Eli opened the fridge door- and stared into the seemingly empty space before him.
"There's nothing to eat"
Eli closed the door and looked over his shoulder, to find Jessie staring back at him, he nodded slowly; "so it would seem," he mumbled.
Jessie watched as Eli walked towards the cupboards, and began rifling through them; "so why are you still looking?" she asked, a little icily.
Eli paused, hands still pressed against the cupboard doors; "I'm looking for a miracle!" he said, sarcastically, and continued to push the tins of baked beans and ketchup sauce aside.
He heard Jessie sigh, and then the thump of her heavy backpack on the tiled floor; something was clearly on her mind- and Eli half hoped she wouldn't share her dilemma with him- he had enough of his own problems, and no room or time to deal with her ontop of everything else………
"I hate my life" Jessie sighed.
"Great" Eli muttered quietly to himself.
"What did you say?" Jessie shot back- angrily.
Eli lowered his arms, and turned to face his sister, a defeated look on his face as he leaned against the kitchen bench, and crossed his arms- she was looking for a fight……..and Eli would gladly take her bitterness, if that's what she needed.
"Do you care at all about how completely and totally miserable I am?" She spat out, trying to blink back tears.
Eli looked down at the tiled kitchen floor; speechless- though he knew that if he did indeed have words of wisdom to share with her……..she would be in too stubborn a mood to listen!
"Sorry Jess" he mumbled.
"God!" Jessie sighed, the shaky tone of her voice obvious- "why is everybody's life so perfect………..except mine?" she asked nobody in particular.
"If it's any consolation……...my life sucks big time at the moment!" Eli half smiled, hoping his own sadness would lift her spirits- it didn't.
"I mean………..dad and Lily have each other, Judy has Will………Zoe got the lead in her dance recital………..you just got this great new job……….Grace has a date and possible new boyfriend……………." Jessie sighed, thumbing away the single tear that escaped her watery eye.
ELI why would I care?
"What?" Eli uncrossed his arms and stood straight, looking pointedly at Jessie- waiting for some sort of reaction.
She took a small breath and looked at her brother curiously………"my life is pathetic…….." she went on, but Eli quickly shook his head; "No, about Grace?" he asked, anxiously.
Jessie was silent for a moment, and Eli knew he shouldn't have sounded so eager……..so anxious………
JESSIE kinda jealous.
Jessie nodded her head slowly, a few more tears rolling down her cheeks- "of course you care about Grace more than me…….how completely stupid of me to think I could actually turn to you in my time of complete and total sadness!" Jessie's words were bitter and angry, as she stared her brother coldly in the eye.
"Jess……..I'm sorry……..it's just" Eli tried to explain, but Jessie interrupted him.
"I'M you're REAL sister Eli………I need you………so why cant you just listen to me, and tell me everything is going to be alright? Why do you have to care so much about Grace, didn't you hear me? HER life is PERFECT…..it's mine that's miserable!" Jessie's tears began to cascade down, but before Eli could lend a helping hand, she gathered her bag and ran out the kitchen, almost knocking Grace over as she entered
"Jess…….?" Grace called out, but she didn't stop; and Eli listened to her heavy footsteps as they climbed the stairs.
He bowed his head, hoping that Grace hadn't heard Jessie's hurtful words that concerned her.
"Will she be ok?" Grace asked, worried.
Eli looked up, a black expression plastered on his face; "I honesty don't know" he replied.
Grace was silent for a moment, and though she wanted to ask Eli what Jessie meant when she said he cared more about her than Jessie……..she didn't, instead she looked haplessly at Eli.
ELI I care for Grace in a totally different way………totally different!
Grace lowered her heavy backpack onto the kitchen floor, and took a seat at one of the stools as she watched Eli search through the empty cupboards again.
"There's no goddam food in this house!" he said angrily.
Grace lowered her head, the question on the tip of her tongue- she restrained herself from asking anything, and instead reached across the kitchen bench, grabbing a green apple form the bowl in front of her.
"Eli" she said, and he instinctively turned around to look at her.
She glanced up, and lightly threw the apple at him; he caught it, a little bewildered, and then looked back up to see her smiling face.
"Thanks" he murmured.
Grace smiled, and slid off the stool gathering her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder, she turned, about to leave the kitchen.
Eli stared down at the green apple, and before he had time to think, the bitter words bounced off his tongue and into the air- "are you and Ayden a couple?" he asked, slowly.
Grace stopped walking, and slowly turned to face Eli.
He looked up, and was surprised to see the faint smile completely gone from her face.
GRACE he just uttered the very question I have been asking myself all day!
"Are you?" he urged, suddenly desperate to know her answer.
GRACE how does he do that? How does he get into my thoughts……….?
"Eli…….." Grace began, shifting the strap of her bag uncomfortably on her shoulder.
"That's none of you're business"- her words pained Eli, though he didn't feel it straight away- her answer was sharp, but the way she spoke was soft and melodic, almost soothing.
Grace looked up, and saw that Eli had averted his eyes back to the green apple in his hands; she wasn't even sure what the answer to his question was, all she did know was that her thoughts and feelings about the matter should be kept to herself……..atleast until she knew exactly what they were.
ELI I shouldn't care.
Grace let out a small sigh, "But, in all honesty- I don't know" Grace added, shifting her backpack again.
Eli looked up, and smiled a faint- far away smile- "Sorry for asking" he said simply, not with resentment on his tongue, but in all honesty- he was sorry.
"Your right, none of my business" he added, as he saw Grace's eyes turn guilty- she hoped she hadn't offended him too much.
"Just doing the protective older brother act, ya know?" Eli let out a small, fake laugh- and saw Grace's face ease.
"Well thankyou" She said sweetly, and turned to leave.
Eli opened his mouth; about to call out after her- but found it impossible to speak the words that were pressing against his heart………instead, he blocked his mouth with the apple- taking a huge chunk out of it, and began to chew……….
ELI so why do I care so much?
You're toast and jam
And you are
cotton candy
You're double rainbows
Beside a settin' sun
You're
wood burnin' outside
There's a fire glowin'
You're sweet as
green apples
You must be the one
You bring me
To the
heart of a golden man
You bring me
To the natural truth
You
take me
To the solid hollow
And keep me sailing
This ocean
of youth
That's why you're toast and jam
And you are cotton
candy
You're double rainbows
Beside a setttin' sun
You're
wood bunin' outside
There's a fire glowin'
You're sweet as
green apples
You must be the one
So take me to an altar of
diamonds
And run with me through sheets of jungle rain
Show me
all your manly mystery
And let me heal your beautiful pain
Be
my island in crowds of faces
My oasis
Be there
And lead
me to the holy water
And introduce me to the place you are
from
Wherever you go you know I will follow
So take me there
and I will come
I will come
You're toast and jam
And you
are cotton candy
You're double rainbows
Beside a settin'
sun
You're wood burnin' outside
There's a, a fire
glowin'
You're my sweet green apples
You must be the one
I'm
sayin' you're toast and jam
And you are cotton candy
You're
double rainbows
Beside a settin' sun
You're wood burnin'
outside
There's a fire glowin'
You're sweet as green apples
You
must be the one
You're sweet as green apples
You must be the
one
Sweet as green apples
You must be the one
AUTHORS
NOTE:
The song, which I wanted to kind of play in the back ground-
was Chantal Kreviazuk's 'Green Apples'……….any guesses as
to why I chose THAT song? Hmmmmm, thanks for the reviews, and please
keep reading!
