Amaz and Grace
By Annemarie Bogart

Chapter 1: The Deal

Grace sits at a vanity table brushing her long blonde hair, while looking in the mirror. "Gasolina" plays from her IPOD which blasts from her Bose speakers. You would think after they butchered it by playing it constantly on the radio that she would have been sick of it, but still, there it is, her number one song. She puts the brush down and examines her face as all girls do, trying to find flaws and disguise them before someone else does. Her porcelain skin is flawless today, lucky her. Her lips are a natural deep pink and puffy, almost as if she's been given collagen injections from birth. Her eyes are large, very large and a green that instantly makes one think of the sea. Very long thick black eyelashes complete the picture of perfection, well, in the media's standards anyhow. She reaches for her crucifix, which is sitting on top of an open yearbook, and gingerly fastens it around her neck. Her hand drops again back to the open yearbook. She glances at it, not the first time she has done so today. Her gaze lands on the tough looking Hispanic boy looking at something off view of the camera, his expression somewhere between thoughtful and angry. He is not smiling, his eyes scream intensity. Her fingers softly touch the face in the photo.
The girl then stands and after giving herself the full once over in the full-length mirror. Her body is, by almost all definitions, perfect. She has a naturally toned figure that was acquired more by doing things she enjoys like kick-boxing and martial arts rather than an actual exercise routine. She goes to her closet and picks out a green sweatshirt and a pair of loose Capri pants. Her baggy sweatshirt and Capris leave much to the imagination but that is the way she wants it. She puts on a simple pair of running shoes, nothing too fancy or expensive. She fusses with her hair for a moment and takes a final disapproving glance at herself before she grabs her backpack and heads out her bedroom door.
Ten minutes later, she waits patiently as the city bus finally reaches her stop. The door hisses open and Grace slowly climbs the stairs keeping her eyes down avoiding the initial glances. The large Hispanic driver sitting at the wheel smiles at the girl who is emerging onto the bus.
"Good morning, Chica" says the driver. There is no verbal response from Grace as she drops her coin in the receptacle. She simply nods and walks to the back of the bus. The door hisses to a close and the bus takes off. The girl hangs onto the overhead bar as she searches for a seat stumbling like she‘s on a ship in the middle of a storm. A couple of Hispanic girls whisper to each other and giggle. A young mocha skinned teenage boy looks her up and down provocatively making Grace's cheeks redden slightly. Finally, finding a seat towards the back of the bus, Grace sits down heavily. She looks out the window avoiding any stares from the people on the bus. She opens her backpack trying to pretend there's something of great interest in there.
Grace having the courage to look up from the backpack glances back out the window. There it is, in all its deteriorated glory; William Harrison High School. The large two story faded stucco building is set back off the main street. The bus stops in front of the school. It drives off leaving the girl on the curb, standing in front of the entrance of the not very well-kept school grounds. She scans the front of the school. She spots kids hanging out on the front tattered lawn. Some are laughing, others practicing new dance moves, it seems. She spots a few boys throwing a football. The distinct smell of marijuana drifts through the air. There is rap music blaring from car speakers, the different songs seemingly battling each other in volume. Most of the students are Hispanic. Gang colors seem to be represented by certain color bandannas and plenty of tattoos. This is a rough school, but she had already known that. Graffiti covers certain sections of the building. A security guard casually passes students through a metal detector at the front entrance, somehow this does little to ease her mind. She spots two girls getting into a hair-pulling punching brawl in the front of the school. "Nice," she thinks to herself, shaking her head. To her far left a group of boys are shouting sexual slang to a couple of scantily clad girls that are walking by them. The girls smile in appreciation that they are noticed. "Just keeps getting better and better," she says softly to herself. "Maybe this was a mistake. I could just turn around and get back on the bus, pretend none of this ever happened."
