Chapter 4
"Grace? Would you mind coming back to earth, please?" Mr.Dimitree tried to get her attention in class. How could she concentrate? She was having an affair with her teacher, she had a jealous stepbrother and to top it all off, she was getting a new stepmother! And he expected her to pay attention in class? This wasn't a soap opera, this was life!
"Grace?" Mr.Dimitree sounded a little concerned when she didn't answer… four times. "Can I talk to you out in the hall for a minute?"
"Hmm? No, I'm okay now, sorry," She said, dreamily.
"Okay," He said, staring at her.
Grace: When I was eight years old, life was perfect… A perfect family, perfect grades… I was always so happy. I never would have dreamed that I would have a care in the world. But now, nothing is even close to being good… In any way at all. Except…
"Okay, for tonight just read chapter 10 in To Kill a Mockingbird, gay/strait alliance, tonight at 7:30 pm, be there." Mr.Dimitree said as he sat down and organized his papers.
Grace: Him.
Everyone got their books ready and put them in their backpacks. Some girls stopped at friends desk's and laughed and talked… Some boys gave high fives and ran out of the room. But she didn't want to stay in the classroom. She wanted to leave just like them, and forget about Mr.Dimitree and how much it was wrong to love him. Part of her hated him…
"I will see you tomorrow in class," He called to the kids.
But part of her loved him too. In away that was impossible to describe. Not for his looks; his money; his career. He was her soul mate. Whether she liked it or not.
Grace: Have you ever heard that Joni Mitchell song… Case of you? 'I saw a woman… She had a mouth like yours. She knew your life. She knew your devils and your deeds, and she said, "Go to him, stay with him if you can; but be prepared to bleed…"' I understand… I understand what that feels like…
"Grace, your still here?" Mr.Dimitree asked. She didn't realize that she was still sitting at her desk.
"Uh huh…" Grace replied.
"Grace… Are you all right? Honestly, I'm kind of worried about you," He sat in the desk next to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," She said quickly, as she jumped up and grabbed her backpack.
"No you aren't. Come on Grace, please tell me," He walked over to her and took her hand in his.
"Okay, fine. My father is getting married," She threw her hands in the air. "I am going to get a step mother… God, I can't handle all of this!" She walked over to the window and started sobbing.
"Oh, Grace…" He walked over to where she was and put his hand on her shoulder.
"And not to mention," Grace pulled away, "I am having an affair with my teacher!" She nearly mouthed those words because she was crying so hard.
"I don't like," Mr.Dimitree started. "To think of it as an affair. Grace, I have been trying to hide my feelings because I was ashamed. But I just can't do that anymore. If I did, I would be lying. And that isn't fair… To you or to me."
"I know… But this isn't wrong. It is really meant to be, and you have to believe that," She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head while she spoke. "Do you believe that? Do you believe that this is possible."
"I didn't… But now I do. I do believe that we are meant for eachother. I am not going to hide that anymore. You were brave enough to open up. You have shown me the way."
"What way?" She asked, still crying softly.
"This way," He reached over and softly pushed up her chin so that she looked up at him. He caressed her soft cheek with his thumb, and closed his eyes. Slowly he felt himself move closer to her, and she did the same. Their lips finally met and they kissed eachother for what seemed like eternity. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and her hands stroked his neck. Slowly he pulled away, her eyes still closed.
"So… Thank you…" He whispered.
"No… Thank you," She whispered back. She smiled, turned around, and walked out of the classroom.
"But I hate potato salad! It tastes like… lard…" Zoe wined that night at the dinner table.
"Well then, you are going to have to eat something else," Rick replied as he pulled out the food he had bought at the store that veining.
"No…" Zoe moaned.
"Zoe…" Lily crossed her arms.
"Fine, I'll starve," Zoe pouted.
"Um Mom, I need a ride to the gay/strait meeting…"
"Oh, honey, can you have Eli take you? I have a show in about fifteen minutes…"
"You have a show tonight?"
"Yes, I do… And I have to leave right now, or Less is going to get very upset with me… again…"
"Okay, bye…" Grace walked into the garage, and up the stairs to Eli's room. She knocked on his door.
"Eli! Open up! I need a favor!" She knocked louder.
"Uh… Hold on!" She heard him say from inside his room. She heard his footsteps, and looked down to see the doorknob moving, and the door slid open. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in his room, "Will you get in here?!" He yelled.
"What is your problem, Eli?" She rubbed her hand.
"I just… I don't want my father to smell the pot in my room…"
"My goodness Eli, you sure cover your tracks in every way possible, don't you?"
"What?"
"Forget it. I need you to drive me to my Gay/Strait Alliance meeting tonight, can you?"
"Do you have like, a meeting every night?"
"What? I don't know, can you please drive me?"
"Fine… Hey, isn't it at that guys house?"
