AUTHOR'S NOTES: MUST READ.

Okay, hopefully that got your attention. This chapter deals with more adult themes, and is pretty adult in nature. As it's a 'fade to black' issue, though, I didn't think it warrants a rating change. If you are not comfortable reading about anything of a , do not read this chapter. I'll summarize it in the next update...
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October 3, 2005

"What are you doing after school today?"

Grace Polk turned to glance at her younger boyfriend and shrugged. "I have stuff to do. Hang out with Friedman."

Luke Girardi frowned. "I thought we talked last week about going to that movie night..."

Grace bristled at the comment. "Yeah, a week ago. Stuff... comes up in a week, you know?"

Luke pulled an AP Biology text from his locker and glanced over at Grace. "If you don't want to go out, we could just hang out at my house or something. I'd rather spend the night with you than Friedman."

"I'd hope so," Grace snickered despite herself.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Don't put that image in my head."

"There's an image? You've thought about it?" Grace wasn't sure if the conversation was amusing her or making her sick. She felt nauseous.

"Nah. I'm too preoccupied thinking about what it feels like to be with you," Luke murmured, slipping an arm behind Grace's waist and smiling. "The way you make me feel, the way you taste..."

Grace squirmed away from him. "Not in public, Luke."

"Fine. After school? Tonight?"

Grace sighed, her mind working quickly. "Give me until six, alright? You can come over at 6."
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The world hated her; she was sure of it. Grace pushed her tray across the table and scrunched her nose at Joan. "Smells awful. I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"God, you said that about the spaghetti sauce, too. Are you going all anorexic on me?"

Grace shot Joan a surprised look. "First of all, throwing up would be bulimic. And no, I'm not. I think I just caught something."

"My mom says there's a bug going around," Joan offered helpfully, digging into Grace's burger.

"I don't think it's that," Grace muttered, setting her head down on the table. "I'm just tired. I had a lot of stuff to do the past couple weeks, so I'm just looking forward to catching up on sleep this weekend."

"I hear you."

Grace frowned. "Are you still fighting with Ryan?"

"That is a never-ending fight. God, I hate that guy."

"Just let it go," Grace muttered, nesting her head between her arms. "He's not worth it."

"I know that, but he annoys me, you know?" Joan sighed. "Like, the other day, he tried to convince me to not join rhythmic gymnastics."

"And that's a bad thing why?"

"It's just... I feel about him the same way you feel about Price. That level of hate, you know?"

"You feel like Ryan Hunter, the guy who saved Rove's life, started a camp for disadvantaged kids and made a fool out of Tori McKinnon, and financially emancipated himself from his father, the face of capitalism itself, is a blemish to society and should be eradicated like any other evil?"

"He's evil! I mean it. All the good is just covering up for... something bad."

Grace snickered. "It sounds to me like you're back in second grade tattling on Ryan for pulling on your braids."

"Huh?"

"You like him, Girardi."

Joan stirred the remains of Grace's burger around on her tray, shaking her head. "That's not true. I just- - hey, where are you going?"

"Being sick," Grace responded as she ran from the cafeteria.
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Luke, of course, was early. Grace rolled her eyes as she went to the front door, wearing loose gray sweats and an oversized 'labels are for jam jars' sweatshirt.

"Hey. Joan told me you were sick today," Luke greeted bluntly, placing a light kiss on Grace's forehead.

"I'm not going to get you sick, if that's what you're worried about. I'm just tired."

"I bought you a present," Luke responded, ignoring her remark. "It's not much, but I thought..." He shrugged, holding out a bag to her.

Grace rolled her eyes, pulling a Che Lives shirt from the bag. "That it would make you more likely to get laid?"

"What?" Luke's eyes widened. "I didn't expect-"

"Thank you," Grace interrupted, kissing look lightly on the corner of the mouth. "And I'm feeling better anyway. I love the shirt, though. Do I get to keep it?"

"Mmm." Luke enveloped Grace in his arms. "I was worried about you all day. Did you know that?"

"I told you; I'm just tired," Grace grumbled, settling into Luke's arms anyway.

"If you want to rest, we don't- - I could just leave."

Grace pulled back, looking at Luke's worried face. "No, it's okay. And you make me feel better anyway." She broke off, her gaze becoming harsher. "And if you repeat that to anyone, you won't have to worry about sex anymore, because a very fundamental part of your anatomy will have been cut off."

"Ow."

"Exactly," Grace murmured, kissing along Luke's jawline and tugging on his hand. "Lets go upstairs and watch a movie."
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"Did we actually think we'd watch a movie laying on your bed together?" Luke asked between heated kisses, running his hands up and down Grace's arms.

"I didn't," Grace whispered, capturing Luke's lips with her own again. "Just wanted to get you upstairs."

"You know, just asking me to come up here and make out with you would've been..." Luke's words trailed off as he felt Grace's lips against his neck. He craned his neck to give her more room and sighed. "Enough."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm," Luke murmured, pushing Grace back into her pillow and crawling so he was half on top of her. "God, I love you," he told her as his tongue darted out beneath her ear.

Grace moaned and wrapped her legs around his. "Me too."

Luke nipped at her ear and was greeted by another whimper. "Say it."

"God, Luke," Grace breathed, her hands finding the bottom of his shirt and tugging up. "I love you."

They broke apart long enough for Luke to finish removing his shirt, and then Luke brushed his tongue over her teeth. His fingers fumbled with the fabric of her sweatshirt and she arched into him as he pulled on it, causing him to groan.

After her sweatshirt had been removed, Luke stared at Grace in silence for a moment, shaking his head. "I don't tell you you're beautiful enough," he murmured, fingers tracing the swells of her breasts. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Grace murmured something unintelligible as her fingers worked at his fly.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut at the sensation. "Condoms?"

Grace paused. "None left." When Luke tensed, she shook her head quickly. "Don't worry about it. I can't get pregnant right now, anyway."

"That's never true, Grace. There's always a chance- albeit a small one- that..." Luke's words trailed off as Grace's fingers worked their way under his waistband.

"Forget it, Luke. It's not an issue. And I want you."

Maybe it was their combined weakened resolve, or Grace's strangely confident tone. For whatever reason, though, neither let the issue stop them.
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