(boring) Disclaimer: I own none of the characters (except Grace's friends. Oh, and the boys and gals I throw in- that's my secret shout out to my forum sistas). Don't sue, blah blah. *Please do not take any part or portion of my writing.* If you would like to ask me about it, contact me at taurusgirl1224@yahoo.com.
This takes place just after 'Tough Love' and does not follow the events of the show after that. I live off of reviews so any kind of feedback is much needed and gladly welcomed.
I Won't Walk Away
***************
Grace exhaled impatiently as she waited for her mother to come out to the car. Zoe was bouncing some rubber hand she had gotten from a coin machine in the back seat and Grace checked her watch again.
*We'll be late for school if we don't leave right now*, she thought. As much as she disliked her first hour, she disliked being in trouble a little bit more. Her foot tapped on the floor board and she glared at the front door, willing her mother to come out of it. If she only had her own car...
The garage door opened and her eyes were brought to who came from that door, instead. Eli exited, his guitar over his shoulder and she sighed angrily, looking away.
The final performance was last night; he hadn't come. It hurt her more than she could have imagined. Mr.Dimitri had distracted her for the night and when Eli finally did show his face at the cast party, she happily snubbed him, returning the sentiment that he had shown her.
But now, when the morning came, she found that she still felt the same as last night. She still hurt and she was still angry at him. He should not be let off so easily and she vowed to ignore him until her anger ceased. It was still going strong after a few hours.
Eli saw the two of them waiting in Lily's car and he paused before heading over. He said through the window, as Grace looked away from him, "Do you want me to go get Lily?"
He watched her pretend not to notice him and Eli's brow furrowed. Something was definitely wrong here. Zoe popped up between the front seats and he tore his eyes from Grace.
"Yeah, can you get her?" Zoe asked and he nodded once, glancing back at Grace who had still not cast one look his way.
Knowing they had to go on to school, he didn't press the matter but he made a mental note to ask her about it later. He knew he screwed up and she was probably upset with him for not showing at her play last night but he had weighed his options and the smart thing to do was not to be seen there. He felt extremely bad when he realized that she knew he hadn't been there and he wanted to apologize proper but she had been surrounded by her friends and cast mates all night. He would definitely say he was sorry tonight.
Lily came out of the house in a mad rush just then and she waved to Eli who headed for his own car, going to practice with his band. She jumped into the car and exhaled, pulling out her keys.
"Okay! Let's go."
Grace suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her mother and instead watched Eli walk away, soundlessly. It felt horrible to ignore him but he deserved it. She would not forgive him for what he made her feel last night.
*
*
*
*
*
"I've got homework," Grace replied when Lily asked if she wanted to watch some documentary on the History channel with she and Rick. They had finished the dishes after dinner and the three girls were separating to do their own things. Eli had not shown up for dinner but that was not unusual.
Lily nodded. "Okay."
Grace whirled out of the kitchen to the hall and towards the stairway. The front door opened and Eli entered. She thought briefly that it was unusual for him to come in the front of the house when his room, the garage, was in the back and he used that entrance more often. *It doesn't matter*, she added mentally. *Who cares what he does?*
She held the railing as she started up the stair and he saw her.
"Grace," he called lightly and she ignored him, continuing up. Again, his brow furrowed with confusion and he shrugged off his coat, tossing it on the couch in the living room.
She had disappeared by the time he reached the stairs but he went up, hurrying to her door and just before she could close it, his hand stopped it.
"Grace, wait."
"Would you let go of my door please?" she muttered in monotone as she pushed against his hand that held it open.
"Okay, you're mad at me," he stated aloud. "Will you let me say I'm sorry at least?"
"No."
"Grace!"
"What?" she snapped angrily. Tired of struggling with the door, she pulled it open quickly. He opened his mouth to speak but paused, noticing the sound of the TV downstairs, his father talking to Lily and the open hallway.
"Can I just..." he asked then slid inside her room without invitation to which she gaped at. He guided the door closed so that there was silence.
"What?" Grace said again.
