The Exception// Jack Avery [1]

CHAPTER 8 [higher class]

School's today and I don't want to walk into English and see Tess, knowing that she lied to me. She didn't talk to me all weekend and lied to me when she was coming home. I don't know how to act around her. She obviously knows that Jack would have told me if he seen her, because she knows me and Jack are friends. My worst fear is going to school and have her lie to me and act like everything's okay. I hate being lied to. I love her so much, she is my bestfriend but I do feel like I've abandoned her a little since Jack, and that could be why she feels like she had to turn to them. I might be overthinking. I do it all the time.

As I walk through the school gates and into the corridor, I see Jack waiting by my locker and we walk over to the rest of the boys together waiting by his. "hey guys" Jonah says as we walk over, I see Daniel scrolling through his phone, not even looking up to face me and then I realise. This is first time I'm seeing him since the date. "hey guys, hey dani" I say and he lifts his head to to glance at me before he smiles and goes back into what ever he was looking at on his phone. I look at Jack and gives me a reasuring smile, letting me know that its okay. "so Grace, you sitting next to us in English?" Zach asks, "and why would I do that" I ask, "well cause Tess is with the girls now" he says, earning a slap over the head by Jack. I look at the floor feeling like crap. Does everyone know that I've been ditched?

"Hey Grace, it's cool, you have us now anyway" Corbyn says causing me to smile, "yeah they can be bitches too" Jonah says, "isn't you're ex one of them bitches" I ask, "yes, which is why she's my ex" he says laughing. "Grace you can hang with us anytime you want" Jack says, placing a hand on my shoulder. I look at him and see his smile which causing me to smile. "have I missed something here" Zach says, causing a slap around the head from Corbyn, not Jack this time. Corbyn gestures to Daniel who has still not lifted is head up from his phone. "oh" Zach mouths turning to face me with a big smile on his face. "now, did I miss something" Jonah says, everyone laughs. All but Daniel.

I turn my head and see Tess, followed by the group of girls. I can't turn my eyes away from them, Tess hasn't even noticed me yet. I followed them until they turn the corner. I see Tess peer over her shoulder and look me dead in the eye causing me to look away imediately so it doesn't look like I was staring, even thought it was obvious I was. I look to the floor and tried not to care so much. "shit, I'm sorry Grace" Jonah says, I look up and give a weak smile, "it's fine" I get out. Then Jack pulls me into a hug and bury my face in his chest. As we pull out of the hug he looks at me and smiles. He keeps his arm around me as we look back at the boys. This time Daniel's looking, and he does not look okay.

Just as I was about to move Jack arm off my shoulder, the bell goes and everyone begins to walk. "bye guys" Corbyn says, "see you at break?" Jack says, still with his arm around my shoulder, "yeah sure" Jonah says, "let's go then Zach" Jack says, Zach follows. I catch one last glance from Daniel and move out of Jack's embrace and turn to face Zach. "I'll sit with you, only if you don't draw in my book" I say to him, "I wont" he smiles. I look back at Jack and he smiles weak. I look to away and we walk to English together.

When we walk in the room I look over to my normal seat to see if Tess had been sitting there. No, she's not. I then hear a girls scream and see her sitting at the front corner with 2 other girls from the group. I look down and Jack see's me, "come sit with us Gracie, you don't need her" he says resting a hand on my shoulder, I nod as we go and sit down, me in between Zach and Jack - like last time. I can see that Tess keep on glancing over to me and the boys. The class goes quiet when the teacher walks in. "I wanna talk to her" I whisper to Jack, "don't, not yet" he says, "why" I ask, "it's just not the best time" he says. I nod and listen to the teacher talking. She hands out some sheets of work that we need to copy into our book and remember. I don't even know if she knows what we're doing.