Morning came quickly for Eli. Sleep was something that was usually non-existent, and he was no stranger to waking up exhausted. He rolled out of bed, still wearing his clothes from yesterday, and went down stairs. He sat at the table and stared blankly at his bowl of cereal. The thought of eating nauseated him. "Hey, kid that lives in my house, are you going to eat that or just look at it?" Bullfrog asked sarcastically.
"I'm not hungry…I'll eat at school. Do you think you could drive me now?"
"You'll be an hour early, Kiddo. What's the rush?" Bullfrog asked, taking the cereal bowl from him.
"I just have some stuff that I have to do for the play," Eli said, going to get his backpack.
"All I hear about these days is your play, and I don't even know what it's about," Bullfrog said with a chuckle.
When Eli got to school he waited patiently for Fiona, but before she could get there, he felt a tap on his shoulder, "How's the script coming along, Mr. Goldsworthy?" A familiar voice said.
Eli looked back to see Imogen standing there. She was dressed eccentrically as usual. "Oh hey, Imogen…It's going along really well, actually,"
"Care to share what it's about?" Imogen giggled, "Hey! That rhymed!"
"It's actually about my last relationship," Eli said quietly.
"With Clare Edwards? Did you include how she manipulated you? Or how you deserve better? I mean…" She said, cutting herself off.
"What do you mean?" Eli was a little offended at what she was saying.
"Well I mean, she really used you if you think about it. She just wanted support, which I guess you gave her, but she didn't really love you. I mean she dumped you when you needed her." She stated.
"You don't know anything about that! Clare was amazing! I didn't deserve her!" He said, immediately getting defensive.
"You need to get over her, Eli. She wants you to be upset, and the best way to make her miserable is to get over her."
"I can't! I'm still in love with her!" Eli yelled.
"You can't love someone who doesn't love you back, and she obviously doesn't. I mean think about it, Vegas Night she totally wanted to be with Fitz, she didn't want to go to the Gothic Fiction Festival with you, she hated your car, and she hated everything about you. I bet she never loved you at all."
"I…She…You really think so?" Eli said, opening up to the idea. It hurt him to think of that, but at the same time, it made sense. Clare was never perfect for him; he had to get over her. It gave him a new idea for the script, "Imogen, you're right. Look if you see Fiona tell her I'll give her the script at lunch, okay?" Eli said, going to the MI room. He was going to rewrite the script, from a better outlook. One where Clare was the one who destroyed the relationship.
Eli sat in front of the Drama Room when lunch rolled around, proofreading the script that he was going to hand into Fiona. He was proud of his work, and was sure that it was going to be a success. Love Roulette was a story of love, lust, and betrayal, or at least that was the pitch Eli was going to give Fiona. He looked at the papers in his hand, and walked into the drama room, to await Fiona's arrival. Minutes later she walked into the drama room, "Okay, give me the script!" She flipped the first page and started reading, "This is amazing, Eli. So who did you have in mind for casting so far?"
"Imogen delivered a great audition, I think she'd made a great lead…" Eli said, thinking aloud.
"Are you sure? I mean she seems kind of…over the top," Fiona argued.
"She is…but I think that's why she'll be perfect!"
"I don't know… I'll think about it, okay?" Fiona said, and then went back to reading the script.
Eli's mind was fully immersed in the play. Part of him was on edge about writing something so personal, autobiographical even, for everyone to see. On the other hand, he knew it would make Clare's blood boil, and she at least deserved that. Eli was still upset over everything that had happened, but in writing the play and talking to Imogen, he discovered something new. Clare was the manipulative one; she hurt him just as much as she claimed to be hurt by Eli. He gave her everything and she returned almost nothing. After writing the script, Clare was the evil one through his eyes. As far as her was concerned, this was the best way to get over her.
When lunch ended, he was more than ready to go to English and see Clare, something he usually dreaded. He saw her in her seat by the time he got to the classroom, "Hey, Clare," He said almost happily as her past Clare, "Do you still need an interview with me for the paper?"
"Uh, yeah I do, Eli," She said timidly. She was trying her best to avoid Eli, since her little outburst at Above The Dot.
"Can we do it now?" Eli asked. He felt like he was on top of the world. Everything was looking up for him. They play was going well; he was getting over Clare, all thanks to Imogen.
"Sure, Eli," she pulled out a tape recorder, "Okay, what's the play about?"
"Love Roulette, it the story of a boy and a girl, they fall madly in love, but then some Jesus freak comes around and the girl falls for him instead. The girl uses the boy for support and then ditches him when he needs it, the girl-"
Clare cut him off, "Eli, is this supposed to be about our relationship?"
"It's based to true events, but who knows?"
"That's not what happened, and you know it!" Clare said, growing more upset.
"I don't know Clare, that's how it feels from my perspective." Eli snapped.
"Whatever, Eli. Class is going to start," Clare said, slightly heartbroken. She didn't understand how Eli could suddenly feel that way about her. She loved him, and he knew that. Breaking up with him was one of the hardest things that she'd ever done. She really just wanted everything to be okay between the two of them, even though she knew that chances were that wasn't going to happen. Something changed about Eli, just in the past few days. His words hurt her more than she expected them to, and she wasn't sure how to feel about the play. When English ended she walked up to him and asked, "Do you really feel that way about us, Eli?"
Eli nodded, "I do."
"How? You know that I loved you! How could you even think that I loved Fitz? Or that I was using you?"
"Someone opened my eyes to the truth, Clare. I have to go, I'll talk to you later." Eli said coldly. He walked away, firmly believing what he said. He went to the drama room, ready to hear what Ms. Dawes and Fiona had to say about the script. He watched as Ms. Dawes walked in with Fiona. They both seemed happy, and a weight lifted a little off Eli's chest.
