~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Thanks once again for reading, everyone. I've been trying to keep writing when I can, because soon classes start up again and I won't have as much free time. I just watched the Experience is the Teacher rerun, aw, sweet bliss, but why did it have to end like this? I've always loved Grace and Dimitri together and also loved Eli and Grace together. But which one should win the fair lady's heart? If only ABC hadn't been stupid and stopped the show. Julia (Grace) is by far an amazing actress. That little frustrated spin she did when Lily interrupted her "wine tasting" with Dimitri gets me every time. Anyways, on to the show!
Chapter 13// The good, the bad and the ugly
Eli woke first. He stared accusingly at the room, which was filled with gentle sunlight. The sunlight seemed so wrong. Sunlight was a thing of walks in the park, and sandcastles on the beach, it didn't belong here. Not on the day after his mother's death. But, God works in mysterious ways or so they say.
A slim arm was wrapped around his own and Eli looked down at his sleeping sister. Even in sleep, life must be chasing her, as Jessie's brow was furrowed and her mouth drawn tight. Eli sat up, gently easing himself away from Jessie's clutch. He know saw Grace on the other side of Jessie. Grace's face was expressionless in her sleep, she reminded him of sleeping beauty at the moment, with her hair fluttered out on the pillow, just waiting for her prince to come.
Eli couldn't break his stare from Grace's sleeping form. She had saved him. She had made him face reality and not lock himself away. She had done more than she or anyone would ever realize. She had taken his hand while he stood on the brink of nothingness, pure blissful nothingness. It would have been so easy to take that final step and send himself over the edge, where nothing would ever hurt him again. He had heard her voice, calling him back to life, back to pain and sadness. She had cried and he had found himself and had been able to hold her as she cried and she returned the favor for him. Grace had saved him from stepping out one step too far, made him come back and he loved her for that.
But, in truth, he had loved her long before yesterday, long before last week and long before last month. Eli didn't know where it began; it just seemed to grow slowly, gaining more ground in his heart as time went on. It wasn't the fairly tale love at first sight that most people expected, instead it had been a pleasant surprise as this wonderful girl slowly took up more room in his heart and thoughts. Eli began to recognize what he felt as love and it scared him to his core. How could he love a girl who was so off-limits to him? They had nothing in common, and sometimes their conversations were strained and awkward. But, it had stayed the same in his heart, nothing could make it go away, he loved her. He fought against it, dating girls who purposefully the opposite of Grace, the kind of girls he told himself he should love and be with. But it hadn't worked and each relationship ended with a sigh of relief as Eli could go back to concentrating his thoughts fully on just Grace. He knew he was in too deep and now Grace was in love with someone else. And Mr. Dimitri was fully the ideal man Eli had always pictured would be right for Grace. Eli had been too slow and someone else had stolen the girl, only she wasn't ever his to steal from anyways. Grace was special and Eli should have known someone else would see that too, and he waited too long. He made his move after Dimitri was in the picture and had only caused Grace pain as she had clearly made her choice. Eli was only the tomato soup to his chicken noodle.. the back burner to his front burner. It hurt. But it seemed like everything hurt these days. He lost his mother and there was no words to describe the hurt that created. It was too painful, too fresh.
Grace awoke second, sitting up on Eli's bed and stretching her sore limbs from sharing a bed with two other people. She turned to him, without words they greeted each other. Eli's eyes were fresh with tears and Grace moved to him.
"I just keep hearing her voice, it's still so clear to me. I don't understand how it can be like this? I can still smell her shampoo and see the tinkle in her eyes when she laughed. How can she be gone?" Eli asked. Grace hugged him, not knowing what words to say. Eli continued, "She used to sing that song to me as a little kid, 'Hush, now baby, don't say a word, momma's going buy you a mocking bird..'. She used to love to swim, we used to swim together. It's not right; I can still see the way she would smile over her coffee in the morning, waking up to another day. And how she would always put both of her shoes on and then tie them."
