They climbed into the car and Eli tried to think of something charming and
witty to say to fill the awkward silence. They had been alone so many
times in the bookstore and talking was never a problem. But now he found
it harder to find something to say that wouldn't sound stupid or childish.
When Meredith turned the car on, the silence was taken by the poppy tune of New Found Glory's "Hit or Miss." She smiled and turned down the stereo slightly so that it wasn't too loud. "Sorry. I didn't mean to kill your eardrums." He laughed and shook his head. "It's okay, I always have it up loud."
She hummed along to the lyrics as Eli tapped his thighs to the beat. He was staring out of the window before he finally found something half- intelligent to say. "You and you're mother, you guys are close, huh? That's really cool."
She bit down on her bottom lip before she turned to look at him for a moment. She nodded her head slowly. "She's all I have," she said quietly, but loudly enough for him to hear her response. She smiled softly before turning back to the road, humming again.
Turning into Taco Bell's parking lot, she turned off the engine. "Still early enough to run in. Meet back here in ten minutes? I'll go get ice cream." She didn't give him a chance to answer before she climbed out of the car. She waited for him to get out before smiling across the hood at him. She blew him a kiss before scampering across the small road to the gas station.
Eli watched her go for a minute, shaking his head as he turned and walked into Taco Bell.
Five minutes passed before Eli walked out into the parking lot. Meredith wasn't there yet and he smiled, leaning against the car. Soon enough he saw the door to the gas station's mini-mart open and she came out, carrying two white plastic bags.
When she made it over to him, she sighed softly and grinned looking up at him. "And drink!" She held up the half gallon of Turkey Hill raspberry iced tea that she loved." Then, pulling out her keys she handed them to him -- well, more like shoved them into his hand. "Mind driving?"
Eli stared at the keys, then brought his gaze to look up at her. "Are you sure?" He couldn't believe she was letting him drive. She trusted him that much. When she nodded and kissed his cheek, he opened the door for her until she climbed in, handing her the bags that she situated at her feet. He shut the door carefully before walking around to the driver's side and climbing in.
He tried to drive cautiously, but not like an eighty-year-old woman who never exceeded thirty miles an hour, even in a forty-five zone. Just, careful.
"Oh hey," he finally said when he relaxed a bit. "I forgot to tell you that Wink said to say hello to you. He was bummed that he never got to say good-bye last night." He smiled when he looked over to her. "I didn't bother to tell him that he spent most of the night talking to a plant. I figured that would just crush him." They both laughed and Meredith shook her head.
"That was nice of him."
Eli pulled into the blockbuster parking lot which was littered with just a few cars, most of which belonged to employees working late. Eli turned the car off and hopped out quickly so that he could open the door for her. Meredith smiled and waited for him to come around and open the door. "Thank you," she said when she climbed out. He smiled and closed the door behind her before following her into the store.
The girl behind the counter, Amy, who had attended high school with them, greeted them cheerfully. The couple greeted her back as they walked through the isle to the new releases. Eli laid his hand at the small of her back gently as he walked next to her. "So, what are you in the mood for?"
She tilted his head towards his slightly as they walked together and she scanned over the movie titles that stood in front of them. "I'm not sure, what about you?"
"I can't say I've seen anything good in a while. I like weird stuff like Swordfish and Pulp Fiction's my favorite movie." He kissed her cheek, moving his hand up her back so that his arm could wrap around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Okay, idea. Why don't you go pick out a movie and I'll pick out a movie and we can watch yours tonight and mine next time?"
She smiled and nodded her head. He kissed her cheek before walking towards the other side of the store. She just smiled as she watched him go. She was usually found in the old release section, renting classics like "Casablanca" or "Pretty in Pink" or "Sixteen Candles." She rented new releases every so often, but usually she just went to the theater to see them.
As she roamed through the titles, she pressed her lips together. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to see. Finally, after debating between Moulin Rouge (for the millionth time) or Thirteen Ghosts, she went with the scarier of the two, taking Thirteen Ghosts off of the shelf and making her way back to Eli.
