~A Once and Again Series~
Where Do We Go From Here?
Okay, I know I'm making Eli seem like a bad guy here, but don't worry this is an Eli/Grace story... so... thanks for reading.
Chapter 3//Trouble in Grace Land
Grace pulled her legs up, letting her chin rest on her knees. She looked down at her bare feet and sighed heavily. She was pregnant. The pregnancy test had confirmed it. She had a little baby growing inside of her. Grace hugged her legs tighter against her body and closed her eyes.
"Oh..." The word rushed out of her, like a balloon with the air flowing out of a hole. Grace felt like her whole life was suddenly one big black hole.... What was she going to do?
* * *
"Eli!" Jessie called, making Eli turn and look at her.
Eli waited silently, wanting to get in his room as quickly as possible. But of course, his sister probably had something she wanted to talk about... or nag him about. Eli didn't want to deal with anything negative right now. He had had a lousy day.
"Did you get your paycheck today?" Jessie asked, finally when he didn't speak up.
Eli frowned, and pulled the envelope from his pocket. He thrust a twenty at his sister.
"It's 30 actually," Jessie reminded him. "Three from Sunday, twenty from last week, five from..."
Eli took out a ten and gave it to her. He turned to make for his garage apartment.
"Eli?" Jessie asked.
Eli looked at her unwillingly.
Jessie looked back at him, losing the words she had wanted to say to him.
Eli looked past her, as Grace entered the living room. Eli's face changed, losing its hard look, and instead having a softer, sadder expression. Jessie looked back and forth between the two of them. "I've got homework," Jessie said quickly.
"I'm just getting something to eat," Grace said at the same time, hurrying into the kitchen, ruining Jessie's plan of getting Eli and Grace together to talk. Jessie went up the stairs reluctantly, looking back at where her brother stood, looking defeated.
* * *
Grace climbed into bed that night, feeling horrible. Her whole life was one big mess, and she had no clue how to start finding her way out of it. Jessie kept telling her she should just tell her parents... just get it out there, but Grace wasn't ready to do that yet. If she told anyone besides Jessie, that would just make it seem more "real". Grace didn't know if she was ready to deal with reality yet.
Grace was just slipping off into the comforts of sleep, when her bedroom door creaked open, throwing a line of light into the room. Grace closed her eyes, pretending sleep had already claimed her. The door closed again, but Grace heard movement in the darkness of her room. The rustle of fabric, the sound of a zipper...
Grace waited, her eyes fighting against the dark, looking at the dark figure coming closer.
"Are you going to move over?" A voice asked.
Grace slid over in the bed, leaving space for him. She felt his naked body against her side. "What are you doing here?"
Eli's lips found her neck. "What do you think?"
Grace swallowed, finding it had become hard to think. But she couldn't just let this happen... "I thought we decided..."
Eli's hands caressing her aching body. His lips like fire, teasing her skin. His silence breaking her. She gave in. Their lips met, hurried and wanting. It had been so long. Warmth flowed through her body.
"Wait--- you know this bed squeaks," Grace reminded him.
Eli pulled away, and Grace wondered in the darkness if he was leaving, but then she felt his hand pulling her down on the floor. He took her in his arms again, his kissing sending her into ecstasy.
* * *
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"
Grace opened her eyes with a start. Zoe stood over her. Grace immediately looked to her left, where Eli had lain after they finished their sweaty tanglement. But he had gone sometime in the night.
"And why are you only wearing your bra?" Zoe asked.
Grace looked down at herself, pulling the blankets up to cover her upper body. "I... was really hot last night," Grace said to Zoe. "Don't you have to go get ready for school?"
Zoe scampered away. Grace closed her bedroom door, looking at the crumpled blankets on the floor with unease. Had she really let that happen last night? What had she been thinking?
Grace turned towards her closet, planning to grab her clothes for the day, but caught sight of herself in the mirror instead. She found herself touching her belly with curiosity... did she really have a baby in there? Grace smiled, not realizing she had until she saw it on her own face in the mirror.
