~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 16// Maybe
Grace hurt. She hurt so badly on the inside. On the outside, she gave her family an appearance of normalness, but she felt anything but. She just didn't want her mother to see how much she was hurting, so she put up a front. Grace believed they all bought it; her mother seemed happier and gave her less worried looks. The only one who seemed to see through her mask was Eli. Grace could see the questions in his eyes, and she knew he was wondering if she had broken up with Mr. Dimitri yet. Grace had, but she wasn't ready yet to tell him. She needed time. She still hurt from Augustus' coldness, his lack of any emotions about their break up. And every week day Grace had to enter his classroom and see him there as Mr. Dimitri. It hurt.
Grace wished she could go back and change things. She wished she had never thought of breaking up with him. She would try to live with the lies and secrecy as long as she could be with him. She loved him, she did. She had got this idea that breaking up would be the best for both of them, but now she wondered. She wondered if maybe they still had a chance, if maybe Augustus was only wearing his own mask when she had broken up with him. Maybe he didn't really feel that way, that their relationship was a mistake. Because that was so unlike him, he said he loved her, how could he think it was a mistake? Grace didn't know. She didn't know anything.
* * *
"Jessie?" Grace knocked at the door to her stepsister's attic room. Jessie's muffled call came back to her, telling her to come in. Grace opened the door and continued up the steps. Jessie was sitting at her desk doing homework. "I was wondering if you had that CD I let you borrow." Grace told her.
Jessie stood up, going through the pile of CDs next to her CD player. "Oh, here it is."
Grace took it from her, "Thanks." She began to leave.
"Wait!" Jessie called after her. Grace turned around. Jessie nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead," Grace moved a little closer.
"I know you said it wasn't any of my business, but I was wondering about this other man in your life."
"What other man?" Grace asked in surprise.
"On that Sunday three weeks ago.." Jessie paused, remembering what else had happened on that Sunday. A sadness flickered across her face and she pushed it away. Grace realized she wasn't the only one wearing masks around here. "When I interrupted yours and Eli's conversation. He had been talking about this other guy you liked. I know you said it wasn't any of my business, but.."
"There is no other guy," Grace interrupted her, "Not anymore."
"Oh, you broke up with him?" Jessie asked with a smile. Grace was surprised Jessie didn't know this other guy was Mr. Dimitri yet. Katie knew, and Grace had figured she would have told Jessie by now.
"Yeah, we're done," Grace said, remembering Augustus' coldness that day she had ended things.
"So, why did you break up with him? Was it because of Eli?"
Grace snapped out of her painful memories, "No, it wasn't because of Eli. There's nothing between Eli and me. And apparently, there's nothing between me and Au.. the other guy either." Grace heard his words pass through her head again, 'People make mistakes.'
"How can you say there's nothing between you and Eli? He likes you, you must know that!" Jessie obviously wanted to play matchmaker tonight. Grace sighed; it was too soon, she couldn't think about Eli when she was still hurting over Augustus.
"Yeah, I know that, Jessie, but it's too soon. I just broke up with this other guy." Grace explained.
"But when you do get over him," Jessie said with a smile, "Just remember about Eli."
If I ever get over him, Grace said silently in her head. It would be hard to just put aside her feelings of love for Augustus. They hadn't been together long, but what they shared was just so amazing.
"You and Eli would be good for each other, I can see that," Jessie said encouragingly.
"Maybe," Grace said quietly. "Uh, goodnight."
"Goodnight," Jessie called after her as she left the attic.
* * *
Grace knew she was being stupid. Augustus wouldn't want to see her now. After she broke up with him. But Grace had to talk with him; she had to get her feelings sorted out. She even thought that maybe, maybe they could get back together, if he'd have her. That was a big 'if'. But, maybe Grace could make him see somehow just how amazing their relationship had been. They had said they loved each other. He at least owed her a conversation to explain why he had treated her so bad and why he had said he didn't care. She was going to get him to talk, no matter what. And either they'd leave things how they were, but end it with such better terms, or they'd get back together. Grace didn't know how she felt; she just wanted to talk to him so badly.
Grace slowed as she reached his house. She began to pull into the driveway, when she was surprised by a car in the driveway. The red car wasn't Augustus'. Grace drove past the house and began to drive home. She had gotten a few blocks away before she turned back. The need to talk to him was too strong. As she approached his house, Grace pulled to the curb across from his house and killed the engine. She'd just wait, hopefully whoever owned the red car would leave soon. If not, then Grace decided she'd come back tomorrow. Grace waited and watched.
