Just What I Needed Ch. 01

The annoying beeping of her alarm wasn't exactly the most pleasant way to wake up, but a smile spread across Grace's face when she remembered that Chris' parents were gone for a week, and that he was picking her up and taking her to breakfast instead of going to school. She still hit the snooze button though, to sleep for 15 more minutes, just like she did everyday. Too soon it went off again, and she decided it would be better to wait until she was at Chris' to go back to sleep. She dragged herself out of bed, down the hall, and into the shower. Not long afterwards she headed back to her room, dressed only in a towel.

She shut her door and threw the towel on the ground, peeking at her youthful 19 year old body as she walked past a full length mirror to her dresser. On the way she grabbed the same pair of jeans that she'd been wearing for a week straight and threw them onto the bed, along with a pair of panties and a t-shirt. Her breasts were small and perky, so she never bothered with bras.

Pink boy cut panties were dragged on first, then the jeans. As she was pulling her t-shirt over her head she flashed herself a grin in the mirror carefully admiring the girl who grinned back. She turned so that her back showed, the giant allosaurus that wrapped around her ribs and half of her toned upper back danced as she moved. Socks and a pair of old ripped up sneakers went on after her shirt. She ran her fingers through her short boy-cut hair and shrugged in the mirror at herself just as the doorbell rang.

She snatched her book bag and ran down the stairs, trying to beat her dad at the door. She met him in the hallway and flashed him her childish grin that fooled everyone of her innocence, quickly pecked him on the cheek, and ran out the door, not giving him a chance to speak with Chris. Chris was her best friend and everything, but a horrid liar, and she didn't want her dad to know she wasn't going to classes.

"So who are we going to breakfast with?" Grace asked as she climbed into Chris' car.

"John and his friend Todd, who I don't really know, do you?" Chris replied, starting his car and driving away. Grace waved to her dad who was looking out the window, wondering why his daughter wasn't taking the bus.

"Nope, but if John hangs out with him he must be a pretty cool kid." Grace turned up the radio and the car started thrumming, making it impossible for anymore conversation.

Grace was 19, Chris had been her best friend since freshman year of high school, and now they both attended the crappy excuse of a community college in their hometown. John was still a senior in high school, but a very close friend. His 18 birthday just happened to land on the week that Chris' parents would be away, and so they were cutting there classes to plan a surprise for him. Grace often pulled stunts like this, and usually, she got Chris as well as herself into some sort trouble, but most of the time, she was very good at getting them out of it.

In barely any time at all they had reached the diner that there group of friends frequented, morning, noon, and all hours of the night. They sat at there usual table in the corner and soon afterwards John walked in.

Grace's eyes opened in shock at the attractive punk boy who wandered in behind him. Todd was tall and lanky, and incredibly skinny and almost fragile looking. Except the veins that stood out of the skin on his arms like little rivers killed the fragile look as she realized that muscles sat right beneath the veins. John strode over to them, the boy followed, his head lowered shyly, black shaggy hair in his face, scuffing his dirty sneakers along the ground, his jeans rivaling her own in dirtiness. Her breath caught in her throat as he got close enough for her to see that his black t-shirt was indeed an Adicts shirt.

"Hey guys, this is Todd," John introduced them as he slid into his normal seat. "Todd, this is Chris and Grace."

Grace all of a sudden found herself blushing under this stranger's grey stare, her throat was too dry to speak so she simply nodded her hello, trying her best to keep the nonchalant demeanor that she worked so hard on, Chris said hello as well and they shook hands as Todd slid into the seat next to John, and across from Grace. He didn't speak.

Finally the waitress came, and she got to hear his voice, it rolled over her and her stomach did a little flip flop. She had to order next and to her chagrin she stuttered slightly and blushed more.

Todd stared at the girl across from him, god she was adorable. He wondered if her short hair was a sign she was a lesbian. He'd seen her at a party a few years ago, seen her making out with a girl, another friend of John's. She hadn't seen him. Even if she had she probably wouldn't have cared anyways. However, she had been wasted, so maybe she didn't only like girls. She caught him watching her and she blushed more, he kept his face steady and straight. He then stared down at the table, keeping himself in check. He wanted to talk to this girl, a few times he tried, but nothing would come out. Especially since she never talked to him, obviously she wasn't interested.

Grace joked with John and Chris throughout breakfast, sometimes she'd comment, and then her green eyes would watch Todd underneath long lashes, trying to see if he'd laugh at any of her jokes, or join in the conversation. He never did. He didn't speak one word to her.

Finally it was time to go and her torture was over, she gave John a quick hug and smiled at Todd, then flitted off to Chris' car to wait for him, trying desperately to stop blushing.

"You liked him didn't you!"

"Who?"

"Who do you think? Todd of course."

"Yea right, you've got to be kidding me." Grace glared at her friend, silently admonishing him for knowing her way too well.

"Then why were you blushing so much? Especially over a guy! What's gotten into you?" Chris continued to tease her, knowing eventually she'd give in and ramble about how cute Todd was for awhile. However, she wasn't ready to yet and she crossed her arms over her chest and stayed silent until they reached Chris house, where she soon became animated over planning John's birthday party. A few other friends showed up throughout the day, seeing how the plans were going and putting in there two cents. Soon she had forgotten all about Todd.

Chris, however, did not, and he made sure that Todd would be at his house that Friday night. Grace had been heart broken since Angela had chosen the Marines, as well as men, over her and left, and that was almost a year ago. He decided it was time to at least try to break his friends ban on love, to crack her open again, to the fun loving, romantic girl, he knew hid inside. And he thought he knew just the boy to help.