It took a week to get everything fully unpacked in Grace's new house. She'd lived in her previous home since she was a young child, so she had no idea how much work moving would be. The new house still felt alien to her, but she knew it would become her home in time. With her mother's pictures displayed in almost every room, it felt like her spirit moved with them.

Although it took longer than Grace had anticipated, she was finally able to feel safe with the thought that Will was locked up and unable to hurt her anymore. Things were going back to normal, so it was time to finally return back to school and to her old routine.

Since her therapist recommended going back to school on Friday so she could get a feel for it again before the weekend, that's what she did. It felt a bit silly to go back for one day and then gone for the next two, but it did feel comforting. Returning felt scary to Grace for some reason, likely because she just hadn't been there in so long.

But even if the first day back was uncomfortable and strange, she had some... 'plans' to look forward to that evening.

The thought sent shivers down Grace's spine as she finished getting ready that Friday morning. She stared at herself in the mirror, making sure her makeup and hair were perfect. After all, she'd be seeing some faces she hadn't seen in a while...plus one she had.

"Come on, Grace, we gotta go!" her father called up the stairs.

"Coming!" she called back, looking in the mirror one last time before running out to go down the stairs.

Although Jeanette usually picked her up, her father would be taking her that day. Since the new house was farther from school, her and her dad decided that it would be a good time to buy her a car of her own to take. They'd go searching around that weekend, and Grace would be lying if she said she wasn't excited.

She'd never had much of a desire for her own car since she wasn't one to go out that often. If she ever needed to, she could borrow her dad's SUV, but now she had more reasons to get her own.

"Are you excited?" Grace's father asked as they drove off to school.

"A little," Grace replied.

"Nervous?"

"For sure."

He chuckled a little. "Well, I'm so proud of you for doing so well. I know you're going to get back into your schedule just fine."

Grace smiled. She was so fortunate to have a father like her's – supportive, patient, and loving. Her entire network of support had been pivotal in getting back on track. She felt so lucky to have one.

They finally pulled up to the school and Grace stared at the building she hadn't seen in over a month. She took a deep breath, and her father squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"Go get 'em, Grace," he said.

"Thanks, dad," she said, regarding him with a smile before opening the car door to get out.

"Oh, and Grace?" her dad called once more after she hopped out. She held the door open and looked back at him, confused.

"Don't forget to call me before you go over there tonight," he said.

Grace flushed when she realized what he was talking about. "I got it, Dad."

"And make sure you be safe. Remember that talk we had the other night-"

"Oh my god, Dad! Goodbye!"

She heard him laughing as she slammed the door shut, running towards the entrance of the school as if she was escaping from her utter embarrassment.

Grace entered the school, seeing the rush of student near the front doors as they waited for the first warning bell. The honor student's mouth went dry as she felt as though she was being watched by everyone. It was nerve-wrecking being back after such a long absence – especially when she had a reputation.

She texted Jeanette and Megan to see where they were at, promptly receiving responses that they were almost at the school.

Before she could even put her phone down and move to a place to wait for her friends, she caught the eye of a familiar figure standing against the wall a little ways down the hallway.

"Dana," she blurted out.

The pretty blonde broke into a wide smile, one that was more genuine than Grace had ever seen before. The cheerleader hurried over to her.

"Grace! You're back!" she squealed, pulling her into a massive hug.

Grace awkwardly returned the embrace, patting Dana's back. "Yeah, yeah."

Dana pulled back, still smiling like an idiot. "You should've told me you were coming today! You wanted it to be a surprise, didn't you?"

"Yeah, sure," Grace replied sarcastically, but she could've fight off a smile.

Dana had texted her often during her absence, but the cheerleader still didn't know the details of what had happened. She had been surprisingly delicate about the situation, not prying too much, but still being there for support. She offered to come over several times, but Grace hadn't been comfortable seeing anyone outside of her family or Cal. She didn't want to have to tell them about the incident for fear of re-living it.

"I heard you still got the highest scores in the grade on the midterms," Dana said.

