~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Hmm, lets see if I can do my third chapter in 24 hours! Lalalala.. chapter twenty is on its way.
Chapter 20// She never told me
Grace knocked at Eli's door after school that day. She waited. Finally the door swung open and almost swung shut again as Eli saw who it was. Grace put a hand out, stopping the door from shutting. Eli sighed and turned away, walking further into his room. Grace let herself in and closed the door behind her. "E?" She asked nervously.
Eli spun around, "Don't call me that! Only people who love me call me that."
Grace shook her head, "But, E, I do love you."
Eli laughed harshly, "You know what, Gracie. For some reason I don't believe that."
Grace cringed at him calling her Gracie. He knew she hated that nickname her mother used for her. "It's true. Why wouldn't it be true?"
"Hmm, maybe because you're already in love with Mr. Dimitri! You loved him before I came into your picture and for a brief moment I thought you could love me, but now you've gone back to him!" Eli said angrily.
"But, I'm not back with him, Eli! I'm here with you! I love you," Grace ran on the edge of the true facts. She wanted to avoid lying to him as much as she could. She definitely didn't want to tell him of her humiliating attempt to get back with Augustus, only to be denied. "Doesn't that count for anything? Or are you just going to write me off? Are you just going to stop trusting me? I'm telling you the truth: I love you."
"Maybe you do," Eli nodded his head, "Maybe. But so what if you love me and still love him? What good is our relationship going to be if you keep seeing him and keep thinking about him and keep him in your heart?"
"He came to see me yesterday! It wasn't my fault. I didn't know he was coming!" Grace insisted.
"Yeah, so what? You're still going to see him every day at school. How long before you go running back to him?"
Grace's face flushed, as she knew she had already went running back to Augustus, only he didn't want her. He thought she should be with Eli. Grace wanted to be with Eli. She felt stupid for going back to him. And she knew she couldn't tell Eli about it, or he'd for sure not want her. Grace knew it was time for lying, but she still hoped she could skirt by with borderline truths, holding back most of the information. "Eli, I won't do that!" 'Anymore' she added silently and thought for a moment and added 'hopefully'.
"Grace, I want to trust you," Eli said, "But it's hard. I'm so afraid that you'll realize he is the better man for you and go back to him. Grace, I'm no good for you."
Those were the same words Augustus had spoken to her earlier: I'm no good for you. But both men had to be lying or misled. It couldn't be that they were both bad for her, Grace wouldn't even consider that idea. It had to be that they were both good for her, only they both were afraid. But Augustus had already turned her away; she wasn't going to let Eli do the same.
"E, how can you say that? After what we did together? How can you say you love me and not even give us a fighting chance? I love you and I promise that I won't cheat on you or anything like that. Please, just you have to realize how what we have is so wonderful. I think we'll both be good for each other. What do you say?" Grace smiled up at him.
"I say I love you too much not to give us another shot," Eli said back, smiling his sweet half smile. "But it hurts knowing you'll be seeing this guy every weekday."
Grace shook her head, "No, you're wrong. My class with him was only a one-semester course. After winter break, I'm done." Grace said this with a tinge of regret. No matter what had happened between her and Augustus, he was still the best teacher she had ever had. She had planned on taking another class with him next year, her senior year, but it was likely that wouldn't be happening now. Heck, Grace would be lucky if she saw him in the hallway every once and a while. Maybe that would be for the best. Maybe then she could truly give Eli her all.
"Really? That's great." Eli pulled her into him. They kissed. His strong hands running up her back and her long fingers entangled in his hair. Their lips met in a sweet, happy kiss. The kiss of getting back together. Their problems had been mended, or so they both hoped. They eagerly moved to the bed.
* * *
Jessie came down the steps after having checked Grace's room and found Zoe in the kitchen, "Where's Grace?"
Zoe shrugged from her seat at the table, "She came home an hour ago and I haven't seen her since. What's your favorite color?"
Jessie paused, "My what?"
"Your favorite color? I'm taking a survey." Zoe explained. She looked up with her pencil posed over the paper, ready to write down the answer.
Jessie shrugged, "I don't know.. Blue?"
Zoe sighed, "I can't write that down! Everyone's favorite color is blue! Be more specific."
"Um, baby blue?" Jessie said hesitantly.
Zoe sighed again, "Robin's egg blue?"
"Yeah, sure," Jessie agreed.
Zoe wrote it down. Then she looked up again, "I think Grace may have went to the garage."
"To Eli's?" Jessie asked curiously.
Zoe just muttered, "Uh huh." She was busy writing and making marks on her paper. Jessie headed for the garage. Jessie hoped this meant the two of them were dating. She thought they made a cute couple. At first she hadn't liked it. When they had first started flirting She had been annoyed. She had been afraid that Grace was going to steal her brother away from her, but once she saw just how much Eli truly cared for Grace, she had been gunning for the two. And now that Grace had dropped her mystery guy, it looked like the two of them were a couple!
Jessie paused with her hand raised above the door to Eli's room, ready to knock. Then she stopped herself. Instead she listened. It was a good thing she had. Coming from the room was slow ballad-type music (definitely not Eli's typical music) and the just barely audible sounds of..
