"So what do you say? Will you go out with me? "Tad invited her again.
"Grace?!! Grace?!! Are you still there? Grace?!!!
"Pick me up at seven?" Grace hesitantly accept his invitation.
"YES!!!!!" Tad screamed with excitement on the other line and Grace laugh at his reaction. "See you Saturday. And don't worry, Grace. I guarantee you won't regret it."
"See you Saturday." Grace said hanging up the phone. " Yes. I hope I won't regret it."
Grace went downstairs to get something to drink. Jessie was in the kitchen. She gave grace an "urging" look and Grace got out. "I said yes."
"Oh my God!!!" Jessie exclaimed.
"Grace!!" said Lily entering in the kitchen. "I was looking for you."
"I was right here… I mean up there… um… Why?" Grace said still a little out of her sanity.
"Can you stay at home with Zoe tomorrow night?"
"Actually… I can't." grace responded her mother.
"Why not?" Lily frowned.
"Um… she's got a date." Jessie brightly informed her step-mother who got surprised with the news.
"Oh, really?" Lily asked and both, Grace and Jessie shook their heads in agreement. "Do we know who he is?" Lily started the interrogation.
"You do." Grace said rolling her eyes over Jessie. "It's … Tad."
"Tad? You mean, Jessie's Tad?" Lily questioned in confusion.
"No. Not my Tad. I mean, it's the same Tad but he's not mine, he's Grace's." Jessie clumsily tried to explain.
"No, he's not my Tad… We're just hanging out. That's all." Grace embarrassingly added.
Lily looked at the two girls, she was still confused cause she didn't know Tad was not Jessie's boyfriend. Lily kept looking at them, specially at Jessie, trying to understand the whole situation.
"It's ok. I don't care. me and Tad, we're not meant to be." Jessie tried to make the things easier to Lily understand and apparently it worked.
"What am I gonna do now?" Lily brought back the *Zoe thing* and the girls looked at her with puzzled faces. "I have to go to this business dinner with Rick and I can't ask Judy to take care of Zoe because she's got plans and Jake and Tiffany are busy enough taking care of Maddie." Lily quickly explained them.
They remained in silent until Zoe came into the kitchen.
"Mom? Can I ask you something?" Zoe asked.
"Sure, sweetie."
"Can I sleep over Anika's ? "Zoe requested her mother's permission.
"When?" Lily smirked.
"Tomorrow night." Zoe responded.
"Sure." Lily allowed smiling.
"Thanks, mom. I'm gonna call her." Zoe thanked Lily then hurried out .
Lily, Grace and Jessie looked at each other with that *problem solved* look on their faces.
"Oh, mom? Can I borrow your boots." Grace said.
"Which ones?" Lily smirked.
"The new ones." Grace stammered.
"NO! I just bought those boots, Grace!! I can't lend you them." Lily refused to lend her brand new boots to Grace then he stepped out of the kitchen and Grace rushed after her, still begging to borrow the boots. Jessie watched them and laughed.
*
*
*
Jessie overslept that day so she didn't have breakfast. She went downstairs around 11:00 a.m , there was only Lily down there.
"Good morning, Jess. I thought you'd sleep all day." Lily greeted her smiling.
"I was tired. Um.. have you seen Eli today?" Jessie asked. yawning .
"No. I guess he's still sleeping or he's just locked in his room." Lily wondered while putting some clothes in the dryer.
"I'll go see him." said Jessie making her way to the garage.
Jessie got in Eli's room and before she could knock she heard her brother playing and singing. But she couldn't believe her ears. The song he was playing was not the kind of song he liked. So she decided to open his door silently to not be seen by him. She succeeded it. He didn't notice her come in there. Jessie stood next to the door and listened him sings.
* Well I guess I'm ready
For settling down
The fooling around is over
And I swear that it's true
No buts or maybes
When I'm falling down
There's always
Someone who saves me
And girl it's you
Funny how life can be so surprising
I'm just realizing what you do
We got a little world of our own
I'll tell you things that no one else knows
I let you in where no one else goes
What am I doing without you?
