellious daughter called Grace who made up lies about her domestic abusive boyfriend. Rumours that Grace was hiding herself away because she was ashamed to go out in public, to face the lies she had apparently told. Of course these rumours were complete bullshit, but that never stopped people from making up their own stories. 

Liam and I were the only people Grace had left, her mother had told her she wanted nothing to do with her and had personally dropped off the rest of her belongings round to my house and told me to tell her, 'get stuffed, here's your crap and never come back.' Of course Grace's mother said ruder words than that, but that is not important right now. I'd known Grace's mother since I was a young child, and never once would I have considered her turning her back on Grace. It has shocked me, and even now I failed to understand why.

So here I am, sat in A Level Geography twisting my pen round with my index finger and thumb; trying to figure out a solution to this atrocity of a mess. 

"What's up mate? You've sat there doing that for the last hour." Tom, my partner during this lesson concernly asked.

I shrugged, "Just stuff, nothing to worry about."

"You worried about Grace?" Tom turned round in his chair, grabbing the pen out of my hand forcing me to talk.

"It just sucks, I can't do anything to help her and Liam is being about as useless as a chocolate teapot! He just texts me every hour saying Grace still hasn't come out of her room, or I've tried to talk to her and she won't listen. He's not even trying-"

"Hey, I'm sure Liam is trying his best, mate. You've got to admit all of this is hardly Liam Stangards strong point, sure he's good getting the girls into bed but he's definitely not good with girls emotions. None of us boys are." Tom smiled slightly, trying to make light of a shitty situation.

"I suppose you're right. Grace won't even listen to me, and I've known her for seventeen years! If she won't listen to me, then who will she listen too?" I asked, not expecting an answer. If I couldn't get through to her, then nobody could.

Tom stayed silent for a while before gasping, "What about Leo?"

"Leo?"

"Yes, Leo! I mean you told me before he's the one that got her to speak out about what Luke did in the first place, maybe he's the person to talk her out of the room." Tom reached for his phone in his pocket, beginning to type what was pressumably a text.