"Okay, look, I got fired and I haven't told my parents yet. My mom thinks I work at nights and she was there last night so I couldn't go in or she would have seen me. I mean my mom is bad enough as it is and I'm going to tell her but I couldn't have her see me there..." Eli explained but as he neared the end, it sounded weak even to him. Her angry glare had not changed and he couldn't blame her much. "I'm sorry, Grace. Seriously. I shouldn't have said I would come and then not show up."
Grace's eyes fell to the floor, unable to stand under his penetratingly honest gaze. He meant it, she could tell. Unfortunately, that changed everything and she felt her anger at him seeping away.
"I really wanted to be there. I heard you were great," he said quietly and she snickered to herself. If she was it was only because he made her great. Because of him, she had finally let her emotions out. He was the only one who could draw those things from her.
She sighed at herself. Back where she started. Loving Eli.
"Well, I have some homework to do." she murmured with resign.
He had recognized when she had mentally forgiven him and his world turned back to normal. It felt off-kilter when she was mad at him and he had felt the imbalance all day. When he had parked in the driveway, he had decided to take the opportunity to go in the front door and avoid his dad and Lily probing him about why he would be looking for Grace. He went in the front, knowing he could probably slip upstairs, unnoticed, to her room. And he had and she had forgiven him.
It seemed like Grace was the only one in the world who always accepted him just as he was. His parents thought he was a disappointment, Carla had abandoned him and his employers even thought he wasn't good enough to keep around. Grace had been the only one who always took him back.
Eli smiled at that thought as she turned to her backpack on her bed.
"Hey, we came up with a new song this afternoon and I'm still ironing it out. Do you want to come hear it?" he nodded in the general vicinity of the garage.
Grace faced him with a small smile. He never invited anyone else in the house to hang out with him in his room and she was glad. It made her feel a little special. The book bag in her hand brought her thoughts back to the project she had to begin, though.
"Well, I actually have to start this thing..." she replied with regret.
"You can do it there." he insisted and she grinned, loving the fact that he was making excuses for her to come to his room.
"Okay."
*
*
*
Lily peered into the living room then turned to see Rick come into the kitchen.
"Hey. Do you know where Grace is?" she asked.
"Uh, no. I thought she was in there." he replied, much more interested in the refrigerator.
"I haven't seen her for awhile." Lily murmured.
"She's not in her room? What time is it?" he asked, pulling a sandwich out of the fridge.
"No, she's not there. It's nearly eleven."
Rick hummed with interest now. "And the girls haven't seen her?"
Lily shook her head with her hands on her hips.
"Have you asked Eli?" said Rick and a light bulb went on over her head. Lily walked out the backdoor towards the garage.
*
*
*
Grace jotted something down on the binder in her lap as she sat with her back against Eli's headboard on his bed. He collapsed next to her, his head falling to the pillow near her hips as he plucked a few notes on the guitar in his hands.
"So you think it sucks?"
"No, it's good." she disputed. "Who wrote the lyrics?"
"Hayden," he looked up at her and the tone in his voice was laced with regret. "The lyrics suck, don't they?"
Grace grinned with agreement but refused to criticize his music. He exhaled and plucked a few more notes out.
"Hey, who was that guy at the party last night? The old one." he looked up at her again.
"Who, Mr.Dimitri?" she said and he nodded. "I told you about him. He's the director."
Eli made a face. "I don't like him."
She snorted a little as she turned back to her book and paper.
He went on, "He's too creepy. You guys are done with the play right?"
"Yeah." she glanced towards him and he smiled at her a little silly and she shook her head at him. He was unusually happy.
He used his legs to turn on the bed until she had to move her binder when his head settled on her own legs.
"I am actually doing a report, you know," she joked. "Are you trying to make me fail English?"
Eli plucked a few notes to 'Janie's Got A Gun' but with the alternate lyrics, "Gracie's failing English."
She laughed and shoved his shoulder. He freed a hand from the guitar and pulled her arm forward, making her bend over and nearly fall on him. She screamed with surprise and he was suddenly tickling her sides which made her dissolve into fits of laughter.
