"Soggy cereal has got to be one of the nastiest things on this
earth", Grace thought as she sat at the table poking her breakfast.
Lily's voice from upstairs snapped her out of her reverie. "Gracie,
would you please go make sure Eli's awake?"
Grace rolled her eyes. "Mom! Why do I have to? I'm not his parent!"
"C'mon honey, just do it. I'm running late for work and Rick left
already."
Grace sighed and threw down her spoon. It had been over a month
since the "play" incident and she thought she was over it. Eli had
talked to her and she was cool with it. Especially after Karen's
accident. That made it seem so insignificant. But, now that Karen
was coming along ok, she wasn't sure she was cool with it after all.
She avoided Eli all she could and when they spoke, it was strained.
Sighing once again, she got up and trudged to the garage. Although
it was noon on a Saturday, she knew Eli wouldn't be up yet. Rick had
finally gotten a backbone after the accident and told Eli he either
got at least a part-time job or he was kicking him out. So, a
part-time job was exactly what Eli got. VERY part-time. He worked
four hours a day, five days a week as a stockboy at a grocery store.
And, even then, he usuall had to be pushed to go.
She knocked on the door loudly, knowing he wouldn't hear otherwise.
To her surprise, the door immediately opened a crack and Eli,
red-eyed, peeked out.
"I was sent to make sure you were up for work" Grace said stiffly.
She could smell the familiar smoke coming through the crack. Gosh,
when was Eli NOT high anymore? "Thanks" Eli mumbled and shut the
door. Grace stared at the closed door. For some reason, she wanted
to knock again. She was starting to raise her hand, when the door
shot open again. Eli was in the middle of saying, "Grace, wait" when
he realized she was still standing there. They both stared at each
other, startled.
"What?" Grace said, trying to sound casual.
"Why are you still standing there?" Eli said.
"That wasn't what you were going to say" she said, ignoring the
question.
"Can you come in for a minute?"
"Well, I guess for a minute, but I have to be somewhere soon" she
said, a little too snobbish. Eli ignored it and opened the door
wider so she could get in. As soon as she stepped in, her senses
were assaulted with the smell of smoke and dirty laundry. Wrinkling
her nose in disgust, she grimaced, "Oh, yuck, Eli. Real nice. Can I
leave this door open?" Eli glared at her through his red-rimmed eyes
and said, "And they call me stupid! If you leave the door open, the
smell will probably go towards the house which is NOT something I
want. Now, if your highness will get off her high horse for a
minute, I'll make this quick." The minute he said it and saw the
look on Grace's face, he was sorry. But she sure didn't need to be
so rude to him either. Softening his voice he said, "I need you to
go in the house and get me some eyedrops and mouthwash." He added,
"Please" as he saw her face harden. "I guess so" she said
reluctantly, "Hang on a minute."
When she got back in the house, she hollered to see if her mom was
still there. There was no answer. Relieved, she ran upstairs to get
the things out of her mom's bathroom. As she turned to walk out, she
almost collided with Lily. Grace stifled a scream.
"Mom! I thought you had left!"
"I'm just heading out. I was up in the attic getting some earrings
Jessie borrowed from me." Looking at the items Grace was holding,
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Where are you taking these, honey?"
"Oh, just to the main bathroom", Grace said, trying to be calm.
"I don't mind if you use our bathroom."
"I know. But, all the rest of my stuff is in the other one. It's
just more convenient. Don't worry, I'll bring it back."
"Well, that's fine, but are you sure you're ok?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You don't usually need eyedrops."
"Oh......my hay fever's making them itchy."
"Well, ok. I just wanted to make sure." She still looked at Grace
quizzically.
"Mom, will you please quit being such a worry-wart? I'm fine and
you're going to be late to work." At the mention of work, Lily
snapped out of it. "Oh gosh, Grace. You're right. I'll be home
later. Take care." She gave Grace a quick kiss and ran downstairs.
For what seemed like the hundredth time, Grace let out her breath in
a big sigh and ran to the garage. She was about to give Eli a piece
of her mind, but the look of appreciation on his face made her
decide not to. "Thanks, Grace. You're a lifesaver. I really can't
lose this job no matter how much it sucks."
