~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
Thanks for reading, as always!!! P.S. The lyrics are from "Take A Bow" by Madonna.. a beautiful song. "*..this means that it is music playing in the background..*" Oh, and the [ ]'s around the lyrics mean they are background lyrics.
Chapter 7// A Rock in the Storm
"*..Take a bow, the night is over. This masquerade is getting older..*"
Grace pulled her clothes from the large duffel bag she had tossed them into. They had wrinkled during the car ride to Eli's apartment. Grace sighed down at the wrinkles.
"*..Light are low, the curtains down. There's no one here. [There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd]..*"
Grace's hands ran over the clothes she held. She just remembered that Eli washed his clothes at the house. She couldn't even get the wrinkles out of her clothes without seeing her mother. And Rick, and Zoe, and Jessie.. none of them had liked her moving out either. But it had to be done.
"*..Say your lines but do you feel them. Do you mean what you say when there's no one around [no one around]..*"
Grace placed the clothes on top of the lone piece of furniture besides the bed: a rickety old desk. But she was lucky to have that, and especially lucky that Eli had the bed, which he kept for his friends to occasionally crash on. It looked like Grace was going to be a continual crasher here.
"*..Watching you, watching me, one lonely star. [One lonely star you don't know who you are]..*"
She would go and get some furniture from her garage apartment, someday. But not now. It was hard enough leaving her mother like that and Grace was afraid if she went back right now, she wouldn't be able to leave again. No, she had to give the wounds time to heal between her mother and her. Separation would be the best for them in the end. And if she went back there, her mother would want her to drop her class with Dimitri and Grace couldn't do that. She couldn't leave him now that she had just found him again.
"*..I've always been in love with you [always with you]. I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]..*"
And especially not after Grace had seen that look on his face. That look that showed he had feelings for her too. If only she could get him to open up and explore his feelings. But she wasn't sure how to do that.
"*..You took my love for granted, why oh why. The show is over, say good-bye. Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye..*"
Grace crossed the small room to the rest of her bags. The count came to a pitiful three bags. She would have to go back there, soon, but it was so hard. Everything was so hard, it seemed.
"*..Make them laugh, it comes so easy. When you get to the part where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart]. Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown.[Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown]..*"
Grace looked down at the bags, but decided not to bother with them. There wasn't anywhere to put the stuff in them, anyways. Instead she crossed to the CD player she had brought with her and turned up the volume. The soothing sound of Madonna's voice lifted her heavy heart somewhat.
"*..Wish you well, I cannot stay. You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played]. No more masquerade, you're one lonely star [One lonely star and you don't know who you are]. I've always been in love with you [always with you]. I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]. You took my love for granted, why oh why. The show is over, say good-bye..*"
"Grace?" Eli stood in the doorway. "I brought you some stuff."
"Oh?" Grace looked up at him with a small smile. "*..Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye..*" She reached down and turned off the CD player. She walked to the doorway.
Eli handed her the first thing, "A poster. I was going to put it up in here.. you know brighten the room up, but I never got around to it."
Grace unrolled the poster and smiled at the picture of a cat with the caption, 'Hanging in There'. "Aw, it's cute."
"And some incense, because my friends kind of turned this room into the smoking room, if you haven't smelled it by now."
Grace nodded and took the incense, bringing it up to her nose to appreciate the scent. "Smells like.. blueberries."
"Right," Eli held out the last item. "I don't know if you really want this or not, but.."
Grace took the framed picture from him. It was their family, taken a few months after Dominic was born. Judy had taken it for them. It was one of the few pictures that contained all of them: Lily, Rick, Eli, Jessie, Zoe, Dominic and Grace. Grace looked sadly down at the picture, where she and her mother had their arms wrapped around each other. "Thanks."
Eli nodded. "We could go shopping and get some furniture or something too.."
Grace shook her head, "No, I'll go home sometime next week and get some stuff."
"Oh, okay." Eli paused, looking intently at her, "Are you sure you're doing the right thing, Grace?" Grace looked at him with questions in her eyes. "I mean, is HE worth this?"
Grace looked away, and found herself unable to answer. She looked at her stack of wrinkled clothes on the worn-down desk and then at the picture in her hands. And the answer came to her. "I'm not doing this for him, not really, I'm doing it for my mother and me."
Eli looked at her quizzically.
"Our relationship was going downhill. We need space from each other to breathe. I needed to get out of that house."
"I get that." Eli nodded.
Grace smiled. "Thanks again, Eli.. For everything. You're the best step-brother a girl could have."
Eli shrugged abashedly.
Grace found herself unable to not hug him. She threw her arms around him and was thankful that she had someone like him in her life. She needed a rock when the storm made the waves big and tried to carry her out to sea. Eli was her rock.
