~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Sorry for taking so long with the new chapter. This computer has been having problems, but I'm getting my own computer in a few days, so hopefully things will go better. Anyway, thanks for reading!
Chapter 30//I just don't like it
"Ready to talk now?"
Grace looked at her mother uneasily. She could see understanding in her mother's eyes. Her mother knew. "Judy told you?"
"Don't blame Judy. I could see something was going on with you, and if I had looked closer I would have seen the way you and Eli are acting towards each other." Lily said.
"What do you mean?" Grace lied. She should have realized the anger and hurt that filled the air when she and Eli were in the same room was clearly sensed by anyone. Grace leaned back against the counter; kind of glad it was coming out. It was one thing she could tell her mother. Augustus was one thing that she couldn't tell her mother about, at least not yet.
"You know what I mean. I just wished you would have told me you and Eli were dating." Lily sighed, and moved closer to her daughter.
Grace looked up at her mother, "Would you have accepted it?"
"I.. I don't know, honey. You're stepbrother and stepsister."
Grace looked away, "That's why I couldn't tell you. I knew you wouldn't understand."
"I do understand, Grace. I just don't like it." Lily put a hand on Grace's shoulder and Grace shrugged it off.
"Well, it's over, so it doesn't matter." Grace went to the fridge and began straightening the magnets on it.
"How long was this going on?" Lily asked.
"A few weeks." Grace opened the fridge and looked at the food with disinterest.
Lily made an audible little sigh. She waited until Grace shut the fridge and turned around, before asking THE question. "Were you two serious?"
Grace stared at her mother nervously, "What are you asking?"
"Did you sleep with him?"
Grace's mouth fell open and she shook her head in disbelief. How could her mother ask such a personal question?
"Well?" Lily asked uneasily, her hands fidgeting with the edge of the countertop. She looked up at her daughter, and didn't like the look she saw on her daughter's face. It was a look of guilt. "You did."
Grace turned and hurried out of the room. She couldn't stand the disappointed look she had seen on her mother's face. And what if her mother had found out about her relationship with Augustus, how would her mother look at her then? Grace didn't want to know.
* * *
"Have you noticed the tension between Grace and Eli lately?" Lily asked Rick that night.
"No, why are they fighting?"
"Yes, kind of. They were dating and now they've broken up."
"Eli and Grace??" Rick looked at Lily in shock.
"Yeah," Lily said casually, way way more casually than she felt.
"Oh."
* * *
Grace drove to school that Monday in silence. Jessie sat across from her, her mouth twitched up in disgust. Grace knew Jessie was just itching to say something to her. They were halfway to school before Jessie finally blurting it out.
"Are you signing up for the spring play tryouts?"
Grace was surprised that was the question Jessie had wanted to ask her. Grace hadn't even given the spring play any thought, with all that was going on lately. But she loved being in plays, so she wasn't going to let any of her recent troubles stop her from acting. "Yes," Grace answered Jessie.
"Mr. Dimitri is directing this one, too." Jessie said coldly, and Grace finally understood why Jessie was asking her about the play.
"So?" Grace said carefully. She didn't want to make Jessie angry at her. Jessie could easily spread word about her relationship with Augustus and get them both in trouble. Grace was pretty sure she and Augustus would end up a couple again soon. And this time, Grace would make sure no one found out about them, especially not Jessie or Eli. In fact, Grace could even mislead Jessie, to keep her from the truth. "It was a mistake that I ever got involved with him, Jessie. I know that know. So, from now on, he's just a teacher to me."
Grace snuck a small glance at Jessie, but she couldn't tell whether her stepsister believed her or not. Oh, well, the seed had been planted, though. And if Jessie took the bait, it would be one less problem for her and Augustus. "Are you signing up for tryouts?" Grace asked Jessie sweetly, and was pleased when Jessie looked at her with a small smile for once.
"I don't know. It's not a musical this time, and I don't know if my acting is any good."
Grace smiled, "Are you kidding? Mr. Dimitri would have never given you the role he did if you weren't a good actress."
"Yeah?" Jessie turned towards the window and Grace knew she was hiding a pleased smile. "Maybe I will try out."
* * *
Grace walked into the auditorium nervously. She wanted to be in this play, but she still hadn't talked to Augustus yet. He probably thought she was still with Eli. Grace should have talked to him a long time ago, and now wasn't her chance. There were too many people here, including Jessie. Grace had to stick to her plan, of not letting anyone know about them this time, and to do that she had to be extra careful. Grace just wished she had talked to him before, but now it looked like she was just going to have to wait for the right chance.
Grace saw Jessie was sitting with Katie and Tad near the front. Grace joined her friend Cynthia in one of the middle rows. Cynthia gave her a smile and they both turned their attention to Mr. Dimitri, who was just getting ready to speak. Grace looked at him. He looked so strong and solitary, standing on the stage by himself. Grace was pleased when their eyes caught for a brief second and they shared a look. Then he continued scanning the audience and began speaking.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Sorry for taking so long with the new chapter. This computer has been having problems, but I'm getting my own computer in a few days, so hopefully things will go better. Anyway, thanks for reading!
