I'm not really sure what this was. I'm not usually a big fan of writing an OC chapter but I was writer's blocked and feeling lonely so I wrote this. Thanks to: SONOFTHETRIGOD: Thank you! I can't do crossovers very well. The closest I'll get is Tainted Encounters, and Rick is already writing a sequel to The Son of Sobek! :D SEABREEZE DAUGHTER OF POSEIDON: Thank you! I KNOW RIGHT UGH ZARTER SANUBIS SALT OH MY GODS SONOFNEPTUNEJR: As I said with sonofthetrigod, I wouldn't be able to bring myself to. You can though! Thanks! :D ERIK THE VIKING: Thank you! SKYE222: Thank you! Will do ;) ELMLEA: Thankie! :D

Hope you like Grace!

No Time

Grace stares at the clock of the cafeteria, listening to her kind-of-sort-of-friends-but-more-like-acquaintances laugh at some joke that she cracked. She was exhausted, so much that she practically see the black crescents settling themselves under her eyes, but she kept that seemingly iconic smile on her face.

The burger on her plate was taunting her, but her brain moaned in agony otherwise. Her mind was scrambled, drifting back to her latest morning. It was good. Her breakfast threatened to rise in her throat.

She swallows it back down and laughs at something Stephanie had said.

It was funny.

Wasn't it?

Whatever. Grace wills her green eyes to twinkle. Hopefully she's convincing.

The nightmares from the night before linger in the back of her mind. She was always particularly skilled at catching her own dreams before they drifted away, but for some reason she woke up at 2:47 this morning, mouth wide in a silent scream.

There were monsters, she knew that. But everything else snuggled up in the back of her mind, far beyond reach.

Grace sighs and twirls a brown curl. She wonders if her 'friends' would ever realize that maybe she wasn't happy 24/7? Maybe sometimes she got tired of it all? Maybe sometimes she just wanted to curl up in PJ pants and weep?

But she keeps smiling, because that's what the intelligent, hilarious Grace Montrose does with her life, right?

She stares at the shadows absentmindedly, nibbling a stale cookie from the lunch line. She would look down at her tray every few seconds and look back up at the shadows.

Her eyebrows rose. That shadow shouldn't have, couldn't have, moved on its own. Right?

Thomasina nudges her. "You okay, Gra?"

Giggling fakely, Grace trills, "Yeah, of course! Why?"

Thomasina's thin lips curve into a smile. "No reason, you seemed a little off."

Off. Like she always is.

But Grace returns to the shadows on the ceiling, dancing to the beat of the song stuck in her head. That's weird. She didn't think that ghosts knew The Killers, but you learn something knew everyday.

A swirl of black comes to life in the corner of her eye, and she flinches so suddenly Valentina jumps with her.

A figure in black beckons to her, and it doesn't seem out of the ordinary to Grace, except for the fact that no one saw him but her.

Eh. Not like people haven't understood her before.

She mumbles to Willa next to her, "Gotta go to the bathroom. Be right back."

Willa nods blankly, eyes on Amelia, who's telling some sort of interesting story.

Grace rises from the table but is interrupted by Clara.

She's always disliked Clara. There was something arrogantly smart-arsey about her. Egotistical was the word.

Grace shouldn't be talking, but who cares! There was someone waiting for her.

"Grace! What about the teachers?" Clara whines, and Grace shrugs her off.

"It doesn't matter, they never notice anyway!" Grace throws over her shoulder, speedwalking toward the boy.

She hears Eva call from behind her, telling her the bathroom's the other way, but she doesn't listen.

No time for mundane things like responding (or using the restroom, which she has to do badly at this point). Something told her that this boy would take her somewhere she would belong for once.

The shadows follow, twirling to Modest Mouse, and Grace smiles at the boy.

He has the same milky pale skin Grace does, and for some reason, that makes Grace smile even wider.

She grabs the boys' hand, in a rush, and she shoots off into darkness.

No time anymore.

No nothing.

How'd you like? OH YEAH I STARTED MAKING BOOK COVERS! MINE ARE ON MY PROFILE! IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO MAKE YOU ONE, PM ME, I'LL READ YOUR STORY AND THEN PM YOU THE LINK TO THE COVER! THANKS!