"Ugh!" Jessie whispered, backing away from the door as if it were on fire. It was a good thing she hadn't knocked, or worse.. entered without knocking. This was just gross. She wanted them to be a couple, but she hadn't wanted to hear that. Jessie turned, ready to go back upstairs. Maybe she'd call Katie. Katie would get a kick of what she had just heard.
"Is Grace in there?"
Jessie's eyes widened as she saw Zoe approaching the door to the garage apartment. "No!"
"She's not?" Zoe asked. She was still holding her pencil and paper, "Is Eli in there? I bet he's got an interesting favorite color."
"No," Jessie glanced at the door and began to herd Zoe back into the kitchen. "Neither one of them was there."
"Oh, I wonder.." Zoe stopped as she heard the front doorbell ring. Zoe ran to answer it. Jessie followed. It was Katie.
"Hey, I was just thinking about calling you!" Jessie said happily. Katie smiled and shrugged out of her oversized coat.
"What's your favorite color?" Zoe asked Katie.
"Oh, Zoe!" Jessie complained, but Katie smiled good-naturedly.
"Uh, I'd have to say mint ice-cream green."
Zoe smiled, pleased with the answer and promptly jotted it down. She gave Jessie a look as if to say 'At least some people are interesting' and hurried away to the kitchen. Jessie grabbed Katie's hand and they went up to her attic bedroom.
* * *
Some time later Jessie brought it up, "You won't believe what I heard earlier."
Katie grinned, "Oh, sounds juicy, what? Your dad and Grace's mom having sex? Them calling each other Slave boy and Mistress of Pain and.."
"No! Yuck!" Jessie grimaced, and laughed. "But close.. I heard Grace and Eli in the garage."
"Wow! Really?" Katie's eyes widened.
Katie looked more shocked than Jessie expected, "Yeah.. why?"
"Well, I just thought Grace was with someone else.." Katie shrugged, ready to drop the topic.
"Oh, yeah, her 'mystery guy'. But she said she broke up with him, and so.."
"Jessie!" Katie interrupted her, "You do know who Grace was dating, don't you?"
"No, she never told me."
"Oh my god!" Katie smiled, "I can't believe you didn't know! I would have told you if I knew you didn't know."
"Wait, you know?" Jessie asked in surprise.
"Yeah, it came out accidentally, sort-of. I wasn't supposed to know exactly, it just came out." Katie shrugged.
"Well, tell me, already!" Jessie insisted.
"Jessie, it was Mr. Dmitri." Katie said finally.
"WHAT?"
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Hmm, lets see if I can do my third chapter in 24 hours! Lalalala.. chapter twenty is on its way.
Chapter 20// She never told me
Grace knocked at Eli's door after school that day. She waited. Finally the door swung open and almost swung shut again as Eli saw who it was. Grace put a hand out, stopping the door from shutting. Eli sighed and turned away, walking further into his room. Grace let herself in and closed the door behind her. "E?" She asked nervously.
Eli spun around, "Don't call me that! Only people who love me call me that."
Grace shook her head, "But, E, I do love you."
Eli laughed harshly, "You know what, Gracie. For some reason I don't believe that."
Grace cringed at him calling her Gracie. He knew she hated that nickname her mother used for her. "It's true. Why wouldn't it be true?"
"Hmm, maybe because you're already in love with Mr. Dimitri! You loved him before I came into your picture and for a brief moment I thought you could love me, but now you've gone back to him!" Eli said angrily.
"But, I'm not back with him, Eli! I'm here with you! I love you," Grace ran on the edge of the true facts. She wanted to avoid lying to him as much as she could. She definitely didn't want to tell him of her humiliating attempt to get back with Augustus, only to be denied. "Doesn't that count for anything? Or are you just going to write me off? Are you just going to stop trusting me? I'm telling you the truth: I love you."
"Maybe you do," Eli nodded his head, "Maybe. But so what if you love me and still love him? What good is our relationship going to be if you keep seeing him and keep thinking about him and keep him in your heart?"
"He came to see me yesterday! It wasn't my fault. I didn't know he was coming!" Grace insisted.
"Yeah, so what? You're still going to see him every day at school. How long before you go running back to him?"
Grace's face flushed, as she knew she had already went running back to Augustus, only he didn't want her. He thought she should be with Eli. Grace wanted to be with Eli. She felt stupid for going back to him. And she knew she couldn't tell Eli about it, or he'd for sure not want her. Grace knew it was time for lying, but she still hoped she could skirt by with borderline truths, holding back most of the information. "Eli, I won't do that!" 'Anymore' she added silently and thought for a moment and added 'hopefully'.
"Grace, I want to trust you," Eli said, "But it's hard. I'm so afraid that you'll realize he is the better man for you and go back to him. Grace, I'm no good for you."
Those were the same words Augustus had spoken to her earlier: I'm no good for you. But both men had to be lying or misled. It couldn't be that they were both bad for her, Grace wouldn't even consider that idea. It had to be that they were both good for her, only they both were afraid. But Augustus had already turned her away; she wasn't going to let Eli do the same.