She shields the sun from her eyes and looks toward the northwest corner of the front courtyard. That is where she sees him, exactly where she knew he would be... the boy from the picture in the yearbook. All thoughts of turning back immediately fade. The boy is wearing a black well worn leather jacket. He is surrounded by a group of equally rough looking boys, the kind you cross the street to avoid. Grace takes a deep breath. "This is it," she says to herself and walks defiantly in his direction. She ignores the taunts she receives as she walks slowly and with determination directly to him. She notices he is looking away from her and doesn't notice her entrance. She's close enough now that two of the boy's friends physically block her way.
"Hey, look what we got here, Miguel," says the shorter boy as he eyes Grace and walks completely around her absorbing every angle of her.
"New meat, hey Ricky," replies Miguel," as he touches her hair as she speaks tries to pass. Suddenly,, Grace forcefully slaps the his hand away from her avoiding all eye contact. Her eyes remain focused only on the boy she has come to see. Her eyes locked solely on him, never wavering.
"Hey, this one is feisty, Miguel," Ricky laughs. "Maybe she thinks she is out of our league." He turns to Grace, "Hey, Snow White, you think you're too good for us? Is that it?" She notices two more boys walking over to join their friends' antics.
"Who's this, Miguel? Friend of yours?" says a very dark skinned boy with a visible jagged scar across his left cheek. Before getting an answer he walks up to the girl. "I'm Toco. Welcome to Harrison," he states evenly checking her out from head to toe. Grace tries to make no eye contact with Toco, or any of them. Not out of fear, but rather her own personal way of keeping control of what little she can. Her eyes find her target sitting on the graffiti scrawled picnic bench. He seems to be in the process of giving a slight pat on the backside of a very voluptuous Hispanic girl. The girl with skin the color of a mocha latte laughs a bit too loud and takes a seat at the bench next to the picnic table. Toco follows Grace's stare over his shoulder. He shakes his head.
"Amaz, looks like you got company." Toco says and makes an exaggerated step sideways to make a pass way for her to get to Amaz, the reason Grace is here. Amaz looks over when he hears his friend call his name. His vision is partly blinded from just looking toward the sun, so he can't quite make her out yet, but he's pretty sure it's a female. His eyes start to focus on the incredibly beautiful girl standing there- she looks almost like an angel. Almost too beautiful to be real...especially in this place. The girl who was sitting on the bench, the one that Grace saw flirting with him earlier stands up and starts approaching Grace fast.
"I think you're lost Cinderella," the girl starts, waving her well manicured hands wildly, "you better get your white ass..."
Amaz interrupts the girl abruptly. "Rosa, shut it. Go get me my cigarettes from the car." Amaz says evenly pointing towards the parking lot. The girl looks at him incredulously.
"Amaz, who does this greenga...," she begins to plead, pointing a red dagger-like fingernail at Grace, but Amaz holds up his hand to silence her.
"Rosa, now," Amaz states calmly. Rosa gives Grace the finger and walks slowly towards the parking lot to retrieve the cigarettes, her annoyance amplified with every step.
Amaz stands from the bench. He is about six foot one, and strikingly handsome with chiseled good looks yet with a toughness that makes him seem almost untouchable. His hair is jet black and wavy, he wears it longer than the rest of his gang. As he moves closer she sees his eyes are a more piecing hazelnut brown than she has thought. Those eyes rest solely on her. Amaz stares at the girl for an uncomfortable amount of time, in Grace's estimation anyhow. He is still trying to grasp the fact that she is real. Regaining composure, he finally speaks.
"Please come," he states, beckoning her closer. As she gets closer, he realizes the closer she gets the more beautiful she becomes. She walks gracefully towards him with steady even steps. There isn't a trace of fear in her eyes. Only determination. When she is about five feet away she stops and looks up at him. He looks into her surreal sea green eyes as she speaks.
"My name is Grace. I would like to offer you a proposition, but I would like to be able to speak with you in private," she looks around at the surrounding group. "That is if you are sure you'll be safe." Amaz grins at her bravado, and gives a nod to Toco who abruptly comes behind to frisk her. He takes his time caressing parts of her making her extremely uncomfortable. She is shocked and slightly taken aback, but takes it in stride.