She got lucky. Not five minutes after she arrived did the front door opened. Grace saw Augustus, looking nice in a dark suit exit the house. Maybe she wasn't lucky after all; he looked like he was going out somewhere. Grace watched as another figure exited the house and Augustus leaned in and locked the front door. The other person was someone Grace had never seen before. She was beautiful: tall, slim in a black dress and dress coat with blond hair down to her shoulders. Grace felt her hands tighten on the steering wheel. The woman was too beautiful.
Augustus said something to the woman and she threw her head back and laughed, revealing sparklingly white teeth. She grabbed onto Augustus' arm and they walked to the red car. Grace watched in horror as Augustus leaned closer to the beautiful woman. The woman's blond hair fell over their faces and blocked Grace's view, but she knew he was kissing her. It looked like Augustus had meant what he had said after all. They two pulled apart and the woman handed Augustus' a set of keys from her purse. The woman got into the passenger's side of the car and Augustus into the driver's side. Grace ducked as the car pulled out and drove past her.
Grace couldn't believe this. She never suspected that he would move on so quickly. He hadn't cared about her after all. Not even a week after they broke up and he was dating beautiful blond women in red shiny cars. Augustus' words came back to her: 'People make mistakes.' Grace angrily started up the car. That all she was to him, a mistake.
Grace pulled up at her house, and forced herself to shut off the car and go and replace the keys on the kitchen table. Her mother and Rick had been gone this morning and Grace had took the keys with a sigh of relief, glad she wouldn't have to lie about where she was going. Now Grace wished she had never gone at all.
Muffled music came from the garage. Grace listened for a while, straining to hear what song it was. She looked around the empty kitchen, listened for sounds of Jessie or Zoe. There was nothing, no sound but that muffled music. Grace thought about what Jessie had said to her last night. 'You and Eli would be good for each other.' She thought about what Eli said to her a week ago, 'I don't think Mr. Dimitri is good for you.' Turns out Eli was right. Maybe Jessie was right too. Grace nodded to herself, making up with mind. She went to the garage, knocked on the door of Eli's apartment and waited.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 16// Maybe
Grace hurt. She hurt so badly on the inside. On the outside, she gave her family an appearance of normalness, but she felt anything but. She just didn't want her mother to see how much she was hurting, so she put up a front. Grace believed they all bought it; her mother seemed happier and gave her less worried looks. The only one who seemed to see through her mask was Eli. Grace could see the questions in his eyes, and she knew he was wondering if she had broken up with Mr. Dimitri yet. Grace had, but she wasn't ready yet to tell him. She needed time. She still hurt from Augustus' coldness, his lack of any emotions about their break up. And every week day Grace had to enter his classroom and see him there as Mr. Dimitri. It hurt.
Grace wished she could go back and change things. She wished she had never thought of breaking up with him. She would try to live with the lies and secrecy as long as she could be with him. She loved him, she did. She had got this idea that breaking up would be the best for both of them, but now she wondered. She wondered if maybe they still had a chance, if maybe Augustus was only wearing his own mask when she had broken up with him. Maybe he didn't really feel that way, that their relationship was a mistake. Because that was so unlike him, he said he loved her, how could he think it was a mistake? Grace didn't know. She didn't know anything.
* * *
"Jessie?" Grace knocked at the door to her stepsister's attic room. Jessie's muffled call came back to her, telling her to come in. Grace opened the door and continued up the steps. Jessie was sitting at her desk doing homework. "I was wondering if you had that CD I let you borrow." Grace told her.
Jessie stood up, going through the pile of CDs next to her CD player. "Oh, here it is."
Grace took it from her, "Thanks." She began to leave.
"Wait!" Jessie called after her. Grace turned around. Jessie nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead," Grace moved a little closer.
"I know you said it wasn't any of my business, but I was wondering about this other man in your life."
"What other man?" Grace asked in surprise.
"On that Sunday three weeks ago.." Jessie paused, remembering what else had happened on that Sunday. A sadness flickered across her face and she pushed it away. Grace realized she wasn't the only one wearing masks around here. "When I interrupted yours and Eli's conversation. He had been talking about this other guy you liked. I know you said it wasn't any of my business, but.."
"There is no other guy," Grace interrupted her, "Not anymore."
