Title: Strong Enough Chapter 11
Author: Nicki C.
Email: Nimacu@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I don't own Once and Again or the characters
Summery: Basically right after lunch
Feedback: Of Course I want it.
A/N* I've kind of fell behind on writing this, I got caught up in another fan fic, (Check it out if your interested in Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossovers.) But I haven't forgotton this at all; I just haven't been working on it. But tonight I felt inspired so here it is.
A/N** this story is kind of taking a different route than what I had originally intended but I like it.
Between her next classes Grace called home and left a message that she had detention and needed picked up an hour later than usual. The rest of the day was absolutely horrible; she kept hearing her name whispered everywhere she went. She knew that the rumors were probably getting exaggerated every time that that they were passed but there really wasn't anything she could do about it. She hated feeling like that. Grace dragged her feet as she left school after detention, she was worried she didn't know what she was going to come home to; class had been out for an hour anything could have happened in that time; another parent or child could have called Lily or Jessie could have decided to tell after all.
But when she saw Eli in his beat up Plymouth Charger waiting outside the school her heart instantly soared. Things couldn't be that bad if they'd sent Eli to pick her up from school could they? Without even thinking she ran up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Fancy meeting you in a place like this" Eli slyly remarked to her. She kissed him again "I love it when you say things like that!" She told him. They both got into the car.
"Where to milady?"
"I'm not going to kiss you while your driving so you can stop it now?"
"But can I build up kisses for later?"
"I suppose?" An irrepressible grin spread across her face
"Well then I'm going to brush up on my Clark Gable"
Grace just smiled as she looked at the scenery passing by; sometimes she was taken completely surprised by the man sitting next to her. She thought that she knew all there was to know about Eli Sammler, a veritable expert. Yet he said things like that, and he opened doors for her. If she thought being friends with him was wonderful being his girlfriend was turning out to be amazing. He grabbed her hand and held it the rest of the way home.
"I thought I couldn't love him anymore, but then he does something and it feels like all the feelings I have double."
As they pulled up to the house Grace remembered all the horrible events from the day. "Eli we have to talk before we go in the house." Grace told him. "Jessie knows we're dating, in fact the whole school knows." Grace paused a minute before she told him the whole story. As she finished she looked up at him expecting anger and instead all he said was "So you were writing my name in your notebook?" He laughed and headed into the house. Grace followed close behind.
The scene in the kitchen was one of utter chaos; Jessie on the phone, Zoe doing her homework and Rick trying desperately to make dinner for everyone. "When's mom going to be home?" Zoe asked "Yeah when will Lily get here; need to borrow a skirt" Jessie chimed in. "She should be home any minute" Rick answered Just as he answered Lily opened the door and the look on her face stopped all the action in the room cold. Rick fumbling over the stove, the girls at the table Grace on the counter and Eli in the fridge.
"Jessie and Zoë go to your rooms now! Eli you go out to the garage. Grace go to your room. Rick you and I need to talk in the living room now!" The look on Lily's face held no room for discussion as they each followed the orders. Grace and Eli looking languidly at each other and Jessie looking knowingly at both of them.