Eli slowly got out of his car, his eyes fixated on the glowing window.
He quickly walked across the road and up the driveway, it seemed he was holding his breath the entire time, until he finally stood directly underneath Grace's window.
Now what? Surely if he threw a rock someone would hear! And he didn't know his own strength; after all, he was a basketball player and might accidentally break the window!
Eli was about to turn around, defeated and out of ideas, when he saw a shadow pass by the light, blocking it out for a moment.
"Grace?" he whispered, and then realized how futile it was to speak in such a low voice.
He cleared his throat "Grace?" he called out, only slightly louder this time.
He waited for a moment, but the light continued to beam inside her room.
Eli looked down and began scanning the ground, it was dark and he couldn't see a thing.
He bent down and began running his hands over the tufts of grass, feeling for something with a bit of weight to throw at her window.
He grasped a fairly thick stick in his hand. Breaking it into three smaller pieces.
He stood back up and glared at the window, raising his hand above his head, he chucked the first stick at her window, missing completely.
Ok, so it had been a while since he'd played a game of basketball, his aim was a little off!
He got into a stance and held another stick above his head, throwing it again at the window; this one didn't hit the glass; but the windowpane.
Grace closed her book and placed it on her nightstand.
Her eyes ached from reading the small print of words so late at night, and her hand accidentally brushed against her lamp, causing it to dim out the light for a moment.
Grace closed her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers, feeling them ease.
She yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her, feeling sleep take a hold of her body.
She glanced over at her clock, 9:30.
Grace snuggled down under her covers, raising them to her chin; she reached her arm out and switched off her lamp.
"Dammit!" Eli breathed once darkness covered Grace's window.
A moment later Jessie's light went out aswell.
"Dammit, Dammit!" Eli breathed again, and without looking chucked the last stick at Grace's window, he turned and began to walk away.
BANG.
Grace fluttered her eyes open as she heard something hit her window.
She was silent for a moment, and then heard the shuffling of someone's feet below her window, walking across the grass.
Grace sat up quickly, turning to look at her closed window.
Only a faint light from one of the streetlights partially filled her room.
Tentatively, she brought her feet out from under the covers and placed them on the floor.
It was cold outside of the warmth of her covers, and as she rose from her bed she groped around for a jumper that she'd tossed on the floor yesterday.
She clutched it in her hand and quickly pulled it on.
Grace rubbed her eye with one of her hands, walking slowly towards her window, as she heard the faint sound of footsteps dragging across the road- easy to hear in the dead silence of the night.
She peered out of her window, and swallowed down her shock.
It was dark outside; blackness permitted her from making out a definite outline of the figure who was getting into his car that was parked across from her house.
But a nearby streetlight glowed on the car, and Grace was sure it was Eli's.
Without taking her eyes away from the car, Grace stretched out an arm and groped for the switch on her lamp, turning it on, light filled her room again.
Eli muttered to himself "stupid, stupid idea!"
He pushed his keys into the ignition, but before he could turn them, he saw a blur of light out of the corner of his eye.
He turned his head and saw a figure standing by the window, like a silhouette, he could only make out the blackness of their figure, not any definite features.
But he knew it was Grace, it was her window the light was pouring out of, after all!
He took a deep breath and pulled his keys out, stuffing them back into his pocket.
He fumbled around at the door handle, clicking it open he stepped out of the car, not taking his eyes away from the silhouette at the window.
The figure began walking towards the house, and once he stood directly underneath Grace's window- bits of light from her lamp made it possible to see him- she felt her heart race and her breath stop as she looked down into Eli's face.
Standing beneath her window Eli could make out the distinct features of her face.
Her big, russet eyes stared back at him. And he couldn't be sure, but he thought he could see her red, supple lips tremble, only slightly.
Eli took a deep breath; but that didn't stable his body- his hands were shaking and his legs had turned to jelly.
"Grace?" he whispered the words, not thinking he had the strength to utter them.
Grace slowly and quietly lifted the window- and poked her head out slightly.
She couldn't help but think she should quote Romeo and Juliet- after all, the circumstances were quite fitting.
'Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo?' she thought quietly to herself.
"Eli" she breathed his name tenderly and quietly, not taking her eyes away from his strong, handsome face.
She felt her lips quiver, and she was sure her heart was doing the same thing!
"Come to the back door" Eli whispered; once again, surprised that he'd found the words.
He saw as Grace nodded her head, and slowly closed the window.
A moment later the light went off, and Eli was left in silence.
ELI never felt so cheesy in my entire life! I'm not the kinda guy who beckons girls from bellow their windows! I mean, that's so--- what's that guys name? Romeo! Man! How lame!
GRACE my entire world stopped, because he was back in it!
I felt like Juliet- I mean really!
God, that is unbelievably lame! I didn't think Eli was the kind of guy who would do that sort of thing---- it's very, un-Eli!
Grace tiptoed out of her room- running plausible excuses through her mind, incase Lily or Rick were to catch her!
'I was getting a glass of water' was the best one she could come up with.
But as Grace approached the kitchen, her heart stopped again.
She got to the kitchen door, and through the curtain she could make out Eli's figure, standing by the porch, waiting for her.
She reached out her hand, unlocked the door, and twisted it open very slowly.
Eli turned around, Grace was standing before him- and she took his breath away.
"Hey" were the only words that would come out.
Grace could barely seem him- but just feeling him so close to her, after all this time- she felt her heart beat out of time, and her lip tremble as she closed the door behind her, and took a step forward……."Hey" she copied his greeting- as they were the only words her trembling lips could think to utter.
ELI the world, just tipped on it's axis.
GRACE my world was completely upside down!
………to be continued……….