A hard knock came to the door and they froze before separating quickly.
"Yeah?" Eli called.
"Eli, it's Lily. Have you seen Grace?"
...
This takes place just after 'Tough Love' and does not follow the events of the show after that. I live off of reviews so any kind of feedback is much needed and gladly welcomed.
I Won't Walk Away
***************
Grace exhaled impatiently as she waited for her mother to come out to the car. Zoe was bouncing some rubber hand she had gotten from a coin machine in the back seat and Grace checked her watch again.
*We'll be late for school if we don't leave right now*, she thought. As much as she disliked her first hour, she disliked being in trouble a little bit more. Her foot tapped on the floor board and she glared at the front door, willing her mother to come out of it. If she only had her own car...
The garage door opened and her eyes were brought to who came from that door, instead. Eli exited, his guitar over his shoulder and she sighed angrily, looking away.
The final performance was last night; he hadn't come. It hurt her more than she could have imagined. Mr.Dimitri had distracted her for the night and when Eli finally did show his face at the cast party, she happily snubbed him, returning the sentiment that he had shown her.
But now, when the morning came, she found that she still felt the same as last night. She still hurt and she was still angry at him. He should not be let off so easily and she vowed to ignore him until her anger ceased. It was still going strong after a few hours.
Eli saw the two of them waiting in Lily's car and he paused before heading over. He said through the window, as Grace looked away from him, "Do you want me to go get Lily?"
He watched her pretend not to notice him and Eli's brow furrowed. Something was definitely wrong here. Zoe popped up between the front seats and he tore his eyes from Grace.
"Yeah, can you get her?" Zoe asked and he nodded once, glancing back at Grace who had still not cast one look his way.
Knowing they had to go on to school, he didn't press the matter but he made a mental note to ask her about it later. He knew he screwed up and she was probably upset with him for not showing at her play last night but he had weighed his options and the smart thing to do was not to be seen there. He felt extremely bad when he realized that she knew he hadn't been there and he wanted to apologize proper but she had been surrounded by her friends and cast mates all night. He would definitely say he was sorry tonight.
Lily came out of the house in a mad rush just then and she waved to Eli who headed for his own car, going to practice with his band. She jumped into the car and exhaled, pulling out her keys.
"Okay! Let's go."
Grace suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her mother and instead watched Eli walk away, soundlessly. It felt horrible to ignore him but he deserved it. She would not forgive him for what he made her feel last night.
*
*
*
*
*
"I've got homework," Grace replied when Lily asked if she wanted to watch some documentary on the History channel with she and Rick. They had finished the dishes after dinner and the three girls were separating to do their own things. Eli had not shown up for dinner but that was not unusual.
Lily nodded. "Okay."
Grace whirled out of the kitchen to the hall and towards the stairway. The front door opened and Eli entered. She thought briefly that it was unusual for him to come in the front of the house when his room, the garage, was in the back and he used that entrance more often. *It doesn't matter*, she added mentally. *Who cares what he does?*
She held the railing as she started up the stair and he saw her.
"Grace," he called lightly and she ignored him, continuing up. Again, his brow furrowed with confusion and he shrugged off his coat, tossing it on the couch in the living room.
She had disappeared by the time he reached the stairs but he went up, hurrying to her door and just before she could close it, his hand stopped it.
"Grace, wait."
"Would you let go of my door please?" she muttered in monotone as she pushed against his hand that held it open.
"Okay, you're mad at me," he stated aloud. "Will you let me say I'm sorry at least?"
"No."
"Grace!"
"What?" she snapped angrily. Tired of struggling with the door, she pulled it open quickly. He opened his mouth to speak but paused, noticing the sound of the TV downstairs, his father talking to Lily and the open hallway.
"Can I just..." he asked then slid inside her room without invitation to which she gaped at. He guided the door closed so that there was silence.
"What?" Grace said again.
