Please leave.
A little over two weeks later, school starts.
I’m ready for school to start.
I passed my written examination for my driver’s test and now I have to wait six months before I can take the driving portion of the test. Until then, I am going to be riding with Alfie to school, which he does not seem happy about. Like, at all.
Whenever we got home from the charity ball that night, Alfie asked me, in the nicest way possible, to promise not to call or text Noah. I agreed, and then he went to his room. He hasn’t spoken a word to me since that night, so I’ve been all alone.
I mean, sure, I have Claire. That girl loves to shop. She took me for a mani pedi on Saturday just so I’d be ready for school today. She even helped me pick out a cute outfit to wear and helped me fix my hair this morning. But besides her and the hired help, nobody in the house is talking to me.
Well, Dad talks to me in passing, but I don’t see him very much. He’s always working. I’ve talked to Mom a few times on the phone, but she never talks to me for very long. It’s almost like she’s avoiding me, which I don’t like.
So, here I am, all alone in this big huge house. It’s kind of depressing.
That morning, when I come down for school, Alfie and Jace are both waiting for me in the foyer.
“She’s riding with us?” Jace asks, as he follows Alfie to the door. I follow both of them.
“I don’t have a choice,” Alfie says to him, completely ignoring me. “She passed her written examination, but she only had a permit for the next six months.”
“Did you have your license in Korea?” Jace asks me. Alfie gets in his car and slams the door.
I open the passenger side and climb in the small backseat. Jace gets in the front side.
“I didn’t need my license there. I always walked and took the subway,” I answer. “Besides, driving in Korea is a little scary. More than one of my friends at school have been hit by a car while walking. Usually by a taxi. Those taxi drivers are crazy.”
Jace laughs.
I look at Alfie, who puts the car in gear and takes off. He is gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles are turning white.
“Did you end up texting Noah Pennington?” Jace asks.
“No,” I answer.
Alfie’s grip loosens a bit.
“Good,” Jace says. “That guys a bit arrogant anyway. You’re too good for him.”
“I doubt Alfie will let me text any guy,” I say. “Does Noah go to our school?”
“Yeah,” he answers. “And I don’t think Alfie will try to stop you from texting any guy. Just the guys he doesn’t approve of.”
“Can we not talk about me like I’m not sitting right here?” Alfie asks.
Now you know how I feel.
I want to say the words out loud, but I’m too scared to make him more mad. Maybe I shouldn’t be. How could it get any worse that it already is? Maybe if I start dishing it back, he will see how much it hurts.
No. I can’t be that cruel to him.
I just wish he felt the same.
The rest of the way to school, Jace tries to start a few conversations, but it always falls flat. Eventually, he stops trying and we ride the rest of the way to school in an uncomfortable silence. As soon as we get to school, Alfie gets out of the car and runs away before Jace and I can even get out.
Jace gets out, and then helps me climb out of the small backseat.
“Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around,” Jace tells me.
“I’ve been told that, but I don’t think it’s going to happen,” I say, grabbing my messenger bag from the backseat and sling it over my shoulder. “But thanks anyway.”
“If you want to get even, just talk to Noah again. He can’t stand that guy,” he says, as we walk towards the school together. “When he saw the two of you flirting, he flew off the handle.”
“We weren’t flirting.”
“Well, he was flirting with you,” Jace says, then turns to me. “I’m going to go find your brother.”
“Okay. I’m leaving first,” I say, and walk into the double doors of the school.
“Hey, Gracie,” Jace yells from behind me.
I turn toward him.
“In America, you don’t have to tell somebody you’re leaving first,” he says.
“Right. Sorry,” I say, then turn back around.
At least I didn’t bow that time.
I pull the schedule out of my backpack and look at the room number of my first class. It’s on the second floor, so I head up the first staircase that I see and my class it just a couple doors away from the stairs. The school is easy to navigate, so at least I won’t get lost.
In Korea, we stayed the whole day in the same room. I’m going to miss that for sure. All of my classes are each in different rooms. But at least my first class of the day is math. I like math. It’s a good way to start the day.
I walk inside the room. Nobody is in there yet, so I take a seat in the front. I’m short by American standards, and I don’t want to get stuck behind somebody and not be able to see.
A few minutes later, somebody sits in the desk beside me.
“Hey,” the guys says to me.
I look over and see a Chinese boy sit beside me. He has an American accent, though, so he’s probably been raised here.
“Hey,” I say, bowing towards him.
“Are you a scholarship student?” he asks.
