-Prologue-

Year 2022. Month Of August. And the beginning of the senior year of high school for the batch 2022-23. In Blue Lake High school of California.

Month of August in California is all about hotter-than-hot waves of summer gushing through the state. Factually speaking, it is the busiest month of the year, that wraps up the summer vacations and alert the natives to get back on the daily-life pedal. Even in the not-so popular cities of California, like its very own capital, Sacramento.

Reaching on time, a perfect refreshing milkshake and a good amount of seretonin rushing through her blood; Gracie entered the last year of her high school with that same cheery smile on her glowing face, that has been their since she celebrated her 19th birthday last month.

Greeting some of the familiar faces, she reached her locker. And on the way to her first class, threw the container she just had her milkshake from. Seated and all set for another exciting yet exhausting year of high school to begin.

Everything seems normal, right? Things should have gone that way. But here, was our one and only Gracie Rose, sitting with her classmates, during the break, regretting her decision.

"Oh god, he was such a jerk. He didn't even call me after that night." her batchmate and cousin, Ellen had said. They were just bored enough to discuss Ellen's bad experience of her recent hookup. "How dare he not call me?"

"I mean, did you try to call him?" Gracie said, trying to connote. Her other friends, Mia and Ollie, gawked at her as if she had uttered something very wrong.

"Of course not." Ellen rolled her eyes, "Why should I call?"

Gracie never understood such norms. What do they call it? Yeah, Double standards. Why should the guy always have to call, and make sure he wasn't coming off as a douche? Ellen should have also tried to contact him before complaining about how much of jerk he was. After all, they had the same intention in mind that night. How would the poor guy know that she was waiting for him to stay? And call to say what? Hey, Long time no see huh? How's life?

But then again, she had no experience with that particular part of life and therefore, she didn't know the rules and how they work.

"And if he did, you would have called him clingy." Gracie spoke. Not a lie, of course. What do they call it, again? Playing hard to get.

Maybe I definitely not understand the rules. Gracie thought.

"Honey, you shouldn't speak. You don't even know how it feels to be kissed, now go and watch some Dora, the explorer" Ellen giggles to her own comment.

Gracie gasps, taking full offence to it. She knew they weren't being snarky. However, she still felt frustrated. Just because she chose to focus on her academics and getting the highest grades at school, doesn't make her less of a person with rights to be easily able to date a guy who won't judge her for the lack of experiences. Or being the laughing stock for these people.

The shared giggles among her friends, had her really heated, which she manged to hide. Even though, she had decided that day. She thought she has been over modest to wait for the right guy.

The frustation had reached her head so high, that she swear if that exact time any guy from the state was willing, she would sleep with him right then and there.

It has been two days since the incident happened and the frustration was, yet, fixated in her mind like a brand new Taylor Swift's song. Honestly speaking, she even felt jealous of the cartoon character Dora. Even Dora's parents allow her to go wherever she wants. Gracie thought.

It was morning and she came about twenty minutes earlier, seated in her first class of the day, Chemistry, but for the first time at the last bench of the room, situated at the right corner. Strange. The curly haired girl, who was one of the top rankers of the school, seated at the last bench?

She scanned the room with her sharp eyes. If anyone had seen her; crouching behind the table, and moving around her eyes like a spinner, they would definitely question if she was high on some substance.

"Yo! Sorry I missed the first two days of the senior year, I was at my grandparent's, " her ears overwhelmed by a female voice. Her eyes still determined to locate a target, she just nod up and down.

"Hello?" Sira waves her palm in front of her face. "Gracie?"

Rolling her eyes, Sira covers her best friend's eyes with her palm only to hear an annoyed groan. "Sira! " she screech.

Following a giggle, Sira takes a seat beside her.

"Well, why are you being a creep, early in the morning?" She points out. Her best friend frowns at her direction with a sigh.

"Okay, what happened? Why are you sulking?" Sira questions.

"Never mind, why didn't you come last two days?" Gracie asks.

"Of course, you didn't hear me. I said sorry and gave you the reason when you were too busy creeping on God knows who, " Sira spoke, taking a bite off of her sandwich. "I was at my grand parent's house." She still proceeds.

Gracie mouthed an 'O' and was about to ask if everything was fine when Niall, her best friend's boyfriend wrapped his arms her neck from the back.

"Hey babe! Good morning, " he said placing a kiss on Sira's head. "Hey Gracie!" he proceeded, giving a wide smile to her.

"Hey Niall!" Gracie spoke with the similar smile on her face as she picked up her water bottle, chugging the liquid, and giving some time to the couple.

The universe seemed to be mocking her since even her best friend was in a serious relationship for the past two years and have to be getting more action than any of her friends and of course herself.

"K, see you. Bye Gracie." Niall spoke rushing out of the class, after talking to his girlfriend.

It was Gracie's turn to smirk. "So, that was the reason, you didn't get time to call me and tell, you will be absent for two days?" Adding the wiggle of her mischievous eyebrows.

"Oh shush, he was too busy and so was I. Let me remind you, we all our preparing for the Inter-school science exhibition to win against Edison's High school." Sira reminds her. "Ms. Berner will chew us alive if we mess up this year." She painfully takes another bite of her sandwich. Gracie could tell how tired yet determined her best friend was for the upcoming exhibition.

"Ugh, I should be worrying about that, why am I worrying unnecessary things such as my damn virginity." Gracie screams.

Her friend almost spits her drink out hearing her so explicit at the school. That was so unlike her. Gracie was known to be the craziest person at the parties, but at school, she was strictly very composed and presentable. Seeing her breakdown at the classroom's bench, in the morning, had Sira worrying.