"Okay, look, I got fired and I haven't told my parents yet. My mom thinks I work at nights and she was there last night so I couldn't go in or she would have seen me. I mean my mom is bad enough as it is and I'm going to tell her but I couldn't have her see me there..." Eli explained but as he neared the end, it sounded weak even to him. Her angry glare had not changed and he couldn't blame her much. "I'm sorry, Grace. Seriously. I shouldn't have said I would come and then not show up."
Grace's eyes fell to the floor, unable to stand under his penetratingly honest gaze. He meant it, she could tell. Unfortunately, that changed everything and she felt her anger at him seeping away.
"I really wanted to be there. I heard you were great," he said quietly and she snickered to herself. If she was it was only because he made her great. Because of him, she had finally let her emotions out. He was the only one who could draw those things from her.
She sighed at herself. Back where she started. Loving Eli.
"Well, I have some homework to do." she murmured with resign.
He had recognized when she had mentally forgiven him and his world turned back to normal. It felt off-kilter when she was mad at him and he had felt the imbalance all day. When he had parked in the driveway, he had decided to take the opportunity to go in the front door and avoid his dad and Lily probing him about why he would be looking for Grace. He went in the front, knowing he could probably slip upstairs, unnoticed, to her room. And he had and she had forgiven him.
It seemed like Grace was the only one in the world who always accepted him just as he was. His parents thought he was a disappointment, Carla had abandoned him and his employers even thought he wasn't good enough to keep around. Grace had been the only one who always took him back.
Eli smiled at that thought as she turned to her backpack on her bed.
"Hey, we came up with a new song this afternoon and I'm still ironing it out. Do you want to come hear it?" he nodded in the general vicinity of the garage.
Grace faced him with a small smile. He never invited anyone else in the house to hang out with him in his room and she was glad. It made her feel a little special. The book bag in her hand brought her thoughts back to the project she had to begin, though.
"Well, I actually have to start this thing..." she replied with regret.
"You can do it there." he insisted and she grinned, loving the fact that he was making excuses for her to come to his room.
"Okay."
*
*
*
Lily peered into the living room then turned to see Rick come into the kitchen.
"Hey. Do you know where Grace is?" she asked.
"Uh, no. I thought she was in there." he replied, much more interested in the refrigerator.
"I haven't seen her for awhile." Lily murmured.
"She's not in her room? What time is it?" he asked, pulling a sandwich out of the fridge.
"No, she's not there. It's nearly eleven."
Rick hummed with interest now. "And the girls haven't seen her?"
Lily shook her head with her hands on her hips.
"Have you asked Eli?" said Rick and a light bulb went on over her head. Lily walked out the backdoor towards the garage.
*
*
*
Grace jotted something down on the binder in her lap as she sat with her back against Eli's headboard on his bed. He collapsed next to her, his head falling to the pillow near her hips as he plucked a few notes on the guitar in his hands.
"So you think it sucks?"
"No, it's good." she disputed. "Who wrote the lyrics?"
"Hayden," he looked up at her and the tone in his voice was laced with regret. "The lyrics suck, don't they?"
Grace grinned with agreement but refused to criticize his music. He exhaled and plucked a few more notes out.
"Hey, who was that guy at the party last night? The old one." he looked up at her again.
"Who, Mr.Dimitri?" she said and he nodded. "I told you about him. He's the director."
Eli made a face. "I don't like him."
She snorted a little as she turned back to her book and paper.
He went on, "He's too creepy. You guys are done with the play right?"
"Yeah." she glanced towards him and he smiled at her a little silly and she shook her head at him. He was unusually happy.
He used his legs to turn on the bed until she had to move her binder when his head settled on her own legs.
"I am actually doing a report, you know," she joked. "Are you trying to make me fail English?"
Eli plucked a few notes to 'Janie's Got A Gun' but with the alternate lyrics, "Gracie's failing English."
She laughed and shoved his shoulder. He freed a hand from the guitar and pulled her arm forward, making her bend over and nearly fall on him. She screamed with surprise and he was suddenly tickling her sides which made her dissolve into fits of laughter.
A hard knock came to the door and they froze before separating quickly.
"Yeah?" Eli called.
"Eli, it's Lily. Have you seen Grace?"
...
