That Night √

prologue

"Don't mind him, Grace," Bella said, trying to keep her lunch tray from tumbling over in her hands as she glanced over at Grace. A very angry-looking Grace.

Grace's knuckles had gone white as she gripped her tray, voices murmuring and whispering behind her in the busy cafeteria of Hayward Middle School.

Everyone was busy piling food on their lunch trays, grateful to be out of their classrooms, all except for Fraser Nash--the thirteen-year-old boy who loved being the biggest bully.

"How am I not supposed to mind him?" Asked twelve-year-old Grace, the anger obvious with the way she was clenching her jaw.

Bella placed her tray on their table--a small wooden table along one corner of the cafeteria--and pushed back a loose strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. Almost everyone here in the town of Hayward had dark hair, especially her classmates.

"Look, Fraser always says anything and everything to annoy anyone. Just ignore him." Bella knew it'd have to be her right now to keep Grace calm and collected. She felt like it was her job. If she didn't, things would get out of hand.

Like they mostly did when Grace got angry.

"Just ignore him?" A loud voice interrupted them both. It was Fraser, looking at them with a mean twist of his lips. Fraser always had this evil air to him, like a bully usually would. He was one of those kids who loved annoying the teachers and the students (sometimes even the Principal).

"Fraser, go mind your own business." It was Bella this time, her eyes anxiously darting from Fraser to Grace.

"Why?" He asked, jerking his chin upwards in an arrogant manner, his dishevelled black hair falling over his forehead. And wasn't it just unfortunate that he was taller than Grace? Another reason for Grace to hate him even more so than she normally did. "I like making Gracie angry."

Grace placed her tray on the table and stepped towards him, glaring at him at the same time. Grace had a short temper. Grace always had a short temper. But it wasn't her fault that people like Fraser just kept pissing her off.

"Don't call me that." She hissed at him. She hated when people like Fraser called her Gracie.

Fraser, on the other hand, just stuffed his hands in his pockets and barked out a short laugh. People in the cafeteria were now stopping by to look at the little scene.

"What else should I call you? Collins?" He asked. Grace just glared at him, her dark brown eyes looking a lot angrier than before.

"I should call Mrs Davis," Bella murmured nervously, looking around the cafeteria. Mrs Davis was their art teacher and she knew how to keep Grace from punching people--especially Fraser.

Grace scoffed and a strand of her unruly blonde hair fell over her right eye. She tried calming herself down, levelling her breathing rate. After all, Fraser wasn't worth it, right? And her mum would be so angry if she punched Fraser (once again) and got dragged to the Principal's office.

Which happened quite often.

"Where's that stupid kid Lucius?" Fraser asked, looking around. Grace couldn't help but notice, probably for the thousandth time, how Fraser acted as if he was the superior one with his dark and brooding personality. He wasn't actually. Nobody liked Fraser.