*Knock, knock*. Eli Sammler rolled over and looked at his clock, rubbing
away the sleep from his eyes. He groaned as he saw that it read 10:00 PM.
He was supposed to have met his mom at her house at 8:00, and he truly felt
sorry that he didn't. Karen had said that she needed to speak with him and
Jessie about something important. The knocking on Eli's door continued.
"Eli? Are you in there?" called a voice. Eli rolled out of bed, threw on a
gray T-shirt and his old, torn blue jeans, and opened the door. The door
opened, revealing a very worried Grace to a very tired Eli. Eli blinked his
eyes, "Grace?"
"Jessie called and said that you were supposed to meet her at your mom's house earlier. She was worried when you didn't show up," Grace explained.
Eli searched his brain for a good excuse, but he came up with nothing. Grace smiled at him, knowing exactly what Eli had been doing; cocaine, heroin, some unknown drug that he bought off the street to help him get through the day. "So, you fell asleep after band practice?" she said with a smirk on her face.
Eli smiled, "Exactly, after all, it was such a long and draining session." He smiled at the brunette, almost losing himself in her deep, brown eyes. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes again. "So, I guess I should be off to my mom's house," he said.
"I guess," Grace said, nodding her head in agreement, "They're probably worried about you."
"Right, 'cuz I'm late and all," he said, kicking himself mentally for being tongue-tied around his stepsister. She just had that affect on him.
Grace stared at him, "So...I'll see ya around then."
"Right, see ya," Eli said as he grabbed his car keys and headed to the garage. He shut the door and leaned against it. He didn't understand the reason why he could never tell Grace the way her felt about her. For so long he was sure that Grace felt the same way, but then he had heard that she was in love with Mr. Dimitri. Eli smiled; Mr. Dimitri wasn't even in the same state anymore. Grace must be over him now. Who am I kidding, he thought, Grace would never go for a loser like me. I can't even keep a job, how could I ever get a girl like her? Eli shook the thoughts of Grace and love out of his head and started his car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he caught a glimpse of Grace standing in the window, and he took a deep breath. She's beautiful, he thought, staring at the angel before him. As the curtains closed, removing Grace from his vision, Eli finally pulled out of the driveway and left Grace behind him.
*****
Karen and Jessie Sammler sat on the couch watching a horror movie that Rick had given them. All either of them knew was that it was Rick's favorite movie. He had told them that it was about a girl who coughed. Jessie yawned as she glanced at the clock. Grace had called earlier to inform them that Eli was on his way, and that he had fallen asleep after band practice. Both Jessie and Karen knew that wasn't true. Karen looked up as she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door for her son and then went and sat on the arm of the couch. Eli shut the door and was instantly bombarded by the knowing stares of his mother and sister. "Have a good nap?" Karen asked Eli, smirking slightly.
Eli looked at the two women and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I did...so, Mom, you wanted to talk to us?" Eli said, quickly changing the subject.
Karen cleared her throat, "Um, yes, I wanted to let you know that I..."
"You...?" asked Jessie.
"I...have a date with someone tomorrow night, and I wanted to make sure that it was ok with you guys that I do," Karen explained.
"A date?" asked Eli.
"With a guy?" asked Jessie.
"Yes, a date with a guy," Karen said.
Jessie was confused; who could her mother possibly have a date with. Then, it hit her, "You have a date with Henry, don't you?" she asked her mom.
Karen nodded again and replied, "Yes I do, and like I said I wanted to make sure that it was alright with you two. Not too uncomfortable I hope?"
All Eli could do was stare at his mother in awe. His mother, Karen Sammler, had a date...a date date. Jessie looked over at the goofy look that lay across her older brother's face. "No, of course it's not uncomfortable. We suggested it, remember?"
"So, your not uncomfortable...that he's black?" Karen asked hesitantly.
"No!" Eli stated firmly.
"Of course not. We only care that you're happy. Everybody should be happy," Jessie started, "Everybody has the right to be with the one they love." She paused for a moment, "Everyone needs the second half of their heart."
Karen and Eli stared at Jessie in amazement. She had grown up so much in these past few months. "I agree with Jess," said Eli, "You deserve to be happy Mom, and if Henry makes you happy, then more power to him."
"You know what makes me happy? Seeing you two, so grown up and mature," Karen said, smiling at her children.
"Well, at least one of us, you mean," joked Jessie as she hit her brother in the face with a pillow.
"Oh, now that was just cause for a one-way ticket to Ticklefest," Eli said as he pinned Jessie to the ground and tickled her under her ribs. "Say uncle!"
