~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Hey, thanks all for reading. And thanks for the reviews. I've always been scared to read my reviews in case people didn't like what I was putting out there. Hopefully, you'll also like what's going to be coming up. More Eli/Grace/Dmitri entanglement! So, on with the show.
Chapter four// I think he likes you
Thursday morning turned out to be one of those mornings where nothing goes right and everything seems to be getting on your nerves. Grace started the morning off bad by waking up late. Silly her, with all this stuff on her mind, she forgot to turn on the alarm on her clock. Jessie and Zoe arguing in the hallway finally woke her up. She looked at the clock and realized that she had only twenty minutes before her mother would drive them to school.
So, she hurried and dressed, thankful for her habit of showering in the evenings. Then of course, she didn't have any matching socks and had to steal a pair from her mother's dresser. And after that, she couldn't get a knot out of her shoelaces, and had to give up and wear some old ugly tennis shoes from a few years ago. Of course by that time her mother and Zoe were already yelling up the stairs for her and she had to run out to meet the car. And of course, Zoe had claimed the front seat, so Grace had to sit next to Jessie, who was definitely mad at her. Then, later on that morning she realized she had forgotten her history book and the teacher called her unprepared and marked it in his grade book. Mr. Wiese was so unfair.
Grace had planned to write the rest of Augustus' letter, but of course that didn't happen. So much for her idea of them secretly passing romantic love letters. By the time she got to her English class, which Augustus taught, Grace was feeling extremely lousy. She made herself not daydream about Augustus throughout the class (but it was so hard) and instead concentrated on what he was saying. She forced herself to think of him as Mr. Dmitri and that helped some. A few times their eyes met for brief moments and Grace felt a hundred times better when class was over. She was already thinking of ways she could be alone with him.
So, after school, Grace put her plan into action. She grabbed some food from the vending machines and headed to the auditorium. They had a dress rehearsal at 4:30 today, and most people wouldn't show up till after 4, or so she hoped. Usually, the play people went home after school and did a little homework and ate an early supper. If there was someone who wanted to show up early for help with lines or something, Grace hoped they wouldn't come till at least a quarter till four. So, it was 3:20 now, and she could have Augustus to herself for 25 minutes if all went well.
As soon as Grace entered the auditorium, she realized her plans had just been thrown in the trash. Jessie sat in the front row, of the seats and looked like she was doing homework. Grace's shoulders fell as she walked up the aisle, "Hi Jessie."
Jessie turned and mumbled a greeting and Grace remembered Jessie was mad at her. Grace looked around; there was no sign of Mr. Dmitri, but he might be backstage -alone backstage. Maybe Grace could sneak a quick kiss. She began to head up the stage stairs, when Jessie called out to her.
"Grace, are you mad at me?"
Grace, turned, disappointed, but glad she and Jessie could clear the air, "No, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry about last night. I was being a bitch."
Jessie smiled, "Yeah, a little."
"And I'm sorry I didn't help you get ready for your date with Tad. I got busy, and, well I'm just sorry."
Jessie shrugged, "That's okay. It wasn't much of a date anyways. I don't think I like like him, you know?"
Grace sat down in the auditorium seat next to Jessie, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm glad we cleared the air."
"Me too. Will you help me rehearse some of my lines?"
"Sure." Grace pulled out her script, although she practically knew every single line in the play by heart. "Which scene?" Jessie was silent and Grace looked up. She looked like she wanted to say something. "Jessie?"
"Grace, is something going on with you and my brother?" Jessie finally asked.
"Eli? You mean like--"
"Like are you dating him?"
"Oh, no, Jessie," Grace didn't know where Jessie got this idea from but when she first asked her question, Grace was sure she was going to ask 'Grace, is there something going on with you and Mr. Dmitri?' Thank god she didn't.
"Oh, cause I think he likes you."
Grace laughed, "What? Jessie, he's my stepbrother. That's like wrong."
Jessie shrugged, "Well, you're not blood related. I don't think it's legally wrong."
Grace smiled, "Well, I don't think Eli likes me like that. What gave you that idea anyways?"
"Just the way he's been looking at you lately. I wasn't sure if you guys had something secret going on, so that's why I asked."
"Nothing's going on between me and Eli, trust me, kiddo." Grace pulled out her vending machine goodies, "Want some chips?"
Jessie nodded and took a handful. "Kiddo is Eli's word," Jessie said suddenly. She looked at Grace with questioning eyes.
Grace shifted under the stare of Jessie's eyes. She remembered last night: Eli calling her kiddo and then looking at her with admiration. Was it possible he liked her? Jessie sure seemed to think so. But, still, Grace couldn't believe it.
