******Ok, before I start with my own version of the Eli/Grace romance saga,
I have to warn you: I haven't seen much of the show lately…. So forgive me
if I get many things wrong, and this isn't based on any particular
episodes. All I really am going on is the built-up romantic tension
between the two, and the almost-kiss from a year ago. So, read on at your
own risk, and don't be too surprised if I sound like I don't know anything
(since I haven't seen any of the latest episodes) Oh, and thoughts are
marked by ~ , ok?*****
An Revealing Moment
Grace sat at her desk, staring sluggishly at the pouring rain through her bedroom window. She had her math book opened in front of her with her notebook turned to a fresh page next to it. Her pencil lay abandoned across the blank page. It was a dreary Saturday afternoon in March. And here Grace was, with nothing better to do than her math assignment. But the cold dampness of the day crept in through the walls and made her body feel heavy. It took too much effort to concentrate on the tiny black print or to raise her arm and pick up the pencil. So, Grace just sat there and stared out the window, her mind a useless drone of small, unimportant thoughts.
~It's raining hard. Maybe I should do my math. I could go downstairs and watch that movie with mom and Rick. It's really raining out there. Math, hmmm. Don't I have an English assignment, too? Rain, rain, go away. I should be working on my schoolwork…~
Grace was startled out of her thoughts by a soft knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," She called. The door opened to her mother.
"Are you busy, Grace?" Lily asked. Grace used all her might to shake herself out of the slump she had been sinking into. She concentrated on what her mother was saying and tried to find the words to answer her. Her brain seemed so empty and useless today.
"No, not really. Just math, and I still have tomorrow and study hall on Monday to do it. Besides, it's too awful outside for my brain to concentrate."
"Good, I told Eli you would go with him. I needed him to run some errands at the store, and well, there are some personal female items on the list. I don't want him to be embarrassed by that. You know how guys are about stuff like that. So, do you want to go with him?" Lily smiled, and Grace was assumed by it. ~Of course mom can't send Eli to buy tampons, how funny would that be? I have a hard enough time buying stuff like that, myself. Eli, hmm, I haven't spent time alone with him in a while. I've been so busy with the play and all.~
"Sure, I'll go. Why aren't you going, anyways?" Grace asked out of curiosity.
"Rick and I are watching this movie on Lifetime. It's really good, and it's based on real life. I came up here during the commercial break…" Lily's voice faded as she closed Grace's door and started down the hall.
~Must be some movie.~
Grace pulled on a pair of sneakers and checked her outfit in her mirror. Kind of plain, but she hadn't planned on going anywhere today. She decided to keep the jeans she had on, but to lose the oversized sweater. She pulled open her closet door and ruffled through the selection until she reached a black long-sleeved shirt that had black ribbons laced through the neckline and bottom of the shirt. ~Fit's my mood today…and it's kind of pretty. I've always liked how it looked on me.~
Grace slipped off her sweater and took off the tee shirt she was wearing underneath it. She went over to her dresser and searched through it until she found the pink bra she was looking for. The black shirt was tight on her and she liked how the pink bra made it look like she had more going on top than she actually did. She just had taken off her white bra and stood there, naked from her waist up when the door began to open.
~Oh my God.~
"Grace, are you ready to…" Eli stood there, his mouth hanging open.
~Oh my God! Why? Get out! Oh, God! GET OUT! GO! GET OUT!~
Grace threw her arms across her chest just as she found her voice, "Get out!"
Eli seemed to snap out of his immobilization, and Grace saw that Eli had his eyes on the ground as he pulled the door closed. Grace sank to the floor, her face flushed red and her eyes stinging with tears.
~Why did he have to open the door? Oh, god, he saw my boobs! Why? What did… Oh, man. I should have locked it before I changed. He should have knocked. Oh, god. I have to go shopping with him... I have to buy tampons with him! Oh, god, why me?~
After a minute, Grace collected herself and quickly dressed, her back turned towards the door. It took another minute before she could bring herself to look in the mirror. Her cheeks were still a slight pink, but that could be mistaken for blush. She ran a brush through her brown hair and glanced down at her chest. She couldn't believe that had just happened. He had seen…
Grace forced herself to stop thinking about it and picked up her coat. She couldn't avoid him forever and her mother would want a reason if Grace backed out of going with Eli. Grace couldn't very well tell her that Eli had seen her breasts, and now she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
Grace went to her window and looked out. Eli wasn't in his car, so he was probably waiting downstairs to see if she would ever come down. He'd probably send up Lily soon and tell her what had happened. Grace didn't want her mother trying to comfort her.
Grace grabbed her purse, opening the door with a silent curse and hurrying down the steps. "Bye, we're going now." Grace called into the living room, where Lily and Rick were engrossed in their movie.
"Bye, honey. Eli has the list! Be careful, it's very wet out." Lily called. Rick added his goodbyes. Grace went into the kitchen, where Eli was eating some leftovers from last night's dinner. He looked like he had expected it to be a long wait. Grace was proud that she had pulled herself together so quick and wasn't a crying mess in her room right now. Of, course the pride was covered by loads of embarrassment, but it was still there.
"Ready?" Grace asked as Eli took a few last bites of chicken. He shoved the plate back into the fridge. Grace noticed he was having a hard time looking her in the eyes. Not that she was giving him much of a chance by staring at the tiled floor as if it where just put in that day. She pulled her eyes up and caught Eli staring, but not at her eyes. Grace pulled her coat together and zipped it up. Eli quickly glanced away, but a slight pink rose in his cheeks and Grace could almost see a smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah, let's go." Eli led the way out to his car. The rain had turned into a soft drizzle and Grace enjoyed the wetness on her warm cheeks.
