~A Once and Again Series~

The Way We Were

Chapter 17//In a New Light

"Hey Jessie!" Zoe called as she opened the door to Rick and Jessie.

"Hi Jessie. Hi you..." Lily said as she walked up to the group.

Jessie looked away as her father gave Lily a quick kiss. Zoe grabbed onto her hand, "Come on! You've got to see the new posters I put up in my room."

Jessie looked up at her father, but Rick just nodded at her. Jessie reluctantly let Zoe lead her up to her room.

Lily and Rick watched them go, before turning back to each other and sharing a longer kiss.

"They're really cute together, huh?" Lily asked as they parted.

"They sure are. Almost like sisters," Rick said, his eyes twinkling happily.

* * *

Jessie sat down on Zoe's bed. She looked around at the small room.

"This one I got last year... oh, and here's the one I got on Saturday," Zoe said, pointing at a poster of horses.

Jessie looked at it briefly. She picked up Zoe's stuffed bear from the bed. "So... is Grace around?" Jessie asked after a pause.

"No. She's at her friend Julie's. Which is good, because if she was here, we wouldn't be doing this with you guys. Grace doesn't want to do anymore get togethers... she's a pain." Zoe said, hopping up next to Jessie on the bed.

Jessie put down the bear with a small frown.

[[Jessie - *shrugs* I don't care. I don't even know her. Everyone thinks she's great, though... Eli is always talking about her, and my dad says she's really smart...... *long pause, looks up, a hopeful expression on her face* Wouldn't it be cool to have a older sister?]]

"And Grace hates Chuckee Cheese's!" Zoe added.

"She does?" Jessie asked.

"Yeah, she says it's too childish. I think she just doesn't know how to have fun!" Zoe giggled. "All she ever does anymore is talk on the phone about your brother. It's so annoying. I think she's in LOVE with him."

Jessie stood up. Zoe watched her walk to the door in surprise. Jessie said over her shoulder, "I'm going to get something to drink."

Zoe bolted up and followed her. "We have orange soda, and Coca Cola, because Grace doesn't like Pepsi. I like Pepsi, but my mom always buys what Grace likes. Grace says it's because she's older, but I think it's just because she's spoiled...."

* * *

"So, do you want to play pool?" Grace asked as she and Mark walked past the pool table in the basement.

"Nah," Mark said, he grabbed onto Grace's hand and led her further into the basement.

"It's kind of dark down here," Grace said, looking around.

"Shhhh!" Someone spoke up from a dark corner. Grace looked over and could make out two figures entwined together near the wall. She looked away quickly.

"Maybe we should just go back upstairs," Grace said nervously. "I... I'm thirsty."

Mark stopped walking. They were in the far corner of the basement. No one else was nearby, only a few other couples were down here. Mark sat down on an old sofa. He held up two beers, "Problem solved."

Grace sat down and took her beer from his hand. She stared at it with unsureness. She heard Mark pop the top on his, and Grace followed suit.

[[Grace - I don't even like beer. It's disgusting.]]

Grace put the beer to her mouth and sipped it. She managed not to cringe at the bitter taste in her mouth.

Mark had finished his beer and set the empty can on the floor. He put one hand on Grace's upper leg. Grace looked down at it uneasily, and tipped the beer to her mouth again.

[[Grace - What am I doing? Just because Eli's up there, drinking with that girl, Cassidy doesn't mean I should... be doing this... I don't even know him...]]

"Grace, you're really pretty," Mark said, taking the beer from her hand and setting it on the floor alongside his.

"Oh, thanks," Grace answered, looking at the stairs. "Um, I should..."

Mark moved in, using his hand to guide her mouth to his. He kissed her.

[[Grace - My second kiss... *looks up at the ceiling, pauses, and then looks back at camera* I haven't even dealt with my first kiss and now I'm kissing this other guy...]]

* * *

"Eli, so, did you want to go upstairs?" Cassidy asked impatiently.

Eli sighed, setting down his empty beer can. Why had he let himself drink? And seeing Grace go downstairs with that jerk Mark...

[[Eli - Grace is a strong girl. That's just something I noticed about her. She doesn't seem as fragile as the rest of them.... so she'll be okay, right?]]

"You know what I want to do?" Eli said, looking at Cassidy.

"What?" Cassidy said seductively, her eyebrows arching invitingly.

"I want to play pool. You still have that pool table downstairs, right?" Eli asked.

"Yeah, we do..." Cassidy shrugged, "Okay." She led the way down the stairs to the dim basement. When they neared the pool table, Cassidy reached out and moved closer to Eli.

Eli backed away, "Cassidy?"

"Yes?" Cassidy asked, moving closer again, and Eli realized she was trying to kiss him.

"I really did want to play pool," Eli said, to stop her. Cassidy looked at him in surprise.

"Oh!" Cassidy giggled, "Oh, I thought... sure, let's play pool!"

Eli looked around the murky basement, while Cassidy racked the pool balls. He could hear the faint murmur of people talking, but he couldn't see them that well. He saw a dark shadow that looked like it could be Grace, and found himself moving towards her.

"Eli?" Cassidy questioned.

Eli kept walking. He got a few feet away from the sofa, but then he still couldn't make out the faces, because the couple was too busy kissing. Eli turned, thinking it couldn't be Grace, when he heard a familiar voice speak up.

"I really should go..."

Eli looked back, and now he saw it was indeed Grace.

[[Eli - ...So, she was kissing someone else? It's... no big deal. She can do what she wants... I just don't think Mark is the right guy for her.]]

"Uh, come on, Grace," Mark pleaded. "We were having fun."