"You never can be too careful," Toco says as he steps away from his completed job. "Shit I enjoyed that," he mutters softly as he backs away. Amaz's smile fades and he waves for Toco to back off.
"Now, what is this about?" Amaz asks intrigued to find out why she is here and what she could possibly want from him. Drugs probably, he figures.
"I said I needed to talk to you alone, remember? " she reminds him looking around at the small crowd that is intently listening.
"Fine," replies Amaz shrugging in compliance. "Come into my office," he says as he walks over to the janitor's outdoor shed that is a few feet away from them. The old was white at one time, now it partly overgrown with shrubs that seem to camouflage it from the street. He shoves his hand in his pocket and retrieves the key from a small key ring. He unlocks the door and holds it open for Grace.
" Vamonos, mas bonita nina, I'm a very busy guy," he smiles chivalrously.
"Hey, Maz, don't wear her out. Save some for the rest of us," one of the boy's are heard.

Amaz shuts the door, closing out the follow-up rants that will no doubt accompany the one he just heard. Inside, the janitor's closet reveals a very small office space equipped with card table and four aluminum chairs, cards left over from the last game still there. In the far corner is a twin-sized bed covered with an old Mexican blanket. There is a old wooden mirror above the bed. A small refrigerator is seen in the other corner. There's an old bucket with a mop in the far corner, almost as a prop, for it seems the janitor has not used this space in some time, or anyone has bothered to use that neglected mop.
"You are much smarter than them," she states solemnly nodding towards the door. "Which makes what I am going to ask of you much easier."
"Now, you have my attention," he replies leaning casually against the wall. "What is it I can do for you?"
"Well, I guess the best way to say this is just to come right out with it," she says evenly, and she takes a deep breath. "I need for you be my boyfriend, well, more like my protector," Grace blurts out quickly and holds out her hands to nonverbally silence a stunned Amaz. He shakes his head almost immediately. "I know this sounds stupid, but if you think about it, it really isn't. It, this plan of mine, is essential for my survival here." he tries to keep his initial shock to himself, unaware if he has succeeded, and fully much doubting that if that would be even possible.
"Well, I gotta say, I never saw that coming. It's usually kinda hard to surprise me. I can't say I'm not a bit interested in what you have to say, but..." he begins trying to play this as cool as he can, but is curtly interrupted by her.
"Please, let me explain this better," she says approaching him slowly, then stops. "Without sounding completely conceited, it is obvious the attention I am going to get at this school. It is no big secret the way I look and I feel that it is a hindrance to me being accepted at here. The guys will be all over me, but not for the right reasons. The girls will just hate, period. I want to avoid all that." She looks over at him and he nods for her to continue. "My skin color, on top of the way I look may become a problem- especially for the girls. The attention I get, well, I am not new to it- I have been getting male attention for years. With that comes the hatred of women. It is nobody's fault, I guess- It is programmed into us. People don't know how to react to people without seeing first how others react to them- it's like everyone acts as their peers do," Grace pauses and looks into his eyes. She has his full attention. "This brings me to why I need you. I feel safe saying that you are the leader of this place- what you do is what others look to- but what you do is not to be questioned by others. Am I correct?"
"So far so good," he says looking down at his hands, intertwines them and gives them a stretch. "But I still don't get what you want me to do for you, and what in turn you will do for me."
"So, my proposition is to vow to be your girl, and only your girl, until we graduate. I will not interact with any other man in this school. I will be yours and yours alone within this place. That I can promise you, "she looks at him, her eyes unable to keep the pleading from them. She leans against the table for support awaiting his response.
"Okay, I think I am understanding this a little. You want me to be with you? But, I don't even know who you are, anything about you. I am intrigued to say the least. Please continue," he tells her as he walks slowly around the room trying to take all this in.
