~A Once and Again Series~

The Way We Were

Thanks for reading, as always... and for your reviews!!! :) !!!!! I'll definitely tell you when I update my other story, but I've just been feeling more inspired in this one than that one as of late, so I haven't done much with the other one.

Chapter 31//When Things are Not Right

Grace, who had entered the apartment building quickly... Grace who had decided to surprise Eli with her unexpected presence when she discovered the apartment unlocked... Grace who snuck quietly to the stairs, going up them with only the slightest creaks... Grace who saw that the door to Eli's room was open... Grace who stood in that doorway and watched as Eli and Carla kissed.... Grace who did all this, snuck away just as quietly and just as quickly back out of the apartment.

She waited until she had stumbled out of the building, the cool night air brushing against her hot cheeks... then she started to cry. How could they do that to her? Eli was her boyfriend... the guy she loved more than anything, and Carla was her newest friend. Grace had had her doubts about whether she could trust Carla, but now she saw her doubts had been justified.... they had done to her, together. It was BOTH of their faults, and Grace hated them fiercely at that moment.

Grace wearily began her walk home, knowing it would take over an hour to get there, but she didn't care. The minutes passed quickly, as her thoughts bubbled angrily inside her. They did this to her! And how long had it been going on... days, weeks... ever since Carla had started hanging out with them??

Grace couldn't believe it... she had really thought that Eli cared for her. She might have expected something like this from Carla, but from Eli... no. And that made it hurt even worse, that she had been blind to the whole thing... that she had never suspected a thing.

* * *

Eli pushed Carla back, forcing her lips to pull away from his. He looked at her with a mixture of sadness and anger. "Carla, this isn't the answer..." He said. Carla had to know that the answer to her problems didn't lie in Eli.

"Oh, I know that," Carla said, looking away, almost embarrassed.... if that was possible.

"I have Grace, and I... I love her," Eli said, surprised by the words, but knowing that they were true.

"I know that!" Carla cried, looking at him. "Don't you think I saw that? I just wanted what you two have... No one's ever really loved ME."

Eli looked down at her, his anger fading as he saw that she was just a screwed up girl. She had major problems, and she needed to deal with them the right way. "Carla, I think you should go home."

Carla looked up at him, with reluctant acceptance. "But my step- mother might send me to rehab..." She said, one last half-assed attempt to get out of it.

"Carla..." Eli began. Suddenly Eli saw that rehab might just be the best thing for this girl.

Carla nodded, with a heavy sigh. "Fine." She turned away, and for a brief second Eli thought he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes, but when she turned back her face was stone. "Can you give me a lift?"

"Sure," Eli said, relieved.

* * *

"You're back already?" Lily asked as Grace entered the house. She, Rick, and Zoe were on the couch, watching a movie and eating popcorn.

"Yeah. I'll be up in my room... I've got homework," Grace said, hoping that would stop her mother from questioning her. Grace went up the stairs in relief as her mother had turned back to the TV.

Grace went up the final stairs, and opened her room. She escaped inside, closing the door behind her. With a loud sob, she flung herself on the bed... how could they have done that to her??

[[Grace - Nothing could hurt as much as this *tear-stained face* I feel like my heart is choking... it's tightening around itself, and cutting off the oxygen. It hurts... so bad.]]

* * *

"So, you're moving in there tonight?" Kevin asked.

Eli nodded, smiling.

[[Eli - I've never been so excited about something before...]]

"Wow," Kevin said, musing over the idea of having your girlfriend be living in the same house as you. "That will be so NICE."

Eli nodded, smiling bigger. He caught site of Grace further down the hall, and took after her. "Grace!" He called when he got closer. Grace must have had an appointment at lunch or something, because Eli had been unable to find her. So, Eli called after her again, delighted to finally have caught her presence. But Grace must have not heard him, because she hurriedly disappeared around the corner. Eli stopped, disappointed... but he would be seeing her tonight after all.

* * *

"Okay, first load!" Rick called, as he entered the apartment. "Grab everything you can!"

Eli and Jessie, who were in the process of packing a few boxes still, got up and began carrying the already packed boxes to the elevator and down to the car. Once they had a full load, Rick drove to Lily's... err, their house.

"Eli, Jess!" Lily cried, happily, almost jumping with excitement. "Welcome!"

"Hey," Eli said, "Uh, where's Grace?"

"Oh, she had a play rehearsal after school," Lily informed him.

Eli, who knew Grace's schedule as well as his own, frowned.

"Come in, come in," Lily said. "Move into your new rooms!" She and Rick grinned madly at each other.

Eli and Jessie looked at each other with amusement. They began the long process of moving boxes up to their rooms.

* * *

Grace sunk deeper into the chair. She took the tissue and wiped her wet cheeks. She looked up at her friend, "Thanks, Julie."

Julie smiled, "Hey, you took me back after I ditched you for Kevin..."

Grace nodded. "I can't believe they did this to me!"

Julie looked at her with understanding. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

"It's horrible!" Grace cried. "And now I have to live in the same house as him! How can I do that?"

"Oh, Grace... I'm sorry," Julie said. She got up from her bed, and picked up her phone. She handed it out to Grace... "Why don't you call your dad?"

Grace looked at the phone hesitantly. "And say what, that my soon-to- be stepbrother cheated on me!?"

"Well, not exactly that... unless you want your dad to beat Eli up," Julie paused, smiling. "Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing.... but I was thinking you could just explain the bare minimum, that you and Eli had a fight, and you'd really like to stay over there."

