Chapter 35 | Not so happy families
"I thought you had work to do at the restaurant?" Grace asked when her mother told her about dinner that night.
"I do, but I thought since we will both be there, and since Rick, Eli and Jessie haven't been since the opening it would be a good opportunity" Lily explained. She knew that things were weird between Grace and Eli but she also knew that it was about time for them to get over it and move on with their lives.
"It's just that I have a lot of home work"
"Grace" Lily said warningly, cutting off her daughters excuse and then checking in the review mirror for oncoming cars.
"I do" Grace said defensively, avoiding her mothers eyes.
"Grace, all I'm asking is that we have a nice dinner together, okay, please" Lily.
"Yeah, okay, whatever" Grace said with a sigh, slumping down in her seat.
[Grace- Just how I wanted to spend my night]
* * * * *
"I thought you and Eli were getting along okay," Felicity said as she wiped down a table.
"We were, until he saw me kissing Matt"
[Grace- You said you weren't going to think about Matt tonight- you made your self promise]
Felicity rolled her eyes "The guy dumps you and then he goes and gets all jealous. If I was you I'd tell him to get over it"
"It's not that easy" Grace said, replacing the salt and pepper shakers.
"Why not?"
"Because our parents are dating, normally you'd just avoid the guy but mum and Rick are getting sick of it, what am I going to do tonight?"
"Just act as you used to before you got together," Felicity suggested, picking up the stack of dirty plates.
"I wish we could" Grace said softly, following her friend into the kitchen.
* * * * *
Grace turned around hearing the door open and in walked Rick and Jessie, followed by a disgruntled looking Eli who was staring at the ground. Taking a deep breath she walked towards them.
[Grace- It's now or never (looks at camera nervously) just relax]
"Hey" Grace forced herself to smile.
"Hi Grace" Rick said, "Busy tonight?" he asked looking around the nearly empty restaurant.
"No, Mondays usually our most quiet night" Grace said not looking at Eli.
"Dad, I'm just going to the toilet okay?" Jessie said, walking off.
Grace spotted her father walking towards them from across the room.
"So you must be Rick," he said offering his hand.
Shaking Jakes hand Rick answered, "Yes, that's me, and you must be Jake"
"Its nice to finally meet you"
"Great place you've got here"
It was at about that moment that Grace tuned out. She wasn't in the mood for polite small talk.
"Grace . . . Grace?" Grace looked up startled,
"Oh, sorry?"
"Why don't you go get Lily, she'll out back?" Jake asked, "And take Eli with you, show him around".
"But. . . he's", "That's really okay," they both answered at the same time.
Jake looked at Grace pointedly.
"Come on," Grace said with a sigh, gesturing towards Eli.
* * * * * Grace avoided Eli's eyes as they walked silently through the near empty restaurant and into the kitchen,
[Grace- I wish he would just say something. . . anything]
[Eli- You idiot, say something]
"So who's the guy?" Eli blurted out.
[Grace- (looks at camera in surprise) ]
[Eli- (head in hands) talk about being an idiot]
"You mean Matt" Grace said slowly.
"Uhh yeah," Eli looked down at the floor. "Sorry, it' none of my business"
"Matts just a friend" Grace said softly.
[Eli- A friend, friends don't kiss you like that]
"Oh" Eli said awkwardly.
[Grace- Why do things have to be so weird between us, and why did he have to ask about Matt?]
"Oh hey Grace, Eli, I didn't see you there" it was Lily.
"I was just showing him around," said Grace, looking at her mother.
"How have you been Eli?" Lily asked, putting down the notepad and pen she had in her hand.
Eli looked slightly uncomfortable, "I've been okay, thanks"
"Where's your father?" Lily asked, looking at Grace enquiringly.
"Talking to Rick" Grace said, laughing inwardly at the look of panic on her mothers face.
"Well I'm finished in here so what do you say we go and see what they are doing"
"I'll just be a minute" Grace excused herself and walked over to where Felicity had just entered the room.
"Help me" Grace pleaded.
"Why, you seemed to be doing okay"
"He wanted to know about Matt" Grace said with a groan.
"And did you tell him"
"Tell him what?" Grace asked. "I just told him Me and Matt are just friends"
"Oh," Felicity said. "What does that mean?" Grace asked an accusing tone to her voice.