Eli smiled to himself as he looked through the shelves of movies. He couldn't believe how wonderful the night was going. It was simply amazing. That was the only word that came close to describing how he felt around her. It was the only word that could come close to describing everything about her. Two nights of seeing him and she wasn't showing signs of running away screaming and flailing her arms in the air.
He sighed softly before finally letting his gaze fall on "the Others." With a nod, he picked it off the shelf. "Halfway creepy," he murmured before turning to find what she had picked.
When they met, she wrapped her hand around his before looking to see what he picked. "Oooh, Nicole Kidman, she's so great." She lifted hers to show him. "Scary, but I couldn't think of anything else."
He laughed softly as he led her to the counter. Amy greeted them, chatting with both of them about what was going on since school was over and she couldn't help but adding how cute it was to see them together (although, she never would have guessed in a million years!). Eli insisted on paying, but Meredith made him use her card so that any late returns would be on her.
When they had paid, they said good-bye to Amy and left the store. She smiled and pulled him close when they reached the car, kissing him softly. She let go of his hand, exchanging the bag for her keys. "I don't feel like driving anymore."
When they were in the car Eli turned to look at her. "So, where too?" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "We could go to my mom's. I mean, you're mom's probably sleeping or tired so no need to bother her. And my mom's is closer than Lily's." Meredith slid against the seat, her head falling back against the headrest.
"Sounds like a good plan." He smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Karen's house.
The ride to Karen's house wasn't long at all, under ten minutes. Lights were still on around the house and Eli could see his little sister, Jessie, bouncing around upstairs in her room. He helped Meredith out of the car and took the bags she had been holding. He led her to the front porch where he rang the doorbell. Karen answered and looked surprised to see him.
"I wasn't expecting to see you again tonight," she smiled as he kissed her cheek and walked into the house.
"Quick decision. Mom, this is Meredith. Meredith, this is my mom, Karen Sammler."
Karen and Meredith smiled at each other, exchanging quick small talk before Karen announced that she'd be doing work in her study.
In the kitchen, Eli set the bags on the counter and moved to the fridge. "Glasses are in the cabinet over there," he pointed to one near her. "Mind getting two out?" She nodded and he watched her as she took two glasses from the cabinet before shifting his attention back to the fridge. He pulled out two cans of Coca-Cola. "I hope Coke is okay. I mean, we have juice and water if you'd rather have that."
She smiled and shook her head, bringing the glasses over to him. "Coke's fine." She watched him for a moment as he poured two glasses, taking hers and thanking him as she moved over to the table, sliding into one of the chairs. "Did you wanna eat first and then watch a movie?"
He nodded and moved his food and drink over to the table. "But I'm gonna run upstairs and change first. I'm burning up in this hoodie." He didn't give her a chance to answer as he left the kitchen and ran up to his room.
On the way, he stopped, knocking on Jessie's door. "Hey, squirt. Turn the music down, I can hear it in the living room and mom's doing work." He stuck out his tongue before he shut the door and moved to his room. He cleaned quickly, if you could call shoving magazines under his bed and throwing clothes into his closet. He pulled off the hoodie and took a random tee shirt from his closet (smelling it first to make sure it was clean) before washing his face (and fixing his hair) and moving back to the kitchen.
Jessie was there asking Meredith a million questions. Eli waited as she finished answering what had to be something about how she knew Eli. He smiled before moving into the kitchen. "What are you doing, Jess, writing a biography?"
She made a face and took her popcorn from the microwave. She stuck her tongue out at him as she moved to leave the room. "Bye, Meredith."
"Bye," Meredith said as Jessie left to go back to her room. Eli slid into the seat across from her and smiled.
Eli devoured his food and Meredith raised an eyebrow at him. "Hungry, champ?" She grinned as he wiped his face with a napkin, blushing.
"Yeah, more than I realized." He stood to start clearing the table and she helped him put everything back. "Thanks," he smiled when she came back over to him.
She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Anytime. So, what movie and where?"