"Girl, what happened?"

"Sira, I have decided. IDC. I have had enough of this virginity thing. I am nineteen for fu- fu-" Gracie tries. "I can't even swear, ughh! Why am I like this?"

Definitely so unlike her. Sira was practically shocked seeing her best friend try to swear. She has never sworn. She preferred not to spit any curse words as she found them very futile and improper.

"Gracie? You're scaring me. What happened? Wait, are you crying?" Sira asks, diffidance sitting on her face.

Gracie didn't realize until she found herself shedding one or two tears out of frustation. She got too busy in attaining the perfect grades to even spare any glances around her. Since she has entered her adolescence, she wanted to experience everything that her teenage years could offer. Sleepovers with her friends, girl's night outs and dating. However, her parents were never too fond of the idea. Coming from a very well off family, where almost all her relatives, and even her parents were educators, who believed in strict discipline and traditions.

Therefore; coming back home before 9, waking up early, not to swear, behave like a lady and not to befriend a guy, were the basic rules she was taught. She barely went out of her house, only when it was her cousin Ellen's party, which her parents gave her permission to go. Prioritize education and be confident and presentable at all times became the motive of her life.

When she was in sophomore year, she has had made the mistake of swearing in front of her mother once. Her mother certainly, took the job of parenting so far that day by comitting an act that lead her to have PTSD. Which is why, even her unconscious mind fears to spit a bad word.

Gracie had enough of her mother's discipline. Now, that she had moved out of her parent's house, and decided to spend her senior year in a dorm, she felt somehow confident enough to go against her mother's structures life. She was determined to loose herself a bit and prove that she was okay without her mother.

She felt ready to fall in love.

"I don't know. I've had enough of these rules! I just-"

"Did your mom say anything to you?" Sira asks worrying, knowing how much she impacts Gracie.

"No! It's just I want to lose my virginity. And before you say or give me a monologue how I should do it with the right person. No, I don't care, I just want to lose the virgin tag, so people can stop breathing down my neck! I wanna do something reckless for once."

"Gracie, you're just angry. Think about it! Just because you haven't had sex, shouldn't validate.. "

"I know, Sira! I'm old enough to know that, but my point is I'm too tired of this disciplined life. I just want to do one thing recklessly and not think about the consequences."

"I-" seeing Gracie break down like this, Sira understood one thing. She won't listen to her now. Sira lefts out a deep sigh, and asks jokingly, "Alright, what's your plan?" Mentally praying, Gracie don't have one. Whatever the case, she didn't want Gracie to get hurt or do something stupid and regret.

"I'm thinking of asking someone from our class." Gracie blurts out.

Sira almost choked on her drink. "Gracie! You do know shit will get awkward! You both will be studying at same school." Sira responds, not wanting her best friend to proceed onto her plan.

"Sira darling! Don't use that card on me. You are literally dating your classmate, and let's be honest, I'm sure when you guys disappear it's probably you both having sex or making out in the store room slash, library slash, empty science labs." Gracie continues, "So cut the crap!"

"Well-" Sira coughs, "I'm dating him and we are serious about it so-"

"Oops! Fun fact, you both started dating after you slept with him at Ollie's eighteenth birthday party." Gracie reminds her, more like mocks her.

"Gracie! Things just happen, okay. Besides I knew Niall from before, and we had the initial friendship and trust." Sira defends, as her curly haired best friend laughs at her flustered reaction.

"Okay fine! I will stop. But don't worry, I'm thinking to get someone who's probably as amateur as me. Who has no confidence, so he doesn't judge me. In fact, I have a perfect candidate for that." Gracie smirks at Sira's direction, whose eyeing at her already.

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

"Him" Gracie points at the door, through which, a gray haired boy enters the classroom. Sira turns her head but meets with few different heads.

"Who?" she squints her eyes.

"Jason Drew."

Sira's jaw dropped on the floor. The only thing she concluded was how much of a wrong decision Gracie was making. The curly haired girl must have not known Jason Drew, personally.

However, Sira knew him very well.

"Gracie" Sira's voice shudders, "No!"

"Yes!" Gracie smirks. "He's the perfect candidate. I remember, he had transferred here last year only and he's somewhat like a nerd. Don't talk to anyone. Always hiding behind those thick glasses. Focusing only on studies. He's clearly very awkward and a virgin. Plus, I don't think anyone in our school even knows if he exists."

Jason Drew. Gracie only knew his name because his locker was just beside hers. He never utters a word in the class and she doesn't recall a day where her eyes ever met his.

In fact, he is never even bullied, even though he looks like an easy target. He is almost invisible and unknown to even exist. Always sits alone, eats alone and is found in the library during breaks. Maybe that's the reason why he was a ranker. Neither she has ever spotted him in any of her friend's parties nor heard any rumors about him.

"Bitch! He's not a nerd and definitely not a virgin.."

Sira tries to warn her.

"Okay, I'm going to talk to him." Determined to get her proposal out, Gracie gets up from her seat and proceeds to walk towards her target without listening to Sira.

Gracie ignores her friend's call as her newly found confidence has blinded her. "This is surely a good plan, " she thinks.

"Hey!"

For the first time in thirteen months of her knowing the man's name, she finally witnesses his eyes, "May I talk to you?"

After meeting his dark orbs, her entire body froze. Her brand new confidence, gradually crumbled like bread crumbs, the moment she saw an unknown fire igniting through his eyes.

She gulps, "Is this really a good idea?"

Because at that exact moment, he did not look like a vulnerable person that she could probably manipulate.