"I can still feel how soft her hands used to be," Jessie added from the bed. Eli and Grace sat down on the edge of the bed and they remembered what was there only a day before and now was gone.
* * *
Augustus never expected to see her face today. He had resigned himself to not seeing her again for the next few days. But here she was, leaning up against his car, waiting for him. "Grace."
Grace smiled lightly at him. "Hey."
Augustus went to take her into a hug, but all too soon realized the hundreds of witnesses walking past as the school departed for the day. "Want to go for a drive?"
Grace nodded and Augustus unlocked his car. They were silent until they reached the parking lot. Augustus turned and looked at her as he parked, but her eyes were surveying the empty lot. "Grace?"
"I came here with Eli once, you know," Grace paused, waiting for a reaction from Augustus. When she didn't get one, she continued, "It was last Saturday.. wow, that seems like an eternity ago. He gave me a ride home after the play, he stopped here." Grace waited for him to say anything. She looked at him, but he was staring out the windshield. "He kissed me, and I kissed him back."
"Saturday?" Augustus said finally.
"Yeah, and after the kiss, I told him it was a mistake. I knew it was a mistake, I still know it was a mistake."
"Yeah, well.. that's good." Augustus sighed, "But was it really a mistake?"
"Yes! God, yes!" Grace grabbed his arm, "I knew it was you I wanted to be with. Sunday confirmed everything. What you and I have is so much more important than a silly kiss and a crush."
"Who's crush?" Augustus asked abruptly.
"Eli's crush, on me!"
"But do you like him too, Grace?" Augustus demanded.
"No.. well, I'll be honest with you, yeah, I have some feelings for him still. But since I became involved with you, I put those feelings aside! You're the one I want!" Grace was mad she ever brought the kiss up. If it ruined things between them.. Grace sighed.
"But you kissed him back, those feelings slipped out once, who's to say they won't again?"
"Because I love you! I love you! Whatever I felt about Eli is nothing compared to that!" Grace wished she could make things clear to him.
"Grace, maybe it would be better if you did just choose Eli." Augustus looked straight at her, his face a mask hidden any emotions.
"How can you say that? How can you?" Grace cried out. She took a deep breath and calmed down, "Sometimes I think you got yourself into something that you don't have the courage to follow through in. If you love me, then you owe it to me to give me all that you have and try your hardest to keep us afloat."
Augustus finally smiled and took her hand in his, "You're right. I owe you that. Sometimes, I just need reminding."
Grace smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be here to make sure you don't forget."
They leaned over the seats and shared a warming kiss. Grace drew his love from that kiss and felt renewed. She needed a reminder after the past day of the good things in life. They parted and Augustus grinned and laughed.
"Katie knows about us." He said.
Grace nodded, "I kinda figured."
"I didn't realize she and your sister.."
Grace shrugged, "Life has its surprises. The good, the bad and the ugly."
"Yes, you were a very good surprise to me, Grace." They shared a moment of looking at each other and met again for a deeper longer kiss. Grace unbuckled her seatbelt for more closeness. Their hands met and the fingers entwined together, her long beautiful pale fingers and his callused freckled fingers joined in unity.
Grace waited the appropriate time after they stopped kissing before she brought it up. She didn't want to sound morbid, but death is never anything but. "Karen's funeral is tomorrow, at six in the evening."
"Where?"
"Forrest View Funeral Home. I'd like it if you could come." Grace looked into his unreadable eyes. "Don't worry about my family seeing you and me together. We'll get around it.. I just want someone to be there for me."
"Yeah."
"You will?"
"Yes." Augustus looked deeply in her eyes, "But Grace, we can't just throw caution to the wind. Things could get bad if people found out about us."
