~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Were
Welcome!! Okay, this time the fanfic is purely Eli/Grace.. no Mr. Dimitri in this one. And this one takes place way back in the beginning. Lifetime Real Women has started replaying season one, so that's where I got my inspiration. This story starts off after "The Scarlet Letter Jacket".. Eli is dating Jennifer, Rick and Lily are in the beginning of their relationship, and oh, yes, Grace has a secret crush on Eli. It won't really follow what happened in the show, but I might steal ideas from the show.. OH, and anything in [[ these]] means it is the black and white interviews.. anyways, Thanks for reading!
Chapter 1//Friend or Foe
Grace turned to her friend Julie and their eyes caught. Grace turned her head to the side and Julie saw the reason Grace had looked so upset. Eli Sammler and his girlfriend, Jennifer, were seriously making out in the school's hallway. Grace waited till they had walked past the embracing couple and then said softly, "Did I tell you what Lisa said to me?"
Julie's eyebrows shot up, interested.
Grace looked around them, but no one was paying the two freshman girls any attention, "She said that Eli was only being nice to me because our parents are, like, dating."
Julie nodded, "Well, yeah, Grace."
Grace groaned at her rude friend. "That's not true!"
[[Grace - I guess Julie is my best friend..]]
"Why else would a junior, like Eli Sammler pay attention to one of us?" Julie said.
Grace shrugged, all too aware of the many people around. She lowered her voice even more. "Well, maybe in the beginning he talked to me because of.. our parents, but I, I mean, he's nice, and, he was nice to me.."
"Maybe his dad asked him to be nice to you?" Julie questioned.
Grace stopped walking at looked at her friend. "You think?"
"Well, yeah, Grace."
[[ Grace - Sometimes I wonder why I even have friends, if all they do is.. not support me.]]
Grace nodded to herself and they continued walking. Grace glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of Eli and Jennifer, still lip-locked. She sighed. "You know what else Lisa said to me?"
"What?"
Grace crossed her arms over her chest, remembering the cruel words Jennifer's friend, Lisa, had said to her at the carnival. "That Eli thought my butt was alright, but that my legs were too fat and that I didn't have enough chest."
Julie giggled. Grace turned to her, with daggers in her eyes. Julie quieted down, and looked thoughtful. "At least he likes your butt."
Grace smiled slightly, and then shook her head. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. He's only being nice to me because of our parents anyways."
[[Grace - But if I didn't have friends, then who would I talk to? Who would talk to me?]]
* * *
"How's your son, Eli?" Lily asked as she joined Rick on the bed.
"He's fine, I think.. why?"
"You never talk about your kids. And from what I heard from Grace, Eli is quite popular at school. Good at basketball, right?"
"Yeah, he is."
"Does he have a girlfriend?" Lily asked.
"Are you thinking of dating my son or something?" Rick joked. Lily laughed softly and swatted his arm. "Yeah, he's dating this girl, Jennifer."
"Oh," Lily said in surprise, "Oh."
[[Lily - Poor Grace.]]
"What?"
"It's just that.. Grace kind of told me she has a crush on Eli." Lily admitted.
"Your daughter has a crush on my son?" Rick asked, amused.
"Yeah, oh God. Don't tell anyone I said that. Grace would just kill me." Lily sighed. "I just think it's cute is all. Eventually she'll get over her crush, because he's dating this.."
"Jennifer," Rick supplied.
"Jennifer! Yeah, so eventually Grace will get over this crush, but for right now, I think it's really cute." Lily smiled down at Rick.
"Right now, I think you're really cute," Rick said softly. He reached for her.
Lily rolled over on top of him and that ended their conversation.
* * *
"Did you like the red shirt or the pink one better?" Julie asked Grace and Grace managed not to roll her eyes. Julie was her best friend after all.
"I like the red one." Grace answered, her eyes glancing around the store and out into the mall.
"Me too." Julie put the pink shirt back on the rack and held the red one up to her. "But do you think I should buy it?"
