~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Are
WOW, thanks guys for the reviews! You keep me motivated! My sister and the baby are doing just fine, and got released from the hospital today. Baby Kendall is a sweetie. She's adorable. Anyways, as always, thanks for reading/reviewing!!!
Chapter 19//Theories of Light Speed
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"What's up with you?" Carla asked as she studied Grace's face.
Grace blinked, and slowly gathered herself before she answered Carla, "What do you mean?"
Carla rolled her eyes and snapped her gum, "You look... weird."
"Oh?" Grace looked away from Carla's peering eyes, and off into the little club. Anti-Inflammatory was playing at Sky Gem... a small club that was known for having the best bands play it.
[[Grace - *holding valentine card from Eli* He said if I didn't want him to go, he wouldn't go... But... *looks at card*]]
"Yeah, you look like... like your whole brain is consumed by one thought, or something," Carla shrugged. She looked up at the stage, "Hey, they're getting ready!"
Grace looked up too, and her eyes fell on Eli, as he hooked up his guitar to the amp, and checked the microphones. Eli looked down into the crowd, and saw her. He smiled and lifted his hand slightly in a wave. Grace lifted her hand in a similar wave.
[[Grace - *looks at camera* But, how can I make that decision for him? I don't want to make that decision for him. I know he really wants to do this... I don't want to be the one holding him back from doing what he wants. I don't want to be like his anchor, tying him down.]]
"Hey!"
Grace and Carla turned in surprise as Cynthia and Travis moved towards their table.
"I didn't think you guys were coming!" Carla said, sipping her soda.
"Me neither," Grace agreed. From the way Travis had talked, Grace had thought it very unlikely the two would come.
Cynthia shrugged, "Well, we are!" She pulled up a chair at their table and Travis did the same.
Grace looked across the table, and found herself looking into Travis' eyes. His blue eyes stared back at her briefly before fluttering off to look at the stage. Grace looked down at her drink.
"That's Turk," Carla whispered to Cynthia, pointing at the dark- haired guy on stage.
Cynthia nodded, "He's hot." She looked at Travis, ready for him to joke with her about what she had just said. But Travis was still staring at the stage, not seeming to care that his girlfriend just called another guy 'hot'. Cynthia frowned and glanced at Grace.
Grace, unsure of why Cynthia was looking at her that way, returned her own eyes back down at her soda. Looking at her drink seemed to be the only safe place.
Carla looked at Grace too, after catching Cynthia's glare at Grace. She was about to ask some questions and get to the bottom of this, but then the band began playing. Carla turned her attention back up at Turk, forgetting about the peculiar tension between Cynthia and Carla.
* * *
"That's your brother?" Katie asked, raising her voice above the music.
Jessie nodded, allowing herself a proud smile. She hadn't been to any of the band's gigs lately, but they were... excellent. They had gotten a lot better since the last time she had seen them. They had more songs, and the coolest thing was that people in the audience Jessie didn't recognize were singing along to the lyrics. Anti-Inflammatory was really becoming known.
"He's hot," Katie said with a smile.
Jessie looked at Katie, her eyes wide.
Katie caught her look and shrugged, "I can say a guy's hot... it doesn't change the fact that I like girls."
Jessie blushed, as Katie had said that last line really loud, and two guys at the table next to them looked over with leering faces. Jessie wondered if they thought that SHE was Katie's girlfriend.
"What's that smile for?" Katie asked, startling Jessie, who hadn't realized she had been smiling.
"Oh, nothing," Jessie said quickly. She looked down at her soda, and took a sip. Then she looked back at Katie, and smiled again without realizing it.
* * *
"You were great!" Carla squealed as Turk came out from backstage after their set had ended. She threw herself on him, and Turk caught her easily. They kissed passionately.
Grace looked behind them, at Eli, who had stopped at the table near the front, where Jessie and Katie sat and was now heading for their table. She missed him. She missed kissing him. She missed sharing her thoughts with him.
Eli hesitated in his journey to their table, and his previously warm eyes turned cold. Grace looked at him, surprised.
"Travis, ready to go?" Cynthia asked. ".....Travis?"
Grace cut her hurt eyes away from Eli and focused on Travis. Travis was looking directly at Eli, and Grace now saw why Eli's eyes had changed. It was because he had seen, and recognized, Travis. Why hadn't Grace realized something like this might happen?
"Great show!" Cynthia cried as Eli finally joined their table. "You guys rocked."
"Thanks," Eli said, adverting his eyes from Travis to throw a smile in the direction of Cynthia.