"I loved your script, Mr. Goldsworthy. So dark, but so uplifting at the same time," Ms. Dawes raved.
"I'm glad you liked it," Eli replied. Ms. Dawes nodded and walked away. Eli turned to Fiona and spoke, "How much convincing did it take to get her to that point?"
"Not much, actually," Fiona smiled, "It's a great script, Eli. Don't second guess yourself!" She rubbed his shoulder for a second, and then went to follow Ms. Dawes. Eli sighed a sigh of relief. He knew his script was good, but showing his work to other people was always a little nerve wracking. Within a few moments Fiona came back, "So, casting? I'll post the sigh up sheet for more auditions, okay?"
"Sounds good, Fiona," Eli said, "What about the people we've already seen?"
"No one has really stuck out yet, I mean Imogen's did…but not for the right reasons," She said, looking through papers.
"Really? Because I think she might just be perfect for our lead," Eli stated.
"Why thought? She was over the top, and it was just a little bit much."
"She understands the angle I'm going for with the character, I mean we can always have her tone down the acting."
"I don't understand why you like her so much, but I'll keep her in mind, okay?" Fiona raised her eyebrow, hoping for approval from Eli. He nodded and went back to thinking about Imogen. There was still something about her that he couldn't get off of his mind. She was so right about the situation with Clare. It was like she could read his mind. It was mystifying almost.
The rest of the school day went by in a blur. Eli got home, collapsed on his bed, and just sat there a while thinking. Everything was clearer now, but at the same time even more confusing. He was over Clare. Completely over her, or at least her was close to that point. He felt better knowing that. Adam was the same old Adam. Always there for him whenever it was needed. Then there was Imogen. She was so foreign to him. She was someone new, and she was right, Eli had never met anyone like her. Her bluntness, honesty, and strangeness was something that Eli found hard to find in people. But still, there was something unsettling about her. Something almost fake, but Eli couldn't tell what it was. He wanted to get to know her, but he also felt like it might be better to keep his distance. She seemed hard to figure out, but at the same time translucent. Eli was trying his hardest not to want to figure her out more, but he really did. Suddenly he heard a knock at the door. Cece walked in and sat down on the bed. "Hey Baby Boy, I haven't seen you much in the past few days, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything is still great. I've just been busy with the play. I gave Ms. Dawes and Fiona the final draft of the script today and they loved it. It's turning out great," Eli said, getting more and more excited.
"That's great. Bullfrog said that you were having a hard time, but I guess that's not the case anymore." Cece said, rubbing his leg maternally.
"I figured it out, I had to get some help, but it turned out great."
Cece raised an eyebrow, "What kind of help?"
"Her name is Imogen. She's different, I don't know how to explain it, she helped me figure out my feelings for Clare, and she gave me the ideas that I needed to finish the play,"
"Another girl, so soon after Clare? Are you sure that's what's best right now?"
"I'm over Clare," Eli said flatly.
"It's only been two week, honey. You can't be over her that fast."
"I am. She was using me, I don't need her anymore."
"What? She wasn't- Honey are you feeling alright?"
"I'm great, I've never felt better!"
"Okay…you know where to find me if you need me…" Cece said. She was concerned, but she didn't want to pick at it. She got up and left the room quickly. Eli sat there, focused on Imogen, but sleep came quickly.
The next morning Eli got up and got to school early to talk to Fiona. They blocked the first few scenes of the play, and talked about casting more. He was sitting on the stage when Imogen walk in and sat down next to him.
"Go on a date with me," She said, with the same cheery disposition as always.
"What?" Eli stuttered a little bit in surprise, "I just broke up with Clare, I can't. We're…. No, I can't. I'm sorry Imogen."
"You said you were over Clare, and you know you want to," Imogen said, putting her hand on his thigh.
"I am over her…but no over her enough to date again," Eli was still stuttering, he felt anxiety flooding over him, "And I don't like you that way."
"Come on, Eli, I'm perfect for you," Imogen said, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"No one is perfect for me, I'm messed up. No one wants to be with me," Eli said. He felt like he was speaking the absolute truth. He didn't deserve love. He was going to be alone forever, and that was just the way it was supposed to be. He was unlovable, to messed up for anyone to want, or at least, that was how it felt to him.
"Eli, Eli, Eli, I'm messed up too. You just need to give it a chance, I promise, we'll be great together," She took hold of his hands, "Everything that's wrong with you is just in your head."
"Exactly, I'm crazy!" Eli said, growing more frustrated with her each second.
"I am too!" She exclaimed, "I understand you, Eli. No one else does. I mean, think about it, Clare always doubted you, and she never really trusted you!"
"You don't know what you're talking about…"
"Yes, I do. I promise, now please, one date. That's all I'm asking for," She said, pouting a little bit.
Eli sighed. He didn't like being pressured into things, but part of him did want to date her, "Okay, fine. Just one date."
"Great. How about tomorrow? After school?"
"Sounds fine," Eli, said, "Now, I have to go," He murmured. Imogen nodded and kissed him on the cheek. He walked away and was truly confused as to what he had just gotten himself into. He didn't want to date anyone, he really didn't. Especially not Imogen, but at the same time he did. He figured that he would just go on the date, get it out of his system, and then be over it. He needed to be over it, to be over everything. He needed to immerse himself in the play and not think about anything. That's exactly what he thought he needed, and that was what he intended to do. But still, he was nervous about what was going to happen tomorrow, even if he didn't exactly know what that was.