Trembling With the Strings
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
“Where did you go?”
“Oh my God, you’re hot!”
“Whoa, Gracie’s back?”
“Where have you been all my life?”
“Praise Jesus! Never leave me again!”
That last one was my best friend, and she was hugging the life out of me. I laughed, embracing her back as she sobbed into my shoulder.
“They were saying things... And you went on the list of missing kids. I had to eat my cereal while looking at your face on my milk carton!” Abigail griped, letting go of me. We continued walking down the hall as all eyes fell on me.
“I was? I didn’t think my parents had it in them!” I joked, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “So what was the rumor?”
“My favorite was, and I quote, ‘Gracie was kidnapped by an ugly hunchback and eventually fell in love with him, so they got all sweaty in the clock tower’. Well, okay, that was just Robbie. But they all involved you being kidnapped and shoved into a room somewhere.” She shrugged. “Kids these days, right? So where were you?”
“My parents sold me,” I told her, rolling my eyes. She looked skeptical. “I lived with the Jameson’s for a bit. I’m out in the backyard and I’m ambushed all of a sudden! Then I wake up at home, getting ready for school.”
“I liked the Notre Dame Hunchback story,” she groaned, grinning as we walked into our first block: French III.
“Oh, Gracie!” Madame LeBlanc exclaimed, tossing her paperwork to the floor. “They found you! My nephew was kidnapped when he was a baby, and I know how your family must have felt!” She hugged me, a bit awkwardly.
“Yeah,” I mumbled, trying not to laugh. They felt simply awful. “Should I do any makeup work? I know that I’ve been away for a bit...”
She waved it off, ushering me to my seat. I sat down with a sigh, waving back at Abby as she waved like a moron, nearly falling out of her seat.
“Never leave me again!” she called from across the room, grinning when everyone looked at me.
“Where were you?” Robbie whispered from behind me. “It was so the Hunchback. Right?” I turned around and hugged him, laughing.
“No, I’m sorry. I was just kidnapped,” I lied. “I was blindfolded the entire time, but the cops found me eventually. I don’t really remember much.” Yeah, he was one of my best friends, but he was also a gossip.
He frowned. “That’s no fun. Well, you didn’t miss much. Everyone was talking about you. So you obviously came into some money, right? You look fabulous.” He put on his cheesy smile.
“Oh, don’t make Thomas jealous, you big flirt,” I teased, laughing.
“Oh, we broke up. He was ashamed of me! The nerve, right?” He scowled. “But I got my eye on Bryce now. Isn’t he dreamy?”
“Bryce?” My heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah, he’s new. See him? He’s looking at us.” He waved suddenly.
I looked over and saw Bryce smiling at me, that creepy look plastered to his face.
I dropped my face to my desk. Yes, it was definitely going to be a long day.
“Oh my God, you’re hot!”
“Whoa, Gracie’s back?”
“Where have you been all my life?”
“Praise Jesus! Never leave me again!”
That last one was my best friend, and she was hugging the life out of me. I laughed, embracing her back as she sobbed into my shoulder.
“They were saying things... And you went on the list of missing kids. I had to eat my cereal while looking at your face on my milk carton!” Abigail griped, letting go of me. We continued walking down the hall as all eyes fell on me.
“I was? I didn’t think my parents had it in them!” I joked, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “So what was the rumor?”
“My favorite was, and I quote, ‘Gracie was kidnapped by an ugly hunchback and eventually fell in love with him, so they got all sweaty in the clock tower’. Well, okay, that was just Robbie. But they all involved you being kidnapped and shoved into a room somewhere.” She shrugged. “Kids these days, right? So where were you?”
“My parents sold me,” I told her, rolling my eyes. She looked skeptical. “I lived with the Jameson’s for a bit. I’m out in the backyard and I’m ambushed all of a sudden! Then I wake up at home, getting ready for school.”
“I liked the Notre Dame Hunchback story,” she groaned, grinning as we walked into our first block: French III.
“Oh, Gracie!” Madame LeBlanc exclaimed, tossing her paperwork to the floor. “They found you! My nephew was kidnapped when he was a baby, and I know how your family must have felt!” She hugged me, a bit awkwardly.
“Yeah,” I mumbled, trying not to laugh. They felt simply awful. “Should I do any makeup work? I know that I’ve been away for a bit...”
She waved it off, ushering me to my seat. I sat down with a sigh, waving back at Abby as she waved like a moron, nearly falling out of her seat.
“Never leave me again!” she called from across the room, grinning when everyone looked at me.
“Where were you?” Robbie whispered from behind me. “It was so the Hunchback. Right?” I turned around and hugged him, laughing.
“No, I’m sorry. I was just kidnapped,” I lied. “I was blindfolded the entire time, but the cops found me eventually. I don’t really remember much.” Yeah, he was one of my best friends, but he was also a gossip.
He frowned. “That’s no fun. Well, you didn’t miss much. Everyone was talking about you. So you obviously came into some money, right? You look fabulous.” He put on his cheesy smile.
“Oh, don’t make Thomas jealous, you big flirt,” I teased, laughing.
“Oh, we broke up. He was ashamed of me! The nerve, right?” He scowled. “But I got my eye on Bryce now. Isn’t he dreamy?”
“Bryce?” My heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah, he’s new. See him? He’s looking at us.” He waved suddenly.
I looked over and saw Bryce smiling at me, that creepy look plastered to his face.
I dropped my face to my desk. Yes, it was definitely going to be a long day.
♠ ♠ ♠
Okay, let's break it down a little. Gracie went outside to be alone, but then some police officer tackled her to the ground. Her parents sent him to Darius' house so they could get her back without risking their own lives. Gracie is now back home, but she has not left Darius. I repeat, Darius will show his face soon enough. Does that help the mass confusion?