"Ok, ok, Eli stop! Truce!" yelled Jessie as she squirmed away from her brother's grasp. Karen chuckled as she watched her children fight. Jessie turned towards her mother, "So," she started, "You think this is funny? I'll show you funny!" she yelled as both her and Eli tackled Karen to the floor and began to tickle her.
"Jessie called and said that you were supposed to meet her at your mom's house earlier. She was worried when you didn't show up," Grace explained.
Eli searched his brain for a good excuse, but he came up with nothing. Grace smiled at him, knowing exactly what Eli had been doing; cocaine, heroin, some unknown drug that he bought off the street to help him get through the day. "So, you fell asleep after band practice?" she said with a smirk on her face.
Eli smiled, "Exactly, after all, it was such a long and draining session." He smiled at the brunette, almost losing himself in her deep, brown eyes. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes again. "So, I guess I should be off to my mom's house," he said.
"I guess," Grace said, nodding her head in agreement, "They're probably worried about you."
"Right, 'cuz I'm late and all," he said, kicking himself mentally for being tongue-tied around his stepsister. She just had that affect on him.
Grace stared at him, "So...I'll see ya around then."
"Right, see ya," Eli said as he grabbed his car keys and headed to the garage. He shut the door and leaned against it. He didn't understand the reason why he could never tell Grace the way her felt about her. For so long he was sure that Grace felt the same way, but then he had heard that she was in love with Mr. Dimitri. Eli smiled; Mr. Dimitri wasn't even in the same state anymore. Grace must be over him now. Who am I kidding, he thought, Grace would never go for a loser like me. I can't even keep a job, how could I ever get a girl like her? Eli shook the thoughts of Grace and love out of his head and started his car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he caught a glimpse of Grace standing in the window, and he took a deep breath. She's beautiful, he thought, staring at the angel before him. As the curtains closed, removing Grace from his vision, Eli finally pulled out of the driveway and left Grace behind him.
*****
Karen and Jessie Sammler sat on the couch watching a horror movie that Rick had given them. All either of them knew was that it was Rick's favorite movie. He had told them that it was about a girl who coughed. Jessie yawned as she glanced at the clock. Grace had called earlier to inform them that Eli was on his way, and that he had fallen asleep after band practice. Both Jessie and Karen knew that wasn't true. Karen looked up as she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door for her son and then went and sat on the arm of the couch. Eli shut the door and was instantly bombarded by the knowing stares of his mother and sister. "Have a good nap?" Karen asked Eli, smirking slightly.
Eli looked at the two women and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I did...so, Mom, you wanted to talk to us?" Eli said, quickly changing the subject.
Karen cleared her throat, "Um, yes, I wanted to let you know that I..."
"You...?" asked Jessie.
"I...have a date with someone tomorrow night, and I wanted to make sure that it was ok with you guys that I do," Karen explained.
"A date?" asked Eli.
"With a guy?" asked Jessie.
"Yes, a date with a guy," Karen said.
Jessie was confused; who could her mother possibly have a date with. Then, it hit her, "You have a date with Henry, don't you?" she asked her mom.
Karen nodded again and replied, "Yes I do, and like I said I wanted to make sure that it was alright with you two. Not too uncomfortable I hope?"
All Eli could do was stare at his mother in awe. His mother, Karen Sammler, had a date...a date date. Jessie looked over at the goofy look that lay across her older brother's face. "No, of course it's not uncomfortable. We suggested it, remember?"
"So, your not uncomfortable...that he's black?" Karen asked hesitantly.
"No!" Eli stated firmly.
"Of course not. We only care that you're happy. Everybody should be happy," Jessie started, "Everybody has the right to be with the one they love." She paused for a moment, "Everyone needs the second half of their heart."
Karen and Eli stared at Jessie in amazement. She had grown up so much in these past few months. "I agree with Jess," said Eli, "You deserve to be happy Mom, and if Henry makes you happy, then more power to him."
"You know what makes me happy? Seeing you two, so grown up and mature," Karen said, smiling at her children.
"Well, at least one of us, you mean," joked Jessie as she hit her brother in the face with a pillow.
"Oh, now that was just cause for a one-way ticket to Ticklefest," Eli said as he pinned Jessie to the ground and tickled her under her ribs. "Say uncle!"
"Ok, ok, Eli stop! Truce!" yelled Jessie as she squirmed away from her brother's grasp. Karen chuckled as she watched her children fight. Jessie turned towards her mother, "So," she started, "You think this is funny? I'll show you funny!" she yelled as both her and Eli tackled Karen to the floor and began to tickle her.