"Grace!" Lily yelled up the stairs- aiming her voice at Grace's closed door.
"Grace!" she tried again……..
She opened her mouth for a third time, but Jessie approached her.
"I'll get her" she said softly- needing to save her hearing from Lily's stretched voice- she climbed the stairs, and lightly knocked on Grace's door.
"Dinner" she said simply, and then turned to leave.
But when she didn't hear Grace stir, she turned and knocked again.
"Grace?" she called softly.
Still no reply, so this time she wrapped her hand around the door handle- and continued to press little fairy knocks on the door while she opened it slowly.
Grace didn't even move when light from the hallway flooded into her darkened room, disturbing her peace.
She didn't move a muscle when Jessie crept slowly towards her bed, and kneeled before her, staring into her opened dead eyes- that were too sore from crying to focus on her.
"My god……….Grace……..are you……..what's wrong?" Jessie asked, trying to keep her panicked voice calm.
GRACE what's wrong? My world has been turned upside down and inside out………and I cant change it back……….that's what's wrong!
"Grace?" Jessie called again; trying to break whatever thoughts were running through her head.
Finally, Grace blinked, then stared into Jessie's blue ocean eyes.
Their cool colour washed over her, and she felt a small sense of tranquillity.
"What's wrong?" Jessie asked again; placing her hand gently on Grace's shoulder.
Grace was silent for a moment; knowing she couldn't tell Jessie the truth……..even though every part of her wanted to.
"Bad day at school" she uttered, without even thinking.
Jessie stared into her eyes for a moment; knowing it wasn't the truth……..but what could she do?
"Ok………….well………do you feel like having dinner?" Jessie asked.
Grace continued to stare into her blue eyes…….suddenly feeling sick………"No, just tell mum I'm asleep and I'll have left overs later" Grace murmured, then forced her eyes to close- leaving Jessie with no more to say.
Grace listened as her door softly shut- and then she was back in the dark…….lying on her bed……..wondering how everything had gone so completely………wrong?………awkward?……….different……….
"E?"
Eli turned around to meet his father's questioning face.
"Yeah dad?" he said, trying to keep normality in his tone.
"You ok?………you seemed……..distant at dinner" Rick replied, leaning against the kitchen counter, watching as his son washed the dishes.
"No……..I'm fine" Eli said, after a moment.
Rick watched his son for a moment longer, unable to tell if he was lying or not- because his back was turned.
"Gee………between you and Grace………" Rick muttered to himself as he left the kitchen.
Eli stared out the window for a moment- me and Grace? He thought to himself……….then went back to the dishes.
Grace tiptoed through the hallway- still hearing the grumbling of her empty stomach-, which seemed to echo through the entire house.
She walked slowly and quietly into the kitchen- the grumbling becoming louder and deeper the closer to food she got.
Sure enough, when she opened the microwave, there was a dish of left over stir-fry her mother had left for her.
She smiled hungrily and set the timer.
Now the microwave's murmurs cut through her grumbling, but her thoughts still remained…………
Eli's head lifted when her heard the patted footsteps in the house- and he knew, it was Grace- emerging when she thought everyone would be asleep, for food.
He rubbed his eyes, and gave a deep sigh- it was 2:00 in the morning, and he'd been sitting at his desk, in the total darkness of his room- just waiting for some sort of sound.
He got up form his chair, opened the door- and crept through the house……….until eventually finding his way into the kitchen, where he saw the outline of Grace's white jumper and grey track suit pants, sitting at the kitchen counter, slowly eating from a bowl.
Grace heard him, when his door creaked opened, and his heavy footsteps tried to be light- - - she heard him, and know she felt his presence, by the door, watching her.
Could she trust her voice to speak? She had to try………
"Not now Eli" she whispered in a husky breath.
Eli jumped back slightly, her voice had cracked through the still of the night- and he had no idea that she even knew he was here………watching her.
"We have to" he found himself saying- though he had no idea where the words had come from.
Her face wearily turned to him, and while he couldn't see her defined features- he could make out her soft lines, and her pale face stood out amongst the dark.
"Not now" she uttered again, and then slid off her stool, walking towards the bin with her food- she'd suddenly lost her appetite.
Eli crept forward; leaving a few meters between himself and Grace- her back was turned to him as she scraped the food into the bin.
"I'm sorry" he whispered; though he didn't mean his apology……..
ELI how could I be sorry for something I've wanted……needed…….. to do for so long?
She said nothing, only listened to Eli's rapid breaths- so close to her, she could feel them lightly tickling her arm.