Cynthia looked back and forth from Travis and Eli, and then finally her eyes settled on Grace. Grace looked back at her friend, shocked by the hurt and anger in Cynthia's eyes. Cynthia was looking at Grace like she was the cause for Cynthia's pain. But what had Grace done?
"So, Travis... ready?" Cynthia asked, still looking at Grace.
Grace looked over at Travis, who was having a stare-down with Eli. He didn't even bother to answer Cynthia.
"So, you're Grace's stepbrother," Travis said, addressing Eli.
Eli gave a small nod, "And you're that guy from the play."
Grace nervously watched the two of them, her heart beating a little faster. Both of them looked ready to start throwing fists, or something. But what Grace didn't get was why Travis cared.
[[Grace - Why would Travis have anything against Eli? I mean, I know why Eli doesn't like Travis, but... Travis doesn't even know Eli. So, why would he...?]]
The two boys silently regarded one another. Grace waited tensely for... anything. Cynthia loudly got up from her chair, throwing a disgusted look at Travis, and a sad look at Grace. Cynthia left, hurrying to the club's doors. Travis either didn't notice, or he didn't care.
"Eli," Grace said quickly, "We should be getting back home."
Travis finally turned away from Eli, and he looked at Grace. Grace was shocked by the look on his face.
[[Grace - It almost looked like... like Travis had feelings for me or something. But, that can't be true. He's with Cynthia. And... it just doesn't make sense.]]
Eli waited until Travis looked back at him, and gave a pointed sneer in Travis' direction. "Yeah, let's go home, together," He said, slinging an arm around Grace.
Grace, disgusted by Eli's need to 'mark his territory' by putting his arm around her, slipped away from his clutch. She didn't want to be a pawn in this game. She didn't want any part of it.
[[Grace - Men.... are boys. Just foolish boys. *sighs*]]
Grace walked out of the club, Eli following closely behind her.
* * *
"Where's your girlfriend?" Carla said, as she and Turk broke from their kisses to find Travis sitting alone at the table.
"Girlfriend?" Travis asked unsurely.
"Uh, Cynthia?" Carla said, rolling her eyes.
"Right," Travis got up from the table. He looked down at his sneakered feet and sighed, "I think I might have lost her."
* * *
"Grace!" Eli called.
Grace continued up the driveway. She had been silent the whole ride home. Eli's anger at seeing Travis had faded away, and now he just felt stupid for acting the way he had.
[[Eli - I had almost been about to punch Travis. That's how mad I was. I was ready to just knock him one.]]
"Wait," Eli called and caught up to Grace. He grabbed onto her arm. "Listen to me."
Grace turned, her eyes glowing in the moonlight, "Yeah?"
Eli relaxed, glad that Grace was giving him a chance to explain at least. "I'm sorry. I just... seeing him just made me so mad."
Grace nodded, she folded her arms across her chest.
"I shouldn't have acted like such a jerk," Eli sighed, "But seeing him, just hurt me. I couldn't stand to see his sneaky face!"
"Sneaky face...?" Grace repeated.
"Well, look at what he did, Grace," Eli said after a short pause.
Grace looked up at Eli, her brow wrinkling, "What do you mean? Travis' done nothing... it was me, who thought I had feelings for him, not the other way around."
Eli shook his head, aghast at Grace's confusion. Couldn't she see...? Didn't she realize?
"I'm going inside," Grace said finally when Eli was silent.
Eli took her hand in his and said, "Come in the garage first."
Grace followed him into his garage apartment. She stared at his back, waiting for what he had to say.
Eli began talking before he even turned around to look at her, "Grace, it's obvious that Travis has feelings for you. Look at how he acted tonight."
"Yeah, that was weird, but... he's dating Cynthia. They've been dating a while," Grace informed him.
"Maybe so," Eli shrugged, unsure of whether to say more. "Grace, but, it was clear to me that Travis had feelings for you long before tonight."
"What?" Grace was stunned.
"The play... the kiss. Not only did I see your feelings for him, but I also could see his feelings for you in that kiss. He liked you. He still does."
Grace shook her head, looking into Eli's eyes. She laughed, "That's so not true. Why would he be dating Cynthia, then?"
"Because he knows that you are attached to me. And tonight he saw me, and well, he was as angry as I was," Eli commented.
Grace nodded. Slowly, it was all making sense. She felt bad for Cynthia. The looks Cynthia had been giving her all night made sense, even Cynthia could see that her boyfriend, Travis, had feelings for Grace. How that must have hurt her.
Eli looked seriously at Grace, "But the important question is... whether or not, you STILL have feelings for Travis. Because... maybe then... that's who you should be with."
Grace looked at Eli, her eyes widening.