"I know. We'll be careful. Even if I can just see your face or look into your eyes, it would help." Grace took his hand and they both smiled at each other. It was amazing how much they were growing to need each other.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Thanks once again for reading, everyone. I've been trying to keep writing when I can, because soon classes start up again and I won't have as much free time. I just watched the Experience is the Teacher rerun, aw, sweet bliss, but why did it have to end like this? I've always loved Grace and Dimitri together and also loved Eli and Grace together. But which one should win the fair lady's heart? If only ABC hadn't been stupid and stopped the show. Julia (Grace) is by far an amazing actress. That little frustrated spin she did when Lily interrupted her "wine tasting" with Dimitri gets me every time. Anyways, on to the show!
Chapter 13// The good, the bad and the ugly
Eli woke first. He stared accusingly at the room, which was filled with gentle sunlight. The sunlight seemed so wrong. Sunlight was a thing of walks in the park, and sandcastles on the beach, it didn't belong here. Not on the day after his mother's death. But, God works in mysterious ways or so they say.
A slim arm was wrapped around his own and Eli looked down at his sleeping sister. Even in sleep, life must be chasing her, as Jessie's brow was furrowed and her mouth drawn tight. Eli sat up, gently easing himself away from Jessie's clutch. He know saw Grace on the other side of Jessie. Grace's face was expressionless in her sleep, she reminded him of sleeping beauty at the moment, with her hair fluttered out on the pillow, just waiting for her prince to come.
Eli couldn't break his stare from Grace's sleeping form. She had saved him. She had made him face reality and not lock himself away. She had done more than she or anyone would ever realize. She had taken his hand while he stood on the brink of nothingness, pure blissful nothingness. It would have been so easy to take that final step and send himself over the edge, where nothing would ever hurt him again. He had heard her voice, calling him back to life, back to pain and sadness. She had cried and he had found himself and had been able to hold her as she cried and she returned the favor for him. Grace had saved him from stepping out one step too far, made him come back and he loved her for that.
But, in truth, he had loved her long before yesterday, long before last week and long before last month. Eli didn't know where it began; it just seemed to grow slowly, gaining more ground in his heart as time went on. It wasn't the fairly tale love at first sight that most people expected, instead it had been a pleasant surprise as this wonderful girl slowly took up more room in his heart and thoughts. Eli began to recognize what he felt as love and it scared him to his core. How could he love a girl who was so off-limits to him? They had nothing in common, and sometimes their conversations were strained and awkward. But, it had stayed the same in his heart, nothing could make it go away, he loved her. He fought against it, dating girls who purposefully the opposite of Grace, the kind of girls he told himself he should love and be with. But it hadn't worked and each relationship ended with a sigh of relief as Eli could go back to concentrating his thoughts fully on just Grace. He knew he was in too deep and now Grace was in love with someone else. And Mr. Dimitri was fully the ideal man Eli had always pictured would be right for Grace. Eli had been too slow and someone else had stolen the girl, only she wasn't ever his to steal from anyways. Grace was special and Eli should have known someone else would see that too, and he waited too long. He made his move after Dimitri was in the picture and had only caused Grace pain as she had clearly made her choice. Eli was only the tomato soup to his chicken noodle.. the back burner to his front burner. It hurt. But it seemed like everything hurt these days. He lost his mother and there was no words to describe the hurt that created. It was too painful, too fresh.
Grace awoke second, sitting up on Eli's bed and stretching her sore limbs from sharing a bed with two other people. She turned to him, without words they greeted each other. Eli's eyes were fresh with tears and Grace moved to him.
"I just keep hearing her voice, it's still so clear to me. I don't understand how it can be like this? I can still smell her shampoo and see the tinkle in her eyes when she laughed. How can she be gone?" Eli asked. Grace hugged him, not knowing what words to say. Eli continued, "She used to sing that song to me as a little kid, 'Hush, now baby, don't say a word, momma's going buy you a mocking bird..'. She used to love to swim, we used to swim together. It's not right; I can still see the way she would smile over her coffee in the morning, waking up to another day. And how she would always put both of her shoes on and then tie them."
