PART 7
"It's cute," Grace answered her mother as she heald up a skirt for Holly.
She watched her mother struggle to find the perfect cloths for the babies before Karen and Henry came over. Lilly was out of control trying to make everything perfect. She had asked Grace to help with the twins, but she wouldn't let her touch anything. So, she just sat on the rocking chair and watched her mother.
After a minute of two she got bored and left the room. She ran down the stairs and tried to get as far away from her mother as possible. So when she walked into the kitchen she was expecting Rick to be cooking. Which was exactly what was happening. Jessie was right beside him, making sure nothing went wrong.
Grace shook her head and sat down at the table. "It's just a dinner. Why is everybody going crazy?"
Jessie turned to look at her. "Because, if anything goes wrong mom might not want me to move in with Heather and Katie. So, this has to be perfect." She looked Grace over. "You're not wearing that, are you?"
"Why?" Grace asked and looked down at her cloths. She had jeans on with a long sleeve purple shirt. "What's wrong with this?"
"Nothing," Jessie said and turned away.
Grace stood up. "I'm going to change."
Jessie won. Grace ran up to her room and grabbed a new outfit. A black skirt with a blue blouse. She gave her hair a quick brush. She looked at herself in her mirror and smiled. Then she walked out of her room and started down stairs. Eli was letting his mother and Henry in when he looked over and saw her coming down.
*~B&W~*
*~Eli stares up at the camera. "Whoa."~*
Karen looked over at Eli and smiled. She only guessed before but now she knew for a fact. Something was definatly going on between the two of them. Eli couldn't even take his eyes off her. Grace smiled at him when she reached the bottom and then she looked over at Karen and Henry.
"Hi," she smiled. "I'll go get Jessie for you." She gave Eli another quick look and then walked into the kitchen. "Jess, your your mom's here."
Jessie ran out of the kitchen. She turned back quickly. "Better choice of clothing."
Not to long after Katie and Heather showed up. Then they all sat down for dinner together. Katie sat next to Jessie and Heather on the other side of her. It started out with questions about Heather. Mostly where she grew up, her family, why does she want to wrip Jessie out of her own home. Last one wasn't the exact words, but it was conversation.
Lilly smiled over at Grace. "Grace," she decided to save Heather from everybody, "how's school going for you?"
Grace froze and shot Eli a quick glance. "It's going great. Yeah, my classes are great and I love all of my teachers."
"That's great," Rick smiled. "Are you passing every class?"
"Yeah, of course," Grace lied.
Eli jumped in. "There's nothing you're failing?" he said, wishing she would confess to the failed paper.
"So, E, how's school going for you?" she fought back.
He sat back. "A little defensive."
"What's going on?" Lilly asked.
"Nothing," Grace said, not taking her eyes off of Eli. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen?" She pushed the chair back in anger and walked into the kitchen. Eli got up and followed her. She was already pacing back and forth when he walked in. "What the hell was that?"
"Just thought that lying wasn't exactly the best idea," Eli stated.
"It was just one paper," Grace said. "You said I can pull it up, and that's what I'm going to do, without them knowing about it."
*~B&W~*
*~Grace stares at the camera. "He's can be such a jerk."~*
Zoe walked into the kitchen and looked at them. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"Okay," Zoe said slowly. "I'll be going back now." With that she left.
Grace crossed her arms. "How is it you can go from this really sweet guy into someone who is out to destroy my whole life?"
"I doubt my telling them you failed a paper is going to destroy your life," Eli said. "I doubt failing the paper destroyed your life. You're smart, I think that pulling up that grade won't be a problem." Grace let out a aggrivated sigh. "I know that, they know that. It's not the end of the world. I'm not exactly sure, but college must be tough. It's a big difference going from high school to college."
*~B&W~*
*~"He's right," Grace says. "It's a huge difference."~*
"You have no idea," Grace agreed. She leaned against the counter. "Just keep it a secret. I don't want anybody to know."
Eli smiled. "Sorry."
"Forgiven," Grace said and let a smile escape her lips.
*~B&W~*
*~Eli is looking down. "I know, stupid move. But, it's over now."~*
Grace was about to leave when she turned back. "How do you think of me?"
"What?" Eli asked.
"Well, friend or stepsister or something else?" Grace explained. "How do you think of me?"
"Tough question," Eli let out a nervous laugh. "Do you want me to answer now?" She crossed her arms and shrugged. "Okay, um, this is really hard. Why do you want to know?"
