The two scrambled off the bed as Grace gathered her book, binder and papers.
"Yeah, she's doing her homework in here." he called back.
"Can I come in?" Lily asked and Eli looked to Grace who had composed all of her papers. She went to the door and opened it, finding her mother there.
"I was just going to sleep." she replied, coolly and walked past her. Lily nodded and glanced into the room before her, finding Eli standing without purpose, guitar over his shoulder.
He smiled a little awkwardly then settled back to sit on the bed, pretending to practice chords as Lily shut the door.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Grace grumbled as she watched one of her classmates giggle at a card she had received, at school. The bell dismissed them for the day and she hurried out.
Valentine's Day. Quite possibly the worst holiday of all time. Sure, it was probably great if you had someone who actually *liked* you. How many years was this now, alone on Valentine's? Saying seventeen consecutive years alone seemed to fuel her depression, which was what she wanted. So what if the years 1-15 probably shouldn't count seeing that she was a baby. Why couldn't she be dating someone around February 14th?
So all day she had watched girls with their little Love O Grams that the school sold and even a few with a flower or two. It all just depressed her.
She gathered her things and headed for the bus. She was ready to go home, eat some dark chocolate and maybe watch Sliding Doors again.
A horn wailed out and she didn't notice at first until it honked over and over again. Her brow furrowed as she, and a few others, glanced around for the car that was honking. She saw it then.
Eli stopped honking when she finally found him pulled over next to the school sidewalk. It had been a few months since their fight and make up and life had returned pretty much to normal. As in, they spoke just a little and Eli went on with his life in the garage as she went back to her first priority, school. Everything returned to how it was- she admiring him from afar and he, oblivious to the attention.
She walked over briskly to Eli's car and leaned down through the passenger side window.
"What are you doing?"
"Besides publicly embarrassing you?" he remarked and she glanced around at the looks they had gotten. But they weren't looking because he had been honking the horn, she realized. There were girls who knew her who were wondering who the guy picking her up in his car on Valentine's Day was.
"Yeah, besides that." she said, facing him again.
"Picking you up. I've got nothing to do today. What, would you rather ride the bus?"
"No!" she quickly said and jumped in the car.
*
*
*
Eli had informed her on their drive that he was hungry so he swung through a drive in and bought some food as she got a chocolate shake. Might as well start with the chocolate as soon as possible.
He noticed some balloons with red and pink decorations on the side of the road next to some store's sign and he looked at it hard.
"Is it Valentine's Day?" he asked as she struggled to suck the thick shake through the straw.
Giving up the battle, she took the lid off. "Yeah. What are you, blind?"
"I just don't pay attention." he shrugged.
"Figures," she murmured before using the straw to scoop some shake up.
"What does that mean?" Eli smirked.
"It means guys never notice."
"No, it's just that guys hate holidays like Valentine's." he disputed.
"Girls do too!"
"No, girls hate it when they don't get something. Guys hate it because they are *expected* to get things for girls. And it can't be just anything, it has to be the *right* thing."
"It doesn't have to be the 'right' thing," Grace snorted mildly. "I'd settle for a flower and a card."
He noticed she fell silent after that and he could tell she had had about as great of a day as he had. His boredom and self-loathing wasn't caused by Valentine's, though; he was simply growing tired of his life. He wanted to do something but he didn't know what or how. As he sat around his room, trying to find something to motivate him, his thoughts had strayed to Grace who always told him his music was good; who always said his band would make it. Maybe she would help him. So he jumped in his car and went to pick her up from school.
But now he could see that she was saddened by the worthless holiday and it made him sigh. Why women let themselves be defined by a man in their lives still amazed him. Grace was still young, though. Hopefully she would grow out of it.
He drove them home and she had sluggishly gotten something from the cupboard which looked suspiciously like a bag of sweets, then retreated to her room. Eli shook his head and left a note on the fridge that he would be back later in the evening.
*
*
*
Grace finished her journal entry about the terrible day she had predicted Valentine's would be as she laid on her bed. She shut it and slid the book into a drawer, sighing. A gentle knock came at her door and she weighed her options. Zoe never knocked like that so it was either Jessie, Rick or her mother. *Things couldn't get much worse*, she thought.
"Come in."
She glanced over her back and saw Eli's head peek in. Grace sat up and he came in, closing the door behind himself as she watched in confusion.