And all of the thing I've been looking for
Have always been here outside of my door
And all of the time I've been looking for something new
What am I doing without you?
Well it's feeling right now
So let's do it right now
Praying that somehow
You will understand the way
It's feeling right
Now baby somehow
I won't let this slip away
Oh…*
Jessie couldn't hold anymore so she started clapping which made Eli stop playing right away.
"Don't you ever knock?" Eli said with embarrassment.
"I didn't know you were in the *boy bands* stuff. "she joked sitting next to him on the floor.
"I'm not." he disputed.
"Oh, so was that a Nirvana's never heard song?" she teased him.
"Stop!!!" he warned her.
"Ok. Ok. Ok."
" What is it that´s so important to make you invade my room?" Eli asked not very pleased that Jessie had witnessed him playing that song.
" I need you to drive me to mom´s." she said.
" What time?"
" Around 6:30... 7:00."
" Ok." Eli agreed.
" Thank you." She said standing up then heading to the door. " Eli? Have you heard the new Backstreet Boys song? It´s really good!!!" she mocked him again before leaving.
Eli looked at her than grabbed a pillow ant threw it on Jessie. She closed the door quickly so the pillow didn´t hit her. Eli shook his head and smiled.
*
*
*
Eli looked at the clock, it was 6:45 p.m . Since Jessie hasn´t shown any signs of being alive after their talk, Eli decided to go get her.
He stepped in the house and saw Lily running for there to everywhere in a mad rush.
" What´s going on here?" he asked a little stunned.
" We´re late." Lily responded rushing to the living room as Rick came down holding his tie.
" Where´s Zoe?" Rick frowned.
" Zoe!!!!! Zoe!!!!" Lily called helping Rick with the tie.
" Um... I saw her waiting in the car." Eli reminded them.
" Oh!!? That´s right. Let´s go! Oh God, my purse." Lily said then came back to get her purse.
She went upstairs and looked around her room for a while. Lily was so in hurry that she couldn´t see her purse was right on her bed, but after a few minutes she found it. Lily go out of her room and closed the door.
" Oh Jesus, I almost forgot!! Lily suddenly went back to her room again.
Grace was almost ready when she heard a knock on her door.
" Sweetie! You look beautiful!!!! Lily beamed at her after she opened the door.
" I´d look better if-" Grace was interrupted by her mother extending her new boots to her. " Your boots!!! Thanks, mom.
" have fun." Said Lily running downstairs. She passed by Eli and said goodbye. He thought she was kind out of her normal behavior.
Eli went up to call Jessie and when he passed by Grace´s room, he felt an urge to go talk to her but thought they would have a lot of time to talk this night so he went to attic and called Jessie.
" Jessie, are you ready?? It´s seven." Eli said making his way in her room.
"Hey, don´t you ever knock?" Jessie jokely imitated him. " Just give me tow more minutes."
" I´ll wait for you downstairs."
When Eli got in the living room he heard the bell rings.
" Hey. Tad, right?" Eli answered the door. " Come on in. Um... I was about to drive Jessie to my mom´s but I can wait you two talk a little." Said Eli believing Tad was there to see his sister. " Jessie!!! Tad´s here." He called.
"Um... actually, I´m here to pick-" Tad got speechless when he saw Grace coming down and so was Eli.
Grace was wearing her mom´s new black boots, a real short dark blue jeans skirt, a black top tank and a long dark blue jeans coat. Her hair was beautifully done too.
"Manning? Is that you?" Tad go out totally checking her out.
" Can we go?" Grace said as Tad extended his left hand to her.
Eli couldn´t believe it was happening. He was astonished. His mouth gaped, his eyes did not even moved.
Grace cast a glimpse at Eli and said goodbye, leaving him in a state of completely shock.
" Where are they?" asked Jessie coming down. " They left already? Oh no, I wanted to see Grace. How did she look? Was she beautiful?" Jessie enthusiastically quizzed but Eli still couldn´t believe it. " Eli? You saw her, didn´t you? Tell me how-"
" Could you just shut up and get your ass in the car?" Eli angerly ordered.
" What got into?? Ok, I´m going." Said Jessie heading out of the house and Eli followed.
