C.C.C.WC :: Chapter Four // Banana and Bear's Photo Challenge #1

Hey, guys! Here is Chapter Four of Celia's Writing Challenge. Check out her (wonderful) blog here, more info about the challenge here and the post about the fourth challenge here.

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Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

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Grace woke up with her hand clutching a piece of paper. It was a note, scrawled in a red felt tip pen, the words sloping diagonally across the page,
'Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I know I've been distant lately. I'm so sorry. I am trying - I'm trying so hard. For you, more than anything. I love you so much, my beautiful girl. xxxxxxx'
There was a tiny heart drawn in the corner of the paper. Grace smiled and folded the note neatly, placing it on her desk before heading down the creaky stairs.  Her mum was sat at the old wooden table, applying peach lipstick. Another job interview today, then. Presents were in the middle of the table, arranged in height order, ready to be opened. She grabbed a slice of toast and a jar of Nutella before sitting down opposite her mum.
"Hi, mum." She spread Nutella thickly over her toast, licking the knife clean before screwing the lid back on.
"Morning, sweetie. Happy Birthday!"
Grace smiled, and grabbed her toast. "I'm going over to Jess' again. She wants to give me her present. I'll be back soon, though."
Her mum looked disappointed, but nodded, "Have fun, sweetheart. I'll see you later!"
Grace disappeared upstairs and quickly changed, throwing on old, faded jeans, a paint-splattered t-shirt and a hoodie. She picked up her iPod, shoving the ear buds in, escaping through the music. Scooping up her toast, she stuffed her feet into worn converse, the sole peeling off the left shoe.
She ran out the door, listening to the classical music trickling into her ears. She took another bite of her toast, thinking about the boy from yesterday. His hair the colour of ink contrasting with his smooth, pale skin, and grey eyes. He was like light and darkness, sunshine and shadows mixed into one beautiful being.
Grace shook her head. Why was she thinking about him? He was nothing - she didn't know him at all, no name, no age. Just a face. A stranger on the street. But how had he known her name? That's what was really bothering her. How did he know her?

***

Grace was sat on Jess' bed, Otis lying in her lap. He was a beautiful cat, shiny black fur, green eyes and his little pink tongue always poking out. She gave him a quick squeeze as Jess came back into the room, carrying a big bag and a card in her hand. Grace frowned, "I thought you said you were going to cut down on the presents this year?"

Jess looked confused, biting her lip as she sat down on the bed, "I did cut down."

Laughing, Grace took the bag from her, placing it next to her on the bed. 

"Are you not going to open them?"

Sighing, Grace gently nudged Otis onto the pillow, where he snuggled down under the duvet. "I need to talk to you about something first."

Jess looked worried, turning to face her on the bed, "Okay....What do you want to talk about? Is it Evan?"

"What? No, it's not Evan." She tucked a loose strand of mousy brown hair behind her ear. Jess's red hair was perfectly straight and swept up in a messy bun, tilting slightly to the side as she waited for Grace to speak. Even sitting down, it was obvious that she was tiny compared to Jess. She felt even smaller now, worried what she was about to talk to her about would push away her best friend.

"I just...I bumped into this guy yesterday. And...I thought  I knew him. But I've never met him before. I don't know his name, but I...I swear I've seen him before. Am I going mad?"

Jess looked at her strangely, horror in her eyes. Grace started to panic, 'That's it. Now I'll officially have no friends. She thinks I'm crazy. I never should have said anything.'

But Jess fell out of her daze and shook her head, "Don't worry about it, Gracie. You probably saw him around here somewhere, or saw someone like him." She put her arms around Grace and squeezed her tight, "Come on, now. Open up your presents!"

I hope you liked it! I know it isn't as long as the others, but I am sooooo tired today. Do you ever have those days where you just want to sleep, but you have so much to do? That's me. Every day. I had to write this, do my homework, take a picture for the thingy below, try and read as much of my book as possible and clean my room. But I just wanted to sleeeeeeppppp. It's been horrible :(

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It's not too late (...)

And part two of this post, it's the beginning of Anna's (from Banana and Bear) Photo Challenge! Check out her amazing blog here, the photo challenge information here, people taking part here and the first challenge info here.

The first category is Summer Snacks. Here's my picture:

Ta da!

Thanks for reading ♥

P.S. Now I have 40 followers. Thank you all so much! If I reach 50 followers, I'll do a contest or something :) Love you all!