On the next day after Rick had called Sam, him and Lily decided not to tell Eli and Grace about what they had planed for their *punishment* or about the Brasil trip. They called Jessie and Zoe and told them to not mention a single word of the trip to Eli and Grace, they also asked the girls to talk to Karen and Jake and ask them to keep secret too and they did it so.
During the following days the family acted like nothing had happened. Everything went back to normal except for Grace and Eli who were not speaking to each other. They subconsciously thought it would be better if they didn't speak or even cast a look at each other because they didn't want to upset their parents anymore, so they just pretended that the other did not exist.
On the fifteenth day, after the dinner, Rick and Lily told Jessie and Zoe to stay in their rooms then they called the angry teenagers to talk, when Eli and Grace came to the living room they saw, about six or seven bags laying on the floor behind the couch. They placed themselves sat as far as possible from each other then the parents thrown out the news.
"What are the bags for?", Grace casually asked.
"Um... we'll explain in a minute.", Lily spoke. "Well, um... um... Rick got a new contract, it was about twenty days ago.", Lily explained and they stared her with not much interest. "We talked and decided it would be nice to celebrate it... so we decided to take a ten days trip... ... to Brasil... you know... with the whole new family.", their foreheads furrowed when they heard her say *Brasil*. "That's what we were trying to talk to you about. like… for the past, I don't now... sixteen, seventeen days, maybe.", Lily went on and they still seemed to be very bored and not caring too much about what she was saying.
"But after that *fatal* night that you two almost killed each other.", Rick jumped in a sarcastic and mean tone. "We began to have second thoughts about the trip."
"Mom, I'm sorry for what happened.", Grace seemed to care now.
"You don't have to cancel your trip because of us.", Eli interrupted Grace and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, I thought about canceling it but Rick convinced me not to.", Lily cautiously continued her explanation.
"That's right. I told Lil that you were old enough to take responsibility for your own acts.", Rick spoke again and they lowered their eyes as if in shame then lifted them again.
"It means that... we're going.", Lily snorted and they didn't seem to be very thrilled with the idea of spending ten days in a tropical paradise with each other.
"Lily, um... what happened that night will not happen again.", Eli wanted to show he was sorry but the parents could say he was trying to ease their concerns.
"That's right, Rick. You won't have to wor-"
"I guess you misunderstood what Lily just said.", Rick cut Grace. "She said *we* are going... *we*."
"Oh?!", Eli and Grace got out surprised but not that much. Rick and Lily observed them for a while and they realized their kids were actually relieved because they didn't have to travel together anymore and that they didn't care if they were not going at all.
"But...", Lily caught their attention again. "... we were confused of what to do with you."
"We talked and talked and realized it wouldn't be fair ... us leaving town to spend ten days in heaven and you stay here... you, Grace at you father's and you, Eli at Karen's... apart from each other.", Rick ironically pointed and the two began to wonder what he was talking about.
"Did you know that Sam owns a cabin?", Lily asked in a sarcastic weird tone.
"Yeah. Judy mentioned it once.", Grace said, frowning.
"Why?", Eli added also with frowns on his face.
"Because that's where you're going to spend the next ten days.", Rick triumphantly got out.
"WHAT?", Eli and Grace snapped aloud in totally and completely surprise.
"What are you talking about?", Grace nervously quizzed as the parents amusingly observed their reactions.
"Don't worry. You'll love the place. It's in the woods... there's a lake nearby, it's very beaut-"
"You can't be serious about this.", Eli nearly shouted still not believing in his father.
"Mom, are you crazy? We can't go there-", Grace was about to pour out tons of reasons why her and Eli could not go to the cabin and stay ten days together but Lily didn't give her the chance to continue.
"Oh yes! You can and you are going.", Lily sounded more serious then instants before. "And if I were you I'd start packing right now.", the confusion and anger in their minds grew.
"We're driving you there tomorrow morning at six.", Rick added.
"But dad-", Eli tried to speak but was shortcut by his father.
"No *buts* , Eli."
