The music stopped, and Jessie was left in Katie's arms- staring into her chocolate eyes.

"What now?" Katie whispered, feeling eyes on them.

Jessie gave a small smile, "want to dance again?" she asked, in a small voice.

Katie smiled; but silence was all around them.

Eli nervously looked over the staring crowd, and then back down to his sister, who was still engulfed in Katie's arms.

ELI this isn't how I pictured Jessie………….. I never thought…………. I never knew…………..

"Eli!"

He turned to the side of the stage, where Grace was still standing, "keep playing!" she whispered.

Eli swallowed, then looked back to the crowd, and turned around to his band mates; who offered him sympathetic glances.

"Put a c.d on!" Eli hissed at Lucas, and he took off his guitar strap, placing it against one of the speakers.

A John Mayer song came on; and as Eli walked off the stage, he saw Jessie and Katie begin to move again, out of the corner of his eye.

The rest of the crowd soon followed; and in a manner of seconds, all had been forgotten.

He brushed past Grace, not even looking at her. But he could hear her following him, by the rustling of her long dress.

"Eli, wait" she called softly, as he headed inside the house.

"Eli!" she called, but the kitchen door closed behind him; and she knew he wanted to be alone.

But she just couldn't leave him………….so she continued to follow him inside.

He walked quickly through the kitchen, "not now Grace" his said over his shoulder as he heard the kitchen door open and close.

"Eli!" she cried again, having to run to catch up to him as he headed towards the front door.

He stopped, to grab his brown jacket from the coat hanger- flashing her a quick side-ways glance.

"I said not now!" he pulled the jacket on, opened the door, and it slammed behind him as he walked out.

Grace stared at the closed door, and reached for her mother's black coat- pulling it on herself, she too opened the door and allowed it to slam behind her as she stepped outside.


"I need to go home," Karen whispered, clutching Henry's arm.

He looked out at the crowd, "we have to stay Karen" he assured her.

"NO!" she hissed, "I want to go home!"

He looked down at her, an arm still draped around her shoulder, propping her weak body up.

"Don't do that to you're daughter Karen……….I'm telling you………" he replied, calmly.

Karen huffed, and looked out to the crowd- searching for her ex-husbands face- she spotted him, draw dropped, face as white as a sheet………..she guessed she didn't look much different.

Squirming, she escaped Henry's arm, and walked briskly around the dance floor, to the drinks table.

"Did you know!" She asked, in a stern voice.

Rick snapped out of his trance and turned to Karen, her teeth grinding.

RICK of course she blames this on me………..

"Oh please Karen" he hissed back.

"Well! Jesus Rick……….you're daughter being gay isn't something that's easy to miss!………….."

"You didn't know either………..!" he reminded her, in a deep voice.

Karen sighed heavily, and put her hands on her hips; "Well……….." she put her hands down "what do we do………….?" She asked, putting her hands back again.

Rick shook his head, "wait……….until after the party………..to talk to her………….." he offered.

"Talk about what exactly?" Karen asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Christ Karen……….there's no goddam hand-book on this stuff……….we just…………..talk!" he replied, and turned away from her burning eyes.


"Oh-oh" Judy tugged on Lily's arm, and nodded towards Karen and Rick.

"How do you think they're going to handle it?" Judy asked.

Lily turned to where Judy was motioning, and examined Rick's white, drawn face; she sighed; "if I know Rick………not well," she offered.

Judy nodded, "and if I know Karen……….Jessie will get a double dose of counselling!" she added.

Lily turned back to where her step-daughter and her girlfriend were dancing; "I think they should be proud that they're daughter is so brave…………." She commented, and squeezed Judy's hand.


"Eli wait!" Grace called, fumbling as she ran up the street, finally catching up to Eli- her long dress kept getting caught on her feet, and she was sure she'd hear a loud rip.

"Dammit Grace!" he stopped, and turned to her, "I want to be alone!" he hissed, and kept walking briskly.

"Well I can't let you be alone right now!" Grace replied, walking after him again.

"I'm not going to step out infront of a goddam bus or anything……….." he said sternly.

Grace grabbed at his arm, and, while he tried shrugging her off- after a moment, her firm grasp stopped him, and he nervously turned to her.

It was dark, dim streetlights providing the only light- they were standing under one right now- and Eli looked into Grace's chocolate eyes, as they darted across his face, trying to read him.

Her hair had fallen out, and now loose curls dangled down her bare shoulders, her cheeks were a light pink, and she panted slightly.

"Eli just calm down!" she said, after a breath.

He looked down at his feet, "Well……….. I just…………." He didn't know what to say, so he turned his head and looked down at the dark street.

"What?" Grace urged.

"I don't know what to do………..I mean………..my sister is a lesbian…………….?" Saying the words out-loud only made it more unbelievable.

"Yes……….and?" Grace urged.

He looked into her face, "what do you mean and! And nothing……….. I don't know how to react…………..!" he yelled at her, and shrugged off her hand that was still holding his arm.

They were silent for a moment, and Eli, feeling uncomfortable standing, turned around and sat down in the gutter.

Grace looked down at him, "It's still Jessie………" she whispered.

He looked up, the streetlight's beam was behind her head, and she looked like an angel.

"No its not…………the Jessie I knew 2 days ago was not a lesbian!" he replied.

