FicWad

I hurriedly text back:
Hey :D forgot I gave you my number. Sure! Want to go for a coffee, then come back to mine? My mum will be out so we can get pizza or something like that. Or whatever, I don't mind I press the send button with shaking fingers. Was that too eager? I have no idea how to talk to people as friends, I don't want to lose the only friend I have in the school. Well.. apart from Gerard.
I lie down on my bed, my phone still in my hand. I pull my laptop out and switch it on. As I'm scrolling through the list of guitar picks on a website choosing which one to get, my phone buzzes, making me jump, even though I was expecting it. I open up the message nervously.
Coffee sounds great! And I'm a sucker for pizza :) See you tomorrow activity! I huge smile creeps across my face. I drop my phone on the bed and stretch. Maybe school wasn't so bad.
An IM pops up in the corner. It's from Ray.
Ibreakplectrums: Hey!
GuitarGuy: Hey :D
Ibreakplectrums: How's it going?
GuitarGuy: It's good thanks, you?
Ibreakplectrums: I'm good, just completed C.O.D Finest Hour for the eighth time
GuitarGuy: -__-
Ibreakplectrums: Don't give me that face. So, what you doing after school tomorrow?
GuitarGuy: actually going for coffee with my friend Grace. Then we're having pizza at mine.
Ibreakplectrums: Oh I see ;)
GuitarGuy: Don't you start! You can join us if you want
Ibreakplectrums: Sure, if you want. Don't want to...intrude on anything. ;)
GuitarGuy: Shut up. Starbucks at 4:15. See you, loser.
Ibreakplectrums: I'll be there :D
I sign off and chuckle to myself. Having Ray there will calm me down a little. My phone in hand I quickly text Grace again.
Hey, me again. :P My friend Ray's coming too tomorrow, that ok?
She replies almost immediately :
Sure, I'm cool with that :D Whatever :)

The bedsheets are warm from me sitting on them and my heart is beating at normal pace for the first time in ages as I slide into bed. I'm faintly excited about tomorrow, as sad as that sounds. Even the cut on my cheek doesn't hurt as much. But it's a sharp reminder of how careful I need to be.

She's waiting for me as I leave school, she's sitting on the stone wall, her long legs dangling. She's laughing at something another girl is saying. This girl girl doesn't look like the sort of person I'd imagined Grace to be friends with. The other girl walks away, Grace smiles and waves at her. " Hey" I say when I reach her.
" Hi! You ready to go?" She jumped down from the wall, tugging her bag down after her.
" Yep," I reply, " Who was that girl? a friend of yours?"
She laughs again " oh no. Me and Melanie aren't friends. She was just saying stupid stuff. It was pretty funny"
" Oooooohhhh." I nod. We chat as we make our way to Starbucks, laughing and joking. It all seems so easy, I don't know what I was worried about. This girl wanted to be my friend, that was that.
Pushing open the large glass door, we're both suddenly shrouded in warmth. The sweet smell of coffee fills the air and the comfortable armchairs look so inviting. I wave at Ray, who's managed to save us two of those oh so comfy looking chairs, a huge mug on the table in front of him. " That's Ray by the way." I point at him, and Grace waves shyly. " What do you want to drink? I'll pay it's fine..."
"No, I'm paying for my drink, don't worry. I don't want you spending all your money on me." She smiles going over to the counter. " I'll have a black coffee please," She says to the smiley woman at the cash register.
" Coming right up honey" The Starbucks woman says, then turns to me, " What can I get you sweetie?
I blush, not used to people calling me "sweetie". " Uh, I'll have a black coffee too please." The woman nods, smiling a huge smile and then sets about making our drinks. We wait at the collecting station and then carry them over to our table. Grace dumps two packets of sugar in hers and wraps her hands around the steaming mug. She's wearing fingerless gloves with three little badges on each hand. I'm very pleased to see they are Smashing Pumpkins and Queen ones. I grasp my mug, the searing heat burning the ends of my fingers that weren't covered by my own gloves.
"Hey, I'm Ray, Frank's friend." Ray leans across and holds his hand out to her. Grace takes it and smiles yet again. How is she so happy all the time? " I'm Grace, hi!"
" SO have you known Frank for long or..?"
" Oh no, we actually properly met a couple of days ago, right Frank?" She turns to me for conformation. I nod, taking a sip of coffee. Aah, bliss.
" Yeah. We ran into each other in the hallway."
" Literally. I flattened her." I say with a grin.
Ray burst out laughing, his hand over his mouth, " Now, why does that not surprise me?"
We all laugh together, we talk about school, music, games (typical Ray) and all sorts of stuff, draining our coffee mugs and relaxing into the soft chairs.