The Falling of Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

too,” Ian says, as he stares at her.
    Grace waits as expectation rises through her body, but he does not kiss her. The pain of disappointment rushes over her. This is two times in one night she has felt this way.
    “Well, I guess I will see you Monday,” Ian says, as he shrugs.
    “Umm yeah.”
    Ian waits for Grace to open her front door and then strolls down the walkway. Grace shuts the front door behind her, still feeling the pain of disappointment. Looking into the living room, she is greeted with eager looks from Michelle and James. She frowns.
    “What?” James asks.
    “He doesn’t like me,” she says, sadly, as she walks up the stairs to her room.
    Grace sits on her bed sulking when Michelle walks in. “What did I do wrong?” she whines.
    Michelle asks Grace what happened. After Grace recounts every detail of the date, Michelle says, “You didn't do anything wrong. He likes you, stupid!”
    “Then why not kiss me, or at the least ask to call me tomorrow, or something!” Grace stresses.
    Michelle brushes Grace’s hair with her hand. “You, my sweet, are overreacting, as usual,” she says, rolling her eyes.
    Grace cannot get Ian out of her head as she lies in bed that night. His voice, his lyrics, he is such a gentleman, and that smile. Her stomach clenches as once again the thought that he does not like her creeps into her mind.

Chapter 3

 
    Grace sits in math class the following Monday, fidgeting as she watches every student enter the room, except Ian. The bell rings and he has still not entered the classroom. She bites the end of her pencil as she worries about where he may be.
    At lunch, she combs the cafeteria searching for Ian’s handsome face.
    “Wonder what’s up with them?” Michelle asks, as she also looks around for Ian and Brandon.
    Grace's stomach drops and she pushes aside her tray of food.
    “Okay, I’ll eat it,” Michelle says, before she devours Grace’s lunch.

 
 
 
    Two days go by with no phone call from Ian, and he has not been in school. She is beginning to become extremely agitated, and the idea that he does not like her the way she likes him, seeps further and further into her subconscious.
    “Just call him!” Michelle says, in frustration. “You’ve been pouting around since Saturday. Just call him!”
    Grace cannot endure the agony of not knowing where he is any longer and picks up the phone.
    “Taylor residence,” says a high-pitched female voice.
    “Ah hi, is Ian there?”
    “May I ask who is calling please?”
    “This is his friend, Grace.”
    “I’m sorry. Ian is not available. I think he is at work,” says the girl on the other line.
    “Oh, okay,” Grace says, sadly.
    “Would you like his work telephone number?”
    “Will he get in trouble if I call him at work?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Is this Bailey?” Grace asks.
    “Yeah! I’ve heard a lot about you!” she squeals.
    “I’ve been worried about Ian.”
    “He is fine. He’s been working a lot.”
    “Would you tell him that I called?”
    Grace can hear a deep, harsh voice bellowing in the background.
    “Yes. I will do that. Thank you for calling,” says Bailey in a timid voice and the line goes dead.
    Grace regards her conversation with Bailey as being strange, but puts it out of her mind. She has homework that she needs to do.
    The next day as she walks into class the first thing she sees is Ian’s glowing smile. She runs to her desk and out of breath asks, “Where have you been?”
    “Excited for math?” he asks, jokingly, with a little laugh.
    Grace gives him a sour look and turns around to pull her book from her backpack. When she turns back around, there leaning on Ian’s desk is Christina Perkins. Grace has a sudden vision of pulling Christina off Ian’s desk by her hair and throwing her to the floor. Grace is not a violent person at all. She can barely kill a spider, so her daydream shocks her. Ian backs away from Christina as if she repulses him, as she leans