"Eli… This really isn't any of your business."
"What do you mean? It's kind of a big deal… I mean, an affair with your teacher… I don't even go that far…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, it's kind of bad… I mean, what you're doing," Eli shoved his hands in his pockets.
"How dare you judge this relationship! How dare you! You have no right!" She cried.
"No! You have no right! You have no right to seduce a man who is twice your age!"
"Seduce him? That's what you think I'm doing?" She broke out in tears.
"No… It isn't what I think you're doing… It's what everybody knows you're doing!"
"Shut up Eli! Just shut up!" She was crying so hard now that she could barley see through her blurry red eyes.
"Oh, that's your solution for everything, isn't it? You just cry your problems away."
"I want you out of my life! I wish you had never come into it! You ruin everything! You are just a rock in everybody's shoe! A failure!"
Eli sat in his chair, and stared at Grace, who he had just hurt so badly. His face was bright red, and he was too angry to cry. Grace stood there sobbing her eyes out. "Why don't you just have that man? He's rotten and worthless."
"Don't say that! He is… He's a miracle… He's my miracle…" Grace realized. He was put into her life for a reason. He was her wings when she forgot fly. Before he came into her life, she was nothing. She didn't have a purpose… She was all alone in a huge world… And now she was safe. Once in her life, someone cared about her as much as she cared about him… She had a somebody. "And I love him." Grace walked out of Eli's room and into her's. Tonight she would walk to the meeting.
Grace: Mr.Dimitree said that I have lonely eyes… But I don't think that my eyes are very lonely anymore.
Grace arrived at Mr.Dimitree's house at seven o'clock that evening. Nobody else was there yet… perfect. She knocked on the door, and she saw Mr.Dimitree coming toward her. She didn't spend as much time as usual getting ready this evening. Her main concerned was getting the puffiness out of her eyes so it hadn't looked like she had been crying, but she hadn't succeded. She just threw on some khaki jeans, a black tank covered by a tight black sweater, her black sandals, and braided her hair back. She though she looked messy and gross, but Mr.Dimitree thought different. He thought she looked so much better than she looked that night at the movies… That ridiculous leather skirt almost made him laugh. He just wished that she hadn't asked him to… sleep with her, or whatever she meant.
The moment he fell in love with her was when they had the production of the play. She acted out that crying scene so well… It made him teary-eyed. It made the whole audience tear up. And that night he almost kissed her… And her step brother came and almost ruined everything. He remembered how jealous he felt when Eli walked in… He felt this huge rage come over him.
"Hello Grace, you look very lovely this evening," He took her hand and escorted her inside the house. After all, that's what gentlemen do.
"Thank you," She blushed. She closed the door behind her, and then stopped to see a car parked out front… She was amazed to find out who it was… "Oh my God!" She said, as she opened the door back up.
"Oh, I'm sorry Grace, I know the house isn't the cleanest it's ever been, but-"
"No, it isn't that!" She said as she ran out to the front of his house, where the car was parked. She opened the door to the car… "Oh my God! What are you doing here?" Grace cried.
Eli got out of the car and stepped up to Grace until their faces were only inches away. "There wasn't any Gay/Strait Alliance meeting tonight, was there?"
"What? Get out of here right now!"
"How come there's no one here then? You can't talk your way out of this one Grace!"
"I'm early Eli! Why did you follow me?" Just as Grace said that, Mr.Dimitree came walking out of the house to see what was going on.
"Excuse me? What's going on?" Mr.Dimitree asked as he stood in between Grace and Eli.
"Nothing, I was just going inside," Grace turned around to go inside.
"Just a minute," Eli said coldly, "I want to know what is going on between you two? Why are you dating my step sister?"
"Excuse me?" Mr.Dimitree squeaked.
"Eli! Please go away!" Grace ordered.
"Answer me!" Eli said, only an inch away from Mr.Dimitree, who was speechless.
"Eli! Oh my God! Get away from here!"
"No, you're coming with me!"
"No I'm not!" Grace cried as Eli grabbed her arm as hard as he could.
"Let go of her!" Mr.Dimitree pulled Eli's hand away from Grace.
"Why would you care about Grace if you didn't know what I was talking about in the first place?"
"I order you to get away from my property or I am calling the police," Mr.Dimitree's face was bright red. "I said get out of here!"
Eli got in his car and drove away as fast as he could. Grace held Mr.Dimitree tight, and started crying… again. She put her head on his shoulder and sobbed. He hugged her and caressed her back. "It's okay…" he whispered. "I know… As long as I'm in your arms…" She said back.
Grace decided to go home after that. It was only 7:15, and he decided to drive her back home. Grace sat quietly in the passenger seat, and they held hands as he used his other hand to steer with. When she arrived home, he kissed her softly on the cheek, and she walked into the house.