* * *
Monday came again, as Mondays tend to do. Grace was still dazed by the events of the weekend. On Friday, Dimitri had touched her shoulder and she had seen in his eyes that he still had feelings for her. On Saturday she had taken Jessie driving, Dimitri's name spilled out of her mouth, and she had moved out. On Sunday, she had gone to work at the bookstore, glad for the distraction, but got there only to find out that her mother had called her dad and he wasn't happy about Mr. Dimitri being back in her life at all. So, Grace had been yelled at and treated like a child by her overprotective father, and finally ended by leaving in tears, but with her mind still holding firm. She wasn't going to drop the class, no matter what anyone said.
And now it was time for class again. Grace hated herself for looking forward to seeing his face so much. But after the weekend she had, she deserved to have something to look forward to. Grace entered the classroom and was driven to a smile as she saw that Dimitri was there, early, today.
Grace went to his desk and smiled at him. "How was your weekend?"
Dimitri looked up from the paper he was looking over and actually gave her a small smile. It was more than Grace had hoped for. "It was good. Yours?"
Grace faltered at that question. "Uh, not that good."
"Oh?" Question marks formed in Dimitri's eyes.
"Yeah, I had a fight with my mom, and I moved out." Grace said softly as the stream of students entering the classroom increased. She didn't want to broadcast her sorry life for the whole room.
Dimitri's mouth twisted with concern. But then his eyes drifted past Grace. "Hannah, right?"
Grace turned around and saw a pretty girl with long black hair standing just behind her. The girl nodded and held up a book. "I had some questions about the reading, if you have time?" Hannah asked sweetly.
Grace backed away from the desk and took a seat. She couldn't help but watch the girl and Dimitri interacting. Hannah had sat on the edge of the desk and she leaned in towards Dimitri, pointing out sections of the book to him. Her long black hair was brushing Dimitri's shoulder and Grace looked on in annoyance. Finally Hannah closed her book and smiled at Mr. Dimitri, but instead of hopping off the desk, Hannah's hand landed on top of Dimitri's.. giving it a lingering pat. Grace looked away.
When she looked back, Hannah had taken her seat, and Dimitri was standing up, starting class. Grace glanced over at Hannah, only a few seats down from her and then back at Dimitri. With a frustrated yank, Grace pulled the zipper on her backpack, opening it to get her notebook.
* * *
Now and Then
Thanks for reading, as always!!! P.S. The lyrics are from "Take A Bow" by Madonna.. a beautiful song. "*..this means that it is music playing in the background..*" Oh, and the [ ]'s around the lyrics mean they are background lyrics.
Chapter 7// A Rock in the Storm
"*..Take a bow, the night is over. This masquerade is getting older..*"
Grace pulled her clothes from the large duffel bag she had tossed them into. They had wrinkled during the car ride to Eli's apartment. Grace sighed down at the wrinkles.
"*..Light are low, the curtains down. There's no one here. [There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd]..*"
Grace's hands ran over the clothes she held. She just remembered that Eli washed his clothes at the house. She couldn't even get the wrinkles out of her clothes without seeing her mother. And Rick, and Zoe, and Jessie.. none of them had liked her moving out either. But it had to be done.
"*..Say your lines but do you feel them. Do you mean what you say when there's no one around [no one around]..*"
Grace placed the clothes on top of the lone piece of furniture besides the bed: a rickety old desk. But she was lucky to have that, and especially lucky that Eli had the bed, which he kept for his friends to occasionally crash on. It looked like Grace was going to be a continual crasher here.
"*..Watching you, watching me, one lonely star. [One lonely star you don't know who you are]..*"
She would go and get some furniture from her garage apartment, someday. But not now. It was hard enough leaving her mother like that and Grace was afraid if she went back right now, she wouldn't be able to leave again. No, she had to give the wounds time to heal between her mother and her. Separation would be the best for them in the end. And if she went back there, her mother would want her to drop her class with Dimitri and Grace couldn't do that. She couldn't leave him now that she had just found him again.
"*..I've always been in love with you [always with you]. I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]..*"
And especially not after Grace had seen that look on his face. That look that showed he had feelings for her too. If only she could get him to open up and explore his feelings. But she wasn't sure how to do that.
"*..You took my love for granted, why oh why. The show is over, say good-bye. Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye..*"
Grace crossed the small room to the rest of her bags. The count came to a pitiful three bags. She would have to go back there, soon, but it was so hard. Everything was so hard, it seemed.
"*..Make them laugh, it comes so easy. When you get to the part where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart]. Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown.[Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown]..*"
Grace looked down at the bags, but decided not to bother with them. There wasn't anywhere to put the stuff in them, anyways. Instead she crossed to the CD player she had brought with her and turned up the volume. The soothing sound of Madonna's voice lifted her heavy heart somewhat.
