On Tuesday, Jake asked Grace if she would prefer to stay with him, Tiffany and Domonique while the hectic wedding plans were in full force, with only four days to go.

She knew her father wasn't really 'asking' if she would prefer to, she knew that Lily must have dropped a hint to him the other day when he dropped her off at home. Probably mentioned something about needing Grace's room to store the mounting wedding gifts that were coming in by the truckload every day from overseas relatives who couldn't be at the ceremony.

She didn't know if her staying at her father's place was an inconvenience or not, and to be honest, she didn't really care. It seemed that in one day Jessie, Katie, Karen and Lily had all gone mental! It all happened once the bridesmaid and wedding dresses were officially chosen and fitted. Grace supposed it must have been a real hit of reality for the four of them…. this wedding was actually going ahead…it was really going to happen…. in 4 days!

When she had returned home from her father's, Jessie and Katie were staying the night to organize last minute preparations, which Lily would be helping them with.

Grace could still hear them downstairs until one in the morning, stomping around, making phone calls to guests who hadn't returned their invitations.

"Is it so hard to mail a goddam letter?" Jessie had muttered when Grace entered the kitchen that morning.

A few minutes later, Karen was knocking at the door, arriving to pick Jessie and Katie up so the three of them could go to the mall for some last minute shopping.

Next thing Grace knew, her father was calling her and inviting her to take up residence with him until the wedding was over.

"Err….ok….if its not too much hassle…?" Grace mumbled into the phone, still half asleep.

"Hassle? You're my baby girl! Of course you're no hassle!" Jake had replied, trying to sound enthused.

"Well then…great…that'd be really great…." She mumbled again, and then yawned for a moment, "thanks dad!" she added, sleepily.

Jake cleared his throat, "maybe Zoe should come and stay aswell…do you think?" he asked.

Grace rolled her eyes, desperate to get off the phone and pour herself a cup of coffee, "I'm sure she'd love to…this wedding stuff is getting to her aswell…."

"Hmm…I thought so…I mean, that's why I'm asking…."

"Ok….so, Zoe and I will be staying at you're place…." Grace announced, wanting to hurry the conversation along, "thanks a million dad!"

"No problem sweety….I love you!"

"Bye!" she said, impatiently, and hung the phone up.

"Thanks a million dad!"

Grace turned around when she heard Eli mimicking her pathetically enthused tone. He stood, grinning at her, already dressed, in khaki pants, a black shirt and black (sensible) boots.

Grace rolled her eyes and smiled, motioning towards the coffee.

"Love some, thanks!" Eli said, and Grace started pouring some for them both.

"What was that about?" he asked, taking a seat at the kitchen bench.

Grace shrugged, "Zoe and I are going to stay with my dad for a while…." She said.

"How longs a while?" Eli asked, watching as Grace poured the steaming liquid.

She shrugged again; "until this wedding is over…when things calm down around here…" she looked up and gave a small smile, "when I stop getting in the way…"

Eli gave a nod of understanding, "Ah!" he started, "you're room being used for storage of wedding gifts…. like toasters, microwaves, bathroom towels….and other useless junk?" he said, smiling.

She turned around and handed him a mug, and gave a small nod; "that'd be the main reason…"

"Well it's a good thing you getting out now…." He said, taking a sip.

"Whys that?" Grace asked, leaning against the bench.

"Because relatives start flying in tomorrow…. and will no doubt take up residence in every nook and cranny of this house!"

"Hmmmm" Grace murmured, taking a long sip of coffee, "good thing I'm getting out before the rush!…"

Eli drank from his mug for a moment, and then lowered it; "we're still on for the…" he began, and then looked past Grace, at Jessie who was entering the kitchen, "…for the tacos…right?" he asked.

Grace raised an eyebrow, "what the hell are you?.." she started, when Jessie came and stood beside her, looking from Grace to Eli and back again.

"Jessie!" Grace exclaimed, "we were just…" she started.

"Discussing tacos?" Jessie offered, suspiciously.

Eli gave a nod, "yes! Yes we were!" he tried, pathetically.

Grace rolled her eyes and cleared her throat; "tonight! Eli and I are going to have tacos tonight….as a special….goodbye meal…"

"Goodbye?" Jessie asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Grace set her coffee down, "Well, the thing is Jess…." Grace started, very solemnly, when Eli suddenly stood up with his coffee, "I'm going to get out of here…." He said, and headed out of the kitchen, his departure only adding to Jessie's suspicion.

"Grace! What's going on? What tacos? Who leaving?" Jessie asked, becoming a little annoyed.

Grace scowled at Eli as he left, "well, Jessie….I'm leaving….the…errr…..tacos…will be for me!"

GRACE (grits her teeth nervously)

"You're what!" Jessie repeated, astonished and slightly angry.

"Well, the thing is…. its so hectic around here at the moment….and I seem to just be getting in the way….which I really hate…and my father invited Zoe and I to stay with him until things cool down….after the wedding…" Grace started mumbling, helplessly.

"So your not going back to North Carolina, then!" Jessie exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

Grace creased her brow and shook her head, "of course not! I wouldn't miss this wedding for the world!"

Jessie flung her arms around Grace, hugging her tight; "good! Because I am loving that you're here!" she said, and pulled away, "and I'm sorry I have been so all-over-the-place with the wedding and everything!"