"Yeah, and I've still been doing school work online since I've been gone," Grace replied. She sort of needed to if she didn't want to be way behind once she returned to school.

"That's so like you," Dana teased. "But you won't have any real competition anymore."

Grace raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Did you hear? Sarah transferred to a different school."

Grace was surprised. She hadn't even thought about her old enemy since all the drama with Cal happened. The girl had been laying low since getting reprimanded by the administration – she must've wanted an escape from the bad reputation she earned. Well, whatever. Grace honestly hoped she got the help she needed.

"But seriously, are you doing okay?" Dana asked, her tone suddenly becoming more somber. Her blue eyes bore into Grace's, and her expression was laced with obvious concern.

Grace hadn't realized how much the blonde cared about her, but she found out when Dana formed a vital part of her support network during the whole incident. Even if she couldn't be there for her in person, she always checked in on her over text.

In spite of all the time she spent getting on Grace's nerves and being nosy...Dana was a true friend.

"Yes," Grace answered. "I'm doing a lot better...thank you."

"Good," Dana said with a small smile.

"And I know I've kept you in the dark about everything," Grace continued. "Would you be able to have lunch sometime next week so we can talk?"

Dana pulled her into yet another hug, this time more tender. "Of course."

When they separated, Grace felt her phone vibrate and saw a text from Jeanette saying that her and Megan had arrived.

"Alright, well my friends are waiting for me," Grace said. "See you in 6th period?"

"As always," Dana replied with a smile, waving as Grace started to walk in the other direction.

"Oh, and Grace?"

Grace stopped and turned to look at Dana quizzically.

"I want all the juicy details about your romantic date with Cal tonight!"

Grace's face immediately lit on fire, and she glanced around to see if any other students had heard Dana.

"H-how did you-" she began to ask, stammering.

Dana smiled, this time making use of her usual demonic smirk. "Because Cal blew me off when I asked if she wanted to hang out after school today. You should've seen her face when she blurted out that she'd be with you."

Grace was sure it was similar to the face that she was making now.

"Okay, bye Dana!" she yelled, immediately making her escape.

"Love ya Grace!"

--

After being tackled by her blubbering pair of friends before class, Grace did her best to readjust to her old classes. It was definitely strange being back behind a desk in a classroom of twenty other students. She's mostly just seen the inside of her bedroom for the past several weeks.

But school was her element, so she quickly became comfortable with the environment again. She studiously took notes and visited with Jeanette and Megan after classes.

As the afternoon approached, she was especially looking forward to a particular class. It was even hard to focus in the library during lunch where she caught up on some extra homework.

She honestly felt a little ridiculous – looking forward to seeing someone she'd already seen plenty enough.

Although time seemed to be passing by painfully slow, lunch ended and sixth period was finally next up on Grace's schedule.

Heart pounding, she headed up to that old hallway on the second floor of the east wing. A wave of nostalgia crashed into her as she approached the door for room 212. It felt like an eternity since she'd been there.

Slowly, she opened the door, florescent light filling her view as she entered the classroom. To her right was Mr. Morrison sitting at his desk, regarding Grace with a smile.

"Good to see you back, Grace," he said.

Grace nodded to him before looking towards the opposite side of the room.

And there she was.

Cal beamed when her eyes caught Grace's, and Grace half expected her to run across the room and pull her into a hug. But they were at school, not at Grace's house, so the blonde stayed firmly in her seat.

Grace walked over, unable to keep the corners of her mouth spreading into a smile. She sat next to her girlfriend, ignoring her usual spot a desk away.

"It's been a while since I've seen you walk through that door," Cal said, still grinning like an idiot.

"Especially since I always got here before you anyway," Grace teased.

Cal's eyes flickered up and down, taking Grace in. She leaned a little closer, her voice dropping to a lower volume. "Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah," Grace replied. "It's weird to be back, but easier than I thought it would be."

Cal smiled once more. "I'm glad. I was a little worried, especially since I was late getting here this morning."