Grace and Eli barely could contain their fury inside. They got up, frowns on their faces, glared at their parents and walked out on opposite directions; Grace up to the stairs and Eli on the kitchen way.
"Gracie, don't forget to bring with you lots and lots of books.", Lily made them stop and listen again.
"Oh, yes. Don't forget your guitar, E.", Rick smirked meanly . "I mean, in a place with... no phone... and no electricity, you will have a lot of time to-"
"-read-", Lily smiled.
"-play the guitar-", Rick added.
"-and of course... lost of time to talk.", Lily finished.
"I can't believe this!!!", Grace nervously shook her head in disbelief continuing up. Eli only snorted heavily in annoyance then leaving to his room.
"Do you still think it's the best to be done?", Lily doubtfully asked her husband.
"It is, trust me."
*
*
*
Saturday morning, Lily, Rick and Zoe were already up. They were in the kitchen having breakfast. Jessie was at his mother's and Grace and Eli still hadn't shown up their faces.
"Good morning people.", Judy brightly exclaimed as she entered the house.
"Ju-Ju.", Zoe beamed , hugging her aunt.
"What you're doing up at six in the morning?", Judy asked her niece.
"Thanks, Judy.", Lily stumbled, smiling.
"It's okay.", Judy replied, glancing around. "Um... where are they?"
"Gracie!!! Eli!!!!!", Lily called out loud then after a while the stubborn ones came into the kitchen. Judy looked at them and noticed they weren't glad at all.
"You guys don't look like you're going to spend ten days in a paradise."
"I feel like I'm going to spend ten days in hell.", Grace mumbled under her breath and Eli gave her the *same here* look
"Grace.", Lily warned. "I heard that."
"Dad?"
"What, E?"
"You said yourself that I'm old enough to be responsible for my acts.", Eli began his pleading and everybody looked at him. "So, I guess it means that I'm old enough to decide whether to go or not. I don't know why I just can't stay at mom's."
"Well, I'll tell you why, Eli.", Rick gazed at him with a superior air. "As long as you live under my roof... you'll do what I want. Now, can we go?", Eli and Grace rolled their eyes in annoyance.
"We won't take too long.", Lily informed Judy.
"I know.", Judy grinned, "Bye guys."
"Bye.", Zoe cried as they headed to the car.
~
~
~
In the car, on the way to Sam's cabin, all that Grace and Eli did was stare at the road and think. They thought of their situation. They thought about it a lot.
Eli kept listening to the lines from the song he wrote fifteen days before. *There are times that I hate you for almost a second, then I LOVE YOU more...*, it echoed in his mind again and again. *What is that supposed to mean?*, he wondered, exhaling. His heart was trying to tell him something that his brain denied. It tortured him and it tortured Grace too.
Grace was confused, frustrated. Her mind was too full of useless thoughts. Thoughts that made her hate him even more. But Grace knew she wasn't that mad at him. Part of her wanted him to disappear and part of her just couldn't adjust to how things between her and him were going... she , deep inside wanted they to be how they used to... but she couldn't let it show.
After almost two hours on the road, they finally got to the cabin. The place was incredibly beautiful. "Here we are.", Rick got out as he turned off the car.
"Oh, Rick... this place is beautiful!!!", Lily exclaimed, taking a look around the place.
"It's okay.", Grace mumbled
"Not that bad.", Eli added. Rick and Lily could tell their kids had loved the place but were too proud and stubborn to admit it.
Rick opened the door and they stepped in. "Grace, you have the bedroom and Eli... the couch is all yours."
"What?", Eli snapped and Grace looked at him in despise
"What did you expect, Eli?", Rick ironically pointed. "It's a cabin not a mansion."
"Well, we better get going.", Lily snorted after checking her watch and Rick agreed. Lily gave Grace a bit hug then she hugged Eli too.
"Bye , E... Grace.", Rick said goodbye and Grace and Eli walked them to the car.
Before Lily got into the car she wisely advised them in a very unique sarcastic tone. "Have fun!!! And remember.... don't kill each other!!!", the kids made an annoyed face then began to wave until the car disappeared along he road.