"Hey girls, you sure are early," Augustus' voice rang out in the aisle.
They both turned and greeted him. Grace was glad for the distraction. She'd be even happier if Jessie wasn't there right now and she could just run into Augustus' arms and kiss him. Jessie turned away and dug in her backpack for her script. "Mr. Dmitri, I had a question about the last scene. I was hoping we could run through a few lines," Jessie said as she looked for her script. Grace and Augustus shared a secret smile as Jessie was looking away.
"Did you want to get in costume first? It might help put you in character." Augustus suggested.
"Really? Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll be right back." Jessie went off to backstage in search of her costume.
Augustus walked over to where Grace stood. "What about you, pretty lady, do you need some help?" He whispered.
Grace smiled up at him and they both quickly surveyed the room. Empty. They shared a quick small kiss. Grace sighed as they pulled away, "I just wish it didn't have to be like this."
Augustus sighed with her, "Me too. So, what's this about you and Eli?"
Grace laughed, "You heard that? Oh, boy, Jessie thinks her brother likes me, but that's totally not true, and it's like wrong or something. I mean, he's my stepbrother. Our parents are married. Besides, I have you."
"Yeah, well, Grace, what we doing isn't exactly legal either. In fact if anyone found out about us, they could take my teaching rights away and possibly even put me in jail."
"That would never happen! I wouldn't let it," Grace cried.
"There's nothing you could do to stop it, if it came down to that. You're a minor, I'm a teacher, case closed. That's why we have to be extra careful. No one can know." Augustus looked deeply in her eyes, and Grace saw how much it hurt him to have to have their relationship be like this. Grace thought about mentioning that Eli kind of knew about them, but decided against it. Eli wouldn't rat on them, and he didn't have any proof, just a hunch.
Jessie came out on stage, looking cute, but slightly uncomfortable in her big fluffy skirt. "I'm ready, Mr. Dmitri."
Grace sat back down and watched them rehearse. She felt like crying. Why couldn't her life be easier? If Augustus had been younger, or she older, it wouldn't be a big deal. If they lived in the past, it wouldn't be a big deal either. Back then, 15 year old girls often married men who were like 40. It just wasn't a big deal. Also back then cousins were married, Grace thought, thinking of Eli. Was it possible what Jessie had been saying was true? And, why did she care so much when she had Augustus?
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Hey, thanks all for reading. And thanks for the reviews. I've always been scared to read my reviews in case people didn't like what I was putting out there. Hopefully, you'll also like what's going to be coming up. More Eli/Grace/Dmitri entanglement! So, on with the show.
Chapter four// I think he likes you
Thursday morning turned out to be one of those mornings where nothing goes right and everything seems to be getting on your nerves. Grace started the morning off bad by waking up late. Silly her, with all this stuff on her mind, she forgot to turn on the alarm on her clock. Jessie and Zoe arguing in the hallway finally woke her up. She looked at the clock and realized that she had only twenty minutes before her mother would drive them to school.
So, she hurried and dressed, thankful for her habit of showering in the evenings. Then of course, she didn't have any matching socks and had to steal a pair from her mother's dresser. And after that, she couldn't get a knot out of her shoelaces, and had to give up and wear some old ugly tennis shoes from a few years ago. Of course by that time her mother and Zoe were already yelling up the stairs for her and she had to run out to meet the car. And of course, Zoe had claimed the front seat, so Grace had to sit next to Jessie, who was definitely mad at her. Then, later on that morning she realized she had forgotten her history book and the teacher called her unprepared and marked it in his grade book. Mr. Wiese was so unfair.
Grace had planned to write the rest of Augustus' letter, but of course that didn't happen. So much for her idea of them secretly passing romantic love letters. By the time she got to her English class, which Augustus taught, Grace was feeling extremely lousy. She made herself not daydream about Augustus throughout the class (but it was so hard) and instead concentrated on what he was saying. She forced herself to think of him as Mr. Dmitri and that helped some. A few times their eyes met for brief moments and Grace felt a hundred times better when class was over. She was already thinking of ways she could be alone with him.
So, after school, Grace put her plan into action. She grabbed some food from the vending machines and headed to the auditorium. They had a dress rehearsal at 4:30 today, and most people wouldn't show up till after 4, or so she hoped. Usually, the play people went home after school and did a little homework and ate an early supper. If there was someone who wanted to show up early for help with lines or something, Grace hoped they wouldn't come till at least a quarter till four. So, it was 3:20 now, and she could have Augustus to herself for 25 minutes if all went well.
As soon as Grace entered the auditorium, she realized her plans had just been thrown in the trash. Jessie sat in the front row, of the seats and looked like she was doing homework. Grace's shoulders fell as she walked up the aisle, "Hi Jessie."
