A Girl Like Gracie

by Scarlett Haven

  I’m nervous?

  Ugh, why am I nervous?

  It’s probably because everybody keeps calling this a date. It’s not. I just need to stop letting people’s words get to me.

  I make my way down the staircase, hoping that I don’t trip.

  I carefully count each step to the bottom. There are thirty three steps. I like odd numbers, so the fact that there is thirty three is comforting for some strange reason.

  “Hey,” I say to Noah once I reach the bottom.

  “Wow,” he says. “You look beautiful.”

  I look down at my bare feet against the marble floor and push a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Thanks.” I look up at him again and see that he has a huge smile on his face. “What?”

  “Just thinking that you look so beautiful my dad might try to dump his bride and date you instead,” Noah says.

  I roll my eyes.

  “I’m serious. Don’t be offended if my dad hits on you.”

  “Are you being sarcastic? Because American humor is different than Korean humor,” I say.

  “I am being serious,” he says, then holds out his arm for me. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah,” I say, looping my arm through his. I really just want to get out of here before Alfie catches us here together. That would be a disaster.

  As we walk towards the front door, it opens up and I watch Alfie and Jace step inside. I try to scoot away from Noah, because I’m pretty sure if Alfie sees us touch it’ll be that much worse, but Noah tightens his grip so I can’t get away.

  This boy really has a death wish.

  “What are you doing?” Alfie asks Noah.

  I cringe at the harshness of his voice.

  “Don’t be mad. I’m going to his dad’s wedding with him,” I say. “Noah asked me to go so he didn’t have to go alone.”

  Noah remains quiet beside me.

  Alfie’s shoulders drop a bit. “Okay.”

  He starts to walk around us and up the stairs.

  “Okay? You’re just saying okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” Alfie says, turning towards me.

  “You made such a big deal out of him talking to me. And now I tell you I’m going to be spending the entire afternoon and a lot of the evening with the guy and you just say okay?” I ask.

  “Yep,” he says, without another explanation, then him and Jace walk up the stairs.

  I turn to Noah with my mouth open wide.

  “If I had known he would be this cool, I wouldn’t have made such a big deal out of hiding it,” I say.

  “Oh, so you’re actually not ashamed of me?” he asks.

  I smack his arm playfully. “Shut up.”

  He just grins. “Does that mean if I asked you to hang out with me agin, you’d say yes?”

  “I suppose so,” I say. “We’re friends, right?”

  He nods his head vigorously. “Friends.”

  “Okay, then. We’ll hang out, because that is what friends do,” I say, then walk towards the front door. When I get there, I look back and see that Noah is still standing in the same spot with a huge smile on his face. “Are you coming?”

  He turns to look at me, his smile never faltering. “Sure thing, Friend.”

  “You’re so weird,” I say, when we walk out the door.

  Noah opens the passenger side car door for me and I get in. My phone goes off, so I pull it out of my purse and read the text while Noah walks to get in the driver’s side.

  Alfie: Today is going to be hard for Noah. Be kind to him.

  Me: I’m always nice to him.

  I put my phone back away, wondering how today will be hard for Noah. If this is his dad’s fifth wife, I think he’d be used to the weddings by now.

  But then again, I remember how hard it was to be at my dad’s wedding. Not just because my dad was marrying somebody that wasn’t my mom, but because I knew after that day that I’d be living in a different country than my brother. It was hard.

  Alfie is right. I should be extra nice to Noah today, even if he does get on my nerves.

  Noah gets in the car and starts it.

  “Is your appa really going to hit on me?” I asks.

  “Ah… Appa… my dad, right?” he asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh,” he says. “Umm I just wouldn’t be surprised if my dad did hit on you. Try not to take offense.”

  “I won’t,” I say. “To be honest, I’m not so good at telling if a guy is flirting with me. I was friends with a guy in Korea for three years and before I left for America, he confessed. I had no idea that he even liked me.”

  “He confessed?” Noah asks, as he drives towards the gates to get out of my house.

  “In Korea, when a guy likes you, he confesses. Like, he will do something really romantic, like take you for coffee on top of a sky scraper, or he will write a sweet note and give you a gift,” I explain. “It’s really sweet and special. Also, it is a way for a couple to have a definite start date to their relationship.”

  “What did the guy do for you?” he asks.

  “He got me my favorite coffee and put it on my desk the last day I was at school,” I say. “He wrote me a note.”

  “Do you still have it?” Noah asks.

  I pull the folded up note out of my purse. It’s too sweet to throw away, even if I don’t return the feelings.

  Noah snatches the note out of my hand, but I don’t put up a fight. The note is written in Hangul. He unfolds it and looks at the paper. “I can’t read this,” he says, really sounding disappointed.

  I take the paper back and fold it up, putting it in my purse.

  “What did you say to the boy?” he asks. “After he confessed, or whatever.”

  “I told him that I was leaving for America in two days,” I say.

  “What would you have said if you weren’t leaving for America?”

  “I don’t know,” I answer. “I had never thought about him in any way besides a friend. I guess at that moment, I was thankful I was coming to America just so I wouldn’t break his heart.”