*
*
*
Eli parked the car next to his mom´s sidewalk. Jessie didn´t even move or anything. She just sat in the car and waited her brother to say something.
" What are you waiting for? We´re here." Eli hummed, barely looking on her way.
"I'm not leaving this car until you tell me what's going. Why are you so mad?" Jessie firmly announced.
"What? What are you talking about ? I'm not mad." he denied.
"Of course you're mad. All the way through here you seemed you didn't even know that I was sat right next to you. In fact, I don't even know how we got here alive cause you were not paying attention on the street, that's for sure." Jessie stated and went on." What's wrong, Eli? Tell me. Maybe I- "
"How come she did that?" Eli burst out and Jessie's brow furrowed. "How come she went out with him? It's wrong-"
"You mean Grace?" Jessie questioned.
"Tad went out with you . She can't go out with him. Doesn't she know that?" Eli stated out loud and Jessie started to get what was really going on.
"Eli, I'm gonna ask you something but I need you to be 100% honest with me. Can you that?" Jessie shrugged and Eli agreed. "Okay. Are you mad because Tad went out with a couple of times and now he's going out with Grace or because Grace is going out with Tad?" she carefully asked.
"What do you mean?" Eli frowned.
"You know perfectly what I mean, Eli." Jessie smirked and Eli looked down not saying anything back.
Jessie watched her brother, she could see he was in pain, he was struggling with his own feelings and she knew why.
"It's ok. I got it." she sympathetically understood him and he nodded.
Jessie opened the car's door and began to leave but she turned around sitting back.
"I don't get you." she began. "If you like her so much- why don't you tell her?" she once again let him know that his feeling for Grace were quiet obvious... at least to her. " You know that she feels the same way, don't you?"
"I don't know about that?" Eli remembered the Mr. Dimitri/Grace thing and now the Tad/Grace thing.
"It's all your fault. Did you know that?" Jessie accused him. "The only reason she went after Mr. Dimirti and now Tad is because you always back off-"
"What you expect me to do, Jess? She's my stepsister!" he remarked.
"If you have told me something like that in a few months ago I would have agreed with you but now I know that we can't choose who to fall in love with." She almost confessed and Eli wondered why she said that then she continued. " Grace being your stepsister is not an excuse for you to back off."
Eli snorted in desolation not facing Jessie.
"Just... don't let her go... Not this time... Not again." Jessie adviced him jumping out of the car.
*
*
*
It was abut 10:30 p.m when Tad drove Grace home. He stopped the car then walked her to her front door.
"So... we're here!" Grace shyly said and Tad grinned.
"Manning... I need to know. Was it that bad?" Tad joked and Grace laughed a little.
"No. It was not that bad." she hesitantly answered him. "I had fun tonight, so... thank you."
Tad smiled when he heard she saying that. He started to step closer to her then he slowly began to lean in... to kiss her and when their lips were almost connected Grace pulled away and Tad got confused.
"I'm sorry. I thought-" Tad tried to apologize.
"No. It's ok. It's just that-"
"I'm moving too fast?" he quizzed staring at her.
"A little." she embarrassingly smiled and nodded. "So... what are you picking me up?"
"Wait a minute. Is that what I think it is?" Tad smirked and Grace abscently covered her face with her hands. Tad stared her hard, waiting for her to say something.
"Yes. I'm saying yes." Grace snorted taking her hands off of her face.
"Terrific!!!" he exclaimed. " See you at school."
"Sure." she replied. "Call me tomorrow?" Grace suddenly called.
"Sure thing." Tad said and Grace finally walked in her house.
As soon as Grace got in, she heard that somebody was watching TV. She walked into the living and found Eli there.
" Oh, Eli!" Grace greeted him not getting any reply. She didn´t understand why he didn´t say anything. * Is he sleeping?* she wondered.
Grace stepped closer to Eli and said. " Eli? Are you sleeping?". She saw the he wasn´t , so she looked at him puzzled. "ELI!" she called again but now she placed herself in front of the couch so she face him. "ELI!" she called annoyed but Eli still pretended not to see her. Grace stood in front of the TV so Eli would finally *see* her but he started to sway which made Grace grab the remote and turn off the TV.
