A Girl Like Gracie Read Online Free PDF Page B

go sit by the boy that Noah called Yang.
    “ Sorry about him,” I say, when I take
a seat. “I didn’t get to properly introduce myself. I’m Gracie
James.”
    The boy looks at me. “I’m Austin Yang. And
sorry that I called you a scholarship student. I didn’t
realize.”
    I shrug. “It’s okay.”
    “ Look, Gracie, I don’t want to be
rude, but maybe you should go back and sit by him,” he
says.
    “ Why?”
    “ Because it’ll just cause trouble for
me if you sit here,” he says.
    “ Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care
of…”
    Austin cuts me off. “I don’t want you to sit
here. Please leave.”
    Seriously?
    I stand up and grab my bag. I go back and
sit by Noah, who looks like he knew I would eventually come
back.
    Ugh.
    Maybe this isn’t going to be my favorite
class after all.
     
    Obviously.
     
    I have dreaded lunchtime all day long.
Mostly because I have made zero friends here, and I don’t have
anybody to sit by. I’m going to be that weird girl who sits by
herself in the cafeteria. Nobody will want to sit by me. No doubt
by now, Alfie has told everybody in the entire school to stay away
from me.
    I stand in the short line in the cafeteria
and get my food. Much to my dismay, they don’t have any rice. What
kind of a school lunchroom doesn’t serve rice with every meal? But
then I remember, I’m in America. Americans think rice is unhealthy
or something.
    With my tray of food, I look out at the
cafeteria, trying to figure out there I’m going to sit.
    Bayside Academy is a really small
private school. Today I have learned that most of the kids here are
either really smart, or they
are really rich. I suppose
that I fall into the rich category because of my dad, but I don’t
feel rich. To me, I’m still the girl who has a mom who works two
jobs just so she can pay for my extra tutoring. Looking back, I
don’t understand why Mom didn’t just ask Dad for the money. Maybe
because of pride. I guess I can’t blame her for wanting to make it
on her own. It’s a good thing I love ramyeon so much. It’s pretty much the cheapest
food you can get.
    I look at Alfie, who is sitting by Jace.
They’re both watching me, but I know I can’t sit by them. If I do,
Alfie will get up and just move away.
    “ Want to sit by me?” Noah asks, as he
walks up beside me.
    “ I don’t know,” I say hesitantly. I’m
not sure that I like Noah after the way he talked to Austin
earlier. It was uncalled for.
    “ You don’t call me and now you’re
refusing to sit at my table even though you don’t have anywhere
else to sit. I’m beginning to think you don’t like me,” Noah says,
trying to look hurt.
    “ You treated Austin really bad
earlier,” I say.
    “ Austin?” he asks.
    “ Austin Yang,” I say.
    “ Oh. Yang.” Noah laughs. “You’re mad
because I made Yang move? I did you a favor.”
    “ I don’t need any favors,” I
say.
    “ Gracie.”
    I turn to see Elliot standing on the other
side of me.
    Elliot and his family comes over at least
once a week for dinner. He doesn’t talk that much, but he seems
really nice.
    “ Hey, Elliot,” I say.
    “ Want to sit by me?” he
asks.
    I nod. “Yes, please.” I turn to Noah. “Talk
to you later.”
    I follow Elliot towards the table where he
was sitting and take the spot directly across from him. Everybody
at the table turns to look at me when I sit.
    “ Everybody, this is Gracie James,”
Elliot says, then looks at me. “Was Noah bothering you?”
    “ My brother doesn’t like him,” I say.
“I don’t want to give Alfie another reason to punch
him.”
    “ That was you!” A girl at the table
says. “Oh, man! That was awesome! Everybody has wanted to punch
Noah at some point, but Alfie just walked up all protective like
and punched him. We all thought you were his girlfriend or
something. I didn’t know you were his sister. You two look nothing
alike. Are you half siblings or something?”
    “ They’re twins,” Elliot answers