* * *
"So, I said, 'Kev if you don't like it, then we don't have to go'. And Kevin goes, 'No, no, I'll go to any movie you want'. So I go, 'I want to see this one' and he's like... 'no way'," Julie rambled on.
Grace picked up her hamburger, eating it hungrily. She still occasionally had some queasiness when it came to food, but that only seemed to hit her for a few hours, and then suddenly she'd be starving.
"So, I go, 'Kev, you said any movie I wanted'... and he's like 'anyone but that one'," Julie sighed. "He's such an idiot. I don't know WHY I date him. Grace, you are SO lucky you aren't dating anyone. Right, Sarah?"
Sarah nodded her agreement. "SO lucky, Grace. Jeff is such a jerk sometimes."
Grace sunk a little lower in her chair, and shrugged.
"So, did I tell you about what Jeff said about next week?" Sarah asked Julie.
"No, what?" Julie said eagerly.
Sarah began talking, but Grace tuned her out. She finished her food, and looked around the school lunchroom. She spotted Jessie a few tables away with Katie. Jessie looked up and noticed Grace's pleading eyes on her and came over to rescue her.
"Grace, can I talk to you about that thing?" Jessie asked.
Grace nodded, saying a quick goodbye to her friends Julie and Sarah. Jessie waved at Katie and Katie joined them as they headed out to the hall. "Thanks, Jess. I just couldn't take anymore of their constant talk about their boyfriends..."
Katie looked at Grace. "Trouble in Guy land?"
Grace shook her head, "Trouble in Grace land." She looked at Jessie, who got it. Katie looked a little hurt that she wasn't let in on it, but didn't say anything.
"You know what?" Grace let out a deep breath. "I'm going home."
"Now?" Jessie asked.
"Yeah," Grace nodded. "I can't take another minute of this. Besides, I graduate in two weeks, so it doesn't really matter if I miss class or not."
"What are you doing after you graduate?" Katie asked politely.
"Oh," Jessie turned to Katie with a smile, "Grace is going to a cool private college, Edgewood, in Madison. I went with her when she visited. My dad says it's never too soon to check out colleges. It's a really nice campus........." Jessie trailed off, realization coming over her face.
Grace frowned, and Jessie looked sadly at her. They both knew now that Grace's plans for college would have to be altered. Her life was changing. Grace felt her eyes tearing up. "I've gotta go."
Jessie nodded, looking guilty. "I'll see you later."
"Bye Grace," Katie said quietly, sensing the tension Jessie's words had created in Grace.
"Bye." Grace fled.
* * *
Grace entered the house, glad that her mother took Dominic with her to her radio job during the day. What she really needed right now was solitude. She went to the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of juice. She caught the sound of a guitar.
Grace hesitated, drinking her juice as she thought about it. Finally she set the glass down and went to the garage. She knocked on the door to Eli's apartment. Silence greeted her. "Come on, Eli, I heard you playing..."
The door opened, "Oh, it's you." Eli said.
Grace took in his appearance. He was wearing a stained tee shirt and a pair of boxers. The slight smell of marijuana drifted off him. "Don't you have work?"
Eli walked away. "What, are you my MOTHER?"
Grace let herself in and closed the door. She followed Eli further into his room, and watched him put a cigarette to his mouth. "You've started smoking again," She said, disappointed.
Eli took in her look, and raised a lighter to the end of the cigarette. He glared at her as he lit it. "I've started doing a lot of things again..." He looked at her, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
Grace thought back to last night, the feel of him on top of her and blushed. Eli noticed the color in her cheeks with gratification. "Grace, did you come here for a reason?" He asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Maybe a repeat of last night...?"
Grace shook her head. She hated him. She hated him for making her feel this way. "Get lost, Eli."
"Uh, this is my room, and you're the one who should be going." Eli puffed on his cigarette, watching her carefully.
Grace felt her body tremble with anger. "Why are you such an incredible asshole?"
Eli didn't even blink. "Because I love you, baby."
Grace didn't smile at his joke. She felt like screaming every horrible word she knew to him... and then she'd tell him about the baby. And see how he felt... But no, Grace couldn't make the words come out. Instead she left him, she left his room, she left the garage. She got into her car and just drove.