  “You’re a nice girl,” he says, his voice sounding off.

  “Do you not like nice girls?” I ask.

  “Not usually,” he answers.

  “Then I am a good friend to have,” I say. “Maybe I’ll help you pick out a nice girl to date, then maybe you won’t want to dump them after dating a few weeks.”

  “You already want to start controlling my life,” he says, laughing. “Gracie, don’t ever change. You’re kind of awesome.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “So, if a guy wanted to date you, what should I tell him to do?” Noah asks.

  “First, tell the guy to get to know me, because I would never date somebody who wasn’t my friend first,” I say.

  “Okay. What next?”

  “I would want to do it the Korean way. I would want a romantic confession,” I say. “One that I could tell all my friends back in Korea about. Also, make sure the guy is okay with couple clothing. I know it’s not a thing in America, but in Seoul I always saw these cute couples walking around in matching shirts and colors. It was so cute. I want that.”

  “Gracie, you’re killing me here,” he says.

  “What? You don’t like couple clothing?” I ask.

  “No.”

  “Well good thing I’m not dating you,” I say.

  He laughs. “You are going to make some guy very happy. If the couples clothing doesn’t scare him off.”

  “Americans,” I say, feigning a sarcastic tone.

  “Koreans,” he says back.

  We both laugh.

  I think Noah is going to be a good friend.

  You have to keep her.

  An hour later, Noah and I walk into a beautiful church. The church is really old and looks like something that you’d see in a history book. The ceilings are tall, tall enough that there could be three or four stories, but it just goes straight up. On the ceiling there is beautiful art work an
d there are stained glass windows towards the top of the walls. There are huge banisters and archways at each side, and there are two rows of pews. I don’t have much time to look, because as soon as we walk inside, Noah and I are escorted towards the front, where we are seated on the grooms side.

  “This is awesome,” I tell Noah.

  “He’s had a wedding here already,” he says, shrugging.

  “Noah, who is your friend?” a guy asks.

  “This is Gracie James,” Noah answers.

  “James… like, Travis James?” he asks.

  “He’s my dad,” I say.

  “Nice,” the guy says, giving Noah a thumbs up.

  Noah rolls his eyes at the guy. “Gracie, this is my brother in law, Caleb Rivers.”

  “Hey,” I say, bowing towards the guy.

  Ugh… why do I forget I don’t have to bow in America. Thankfully, the guy doesn’t comment.

  “Where is Vanessa?” Noah asks.

  “She went to go check on the bride to be,” Caleb says. “Seems like a waste of time considering this time next year he’ll be divorced again, but there is no telling my wife what to do.”

  “Trust me, I know,” Noah says. “I lived with her longer than you.”

  A few seconds later, a brunette girl that looks just like Noah comes and sits down by Caleb. She has the same emerald green eyes, the same color of hair, and the same facial structure. You can tell she’s older, but she could be his twin. Unlike Alfie and me, they actually look like siblings.

  “Who are you?” the girl, Vanessa, asks.

  Noah answers for me. “This is my friend, Gracie James. She’s Alfie’s sister.”

  “Huh,” she says, looking at me. “You’re pretty. Definitely my brother’s type. But you know he’ll dump you soon, right? Don’t get too attached. He’s just like our father.”

  “Hey!” Noah says. “I am nothing like him. And I’m not dumping her.”

  “We’re not dating,” I tell her. “Besides, my brother already warned me. He’s forbidden me to date Noah, not that I was tempted to anyway.”

  Vanessa laughs. “I like her. Noah, you have to keep her.”

  “I’m trying, but you’re kind of ruining my game here,” Noah says.

  She just smiles. “If your big sister is ruining your game, then you’re not playing it right.”

  “What game are we talking about?” I ask. “I confused.”

  Vanessa looks at me, then at Noah.

  “She’s lived the last four years in South Korea,” Noah tells her.

  “Explains the slight accent,” she says. “Noah, she really is perfect. I like her.”

  I’m glad his big sister like me, but I’m not exactly sure why she likes me.

  “Aigoo,” I say.

  “What?” Noah asks.

  “Nothing,” I say. “I’m just really confused.”

  Noah just puts his arm around me and scoots closer. “I should keep you close.”

  “Just don’t expect me to start calling you oppa,” I say.

  “What does oppa even mean?” he asks.

  “Well, it depends how you say it. I can call my brother oppa, but I would just say it… normal, I guess. But if there is a cute guy, and I call him oppa, I’d say it different,” I explain, though not very well.

  “You can definitely call me oppa if you do it in a cute voice,” he says.

  I push his arm off from around me. “I’ll call you friend.”

  He just grins. “Whatever you say.”

  Spicy rice cakes.

  The wedding was beautiful. And extravagant. I can’t imagine how much it cost, and I probably don’t want to know. Though, for a moment, I wonder how many spicy rice cakes I could buy with the money they spent. Though, that’s probably because I miss Korean food really bad.

  At the reception, I sit beside Noah, at the same table as his dad and new stepmom.