Chapter 30//I just don't like it
"Ready to talk now?"
Grace looked at her mother uneasily. She could see understanding in her mother's eyes. Her mother knew. "Judy told you?"
"Don't blame Judy. I could see something was going on with you, and if I had looked closer I would have seen the way you and Eli are acting towards each other." Lily said.
"What do you mean?" Grace lied. She should have realized the anger and hurt that filled the air when she and Eli were in the same room was clearly sensed by anyone. Grace leaned back against the counter; kind of glad it was coming out. It was one thing she could tell her mother. Augustus was one thing that she couldn't tell her mother about, at least not yet.
"You know what I mean. I just wished you would have told me you and Eli were dating." Lily sighed, and moved closer to her daughter.
Grace looked up at her mother, "Would you have accepted it?"
"I.. I don't know, honey. You're stepbrother and stepsister."
Grace looked away, "That's why I couldn't tell you. I knew you wouldn't understand."
"I do understand, Grace. I just don't like it." Lily put a hand on Grace's shoulder and Grace shrugged it off.
"Well, it's over, so it doesn't matter." Grace went to the fridge and began straightening the magnets on it.
"How long was this going on?" Lily asked.
"A few weeks." Grace opened the fridge and looked at the food with disinterest.
Lily made an audible little sigh. She waited until Grace shut the fridge and turned around, before asking THE question. "Were you two serious?"
Grace stared at her mother nervously, "What are you asking?"
"Did you sleep with him?"
Grace's mouth fell open and she shook her head in disbelief. How could her mother ask such a personal question?
"Well?" Lily asked uneasily, her hands fidgeting with the edge of the countertop. She looked up at her daughter, and didn't like the look she saw on her daughter's face. It was a look of guilt. "You did."
Grace turned and hurried out of the room. She couldn't stand the disappointed look she had seen on her mother's face. And what if her mother had found out about her relationship with Augustus, how would her mother look at her then? Grace didn't want to know.
* * *
"Have you noticed the tension between Grace and Eli lately?" Lily asked Rick that night.
"No, why are they fighting?"
"Yes, kind of. They were dating and now they've broken up."
"Eli and Grace??" Rick looked at Lily in shock.
"Yeah," Lily said casually, way way more casually than she felt.
"Oh."
* * *
Grace drove to school that Monday in silence. Jessie sat across from her, her mouth twitched up in disgust. Grace knew Jessie was just itching to say something to her. They were halfway to school before Jessie finally blurting it out.
"Are you signing up for the spring play tryouts?"
Grace was surprised that was the question Jessie had wanted to ask her. Grace hadn't even given the spring play any thought, with all that was going on lately. But she loved being in plays, so she wasn't going to let any of her recent troubles stop her from acting. "Yes," Grace answered Jessie.
"Mr. Dimitri is directing this one, too." Jessie said coldly, and Grace finally understood why Jessie was asking her about the play.
"So?" Grace said carefully. She didn't want to make Jessie angry at her. Jessie could easily spread word about her relationship with Augustus and get them both in trouble. Grace was pretty sure she and Augustus would end up a couple again soon. And this time, Grace would make sure no one found out about them, especially not Jessie or Eli. In fact, Grace could even mislead Jessie, to keep her from the truth. "It was a mistake that I ever got involved with him, Jessie. I know that know. So, from now on, he's just a teacher to me."
Grace snuck a small glance at Jessie, but she couldn't tell whether her stepsister believed her or not. Oh, well, the seed had been planted, though. And if Jessie took the bait, it would be one less problem for her and Augustus. "Are you signing up for tryouts?" Grace asked Jessie sweetly, and was pleased when Jessie looked at her with a small smile for once.
"I don't know. It's not a musical this time, and I don't know if my acting is any good."
Grace smiled, "Are you kidding? Mr. Dimitri would have never given you the role he did if you weren't a good actress."
"Yeah?" Jessie turned towards the window and Grace knew she was hiding a pleased smile. "Maybe I will try out."
* * *
Grace walked into the auditorium nervously. She wanted to be in this play, but she still hadn't talked to Augustus yet. He probably thought she was still with Eli. Grace should have talked to him a long time ago, and now wasn't her chance. There were too many people here, including Jessie. Grace had to stick to her plan, of not letting anyone know about them this time, and to do that she had to be extra careful. Grace just wished she had talked to him before, but now it looked like she was just going to have to wait for the right chance.
Grace saw Jessie was sitting with Katie and Tad near the front. Grace joined her friend Cynthia in one of the middle rows. Cynthia gave her a smile and they both turned their attention to Mr. Dimitri, who was just getting ready to speak. Grace looked at him. He looked so strong and solitary, standing on the stage by himself. Grace was pleased when their eyes caught for a brief second and they shared a look. Then he continued scanning the audience and began speaking.
* * *