"Yes!" Grace said impatiently.
[[Grace - Friends should understand each other. And, like, be there for each other.]]
Julie looked at her friend in annoyance and hung the red shirt back on the rack, "I don't have the money for it, but maybe I can get my mom to buy it for me."
Grace realized in irritation that Julie had been dragging her shopping when she didn't even have any money to make the purchases. All this time they could have been in the food court, where members of the basketball team tended to hang out. "Are we going to eat, then?"
Julie shrugged, "I don't really have any money. We could just call my mom to come pick us up."
"No!" Grace cried. "Come on, I'll pay for the food. Let's just go to the food court."
Julie smiled knowingly, "Are you hoping to see him there?"
Grace shook her head, "No.. I'm just hungry."
"Uh huh," Julie said, not believing her, and the two made their way to the food court.
They got two sodas and two cookies. Grace pulled on Julie's arm, stopping her before they found a table. "He's here!"
Julie shrugged. "I thought you didn't care," She said smugly.
Grace took in the sight of Eli wearing his letter jacket and jeans. He was with a group of guys.. Jennifer wasn't there. He was always surrounded by lots of friends.
[[Grace - Guys seem they have it easier when it comes to friendship. They don't have the same problems girls have.]]
"Let's go sit over there," Grace motioned and Julie reluctantly followed her. Grace took a seat at the table a few tables down from Eli and his gang.
They sat in silence, Grace carefully glancing at Eli's table. Julie looked at her watch finally and said, "We should call my mom."
"Julie.." Grace complained.
Julie sighed, "Well, I'm sick of sitting here, watching you drool over a guy you can't have!"
Grace checked to make sure Eli's table hadn't heard Julie's outburst. They were still talking and joking, oblivious to Grace and Julie. Grace knew it was useless. Julie was right, Eli was off limits to her, so why did she even bother? "Alright, let's go, then."
[[Grace - Girls always seem to be in competition, even with their own friends. Like, is it right to secretly hate your best friend? Guys don't have to deal with stuff like that. They have it so easy.]]
Grace stood up and they walked past Eli's table as they headed for the trashcans. The two girls stopped in surprise as the group of guys called out to them.
"Are you girls from Upton Sinclair?" One of the boys, who Grace believed was named Kevin, asked.
"Yeah," Julie said, her voice becoming light and bubbly, "I can tell by your jackets, that you guys are too."
Kevin looked at the rest of the guys sharing a smile with them, including Eli, who looked slightly uncomfortable. "Are you freshman?"
"Yeah." Julie said. Grace looked uneasily at the empty cup she carried and then snuck a glance up at Eli. Eli was looking back at her, and Grace quickly looked away.
"Come on, we should get going to the party," Eli said, standing up.
"Wait," A guy Grace thought was named Travis pulled Eli back down. "We should see if these girls want to come to the party."
"Yeah, I like to party," Julie said quickly, grinning at the cute older boys.
[[Grace - Sometimes I don't even recognize my friends. Cause what I see, I don't like, you know..]]
Grace tried to push Julie towards the trashcans, but she wouldn't budge.
"What about your silent friend, there, does she like to party?" Kevin asked, eyeing Grace.
Grace opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted when Eli spoke up again. "Look, I'm really going guys, you can either come get a ride with me, or you can walk."
Travis and Kevin groaned and the fourth guy, who Grace couldn't place, nodded. "Let's go guys. They're just frosh, anyways."
Julie frowned at being called a 'Frosh'. She crossed her arms angrily and she and Grace watched as the guys left. Eli turned around as they were about to exit the food court and he and Grace exchanged a single look.
"Thanks a lot, Grace!" Julie complained. "We almost got invited to a cool party!"
[[Grace - You look at this girl whose supposed to be, like, you're best friend and you wonder why you even bother. Maybe life would be better without friends..]]
Grace shrugged, "Let's just go."
Julie made an annoyed little groan, and they headed towards the payphones.