"E, how can you say that? After what we did together? How can you say you love me and not even give us a fighting chance? I love you and I promise that I won't cheat on you or anything like that. Please, just you have to realize how what we have is so wonderful. I think we'll both be good for each other. What do you say?" Grace smiled up at him.
"I say I love you too much not to give us another shot," Eli said back, smiling his sweet half smile. "But it hurts knowing you'll be seeing this guy every weekday."
Grace shook her head, "No, you're wrong. My class with him was only a one-semester course. After winter break, I'm done." Grace said this with a tinge of regret. No matter what had happened between her and Augustus, he was still the best teacher she had ever had. She had planned on taking another class with him next year, her senior year, but it was likely that wouldn't be happening now. Heck, Grace would be lucky if she saw him in the hallway every once and a while. Maybe that would be for the best. Maybe then she could truly give Eli her all.
"Really? That's great." Eli pulled her into him. They kissed. His strong hands running up her back and her long fingers entangled in his hair. Their lips met in a sweet, happy kiss. The kiss of getting back together. Their problems had been mended, or so they both hoped. They eagerly moved to the bed.
* * *
Jessie came down the steps after having checked Grace's room and found Zoe in the kitchen, "Where's Grace?"
Zoe shrugged from her seat at the table, "She came home an hour ago and I haven't seen her since. What's your favorite color?"
Jessie paused, "My what?"
"Your favorite color? I'm taking a survey." Zoe explained. She looked up with her pencil posed over the paper, ready to write down the answer.
Jessie shrugged, "I don't know.. Blue?"
Zoe sighed, "I can't write that down! Everyone's favorite color is blue! Be more specific."
"Um, baby blue?" Jessie said hesitantly.
Zoe sighed again, "Robin's egg blue?"
"Yeah, sure," Jessie agreed.
Zoe wrote it down. Then she looked up again, "I think Grace may have went to the garage."
"To Eli's?" Jessie asked curiously.
Zoe just muttered, "Uh huh." She was busy writing and making marks on her paper. Jessie headed for the garage. Jessie hoped this meant the two of them were dating. She thought they made a cute couple. At first she hadn't liked it. When they had first started flirting She had been annoyed. She had been afraid that Grace was going to steal her brother away from her, but once she saw just how much Eli truly cared for Grace, she had been gunning for the two. And now that Grace had dropped her mystery guy, it looked like the two of them were a couple!
Jessie paused with her hand raised above the door to Eli's room, ready to knock. Then she stopped herself. Instead she listened. It was a good thing she had. Coming from the room was slow ballad-type music (definitely not Eli's typical music) and the just barely audible sounds of..
"Ugh!" Jessie whispered, backing away from the door as if it were on fire. It was a good thing she hadn't knocked, or worse.. entered without knocking. This was just gross. She wanted them to be a couple, but she hadn't wanted to hear that. Jessie turned, ready to go back upstairs. Maybe she'd call Katie. Katie would get a kick of what she had just heard.
"Is Grace in there?"
Jessie's eyes widened as she saw Zoe approaching the door to the garage apartment. "No!"
"She's not?" Zoe asked. She was still holding her pencil and paper, "Is Eli in there? I bet he's got an interesting favorite color."
"No," Jessie glanced at the door and began to herd Zoe back into the kitchen. "Neither one of them was there."
"Oh, I wonder.." Zoe stopped as she heard the front doorbell ring. Zoe ran to answer it. Jessie followed. It was Katie.
"Hey, I was just thinking about calling you!" Jessie said happily. Katie smiled and shrugged out of her oversized coat.
"What's your favorite color?" Zoe asked Katie.
"Oh, Zoe!" Jessie complained, but Katie smiled good-naturedly.
"Uh, I'd have to say mint ice-cream green."
Zoe smiled, pleased with the answer and promptly jotted it down. She gave Jessie a look as if to say 'At least some people are interesting' and hurried away to the kitchen. Jessie grabbed Katie's hand and they went up to her attic bedroom.
* * *
Some time later Jessie brought it up, "You won't believe what I heard earlier."
Katie grinned, "Oh, sounds juicy, what? Your dad and Grace's mom having sex? Them calling each other Slave boy and Mistress of Pain and.."
"No! Yuck!" Jessie grimaced, and laughed. "But close.. I heard Grace and Eli in the garage."
"Wow! Really?" Katie's eyes widened.
Katie looked more shocked than Jessie expected, "Yeah.. why?"
"Well, I just thought Grace was with someone else.." Katie shrugged, ready to drop the topic.
"Oh, yeah, her 'mystery guy'. But she said she broke up with him, and so.."
"Jessie!" Katie interrupted her, "You do know who Grace was dating, don't you?"
"No, she never told me."
"Oh my god!" Katie smiled, "I can't believe you didn't know! I would have told you if I knew you didn't know."
"Wait, you know?" Jessie asked in surprise.
"Yeah, it came out accidentally, sort-of. I wasn't supposed to know exactly, it just came out." Katie shrugged.
"Well, tell me, already!" Jessie insisted.
"Jessie, it was Mr. Dmitri." Katie said finally.
"WHAT?"
* * *