“Scholarship?” I ask. “Aniyo. No.”
“It’s okay to be a scholarship kid,” he says. “I’m here on a scholarship. The other kids don’t really bug us if we stick together.”
“I don’t really understand,” I say. “I’m not…”
“Gracie,” a voice says.
I turn around in my seat to see Noah walk in to the class. His nose is looking completely normal, thank goodness.
“Noah, hey,” I say.
“You didn’t call me,” he says. “I’m hurt.”
“Sorry,” I say. “I didn’t want to make Alfie mad.”
Noah walks over to the desk where the Chinese boy is sitting.
“Move it Yang,” Noah says. “I want to sit by her.”
“So sit on the other side,” he says, but he does get up and move to a desk on the other side of the room.
Noah sits beside me.
“That was rude,” I tell Noah.
He shrugs. “You don’t want to sit by him.”
I roll my eyes and get up out of the seat. I grab my bag and go sit by the boy that Noah called Yang.
“Sorry about him,” I say, when I take a seat. “I didn’t get to properly introduce myself. I’m Gracie James.”
The boy looks at me. “I’m Austin Yang. And sorry that I called you a scholarship student. I didn’t realize.”
I shrug. “It’s okay.”
“Look, Gracie, I don’t want to be rude, but maybe you should go back and sit by him,” he says.
“Why?”
“Because it’ll just cause trouble for me if you sit here,” he says.
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of…”
Austin cuts me off. “I don’t want you to sit here. Please leave.”
Seriously?
I stand up and grab my bag. I go back and sit by Noah, who looks like he knew I would eventually come back.
Ugh.
Maybe this isn’t going to be my favorite class after all.
I have dreaded lunchtime all day long. Mostly because I have made zero friends here, and I don’t have anybody to sit by. I’m going to be that weird girl who sits by herself in the cafeteria. Nobody will want to sit by me. No doubt by now, Alfie has told everybody in the entire school to stay away from me.
I stand in the short line in the cafeteria and get my food. Much to my dismay, they don’t have any rice. What kind of a school lunchroom doesn’t serve rice with every meal? But then I remember, I’m in America. Americans think rice is unhealthy or something.
With my tray of food, I look out at the cafeteria, trying to figure out there I’m going to sit.
Bayside Academy is a really small private school. Today I have learned that most of the kids here are either really smart, or they are really rich. I suppose that I fall into the rich category because of my dad, but I don’t feel rich. To me, I’m still the girl who has a mom who works two jobs just so she can pay for my extra tutoring. Looking back, I don’t understand why Mom didn’t just ask Dad for the money. Maybe because of pride. I guess I can’t blame her for wanting to make it on her own. It’s a good thing I love ramyeon so much. It’s pretty much the cheapest food you can get.
I look at Alfie, who is sitting by Jace. They’re both watching me, but I know I can’t sit by them. If I do, Alfie will get up and just move away.
“Want to sit by me?” Noah asks, as he walks up beside me.
“I don’t know,” I say hesitantly. I’m not sure that I like Noah after the way he talked to Austin earlier. It was uncalled for.
“You don’t call me and now you’re refusing to sit at my table even though you don’t have anywhere else to sit. I’m beginning to think you don’t like me,” Noah says, trying to look hurt.
“You treated Austin really bad earlier,” I say.
“Austin?” he asks.
“Austin Yang,” I say.
“Oh. Yang.” Noah laughs. “You’re mad because I made Yang move? I did you a favor.”
“I don’t need any favors,” I say.
“Gracie.”
I turn to see Elliot standing on the other side of me.
Elliot and his family comes over at least once a week for dinner. He doesn’t talk that much, but he seems really nice.
“Hey, Elliot,” I say.
“Want to sit by me?” he asks.
I nod. “Yes, please.” I turn to Noah. “Talk to you later.”
I follow Elliot towards the table where he was sitting and take the spot directly across from him. Everybody at the table turns to look at me when I sit.
“Everybody, this is Gracie James,” Elliot says, then looks at me. “Was Noah bothering you?”
“My brother doesn’t like him,” I say. “I don’t want to give Alfie another reason to punch him.”
“That was you!” A girl at the table says. “Oh, man! That was awesome! Everybody has wanted to punch Noah at some point, but Alfie just walked up all protective like and punched him. We all thought you were his girlfriend or something. I didn’t know you were his sister. You two look nothing alike. Are you half siblings or something?”
“They’re twins,” Elliot answers for me.