* * *
The Way We Were
Welcome!! Okay, this time the fanfic is purely Eli/Grace.. no Mr. Dimitri in this one. And this one takes place way back in the beginning. Lifetime Real Women has started replaying season one, so that's where I got my inspiration. This story starts off after "The Scarlet Letter Jacket".. Eli is dating Jennifer, Rick and Lily are in the beginning of their relationship, and oh, yes, Grace has a secret crush on Eli. It won't really follow what happened in the show, but I might steal ideas from the show.. OH, and anything in [[ these]] means it is the black and white interviews.. anyways, Thanks for reading!
Chapter 1//Friend or Foe
Grace turned to her friend Julie and their eyes caught. Grace turned her head to the side and Julie saw the reason Grace had looked so upset. Eli Sammler and his girlfriend, Jennifer, were seriously making out in the school's hallway. Grace waited till they had walked past the embracing couple and then said softly, "Did I tell you what Lisa said to me?"
Julie's eyebrows shot up, interested.
Grace looked around them, but no one was paying the two freshman girls any attention, "She said that Eli was only being nice to me because our parents are, like, dating."
Julie nodded, "Well, yeah, Grace."
Grace groaned at her rude friend. "That's not true!"
[[Grace - I guess Julie is my best friend..]]
"Why else would a junior, like Eli Sammler pay attention to one of us?" Julie said.
Grace shrugged, all too aware of the many people around. She lowered her voice even more. "Well, maybe in the beginning he talked to me because of.. our parents, but I, I mean, he's nice, and, he was nice to me.."
"Maybe his dad asked him to be nice to you?" Julie questioned.
Grace stopped walking at looked at her friend. "You think?"
"Well, yeah, Grace."
[[ Grace - Sometimes I wonder why I even have friends, if all they do is.. not support me.]]
Grace nodded to herself and they continued walking. Grace glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of Eli and Jennifer, still lip-locked. She sighed. "You know what else Lisa said to me?"
"What?"
Grace crossed her arms over her chest, remembering the cruel words Jennifer's friend, Lisa, had said to her at the carnival. "That Eli thought my butt was alright, but that my legs were too fat and that I didn't have enough chest."
Julie giggled. Grace turned to her, with daggers in her eyes. Julie quieted down, and looked thoughtful. "At least he likes your butt."
Grace smiled slightly, and then shook her head. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. He's only being nice to me because of our parents anyways."
[[Grace - But if I didn't have friends, then who would I talk to? Who would talk to me?]]
* * *
"How's your son, Eli?" Lily asked as she joined Rick on the bed.
"He's fine, I think.. why?"
"You never talk about your kids. And from what I heard from Grace, Eli is quite popular at school. Good at basketball, right?"
"Yeah, he is."
"Does he have a girlfriend?" Lily asked.
"Are you thinking of dating my son or something?" Rick joked. Lily laughed softly and swatted his arm. "Yeah, he's dating this girl, Jennifer."
"Oh," Lily said in surprise, "Oh."
[[Lily - Poor Grace.]]
"What?"
"It's just that.. Grace kind of told me she has a crush on Eli." Lily admitted.
"Your daughter has a crush on my son?" Rick asked, amused.
"Yeah, oh God. Don't tell anyone I said that. Grace would just kill me." Lily sighed. "I just think it's cute is all. Eventually she'll get over her crush, because he's dating this.."
"Jennifer," Rick supplied.
"Jennifer! Yeah, so eventually Grace will get over this crush, but for right now, I think it's really cute." Lily smiled down at Rick.
"Right now, I think you're really cute," Rick said softly. He reached for her.
Lily rolled over on top of him and that ended their conversation.
* * *
"Did you like the red shirt or the pink one better?" Julie asked Grace and Grace managed not to roll her eyes. Julie was her best friend after all.
"I like the red one." Grace answered, her eyes glancing around the store and out into the mall.
"Me too." Julie put the pink shirt back on the rack and held the red one up to her. "But do you think I should buy it?"