As Eli ran to the sink, Grace stood there watching him. Why could
she not quit feeling the way she did everytime he smiled at her? It
was pathetic. She had decided since the play that the only feelings
he had for her were brotherly and she needed to knock it off. But,
it didn't seem to matter whenever he smiled, which wasn't very often
since the accident and Rick's ultimatum. She shook her head to snap
out of it and looked around the room. It really did need to be
cleaned before mom and Rick saw it.
While she was looking around, Eli turned and saw her. He hadn't even
realized she was still there and it caught him off guard. He found
himself just watching her. She was thinking hard about something--he
could tell because she had that small wrinkle between her eyebrows.
Before he knew it, he had almost walked over to smooth it out with
his fingertips. But, just then, her eyes focused on him and the look
was gone. The stared at each other for just a moment and then Grace,
with a visible shrug, said, a little hoarsely, "So, how come you and
the band haven't had any gigs lately?" Eli shook his head and said,
"I don't know. The guys have been pretty busy lately and I'm not as
into it as I used to be." Grace stared in disbelief. "Not as into
it?!?! Eli, who are you trying to fool? Music is your life!" Eli's
face darkened angrily and he looked away. "Well it isn't anymore!"
"Since when?"
Practically screaming, Eli said, "I don't want to talk about it
Grace! It just isn't, ok?" He scowled angrily and stalked out the
door.
Grace, feeling hurt and confused, picked up the bathroom stuff and
went back to the house.
____________________________________________________
Late that night, Grace was awakened by sounds in the backyard. She
laid there a moment, trying to decide if it had just been part of
her dream--a wonderful dream that included Eli, much to her
embarassment. No, there it was again. Fearfully, she crept to her
window and peeked through the curtains. In the moonlight, she could
see a figure digging under one of the trees. As she watched, whoever
it was put a large object in the hole and covered it over. Then, as
the moonlight picked up the profile, Grace could see it was Eli. Now
that she realized it wasn't some crazy person, she was extremely
curious to know what Eli was up to. She crept quietly down the
stairs and out the back door. Eli's back was to her. She cleared her
throat and he turned around with a jerk.
She had been planning on asking him what he was doing.
That was the plan.
Until she saw the tears making paths through the dirt on his face
and the question died on her lips.
earth", Grace thought as she sat at the table poking her breakfast.
Lily's voice from upstairs snapped her out of her reverie. "Gracie,
would you please go make sure Eli's awake?"
Grace rolled her eyes. "Mom! Why do I have to? I'm not his parent!"
"C'mon honey, just do it. I'm running late for work and Rick left
already."
Grace sighed and threw down her spoon. It had been over a month
since the "play" incident and she thought she was over it. Eli had
talked to her and she was cool with it. Especially after Karen's
accident. That made it seem so insignificant. But, now that Karen
was coming along ok, she wasn't sure she was cool with it after all.
She avoided Eli all she could and when they spoke, it was strained.
Sighing once again, she got up and trudged to the garage. Although
it was noon on a Saturday, she knew Eli wouldn't be up yet. Rick had
finally gotten a backbone after the accident and told Eli he either
got at least a part-time job or he was kicking him out. So, a
part-time job was exactly what Eli got. VERY part-time. He worked
four hours a day, five days a week as a stockboy at a grocery store.
And, even then, he usuall had to be pushed to go.
She knocked on the door loudly, knowing he wouldn't hear otherwise.
To her surprise, the door immediately opened a crack and Eli,
red-eyed, peeked out.
"I was sent to make sure you were up for work" Grace said stiffly.
She could smell the familiar smoke coming through the crack. Gosh,
when was Eli NOT high anymore? "Thanks" Eli mumbled and shut the
door. Grace stared at the closed door. For some reason, she wanted
to knock again. She was starting to raise her hand, when the door
shot open again. Eli was in the middle of saying, "Grace, wait" when
he realized she was still standing there. They both stared at each
other, startled.
"What?" Grace said, trying to sound casual.
"Why are you still standing there?" Eli said.
"That wasn't what you were going to say" she said, ignoring the
question.
"Can you come in for a minute?"
