Eli is sitting on his bed, wearing boxer shorts and smoking a cigarette. A bit of ash falls onto his stomach and he plucks it away with his other hand. His eyes wander around his room. Pictures of ex girlfriends are plastered on his wall with little messages written by them. He keeps meaning to take them down, but every once in a while he finds himself drawn to them and it makes him horny. Many a night he has pleasured himself while looking at those photos. He figures he could get a girlfriend but why bother when he can get the benefits just by looking at some old photos. But for some reason tonight he's just not in the mood and that's why he lets his eyes continue to wander. They quickly pass over the door but go back when he hears a knock at the door.
Grace slowly opens the door and shuts it behind her. She is wearing baby blue tracksuit pants and a white sweatshirt covered with pink butterflies. Her hair has been tied into two plaits. Eli notices them and smirks. Grace blushes.
"I let Zoe play with my hair. Don't laugh."
Eli feigns ignorance and shrugs his shoulders.
"What are you talking about? I can't see anything funny."
Grace grabs a tshirt from the floor and throws it at Eli. Eli ducks and laughs.
"Oh, I'm so scared of being hit by a tshirt..."
Grace growls and picks up a shoe. Eli surrendours and raises his hands.
"Alright, alright. I'll stop laughing...Pippi Long-stockings."
Grace throws the shoe and misses Eli by an inch. Eli jumps off the bed and grabs Grace in a big bear hug. Grace stands there in shock and doesn't know what to do.
B/W Grace: Eli is hugging me? What the hell?!
Eli suddenly stops hugging Grace and steps back.
"Er, sorry...I'll stop now."
Grace looks down at her feet and bites her lip. Eli raises his arm and attempts to pat her shoulder.
Stepping back closer to the door, Grace stutters.
"I might go to bed..."
"Hey, Grace....wait."
Eli tips his head to his bed and beckons her to sit down. Looking at Eli and then the bed, Grace slowly walks to the bed and sits down. She looks around the room and notices the photos of Elis ex girlfriends. Eli notices and groans internally.
"I've bee meanin' to take those down..." he murmurs.
"Why?"
Eli looks at the photos and looks at Grace.
"I dunno. Just time to move on, I guess."
"Oh, there's someone else?"
"No, no...no way. Too much goin' on with school and the band. I need to focus."
B/W Grace: I knew he would never be interested. I am such an idiot.
"Oh right. I should leave you alone then. Give you space to work..."
Eli rushes over to the bed and moves his guitar onto the floor. he puts on the tshirt that Grace had thrown at him and he then sits down next to her.
"I can space a few minutes, Grace."
Grace smiles and pokes his arm.
"No major breakthrough on a new song?"
Eli laughs.
"I need some inspiration...Hey, maybe I should write a song about Pippi and her plaits. How she uses her hair to seduce men."
Grace laughs and pokes him again.
"Smart ass."
Eli pokes her back and flashes her a smile. They share a look for a moment and Grace starts to breathe heavily.
"Grace..."
"Yeah?"
Eli coughs and looks away.
"I...uh...."
"You what?"
Eli leans in closely to Grace and pushes a strand of her hair behind her ear. WIthout thinking, Grace leans in and kisses Eli on the mouth. Stunned, Eli searches her face for a moment and then kisses her back.
B/W Grace: I've always dreamt of something like this happening. But I never thought that a guy like him would ever look at me. I mean, come on, look at me!
Eli moves his arm behind Grace and lets it go underneath her top. He strokes her back and Grace shudders. Eli jolts back and looks at her.
"Sorry...."
"What?"
"I shouldn't have.."
"What?"
Eli removes his hand from her back and gets up off the bed.
"We shouldn't be doin' this."
"Oh..." Grace replies and looks down at her thighs.
"Right...we shouldn't," she mumbles.
Eli opens his door and looks away.
"I guess I should go...early morning and all that..." she stutters and gets off the bed.
"Grace. I'm sorry...I just don't think of..."
"You just don't think of me in that way, right. Why would you?" Grace whispers.
"No...Um, yeah..." Elii mumbles as he runs a hand through his hair.
Grace starts to leave the room and Eli grabs her arm.
"I do, Grace. I do think of you like that. It's just..."
Grace looks over at the photos of his ex girlfriends. Eli follows her gaze and groans internally.
"It's just that you can have any girl and why would you want a girl who looks like Pippi Long-stockings, right?"
Grace slams the door on her way out and Eli stands there, staring at the back of the door.
Chapter two
The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafts down the hallway as toast pops out of the toaster. The newspaper covers the kitchen table and a fresh jug of orange juice sits at the centre of the table. Marmalade, jam and peanut butter sit by a stack of plates and the cuttlery has been set at each seat. Big coffee mugs have been stacked on the counter and the jug of milk is close to the edge.