"Well, we could watch it in my room or the living room," he paused, looking down at his feet. He'd never been with a girl like Meredith, a girl who seemed to like him as much as he liked her with no pressure. And he didn't want to push her or make her think he wanted anything by going to his room, so he finished with "Let's go to the living room. There's a bigger TV and more room." She smiled as he led her into the living room. "Yours tonight, mine next time," he repeated his earlier suggestion.
From the living room, they could hear Karen singing along to Etta James. The couple exchanged smiles before Eli shook his head and moved to the TV and Meredith sat down on the couch. She let her flip-flops slide off of her feet as she pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
When the previews began, Eli moved back to the doorway, flicking off a light before settling down next to her on the couch. He pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch and offered half of it to he pulled part over his own legs. "Cold?" He asked when he noticed her shiver. She laughed softly, taking half of the blanket as her legs shifted to be under her body, knees towards him as she leaned closer to him. He smiled to himself as he wrapped one arm around the back of the couch, around her shoulders.
For almost the entire movie Meredith was either, hiding under the blanket, covering her face with her hands, pressing her face against Eli's shoulder so she couldn't see the TV or grabbing onto his arm and squeezing tightly as she squealed.
When the final credits started rolling, she peered her head out over the blanket and looked at the TV before she sheepishly turned to him. "Sorry, I forgot to warn you that I get a little scared sometimes."
Eli squeezed her closer to him for a moment before looking down at her. "Don't be sorry," he smiled. He placed his hand on the side of her face gently, his thumb resting on her chin softly, lifting it as he leaned forward. "No need for a warning," he whispered gently as his lips pressed against hers and his eyes closed.
The moment Eli's lips pressed against hers, his heart began to pound and he could practically feel the blood pumping in his veins, giving his tired body a rush of adrenaline and a new surge of energy. One hand found its way to the back of her neck, slipping underneath her silky hair and massaging it gently. The other hand rested on the side of her face, two fingers barely touching the skin. Never before had he felt so powerless, functioning purely on instinct and pure emotion. She tasted sweet, and to Eli, she was highly addicting. He could've spent the entire night there with her arms around him.
Meredith's body was trembling and her heart was pounding hard and fast in her chest. She wasn't quite sure how Eli wasn't aware of it but the moment their lips touched and his hand began to massage the back of her neck gently she had forgotten all about it. Her fingers danced up his back before bringing her hand to rest on the side of his face as he pulled away gently.
He bit down on her bottom lip gently as he pulled away slowly, even reluctantly. She licked her lips before pressing them together and looking down before she looked back up to him and smiled softly.
The rest of the night sped by two quickly for the young couple. Eli pulled out a yearbook and Meredith tried so hard to keep him away from seeing the section that was written for her. Comments from her mother and Aunt Monica and things that she had written about herself in her writing class. She leaned against the couch from her position on the floor, covering her face with her hands as he read her career ambition out loud.
"'To be and actress.'" He smiled when he looked up at her and she felt her cheeks turn red.
They fed each other Phish food and talked about high school memories and things they wanted to accomplish. Eli confided in her that he ultimately wanted to be a rock star. And she finally admitted that even though she'd probably end up a writer, she'd love to do film.
With a note that it was nearing nearly twelve-thirty in the morning, Meredith groaned and told him she had to leave.
Eli walked her to the door, hand-in-hand, both smiling. When they stepped out on the porch, he closed the door behind them carefully. She turned to face him, squeezing his hand gently. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'll see you tomorrow, I mean, if you aren't busy or anything." She looked down, shuffling her feet slightly. She didn't want to sound desperate or pushy but she wanted to see him tomorrow and the day after and the day after that.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You'll see me tomorrow." He let go of his hands before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "Sweet dreams."
Hugging him back, she closed her eyes before finally pulling away. "Thank you. You too." She smiled as she turned and walked down the walk to her car.
Eli watched until she was out of sight before sighing happily and turning to walk back into Karen's house. When he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it sighing softly as he slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor with his knees bent and his arms hanging over his knees. He felt his heart begin to slow as he tilted his head back and rested it on the door. When he looked back around the room he saw something on the floor next to the couch. Crawling over to it, he picked up Meredith's cell phone. A smile slid across his lips, now he'd have an excuse to see her tomorrow.
