~A Once and Again Series~

The Way We Were

Chapter 14// Flipping Sides
"Grace? Zoe?" Lily asked as she entered the house later that day. "Is anyone here?"

Silence greeted her. Lily set the bag of Chinese takeout on the counter and proceeded up the stairs. At Grace's door she stopped and knocked, but no response. Lily opened the door, "Grace?"

Grace sat with her back to her, her headphones on. Lily called out again, but got no response and so moved closer, and tapped Grace on the shoulder. Grace straightened up with a jerk and turned around.

"Mom!" Grace cried as she slipped her headphones off her ears. "You scared me."

"Is Zoe home? I got Chinese food." Lily said.

"No, she's at Dana's." Grace told her mother.

"She's STILL over there?" Lily asked in confusion. "I told her to call me when the party finished, but she never called. I thought she must have gotten a ride with someone else."

"No... I mean, she did come home earlier; Erin's mom gave her a ride. Dana's mother sent the girls home, early for some reason. And then Dana called and wanted Zoe and some of the other girls to come back. Erin's mom just picked her up again. She'll be back around eight." Grace explained.

Lily took this all in and let out a deep breath. "So how was your day?"

Grace shrugged, and began to pull on her headphones again. "It was fine."

Lily reached out and gently removed the headphones from Grace's head. "Come on and eat. I got your favorite."

Grace grudgingly followed her mother down to the kitchen. She piled some food on a plate, watching her mother out of the corner of her eye. Earlier her mother had said she wanted to talk about 'Eli'... Grace dreaded what was coming.

They sat at the table, just the two of them. Lily asked her about school and her classes, and finally Grace couldn't take it anymore. "Mom, you said earlier that you wanted to talk about Eli." She said, wanting to just get it done with.

"Oh!" Lily said, surprised. She had completely forgotten about that.

[[Lily - Funny isn't it? How one moment, you feel like you have this incredible weight on you... and you feel like you HAVE to do something about it, or you'll just explode. And then, later... it doesn't seem to matter as much. How can you just flip sides like that?]]

"So, what did you want to say?" Grace asked, expecting the worse.

[[Grace - She's going to tell me that I can't date him... I know it. I saw the look in her eyes when she entered the kitchen and saw us standing together. She doesn't like it. For some reason, she doesn't want me to be as happy as she is. I guess it's the whole Eli being Rick's son thing, but that's no big deal. Can't she see that? ..........Besides, it's not like something is going to happen between me and Eli.]]

"Oh, it was nothing, sweetheart," Lily said, surprising her daughter. "How's the chicken?"

"Good," Grace said with a smile, and began eating with a real appetite.

[[Grace - Sometimes my mother is... decent. *smile* It's nice.]]

* * *

"Hey, Eli!" Kevin called out Monday morning as Eli walked towards him in the hallway. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine," Eli said. He looked briefly at Kevin, but then found his eyes drifting past him to the students walking past them in the hallway. He was keeping an eye out for Grace.

[[Eli - I should have called her this weekend... or something. But, I just couldn't. I just didn't know what to say. She didn't call me or anything either, though....]]

"How was the thing with The Mom's family?" Kevin asked, and Eli regretted that he ever told his friend about it.

"It was fine," Eli said.

"Oh come on," Kevin said, knowing that Eli wasn't telling the truth.

"It was weird," Eli expanded. It was the truth. Him kissing Grace had been weird. Him sitting through an uncomfortable dinner, thinking about his kiss with Grace, had been weird.

Kevin nodded, "Just think, they might be your step-family some day."

Eli grimaced at that idea, but not for the reason Kevin thought he was, but because he couldn't deal with the idea of Grace as his step- sister.

[[Eli - I have to talk to her. I can't just leave it like this.]]

And just that moment, Eli caught the sight of Grace walking past. "Grace!" Eli called out loudly and desperately, surprising Kevin who looked at his friend in puzzlement. Eli didn't bother explaining to Kevin... let him think what he wanted to think. Eli had to talk to Grace.

Grace turned, and her brown eyes cut into him sharply. Eli lost all words as he looked into her hurt eyes.

[[Eli - I did that. I was the one who caused her pain... I'm an idiot.]]

Grace waited for him to speak, but Eli was mute.

The bell rang, and Grace nodded sadly. So this was how it was going to be. She turned away in disgust, and headed for her class.

[[Grace - *tearful* He doesn't even care!]]

Eli watched her go in agony. He wanted to call after her, but was afraid she wouldn't listen.

[[Eli - Why am I such an idiot? God... *leans back and shakes head* I manage to screw up everything!]]

* * *

"Mom, can we have dinner with Rick and his family again, this Friday?" Zoe was asking later that day as Grace entered the car after school.

Lily glanced back at Grace briefly, and then said to Zoe in the passenger seat. "Maybe, honey. I'll ask Rick. So, you really like them, huh?"

"Yeah... they're really nice," Zoe said.

"Mom?" Grace broke in from the backseat as Lily began to drive away from the high school.

"Yeah, Grace?" Lily asked.

"If you're going to be setting up more of these 'happy little family' dinners, then I want out." Grace said firmly.

Lily looked back at her in surprise. She had thought that Grace would be happy to get together with Eli again. But once again, her daughter was surprising her with her sudden change of mood. "Grace?" Lily questioned.

"I just don't want to do it anymore," Grace said, looking out the window. "It's stupid."

"It's not stupid!" Zoe insisted from the front seat. "I thought it was fun! ...Mom, I was thinking next time, we could have it at Chuckee Cheese's! I think Jessie would go there, even if Grace thinks it is childish!"

"Zoe, we'll see... Maybe we should give it more time before getting together with them." Lily said. She hoped that maybe if she gave Grace time, she'd get over whatever was bugging her this week.

Zoe's eyes squinted up with disappointment and she looked away. Lily looked in the rearview mirror and saw that at least Grace seemed happy with that idea. But no matter how hard she tried, Lily could never please both of her daughters.

* * *