"Hey! I was watching!" Eli suddenly go out.
" You were ignoring me!" she disputed.;
" Can I have it back?" Eli extend his hand, motioning to the control.
" What´s wrong with you?" grace asked.
"Nothing´s wrong."
" I don´t buy that, Eli. What happened? You know you can tell me any-" Grace lowered her voice and put her hand on Eli´s shoulder.
" How come you did that?" Eli burst out casting her hand aside and Grace got confused. " How come you went out with? Are you crazy?"
"You´re mad because I went with Tad?" she asked not believing in his reaction.
"Tad was supposed to be with Jessie. You had no right to get yourself in the middle." he criticized her.
"Could you lose the attitude when you talk to me, please?" Grace rose her voice.
"Yeah, right!" he mocked.
"Hey, stop that. I don´t like it." she snapped.
"Don´t you feel any remorse for stealing your stepsister´s boyfriend?" he teased her.
"Things between Tad and Jessie were long over. In fact, things between them never really existed." She shrugged.
"It doesn´t matter. You and Tad... it´s just wrong."
"What´s wrong about that?" Grace yelled.
"I don´t know! It´s just not right." Eli couldn´t give her a reasonable explanation.
"I don´t get you, Eli." Grace said in confusion.
"Don´t you always." Eli insinuated.
Grace couldn´t believe he was acting like a complete asshole. She got so upset and hurt by his words that she felt a tear slowly falling from her eye. Her said face touched Eli so bad that the same covered his face right away.
"I thought we were friends." Grace quietly stated, never facing him. "You were supposed to be happy for me. Why can´t you be happy for me ?"
Eli remained in silence, ashamed of his stupid behavior. He was wrong, he knew it. But how could he react differently? He felt she was slipping through his fingers... again. He was desperate.
"I´m just trying to move on. That´s all." Grace explained. "All I wanted was you to be happy for me. Is that too much to ask?" said Grace heading upstairs.
"So why didn´t you tell me about the date?" Eli finally spoke but Grace pretended no to listen to him continuing up.
"Pick me up at seven?" Grace hesitantly accept his invitation.
"YES!!!!!" Tad screamed with excitement on the other line and Grace laugh at his reaction. "See you Saturday. And don't worry, Grace. I guarantee you won't regret it."
"See you Saturday." Grace said hanging up the phone. " Yes. I hope I won't regret it."
Grace went downstairs to get something to drink. Jessie was in the kitchen. She gave grace an "urging" look and Grace got out. "I said yes."
"Oh my God!!!" Jessie exclaimed.
"Grace!!" said Lily entering in the kitchen. "I was looking for you."
"I was right here… I mean up there… um… Why?" Grace said still a little out of her sanity.
"Can you stay at home with Zoe tomorrow night?"
"Actually… I can't." grace responded her mother.
"Why not?" Lily frowned.
"Um… she's got a date." Jessie brightly informed her step-mother who got surprised with the news.
"Oh, really?" Lily asked and both, Grace and Jessie shook their heads in agreement. "Do we know who he is?" Lily started the interrogation.
"You do." Grace said rolling her eyes over Jessie. "It's … Tad."
"Tad? You mean, Jessie's Tad?" Lily questioned in confusion.
"No. Not my Tad. I mean, it's the same Tad but he's not mine, he's Grace's." Jessie clumsily tried to explain.
"No, he's not my Tad… We're just hanging out. That's all." Grace embarrassingly added.
Lily looked at the two girls, she was still confused cause she didn't know Tad was not Jessie's boyfriend. Lily kept looking at them, specially at Jessie, trying to understand the whole situation.
"It's ok. I don't care. me and Tad, we're not meant to be." Jessie tried to make the things easier to Lily understand and apparently it worked.
"What am I gonna do now?" Lily brought back the *Zoe thing* and the girls looked at her with puzzled faces. "I have to go to this business dinner with Rick and I can't ask Judy to take care of Zoe because she's got plans and Jake and Tiffany are busy enough taking care of Maddie." Lily quickly explained them.