When Meredith turned the car on, the silence was taken by the poppy tune of New Found Glory's "Hit or Miss." She smiled and turned down the stereo slightly so that it wasn't too loud. "Sorry. I didn't mean to kill your eardrums." He laughed and shook his head. "It's okay, I always have it up loud."
She hummed along to the lyrics as Eli tapped his thighs to the beat. He was staring out of the window before he finally found something half- intelligent to say. "You and you're mother, you guys are close, huh? That's really cool."
She bit down on her bottom lip before she turned to look at him for a moment. She nodded her head slowly. "She's all I have," she said quietly, but loudly enough for him to hear her response. She smiled softly before turning back to the road, humming again.
Turning into Taco Bell's parking lot, she turned off the engine. "Still early enough to run in. Meet back here in ten minutes? I'll go get ice cream." She didn't give him a chance to answer before she climbed out of the car. She waited for him to get out before smiling across the hood at him. She blew him a kiss before scampering across the small road to the gas station.
Eli watched her go for a minute, shaking his head as he turned and walked into Taco Bell.
Five minutes passed before Eli walked out into the parking lot. Meredith wasn't there yet and he smiled, leaning against the car. Soon enough he saw the door to the gas station's mini-mart open and she came out, carrying two white plastic bags.
When she made it over to him, she sighed softly and grinned looking up at him. "And drink!" She held up the half gallon of Turkey Hill raspberry iced tea that she loved." Then, pulling out her keys she handed them to him -- well, more like shoved them into his hand. "Mind driving?"
Eli stared at the keys, then brought his gaze to look up at her. "Are you sure?" He couldn't believe she was letting him drive. She trusted him that much. When she nodded and kissed his cheek, he opened the door for her until she climbed in, handing her the bags that she situated at her feet. He shut the door carefully before walking around to the driver's side and climbing in.
He tried to drive cautiously, but not like an eighty-year-old woman who never exceeded thirty miles an hour, even in a forty-five zone. Just, careful.
"Oh hey," he finally said when he relaxed a bit. "I forgot to tell you that Wink said to say hello to you. He was bummed that he never got to say good-bye last night." He smiled when he looked over to her. "I didn't bother to tell him that he spent most of the night talking to a plant. I figured that would just crush him." They both laughed and Meredith shook her head.
"That was nice of him."
Eli pulled into the blockbuster parking lot which was littered with just a few cars, most of which belonged to employees working late. Eli turned the car off and hopped out quickly so that he could open the door for her. Meredith smiled and waited for him to come around and open the door. "Thank you," she said when she climbed out. He smiled and closed the door behind her before following her into the store.
The girl behind the counter, Amy, who had attended high school with them, greeted them cheerfully. The couple greeted her back as they walked through the isle to the new releases. Eli laid his hand at the small of her back gently as he walked next to her. "So, what are you in the mood for?"
She tilted his head towards his slightly as they walked together and she scanned over the movie titles that stood in front of them. "I'm not sure, what about you?"
"I can't say I've seen anything good in a while. I like weird stuff like Swordfish and Pulp Fiction's my favorite movie." He kissed her cheek, moving his hand up her back so that his arm could wrap around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Okay, idea. Why don't you go pick out a movie and I'll pick out a movie and we can watch yours tonight and mine next time?"
She smiled and nodded her head. He kissed her cheek before walking towards the other side of the store. She just smiled as she watched him go. She was usually found in the old release section, renting classics like "Casablanca" or "Pretty in Pink" or "Sixteen Candles." She rented new releases every so often, but usually she just went to the theater to see them.
As she roamed through the titles, she pressed her lips together. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to see. Finally, after debating between Moulin Rouge (for the millionth time) or Thirteen Ghosts, she went with the scarier of the two, taking Thirteen Ghosts off of the shelf and making her way back to Eli.
