~A Once and Again Series~

The Way We Are

Sorry, Sorry! I've been taking forever with my updates! But, I'm back
now.

Chapter 21//Give it Truth or Give it Space

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"Cynthia?" Grace asked unsurely on Monday morning. She hadn't talked to her friend all weekend... she wasn't even sure if Cynthia was still her friend, after what happened at the club with Travis and Eli.

Cynthia looked over and surprised Grace with her usual wide smile. "Morning."

Grace looked around the quickly-filling hallway. This wasn't the place to discuss it, but she just HAD to ask her. "So, uh, are you and Travis...?"

Cynthia's smile faltered, but just for a brief second. "Oh, yeah, we kind of decided it was best if we jus be friends." Cynthia closed her locker just a little too hard. She turned back to Grace, "It's not your fault."

"My fault?" Grace echoed.

Cynthia nodded, and twisted a section of her brown curls, "Well... I know you never tried to get with Travis or anything like that. It's not your fault that he likes you better."

"That's not true!" Grace urged, but Cynthia's sad eyes remained fixed.

"It is," She said slowly, and took a deep breath, "But, I'm okay with it."

Grace took a deep breath herself. This wasn't what she had expected.

[[Grace - This isn't what I wanted! Everything was just getting back to normal with Eli and me... and now this. *sighs* Why does everything have to be so complicated?]]

"I wouldn't... I'm not going to date him," Grace said quickly.

Cynthia shrugged, "Don't make promises you aren't sure you'll keep."

"But I am sure!" Grace cried.

Cynthia's eyes were doubtful. The first bell rang, and she gave Grace a small smile as she parted.

Grace remained fixed to her spot, her body tense. She didn't want this!

[[Grace - I just want to forget I ever felt anything for Travis. Those feelings are done! And... I've got Eli back now. *small smile* I'm not screwing it up this time.]]

* * *

"Hey, there's Sarah," Jessie said as she and Katie walked across the lunch room.

"So?" Katie snipped.

Jessie wrinkled her brow in confusion and followed Katie to a table near the wall. "How come you don't want to sit with her?" Jessie asked as she dropped her backpack onto an empty chair.

Katie looked up at Jessie with surprise, "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Jessie said, mystified.

Katie glanced over her shoulder, looking briefly at where Sarah sat with a bunch of the other drama club people. She looked back at Jessie, "Sarah and I broke up."

"You did?" Jessie asked.

Katie nodded, glancing over once more at Sarah. She looked back at Jessie, her eyes filled with indifference, "It just wasn't meant to be, I guess."

Jessie's eyes fell down to look at her dull lunch food. She couldn't believe Katie and Sarah broke up... it was just such a surprise.

* * *

"So, I'm totally there!" Carla said excitedly.

Eli closed his locker door and looked at Carla, "What?"

"The tour!" Carla said, rolling her eyes. "My dad said he wouldn't let me go, because it was all 'unsupervised' and I'm like only 16, but I'm supposed to be spending the summer with my mom, anyways, so really it's her decision." Carla paused and gave a big smile, "And I know she's going to let me go... even if it is really just to spite my dad."

"That's... good," Eli said, "You and Turk will have a great time."

[[Eli - I hope Grace and I can get her parents to let her come too... we'd have the best time.]]

Carla nodded, "Yup." She studied Eli for a moment. There was something hopeful about his expression. "Are you and Grace...?"

Eli shook his head quickly, "No."

Carla's smile widened, "You are! You're back together!" She punched Eli lightly on his arm, "That's great!"

Eli looked around, hoping no one had heard Carla.

[[Eli - The only way we'll be able to get Grace's parents to agree to it... is if we don't tell them we're back together. They can't find out.]]

"Don't tell anyone," Eli reprimanded Carla.

Carla rolled her eyes, "Fine. You CAN trust me, you know?"

Eli smiled, "I don't know about that, sometimes."

Carla smiled gleefully.

* * *

Lily sighed, as she looked over at the clock. She had came home from her job at the radio station early today. There was something she needed to talk to Rick about... something important.

Lily sat up straighter as she heard the front door opening downstairs, but by the jabble of voices, she could tell it was just the kids coming home from school. Besides, Rick didn't get home till after four usually, and sometimes not till after five. Lily would just have to wait.

She fell back on the bed, relaxing against the firm mattress. Her eyelids drooped.

"Mom?"

Lily sat up again, looking at the doorway. "Yes, Zoe?"

Zoe entered the room, and cuddled up next to her mother on the bed. "Can I get a dog?" Zoe asked after a moment's pause.

"A dog?" Lily echoed.

"Please!" Zoe begged.

"I don't know... we'll have to see," Lily said, as she straightened Zoe's long cascade of brown hair.

Zoe pulled away, knowing from experience that 'we'll have to see' equaled a 'no'. She frowned at her mother, "Why not?"

"Zoe," Lily said with a forced smile, "Isn't this house already crowded enough without a dog? Plus, it's a big responsibility."

"I'm sure you'd let Grace have a dog if she wanted!" Zoe said angrily.

"Zoe!" Lily called, but Zoe was already flying out the door.

Lily relaxed on her bed again, her hands resting on her stomach. Downstairs she now heard Zoe's voice joining the voices of Jessie, Grace and Eli.

[[Lily - ....Grace and Eli.... *sighs* They think that no one knows they're back together... but I know. I only know because I was, well, eavesdropping. *frowns* I don't know what to do about it... They want to go away together, on Eli's tour. For the whole summer. I just don't know what to say to that.]]