They remained in silent until Zoe came into the kitchen.
"Mom? Can I ask you something?" Zoe asked.
"Sure, sweetie."
"Can I sleep over Anika's ? "Zoe requested her mother's permission.
"When?" Lily smirked.
"Tomorrow night." Zoe responded.
"Sure." Lily allowed smiling.
"Thanks, mom. I'm gonna call her." Zoe thanked Lily then hurried out .
Lily, Grace and Jessie looked at each other with that *problem solved* look on their faces.
"Oh, mom? Can I borrow your boots." Grace said.
"Which ones?" Lily smirked.
"The new ones." Grace stammered.
"NO! I just bought those boots, Grace!! I can't lend you them." Lily refused to lend her brand new boots to Grace then he stepped out of the kitchen and Grace rushed after her, still begging to borrow the boots. Jessie watched them and laughed.
*
*
*
Jessie overslept that day so she didn't have breakfast. She went downstairs around 11:00 a.m , there was only Lily down there.
"Good morning, Jess. I thought you'd sleep all day." Lily greeted her smiling.
"I was tired. Um.. have you seen Eli today?" Jessie asked. yawning .
"No. I guess he's still sleeping or he's just locked in his room." Lily wondered while putting some clothes in the dryer.
"I'll go see him." said Jessie making her way to the garage.
Jessie got in Eli's room and before she could knock she heard her brother playing and singing. But she couldn't believe her ears. The song he was playing was not the kind of song he liked. So she decided to open his door silently to not be seen by him. She succeeded it. He didn't notice her come in there. Jessie stood next to the door and listened him sings.
* Well I guess I'm ready
For settling down
The fooling around is over
And I swear that it's true
No buts or maybes
When I'm falling down
There's always
Someone who saves me
And girl it's you
Funny how life can be so surprising
I'm just realizing what you do
We got a little world of our own
I'll tell you things that no one else knows
I let you in where no one else goes
What am I doing without you?
And all of the thing I've been looking for
Have always been here outside of my door
And all of the time I've been looking for something new
What am I doing without you?
Well it's feeling right now
So let's do it right now
Praying that somehow
You will understand the way
It's feeling right
Now baby somehow
I won't let this slip away
Oh…*
Jessie couldn't hold anymore so she started clapping which made Eli stop playing right away.
"Don't you ever knock?" Eli said with embarrassment.
"I didn't know you were in the *boy bands* stuff. "she joked sitting next to him on the floor.
"I'm not." he disputed.
"Oh, so was that a Nirvana's never heard song?" she teased him.
"Stop!!!" he warned her.
"Ok. Ok. Ok."
" What is it that´s so important to make you invade my room?" Eli asked not very pleased that Jessie had witnessed him playing that song.
" I need you to drive me to mom´s." she said.
" What time?"
" Around 6:30... 7:00."
" Ok." Eli agreed.
" Thank you." She said standing up then heading to the door. " Eli? Have you heard the new Backstreet Boys song? It´s really good!!!" she mocked him again before leaving.
Eli looked at her than grabbed a pillow ant threw it on Jessie. She closed the door quickly so the pillow didn´t hit her. Eli shook his head and smiled.
*
*
*
Eli looked at the clock, it was 6:45 p.m . Since Jessie hasn´t shown any signs of being alive after their talk, Eli decided to go get her.
He stepped in the house and saw Lily running for there to everywhere in a mad rush.
" What´s going on here?" he asked a little stunned.
" We´re late." Lily responded rushing to the living room as Rick came down holding his tie.
" Where´s Zoe?" Rick frowned.
" Zoe!!!!! Zoe!!!!" Lily called helping Rick with the tie.
" Um... I saw her waiting in the car." Eli reminded them.
" Oh!!? That´s right. Let´s go! Oh God, my purse." Lily said then came back to get her purse.
She went upstairs and looked around her room for a while. Lily was so in hurry that she couldn´t see her purse was right on her bed, but after a few minutes she found it. Lily go out of her room and closed the door.
" Oh Jesus, I almost forgot!! Lily suddenly went back to her room again.
Grace was almost ready when she heard a knock on her door.
