"How was the party?"

Grace sluggishly turned around, and gave a weak nod to Jessie, who took a place behind Grace in line for the bathroom.

"Fine" Grace replied, and turned back to the closed door.

"Zoe! Hurry up!" She yelled, and banged once.

"The door to you're bathroom still stuck?" Jessie asked, as she tightened the strap of her nightgown.

Grace nodded heavily, and turned around to face Jessie- surprised to see a glowing smile spread across her face.

"And your happy because………..?" Grace asked, sarcastically.

"No reason" Jessie beamed, as she flicked her hair to one side.

JESSIE some days are just so…………..(hugging herself tightly)……….great!

"Hmmmm" Grace murmured, and turned back to face the closed door.

"What's the supposed to mean?" Jessie asked, a light tone masking the true annoyance of her question.

"Oh, nothing" Grace replied simply over her shoulder.

Jessie nodded, and looked past Grace at the closed bathroom door; she could hear only a whisper of singing from inside.

"It's just………." Grace slung the words easily at Jessie, making her want to know more.

"Just what?" Jessie asked, exhausted.

Grace turned around again, one of her eye brows raised- "You and Katie…….." she allowed her sentence to linger annoyingly.

"Me and Katie what………?" Jessie asked, raising her eyebrow aswell.

"You guys are……..dating……….and have been for quite some time………" Grace spoke pointedly and cautiously, allowing the question to loiter yet again.

Jessie could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, and nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear; she knew that Grace was aware of her and Katie's relationship……..in some ways, Grace knew even before Jessie that she had feelings for Katie………..but they had never really been specific about what Grace did and didn't know.

"Yes……." Jessie averted her eyes as she whispered her answer.

"Hmmm………well……….you haven't told Karen and Rick yet, have you?………only I know?" Grace asked, also averting her eyes from Jessie, feeling the tension she'd caused.

"Yes………" Jessie whispered again, ashamed this time.

"Well Jess……….it's just that……..since you two started……..err……….'this'………..you've been so happy, she makes you happy………..so why wouldn't you want the whole world to know?" Grace spoke softly, aware that Zoe was in the bathroom.

Jessie looked up, and stared at Grace's face, turned from her- "I………. I don't know……….I'm just scared I guess…………." She uttered.

Grace opened her mouth, about to ask another question that would know doubt add to the tension- when the door flung open, and steam poured out of the bathroom, tingling Grace and Jessie's faces.

"All yours!" Zoe proclaimed, as she walked out, a towel wrapped around her head like a beehive.

Grace and Jessie shared a quick glance, before Grace turned and walked into the bathroom- closing the door softly behind her.

JESSIE (slowly releasing her hug) Hmmm………maybe……not too great.


"Rick, could you PLEASE fix our bathroom door?" Zoe whined, as she took her seat at the kitchen table, and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Err……….sure Zoe…….." Rick murmured, his head ducked behind the newspaper.

Eli glanced between Zoe and his father, noting the cold stare Zoe was shooting at him- he guessed she didn't like to be rushed by Grace and Jessie while she was in the middle of grooming herself.

"Ya know what Zo? I'll fix it……….today………." Eli announced, as he stuck a piece of toast in his mouth.

Rick ruffled his paper, and lowered it, to stare at his son, bewildered; "you sure?" Rick asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eli nodded, and chomped on his toast- "sure……… I have nothing else on today………and I owe Zoe…………." Eli trailed off, but before Rick could ask exactly why Eli 'owed' Zoe anything, Lily came bustling into the kitchen with a handful of laundry.

"You'll need to go down to the store and buy some grease………to loosen the hinges or else you'll never get in there………." Rick mumbled, as he lifted his newspaper back up.

"Can Eli borrow you're car today Lil? I'm fixing the engine up on mine" Rick murmured again.

Lily turned to Eli, a sympathetic glance heading his way- "Sorry E, I wrote the car off to Grace today……….she needs to go down to the mall to buy one of her friends a birthday present………or something" Lily sighed, and turned, about to leave.

"That's ok!" Eli snapped, sitting up right "We'll double up……….two birds with one stone kinda thing………." Eli smiled, and Lily nodded; "If it's ok with Grace…….." she said, and left the kitchen.

ELI some days are just …………… great!


GRACE some day are just………..less than great!

"Sooooo……….who you buying for?" Eli asked, after 20 minutes of silence in the car- thinking of an appropriate conversation starter.

Grace glanced over at him, but then quickly averted her eyes back onto the road- tightening her grip on the steering wheel, and straightening her back.

"What?" she asked, in a tight voice.

"Which one of you're friends is having a birthday?" Eli asked again.

"Oh………err……….Ahsleigh" Grace replied, annoyed.

Eli nodded as he looked out the window; it seemed that conversation had died all too quickly……….he wished Grace wasn't such a cautious driver………he was actually surprised that she could drive this morning, after the smell of vodka on her breath last night………trust Grace to not get hang-overs.

Eli glanced back over at Grace's tense, stiff body- knowing he wouldn't be having a deep and meaningful with her on the way to the mall, he leaned forward and turned on the radio.

If you're listening

Sing it back

String from your tether unwinds

Up and outward

(But only)

To bind

I was spinning free

With a little sweet

And simple numbing me

Are you listening?

Sing it back

Grace's eyes winced closed as the song poured out- louder and heavier than usual; eventually, she couldn't take it any more, and reached out- slamming her hand against the 'off' button on the radio, she sat back casually.

Eli looked over at her; bewildered by her outburst he let out a small laugh.

"I guess you do get hang-overs then………" he murmured.

Grace glared at him quickly, annoyed when his laughter continued; "shut up" she said, through broken giggles.

"My head is killing me and I have a stale taste in my mouth………." She whined, still between subtle giggles.

Eli continued to laugh; "it happens to the best of us,………" he said, kindly, though trying to suppress his laughs.

"Shut up………..be sympathetic…….." Grace pleaded, shooting him a quick smirk.

Eli caught it, and reflected a similar grin; "Sorry sweetness………." He said, still laughing.

They both shared a quick, but definite smile as Grace continued to drive along the freeway, her head……….and her heart………..in agony.


AUTHORS NOTE:
Song was Jimmy Eat World's 'sweetness'.