"Grace? Would you mind coming back to earth, please?" Mr.Dimitree tried to get her attention in class. How could she concentrate? She was having an affair with her teacher, she had a jealous stepbrother and to top it all off, she was getting a new stepmother! And he expected her to pay attention in class? This wasn't a soap opera, this was life!
"Grace?" Mr.Dimitree sounded a little concerned when she didn't answer… four times. "Can I talk to you out in the hall for a minute?"
"Hmm? No, I'm okay now, sorry," She said, dreamily.
"Okay," He said, staring at her.
Grace: When I was eight years old, life was perfect… A perfect family, perfect grades… I was always so happy. I never would have dreamed that I would have a care in the world. But now, nothing is even close to being good… In any way at all. Except…
"Okay, for tonight just read chapter 10 in To Kill a Mockingbird, gay/strait alliance, tonight at 7:30 pm, be there." Mr.Dimitree said as he sat down and organized his papers.
Grace: Him.
Everyone got their books ready and put them in their backpacks. Some girls stopped at friends desk's and laughed and talked… Some boys gave high fives and ran out of the room. But she didn't want to stay in the classroom. She wanted to leave just like them, and forget about Mr.Dimitree and how much it was wrong to love him. Part of her hated him…
"I will see you tomorrow in class," He called to the kids.
But part of her loved him too. In away that was impossible to describe. Not for his looks; his money; his career. He was her soul mate. Whether she liked it or not.
Grace: Have you ever heard that Joni Mitchell song… Case of you? 'I saw a woman… She had a mouth like yours. She knew your life. She knew your devils and your deeds, and she said, "Go to him, stay with him if you can; but be prepared to bleed…"' I understand… I understand what that feels like…
"Grace, your still here?" Mr.Dimitree asked. She didn't realize that she was still sitting at her desk.
"Uh huh…" Grace replied.
"Grace… Are you all right? Honestly, I'm kind of worried about you," He sat in the desk next to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," She said quickly, as she jumped up and grabbed her backpack.
"No you aren't. Come on Grace, please tell me," He walked over to her and took her hand in his.
"Okay, fine. My father is getting married," She threw her hands in the air. "I am going to get a step mother… God, I can't handle all of this!" She walked over to the window and started sobbing.
"Oh, Grace…" He walked over to where she was and put his hand on her shoulder.
"And not to mention," Grace pulled away, "I am having an affair with my teacher!" She nearly mouthed those words because she was crying so hard.
"I don't like," Mr.Dimitree started. "To think of it as an affair. Grace, I have been trying to hide my feelings because I was ashamed. But I just can't do that anymore. If I did, I would be lying. And that isn't fair… To you or to me."
"I know… But this isn't wrong. It is really meant to be, and you have to believe that," She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head while she spoke. "Do you believe that? Do you believe that this is possible."
"I didn't… But now I do. I do believe that we are meant for eachother. I am not going to hide that anymore. You were brave enough to open up. You have shown me the way."
"What way?" She asked, still crying softly.
"This way," He reached over and softly pushed up her chin so that she looked up at him. He caressed her soft cheek with his thumb, and closed his eyes. Slowly he felt himself move closer to her, and she did the same. Their lips finally met and they kissed eachother for what seemed like eternity. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and her hands stroked his neck. Slowly he pulled away, her eyes still closed.
"So… Thank you…" He whispered.
"No… Thank you," She whispered back. She smiled, turned around, and walked out of the classroom.
"But I hate potato salad! It tastes like… lard…" Zoe wined that night at the dinner table.
"Well then, you are going to have to eat something else," Rick replied as he pulled out the food he had bought at the store that veining.
"No…" Zoe moaned.
"Zoe…" Lily crossed her arms.
"Fine, I'll starve," Zoe pouted.
"Um Mom, I need a ride to the gay/strait meeting…"
"Oh, honey, can you have Eli take you? I have a show in about fifteen minutes…"
"You have a show tonight?"
"Yes, I do… And I have to leave right now, or Less is going to get very upset with me… again…"
"Okay, bye…" Grace walked into the garage, and up the stairs to Eli's room. She knocked on his door.
"Eli! Open up! I need a favor!" She knocked louder.
"Uh… Hold on!" She heard him say from inside his room. She heard his footsteps, and looked down to see the doorknob moving, and the door slid open. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in his room, "Will you get in here?!" He yelled.
"What is your problem, Eli?" She rubbed her hand.
"I just… I don't want my father to smell the pot in my room…"
"My goodness Eli, you sure cover your tracks in every way possible, don't you?"
"What?"
"Forget it. I need you to drive me to my Gay/Strait Alliance meeting tonight, can you?"
"Do you have like, a meeting every night?"
"What? I don't know, can you please drive me?"
"Fine… Hey, isn't it at that guys house?"