"Please" he pleaded in a hushed whisper- he wanted to beg her to turn around……..to smile………but he knew she wouldn't.
"No Eli……..we cant talk about this" she finally replied.
Now it was her turn to experience the quiet- as Eli became still.
GRACE anything but silence………anything but that and another kiss!
"Ever?" Eli finally asked, and, without thinking, took a step forward- and was now so close to Grace's turned back, his arm almost lightly brushed hers.
Grace closed her eyes for a moment, pleading with her feet to step away- but for some reason, they stayed grounded- - - and, as she remained still against her will, she felt Eli's hand lightly brush over her arm- she could feel his strong hand brush against her skin, she could feel it through her light jumper.
Finally, her feet snapped out of their trance- and she hastily took a step forward, practically lunging for the sink- where she quietly had to restrain herself from throwing her bowl down and smashing it into a million pieces "ever!" she finally answered his question.
Eli's hand snapped back, and he veered his eyes to the floor- not knowing why he'd reached out……..maybe to make sure it wasn't all a dream………because Grace did look very angelic, floaty even- as though she were only a figment of his imagination.
But she was real, he'd touched her and she was real- he guessed her perfection just came naturally.
And she'd spoken……..not the words he wanted to hear……..but she'd spoken, another sign of her reality.
"Don't I get a say in any of this?" he finally asked.
Grace let out a mocking breath of laughter, and turned around quickly, even in the darkness, Eli could see fire and fury in her eyes- like he'd said, her easiest emotion.
"Did I get a say when you KISSED me?" though whispered, her words were harsh and sharp.
Eli looked away again, feeling blood rush to his cheeks- he was glad for the black cover.
"Well did I?" she asked again, pressing him to answer her obvious question- still, he said nothing.
"Did I get a say when you ruined my seemingly perfect life………a life I'd been waiting so long to taste? And when I finally get a glimpse of it……..you bring everything crashing down!" she took small steps forward with each word she stabbed at him.
"Did I get a say in ANY of that?" – she could feel the familiar tears now, and forced them back.
"No- you didn't" Eli finally answered her, then looked up, now able to see her defined lines because she was so close to him- "you didn't get a say………but I don't regret doing it……..not for a second!" he added, and continued to stare into her eyes.
"How could you!" she whispered in a harsh, husky breath……….
What happened next……..she had no control over………..
One minute she was completely furious, Eli could hear it in her tone, see it in her eyes and icy body language- but still, for some reason……..she just had to kiss him………
"How could you change me so completely like that?" she whispered again- and just as Eli opened his mouth, to protest her angry words- she lunged forward, in one swift motion, their lips connected, for a second time……….
ELI now who's changing who's life?
GRACE I……..I……..don't know………
Her lips tasted bitter, from the tears she'd been crying- but still, Eli found himself engulfed in them, pressing against them harder and harder.
Neither knew where or why this had happened………and the more their kiss intensified, so did their questions.
But still, neither could pull away.
His lips were familiar to her now; even though, this kiss seemed more awkward than their first.
Except, this time, Grace wasn't completely lost in blackness, this time, she saw Ayden's face, while her eyes were closed………she saw Ayden……..and a single tear escaped her eye, rolled down her cheek, and collided with their pressing lips- she had to pull away.
She jumped back, and once again, same as the first time, they were caught in one another's gaze.
"What………?" Eli began, but Grace wouldn't give him the time- he only heard a small whimper escape her lips, and before he could say anything, she bolted past him, and ran- quietly as her feet would allow- up the stairs.
Eli was left in the black kitchen……….tables turned now, as Grace had just turned his world every which way.
And he was left, asking himself………
ELI did I kiss her……..or did she kiss me?
GRACE he kissed me……..and then, I had to kiss him!
AUTHORS NOTE:
Wow! I have been so busy doing, not a whole lot this weekend! He he he……what a sad life!
I've been writing updates to this fic- going crazy with bubbling ideas.
And then, for the FIRST TIME EVER, I made some fanart- which I am now addicted to.
I made some Eli/Grace fanart, if you want to see it, go to the homepage link in my profile, it's a link to my yahoo group.
The fanart is in the pictures section……..I'm so proud of them, cause they are my first!
He he he……..anyway………..
don't hate me, but I have to leave you with a nail biting cliff
hanger!
Aren't I just absolutely terrible?
As I told you, I am going away for a week, and this story probably wont be updated until Sunday (the 16th) – so check back then!
Bye bye, and please, don't hate me, I'm just a busy writer!