* * *
Where Do We Go From Here?
Okay, I know I'm making Eli seem like a bad guy here, but don't worry this is an Eli/Grace story... so... thanks for reading.
Chapter 3//Trouble in Grace Land
Grace pulled her legs up, letting her chin rest on her knees. She looked down at her bare feet and sighed heavily. She was pregnant. The pregnancy test had confirmed it. She had a little baby growing inside of her. Grace hugged her legs tighter against her body and closed her eyes.
"Oh..." The word rushed out of her, like a balloon with the air flowing out of a hole. Grace felt like her whole life was suddenly one big black hole.... What was she going to do?
* * *
"Eli!" Jessie called, making Eli turn and look at her.
Eli waited silently, wanting to get in his room as quickly as possible. But of course, his sister probably had something she wanted to talk about... or nag him about. Eli didn't want to deal with anything negative right now. He had had a lousy day.
"Did you get your paycheck today?" Jessie asked, finally when he didn't speak up.
Eli frowned, and pulled the envelope from his pocket. He thrust a twenty at his sister.
"It's 30 actually," Jessie reminded him. "Three from Sunday, twenty from last week, five from..."
Eli took out a ten and gave it to her. He turned to make for his garage apartment.
"Eli?" Jessie asked.
Eli looked at her unwillingly.
Jessie looked back at him, losing the words she had wanted to say to him.
Eli looked past her, as Grace entered the living room. Eli's face changed, losing its hard look, and instead having a softer, sadder expression. Jessie looked back and forth between the two of them. "I've got homework," Jessie said quickly.
"I'm just getting something to eat," Grace said at the same time, hurrying into the kitchen, ruining Jessie's plan of getting Eli and Grace together to talk. Jessie went up the stairs reluctantly, looking back at where her brother stood, looking defeated.
* * *
Grace climbed into bed that night, feeling horrible. Her whole life was one big mess, and she had no clue how to start finding her way out of it. Jessie kept telling her she should just tell her parents... just get it out there, but Grace wasn't ready to do that yet. If she told anyone besides Jessie, that would just make it seem more "real". Grace didn't know if she was ready to deal with reality yet.
Grace was just slipping off into the comforts of sleep, when her bedroom door creaked open, throwing a line of light into the room. Grace closed her eyes, pretending sleep had already claimed her. The door closed again, but Grace heard movement in the darkness of her room. The rustle of fabric, the sound of a zipper...
Grace waited, her eyes fighting against the dark, looking at the dark figure coming closer.
"Are you going to move over?" A voice asked.
Grace slid over in the bed, leaving space for him. She felt his naked body against her side. "What are you doing here?"
Eli's lips found her neck. "What do you think?"
Grace swallowed, finding it had become hard to think. But she couldn't just let this happen... "I thought we decided..."
Eli's hands caressing her aching body. His lips like fire, teasing her skin. His silence breaking her. She gave in. Their lips met, hurried and wanting. It had been so long. Warmth flowed through her body.
"Wait--- you know this bed squeaks," Grace reminded him.
Eli pulled away, and Grace wondered in the darkness if he was leaving, but then she felt his hand pulling her down on the floor. He took her in his arms again, his kissing sending her into ecstasy.
* * *
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"
Grace opened her eyes with a start. Zoe stood over her. Grace immediately looked to her left, where Eli had lain after they finished their sweaty tanglement. But he had gone sometime in the night.
"And why are you only wearing your bra?" Zoe asked.
Grace looked down at herself, pulling the blankets up to cover her upper body. "I... was really hot last night," Grace said to Zoe. "Don't you have to go get ready for school?"
Zoe scampered away. Grace closed her bedroom door, looking at the crumpled blankets on the floor with unease. Had she really let that happen last night? What had she been thinking?
Grace turned towards her closet, planning to grab her clothes for the day, but caught sight of herself in the mirror instead. She found herself touching her belly with curiosity... did she really have a baby in there? Grace smiled, not realizing she had until she saw it on her own face in the mirror.