"Nothing, nothing" Felicity said hurriedly, "I just thought it's better to tell him the truth that's all"
Grace looked at the ground.
[Grace- The truth, what is the truth, Matt seems to think that something's going on, but it's not, it can't, not after last time]
"I better go, they are waiting for me"
* * * * * Grace looked across the table at where Eli was sitting opposite her and sighed. He hadn't spoken a word to her since earlier, but to be honest she couldn't think of anything to say either.
Lily looked around the table, her eyes coming to rest on her daughter, and Rick's son Eli. The last time they had all been together like this was at the same place for the restaurant opening and that had been about 2 months ago. Things between the two of them seemed to be going so well, at that stage. Almost to well, she thought with a sigh. How had things gotten so bad between the two of them?
"So Eli, hows things with your band going?" Lily asked, trying to fill in the silence.
"Actually, they aren't the best at the moment" Eli admitted, avoiding his fathers eyes.
"I'm sorry to hear that" Lily said politely, taking a bite of her pasta. "I'm sure things will get better"
"I don't know, the other guys have seemed to lose interest lately"
"Any idea why?" Lily asked.
"I think their just pissed off about us not being able to line up any gigs lately, ya' know?"
[Eli- You know, this is what I always used to like about Lily, I could tell her what I was thinking and she'd actually listen to me. Sometimes I wonder she gets along with my father so well]
Lily looked down at the table thoughtfully. "Listen, I think I have an idea of a way I can help?"
Eli looked at Lily, half surprise, half hopeful. "Really?" "Yeah, listen I'll have to speak to a few people but how would you feel about someone from the magazine doing an article on your band?"
"How would I feel? That would be great!" Eli exclaimed excitedly.
"Do you really think that would be a good idea?" Rick asked (after overhearing the last part of the conversation), a concerned look on his face.
"It would be a great opportunity for the band," Lily explained, "to let people out there know about them"
"And I don't think that's such a great idea" Rick repeated his voice raised slightly.
Lily looked at him enquiringly, "can I ask why"
Eli looked at his father, "you want to know why? Because he doesn't care what I want, nothing I want is ever good enough" Eli said accusingly, before pushing back his chair and walking towards the restaurant door.
"Eli wait," Lily called after him.
Rick started to get up from the table, "I'm sorry about that" he apologised, Lily just looked at him, raising her eyebrows as if to say 'so you should be'.
"I'll go after him," Grace offered, standing up.
"Is that such as good idea?" Rick asked, looking at Grace.
Grace ignored him and went after Eli.
* * * * * "Hey" Grace said softly, sitting down next to Eli on the curb.
Eli didn't even look up.
"What was that all about?" Grace asked, already having some idea.
Eli looked up at her, with a look she'd never seen before.
"I wish he'd just stop trying to run my life!" he yelled, the looked back down at the ground.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Grace, she knew she was the last person Eli would probably talk to but she could at least try.
Eli didn't even look up at her.
"Okay I guess not" Grace answered her own question with a sigh.
"As if I'm going to tell you" Eli said, looking up suddenly.
"What?" Grace asked, confused and slightly hurt.
"Come on Grace, we broke up remember"
"That was your fault not mine, remember" Grace snapped.
Eli stood up, "And you don't seem to mind all that much anyway" he snapped back.
"I told you his just a friend" Grace said defensively, standing up herself.
"Sure, and that's why his standing right behind us, isn't it?"
[Grace- What?]
Grace turned around and saw Matt standing there looking hurt.
{Grace- Crap]
"Matt, hey, what are you doing here?" she asked walking over to him.
"I came to see you actually," he said, avoiding her eyes.
Grace leaned over to kiss him but her took a step back.
"What wrong?" Grace asked, as if she didn't already know.
[Grace- He heard]
Matt shook his head, "I shouldn't have come, I better go" he turned to walk away.
"No stay" she said.
Matt stopped and turned around.
"Come on, we'll talk later okay" Grace said, encouragingly.
"Okay" Matt gave a half smile and followed her into the restaurant, leaving Eli staring after them outside.
[Grace- Why have I got the feeling that I just made things worse between Eli and I? When he looked at Matt he looked so hurt, I just wish I could understand. But I can't and that's why I have to move on with my life. And I think Matt just may be the right person. Now I just have to tell him that while I like him I don't want anything to serious just yet. I can't let myself get hurt again like that]
"I thought you had work to do at the restaurant?" Grace asked when her mother told her about dinner that night.
