"What if somebody sees us?" Grace asked, anxiously.

"Nobody is going to see us………..nobody knows who we are!" Eli replied, in a relaxed tone.

"But………." Grace tried, Eli silenced her with a hard kiss before she could leak her worries.

When he pulled away, he saw Grace's eyes were still frantic, and her face still streaked with worry.

"Grace……….we're just going to a movie…….." he assured her again.

They had been waiting in the ticket line for 10 minutes now, and as every second went by, Grace grew more concerned.

She poked her head out a little; too see how many more people were infront of them, then turned back to Eli.

"I can just see you're mother and Henry walking out of the cinema and spotting us………" she began.

Eli gave a small laugh, and tucked his arms around her middle, "you worry too much………just breathe………..if something like that happens……..we're just a brother and sister going out to see a film because we're bored"

"Ok" Grace finally sighed, she wiggled out of his arms, and looked up into his face with a smile, about to plant a kiss on his lips to show she was relaxing; but Eli's eyes were looking ahead of them, and his brow was creased.

"What?" Grace asked, slowly turning around to the front of the line.

"Something like that is about to happen," Eli replied harshly.

Grace was about to ask Eli what he was talking about, but then she saw him; Ayden, amongst the crowd of people pouring our of the cinema, his arm around a blond haired girl, who Grace didn't know, but had seen around school.

She was pretty, with long, straight blonde hair- that was clearly died- she wore tight hipster jeans and had Ayden's big black jacket draped over her shoulders, she was clinging to him as thought he were her life line.

"You ok?" Eli asked.

Grace didn't reply, she only watched as Ayden and the mystery girl with dull blue eyes and perfect hair walked out of the cinema.

Eli touched Grace's shoulder, and she turned around; "you ok?" he asked again.

Before Grace could answer, Ayden was calling her name, and she had to turn around to greet them.

With school being out and all, Grace hadn't seen Ayden since……….since he walked away from her at the hockey field. That was 4 weeks ago, and he already found someone new.

GRACE he replaced me.

"Hi" she murmured with a fake smile as the couple approached them.

"Grace this is Maddie, Maddie this is Grace" Ayden spoke calmly, but Eli thought he heard a slight quaver in his voice as he said Grace's name the second time.

"Nice to meet you Grace" Maddie said, releasing her hand from Ayden's and outstretching it in a handshake to Grace, who clumsily shook it.

"Really nice to meet you too………." Grace mumbled, releasing Maddie's soft hand.

Eli looked Ayden up and down, Ayden felt his eyes on him and sent a similar glare Eli's way.

"And you are?" Maddie smiled up at Eli.

Ayden looked at the ground in discomfort, and Grace stood frozen as she looked at Maddie's outstretched hand.

Eli slowly took the girl's hand, and shook it briskly, "Eli………Eli Sammler………..Grace's………."

"Boyfriend" Ayden supplied for Eli- much to Eli's contempt.

Grace and Ayden connected eyes as the word hung heavily in the air.

"Boyfriend?" Maddie repeated the word, not noticing, or ignoring the tense atmosphere between her boyfriend and these two strangers.

"That's right" Grace said, still looking Ayden straight in the eye, "my boyfriend", she fumbled around for Eli's hand, clasping it tightly within her own; Eli squeezed her back, and smiled forcefully at Maddie.

"Oh of course………" she smiled, looking from Grace to Eli, "I should have known……….you two make a gorgeous couple!"

Ayden broke his stare with Grace, turning his eyes down to the ground; Grace did the same, eventually.

"We better be going" Ayden spoke to the ground, but looked up at Grace, "See-ya next term" he said, a little tensely.

Grace nodded, "see you," she repeated.

"Nice meeting you both!" Maddie smiled, latching back onto Ayden, who swapped one final glare with Eli, and then started walking away with Maddie on his arm, glancing over his shoulder only once as he walked on.

"Wow" Eli said, turning to Grace, "that was so……….."

"Uncomfortable" Grace supplied for him.

Eli nodded, and brought a hand to Grace's cheek, "you ok?" he asked, for the third time.

Grace avoided Eli's eyes, "I don't know………I'm just surprised that he found someone else so quickly………" she murmured.

Eli lowered his hand, "yeah, but then again so did you"

Grace looked up at his face, a small smile crossing her lips; "yeah I did," she said softly.