"Eli… This really isn't any of your business."
"What do you mean? It's kind of a big deal… I mean, an affair with your teacher… I don't even go that far…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, it's kind of bad… I mean, what you're doing," Eli shoved his hands in his pockets.
"How dare you judge this relationship! How dare you! You have no right!" She cried.
"No! You have no right! You have no right to seduce a man who is twice your age!"
"Seduce him? That's what you think I'm doing?" She broke out in tears.
"No… It isn't what I think you're doing… It's what everybody knows you're doing!"
"Shut up Eli! Just shut up!" She was crying so hard now that she could barley see through her blurry red eyes.
"Oh, that's your solution for everything, isn't it? You just cry your problems away."
"I want you out of my life! I wish you had never come into it! You ruin everything! You are just a rock in everybody's shoe! A failure!"
Eli sat in his chair, and stared at Grace, who he had just hurt so badly. His face was bright red, and he was too angry to cry. Grace stood there sobbing her eyes out. "Why don't you just have that man? He's rotten and worthless."
"Don't say that! He is… He's a miracle… He's my miracle…" Grace realized. He was put into her life for a reason. He was her wings when she forgot fly. Before he came into her life, she was nothing. She didn't have a purpose… She was all alone in a huge world… And now she was safe. Once in her life, someone cared about her as much as she cared about him… She had a somebody. "And I love him." Grace walked out of Eli's room and into her's. Tonight she would walk to the meeting.
Grace: Mr.Dimitree said that I have lonely eyes… But I don't think that my eyes are very lonely anymore.
Grace arrived at Mr.Dimitree's house at seven o'clock that evening. Nobody else was there yet… perfect. She knocked on the door, and she saw Mr.Dimitree coming toward her. She didn't spend as much time as usual getting ready this evening. Her main concerned was getting the puffiness out of her eyes so it hadn't looked like she had been crying, but she hadn't succeded. She just threw on some khaki jeans, a black tank covered by a tight black sweater, her black sandals, and braided her hair back. She though she looked messy and gross, but Mr.Dimitree thought different. He thought she looked so much better than she looked that night at the movies… That ridiculous leather skirt almost made him laugh. He just wished that she hadn't asked him to… sleep with her, or whatever she meant.
The moment he fell in love with her was when they had the production of the play. She acted out that crying scene so well… It made him teary-eyed. It made the whole audience tear up. And that night he almost kissed her… And her step brother came and almost ruined everything. He remembered how jealous he felt when Eli walked in… He felt this huge rage come over him.
"Hello Grace, you look very lovely this evening," He took her hand and escorted her inside the house. After all, that's what gentlemen do.
"Thank you," She blushed. She closed the door behind her, and then stopped to see a car parked out front… She was amazed to find out who it was… "Oh my God!" She said, as she opened the door back up.
"Oh, I'm sorry Grace, I know the house isn't the cleanest it's ever been, but-"
"No, it isn't that!" She said as she ran out to the front of his house, where the car was parked. She opened the door to the car… "Oh my God! What are you doing here?" Grace cried.
Eli got out of the car and stepped up to Grace until their faces were only inches away. "There wasn't any Gay/Strait Alliance meeting tonight, was there?"
"What? Get out of here right now!"
"How come there's no one here then? You can't talk your way out of this one Grace!"
"I'm early Eli! Why did you follow me?" Just as Grace said that, Mr.Dimitree came walking out of the house to see what was going on.
"Excuse me? What's going on?" Mr.Dimitree asked as he stood in between Grace and Eli.
"Nothing, I was just going inside," Grace turned around to go inside.
"Just a minute," Eli said coldly, "I want to know what is going on between you two? Why are you dating my step sister?"
"Excuse me?" Mr.Dimitree squeaked.
"Eli! Please go away!" Grace ordered.
"Answer me!" Eli said, only an inch away from Mr.Dimitree, who was speechless.
"Eli! Oh my God! Get away from here!"
"No, you're coming with me!"
"No I'm not!" Grace cried as Eli grabbed her arm as hard as he could.
"Let go of her!" Mr.Dimitree pulled Eli's hand away from Grace.
"Why would you care about Grace if you didn't know what I was talking about in the first place?"
"I order you to get away from my property or I am calling the police," Mr.Dimitree's face was bright red. "I said get out of here!"
Eli got in his car and drove away as fast as he could. Grace held Mr.Dimitree tight, and started crying… again. She put her head on his shoulder and sobbed. He hugged her and caressed her back. "It's okay…" he whispered. "I know… As long as I'm in your arms…" She said back.
Grace decided to go home after that. It was only 7:15, and he decided to drive her back home. Grace sat quietly in the passenger seat, and they held hands as he used his other hand to steer with. When she arrived home, he kissed her softly on the cheek, and she walked into the house.