"*..Wish you well, I cannot stay. You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played]. No more masquerade, you're one lonely star [One lonely star and you don't know who you are]. I've always been in love with you [always with you]. I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]. You took my love for granted, why oh why. The show is over, say good-bye..*"
"Grace?" Eli stood in the doorway. "I brought you some stuff."
"Oh?" Grace looked up at him with a small smile. "*..Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye..*" She reached down and turned off the CD player. She walked to the doorway.
Eli handed her the first thing, "A poster. I was going to put it up in here.. you know brighten the room up, but I never got around to it."
Grace unrolled the poster and smiled at the picture of a cat with the caption, 'Hanging in There'. "Aw, it's cute."
"And some incense, because my friends kind of turned this room into the smoking room, if you haven't smelled it by now."
Grace nodded and took the incense, bringing it up to her nose to appreciate the scent. "Smells like.. blueberries."
"Right," Eli held out the last item. "I don't know if you really want this or not, but.."
Grace took the framed picture from him. It was their family, taken a few months after Dominic was born. Judy had taken it for them. It was one of the few pictures that contained all of them: Lily, Rick, Eli, Jessie, Zoe, Dominic and Grace. Grace looked sadly down at the picture, where she and her mother had their arms wrapped around each other. "Thanks."
Eli nodded. "We could go shopping and get some furniture or something too.."
Grace shook her head, "No, I'll go home sometime next week and get some stuff."
"Oh, okay." Eli paused, looking intently at her, "Are you sure you're doing the right thing, Grace?" Grace looked at him with questions in her eyes. "I mean, is HE worth this?"
Grace looked away, and found herself unable to answer. She looked at her stack of wrinkled clothes on the worn-down desk and then at the picture in her hands. And the answer came to her. "I'm not doing this for him, not really, I'm doing it for my mother and me."
Eli looked at her quizzically.
"Our relationship was going downhill. We need space from each other to breathe. I needed to get out of that house."
"I get that." Eli nodded.
Grace smiled. "Thanks again, Eli.. For everything. You're the best step-brother a girl could have."
Eli shrugged abashedly.
Grace found herself unable to not hug him. She threw her arms around him and was thankful that she had someone like him in her life. She needed a rock when the storm made the waves big and tried to carry her out to sea. Eli was her rock.
* * *
Monday came again, as Mondays tend to do. Grace was still dazed by the events of the weekend. On Friday, Dimitri had touched her shoulder and she had seen in his eyes that he still had feelings for her. On Saturday she had taken Jessie driving, Dimitri's name spilled out of her mouth, and she had moved out. On Sunday, she had gone to work at the bookstore, glad for the distraction, but got there only to find out that her mother had called her dad and he wasn't happy about Mr. Dimitri being back in her life at all. So, Grace had been yelled at and treated like a child by her overprotective father, and finally ended by leaving in tears, but with her mind still holding firm. She wasn't going to drop the class, no matter what anyone said.
And now it was time for class again. Grace hated herself for looking forward to seeing his face so much. But after the weekend she had, she deserved to have something to look forward to. Grace entered the classroom and was driven to a smile as she saw that Dimitri was there, early, today.
Grace went to his desk and smiled at him. "How was your weekend?"
Dimitri looked up from the paper he was looking over and actually gave her a small smile. It was more than Grace had hoped for. "It was good. Yours?"
Grace faltered at that question. "Uh, not that good."
"Oh?" Question marks formed in Dimitri's eyes.
"Yeah, I had a fight with my mom, and I moved out." Grace said softly as the stream of students entering the classroom increased. She didn't want to broadcast her sorry life for the whole room.
Dimitri's mouth twisted with concern. But then his eyes drifted past Grace. "Hannah, right?"
Grace turned around and saw a pretty girl with long black hair standing just behind her. The girl nodded and held up a book. "I had some questions about the reading, if you have time?" Hannah asked sweetly.
Grace backed away from the desk and took a seat. She couldn't help but watch the girl and Dimitri interacting. Hannah had sat on the edge of the desk and she leaned in towards Dimitri, pointing out sections of the book to him. Her long black hair was brushing Dimitri's shoulder and Grace looked on in annoyance. Finally Hannah closed her book and smiled at Mr. Dimitri, but instead of hopping off the desk, Hannah's hand landed on top of Dimitri's.. giving it a lingering pat. Grace looked away.
When she looked back, Hannah had taken her seat, and Dimitri was standing up, starting class. Grace glanced over at Hannah, only a few seats down from her and then back at Dimitri. With a frustrated yank, Grace pulled the zipper on her backpack, opening it to get her notebook.
* * *