"Yes she was………..you just didn't know it………." Grace carefully sat down next to him, in the gutter; Eli was going to comment on her dirtying her dress, but he thought it seemed a little vain to mention it, so he didn't.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "she has been for a long time……….and it took a lot of courage for her to tell the rest of you………the last thing she needs right now is you, her big brother who she loves so much………..rejecting her for being who she is!"

Eli turned to Grace, her eyes soft and calm- it made him angry that she could be so all right with all this……….and then it hit him.

"How long have you known?" he asked turning away from her.

Grace sighed, "a long time" she replied softly.

"How long Grace?" He yelled, turning back to her with dark eyes.

She stumbled over her words for a moment, "about a year now" she finally replied.

Eli sighed and turned from her, shrugging off her hand that rested on his shoulder.

"How could you not tell me?………how could Jessie not tell me until now?………..how could I not have known………….?"

"It wasn't my place to say anything……….this was Jessie's secret……….and it's no wonder you didn't know………she kept it so close to herself………..so nobody could!"

"You did?" He turned back to her, his eyes softening now.

Grace nodded, "I figured it out for myself………." She said, in a far-off voice.

"But I should have known……….she's my little sister Grace……….how can I not know who she is!"

Grace put her hand back on his shoulder; "don't blame yourself for not knowing……….."

He reached for her hand, and rubbed it softly against his cheek, "what now?" he asked, softly.

Grace tucked her other arm around his waist, and leaned her body against his; "you be there for her……….tell her everything is going to be ok………and that you love her……….no matter what………." She sighed, Eli felt her body lift up and down with the exhale of breath.

"And most of all………you don't forget she is still Jessie………you're sister………….who you love………..nothing has changed that" she added.

Eli nodded slightly, "and if I cant do that?" he asked.

Grace sighed again, "you pretend to……….until you are alright with it………you pretend, for her……….because right now she needs to know that she is still the same person in you're eyes………..ok?"

Eli nodded again, and pulled away from Grace, adjusting his body, he tucked an arm around her, and held her close.

"I'll be there for you too……….and Jessie" she added.

Eli squeezed her, "ok" was all he could manage.

A car's headlights flashed in their eyes, and they both squinted as the car headed towards them.

They both rose to their feet, Eli keeping his arm tucked around Grace; she narrowed her eyes, as the car came closer and closer……….and she recognised it.

"Ayden" she breathed.

Eli looked down at her, about to ask her what she meant, when the car pulled up beside them, and Grace hastily pulled away from Eli.

The window rolled down, and there was Ayden, siting behind the wheel in a tux, his dark eyes peering up at Grace, and glancing over at Eli.

"What are you two doing out here?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" Grace replied to his question with a question.

"I came to be you're date………." Ayden replied in a small voice; and Grace winced slightly.

"I thought you said………" she started.

"I know what I said……….and I'm sorry………Grace………." He glanced back at Eli, who fidgeted nervously, and tucked his hands in his pockets, avoiding eye contact with Ayden.

Ayden continued, in a whisper; "I'm sorry………..I don't want us to end like this……….and if you're willing……….. I want to give us another try"

Grace quivered nervously as she peered into Ayden's eyes; he noticed her resistance, and looked back to Eli.

"What were you doing out here anyway……….?" He asked again.

Grace bit her lip, and she turned slightly to Eli, and then back to Ayden.

"We………we were………." She started.

Ayden examined Eli, who was shifting his weight on either foot, and looked back down the road towards their house- then his eyes met Ayden's, and looked away nervously.

"Well?" Ayden prompted, feeling a strange anger rising.

"We………" Grace tried again, biting her lip.

Ayden looked from Grace to Eli, and back again- everything finally falling into place- he had seen them huddled on the side of the road, arms draped around one another- they parted quickly when Ayden drove up………and now………both were nervous.

"Don't tell me……….." Ayden whispered harshly; hearing those words, Eli looked back to Ayden, just as he opened his car door.

"You two?" he inquired, as he stood, face-to-face with Eli, Grace pulling on his arm.

"I'm sorry Ayden," she pleaded.

Ayden turned to her, his eyes shattered; "It's Eli?" he asked, a broken voice, "you're step brother?" he furthered the question……...to which he already knew the answer.

Had Grace replied quickly, coming up with some sort of excuse, maybe it wouldn't have happened; but Ayden, seeing Grace stammer and her eyes well with tears; knew, for sure………..it was Eli that Grace had cheated on him with.

Ayden saw red, as he turned back to Eli, and marched forward, clenching his hand into a fist.

"Ayden……….I'm sorry………." Eli began, taking his hands out of his pockets, trying to calm the guy down.

Ayden didn't hear him, and his fist connected with Eli's left eye swiftly and brutally. Grace squealed, and ran in front of Eli, who was doubled over, before Ayden could throw another punch.

"Go home Ayden!" she yelled, furiously, tears streaming down her face.

Ayden stared into her eyes, relaxing his fists, he looked past her at the injured Eli; "I don't believe you would do this to me Grace………." He stammered, and turned back to his car, getting in, he threw one last broken look at Grace "I loved you," he whispered, before screeching off down the street.

Grace watched him go, and then turned to Eli, "I'm……….I'm so sorry" she managed through panty breaths and tears.

Eli stood tall, his left eye closed with pain, "I better get something on this" he whispered. Grace nodded, and held his hand tight as they walked home, the whole time she quietly cried, and Eli said nothing.