"What a day to be late," Grace teased, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, I already feel bad enough," Cal said. "Plus, it wasn't my fault I had to jump start my car."

"Excuses," Grace replied. Then she noticed that something felt like it was missing from the usual sixth period sociology scene. She quickly pinpointed what it was. "Hey, where's Dana?"

The warning bell had just rung, and usually once it did it meant that Dana wasn't going to show up.

"Maybe she ditched?" Cal suggested.

Grace thought back to the morning when she saw Dana – the cheerleader had told her she'd see her in class. But perhaps there was more to it than the girl just not wanting to come to class. She was smarter than she seemed, after all.

But Grace was honestly relieved. The last thing she needed was for Dana to be watching their every move with the knowledge that they were together again.

"I heard you turned down a date with her," Grace teased.

Cal raised an eyebrow. "Date?"

"Yeah, for tonight."

Cal scoffed. "As if. You jealous of her again?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "Well she is prettier than me."

"Lies, all lies," Cal replied. "Plus, I think she's more attached to you anyway."

"I don't know what planet you're living on."

Cal smiled, her expression suddenly turning a little dreamy. It made Grace's skin tingle, and she suddenly felt the urge to kiss the other girl. The urge only grew when Cal leaned closer to whisper in Grace's ear, causing the brunette to freeze up.

"I'm looking forward to tonight," Cal breathed. Her voice was more nervous than suggestive, but it still sent shivers throughout Grace's body. Cal pulled back, sitting straight up.

"You don't know how hard it was to convince my mom that I didn't need Sam to stay over while she went on her work trip," Cal said, her voice returning to its normal octave.

Grace laughed a bit nervously, ear still burning from Cal whispering into it. "What, she doesn't trust you?"

"She thinks I'd throw a party or something," Cal said, shrugging. "But she calmed down when I said I'd invite my honor student friend to sleep over."

Naturally, Cal's mother still didn't know about the true nature of their relationship. Grace was certain that Cal wasn't planning to let the cat out of the bag until she moved out. For now, they'd just have to take advantage of her mom's ignorance.

"We're not gonna get any surprise visits from your sister, are we?" Grace asked.

"No...honestly, I just told her that I was having you over and that was enough to make sure she stays far away," Cal admitted, laughing nervously.

Grace knew now that Cal's sister was aware of their relationship. It put Grace on edge, but Cal assured her that Samantha wasn't going to judge or spill their secret to her mother. But that didn't stop Grace from feeling awkward and embarrassed. Especially now that Samantha knew the two girls would be at Cal's house alone for the night.

"Hey, it was the only way I could make sure she doesn't check on me," Cal explained, noticing Grace's discomfort. "My mom'll be harassing her about it the whole night."

"Ugh, I'm never gonna be able to look your sister in the eye," Grace groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Well, if it helps, she won't be able to look you in the eye either," Cal offered.

Grace gave her the side-eye. "It doesn't."

"Alright, class, we're going to continue where we left off yesterday in the PowerPoint," Mr. Morrison announced, pulling up a presentation on the smart board.

Although Grace did her best to engross herself in the lecture, it didn't help when her mind was flashing to what could happen that night. Or that she kept catching Cal glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. Or that Cal's foot would sometimes drift over to knock against her's.

Needless to say, her brain wasn't retaining any sociology for that day.

--

"Okay, I'm going to borrow your shower."

Cal looked over at her, puzzled, as she untied her shoes at the entrance of her house.

"Geez, at least take off your jacket first," Cal joked. She stood up after pulling her shoes off, helping Grace slip her jacket off of her shoulders. Grace froze up from the touch, and she already almost felt like she was going to faint.

Once Cal hung the jacket on the coat hanger, she turned back to Grace, their faces a little close for comfort as the taller girl leaned down. Cal's eyes flitted down to her mouth, and she started to close the distance between them, pressing their lips together.

Grace's mind went blank for a second, and she got lost in the kiss. Cal smelled so good, like summertime, and Grace felt herself losing grip of her self control.

