Chapter 5

          The next day, Grace got up and stumbled to the bathroom. Her head was pounding and she felt drowned out. Grace looked up in the mirror and saw bags under her eyes. she looked just as bad as she felt.
          Justin got up and came in behind her. "Good morning, Sweetie. Did you have a good time?" Grace smiled and nodded. "I feel like s**t though." Justin left the bathroom and came back with a little baggie. "I thought you might say that." He set up four lines on the counter. Two for him and two for Grace.
          Grace was skeptical at first. "In the morning?" Justin laughed. "You'll feel better." So Grace took the silver straw from Justin's hand. She sniffed up the lines an a quick, smooth motion. Soon she was feeling way better. Better than ever, in fact. Justin saw it.
          "Get your stuff. I'll bring you home." Grace got her bag and let Justin take her home. He stopped at the corner of her street so no one would see that she had been with him. Grace tried to get out of the car. Just then Justin grabbed her arm and she froze. "Listen, Grace, I really like you and..." Justin stopped dead in his tracks and looked into Grace's eyes. He reached over to her and kissed her. Grace felt sparks. She felt wonderful. It was the best first kiss ever. Justin pulled away. "You better go. I don't want to get you in trouble." So Grace left the car and walked to her house, drifting in her own little world.
         When she got through the door of her house, her world disappeared. She snapped out of it to the sound of her mother crying. Slowly, She walked toward the sobbing sound coming from from her mother's bedroom.
         There she found her mother with a glass in one hand and a bottle of Mr.Boston's in the other. Grace's eyes welled up. "How could you do this to me?!", Grace yelled. Her mother looked up and tried to speak. "you... your father le... left mmm... me. I'm dep....pressed." Grace was angry. Without another word, she packed her bags, called Justin, and left her mother just like her dad left them.
         Justin was there just a half an hour after he dropped her off. "Where to?", he asked. Grace shook her head, still in disbelief at her mothers drinking. "Take me anywhere. I don't care. Anywhere but here." Justin decided to take her to his house. " My father will be gone for three more days. You'll be with me until then."
         Justin helped her get her things inside. Grace was skeptical. What did 'until then' mean? she followed Justin into the house, to his bedroom. Grace all of the sudden felt carefree. She was with a guy she really liked. She didn't have to deal with her mother. Life felt good in this moment. Better than usual.
         "Hungry?", Justin asked. "I'll make you a sandwich."Justin grabbed Grace by the hand and lead her to the kitchen. "Lettuce, tomato, turkey, mayo?" grace nodded and sat down at the Island while Justin made her sandwich. She looked around and admired the counter tops and lighting fixtures. things she hadn't really noticed before."you have a pretty house.", Grace said. Justin put the sandwich in front of her and kissed her on the cheek. "Not as pretty as you."
        Justin went to his room and let Grace eat her sandwich. When she was done, she walked to the room to see what Justin was up to. When she got there, Justin was counting stacks of money. He noticed her in the doorway. "Hey, Beautiful. I'm going out to buy snow. You need an upper. You stay here, okay?"Grace nodded and let Justin through the doorway. She heard the front door slam behind Justin. She went into the living room and turned on the television. Grace wasn't amused by what was on. she drifted off to sleep.
        About an hour later, Justin came home. Grace woke up and made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. There she found Justin with a black eye and a bloody nose. "What happened?", she cried. Justin shook his head and threw a baggie on the island counter top. "Hey. It was worth it. Trust me."
       Grace noticed the light above Justin flicker. Then it grew really bright. 'Chase', Grace thought.





Chase,

        i know you think it's wrong but mom is the one who did me wrong. Her drinking is killing me! Maybe it's not my fault dad left. Maybe it was hers. Whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm with Justin.He treats me the way I'm supposed to be treated. The joke's on mom. I've never been so angry! I need a line.
   Love,
         Grace