Jessie turned and mumbled a greeting and Grace remembered Jessie was mad at her. Grace looked around; there was no sign of Mr. Dmitri, but he might be backstage -alone backstage. Maybe Grace could sneak a quick kiss. She began to head up the stage stairs, when Jessie called out to her.
"Grace, are you mad at me?"
Grace, turned, disappointed, but glad she and Jessie could clear the air, "No, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry about last night. I was being a bitch."
Jessie smiled, "Yeah, a little."
"And I'm sorry I didn't help you get ready for your date with Tad. I got busy, and, well I'm just sorry."
Jessie shrugged, "That's okay. It wasn't much of a date anyways. I don't think I like like him, you know?"
Grace sat down in the auditorium seat next to Jessie, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm glad we cleared the air."
"Me too. Will you help me rehearse some of my lines?"
"Sure." Grace pulled out her script, although she practically knew every single line in the play by heart. "Which scene?" Jessie was silent and Grace looked up. She looked like she wanted to say something. "Jessie?"
"Grace, is something going on with you and my brother?" Jessie finally asked.
"Eli? You mean like--"
"Like are you dating him?"
"Oh, no, Jessie," Grace didn't know where Jessie got this idea from but when she first asked her question, Grace was sure she was going to ask 'Grace, is there something going on with you and Mr. Dmitri?' Thank god she didn't.
"Oh, cause I think he likes you."
Grace laughed, "What? Jessie, he's my stepbrother. That's like wrong."
Jessie shrugged, "Well, you're not blood related. I don't think it's legally wrong."
Grace smiled, "Well, I don't think Eli likes me like that. What gave you that idea anyways?"
"Just the way he's been looking at you lately. I wasn't sure if you guys had something secret going on, so that's why I asked."
"Nothing's going on between me and Eli, trust me, kiddo." Grace pulled out her vending machine goodies, "Want some chips?"
Jessie nodded and took a handful. "Kiddo is Eli's word," Jessie said suddenly. She looked at Grace with questioning eyes.
Grace shifted under the stare of Jessie's eyes. She remembered last night: Eli calling her kiddo and then looking at her with admiration. Was it possible he liked her? Jessie sure seemed to think so. But, still, Grace couldn't believe it.
"Hey girls, you sure are early," Augustus' voice rang out in the aisle.
They both turned and greeted him. Grace was glad for the distraction. She'd be even happier if Jessie wasn't there right now and she could just run into Augustus' arms and kiss him. Jessie turned away and dug in her backpack for her script. "Mr. Dmitri, I had a question about the last scene. I was hoping we could run through a few lines," Jessie said as she looked for her script. Grace and Augustus shared a secret smile as Jessie was looking away.
"Did you want to get in costume first? It might help put you in character." Augustus suggested.
"Really? Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll be right back." Jessie went off to backstage in search of her costume.
Augustus walked over to where Grace stood. "What about you, pretty lady, do you need some help?" He whispered.
Grace smiled up at him and they both quickly surveyed the room. Empty. They shared a quick small kiss. Grace sighed as they pulled away, "I just wish it didn't have to be like this."
Augustus sighed with her, "Me too. So, what's this about you and Eli?"
Grace laughed, "You heard that? Oh, boy, Jessie thinks her brother likes me, but that's totally not true, and it's like wrong or something. I mean, he's my stepbrother. Our parents are married. Besides, I have you."
"Yeah, well, Grace, what we doing isn't exactly legal either. In fact if anyone found out about us, they could take my teaching rights away and possibly even put me in jail."
"That would never happen! I wouldn't let it," Grace cried.
"There's nothing you could do to stop it, if it came down to that. You're a minor, I'm a teacher, case closed. That's why we have to be extra careful. No one can know." Augustus looked deeply in her eyes, and Grace saw how much it hurt him to have to have their relationship be like this. Grace thought about mentioning that Eli kind of knew about them, but decided against it. Eli wouldn't rat on them, and he didn't have any proof, just a hunch.
Jessie came out on stage, looking cute, but slightly uncomfortable in her big fluffy skirt. "I'm ready, Mr. Dmitri."
Grace sat back down and watched them rehearse. She felt like crying. Why couldn't her life be easier? If Augustus had been younger, or she older, it wouldn't be a big deal. If they lived in the past, it wouldn't be a big deal either. Back then, 15 year old girls often married men who were like 40. It just wasn't a big deal. Also back then cousins were married, Grace thought, thinking of Eli. Was it possible what Jessie had been saying was true? And, why did she care so much when she had Augustus?
* * *