* * *
"So, I said, 'Kev if you don't like it, then we don't have to go'. And Kevin goes, 'No, no, I'll go to any movie you want'. So I go, 'I want to see this one' and he's like... 'no way'," Julie rambled on.
Grace picked up her hamburger, eating it hungrily. She still occasionally had some queasiness when it came to food, but that only seemed to hit her for a few hours, and then suddenly she'd be starving.
"So, I go, 'Kev, you said any movie I wanted'... and he's like 'anyone but that one'," Julie sighed. "He's such an idiot. I don't know WHY I date him. Grace, you are SO lucky you aren't dating anyone. Right, Sarah?"
Sarah nodded her agreement. "SO lucky, Grace. Jeff is such a jerk sometimes."
Grace sunk a little lower in her chair, and shrugged.
"So, did I tell you about what Jeff said about next week?" Sarah asked Julie.
"No, what?" Julie said eagerly.
Sarah began talking, but Grace tuned her out. She finished her food, and looked around the school lunchroom. She spotted Jessie a few tables away with Katie. Jessie looked up and noticed Grace's pleading eyes on her and came over to rescue her.
"Grace, can I talk to you about that thing?" Jessie asked.
Grace nodded, saying a quick goodbye to her friends Julie and Sarah. Jessie waved at Katie and Katie joined them as they headed out to the hall. "Thanks, Jess. I just couldn't take anymore of their constant talk about their boyfriends..."
Katie looked at Grace. "Trouble in Guy land?"
Grace shook her head, "Trouble in Grace land." She looked at Jessie, who got it. Katie looked a little hurt that she wasn't let in on it, but didn't say anything.
"You know what?" Grace let out a deep breath. "I'm going home."
"Now?" Jessie asked.
"Yeah," Grace nodded. "I can't take another minute of this. Besides, I graduate in two weeks, so it doesn't really matter if I miss class or not."
"What are you doing after you graduate?" Katie asked politely.
"Oh," Jessie turned to Katie with a smile, "Grace is going to a cool private college, Edgewood, in Madison. I went with her when she visited. My dad says it's never too soon to check out colleges. It's a really nice campus........." Jessie trailed off, realization coming over her face.
Grace frowned, and Jessie looked sadly at her. They both knew now that Grace's plans for college would have to be altered. Her life was changing. Grace felt her eyes tearing up. "I've gotta go."
Jessie nodded, looking guilty. "I'll see you later."
"Bye Grace," Katie said quietly, sensing the tension Jessie's words had created in Grace.
"Bye." Grace fled.
* * *
Grace entered the house, glad that her mother took Dominic with her to her radio job during the day. What she really needed right now was solitude. She went to the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of juice. She caught the sound of a guitar.
Grace hesitated, drinking her juice as she thought about it. Finally she set the glass down and went to the garage. She knocked on the door to Eli's apartment. Silence greeted her. "Come on, Eli, I heard you playing..."
The door opened, "Oh, it's you." Eli said.
Grace took in his appearance. He was wearing a stained tee shirt and a pair of boxers. The slight smell of marijuana drifted off him. "Don't you have work?"
Eli walked away. "What, are you my MOTHER?"
Grace let herself in and closed the door. She followed Eli further into his room, and watched him put a cigarette to his mouth. "You've started smoking again," She said, disappointed.
Eli took in her look, and raised a lighter to the end of the cigarette. He glared at her as he lit it. "I've started doing a lot of things again..." He looked at her, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
Grace thought back to last night, the feel of him on top of her and blushed. Eli noticed the color in her cheeks with gratification. "Grace, did you come here for a reason?" He asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Maybe a repeat of last night...?"
Grace shook her head. She hated him. She hated him for making her feel this way. "Get lost, Eli."
"Uh, this is my room, and you're the one who should be going." Eli puffed on his cigarette, watching her carefully.
Grace felt her body tremble with anger. "Why are you such an incredible asshole?"
Eli didn't even blink. "Because I love you, baby."
Grace didn't smile at his joke. She felt like screaming every horrible word she knew to him... and then she'd tell him about the baby. And see how he felt... But no, Grace couldn't make the words come out. Instead she left him, she left his room, she left the garage. She got into her car and just drove.
* * *