Lily's eyes finally fell shut again and she gently faded away to sleep, the problem of Eli and Grace on her mind.

* * *

"Lily?"

Lily rolled over, opening her eyes. Rick smiled down sweetly at her. "What time is it?" Lily asked.

"A little after seven," Rick told her.

"Seven?" Lily said with surprise, sitting up. "Did you just get home?"

"No," Rick held out a hand, helping her to her feet. "I got home two hours ago, and I made the kids dinner, and I let you sleep."

"I didn't realize I was so tired," Lily said with a yawn.

"Zoe and Grace seem to be fighting again," Rick informed her.

Lily's yawn turned into a sigh, "Yeah. They're always fighting. They just need more space from each other... then they wouldn't get on each other's nerves so much."

"Well, we could get Grace her own apartment," Rick joked.

Lily gave a small smile. "So, did you happen to leave any dinner for me?" She asked, as her stomach growled.

"I did," Rick confirmed, "That's why I was coming up here to wake you."

"Great," Lily said with a real smile this time.

Rick turned to begin to head out of the room, but Lily grabbed onto his hand, stopping him. "There's something important I think we should talk about first."

"I'm all ears," Rick said, waiting.

* * *

"Well, I don't want a dog," Jessie said from where she sat on the couch, next to Zoe and Eli.

"No one asked you!" Zoe snipped. She frowned and sank further into the couch cushion. It looked like she'd never get a dog. Everyone was against it!

"Why don't you get a turtle or a fish or a lizard or something?" Eli suggested.

"I don't want a turtle or a fish or something. I want a dog," Zoe said icily. She looked at Jessie, "Why don't you want a dog?"

Jessie pretended not to hear her, instead focusing in on the TV show.

Zoe sighed. Grace entered the living room, and Zoe glared at her sister. "This is all because of you!"

Grace glared back at her sister, "Well, I'm sorry if I don't want a dog! Gosh, Zoe, you're so selfish. No one wants a dog, but you."

Zoe frowned. She leaped up from the couch, and stomped up the stairs.

Grace rolled her eyes after her departing sister.

The phone rang and Jessie danced away to answer it, claiming she knew it was for her.

Grace and Eli were alone. Grace sat next to him and they snuck a quick kiss.

"Someone might see," Eli warned, but neither could stop themselves from a second kiss. "Are you going to ask your mom?" Eli asked.

Grace nodded, "Yeah, soon."

They smiled eagerly at each other.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Lily and Rick were coming down. Grace and Eli moved a bit further apart on the couch. As Lily descended the final step, she turned and looked at Grace and Eli, "We need to talk to you."

Grace felt a knot start in her stomach. Did they know about Eli and her being back together? They couldn't know! It would ruin everything!

Zoe was coming down the stairs behind them. Lily looked up at her, "We need to talk... to all of you."

Zoe joined the other two on the couch, and Grace felt even more nervous. Why did they have to talk to all of them? This couldn't just be about her and Eli... could it?

Rick came back from the kitchen, with a confused Jessie. Jessie didn't understand what they had to talk about that couldn't wait until after she finished talking with Katie.

"Kids," Lily began, "We have some important news."

"We're getting a dog?" Zoe asked, hopefully.

"Even better," Rick replied, "We're having a baby."

Rick and Lily put their arms around each other and waited for their kid's reactions.

"You're pregnant?" Grace said, relieved that this wasn't about her and Eli after all.

"I'm getting a sister!" Jessie said excitedly.

"Where are you going to put it?" Zoe asked.

"Honey, we have eight months to figure that out," Lily said with a smile. She was glad that Rick had been so happy when she had told him. This baby hadn't been planned, but they both were excited about it. They looked at her pregnancy as an unexpected blessing.

* * *

"I'm happy for you, mom," Grace said, later that night.

"Are you?" Lily asked, searching her daughter's face.

Grace nodded, "I really am." She paused, hesitated.

"Did you have something you wanted to talk about?" Lily urged her.

"Well, yeah... there's something I wanted to do," Grace said, then waved a hand, "But, maybe now's not the time."

"Sure it is," Lily said with a smile.

Grace walked closer to where her mother was sitting in the living room chair. Lily muted the TV and waited. "There's this job..." Grace began.

"Uh-huh," Lily said, faking like she didn't know what Grace was leading up to.

"With Eli's band. You know, like on the tour. They'll pay me if I come along and act as their road-hand and whatever. It's a really good opportunity, and I'll get to make a good amount of money, and I'll get to travel to a bunch of states I've never been to..." Grace rambled on.

"Okay," Lily said, cutting her off.

"Okay?" Grace repeated, surprised.

"You can go," Lily said, "As long as your father agrees. I think it will be really fun for you."

Grace was still astounded that her mother had agreed so quickly, "Really?"

"Yup," Lily leaned in, and kissed Grace's forehead. She couldn't help but add, "And you and Eli are such close friends, I know you'll have a good time together."

Grace's eyes fell to her hands. She hated lying to her mother about Eli and her, but it was the only way she could have gotten her mother to agree to the trip.

Lily smiled. Yes, she knew Eli and Grace were back together, and yes, she was sending her daughter off on a summer-long trip with her boyfriend, but.... this just felt like the right thing to do.

Grace looked up, "Thanks mom."

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