"Close your eyes."
"Why?" she suspiciously asked, too depressed to play games.
"Come on," he demanded and she exhaled, shutting her eyes. She felt the bed dip as he took a seat next to her then said, "Okay."
Grace opened her lids and her face fell in shock. He had one red rose and a red envelope extended out to her and he watched her expression eagerly. She slowly took the flower, examining it as though it were the most beautiful bud in the world.
"And a card." he smiled, handing that to her as well. She was too in shock to look him in the eye for long. Her hand opened the envelope and the card came out. She silently read it.
'This Valentine's Day you may be alone and you may feel like there is no one for you. But you should know that nobody likes you...' and opening the card to reveal, '...as much as me.' Then written, 'Love, Eli'.
Grace wasn't sure if she was breathing or not. She certainly wasn't moving much. She did manage to close the card after a moment and look at him finally. He was smiling so casually at her that she realized he was just being nice, probably, and he was trying to cheer her up. He had no idea how well it worked.
"Thank you." she got out, although quietly.
"Flower and a card, right? See, guys notice." Eli grinned and she allowed herself a smile through the fog of shock.
"Thank you."
"Happy Valentine's," he said in passing as she gazed at her flower. He leaned forward to give her a peck on the cheek but suddenly she faced him and he found his lips had sought out hers.
It was nearly accidental, but not *quite*.
The split moment it happened, he knew he couldn't pretend it was an accident. He'd have to play it out. So he softly kissed her lips and the world slowed down.
Eli felt a bit of his stomach seem to bottom out when they paused in the kiss. Suddenly he could see and feel everything. She smelled sweet, like vanilla and her lips were soft from some balm. He had the urge to touch her cheek, knowing it would be just as soft.
She hadn't moved until her mouth gently rose to his the slightest bit and it felt like the most innocent welcoming. There was no thought to it, Eli could only feel her warm lips against his as his mouth slowly kissed her twice, three times.
He pulled back and his mind came rushing forward in that instant. Their eyes opened at the same moment and held the others' unsure gaze. Eli's mouth started to move without sound until he gave up and stood, turning to walk away. Grace mutely watched him leave her room then exhaled when the door shut behind him.
"Yeah, she's doing her homework in here." he called back.
"Can I come in?" Lily asked and Eli looked to Grace who had composed all of her papers. She went to the door and opened it, finding her mother there.
"I was just going to sleep." she replied, coolly and walked past her. Lily nodded and glanced into the room before her, finding Eli standing without purpose, guitar over his shoulder.
He smiled a little awkwardly then settled back to sit on the bed, pretending to practice chords as Lily shut the door.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Grace grumbled as she watched one of her classmates giggle at a card she had received, at school. The bell dismissed them for the day and she hurried out.
Valentine's Day. Quite possibly the worst holiday of all time. Sure, it was probably great if you had someone who actually *liked* you. How many years was this now, alone on Valentine's? Saying seventeen consecutive years alone seemed to fuel her depression, which was what she wanted. So what if the years 1-15 probably shouldn't count seeing that she was a baby. Why couldn't she be dating someone around February 14th?
So all day she had watched girls with their little Love O Grams that the school sold and even a few with a flower or two. It all just depressed her.
She gathered her things and headed for the bus. She was ready to go home, eat some dark chocolate and maybe watch Sliding Doors again.
A horn wailed out and she didn't notice at first until it honked over and over again. Her brow furrowed as she, and a few others, glanced around for the car that was honking. She saw it then.
Eli stopped honking when she finally found him pulled over next to the school sidewalk. It had been a few months since their fight and make up and life had returned pretty much to normal. As in, they spoke just a little and Eli went on with his life in the garage as she went back to her first priority, school. Everything returned to how it was- she admiring him from afar and he, oblivious to the attention.
She walked over briskly to Eli's car and leaned down through the passenger side window.
"What are you doing?"
"Besides publicly embarrassing you?" he remarked and she glanced around at the looks they had gotten. But they weren't looking because he had been honking the horn, she realized. There were girls who knew her who were wondering who the guy picking her up in his car on Valentine's Day was.
"Yeah, besides that." she said, facing him again.
"Picking you up. I've got nothing to do today. What, would you rather ride the bus?"
"No!" she quickly said and jumped in the car.
