Authors Note
I'm trying to keep the authors notes to a minimum but just thought I should let you all know where the story is at. Basically if you have previously read the original version you will have noticed a few changes.
Firstly in chapter length, the original story had way too many chapters, which were rather short and often stopped in weird places so I am attempting to change the problem so that not only are chapters themselves longer, but so that they flow together better and end at a logical finishing point.
Also, I have completely removed the black and white scenes. I found them often out of place ad really inconsistent throughout the first 20 or so chapters of the original before I stopped using them so I've made the decision not to use them at all this time at all.
Also going off review from the original, several people mentioned at this stage of the story that they weren't sure if Eli and Carla were dating or just friends, hopefully it is a little bit clearer this time around.
As always feedback is greatly appreciated.
Here and Now
Chapter Four
On Saturday afternoon, two weeks after Grace first began tutoring Eli, Grace found herself standing in front of her bedroom mirror, yet again contemplating what she would wear. During the past two weeks Eli had come quite far, having finished his work on Romeo and Juliet and already moving on to other work that he needed to complete. It had been the result of hard work, with the two of them working together almost every afternoon after school. Today Eli was meant to be dropping by to have Grace check over an essay he had promised to finish off the night before, and of course, as was the case now every day, Grace was in a panic as to what to wear.
Grace finally decided on a pair of jeans, deciding they were the least fattening pair she owned, put on some makeup and headed downstairs. Pausing to pick up the ringing cordless phone she answered before walking over to the fridge, reaching in for a piece of last nights left over extra cheese pizza. "Hey Grace" Eli's familiar voice drifted down the line, leaving her anxious as to why he would actually be calling her.
"Oh hey Eli" She tried to sound casual as she grabbed a can of soda and walked over to the kitchen table.
"You know how we planned on going over my Essay, well the thing is I have band practice, so I was hoping we might be able to go over it tomorrow instead, if you don't have any plans" Eli explained, despite honestly being disappointed about not being able to see her.
He had gotten to know Grace quiet well over the past couple of weeks and was genuinely beginning to view her as a friend. In fact, he'd been able to open up more to Grace about his life than he had been able to with anyone in the past. She knew how he felt about school, college, his family, the band and his future. He was quite surprised in fact with just how mature she was for a 16 year old, but then again he was only seventeen himself and only a year ahead of her in high school.
With this in mind he decided to invite her along for the afternoon, afterall he genuinely liked spending time with her and still needed to find a way of thanking her for all the help she had given him.
"How about you come with me, watch us practice" Eli offered, hoping she would say yes.
"Actually" Grace hesitated, "I was thinking about spending some time with Carla. I've barely seen her at all these past two weeks and I think she's feeling a bit neglected" Grace laughed taking another bite from her pizza.
"Well why don't you bring her as well. I've known Carla for ages and she knows the rest of the guys, they wont mind and I'm sure she wouldn't" Eli tried to convince her, whilst questioning himself as to why he was trying so hard to convince her to go.
Grace, upon realizing he was serious, agreed to go with him and they made the arrangements before hanging up. Excitedly she dialed the number to Carla's house hoping she would be okay with the plans they had made.
"Hey mum, do you mind giving me a lift to Eli's house?" Grace asked Lily after she hung up the phone.
"So I guess I don't even have to bother asking who that was on the phone" Lily replied with a smile. "You and Eli have been spending a lot of time together lately," Lily tried to appear casual as she attempted to wheedle information out of her daughter. Unsuccessfully.
"Mum" Grace groaned glaring at her mother, "Eli and I are just friends okay, so don't start getting any ideas. Anyway it's just band practice. And Carla's going to be there so it's no biggie okay?" Grace said unconvincingly.
"Grace I just don't want to see you get hurt. I see the way you look at him. Eli is a lot older than you. He's already 17."
Grace cut Lily off, "mum I said don't worry, I'm not interested in Eli okay, and even if I were, I'm pretty sure something is going on with he and Carla so I wouldn't go there"
"So Grace, I never knew you and Eli were such good friends" Carla attempted to check out her reflection in the glass of the door.
"Oh we aren't. We just see each other around occasionally, you know." Grace said trying to brush off Carla's questioning gaze.
"I just think it's a bit weird that's all" Carla said knocking on the door, "Eli never invites anyone to here him play" Carla continued, looking at Grace to see how she'd react.
"Well, umm, I don't know then, he mentioned you'd heard him play heaps of times" replied Grace, hoping, as she knocked on the door again, that someone would answer and put an end to the conversation.
"But that's different" Carla began, and then cut herself off, her facial expression unreadable.
