Chapter Two
Next morning
"Gracie sweetie, time to get up. You promised you would help me clean up!" Lilly shuffles around the kitchen picking up plastic cups and throws them into a garbage bag.
Grace throws on her dressing-gown and puts on her slippers. When walking downstairs Grace runs into Eli and mumbles a good morning. He mumbles back and heads to the fridge.
"Mum, I don't want a bagel with cream cheese. Can I have eggs?" Zoe looks up from her comic book quickly, notices Eli nearby and goes back to her comic.
"Of course, honey. O...good morning Eli. Do you want eggs too?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Eli, I'm disappointed that you didn't come to Graces play last night. I know she really wanted you there." Lilly is at the stove making eggs and quickly glances at Eli. Eli avoids her eye and grabs the orange juice out of the fridge.
"Um, something came up, sorry."
"Well, to make it up to Grace, can you drive her to her Dads house at two? I can't do it because I have to take Zoe to dance class." Lilly hands eggs over to Eli and Grace.
B/W Grace: (puts her hands to her face) I can't stand this!
"Don't forget we have to pick up Lisa on the way." Lilly nods in response to Zoe.
"Mum, it's fine...I'm sure Dad can pick me up. Eli probably has somewhere else to be." Grace bites her lips and takes a bite of her bagel. Eli coughs and looks at Grace for a second.
"It's fine, I've got nothing better to do today. I'll drop her off and go visit Mum."
"Eli...you don't have to."
"It's fine, Grace."
"Is something going on with you two? You're both acting so strange. Grace, Eli is sorry he couldn't make it to the play. Let it go."
"Whatever. I better start cleaning up." Grace gets up, dumps her plate in the sink and grabs a garbage-bag.
"I can help if you want." Eli starts to get up.
"No, I can handle it." Grace leaves the room.
Eli sits back down and drops his fork onto the plate and sighs. Lilly sits down next to him and takes a sip of coffee.
"I wish you two would get on. I know Grace really cares for you. If I knew any better, I'd think something fishy was going on."
B/W Eli: She cares about me? Something fishy going on? She can't even stand to be in the same room as me. (Sighs deeply)
"Nothing is going on. I promised her I would go last night and I didn't. She'll get over it."
"Be careful with her. She's not as strong as you think she is." Lilly picks up an old photo of Grace.
B/W Lilly: She's grown up so much this year. My little baby...now a woman. (looks down at the photo and smiles sadly)
Lilly pats Eli on the shoulder and goes back to the stove. Eli looks down at his plate and takes a bite. Grace is in the distance, standing still with tears in the corner of her eye.
Next morning
"Gracie sweetie, time to get up. You promised you would help me clean up!" Lilly shuffles around the kitchen picking up plastic cups and throws them into a garbage bag.
Grace throws on her dressing-gown and puts on her slippers. When walking downstairs Grace runs into Eli and mumbles a good morning. He mumbles back and heads to the fridge.
"Mum, I don't want a bagel with cream cheese. Can I have eggs?" Zoe looks up from her comic book quickly, notices Eli nearby and goes back to her comic.
"Of course, honey. O...good morning Eli. Do you want eggs too?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Eli, I'm disappointed that you didn't come to Graces play last night. I know she really wanted you there." Lilly is at the stove making eggs and quickly glances at Eli. Eli avoids her eye and grabs the orange juice out of the fridge.
"Um, something came up, sorry."
"Well, to make it up to Grace, can you drive her to her Dads house at two? I can't do it because I have to take Zoe to dance class." Lilly hands eggs over to Eli and Grace.
B/W Grace: (puts her hands to her face) I can't stand this!
"Don't forget we have to pick up Lisa on the way." Lilly nods in response to Zoe.
"Mum, it's fine...I'm sure Dad can pick me up. Eli probably has somewhere else to be." Grace bites her lips and takes a bite of her bagel. Eli coughs and looks at Grace for a second.
"It's fine, I've got nothing better to do today. I'll drop her off and go visit Mum."
"Eli...you don't have to."
"It's fine, Grace."
"Is something going on with you two? You're both acting so strange. Grace, Eli is sorry he couldn't make it to the play. Let it go."
"Whatever. I better start cleaning up." Grace gets up, dumps her plate in the sink and grabs a garbage-bag.
"I can help if you want." Eli starts to get up.
"No, I can handle it." Grace leaves the room.
Eli sits back down and drops his fork onto the plate and sighs. Lilly sits down next to him and takes a sip of coffee.
"I wish you two would get on. I know Grace really cares for you. If I knew any better, I'd think something fishy was going on."
B/W Eli: She cares about me? Something fishy going on? She can't even stand to be in the same room as me. (Sighs deeply)
"Nothing is going on. I promised her I would go last night and I didn't. She'll get over it."
"Be careful with her. She's not as strong as you think she is." Lilly picks up an old photo of Grace.
B/W Lilly: She's grown up so much this year. My little baby...now a woman. (looks down at the photo and smiles sadly)
Lilly pats Eli on the shoulder and goes back to the stove. Eli looks down at his plate and takes a bite. Grace is in the distance, standing still with tears in the corner of her eye.