"I do, but I thought since we will both be there, and since Rick, Eli and Jessie haven't been since the opening it would be a good opportunity" Lily explained. She knew that things were weird between Grace and Eli but she also knew that it was about time for them to get over it and move on with their lives.
"It's just that I have a lot of home work"
"Grace" Lily said warningly, cutting off her daughters excuse and then checking in the review mirror for oncoming cars.
"I do" Grace said defensively, avoiding her mothers eyes.
"Grace, all I'm asking is that we have a nice dinner together, okay, please" Lily.
"Yeah, okay, whatever" Grace said with a sigh, slumping down in her seat.
[Grace- Just how I wanted to spend my night]
* * * * *
"I thought you and Eli were getting along okay," Felicity said as she wiped down a table.
"We were, until he saw me kissing Matt"
[Grace- You said you weren't going to think about Matt tonight- you made your self promise]
Felicity rolled her eyes "The guy dumps you and then he goes and gets all jealous. If I was you I'd tell him to get over it"
"It's not that easy" Grace said, replacing the salt and pepper shakers.
"Why not?"
"Because our parents are dating, normally you'd just avoid the guy but mum and Rick are getting sick of it, what am I going to do tonight?"
"Just act as you used to before you got together," Felicity suggested, picking up the stack of dirty plates.
"I wish we could" Grace said softly, following her friend into the kitchen.
* * * * *
Grace turned around hearing the door open and in walked Rick and Jessie, followed by a disgruntled looking Eli who was staring at the ground. Taking a deep breath she walked towards them.
[Grace- It's now or never (looks at camera nervously) just relax]
"Hey" Grace forced herself to smile.
"Hi Grace" Rick said, "Busy tonight?" he asked looking around the nearly empty restaurant.
"No, Mondays usually our most quiet night" Grace said not looking at Eli.
"Dad, I'm just going to the toilet okay?" Jessie said, walking off.
Grace spotted her father walking towards them from across the room.
"So you must be Rick," he said offering his hand.
Shaking Jakes hand Rick answered, "Yes, that's me, and you must be Jake"
"Its nice to finally meet you"
"Great place you've got here"
It was at about that moment that Grace tuned out. She wasn't in the mood for polite small talk.
"Grace . . . Grace?" Grace looked up startled,
"Oh, sorry?"
"Why don't you go get Lily, she'll out back?" Jake asked, "And take Eli with you, show him around".
"But. . . he's", "That's really okay," they both answered at the same time.
Jake looked at Grace pointedly.
"Come on," Grace said with a sigh, gesturing towards Eli.
* * * * * Grace avoided Eli's eyes as they walked silently through the near empty restaurant and into the kitchen,
[Grace- I wish he would just say something. . . anything]
[Eli- You idiot, say something]
"So who's the guy?" Eli blurted out.
[Grace- (looks at camera in surprise) ]
[Eli- (head in hands) talk about being an idiot]
"You mean Matt" Grace said slowly.
"Uhh yeah," Eli looked down at the floor. "Sorry, it' none of my business"
"Matts just a friend" Grace said softly.
[Eli- A friend, friends don't kiss you like that]
"Oh" Eli said awkwardly.
[Grace- Why do things have to be so weird between us, and why did he have to ask about Matt?]
"Oh hey Grace, Eli, I didn't see you there" it was Lily.
"I was just showing him around," said Grace, looking at her mother.
"How have you been Eli?" Lily asked, putting down the notepad and pen she had in her hand.
Eli looked slightly uncomfortable, "I've been okay, thanks"
"Where's your father?" Lily asked, looking at Grace enquiringly.
"Talking to Rick" Grace said, laughing inwardly at the look of panic on her mothers face.
"Well I'm finished in here so what do you say we go and see what they are doing"
"I'll just be a minute" Grace excused herself and walked over to where Felicity had just entered the room.
"Help me" Grace pleaded.
"Why, you seemed to be doing okay"
"He wanted to know about Matt" Grace said with a groan.
"And did you tell him"
"Tell him what?" Grace asked. "I just told him Me and Matt are just friends"
"Oh," Felicity said. "What does that mean?" Grace asked an accusing tone to her voice.