"How is it different, you guys don't seem all that close either?" she questioned her friend, but was relieved when the door finally opened.
"Hey Carla, come one in" A woman opened the door. "And you would be?" Karen asked with a gesture to Grace.
"Oh hey, I'm Grace" Grace blushed, so this is Eli's mother. "I'm Karen, the guys are down stairs, as you can hear, do you girls want a drink or something" Karen offered.
"No we're fine thanks" Grace answered as Carla pulled here down the stairs.
Grace followed Carla downstairs into Eli's basement where the band was rehearsing causing the guys playing to come to a stop as they sighted Carla.
"Hey Guys!" exclaimed Carla, hugging the guy closest to her "long time no see" the guys laughed.
There were three other guys plus Eli, and whilst Grace recognized at least one from school she didn't actually know any of them. Carla went around hugging all the guys while Grace hung back near the stairs, wondering if she had made the right decision in coming as she wasn' quite sure what to do.
"Grace!" Eli smiled putting down his guitar and walking over to her. Grace looked around the room. It basically looked like a basement, apart from a few posters on the walls and the huge drum kit. On one wall there was a couch and a small mini bar in the corner.
"Come and meet the guys. Grace this is Coop, Wink and Ted" Eli introduced her to the guys.
"Hey" the guys called not bothering to look up from where they were talking to Carla, who was obviously quite well acquainted with them judging from the scene earlier.
"Don't worry 'bout them" Eli laughed. "You want a drink or something? Just help yourself," Eli said pointing to the mini bar in the corner.
"Okay thanks Eli" Grace turned around but Eli was gone. Grace sighed, knowing already that it would be a long afternoon.
Walking over to the mini bar Grace opened it and grabbed a can of coke. Just as she was about to close the door Carla came up beside her,"Can you grab me a coke?".
"So what do you think?" Carla asked as she pulled Grace over to the couch.
"Of what?" Grace sat down.
"Of the guys of course?" Carla asked causing Grace to roll her eyes.
"Honestly, I'm not sure, they seem a bit rude" she admitted, Carla obviously didn't agree.
Their conversation was cut short when the guys launched into another song. It was THE song.
Carla nudged Grace who leaned in closer to her. "Isn't that the song you helped Eli with?" she asked.
"Yeah it is" she answered as the band came to a stop and Eli apologized for that having been all he had come up with.
"It's up to you" Grace spoke up a bit nervously, "but how about 'this light, this rain, this life, this pain'" Grace suggested.
"I don't know," said Coop slowly finally having acknowledged her presence in the room.
"Lets try it!" suggested Eli confidently, "trust me it'll work, Grace has already helped me out when I've been stuck before" Eli explained.
"Oh so that's why she's here" laughed Ted nudging Eli.
"What do you mean?" said Eli defensively.
"Well, you haven't brought a girl here since Carla, so it kind of made me wonder why you'd bring someone so young. But now I get it".
Eli just stood there with this weird look on his face as Ted continued, "You just needed her to help you out with your song. After all you've never been all that good with English anyway," he laughed.
Grace, who'd heard the whole conversation, didn't stick around to hear Eli's answer. Instead she jumped up from where she was sitting and ran up the stairs and out the front door. She couldn't believe she had been stupid enough to believe that her and Eli were actually friends.
Eli, who'd seen Grace run out, ran after her. "Eli, where are you going?" asked Karen walking into the kitchen as Eli ran out.
"I'll be back soon" he called back, already outside the house.
Grace slowed to a walk. Hearing footsteps behind her she turned around. "Shit" she muttered under her breath "Just the person I wanted to see" Grace picked up her speed.
"Grace, wait!" Eli called out. "Please Grace. Just listen to me. . . " Eli trailed off as he came to a stop.
"Why should I listen to you?" Grace said angrily turning around.
"Because I'm your friend" Eli tried to think of some reason why Grace should stick around. Truth is he couldn't really think of anything.
"No Eli" Grace shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "I'm just the girl who tutors you, the one no one knows about"
Eli cut Grace off, "Your right, and I'm sorry and I guess I haven't been exactly fair on you"
Grace laughed a wry smile on her face. "You're not sorry; you see it worked out perfectly for you. I spend every day helping you out with school and at the end of it you pass English and that's it. What do I get out of it? Nothing" Grace was almost yelling now. "I'm just the girl who 'helps Eli with his songs'" Eli reached out to Grace.
"Grace, I'm really sor-"
"Don't say your sorry Eli, just go back to your friends okay, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon" and with that Grace walked away leaving both of them in a state of disbelief, wondering how things could have gone so wrong.
Eli stood still, in the same spot where Grace left him, and watched her walk away.