Grace took the phone. "That's not a bad idea. And maybe he'd let me move in with him entirely... or I could just stay there whenever Eli is at my house, and go home whenever Eli is at his mom's... I might never have to see him again!"

[[Grace - ...which is a good thing, because if I saw him right now... I'd *angry stare*... I don't what, but it wouldn't be pretty.]]

Julie smiled encouragingly, and Grace dialed her father's number.

* * *

"Is that the last load?" Lily asked, as Rick carried in the last box. He set it down in the entrance hall, and turned to Lily with a smile.

"That it is..." He said, catching her in a kiss. He reached into the open box, where he had set the Chinese takeout he had picked up for dinner. "And I got food!"

"Ahhh," Lily said, realizing how hungry she was, after helping with the boxes and unpacking. "I think I just might keep you now..."

"Good, because all sales are final," Rick said with a smile.

Lily shook her head, laughing and took the food from him. "Kids! Food!"

The sound of footsteps on the stairs began immediately. Apparently, they were as hungry as Lily. Lily set the takeout boxes on the table and went to get plates. When she got back, Eli was looking at her quizzically. "Grace is not back yet?"

"No," Lily said. She wasn't worried... sometimes the practices ran late, and even though Grace had only a small part, she was gone sometimes past dinner.

"Maybe I should go get her," Eli said, setting down his fork. Jessie looked at her brother in surprise, knowing how hungry Eli had said he was earlier when the three of them had been hanging in Zoe and Jessie's room.

"No, she said she'd get a ride with one of her friends. I'm sure she'll be back soon," Lily said, and Eli reluctantly began eating again.

"So, Jessie, how do you like your new room?" Rick asked.

"Oh, it's... nice," Jessie said, although she would have to get used to sharing her space with another person. But so far, it wasn't horrible or anything.

The phone rang, and Eli jumped up. The rest of the table watched as Eli rushed into the kitchen to answer it. Lily and Rick shared an amused smile. Eli came back, holding the phone out to Lily, "It's Jake."

"Oh," Lily said, setting down the glass of water she had been holding. She took the phone and disappeared into the kitchen.

Eli watched the kitchen door, his heart beating crazily, as he sensed something was up. He knew Grace didn't usually have practice on Fridays... and they were going to be having practices during spring break too, so there was no need for the play director to have assigned them an extra rehearsal. And Eli kept wondering if Grace had indeed heard him earlier that day, when he called for her in the hall.......... but if so, then why was she avoiding him?

[[Eli - Something doesn't feel right. I feel like everything around me is collapsing, and the weird thing is... I don't know why.]]

Eli looked intently as Lily reentered, a sour look on her face. Rick also caught this look, and straightened up in his chair, ready for bad news.

"Uh, that was Jake. Grace is over there," Lily said, as she stood by her chair.

"What? Why?" Zoe asked.

"Apparently she didn't want to be here tonight," Lily said, and her glance fell on Eli. Eli caught the accusation in her eyes and squirmed because he really had no idea why Grace wouldn't want to be there.

"Why wouldn't she want to be here tonight?" Rick asked in surprise, echoing Eli's thoughts. He too, along with Jess and Zoe, looked at Eli.

"I don't know!" Eli cried.

Their focus shifted back to Lily. Lily shrugged, "He wouldn't say. And Grace wouldn't even talk to me. Jake said Grace was upset...."

The room fell silent.

"...I just wanted us to have a nice family dinner!" Lily said after a long pause. Her glance fell on Eli again. She sighed and left the room. Rick got up, turning to Eli.

"You don't know why Grace wouldn't want to be here?" Rick demanded.

"I don't!" Eli insisted.

Rick sighed, and went to comfort Lily.

The kids sat alone at the table. Eli felt Zoe's and Jessie's eyes on him, and he looked up. He didn't like the suspicious looks on their faces.... everyone thought he had something to do with Grace's not wanting to be there, but Eli had no clue why Grace didn't want to be there. It hurt him, not knowing.... and for some reason he felt like he should know. Something was twitching in the corner of his mind, but Eli couldn't put a finger on it.

Eli couldn't take it anymore, and stood up. He left his half-eaten dinner and hurried upstairs for the privacy of his attic room, where he could maybe put his thoughts together.

* * *

Rick found Lily in the kitchen, dialing Jake's number. Rick hung back as Lily talked into the phone.

"Let me talk to her Jake!" Lily cried, "No... I need to find out what this is all about!... She should be here, not there!... no, it's their first night here, we should... I know, but... Jake, listen to me..... no, I want to talk to her.... then tell me why! ... Fine, tell her I'm picking her up tomorrow morning, whether she wants to come back or not! ... No, Jake... she has to... yes, okay... bye."

Lily hung up the phone angrily. She looked back at Rick. "So much for their dating not affecting this move-in."

"So, it is about Eli?" Rick asked.

"Jake wouldn't say, but I got that impression." Lily looked to Rick, her anger had been replaced by sadness, "Oh, Rick! Why didn't we think of this? Why didn't we worry what would happen if they broke up?"

Jessie and Zoe, who were still sitting at the table, overheard Lily's cries. They looked at each other in surprise, unable to believe that Grace and Eli had broken up. They had seemed like the perfect couple.

[[Jessie - *frowning* Great, now the house is going to be like a war- zone...]]

[[Zoe - I can't believe they broke up. I thought they would like, get married or something... if it's legal to marry your stepbrother? *shrugs, indifferently* ...It's so cool that Jessie and I are sharing a room now. She's like awesome... a much better sister than Grace.....]]

Lily collapsed into Rick's arms, tears trailing down her face.

* * *