~Will I survive being alone with Eli, after what happened? Will I ever live it down? God, if he's picturing them right now… What if he… Why does my life have to be so troublesome? Why does stuff like this always have to happen to me? Why does Eli have to be… be so cute?~
An Revealing Moment
Grace sat at her desk, staring sluggishly at the pouring rain through her bedroom window. She had her math book opened in front of her with her notebook turned to a fresh page next to it. Her pencil lay abandoned across the blank page. It was a dreary Saturday afternoon in March. And here Grace was, with nothing better to do than her math assignment. But the cold dampness of the day crept in through the walls and made her body feel heavy. It took too much effort to concentrate on the tiny black print or to raise her arm and pick up the pencil. So, Grace just sat there and stared out the window, her mind a useless drone of small, unimportant thoughts.
~It's raining hard. Maybe I should do my math. I could go downstairs and watch that movie with mom and Rick. It's really raining out there. Math, hmmm. Don't I have an English assignment, too? Rain, rain, go away. I should be working on my schoolwork…~
Grace was startled out of her thoughts by a soft knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," She called. The door opened to her mother.
"Are you busy, Grace?" Lily asked. Grace used all her might to shake herself out of the slump she had been sinking into. She concentrated on what her mother was saying and tried to find the words to answer her. Her brain seemed so empty and useless today.
"No, not really. Just math, and I still have tomorrow and study hall on Monday to do it. Besides, it's too awful outside for my brain to concentrate."
"Good, I told Eli you would go with him. I needed him to run some errands at the store, and well, there are some personal female items on the list. I don't want him to be embarrassed by that. You know how guys are about stuff like that. So, do you want to go with him?" Lily smiled, and Grace was assumed by it. ~Of course mom can't send Eli to buy tampons, how funny would that be? I have a hard enough time buying stuff like that, myself. Eli, hmm, I haven't spent time alone with him in a while. I've been so busy with the play and all.~
"Sure, I'll go. Why aren't you going, anyways?" Grace asked out of curiosity.
"Rick and I are watching this movie on Lifetime. It's really good, and it's based on real life. I came up here during the commercial break…" Lily's voice faded as she closed Grace's door and started down the hall.
~Must be some movie.~
Grace pulled on a pair of sneakers and checked her outfit in her mirror. Kind of plain, but she hadn't planned on going anywhere today. She decided to keep the jeans she had on, but to lose the oversized sweater. She pulled open her closet door and ruffled through the selection until she reached a black long-sleeved shirt that had black ribbons laced through the neckline and bottom of the shirt. ~Fit's my mood today…and it's kind of pretty. I've always liked how it looked on me.~
Grace slipped off her sweater and took off the tee shirt she was wearing underneath it. She went over to her dresser and searched through it until she found the pink bra she was looking for. The black shirt was tight on her and she liked how the pink bra made it look like she had more going on top than she actually did. She just had taken off her white bra and stood there, naked from her waist up when the door began to open.
~Oh my God.~
"Grace, are you ready to…" Eli stood there, his mouth hanging open.
~Oh my God! Why? Get out! Oh, God! GET OUT! GO! GET OUT!~
Grace threw her arms across her chest just as she found her voice, "Get out!"
Eli seemed to snap out of his immobilization, and Grace saw that Eli had his eyes on the ground as he pulled the door closed. Grace sank to the floor, her face flushed red and her eyes stinging with tears.
~Why did he have to open the door? Oh, god, he saw my boobs! Why? What did… Oh, man. I should have locked it before I changed. He should have knocked. Oh, god. I have to go shopping with him... I have to buy tampons with him! Oh, god, why me?~
After a minute, Grace collected herself and quickly dressed, her back turned towards the door. It took another minute before she could bring herself to look in the mirror. Her cheeks were still a slight pink, but that could be mistaken for blush. She ran a brush through her brown hair and glanced down at her chest. She couldn't believe that had just happened. He had seen…
Grace forced herself to stop thinking about it and picked up her coat. She couldn't avoid him forever and her mother would want a reason if Grace backed out of going with Eli. Grace couldn't very well tell her that Eli had seen her breasts, and now she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
Grace went to her window and looked out. Eli wasn't in his car, so he was probably waiting downstairs to see if she would ever come down. He'd probably send up Lily soon and tell her what had happened. Grace didn't want her mother trying to comfort her.
Grace grabbed her purse, opening the door with a silent curse and hurrying down the steps. "Bye, we're going now." Grace called into the living room, where Lily and Rick were engrossed in their movie.
"Bye, honey. Eli has the list! Be careful, it's very wet out." Lily called. Rick added his goodbyes. Grace went into the kitchen, where Eli was eating some leftovers from last night's dinner. He looked like he had expected it to be a long wait. Grace was proud that she had pulled herself together so quick and wasn't a crying mess in her room right now. Of, course the pride was covered by loads of embarrassment, but it was still there.
"Ready?" Grace asked as Eli took a few last bites of chicken. He shoved the plate back into the fridge. Grace noticed he was having a hard time looking her in the eyes. Not that she was giving him much of a chance by staring at the tiled floor as if it where just put in that day. She pulled her eyes up and caught Eli staring, but not at her eyes. Grace pulled her coat together and zipped it up. Eli quickly glanced away, but a slight pink rose in his cheeks and Grace could almost see a smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah, let's go." Eli led the way out to his car. The rain had turned into a soft drizzle and Grace enjoyed the wetness on her warm cheeks.
~Will I survive being alone with Eli, after what happened? Will I ever live it down? God, if he's picturing them right now… What if he… Why does my life have to be so troublesome? Why does stuff like this always have to happen to me? Why does Eli have to be… be so cute?~