"Well, I guess for a minute, but I have to be somewhere soon" she
said, a little too snobbish. Eli ignored it and opened the door
wider so she could get in. As soon as she stepped in, her senses
were assaulted with the smell of smoke and dirty laundry. Wrinkling
her nose in disgust, she grimaced, "Oh, yuck, Eli. Real nice. Can I
leave this door open?" Eli glared at her through his red-rimmed eyes
and said, "And they call me stupid! If you leave the door open, the
smell will probably go towards the house which is NOT something I
want. Now, if your highness will get off her high horse for a
minute, I'll make this quick." The minute he said it and saw the
look on Grace's face, he was sorry. But she sure didn't need to be
so rude to him either. Softening his voice he said, "I need you to
go in the house and get me some eyedrops and mouthwash." He added,
"Please" as he saw her face harden. "I guess so" she said
reluctantly, "Hang on a minute."
When she got back in the house, she hollered to see if her mom was
still there. There was no answer. Relieved, she ran upstairs to get
the things out of her mom's bathroom. As she turned to walk out, she
almost collided with Lily. Grace stifled a scream.
"Mom! I thought you had left!"
"I'm just heading out. I was up in the attic getting some earrings
Jessie borrowed from me." Looking at the items Grace was holding,
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Where are you taking these, honey?"
"Oh, just to the main bathroom", Grace said, trying to be calm.
"I don't mind if you use our bathroom."
"I know. But, all the rest of my stuff is in the other one. It's
just more convenient. Don't worry, I'll bring it back."
"Well, that's fine, but are you sure you're ok?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You don't usually need eyedrops."
"Oh......my hay fever's making them itchy."
"Well, ok. I just wanted to make sure." She still looked at Grace
quizzically.
"Mom, will you please quit being such a worry-wart? I'm fine and
you're going to be late to work." At the mention of work, Lily
snapped out of it. "Oh gosh, Grace. You're right. I'll be home
later. Take care." She gave Grace a quick kiss and ran downstairs.
For what seemed like the hundredth time, Grace let out her breath in
a big sigh and ran to the garage. She was about to give Eli a piece
of her mind, but the look of appreciation on his face made her
decide not to. "Thanks, Grace. You're a lifesaver. I really can't
lose this job no matter how much it sucks."
As Eli ran to the sink, Grace stood there watching him. Why could
she not quit feeling the way she did everytime he smiled at her? It
was pathetic. She had decided since the play that the only feelings
he had for her were brotherly and she needed to knock it off. But,
it didn't seem to matter whenever he smiled, which wasn't very often
since the accident and Rick's ultimatum. She shook her head to snap
out of it and looked around the room. It really did need to be
cleaned before mom and Rick saw it.
While she was looking around, Eli turned and saw her. He hadn't even
realized she was still there and it caught him off guard. He found
himself just watching her. She was thinking hard about something--he
could tell because she had that small wrinkle between her eyebrows.
Before he knew it, he had almost walked over to smooth it out with
his fingertips. But, just then, her eyes focused on him and the look
was gone. The stared at each other for just a moment and then Grace,
with a visible shrug, said, a little hoarsely, "So, how come you and
the band haven't had any gigs lately?" Eli shook his head and said,
"I don't know. The guys have been pretty busy lately and I'm not as
into it as I used to be." Grace stared in disbelief. "Not as into
it?!?! Eli, who are you trying to fool? Music is your life!" Eli's
face darkened angrily and he looked away. "Well it isn't anymore!"
"Since when?"
Practically screaming, Eli said, "I don't want to talk about it
Grace! It just isn't, ok?" He scowled angrily and stalked out the
door.
Grace, feeling hurt and confused, picked up the bathroom stuff and
went back to the house.
____________________________________________________
Late that night, Grace was awakened by sounds in the backyard. She
laid there a moment, trying to decide if it had just been part of
her dream--a wonderful dream that included Eli, much to her
embarassment. No, there it was again. Fearfully, she crept to her
window and peeked through the curtains. In the moonlight, she could
see a figure digging under one of the trees. As she watched, whoever
it was put a large object in the hole and covered it over. Then, as
the moonlight picked up the profile, Grace could see it was Eli. Now
that she realized it wasn't some crazy person, she was extremely
curious to know what Eli was up to. She crept quietly down the
stairs and out the back door. Eli's back was to her. She cleared her
throat and he turned around with a jerk.
She had been planning on asking him what he was doing.
That was the plan.
Until she saw the tears making paths through the dirt on his face
and the question died on her lips.