"Nothing, nothing" Felicity said hurriedly, "I just thought it's better to tell him the truth that's all"
Grace looked at the ground.
[Grace- The truth, what is the truth, Matt seems to think that something's going on, but it's not, it can't, not after last time]
"I better go, they are waiting for me"
* * * * * Grace looked across the table at where Eli was sitting opposite her and sighed. He hadn't spoken a word to her since earlier, but to be honest she couldn't think of anything to say either.
Lily looked around the table, her eyes coming to rest on her daughter, and Rick's son Eli. The last time they had all been together like this was at the same place for the restaurant opening and that had been about 2 months ago. Things between the two of them seemed to be going so well, at that stage. Almost to well, she thought with a sigh. How had things gotten so bad between the two of them?
"So Eli, hows things with your band going?" Lily asked, trying to fill in the silence.
"Actually, they aren't the best at the moment" Eli admitted, avoiding his fathers eyes.
"I'm sorry to hear that" Lily said politely, taking a bite of her pasta. "I'm sure things will get better"
"I don't know, the other guys have seemed to lose interest lately"
"Any idea why?" Lily asked.
"I think their just pissed off about us not being able to line up any gigs lately, ya' know?"
[Eli- You know, this is what I always used to like about Lily, I could tell her what I was thinking and she'd actually listen to me. Sometimes I wonder she gets along with my father so well]
Lily looked down at the table thoughtfully. "Listen, I think I have an idea of a way I can help?"
Eli looked at Lily, half surprise, half hopeful. "Really?" "Yeah, listen I'll have to speak to a few people but how would you feel about someone from the magazine doing an article on your band?"
"How would I feel? That would be great!" Eli exclaimed excitedly.
"Do you really think that would be a good idea?" Rick asked (after overhearing the last part of the conversation), a concerned look on his face.
"It would be a great opportunity for the band," Lily explained, "to let people out there know about them"
"And I don't think that's such a great idea" Rick repeated his voice raised slightly.
Lily looked at him enquiringly, "can I ask why"
Eli looked at his father, "you want to know why? Because he doesn't care what I want, nothing I want is ever good enough" Eli said accusingly, before pushing back his chair and walking towards the restaurant door.
"Eli wait," Lily called after him.
Rick started to get up from the table, "I'm sorry about that" he apologised, Lily just looked at him, raising her eyebrows as if to say 'so you should be'.
"I'll go after him," Grace offered, standing up.
"Is that such as good idea?" Rick asked, looking at Grace.
Grace ignored him and went after Eli.
* * * * * "Hey" Grace said softly, sitting down next to Eli on the curb.
Eli didn't even look up.
"What was that all about?" Grace asked, already having some idea.
Eli looked up at her, with a look she'd never seen before.
"I wish he'd just stop trying to run my life!" he yelled, the looked back down at the ground.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Grace, she knew she was the last person Eli would probably talk to but she could at least try.
Eli didn't even look up at her.
"Okay I guess not" Grace answered her own question with a sigh.
"As if I'm going to tell you" Eli said, looking up suddenly.
"What?" Grace asked, confused and slightly hurt.
"Come on Grace, we broke up remember"
"That was your fault not mine, remember" Grace snapped.
Eli stood up, "And you don't seem to mind all that much anyway" he snapped back.
"I told you his just a friend" Grace said defensively, standing up herself.
"Sure, and that's why his standing right behind us, isn't it?"
[Grace- What?]
Grace turned around and saw Matt standing there looking hurt.
{Grace- Crap]
"Matt, hey, what are you doing here?" she asked walking over to him.
"I came to see you actually," he said, avoiding her eyes.
Grace leaned over to kiss him but her took a step back.
"What wrong?" Grace asked, as if she didn't already know.
[Grace- He heard]
Matt shook his head, "I shouldn't have come, I better go" he turned to walk away.
"No stay" she said.
Matt stopped and turned around.
"Come on, we'll talk later okay" Grace said, encouragingly.
"Okay" Matt gave a half smile and followed her into the restaurant, leaving Eli staring after them outside.
[Grace- Why have I got the feeling that I just made things worse between Eli and I? When he looked at Matt he looked so hurt, I just wish I could understand. But I can't and that's why I have to move on with my life. And I think Matt just may be the right person. Now I just have to tell him that while I like him I don't want anything to serious just yet. I can't let myself get hurt again like that]