*
*
*
Eli had informed her on their drive that he was hungry so he swung through a drive in and bought some food as she got a chocolate shake. Might as well start with the chocolate as soon as possible.
He noticed some balloons with red and pink decorations on the side of the road next to some store's sign and he looked at it hard.
"Is it Valentine's Day?" he asked as she struggled to suck the thick shake through the straw.
Giving up the battle, she took the lid off. "Yeah. What are you, blind?"
"I just don't pay attention." he shrugged.
"Figures," she murmured before using the straw to scoop some shake up.
"What does that mean?" Eli smirked.
"It means guys never notice."
"No, it's just that guys hate holidays like Valentine's." he disputed.
"Girls do too!"
"No, girls hate it when they don't get something. Guys hate it because they are *expected* to get things for girls. And it can't be just anything, it has to be the *right* thing."
"It doesn't have to be the 'right' thing," Grace snorted mildly. "I'd settle for a flower and a card."
He noticed she fell silent after that and he could tell she had had about as great of a day as he had. His boredom and self-loathing wasn't caused by Valentine's, though; he was simply growing tired of his life. He wanted to do something but he didn't know what or how. As he sat around his room, trying to find something to motivate him, his thoughts had strayed to Grace who always told him his music was good; who always said his band would make it. Maybe she would help him. So he jumped in his car and went to pick her up from school.
But now he could see that she was saddened by the worthless holiday and it made him sigh. Why women let themselves be defined by a man in their lives still amazed him. Grace was still young, though. Hopefully she would grow out of it.
He drove them home and she had sluggishly gotten something from the cupboard which looked suspiciously like a bag of sweets, then retreated to her room. Eli shook his head and left a note on the fridge that he would be back later in the evening.
*
*
*
Grace finished her journal entry about the terrible day she had predicted Valentine's would be as she laid on her bed. She shut it and slid the book into a drawer, sighing. A gentle knock came at her door and she weighed her options. Zoe never knocked like that so it was either Jessie, Rick or her mother. *Things couldn't get much worse*, she thought.
"Come in."
She glanced over her back and saw Eli's head peek in. Grace sat up and he came in, closing the door behind himself as she watched in confusion.
"Close your eyes."
"Why?" she suspiciously asked, too depressed to play games.
"Come on," he demanded and she exhaled, shutting her eyes. She felt the bed dip as he took a seat next to her then said, "Okay."
Grace opened her lids and her face fell in shock. He had one red rose and a red envelope extended out to her and he watched her expression eagerly. She slowly took the flower, examining it as though it were the most beautiful bud in the world.
"And a card." he smiled, handing that to her as well. She was too in shock to look him in the eye for long. Her hand opened the envelope and the card came out. She silently read it.
'This Valentine's Day you may be alone and you may feel like there is no one for you. But you should know that nobody likes you...' and opening the card to reveal, '...as much as me.' Then written, 'Love, Eli'.
Grace wasn't sure if she was breathing or not. She certainly wasn't moving much. She did manage to close the card after a moment and look at him finally. He was smiling so casually at her that she realized he was just being nice, probably, and he was trying to cheer her up. He had no idea how well it worked.
"Thank you." she got out, although quietly.
"Flower and a card, right? See, guys notice." Eli grinned and she allowed herself a smile through the fog of shock.
"Thank you."
"Happy Valentine's," he said in passing as she gazed at her flower. He leaned forward to give her a peck on the cheek but suddenly she faced him and he found his lips had sought out hers.
It was nearly accidental, but not *quite*.
The split moment it happened, he knew he couldn't pretend it was an accident. He'd have to play it out. So he softly kissed her lips and the world slowed down.
Eli felt a bit of his stomach seem to bottom out when they paused in the kiss. Suddenly he could see and feel everything. She smelled sweet, like vanilla and her lips were soft from some balm. He had the urge to touch her cheek, knowing it would be just as soft.
She hadn't moved until her mouth gently rose to his the slightest bit and it felt like the most innocent welcoming. There was no thought to it, Eli could only feel her warm lips against his as his mouth slowly kissed her twice, three times.
He pulled back and his mind came rushing forward in that instant. Their eyes opened at the same moment and held the others' unsure gaze. Eli's mouth started to move without sound until he gave up and stood, turning to walk away. Grace mutely watched him leave her room then exhaled when the door shut behind him.
