Authors Note: I'm trying to get the story moving a bit more quickly as you may have noticed, despite my infrequent updates. Things have been building up between Jessie and Tad for awhile now and Eli and Grace are finally becoming closer once again, however just how will Carla's return effect their friendship. I'm also interested on hearing who your favourite character is and why so let me know.

Chapter 11 – All that you leave behind

Grace shoved her locker closed with a groan, she'd never been a very neat person and her locker was no exception, even then just as she'd opened it she had to stand back quickly to make way for her math's book which promptly fell out.

"Ah Grace" her friend Leah nudged her nervously.

"Yeah?" she turned around with a smile, "what up?" she shouldn't have bothered asking, shaking her head she glared as a familiar and yet not so familiar figure walked up to her.

"Can we talk?" Carla stood there nervously, her eyes on her feet which she kept shifting nervously.

"I thought I told you that I want nothing to do with you" Grace said staring at her icily.

"I'm so, so sorry Grace. You have no idea how much"

"Of course you sorry Carla" Grace said angrily, "you've lost everything and you know what you deserve it. I'm so glad that I finally saw you for the person you are, because you know what Carla, I realized you are nothing, you mean nothing to me. So stay the hell away from me" Grace turned and strode off down the hallway. Leaving a shocked Carla staring after her, tears in her eyes.

Finally Carla heard the slam of the door swinging shut as the last of the girls walked out of the toilets. If someone had seen her as she emerged it would have been obvious to anyone that she had been crying. Walking over to a sink she washed her face with cold water hoping that it would reduce the puffiness of her eyes. It wasn't until then when she looked up at the mirror that she saw the message the girls had left behind.

"CARLA IS A BOYFREIND STEALING SLUT" the angry words were scrawled across the mirror in a deep red lipstick.

Carla stared at the ugly message, her eyes which had once again filled with tears threatening to spill over.

"It's your own fault"; she said softly, "you deserve it. Grace was right; I deserve everything they are saying"

"So as those of you who attended Wednesday's Drama Club meeting would know, this year's production due to popular demand, will be Grease. Now this is the first time that our school has held a musical, so I don't really have much of an ability of what standard everyone's voices are however, the first round of auditions will be held next Thursday, so hopefully I will soon find out".

Grace sat her desk silently, watching everyone as they left the room, chattering excitedly about the play.

"Is something wrong Grace?" Mr. Dimitri came and stood in front f her desk.

Grace stood up quietly, "Actually everything's fine" she said picking up her book.

"Will you be auditioning?"

"I don't think so" Grace shook her head, "singing isn't really for me but, if you need any help backstage or whatever just let me know" she offered as she walked from the room leaving Mr. Dimitri still standing by the desk where she had sat, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Look man, I know she's caused a lot of problems for you but maybe you should just hear her out" Coop suggested, after Eli told him of his and Carla's encounter earlier that morning.

"You're the last person I would have expected to hear defending her"

"I'm not defending her, it's just that, people are saying some pretty serious stuff about her Eli, the sort of stuff that's hard to ignore"

"You know what" Eli stood up from the table suddenly, "it may be hard for you to ignore it, but it isn't hard for me"

Eli stormed out of the cafeteria leaving Coop sitting their, a deep frown on his face.

"Damn it!" Eli cried in frustration as he rounded a corner and bumped into someone, almost knocking them to the ground.

"Eli?" Grace looked at him tentatively, the anger practically radiating off him, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" Eli brushed her off, "everything's just great" he muttered and continued storming down the hallway, leaving Grace standing there, a hurt look on her face.

Eli who was aware of the fact that he'd probably hurt her did not allow himself to turn around, choosing instead to push open the door which lead outside to the oval.

Breathing in the fresh air he leant up against the wall, trying to convince himself to go back inside, to go and apologise for Grace. And yet something held him back, the same something that made him reach into his pocket and pull out the packet of cigarettes that Coop had asked him to hold onto at the start of lunch. And it was that same voice that made him light up and take a deep drag.

"Sorry I didn't realise anyone was hear" Eli looked up at the sound of Carla's voice.

"Shit" he exclaimed taking the cigarette from his mouth.

"Eli?" Carla was shocked to see the cigarette in his hand, knowing that Eli hadn't smoked since way back when they first broke up.

"I thought I made it pretty clear" Eli said pushing himself away from the wall, "Stay the fuck away from me Carla" Eli said harshly, taking on last drag he flicked the cigarette towards her and left her behind yet again.