Grace smiled. "Just something I've been wondering."
*~B&W~*
*~Grace is smiling. "When I was coming down stairs and he saw me. His face just made me think about something. How does he feel about me?"~*
"Oh," Eli said.
She smiled, took a step closer to him, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Just, think about it."
When she went to turn away Eli grabbed her arm and pulled her back around. Seconds later he found himself kissing her. It was soft, as if he was expecting. Grace, of course, accepted his kiss. She felt his hand on her cheek and this made her move in closer and place her own hands on his waist.
Jessie walked into the kitchen and froze. "Oh my God."
Eli and Grace quickly pulled apart at the sound of her voice. They looked over at a shocked Jessie by the doorway. She looked almost pale and her eyes were wide. She was supposed to come in to see if everything was okay, and instead saw something she never wanted to see.
*~B&W~*
*~Grace is pacing back and forth. "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God."~*
"Hey, Jess," Grace managed to spit out.
Jessie backed up. "Please tell me whatever I just saw was my imagination. Because that was something I never wanted to see." She froze. "Oh God, Eli. She's your stepsister. You guys are practically related."
*~B&W~*
*~Eli sighs. "It had to be Jessie."~*
"Jess, calm down," Eli said.
"Calm down!" Jessie snapped. "I just walked in on my brother and stepsister making out and you want me to calm down. Not only that, why tonight? No, no, no, scratch that. Why at all? Oh God. This is not how I wanted tonight to turn out. Not at all." She froze. "Please tell me this was a once in a lifetime event."
Grace looked over at Eli. "Yeah."
*~B&W~*
*~Grace is smiling. "Actually, I hope not."~*
"Fine, then, I'm going to forget all about this," Jessie said. "Now, let all of us go back and eat." She looked at them and quickly left.
Later that night Grace was in her room laying on her bed. She couldn't get the thought of Eli actually kissing her out of her head. She really hoped that the kiss was't their last. She would really hate it to be. She finally looked over at the clock to realize that it was one in the morning. She sat up and sighed.
*~B&W~*
*~"I'm not even tired," she says.~*
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Again, her thoughts came rushing back to her. A smile spread across her lips when she would think about what happened. This made her get off her bed and look out the window. The garage light was still on. Her smile grew and she decided to go for a short walk.
"It's cute," Grace answered her mother as she heald up a skirt for Holly.
She watched her mother struggle to find the perfect cloths for the babies before Karen and Henry came over. Lilly was out of control trying to make everything perfect. She had asked Grace to help with the twins, but she wouldn't let her touch anything. So, she just sat on the rocking chair and watched her mother.
After a minute of two she got bored and left the room. She ran down the stairs and tried to get as far away from her mother as possible. So when she walked into the kitchen she was expecting Rick to be cooking. Which was exactly what was happening. Jessie was right beside him, making sure nothing went wrong.
Grace shook her head and sat down at the table. "It's just a dinner. Why is everybody going crazy?"
Jessie turned to look at her. "Because, if anything goes wrong mom might not want me to move in with Heather and Katie. So, this has to be perfect." She looked Grace over. "You're not wearing that, are you?"
"Why?" Grace asked and looked down at her cloths. She had jeans on with a long sleeve purple shirt. "What's wrong with this?"
"Nothing," Jessie said and turned away.
Grace stood up. "I'm going to change."
Jessie won. Grace ran up to her room and grabbed a new outfit. A black skirt with a blue blouse. She gave her hair a quick brush. She looked at herself in her mirror and smiled. Then she walked out of her room and started down stairs. Eli was letting his mother and Henry in when he looked over and saw her coming down.
*~B&W~*
*~Eli stares up at the camera. "Whoa."~*
Karen looked over at Eli and smiled. She only guessed before but now she knew for a fact. Something was definatly going on between the two of them. Eli couldn't even take his eyes off her. Grace smiled at him when she reached the bottom and then she looked over at Karen and Henry.
"Hi," she smiled. "I'll go get Jessie for you." She gave Eli another quick look and then walked into the kitchen. "Jess, your your mom's here."
Jessie ran out of the kitchen. She turned back quickly. "Better choice of clothing."
Not to long after Katie and Heather showed up. Then they all sat down for dinner together. Katie sat next to Jessie and Heather on the other side of her. It started out with questions about Heather. Mostly where she grew up, her family, why does she want to wrip Jessie out of her own home. Last one wasn't the exact words, but it was conversation.
Lilly smiled over at Grace. "Grace," she decided to save Heather from everybody, "how's school going for you?"