Eli smiled to himself as he looked through the shelves of movies. He couldn't believe how wonderful the night was going. It was simply amazing. That was the only word that came close to describing how he felt around her. It was the only word that could come close to describing everything about her. Two nights of seeing him and she wasn't showing signs of running away screaming and flailing her arms in the air.
He sighed softly before finally letting his gaze fall on "the Others." With a nod, he picked it off the shelf. "Halfway creepy," he murmured before turning to find what she had picked.
When they met, she wrapped her hand around his before looking to see what he picked. "Oooh, Nicole Kidman, she's so great." She lifted hers to show him. "Scary, but I couldn't think of anything else."
He laughed softly as he led her to the counter. Amy greeted them, chatting with both of them about what was going on since school was over and she couldn't help but adding how cute it was to see them together (although, she never would have guessed in a million years!). Eli insisted on paying, but Meredith made him use her card so that any late returns would be on her.
When they had paid, they said good-bye to Amy and left the store. She smiled and pulled him close when they reached the car, kissing him softly. She let go of his hand, exchanging the bag for her keys. "I don't feel like driving anymore."
When they were in the car Eli turned to look at her. "So, where too?" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "We could go to my mom's. I mean, you're mom's probably sleeping or tired so no need to bother her. And my mom's is closer than Lily's." Meredith slid against the seat, her head falling back against the headrest.
"Sounds like a good plan." He smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Karen's house.
The ride to Karen's house wasn't long at all, under ten minutes. Lights were still on around the house and Eli could see his little sister, Jessie, bouncing around upstairs in her room. He helped Meredith out of the car and took the bags she had been holding. He led her to the front porch where he rang the doorbell. Karen answered and looked surprised to see him.
"I wasn't expecting to see you again tonight," she smiled as he kissed her cheek and walked into the house.
"Quick decision. Mom, this is Meredith. Meredith, this is my mom, Karen Sammler."
Karen and Meredith smiled at each other, exchanging quick small talk before Karen announced that she'd be doing work in her study.
In the kitchen, Eli set the bags on the counter and moved to the fridge. "Glasses are in the cabinet over there," he pointed to one near her. "Mind getting two out?" She nodded and he watched her as she took two glasses from the cabinet before shifting his attention back to the fridge. He pulled out two cans of Coca-Cola. "I hope Coke is okay. I mean, we have juice and water if you'd rather have that."
She smiled and shook her head, bringing the glasses over to him. "Coke's fine." She watched him for a moment as he poured two glasses, taking hers and thanking him as she moved over to the table, sliding into one of the chairs. "Did you wanna eat first and then watch a movie?"
He nodded and moved his food and drink over to the table. "But I'm gonna run upstairs and change first. I'm burning up in this hoodie." He didn't give her a chance to answer as he left the kitchen and ran up to his room.
On the way, he stopped, knocking on Jessie's door. "Hey, squirt. Turn the music down, I can hear it in the living room and mom's doing work." He stuck out his tongue before he shut the door and moved to his room. He cleaned quickly, if you could call shoving magazines under his bed and throwing clothes into his closet. He pulled off the hoodie and took a random tee shirt from his closet (smelling it first to make sure it was clean) before washing his face (and fixing his hair) and moving back to the kitchen.
Jessie was there asking Meredith a million questions. Eli waited as she finished answering what had to be something about how she knew Eli. He smiled before moving into the kitchen. "What are you doing, Jess, writing a biography?"
She made a face and took her popcorn from the microwave. She stuck her tongue out at him as she moved to leave the room. "Bye, Meredith."
"Bye," Meredith said as Jessie left to go back to her room. Eli slid into the seat across from her and smiled.
Eli devoured his food and Meredith raised an eyebrow at him. "Hungry, champ?" She grinned as he wiped his face with a napkin, blushing.
"Yeah, more than I realized." He stood to start clearing the table and she helped him put everything back. "Thanks," he smiled when she came back over to him.
She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Anytime. So, what movie and where?"
"Well, we could watch it in my room or the living room," he paused, looking down at his feet. He'd never been with a girl like Meredith, a girl who seemed to like him as much as he liked her with no pressure. And he didn't want to push her or make her think he wanted anything by going to his room, so he finished with "Let's go to the living room. There's a bigger TV and more room." She smiled as he led her into the living room. "Yours tonight, mine next time," he repeated his earlier suggestion.