"Well, not to sound full of myself, which is how it will come across, but I swear it is not the way I view myself, but as others do- I would be, I guess, a trophy for you. Almost a prized possession that only you have access to, but everyone else wishes they had," she stops and looks at him.
"Full of yourself does seem to hit it on the head, I'd call it gallona, but I can't say that you don't have a point," he says and looks at her seriously. "I don't understand why you need me for this, any cholo would do- looking the way you do, you should be okay- hell, I'll take you out if you want...but a boyfriend, I am not."
"No, no- maybe I haven't explained it all that well. Any cholo won't do. I don't want to be part of the gang life. I know what those guys do. I know you are different from them, your crew. That is what I need, "she says solemnly. "And, I don't wish for you to be only with me. Hell, you can do anything you want with anyone you want," she says throwing her hands up in the air. "It will not affect me- all I need is for you to protect me and let this place know that I am yours and only yours."
"So, let me get this straight...I get to be with anyone I want... and it doesn't affect anything?" he glances at her and she nods. "This is starting to get very interesting," Amaz walks over towards the bed and sits down, "So, when do I get to test the merchandise?" He pats the bed and grins.
Grace leans against the table and puts her head down. He sees her shoulders slump slightly but ever so quickly she recovers. She straightens herself up and looks up and meets his gaze defiantly.
"That is another part of the plan I haven't told you- I will not have sex with you, or anyone else for that matter. My reputation is to remain intact and clean. I am to remain a virgin. That is a big part of why I am doing this, to keep what is mine, mine," she finishes and he starts to laugh. He puts his hand on his head in disbelief.
"Okay, let me get this- you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend, and in return I get no play from you at all? Come on...Something doesn't sound right." He looks at her searching for something. "Why would I agree to that? I'm not getting anything in return. And what makes you think I wouldn't just take what I wanted in the first place?" he says seductively. He stands up and approaches her slowly. Her stomach leaps not quite sure in fear or passion. He comes grabs her firmly around the waist. He looks down at her and she boldly meets his gaze.
"Because, I think deep down you agree with what I have to say," she answers him in a steady voice. "That deep down you believe in untouched beauty and preserving what should be preserved. That deep down you are chivalrous...that you are truly a man." Her eyes remain locked on his, almost challenging him.
"Well, seems you don't know shit about me, except that I definitely am a man, and having you around me is going to bring that out," he says pushing her back away from him softly, shaking his head as if trying to rid it of unwanted thoughts. He turns and walks back to the bed. He opens the small makeshift nightstand drawer and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He draws one out of the pack and lights it, deeply inhaling the nicotine as this proposition swirls in his brain. He looks over at her and he sees that she is still staring at him.
"But, you know about the kept word and honor...If you accept my proposition than I know that I will have your word," she says dramatically, hints of desperation starting to filter into her voice.
"I haven't agreed to anything yet," he says blowing out a cloud of smoke and starts to approach her again. She notices a bit of impatience in his eyes. She instinctively backs up into the table. "I still don't get anything in return here. I'm giving you protection, and I'm not getting anything. I don't see how this helps me."

Grace tries again," Okay, lets say you have sex with me, right now, against my will. What good will it have done you? Now, you are back to what you were a few minutes ago, before I arrived." She looks over at him and sees him smile and shrug. She continues, "No new opportunities would have been presented to you- I would be tainted meat now- nothing special- nothing to give you- nothing to make your position greater. And what did you get - sex? Something you've had, I'm sure plenty of times before- and will have plenty of times after. Something meaningless, that could be something great. I can feel it..." Grace puts her hand over her heart emphasizing her point, "that you believe in honor, in chivalry, in tradition, and in preserving what is pure...You have to...it is my only chance. You are my only chance," Grace ends finally, her voice strained with emotion. She sits down heavily at the table. He watches her closely as she sits down. She looks defeated. He sees her put her head down ever so slightly as if a big weight has just been released off of her chest. Amaz takes in the scene- she