Grace froze and shot Eli a quick glance. "It's going great. Yeah, my classes are great and I love all of my teachers."
"That's great," Rick smiled. "Are you passing every class?"
"Yeah, of course," Grace lied.
Eli jumped in. "There's nothing you're failing?" he said, wishing she would confess to the failed paper.
"So, E, how's school going for you?" she fought back.
He sat back. "A little defensive."
"What's going on?" Lilly asked.
"Nothing," Grace said, not taking her eyes off of Eli. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen?" She pushed the chair back in anger and walked into the kitchen. Eli got up and followed her. She was already pacing back and forth when he walked in. "What the hell was that?"
"Just thought that lying wasn't exactly the best idea," Eli stated.
"It was just one paper," Grace said. "You said I can pull it up, and that's what I'm going to do, without them knowing about it."
*~B&W~*
*~Grace stares at the camera. "He's can be such a jerk."~*
Zoe walked into the kitchen and looked at them. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"Okay," Zoe said slowly. "I'll be going back now." With that she left.
Grace crossed her arms. "How is it you can go from this really sweet guy into someone who is out to destroy my whole life?"
"I doubt my telling them you failed a paper is going to destroy your life," Eli said. "I doubt failing the paper destroyed your life. You're smart, I think that pulling up that grade won't be a problem." Grace let out a aggrivated sigh. "I know that, they know that. It's not the end of the world. I'm not exactly sure, but college must be tough. It's a big difference going from high school to college."
*~B&W~*
*~"He's right," Grace says. "It's a huge difference."~*
"You have no idea," Grace agreed. She leaned against the counter. "Just keep it a secret. I don't want anybody to know."
Eli smiled. "Sorry."
"Forgiven," Grace said and let a smile escape her lips.
*~B&W~*
*~Eli is looking down. "I know, stupid move. But, it's over now."~*
Grace was about to leave when she turned back. "How do you think of me?"
"What?" Eli asked.
"Well, friend or stepsister or something else?" Grace explained. "How do you think of me?"
"Tough question," Eli let out a nervous laugh. "Do you want me to answer now?" She crossed her arms and shrugged. "Okay, um, this is really hard. Why do you want to know?"
Grace smiled. "Just something I've been wondering."
*~B&W~*
*~Grace is smiling. "When I was coming down stairs and he saw me. His face just made me think about something. How does he feel about me?"~*
"Oh," Eli said.
She smiled, took a step closer to him, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Just, think about it."
When she went to turn away Eli grabbed her arm and pulled her back around. Seconds later he found himself kissing her. It was soft, as if he was expecting. Grace, of course, accepted his kiss. She felt his hand on her cheek and this made her move in closer and place her own hands on his waist.
Jessie walked into the kitchen and froze. "Oh my God."
Eli and Grace quickly pulled apart at the sound of her voice. They looked over at a shocked Jessie by the doorway. She looked almost pale and her eyes were wide. She was supposed to come in to see if everything was okay, and instead saw something she never wanted to see.
*~B&W~*
*~Grace is pacing back and forth. "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God."~*
"Hey, Jess," Grace managed to spit out.
Jessie backed up. "Please tell me whatever I just saw was my imagination. Because that was something I never wanted to see." She froze. "Oh God, Eli. She's your stepsister. You guys are practically related."
*~B&W~*
*~Eli sighs. "It had to be Jessie."~*
"Jess, calm down," Eli said.
"Calm down!" Jessie snapped. "I just walked in on my brother and stepsister making out and you want me to calm down. Not only that, why tonight? No, no, no, scratch that. Why at all? Oh God. This is not how I wanted tonight to turn out. Not at all." She froze. "Please tell me this was a once in a lifetime event."
Grace looked over at Eli. "Yeah."
*~B&W~*
*~Grace is smiling. "Actually, I hope not."~*
"Fine, then, I'm going to forget all about this," Jessie said. "Now, let all of us go back and eat." She looked at them and quickly left.
Later that night Grace was in her room laying on her bed. She couldn't get the thought of Eli actually kissing her out of her head. She really hoped that the kiss was't their last. She would really hate it to be. She finally looked over at the clock to realize that it was one in the morning. She sat up and sighed.
*~B&W~*
*~"I'm not even tired," she says.~*
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Again, her thoughts came rushing back to her. A smile spread across her lips when she would think about what happened. This made her get off her bed and look out the window. The garage light was still on. Her smile grew and she decided to go for a short walk.