Read A Girl Like Gracie for Free Online Page B

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.

Friday, August 26
    Mind games.
     
    My first week at school is over before I
know it.
    School is America is certainly a lot
different than school in Korea. For one, it’s shorter. I’m used to
going to school much longer each day. And two, the classes are
much, much easier. I don’t think being first in this school will be
a problem at all. In fact, the math class that I’m taking is
covering stuff that I learned my first year of high school in
Seoul. I would hardly call it an advanced class.
    After school on Friday, Alfie informs me
that we’re going to Elliot’s house. Apparently he’s having a party
tonight, so we are all going to go hang out and have fun. I like
Elliot’s mom, so I definitely don’t mind going over to the Sherwood
home.
    When we get there, Patricia Sherwood greets
me with a hug.
    “ Gracie, you are just too cute,” she
says.
    “ Thanks,” I say, feeling awkward for
doing so.
    “ You kids can go on down to the
basement. Elliot is already down there,” Patricia says. “Have
fun.”
    As I follow them out of the foyer and
towards the basement, I feel a little confused.
    “ Elliot’s mom is okay with him having
female guests over without her supervising?” I ask.
    “ She’s supervising,” Alfie
says.
    “ Yeah, but in Korea we never would be
without adults somewhere in mixed company,” I say.
    “ Elliot has a party almost every
weekend,” Jace says. “His mom trusts him. And we all just do this
to have fun.”
    We go down the stairs towards the
basement.
    In Korea, we lived on the sixth floor in our
apartment building, so we didn’t have a basement. As a kid, I
remember living in a house that had a basement, but it was creepy.
The floor was concrete, it always leaked, and one time I saw a
mouse down there, so I was scared to