But when Cal's tongue touched her lower lip, she froze, forcing herself back to reality. She pulled away, holding Cal back by putting a hand over her mouth.

"I-I told you, I just need to borrow your shower real quick," she stammered, out of breath.

Grace stiffened in shock as she felt Cal's tongue against her fingers, and she recoiled her hand before it was caught by the taller girl. Butterflies erupted in Grace's stomach as Cal continued to lick Grace's fingers, the tingly feeling spreading south down her body.

"You didn't take a shower this morning?" Cal asked. "You smell really good."

"Well, I did, but I..."

Grace gasped when Cal took one of her fingers into her mouth. She took a step back, but Cal quickly followed, snaking an arm around her waist to keep her in place.

"So? What's the problem?" Cal questioned after releasing Grace's finger. Her tongue coiled around another one, and Grace couldn't look away from the horribly provocative display.

"I...well...I don't..."

The words wouldn't come out properly as Grace's instincts were prompting her to give in. She wanted to drag Cal to the nearest bed right then and there, but nervousness was rendering her paralyzed.

Finally, she snapped, ripping her hand away and struggling out of Cal's grip. Cal stared at her, confused at the sudden escape.

"I-I...I'll be right back!" Grace squeaked before running up the stairs to the second floor of Cal's house.

She held onto the strap of her backpack as she frantically searched for a bathroom, finding one near the end of the hallway. She rushed in, slamming the door behind her, faced flushed and breath erratic.

I'm acting like a crazy person, she thought.

Nonetheless, she took advantage of her time alone, ripping her clothes off and hopping into the shower. The cold water helped her calm down, and once she stepped out and dried off, her heart had finally returned to a more normal pace.

She dressed in an extra pair of clothes she brought in her backpack and braced herself. In spite of not taking the time to wash her already cleaned hair, she'd been in the shower for almost thirty minutes, and she felt like an idiot as she left the bathroom to search for her girlfriend.

Descending the stairs, Grace found her sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone. Cal looked up when she heard her approach.

"Well, hello stranger," Cal teased.

Grace averted her eyes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for pushing you away and using your bathroom without permission."

Cal chuckled and patted the couch next to her. Grace walked over and sat next to the blond girl. "Well, I can't say I've ever seen that from a house guest."

Grace buried her face in Cal's shoulder, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

Cal played with Grace's hair a little which caused the honor student to calm down slightly. "No, I'm the one who should say sorry. I shouldn't be trying to rush anything."

Cal sounded genuinely guilty which prompted Grace to raise her head to look at her. "It's not like I don't also want to..." She trailed off, embarrassed.

Cal offered her a small smile. "Well, we've got all night to hang out, so why don't we start by getting something to eat?"

Grace smiled back, feeling a little relieved at the calmer atmosphere.

"That sounds great."

--

They ordered Chinese food which took unexpectedly long to get there, so they played video games to pass the time. Surprisingly, Grace had a knack for fighting games, and beat Cal basically every round. She couldn't help but taunt her girlfriend, but Cal never got irritated. She would just smile and seem genuinely happy about it.

They ate their food and went for a walk in the nearby park that they had a bit of a history in. However, instead of making out, they walked around, passing a small lake that glowed orange as the sun set behind it. When it started getting especially dark, they returned to Cal's house.

They opted to watch a thriller movie that Cal recommended, but as the time crept later and later, Grace was having trouble paying attention to it as she cuddled in Cal's arms.

Once it was finally over, they retreated to Cal's room where Grace waited for Cal to finish a shower of her own. Grace sat still on the bed, heart racing as fast as it did when they first walked in the front door.

It was finally time. It was going to happen.

A cascade of thoughts and worries spun around in Grace's head, but they were interrupted when Cal's tall figure appeared in the doorway. She had a towel around her neck and was dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts, but she looked ridiculously attractive to Grace.

"Sorry you had to just wait here," the tall blonde said, taking the towel