* * *
The Way We Are
WOW, thanks guys for the reviews! You keep me motivated! My sister and the baby are doing just fine, and got released from the hospital today. Baby Kendall is a sweetie. She's adorable. Anyways, as always, thanks for reading/reviewing!!!
Chapter 19//Theories of Light Speed
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*
*
"What's up with you?" Carla asked as she studied Grace's face.
Grace blinked, and slowly gathered herself before she answered Carla, "What do you mean?"
Carla rolled her eyes and snapped her gum, "You look... weird."
"Oh?" Grace looked away from Carla's peering eyes, and off into the little club. Anti-Inflammatory was playing at Sky Gem... a small club that was known for having the best bands play it.
[[Grace - *holding valentine card from Eli* He said if I didn't want him to go, he wouldn't go... But... *looks at card*]]
"Yeah, you look like... like your whole brain is consumed by one thought, or something," Carla shrugged. She looked up at the stage, "Hey, they're getting ready!"
Grace looked up too, and her eyes fell on Eli, as he hooked up his guitar to the amp, and checked the microphones. Eli looked down into the crowd, and saw her. He smiled and lifted his hand slightly in a wave. Grace lifted her hand in a similar wave.
[[Grace - *looks at camera* But, how can I make that decision for him? I don't want to make that decision for him. I know he really wants to do this... I don't want to be the one holding him back from doing what he wants. I don't want to be like his anchor, tying him down.]]
"Hey!"
Grace and Carla turned in surprise as Cynthia and Travis moved towards their table.
"I didn't think you guys were coming!" Carla said, sipping her soda.
"Me neither," Grace agreed. From the way Travis had talked, Grace had thought it very unlikely the two would come.
Cynthia shrugged, "Well, we are!" She pulled up a chair at their table and Travis did the same.
Grace looked across the table, and found herself looking into Travis' eyes. His blue eyes stared back at her briefly before fluttering off to look at the stage. Grace looked down at her drink.
"That's Turk," Carla whispered to Cynthia, pointing at the dark- haired guy on stage.
Cynthia nodded, "He's hot." She looked at Travis, ready for him to joke with her about what she had just said. But Travis was still staring at the stage, not seeming to care that his girlfriend just called another guy 'hot'. Cynthia frowned and glanced at Grace.
Grace, unsure of why Cynthia was looking at her that way, returned her own eyes back down at her soda. Looking at her drink seemed to be the only safe place.
Carla looked at Grace too, after catching Cynthia's glare at Grace. She was about to ask some questions and get to the bottom of this, but then the band began playing. Carla turned her attention back up at Turk, forgetting about the peculiar tension between Cynthia and Carla.
* * *
"That's your brother?" Katie asked, raising her voice above the music.
Jessie nodded, allowing herself a proud smile. She hadn't been to any of the band's gigs lately, but they were... excellent. They had gotten a lot better since the last time she had seen them. They had more songs, and the coolest thing was that people in the audience Jessie didn't recognize were singing along to the lyrics. Anti-Inflammatory was really becoming known.
"He's hot," Katie said with a smile.
Jessie looked at Katie, her eyes wide.
Katie caught her look and shrugged, "I can say a guy's hot... it doesn't change the fact that I like girls."
Jessie blushed, as Katie had said that last line really loud, and two guys at the table next to them looked over with leering faces. Jessie wondered if they thought that SHE was Katie's girlfriend.
"What's that smile for?" Katie asked, startling Jessie, who hadn't realized she had been smiling.
"Oh, nothing," Jessie said quickly. She looked down at her soda, and took a sip. Then she looked back at Katie, and smiled again without realizing it.
* * *
"You were great!" Carla squealed as Turk came out from backstage after their set had ended. She threw herself on him, and Turk caught her easily. They kissed passionately.
Grace looked behind them, at Eli, who had stopped at the table near the front, where Jessie and Katie sat and was now heading for their table. She missed him. She missed kissing him. She missed sharing her thoughts with him.
Eli hesitated in his journey to their table, and his previously warm eyes turned cold. Grace looked at him, surprised.
"Travis, ready to go?" Cynthia asked. ".....Travis?"
Grace cut her hurt eyes away from Eli and focused on Travis. Travis was looking directly at Eli, and Grace now saw why Eli's eyes had changed. It was because he had seen, and recognized, Travis. Why hadn't Grace realized something like this might happen?
"Great show!" Cynthia cried as Eli finally joined their table. "You guys rocked."
"Thanks," Eli said, adverting his eyes from Travis to throw a smile in the direction of Cynthia.