"And I can pretty much guarantee that Maddie is a rebound" Eli added, looking in the direction Ayden had left.

Grace shrugged, "Shame……….she seemed nice"

Eli turned back to her with a grin on his face, he gave a small nod, "I guess so," he said.

The line shuffled along, Grace and Eli finally brought their tickets.

"Two students for 'sweet surrender', thanks" Eli asked the woman behind the counter, she handed them their tickets

And as they walked into the cinema, Grace looped her arm around Eli's, hugging him tight; "we get to be a normal boyfriend and girlfriend" she smiled, looking up at him.

Eli turned to her and smiled, "it feels nice………doesn't it?"

Grace nodded, and released his arm as they walked down the isle and into a row of seats.

They sat down, and Eli turned to her with a wide grin; "wanna make out?" he asked slyly.

Grace raised an eyebrow.

"Like a normal couple………!" Eli added, and Grace smiled.

"Come here" she said huskily, leaning over and kissing Eli's lips hard and passionately.

GRACE he replaced me………but I could never replace Eli!


"Yeah?" Jessie nodded as she listened to Katie's voice through the phone.

"No way!" she exclaimed, "That is so completely wrong!" she started laughing.

Lily poked her head out the door, watching as Jessie sat on the couch and spoke with Katie on the phone, she pulled her head back into the kitchen and looked straight into Rick's eyes as he sat at the kitchen counter.

"Why do we have to tell her? This is all Karen's idea in the first place!" Lily sighed.

"Because Lil……...Karen said she felt uncomfortable discussing this with Jess……….." Rick replied, rubbing his forehead, he felt a headache coming on.

"And we don't?" Lily exclaimed.

Rick motioned to her to keep her voice down; "lets just………get this over with………" he sighed heavily.

Lily nodded, "Jess! Can you come here for a sec?" she called.

They waited a few moments, and then Jessie emerged, "sorry I've hogged the phone all night………" she said, hanging it up.

She stopped dead in her tracks and looked from Lily to Rick, "what?" she asked, in a small voice.

"Sit down sweety" Lily said, motioning to the seat beside Rick.

Jessie did as she was told, but found herself waiting in silence as Lily and Rick found the courage to say what they were being forced to by Karen.

Lily took control; "Jess………you know you're a beautiful, smart, kind woman?"

Jessie blushed slightly.

"You are Jess!" Rick supplied.

"And there is absolutely nothing wrong with you……….nothing at all………"

"I'm not perfect" Jess piped up.

Lily nodded, "nobody is" she replied, thinking instantly of Karen.

"But the thing is……….you have gone……..your going through a lot of changes in you're life………and you're father and mother………"

Rick fidgeted in his seat; he wanted no part in this.

"Want you to see a psychiatrist again to talk about the changes………" Lily ended, feeling horrible and dirty by the end of it.

Jessie looked from her father to Lily, and then back to her father; "you want me to see a psychiatrist again?" Jessie asked, in a small voice.

Rick looked at his hands, resisting the temptation to put the whole idea on Karen; "yes honey……..just once or twice……..and if you don't think your getting anything out of it……..you can stop going"

"Is it because of Katie………..because of me and Katie?" Jessie asked, feeling her throat tighten.

Lily looked at her feet, "partly" she whispered.

"But………we don't think there is anything at all wrong with your's and Katie's relationship……..we like Katie……..we just want you to talk things through with someone else, like you used to………." Rick tried.

"But I'm better now………I was sick then, and I needed to talk to someone………I'm not sick now" Jessie started, feeling her eyes well up.

"We still think you should go and just talk about………anything" Lily began.

Jessie suddenly jumped out of her seat, feeling tears streak down her face, she turned to Lily and her father; "No! Katie is not some sickness I need to be cured of!" she screamed.

Rick stood, but Jessie took a step back when he walked towards her, "no! I wont go! Tell mum I wont go! I wont!" Jessie screamed, and then ran out of the kitchen, and up the stairs.

Rick and Lily stood in silence, until Lily cleared her throat; "there you go…….tell Karen that Jessie wont go!" she said "and we wont make her!", she walked out, heading up the stairs to calm her step daughter.

"Gladly" Rick replied, reaching for the phone.