*
*
*
During the rest of the day Grace and Eli tried to stay as far as possible from each other. Grace stayed locked in the room and Eli outside on the porch, playing his guitar.
At around eight p.m, Grace decided to come out of her private prison and go cook something to eat. When she got in the living room/kitchen she found Eli there, collapsed on the couch. She looked at the table next to the stove and saw that Eli had already eaten. She began to run through the pans and Eli finally found the courage to say something.
"Do you want me to help you to cook something?"
"I don't need your help.", Grace strong-coldly got out.
"Hey! Easy!!", he snapped. "I was just being polite."
"Oh, yeah!! That's your specialty, Eli.", Grace sarcastically retorted.
"What is your problem?", Eli screamed. "What the hell have I done for you to hate me that much?"
"You don't know?", she quizzed, frowning and he nodded. "You're unbelievable!"
"At least, I'm not mad at you for no reason.", he disputed, standing up.
"I'm not the one who started this whole fight thing in the first place.", she groaned and he confusingly puzzled. "You were the one that came shouting at me that night."
"You stood me up for two hours! For God's sake!",
"Only because you deserved it.", she stumbled aloud.
"Why do you say that?", he inquired and she rolled her eyes not answering him. "Why? Why, Grace? Tell me!"
"You lied to me, Eli.", she got out. "That's why."
"What? I never lied to you. Are you-"
"You're lying right now.", she accused him, turning back to the stove, pretending to try to light it up.
An embarrassing silence filled the room for an instant then Eli broke it, accusing her back. "You're a liar too, Grace."
"Don't try to put the blame on me."
"You lied to meet that creep teacher of yours. I saw you . Remember?", he finger pointed to her face.
"It only happened because you were probably spying on me.", she jolted furiously and he sarcastically faked a laughter.
"You know, I guess you're watching too much TV.!!!", he stated. "I just accidentally happened to see you with him . That's all."
"Well, you're not the only one who accidentally happened to see something you were not supposed to.", she quickly snapped back.
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw you with that whore named Nina.", she hollered. "That's why I say, you're a liar. You could, at least, have told me you couldn't go to pick me up or said that you would be late or something but no, you had to play me for a fool. Make me wait for over an hour. I thought something had happened to you. Do you have any idea what I felt when I saw you making out with that girl while I was worried about you?"
"That's what it's all about?", he quizzed, not believing she was pissed with him because of such a silly thing.
"That was not the first time you lied to me.", she began to low her voice a little.
"When I lied to you, Grace?"
"What? Do you want me to name them?", she frowned.
"Please."
"Well... you lied about the play. You said you would be there and you were not. You lied about the barrette. You lied about college . You lied about the pot. You lied about your job. You lied about Nina. You lied to me, to your father, to your mother. You lie about everything and to everybody. You even lie to yourself, Eli. It's pathetic!!", Grace quickly burst out his flaws. Her words made him feel like he was truly nothing. He felt like the worthless of the worthlesses.
"Well, at least I don't have to offer myself to someone I'm interesting in.", he began. "You think I didn't know that you threw yourself at that old guy? You said I'm pathetic but… what about you? Hugh? I bet you even had to do the job all by yourself and that he just laid there, bored as you proceeded. You know how guys call girls who do what you did? ... Sluts... Whores... BITCH!!!!", the last dirty name was directly spoken to her. Grace felt so humiliated and at the moment Eli uttered the last word she, without a second thought, slapped his face real hard. They stared at each other for a few seconds. He could see she was deep down hurt. How could he say such a thing about her? It was mean and he knew it. He did it because he wanted her to fell as worthless as he felt and he succeeded. Tears slowly streamed down Grace's face then she mutely ran into the room and once again locked herself in. She collapsed onto the bed and cried.