Grace stood up, and she looked around, seeing Eli. She stood up taller and walked past Eli with her head held high, not looking at him.

"Grace!" Mark called after her.

Eli followed Grace, "Grace!"

Cassidy watched Eli hurrying past her, after the trail of Grace. "Eli!"

* * *

Eli lost Grace in the crowd upstairs. He found himself surrounded suddenly by a group of his friends, all heavily liquored up. Cassidy caught up with him, and began pulling on his arm, trying to get him to talk with her. Eli groaned. "I've got to get some air," He told his friends. "It was a great, party, Cassidy. I'll see you on Monday," He said to Cassidy.

Cassidy looked up at him, her blue eyes lined with disappointment. Eli looked away, and found his way to the front door. Eli opened the door, breathing in the fresh air. He walked down to his father's car, suddenly all too aware of the alcohol in his system.... he couldn't drive in this condition.

Eli sighed, slumping down to sit on the curb. He put his head in his hands and wondered what he should do. When he looked up, he saw a familiar figure walking across the street.

"Grace!" Eli called, standing up and crossing the street.

Grace looked back, but didn't slow her pace.

[[Grace - *rolls eyes* My prince charming, coming to rescue me! I don't NEED to be rescued... I'm fine.]]

Eli caught up to her by jogging a bit. "It's cold, you shouldn't be walking home."

Grace stopped walking and looked over at him coldly, "Yeah, and who's going to give me a ride? You?"

"I would... but I..." Eli stammered.

"You're drunk," Grace said superiorly.

"Yeah," Eli agreed. "You were drinking too," He said in defensive.

"A few sips," Grace admitted. She lost her patronizing look and sighed. "Do you have a cell phone?"

"No. Who are you going to call?" Eli asked.

"My aunt... she would come pick me up... but she would probably tell my mother," Grace bit down on her lower lip and her eyes grew shiny with tears. She threw up her hands in the air, "But I don't really have a choice, do I? My friend is still in there, with Kevin, and I don't know who else to call! I should have never come here!"

[[Grace - ...maybe I'm not fine...]]

[[Eli - ...don't cry... oh, God, don't let her cry!]]

Eli couldn't believe this was Grace talking. She seemed so unsure, and there was a slight tremble in her voice that hit him right in the heart. He felt the overwhelming need to protect Grace, to make things better for her. "Where did you tell your mom you were going tonight?"

"Sleeping over at Julie's house," Grace answered.

"And Julie's the one still in there?" Eli asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, why don't we just go get something to eat... and then we can come back and see if Julie is ready to leave." Eli offered. To his relief, Grace nodded at the idea, and she seemed to gain more control over herself.

"That sounds good." Grace even managed a small smile up at him.

"Okay, what's close to here?" Eli wondered aloud. "Uh, Perkins is only a few blocks down."

"Sounds good," Grace said, and they began to walk.

They walked along, side by side in silence.

[[Grace - Maybe, everyone needs a little rescuing now and then... *thoughtful pause*]]

* * *

"Jessie, I thought you liked Chuckee Cheese's?" Rick asked as they got into Lily's car.

Jessie shrugged, "I used to... I mean, it's fine. I don't mind going there."

Lily looked back from her seat at the two girls, "We don't have to go there, Jessie. Zoe, is there anywhere else you wanted to go?"

"No," Zoe said firmly.

Lily looked sharply at her daughter, "What about Perkins? You always loved their mammoth muffins."

Jessie smiled, "Oh, I like those too."

Zoe looked over at her newest friend, pleased that they both liked the same thing. "Okay, mom," She answered.

Lily turned around, glad to have settled that. She started up the car, looking over at Rick with love in her eyes.

[[Lily - Everything is so perfect... this moment is perfect. If we got married... we'd have so many more of these moments... that would be so.... amazing!]]

* * *

The waiter seated Eli and Grace in the non-smoking section. They sat down in the booth across from each other.

"Alright, they gave us one of those kiddy placemats." Eli said, his right hand reached over, picking up a crayon from the far side of the table.

Grace watched him do the maze on the placemat in amusement. A smile spread over her face, slowly growing bigger as she watched him.

[[Grace - *smiling, shakes head, smiles some more, then the smile fades, and she looks at the camera with a start* ...He saw me kiss Mark...]]

"Do you know Mark?" Grace asked, her smile gone as she thought back to earlier that night.

"Yeah, I..." Eli broke off as the waitress came and took their drink orders. When she walked away, Eli continued, "He's okay."

"I wasn't asking if he's okay," Grace clarified.

"Oh," Eli said, putting down the crayon and looking up at her.

"I just meant... I don't care what he's like, because I didn't mean to, uh, kiss him," Grace stammered out.

"Oh."

"Everything just kind of happened..." Grace was uneased by Eli's failure to really comment on her kissing Mark. Grace couldn't even tell what he was thinking, his eyes were so guarded.

[[Eli - *leans back in chair* Do we have to talk about this?]]

"I don't even know him... I don't know what I was thinking," Grace folded the corner of her napkin over and over. "It was a stupid thing to do..."

"Uh huh," Eli said in monotone.

"It was meaningless... like OUR kiss," Grace found herself saying.

[[Grace - *eyebrows raised, looking at camera, waiting*]]

Eli looked down at his hands, "Yeah."

[[Grace - *frowns*]]

The waitress came back and set their sodas in front of them, but Grace just stared at hers in silence.

[[Grace - *taps cheek lightly with one hand, eyes fill up with tears* So, that is what he thinks of our kiss... that it was meaningless...]]

[[Eli - *not looking at camera* ....I didn't think SHE'D think it was meaningless... I thought she would have... felt different...]]

* * *