Cynthia looked back and forth from Travis and Eli, and then finally her eyes settled on Grace. Grace looked back at her friend, shocked by the hurt and anger in Cynthia's eyes. Cynthia was looking at Grace like she was the cause for Cynthia's pain. But what had Grace done?
"So, Travis... ready?" Cynthia asked, still looking at Grace.
Grace looked over at Travis, who was having a stare-down with Eli. He didn't even bother to answer Cynthia.
"So, you're Grace's stepbrother," Travis said, addressing Eli.
Eli gave a small nod, "And you're that guy from the play."
Grace nervously watched the two of them, her heart beating a little faster. Both of them looked ready to start throwing fists, or something. But what Grace didn't get was why Travis cared.
[[Grace - Why would Travis have anything against Eli? I mean, I know why Eli doesn't like Travis, but... Travis doesn't even know Eli. So, why would he...?]]
The two boys silently regarded one another. Grace waited tensely for... anything. Cynthia loudly got up from her chair, throwing a disgusted look at Travis, and a sad look at Grace. Cynthia left, hurrying to the club's doors. Travis either didn't notice, or he didn't care.
"Eli," Grace said quickly, "We should be getting back home."
Travis finally turned away from Eli, and he looked at Grace. Grace was shocked by the look on his face.
[[Grace - It almost looked like... like Travis had feelings for me or something. But, that can't be true. He's with Cynthia. And... it just doesn't make sense.]]
Eli waited until Travis looked back at him, and gave a pointed sneer in Travis' direction. "Yeah, let's go home, together," He said, slinging an arm around Grace.
Grace, disgusted by Eli's need to 'mark his territory' by putting his arm around her, slipped away from his clutch. She didn't want to be a pawn in this game. She didn't want any part of it.
[[Grace - Men.... are boys. Just foolish boys. *sighs*]]
Grace walked out of the club, Eli following closely behind her.
* * *
"Where's your girlfriend?" Carla said, as she and Turk broke from their kisses to find Travis sitting alone at the table.
"Girlfriend?" Travis asked unsurely.
"Uh, Cynthia?" Carla said, rolling her eyes.
"Right," Travis got up from the table. He looked down at his sneakered feet and sighed, "I think I might have lost her."
* * *
"Grace!" Eli called.
Grace continued up the driveway. She had been silent the whole ride home. Eli's anger at seeing Travis had faded away, and now he just felt stupid for acting the way he had.
[[Eli - I had almost been about to punch Travis. That's how mad I was. I was ready to just knock him one.]]
"Wait," Eli called and caught up to Grace. He grabbed onto her arm. "Listen to me."
Grace turned, her eyes glowing in the moonlight, "Yeah?"
Eli relaxed, glad that Grace was giving him a chance to explain at least. "I'm sorry. I just... seeing him just made me so mad."
Grace nodded, she folded her arms across her chest.
"I shouldn't have acted like such a jerk," Eli sighed, "But seeing him, just hurt me. I couldn't stand to see his sneaky face!"
"Sneaky face...?" Grace repeated.
"Well, look at what he did, Grace," Eli said after a short pause.
Grace looked up at Eli, her brow wrinkling, "What do you mean? Travis' done nothing... it was me, who thought I had feelings for him, not the other way around."
Eli shook his head, aghast at Grace's confusion. Couldn't she see...? Didn't she realize?
"I'm going inside," Grace said finally when Eli was silent.
Eli took her hand in his and said, "Come in the garage first."
Grace followed him into his garage apartment. She stared at his back, waiting for what he had to say.
Eli began talking before he even turned around to look at her, "Grace, it's obvious that Travis has feelings for you. Look at how he acted tonight."
"Yeah, that was weird, but... he's dating Cynthia. They've been dating a while," Grace informed him.
"Maybe so," Eli shrugged, unsure of whether to say more. "Grace, but, it was clear to me that Travis had feelings for you long before tonight."
"What?" Grace was stunned.
"The play... the kiss. Not only did I see your feelings for him, but I also could see his feelings for you in that kiss. He liked you. He still does."
Grace shook her head, looking into Eli's eyes. She laughed, "That's so not true. Why would he be dating Cynthia, then?"
"Because he knows that you are attached to me. And tonight he saw me, and well, he was as angry as I was," Eli commented.
Grace nodded. Slowly, it was all making sense. She felt bad for Cynthia. The looks Cynthia had been giving her all night made sense, even Cynthia could see that her boyfriend, Travis, had feelings for Grace. How that must have hurt her.
Eli looked seriously at Grace, "But the important question is... whether or not, you STILL have feelings for Travis. Because... maybe then... that's who you should be with."
Grace looked at Eli, her eyes widening.
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