  The woman is young. Like, really young. She’s probably in her early twenties. And she’s really beautiful. She looks familiar. I’ve probably seen her on a billboard somewhere around town.

  When Charles and his bride, Poppy, are announced, everybody cheers. They do the first dance as husband and wife. Nobody joins them on the dance floor halfway through like we did at my dad’s wedding. Instead, there are a couple of women with cameras snapping pictures of the happy couple.

  I look from them to Noah, and he looks disgusted. But beyond that, I can see that he’s sad.

  “Are you okay?” I ask him.

  He looks at me and forces a smile. “Fine. I was just wondering how many more weddings I will have to sit through before the state won’t allow him to get married anymore. I hear there is a limit.”

  “Huh,” I say, wondering myself what the law is. Not like it matters. I plan on getting married one time. After seeing how hard my parent’s divorce was, I am going to be picky when it comes to picking out a husband. And if it doesn’t work out, forget it. I’ll become a spinster.

  Everybody claps as the song comes to an end and I feel Noah tense as his dad walks over to the table.

  As soon as the happy couple sits down, the food is delivered. My stomach growls when I smell the food, but when I see the food, I am disappointed. It’s definitely not vegetarian food, so I won’t be eating.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Noah asks, as he takes a bite of the food.

  I lean closer and whisper to him. “I’m vegetarian.”

  “How did I not know?”

  “I never told you,” I say.

  “I’m sorry,” he says, putting his fork down.

  “It’s okay. Eat. After we leave here, I’ll make you buy me some yummy food. It’s the least you can do.”

  He smiles. “Okay. I’ll wait and eat with you.”

  Noah leans back in his chair, and watches me. I’m wondering what he’s thinking, and I’m about to ask when his dad says something.

  “Is something wrong with the food?” Charles asks. He’s looking at me.

  “Aniyo,” I say, bowing slightly as I shake my head.

  Charles looks at Noah. “Did you date just bow to me?”

  “She’s from Korean,” Noah says.

  “Huh,” he says, then looks at me again. “You look familiar.”

  “I’m Gracie James,” I tell him. “I was at your home a few weeks ago for the charity ball.”

  “James,” he says, then looks at Noah. “This girl’s brother was the one who punched you and made a scene?”

  “That would be her,” Noah says, looking a little uncomfortable.

  Poppy says something to get her husbands attention, and he turns away from us. Noah visibly relaxes his shoulders.

  “We will leave as soon as we possibly can,” he whispers to me.

  I’m definitely okay with that.

  I see why Noah didn’t want to come to this wedding alone. His father is kind of intense. When I see him checking out a waitress, I feel a little sick to my stomach. No wonder he’s been divorced four times.

  An hour later, we manage to leave the wedding reception without anybody noticing. Noah is in a much better mood now that the whole thing is behind us, and the smile is a permanent fixture on his face now.

  “What do you want to eat?” he asks.

  “Spicy rice cakes,” I say, sighing.

  “What is that?”

  “Korean food.”

  “There is a Korean restaurant not too far from here,” Noah says. “Let’s go.”

  “Okay,” I say, sitting up straight in my seat. “Oh, I wonder if they have kimchi. I don’t eat fish that often, but when I do it’s usually in kimchi.”

  “Vegetarians eat fish?”

  “Some do. Fish is the only kind of meat I eat. I guess it depends on the person’s preference,” I say.

  “Why are you vegetarian?”

  I shrug. “My mom is, so I’ve just always been.”

  “Don’t you want to try meat?”

  “Sometimes,” I answer. “I hear the fried chicken in
Korea is the best. It smells good. But I didn’t try it.”

  My phone goes off with a text from my mom.

  아마 Mom: How are you?

  My mom hasn’t called or texted me the whole time I’ve been here. Almost a whole month. And now she decides to text me.

  “What’s wrong?” Noah asks.

  I lock my phone and put is back in my purse. “Nothing.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks.

  I sigh. “It was my mom. I’m rather annoyed with her right now.”

  “You should text her bad, even when you mad,” he says.

  “You’re right,” I say, pulling my phone back out and begin to text a reply. “Do you talk to your mom often?”

  “My mom died when I was seven,” he tells me.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, because what else can I say?

  “She was going through a really rough time. My dad had just left her for another woman, and she was struggling with depression. One weekend, while we were at our grandma’s house, she committed suicide,” he tells me.

  “Oh, wow,” I say.

  “I try not to be mad at her, but she left me and Vanessa all alone. She knew what kind of man our dad was and what kind of life we would live,” he says. “But she still chose to leave us.”

  “I’ve been mad at my dad for a long time,” I say. “It’s not really healthy to hold onto anger towards your parent, but sometimes you can’t help it.”

  “What did your dad do?”

  “He left my mom,” I answer. “And two months later, he married Claire.”

  “At least he stayed with Claire,” Noah says. “My dad ended up divorcing the woman he left my mom for three weeks after my mom’s funeral. That’s the kind of man my mom thought was worth dying for. It makes me sick.”

  “I can’t imagine,” I say, my chest tightening at his confession.