Eli remained motionless for a quite while. Her slap hadn't hurt him as much as his own bitter words. As he spoke them, he felt like his heart was being ripped out. He shouldn't have said those things, he knew that but it was too late. He had deeply hurt her and himself. He was so sorry, so sorry that he could no longer suppress his tears; he felt them rolling down his cheeks. It was a bittersweet feeling as they fell. "Oh... damn it!", he only murmured. "No, no, no.", Eli said then staggered to Grace's door. As he reached it he knocked real hard, several times. "Grace!!? Grace?!! Listen to me. I'm sorry. I'm... I'm really sorry. Please. Grace?!! Grace??! Do you hear me? Grace?? Grace?? GRACE??????", and he got no reply. She couldn't speak, she was too weak for that and she couldn't look at him at that moment. No, she couldn't, she wouldn't and he knew that.
Eli exhaled heavily, trying to find a way to fix his stupid mess but how could he?. He was never good in showing his real feelings. It was like Grace fairly accused him; he was a liar but it was no time for lying. He had to let his heart speak. As he desperately wondered what to do, he absently started humming a song which made him puzzle because the song he was humming never really meant anything to him, he didn't even like it. But he kept on humming it... once, twice and it was like a light bulb shone above his head. He started to remember its lyrics and he realized why he was humming it to himself. He couldn't say his feelings but he could sing them through his own songs or through somebody else's. He looked at the closed door, searched for strength within and when he found it, he song out loud...
*Hey,
If we can't find our way out of these problems
Then maybe we don't need this
Standing face to face
Enemies at war we build defenses
And secret hiding places...*
As she heard him sing those words she couldn't believe it was true. * Was he really sorry? * , she wondered. She had serious doubts about that so listened to him a little more...
*I might need you to hold me tonight
I might need you to say it's alright
I might need you to make the first stand
Cause tonight I'm finding it hard to be-...*
Eli choked at the last words of the song. He knew what they really meant. But was he ready to say them? Was she ready to listen? It ached him inside. Eli touched the door then slowly leaned his head 'til his forehead touched it too and then he kept on singing...
*Hey
More than angry words I hate this silence
It's getting so loud
Well I wanna scream
But bitterness has silenced these emotions
It's getting hard to breath...*
Grace now was with her ears glued on the door, so she could listen to his words more clearly. Outside Eli had stepped a few inches away from the door as the song translated his feelings...
*So tell me isn't happiness
Worth more than a gold diamond ring?
I'm willing to do anything
To calm the storm in my heart
I've never been the praying kind
But lately I've been down upon my knees
Not looking for a miracle
Just a reason to believe...*
When he sang the word * believe *, Eli felt the anger and desperation trying to take over him again so to release his pain he, without noticing, kicked the door with all of the strength he had in his body. His action frightened Grace a little but by then her tears had become only stains on her angelic face... her tears were no longer flowing because a warm feeling was gradually full-filling her hurt heart...
*I might need you to hold me tonight
I might need you to say it's alright
I might need you to make the first stand
cause tonight I'm finding it hard to be-...*
Again he choked at the words and again he could not say them. Grace was almost convincing herself to open the door when she thought he had stopped singing but then she heard him again...
*Do you remember not long ago?
When we used to live for the night time
Cherish each moment
Now we don't live we exist
We just run through our lives
so alone
That's why you've got to hold me...*
Eli felt the hate, the anger, the fury slipping out of his essence. He fell backwards against the wall that faced the door and slowly slid down until he laid on the floor, sat as he went on...
*Hey,
If we can't find our way out of these problems
Then maybe we don't need this
Standing face to face
Enemies at war we build defenses
And secret hiding places
I might need you to hold me tonight
I might need you to say it's alright
I might need you to make the first stand
Cause tonight I'm finding it hard to be-
I might need you to make the first stand
Cause tonight I'm finding it hard to be your man*
He said it. Her heart soared when she heard him sing * your man *, she knew in her heart what those words meant, he knew it too. After his final words, the silence dragged in its awkwardness. Nothing, she heard nothing. He had stopped. She knew it was up to her to take the next step but she was still too hurt... still confused, she wasn't ready to open that door, so she just laid on the bed and waited... waited... as he waited outside in silence...