“No way,” a boy says, dropping his fork. It makes a loud sound as it hits the table. “But you look Chinese.”
“Korean,” Elliot corrects.
I pull the chopsticks in my purse out to eat with. I don’t want to embarrass myself at school by trying to use a fork.
“That means Alfie is part Korean too?” the girl asks.
“Obviously,” Elliot says.
“Can you speak Korean?” the boy asks.
“Yes. Both Alfie and I can,” I answer.
“Say something in Korean,” he says.
I look at him, then at Elliot. Before either of us can respond, Alfie walks up to the table. He grabs my tray without saying a word and walks it over to his own table. He sits it down beside where he’s sitting and then motions me with his index finger.
“Joesonghamnida,” I say, apologizing in Korean, then get up. “I guess that is my cue.”
I walk over and take a seat beside Alfie. I wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t. He just eats.
Everybody at the table looks at me.
“Are you two dating or something?” a guy asks.
“Gross,” Alfie and I say at the same time, and we both laugh.
Alfie turns away from me. “She’s my sister.”
“Ah, that explains why Noah was so interested in her,” the guy says, looking at me. “I’m Hunter West, but you can call me West like everybody else.”
West is tall, like Jace. He has blond hair and dark brown eyes. He’s also tanned, so I guess he spent a lot of time outside this summer, maybe at the beach. I always forget that Americans like to be tan. People probably think I’m really white. Anytime I went to the beach, I always covered myself from head to toe because I didn’t want to get dark.
“I’m Gracie James,” I say, catching myself before I bow. I don’t want to make Alfie more mad than he already is. I just pick up my chopsticks and start eating again, careful not to slurp anything.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” West asks.
I look up in time to see Alfie smack him on the back of the head.
“Never mind,” he says, rubbing his head.
Alfie smiles, obviously satisfied.
“No boyfriend. Just one very protective brother,” I say quietly to myself.
Jace, who is sitting across from me, smiles. Apparently he heard what I said.
Alfie turns to look at me. “From now on, you eat here. Got it?”
“Yes,” I say.
“Good,” he says, then continues eating.
Well, at least I don’t have to worry about eating alone.
At the end of the day, I go to my locker and grab all my books. We don’t have any homework, which is odd, but I figure I can get a head start on studying and maybe work ahead on some assignments. I fill my messenger bag full and sling it over my shoulder. It’s heavy, but not nearly as heavy as my books in Korea were.
I walk down the hallway towards the exit. On my way out, I pass Noah, who runs up beside me.
“Let me help you with your bag,” he says. “Those books look heavy.”
“No thanks,” I say, holding up a hand.
“I’m sorry. About the whole Yang thing,” Noah says. “I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with you.”
“It’s not that. Not really. It’s just… my brother doesn’t like you,” I say. “And to be honest, he doesn’t really like me either. I don’t want to make him mad by talking to you.”
“Let’s be friends,” he says. “We can be friends in secret.”
“I don’t know,” I say.
“You still have my number?”
I nod.
“Text me,” he says, then adds, “please.”
“Maybe,” I say, then turn and walk towards Alfie’s car. When I get out there, both him and Jace are waiting for me.
“Why is your bag full?” Alfie asks, when he sees me. “Do you already have homework?”
“No. I just want to get a head start on studying,” I answer. “Most of my classes are advanced ones.”
I take my bag off my shoulder and start to climb in the back. Jace takes the bag from me and then hands it to me once I’m sitting down in the back.
“How was your first day?” Jace asks me, as we take off.
“Okay, I suppose. A little boring,” I say.
“Did you make any friends?” he asks.
“Well, I met this guy named Austin Yang in my math class this morning, but Noah ran him off,” I answer, frowning as I think about it. “Austin was sitting by me and Noah made him move so he could sit there.”
“Is Noah bothering you?” Alfie asks.
“I can handle him,” I say.
“Anybody else talk to you?”
“Nope. Just you guys. And Elliot,” I say. “I am surprised that you guys don’t hang out with Elliot.”
“We do,” Alfie says. “Sometimes. Everybody in the school is in the same circle, so we all hang out. Except maybe the scholarship kids.”
“That’s what Austin was,” I say. “He thought I was a scholarship kid for some reason.”
“Most new students are scholarship kids. People with rich parents usually start there during their freshman year,” Jace says. “He probably just assumed that since you’re a senior that you are there on a scholarship, especially since you were in an advanced class.”
“Maybe,” I say.