From the living room, they could hear Karen singing along to Etta James. The couple exchanged smiles before Eli shook his head and moved to the TV and Meredith sat down on the couch. She let her flip-flops slide off of her feet as she pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
When the previews began, Eli moved back to the doorway, flicking off a light before settling down next to her on the couch. He pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch and offered half of it to he pulled part over his own legs. "Cold?" He asked when he noticed her shiver. She laughed softly, taking half of the blanket as her legs shifted to be under her body, knees towards him as she leaned closer to him. He smiled to himself as he wrapped one arm around the back of the couch, around her shoulders.
For almost the entire movie Meredith was either, hiding under the blanket, covering her face with her hands, pressing her face against Eli's shoulder so she couldn't see the TV or grabbing onto his arm and squeezing tightly as she squealed.
When the final credits started rolling, she peered her head out over the blanket and looked at the TV before she sheepishly turned to him. "Sorry, I forgot to warn you that I get a little scared sometimes."
Eli squeezed her closer to him for a moment before looking down at her. "Don't be sorry," he smiled. He placed his hand on the side of her face gently, his thumb resting on her chin softly, lifting it as he leaned forward. "No need for a warning," he whispered gently as his lips pressed against hers and his eyes closed.
The moment Eli's lips pressed against hers, his heart began to pound and he could practically feel the blood pumping in his veins, giving his tired body a rush of adrenaline and a new surge of energy. One hand found its way to the back of her neck, slipping underneath her silky hair and massaging it gently. The other hand rested on the side of her face, two fingers barely touching the skin. Never before had he felt so powerless, functioning purely on instinct and pure emotion. She tasted sweet, and to Eli, she was highly addicting. He could've spent the entire night there with her arms around him.
Meredith's body was trembling and her heart was pounding hard and fast in her chest. She wasn't quite sure how Eli wasn't aware of it but the moment their lips touched and his hand began to massage the back of her neck gently she had forgotten all about it. Her fingers danced up his back before bringing her hand to rest on the side of his face as he pulled away gently.
He bit down on her bottom lip gently as he pulled away slowly, even reluctantly. She licked her lips before pressing them together and looking down before she looked back up to him and smiled softly.
The rest of the night sped by two quickly for the young couple. Eli pulled out a yearbook and Meredith tried so hard to keep him away from seeing the section that was written for her. Comments from her mother and Aunt Monica and things that she had written about herself in her writing class. She leaned against the couch from her position on the floor, covering her face with her hands as he read her career ambition out loud.
"'To be and actress.'" He smiled when he looked up at her and she felt her cheeks turn red.
They fed each other Phish food and talked about high school memories and things they wanted to accomplish. Eli confided in her that he ultimately wanted to be a rock star. And she finally admitted that even though she'd probably end up a writer, she'd love to do film.
With a note that it was nearing nearly twelve-thirty in the morning, Meredith groaned and told him she had to leave.
Eli walked her to the door, hand-in-hand, both smiling. When they stepped out on the porch, he closed the door behind them carefully. She turned to face him, squeezing his hand gently. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'll see you tomorrow, I mean, if you aren't busy or anything." She looked down, shuffling her feet slightly. She didn't want to sound desperate or pushy but she wanted to see him tomorrow and the day after and the day after that.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You'll see me tomorrow." He let go of his hands before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "Sweet dreams."
Hugging him back, she closed her eyes before finally pulling away. "Thank you. You too." She smiled as she turned and walked down the walk to her car.
Eli watched until she was out of sight before sighing happily and turning to walk back into Karen's house. When he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it sighing softly as he slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor with his knees bent and his arms hanging over his knees. He felt his heart begin to slow as he tilted his head back and rested it on the door. When he looked back around the room he saw something on the floor next to the couch. Crawling over to it, he picked up Meredith's cell phone. A smile slid across his lips, now he'd have an excuse to see her tomorrow.