" Sweetie! You look beautiful!!!! Lily beamed at her after she opened the door.
" I´d look better if-" Grace was interrupted by her mother extending her new boots to her. " Your boots!!! Thanks, mom.
" have fun." Said Lily running downstairs. She passed by Eli and said goodbye. He thought she was kind out of her normal behavior.
Eli went up to call Jessie and when he passed by Grace´s room, he felt an urge to go talk to her but thought they would have a lot of time to talk this night so he went to attic and called Jessie.
" Jessie, are you ready?? It´s seven." Eli said making his way in her room.
"Hey, don´t you ever knock?" Jessie jokely imitated him. " Just give me tow more minutes."
" I´ll wait for you downstairs."
When Eli got in the living room he heard the bell rings.
" Hey. Tad, right?" Eli answered the door. " Come on in. Um... I was about to drive Jessie to my mom´s but I can wait you two talk a little." Said Eli believing Tad was there to see his sister. " Jessie!!! Tad´s here." He called.
"Um... actually, I´m here to pick-" Tad got speechless when he saw Grace coming down and so was Eli.
Grace was wearing her mom´s new black boots, a real short dark blue jeans skirt, a black top tank and a long dark blue jeans coat. Her hair was beautifully done too.
"Manning? Is that you?" Tad go out totally checking her out.
" Can we go?" Grace said as Tad extended his left hand to her.
Eli couldn´t believe it was happening. He was astonished. His mouth gaped, his eyes did not even moved.
Grace cast a glimpse at Eli and said goodbye, leaving him in a state of completely shock.
" Where are they?" asked Jessie coming down. " They left already? Oh no, I wanted to see Grace. How did she look? Was she beautiful?" Jessie enthusiastically quizzed but Eli still couldn´t believe it. " Eli? You saw her, didn´t you? Tell me how-"
" Could you just shut up and get your ass in the car?" Eli angerly ordered.
" What got into?? Ok, I´m going." Said Jessie heading out of the house and Eli followed.
*
*
*
Eli parked the car next to his mom´s sidewalk. Jessie didn´t even move or anything. She just sat in the car and waited her brother to say something.
" What are you waiting for? We´re here." Eli hummed, barely looking on her way.
"I'm not leaving this car until you tell me what's going. Why are you so mad?" Jessie firmly announced.
"What? What are you talking about ? I'm not mad." he denied.
"Of course you're mad. All the way through here you seemed you didn't even know that I was sat right next to you. In fact, I don't even know how we got here alive cause you were not paying attention on the street, that's for sure." Jessie stated and went on." What's wrong, Eli? Tell me. Maybe I- "
"How come she did that?" Eli burst out and Jessie's brow furrowed. "How come she went out with him? It's wrong-"
"You mean Grace?" Jessie questioned.
"Tad went out with you . She can't go out with him. Doesn't she know that?" Eli stated out loud and Jessie started to get what was really going on.
"Eli, I'm gonna ask you something but I need you to be 100% honest with me. Can you that?" Jessie shrugged and Eli agreed. "Okay. Are you mad because Tad went out with a couple of times and now he's going out with Grace or because Grace is going out with Tad?" she carefully asked.
"What do you mean?" Eli frowned.
"You know perfectly what I mean, Eli." Jessie smirked and Eli looked down not saying anything back.
Jessie watched her brother, she could see he was in pain, he was struggling with his own feelings and she knew why.
"It's ok. I got it." she sympathetically understood him and he nodded.
Jessie opened the car's door and began to leave but she turned around sitting back.
"I don't get you." she began. "If you like her so much- why don't you tell her?" she once again let him know that his feeling for Grace were quiet obvious... at least to her. " You know that she feels the same way, don't you?"
"I don't know about that?" Eli remembered the Mr. Dimitri/Grace thing and now the Tad/Grace thing.
"It's all your fault. Did you know that?" Jessie accused him. "The only reason she went after Mr. Dimirti and now Tad is because you always back off-"
"What you expect me to do, Jess? She's my stepsister!" he remarked.