“Hey, you want to help me with my math?” Jace asks. “I barely passed with a C last year. I need to make good grades this year.”
“Sure,” I say. “Alfie, you need help too?”
“No,” he says.
“Alfie is good at math. He could use help in his English Lit class,” Jace says.
“I’m a good English tutor,” I say. “I helped my English teacher in Korea. I went to a small school and our English teacher could hardly speak English herself.”
“I don’t need help,” Alfie says. “I’ll figure it out on my own.”
What a grouch.
“I have a question,” I say. Nobody says anything, so I continue. “Why don’t you guys like Noah?”
“He’s just not a good guy,” Alfie says.
“I know you say that, but why isn’t he?” I ask. “I mean, he made me mad earlier when he made Austin move, but he apologized for that. I just… I don’t know, I thought it would be nice to have a friend besides the two of you.”
Alfie stays quiet.
“Noah has had a lot of girlfriends,” Jace tells me. “Last year, he even stole a girl that Alfie was dating. He never dates a girl long. Never longer than a couple months. The girls always end up heartbroken. You deserve better than that.”
“You never told me you dated somebody,” I say to Alfie.
“You never asked,” he replies. “I didn’t know if you dated anybody in Korea either.”
“I didn’t,” I say.
“Good,” he says. “When you find a guy you’re interested in, I want to meet him.”
“So you can punch him?” I ask, in a joking tone.
Jace and I both laugh. Alfie, after a few seconds, finally laughs with us.
It feels good to laugh with my brother. It’s been way too long.
Maybe, just maybe, Alfie is coming along.
Later that afternoon, I sit in my room and do some homework. When I pull my English book out of my bag, I notice a folded up piece of paper. It has my name on the front of it, but it’s not my handwriting.
“Huh. Wonder what this is,” I say.
I pull the note out and unfold it.
Gracie,
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go back to where you came from. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
—X
X? Who would sign a note with just an X?
For a moment, I think maybe Alfie did, but it’s not his handwriting. But maybe he got somebody else to write the note for him. I sigh and crinkle up the note, tossing it in the trash. I really thought Alfie and I were getting along better, but it seems like he hates me now just as much as always.
My phone vibrates on the nightstand, distracting me from my negative thoughts.
Unknown number: Since you won’t text me, I’m going to text you.
Me: Who is this?
Unknown number: I’m hurt. You didn’t save my number to your phone? It’s Noah. Feel free to save my number as Hottie.
Me: Hi, Noah. I’m ignoring the hottie comment…
Noah: Aw, I’m hurt. :’( Going to cry now.
Me: Did you date my brother’s girlfriend?
Noah: Yes, but in my defense, it’s not my fault she broke up with him for me.
Me: No wonder my brother hates you so much…
Noah: It’s water under the bridge.
Me: According to my brother, that’s definitely not the case. You know, incase his right hook was too subtle.
Noah: Yeah. I suppose I should apologize for that. You see, I kind of am interested in his sister. And I doubt he’s going to let me take you out on a date at this point.
Me: DATE? Who said anything about a DATE?
Noah: I did.
Me: My answer is NO. N-O. Not happening. Not in a million years. NEVER. EVER. EVER.
Noah: Wow, don’t spare my feelings.
Me: Wasn’t planning on it.
Noah: I don’t think you’d be texting me right now if you weren’t interested.
Me: Fine then. I won’t text you.
Noah: Wait!
Noah: I’m sorry!
Noah: Just please don’t stop texting me.
Noah: Please.
Noah: I have a question. For serious.
Me: What is your question?
Noah: Will you answer it?
Me: Is that your question?
Noah: You drive on hard bargain. THIS is my question… My dad is getting married again. For, like, the fifth time. This time, it’s to a girl younger than my older sister. And I can’t go to the wedding alone. Will you pretty please go with me? You don’t have to go as my date. Just as a friend.
Me: We’re friends?
Noah: YES. Definitely.
Me: When is it?
Noah: Saturday. And if you come I will owe you MAJOR. And I will love you forever.
Me: I don’t want your eternal love. However, I do want a favor. I don’t know what that favor is yet, but when I think of it, you can’t deny me, no matter how ridiculous it is.
Noah: DEAL! Does that mean you’re coming?
Me: On one condition.
Noah: ANYTHING…
Me: You can’t tell anybody. I don’t want Alfie to find out. It stays between us.
Noah: Deal.
Me: Okay. See you tomorrow.
Noah: Tomorrow :)
I have a feeling I am going to regret that.