Chapter 11: Small Town Runaways

Grace gasped awake. Other nightmare. She has been having those recently. Sighing, she laid back into her pillows. Flicking her eyes over to her nightstand she saw that her digital clock read eleven forty-five o'clock at night. Grace groaned. She threw her arm over her eyes to try to go back to sleep. Just when she thought sleep would take over, her bedroom door creaked opened. The soft sound of pitter patter of paws on the wood floor soon followed. There was a hard thumb on the bed and the sound of purring. Grace removed her arm and saw Tiger staring down at her. "Mrr-ooow." Tiger said. Grace rolled her eyes.

"You want water?" Grace asked. Tiger replied with a purr. "All right, all right." She muttered and threw off the blanket. The blanket landed on Moonstone. He snorted awake and looked at Grace sleepily. "Sorry, Moon. Go back to sleep. I'm just going to get Tiger some water." Moonstone said nothing as his eyes heavily went down and he fell back asleep. Grace crept down the creaky floor and followed Tiger as he led her down the hall and down the metal spiral stairs. Once in the kitchen, Grace grabbed the small bowl and went over to the sink. She turned on the faucet, letting the water run and fill the bowl. She then turned the faucet off and began to walk back to Tiger, who waited patiently by the food mat.

There was a sudden light knock on the kitchen back door. It made Grace jump, spilling a splash of water out of the bowl. "Psst, Anders." Whispered Mason loudly. Grace growled internally. She marched to the back door to see Mason's face through the screen. His smile grew when he saw her appear. Grace unlocked and opened the door for him. "Thanks a million!" He said.

"What is wrong with you!" Grace said. "You just don't come here in the middle of the night and make me spill water everywhere!" Mason look at the puddle with a shrug. Grace narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't worry, Anders, I'll clean it up." Mason said as he walked over to the counter and grabbed the roll of paper towels that sat on top. Grace gave Tiger his water and went over to help Mason clean up the mess.

"So... your dad I'm guessing?"

"Yeah. He came home an hour ago slamming the door shut. I heard him cursing and rummaging through his study, and I knew it was matter of time before he came into my room, so I bailed."

"He's still mad, huh?" Grace said taking the now wet towels and tossing them into the trash. Mason snorted at her comment.

"Ooh, he's beyond mad. I had to make sure that both mine and Sydney's life wasn't on the line." They made their way to the living area where Mason opened the closest and pulled out a blanket and pillow. He tossed them on the couch and plop himself down. This wasn't the first time Mason had spent the night at Grace's place.

"I'm guessing Zuna isn't here tonight?" Grace asked seeing that the bossy purple dragon isn't about.

"Zuna is in one of her moods. She's probably sleeping on the couch in the living room like always." Mason said snuggling into the fluffy couch. "Well, goodnight!" Grace smiled and shook her head.

"Night." She said and went up the stairs.

~~~~

Grace and Mason went to school together the next morning. They met up Cami at lunch a few hours later. When Cami found out that Grace and Mason were dating, she couldn't believe it, and expressed her disappointment in Grace in "turning to the dark side," she had put it. "Can you believe it that we're going to be seniors next year!" Cami said as she sat her foam tray down on the table.

"I know right?" Grace agreed. "Then goodbye high school!" Both girls giggled while Mason rolled his eyes.

"If you two fan girls are done," He said shoving a chicken nugget in his mouth. "I would like to enjoy my very unhealthy lunch." Cami narrowed her eyes at Mason. She didn't like him, and he her.

"I can't believe you're actually dating him." Cami said not caring if Mason heard her. Grace nudged Cami.

"Oh come on, Cami. Don't be like that. I've gotten to know Mason, and you should too." Cami shoved a chicken nugget in her mouth and said with a full mouth,

"Pass." They ate in silence throughout the rest of lunch. During those silent minutes, Grace did a lot of self-thinking. Her thoughts even wondered to a far-off town. The town was about nine hours away across state. It was her hometown, where she, her parents, and her younger brother, Garret, lived. Garret was her twelve-year-old little brother who is living with their grandparents. Their grandparents were their father's parents. They didn't like much of anything, which included Grace and her mother. The bell rang, bringing Grace out of her deep thought. Grace, Cami, and Mason threw away the rest of their lunch and went to their next class period. After a long day at school, Grace and Mason walked together, hand in hand. They were both silent. It was Mason who broke the ice.

"I, huh, appreciate what you told Cami back at lunch." He said. "You didn't have to. There's not much you can do try to change anyone's mind about me." Grace smiled and bumped shoulders with him.

"Sure there is," she said matter-of-factly. "Because the world deserves to know the real you." He just snorted as if it were the most impossible thing. "Hey! It is possible. Plus it's just high school. Most high schoolers are jerks anyway. Once we're out of high school, I'm sure you can show the real you once we're graduated." Mason smiled at that. He loved how Grace could look on the bright side of things, especially when it had to deal with himself. Grace was the only person in the whole world who sees through him, who knows the real him. "Speaking of high school," Grace said. "I know I've talked about being freed of that retched place, but to be honest, I have no idea what I'm going to do and who am I going to become."

"Ah, now that's a good question." Mason said, swinging his hooked hand back and forth making both his and Grace's hand glide swiftly in the air. "Well I tell you what am going to do... I'm getting out of this small town. Once I'm eighteen, my farther can't control me. I'll be an adult."

"Where will you go?" Grace asked looking at him.

"I don't know." Mason said honestly. "Maybe I'll find my mother. I always wanted to know why she didn't take me and Sydney when she left... and I'll take Sydney with me too. I couldn't live with myself if I left her with my father."

"And I'll go too." Grace said very certain. "It will be an adventure." Mason squeezed Grace's hand and said,

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

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