Chapter Twenty Three

I smiled sweetly at Blair and my mother. "I won't go anywhere, I promise," I pleaded as I fingered the phone in my pocket. I needed to get out of here, even if it was just for a minute. These people were frustrating me, I needed, craved, another person to talk to, just for a minute.

"You be back in five minutes or else." My mother glared mildly at me.

I slipped out of the door and into the restrooms, locking myself into one of the stalls. I leaned up against the wall and dialed Grey's number. It rang once, twice. Pick up. Please, I willed into the phone, I need you. His answering machine asked me to please leave a message after the tone. I didn't.

I strode back into Blair's office. They both smiled at me. "So Alice, how does it make you feel when your father misses dinner or an event important to you?" I had a burning desire to ask how much this quiz was worth, but I bit my tongue.

~

When I looked around the classroom before presentations, I had to admit that our project was one of the best. The poster was colourful and bright, the well-taken photos of Mohawk adding a nice touch.

I smiled at Grey. He smiled back. Alice! I yelled at myself as my stomach flipped, this is Grey you're looking at. I commented weakly on how well our project had turned out, how hard we had worked on it.

Looking at the project, I thought fondly of Mohawk, the brown stripe down his back, the little spot on his face. I felt the clammy way his skin was when you kissed his back .

Ms. Ven looked up at Grey at I, "Your turn to present Miss Hayes and Mr. Fortin."