"If you have told me something like that in a few months ago I would have agreed with you but now I know that we can't choose who to fall in love with." She almost confessed and Eli wondered why she said that then she continued. " Grace being your stepsister is not an excuse for you to back off."
Eli snorted in desolation not facing Jessie.
"Just... don't let her go... Not this time... Not again." Jessie adviced him jumping out of the car.
*
*
*
It was abut 10:30 p.m when Tad drove Grace home. He stopped the car then walked her to her front door.
"So... we're here!" Grace shyly said and Tad grinned.
"Manning... I need to know. Was it that bad?" Tad joked and Grace laughed a little.
"No. It was not that bad." she hesitantly answered him. "I had fun tonight, so... thank you."
Tad smiled when he heard she saying that. He started to step closer to her then he slowly began to lean in... to kiss her and when their lips were almost connected Grace pulled away and Tad got confused.
"I'm sorry. I thought-" Tad tried to apologize.
"No. It's ok. It's just that-"
"I'm moving too fast?" he quizzed staring at her.
"A little." she embarrassingly smiled and nodded. "So... what are you picking me up?"
"Wait a minute. Is that what I think it is?" Tad smirked and Grace abscently covered her face with her hands. Tad stared her hard, waiting for her to say something.
"Yes. I'm saying yes." Grace snorted taking her hands off of her face.
"Terrific!!!" he exclaimed. " See you at school."
"Sure." she replied. "Call me tomorrow?" Grace suddenly called.
"Sure thing." Tad said and Grace finally walked in her house.
As soon as Grace got in, she heard that somebody was watching TV. She walked into the living and found Eli there.
" Oh, Eli!" Grace greeted him not getting any reply. She didn´t understand why he didn´t say anything. * Is he sleeping?* she wondered.
Grace stepped closer to Eli and said. " Eli? Are you sleeping?". She saw the he wasn´t , so she looked at him puzzled. "ELI!" she called again but now she placed herself in front of the couch so she face him. "ELI!" she called annoyed but Eli still pretended not to see her. Grace stood in front of the TV so Eli would finally *see* her but he started to sway which made Grace grab the remote and turn off the TV.
"Hey! I was watching!" Eli suddenly go out.
" You were ignoring me!" she disputed.;
" Can I have it back?" Eli extend his hand, motioning to the control.
" What´s wrong with you?" grace asked.
"Nothing´s wrong."
" I don´t buy that, Eli. What happened? You know you can tell me any-" Grace lowered her voice and put her hand on Eli´s shoulder.
" How come you did that?" Eli burst out casting her hand aside and Grace got confused. " How come you went out with? Are you crazy?"
"You´re mad because I went with Tad?" she asked not believing in his reaction.
"Tad was supposed to be with Jessie. You had no right to get yourself in the middle." he criticized her.
"Could you lose the attitude when you talk to me, please?" Grace rose her voice.
"Yeah, right!" he mocked.
"Hey, stop that. I don´t like it." she snapped.
"Don´t you feel any remorse for stealing your stepsister´s boyfriend?" he teased her.
"Things between Tad and Jessie were long over. In fact, things between them never really existed." She shrugged.
"It doesn´t matter. You and Tad... it´s just wrong."
"What´s wrong about that?" Grace yelled.
"I don´t know! It´s just not right." Eli couldn´t give her a reasonable explanation.
"I don´t get you, Eli." Grace said in confusion.
"Don´t you always." Eli insinuated.
Grace couldn´t believe he was acting like a complete asshole. She got so upset and hurt by his words that she felt a tear slowly falling from her eye. Her said face touched Eli so bad that the same covered his face right away.
"I thought we were friends." Grace quietly stated, never facing him. "You were supposed to be happy for me. Why can´t you be happy for me ?"
Eli remained in silence, ashamed of his stupid behavior. He was wrong, he knew it. But how could he react differently? He felt she was slipping through his fingers... again. He was desperate.
"I´m just trying to move on. That´s all." Grace explained. "All I wanted was you to be happy for me. Is that too much to ask?" said Grace heading upstairs.
"So why didn´t you tell me about the date?" Eli finally spoke but Grace pretended no to listen to him continuing up.