"Yes!" Grace said impatiently.
[[Grace - Friends should understand each other. And, like, be there for each other.]]
Julie looked at her friend in annoyance and hung the red shirt back on the rack, "I don't have the money for it, but maybe I can get my mom to buy it for me."
Grace realized in irritation that Julie had been dragging her shopping when she didn't even have any money to make the purchases. All this time they could have been in the food court, where members of the basketball team tended to hang out. "Are we going to eat, then?"
Julie shrugged, "I don't really have any money. We could just call my mom to come pick us up."
"No!" Grace cried. "Come on, I'll pay for the food. Let's just go to the food court."
Julie smiled knowingly, "Are you hoping to see him there?"
Grace shook her head, "No.. I'm just hungry."
"Uh huh," Julie said, not believing her, and the two made their way to the food court.
They got two sodas and two cookies. Grace pulled on Julie's arm, stopping her before they found a table. "He's here!"
Julie shrugged. "I thought you didn't care," She said smugly.
Grace took in the sight of Eli wearing his letter jacket and jeans. He was with a group of guys.. Jennifer wasn't there. He was always surrounded by lots of friends.
[[Grace - Guys seem they have it easier when it comes to friendship. They don't have the same problems girls have.]]
"Let's go sit over there," Grace motioned and Julie reluctantly followed her. Grace took a seat at the table a few tables down from Eli and his gang.
They sat in silence, Grace carefully glancing at Eli's table. Julie looked at her watch finally and said, "We should call my mom."
"Julie.." Grace complained.
Julie sighed, "Well, I'm sick of sitting here, watching you drool over a guy you can't have!"
Grace checked to make sure Eli's table hadn't heard Julie's outburst. They were still talking and joking, oblivious to Grace and Julie. Grace knew it was useless. Julie was right, Eli was off limits to her, so why did she even bother? "Alright, let's go, then."
[[Grace - Girls always seem to be in competition, even with their own friends. Like, is it right to secretly hate your best friend? Guys don't have to deal with stuff like that. They have it so easy.]]
Grace stood up and they walked past Eli's table as they headed for the trashcans. The two girls stopped in surprise as the group of guys called out to them.
"Are you girls from Upton Sinclair?" One of the boys, who Grace believed was named Kevin, asked.
"Yeah," Julie said, her voice becoming light and bubbly, "I can tell by your jackets, that you guys are too."
Kevin looked at the rest of the guys sharing a smile with them, including Eli, who looked slightly uncomfortable. "Are you freshman?"
"Yeah." Julie said. Grace looked uneasily at the empty cup she carried and then snuck a glance up at Eli. Eli was looking back at her, and Grace quickly looked away.
"Come on, we should get going to the party," Eli said, standing up.
"Wait," A guy Grace thought was named Travis pulled Eli back down. "We should see if these girls want to come to the party."
"Yeah, I like to party," Julie said quickly, grinning at the cute older boys.
[[Grace - Sometimes I don't even recognize my friends. Cause what I see, I don't like, you know..]]
Grace tried to push Julie towards the trashcans, but she wouldn't budge.
"What about your silent friend, there, does she like to party?" Kevin asked, eyeing Grace.
Grace opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted when Eli spoke up again. "Look, I'm really going guys, you can either come get a ride with me, or you can walk."
Travis and Kevin groaned and the fourth guy, who Grace couldn't place, nodded. "Let's go guys. They're just frosh, anyways."
Julie frowned at being called a 'Frosh'. She crossed her arms angrily and she and Grace watched as the guys left. Eli turned around as they were about to exit the food court and he and Grace exchanged a single look.
"Thanks a lot, Grace!" Julie complained. "We almost got invited to a cool party!"
[[Grace - You look at this girl whose supposed to be, like, you're best friend and you wonder why you even bother. Maybe life would be better without friends..]]
Grace shrugged, "Let's just go."
Julie made an annoyed little groan, and they headed towards the payphones.
* * *