"I can still feel how soft her hands used to be," Jessie added from the bed. Eli and Grace sat down on the edge of the bed and they remembered what was there only a day before and now was gone.
* * *
Augustus never expected to see her face today. He had resigned himself to not seeing her again for the next few days. But here she was, leaning up against his car, waiting for him. "Grace."
Grace smiled lightly at him. "Hey."
Augustus went to take her into a hug, but all too soon realized the hundreds of witnesses walking past as the school departed for the day. "Want to go for a drive?"
Grace nodded and Augustus unlocked his car. They were silent until they reached the parking lot. Augustus turned and looked at her as he parked, but her eyes were surveying the empty lot. "Grace?"
"I came here with Eli once, you know," Grace paused, waiting for a reaction from Augustus. When she didn't get one, she continued, "It was last Saturday.. wow, that seems like an eternity ago. He gave me a ride home after the play, he stopped here." Grace waited for him to say anything. She looked at him, but he was staring out the windshield. "He kissed me, and I kissed him back."
"Saturday?" Augustus said finally.
"Yeah, and after the kiss, I told him it was a mistake. I knew it was a mistake, I still know it was a mistake."
"Yeah, well.. that's good." Augustus sighed, "But was it really a mistake?"
"Yes! God, yes!" Grace grabbed his arm, "I knew it was you I wanted to be with. Sunday confirmed everything. What you and I have is so much more important than a silly kiss and a crush."
"Who's crush?" Augustus asked abruptly.
"Eli's crush, on me!"
"But do you like him too, Grace?" Augustus demanded.
"No.. well, I'll be honest with you, yeah, I have some feelings for him still. But since I became involved with you, I put those feelings aside! You're the one I want!" Grace was mad she ever brought the kiss up. If it ruined things between them.. Grace sighed.
"But you kissed him back, those feelings slipped out once, who's to say they won't again?"
"Because I love you! I love you! Whatever I felt about Eli is nothing compared to that!" Grace wished she could make things clear to him.
"Grace, maybe it would be better if you did just choose Eli." Augustus looked straight at her, his face a mask hidden any emotions.
"How can you say that? How can you?" Grace cried out. She took a deep breath and calmed down, "Sometimes I think you got yourself into something that you don't have the courage to follow through in. If you love me, then you owe it to me to give me all that you have and try your hardest to keep us afloat."
Augustus finally smiled and took her hand in his, "You're right. I owe you that. Sometimes, I just need reminding."
Grace smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be here to make sure you don't forget."
They leaned over the seats and shared a warming kiss. Grace drew his love from that kiss and felt renewed. She needed a reminder after the past day of the good things in life. They parted and Augustus grinned and laughed.
"Katie knows about us." He said.
Grace nodded, "I kinda figured."
"I didn't realize she and your sister.."
Grace shrugged, "Life has its surprises. The good, the bad and the ugly."
"Yes, you were a very good surprise to me, Grace." They shared a moment of looking at each other and met again for a deeper longer kiss. Grace unbuckled her seatbelt for more closeness. Their hands met and the fingers entwined together, her long beautiful pale fingers and his callused freckled fingers joined in unity.
Grace waited the appropriate time after they stopped kissing before she brought it up. She didn't want to sound morbid, but death is never anything but. "Karen's funeral is tomorrow, at six in the evening."
"Where?"
"Forrest View Funeral Home. I'd like it if you could come." Grace looked into his unreadable eyes. "Don't worry about my family seeing you and me together. We'll get around it.. I just want someone to be there for me."
"Yeah."
"You will?"
"Yes." Augustus looked deeply in her eyes, "But Grace, we can't just throw caution to the wind. Things could get bad if people found out about us."
"I know. We'll be careful. Even if I can just see your face or look into your eyes, it would help." Grace took his hand and they both smiled at each other. It was amazing how much they were growing to need each other.
* * *