"Oh, you broke up with him?" Jessie asked with a smile. Grace was surprised Jessie didn't know this other guy was Mr. Dimitri yet. Katie knew, and Grace had figured she would have told Jessie by now.
"Yeah, we're done," Grace said, remembering Augustus' coldness that day she had ended things.
"So, why did you break up with him? Was it because of Eli?"
Grace snapped out of her painful memories, "No, it wasn't because of Eli. There's nothing between Eli and me. And apparently, there's nothing between me and Au.. the other guy either." Grace heard his words pass through her head again, 'People make mistakes.'
"How can you say there's nothing between you and Eli? He likes you, you must know that!" Jessie obviously wanted to play matchmaker tonight. Grace sighed; it was too soon, she couldn't think about Eli when she was still hurting over Augustus.
"Yeah, I know that, Jessie, but it's too soon. I just broke up with this other guy." Grace explained.
"But when you do get over him," Jessie said with a smile, "Just remember about Eli."
If I ever get over him, Grace said silently in her head. It would be hard to just put aside her feelings of love for Augustus. They hadn't been together long, but what they shared was just so amazing.
"You and Eli would be good for each other, I can see that," Jessie said encouragingly.
"Maybe," Grace said quietly. "Uh, goodnight."
"Goodnight," Jessie called after her as she left the attic.
* * *
Grace knew she was being stupid. Augustus wouldn't want to see her now. After she broke up with him. But Grace had to talk with him; she had to get her feelings sorted out. She even thought that maybe, maybe they could get back together, if he'd have her. That was a big 'if'. But, maybe Grace could make him see somehow just how amazing their relationship had been. They had said they loved each other. He at least owed her a conversation to explain why he had treated her so bad and why he had said he didn't care. She was going to get him to talk, no matter what. And either they'd leave things how they were, but end it with such better terms, or they'd get back together. Grace didn't know how she felt; she just wanted to talk to him so badly.
Grace slowed as she reached his house. She began to pull into the driveway, when she was surprised by a car in the driveway. The red car wasn't Augustus'. Grace drove past the house and began to drive home. She had gotten a few blocks away before she turned back. The need to talk to him was too strong. As she approached his house, Grace pulled to the curb across from his house and killed the engine. She'd just wait, hopefully whoever owned the red car would leave soon. If not, then Grace decided she'd come back tomorrow. Grace waited and watched.
She got lucky. Not five minutes after she arrived did the front door opened. Grace saw Augustus, looking nice in a dark suit exit the house. Maybe she wasn't lucky after all; he looked like he was going out somewhere. Grace watched as another figure exited the house and Augustus leaned in and locked the front door. The other person was someone Grace had never seen before. She was beautiful: tall, slim in a black dress and dress coat with blond hair down to her shoulders. Grace felt her hands tighten on the steering wheel. The woman was too beautiful.
Augustus said something to the woman and she threw her head back and laughed, revealing sparklingly white teeth. She grabbed onto Augustus' arm and they walked to the red car. Grace watched in horror as Augustus leaned closer to the beautiful woman. The woman's blond hair fell over their faces and blocked Grace's view, but she knew he was kissing her. It looked like Augustus had meant what he had said after all. They two pulled apart and the woman handed Augustus' a set of keys from her purse. The woman got into the passenger's side of the car and Augustus into the driver's side. Grace ducked as the car pulled out and drove past her.
Grace couldn't believe this. She never suspected that he would move on so quickly. He hadn't cared about her after all. Not even a week after they broke up and he was dating beautiful blond women in red shiny cars. Augustus' words came back to her: 'People make mistakes.' Grace angrily started up the car. That all she was to him, a mistake.
Grace pulled up at her house, and forced herself to shut off the car and go and replace the keys on the kitchen table. Her mother and Rick had been gone this morning and Grace had took the keys with a sigh of relief, glad she wouldn't have to lie about where she was going. Now Grace wished she had never gone at all.
Muffled music came from the garage. Grace listened for a while, straining to hear what song it was. She looked around the empty kitchen, listened for sounds of Jessie or Zoe. There was nothing, no sound but that muffled music. Grace thought about what Jessie had said to her last night. 'You and Eli would be good for each other.' She thought about what Eli said to her a week ago, 'I don't think Mr. Dimitri is good for you.' Turns out Eli was right. Maybe Jessie was right too. Grace nodded to herself, making up with mind. She went to the garage, knocked on the door of Eli's apartment and waited.
* * *