Grace raised a hand, "don't even apologize!" she smiled.

"JESSIE!" somebody called from upstairs.

Jessie closed her eyes for a moment, "I bet it's the skirt…I bet you it ripped….!" She murmured, more to herself.

She opened her eyes again, giving a sympathetic apology to Grace, again; "I'm going to have another busy day! I can just tell!" she mumbled, running out of the kitchen.

But before she bolted up the stairs, she yelled out; "and Grace! We hung the bridesmaid dresses in you're closet….that's ok with you….right?"

Grace grit her teeth, just the thought of having those magenta horrors in her room… "Fine!" she replied.


"You girls will have to share a room….." Jake mentioned calmly as he drove the girls home. He quickly looked in the rear-vision mirror to catch their reaction- it wasn't looking good.

"You're kidding, right?" Zoe exclaimed, a mortified look on he face, "Tell me you are kidding!"

Grace said nothing, only looked out the car window, trying to imagine what living with her sister for the next 5 days would be like…..it wasn't looking good….

Tiffany turned around, an apologetic look on her face, "sorry sweety! But we're renovating Grace's old room…..and the only spare is your's, Zoe…we are sorry!"

Grace turned to Tiffany and shrugged, "its fine….really!" she said, softly.

GRACE this is almost as bad as those cleavage magenta dresses!

"No its not!" Zoe retorted.

Grace shot her a silencing scowl, "it'll do…" Zoe muttered, turning away from her sister.

"Are you sure honey?" Tiffany asked, looking at Grace.

She nodded, "really…we don't mind at all….do we Zoe?" she asked, turning to Zoe who replied with a small head-nod.

Tiffany gave a weak smile and sat back in her seat. Tiffany was looking older, which was strange, because she was atleast 6 years younger than Grace's father…..she guessed little Domonique was a handful…sucking the life out of his mother. Grace shuddered slightly; she didn't want kids, not at all!

"Thankyou my dears!" Jake said, looking in the rear-vision mirror again.


"What about Michael and Lorraine?" Karen asked, scanning Jessie's phone book.

"I don't know…" Jessie murmured, "Katie?" she called.

Katie's head popped out from behind the kitchen door, "Michael and Lorraine?" Jessie asked.

"Err…don't think so…." Katie replied, and ducked back into the kitchen.

Karen shook her head as she reached for the phone and dialled their number, "is it so hard to reply to an invitation?" she muttered, "I mean really! Its just plain rude!"

Eli simply sat back and quietly picked at his bread-roll, watching as his mother and sister went slowly insane.

"Kerry is coming…right?" Jessie shouted out to Katie.

"Yes!" came the reply.

ELI I wonder what Grace is doing right now…. (staring into space)….maybe I'll call her and see if she wants to go out sometime….to organize Jessie and Katie's night out…..

Eli stood up, Jessie and his mother didn't even notice as he left the dining room, half his dinner still on his plate; "I'm going to have a shower" he said, over his shoulder, not that anyone was listening to him.

ELI its nice to come home and not have anyone care about you're existence….

He was just walking past Grace's room, boxes of wedding gifts piled in the corners, fat magenta dresses hanging in the open closet….when the phone rang.

Eli stood for a moment, looking inside her room, the ringing continuing….unsure if he should answer it…eventually his feet carried him forward, and he picked the phone up cautiously.

"Err…" he started.

"You slack-ass!" the other person, a female voice, screeched into the phone.

Eli opened his mouth, about to say something, when the anonymous female burst out into a full conversation with who she thought was Grace.

"So much for 'I'll call you tomorrow, Carol'!…geez! Is it so hard to call you're best friend and dish the dirt on family life!"

Eli held the phone close to his ear, about to open his mouth and clarify who he was….but the temptation was too sweet…. "well…err..." he started, in a slightly high-pitched voice (about as high-pitched as his dignity was willing to go)

Lucky the strange female cut him off before he had to actually string a sentence together in his pathetic girly-voice.

"You cow!…I forgive you….just tell me what's been happening!"

"errr….well…" he started again, suddenly realizing he was stuck.

"C'mon Gracie! Tell me about the luuuurve of you're life!"

Eli raised an eyebrow.

ELI luuuurve of her life?

"How has the delectable Eli been lately? Dish any more dirt about what's-her-face?" Carol asked, and didn't even wait for an answer, "is he still a stick in the mud with sensible, ugly shoes?" she laughed, expecting Grace to do the same…she didn't…and Carol panicked….so she talked some more.

ELI stick-in-the-mud?

"Do not tell me you guys….did something?" She started rambling, figuring she'd hurt Grace's feelings by dissing the guy she liked, "Did you and Eli…." Carol started, but somebody (not Grace!) cut her off.

"No! Grace and I didn't do anything…." Eli said, in his usual deep voice.

Carol sat bolt up right, her eyes wide and mortified; "oh….ummm….is this…..?"

"Eli Sammler speaking!" he said, in a stern voice. He heard this mysterious girl, 'Carol', start cussing something fierce under her breath.

"Oh…ummm…I am so sorry…I was trying to reach Gracie, I thought this was her….errr…private line?"

"It is….but she's staying at her father's now!"

"Oh-my-god!" Carol whined, desperately wanting to chicken out and just hang the phone up, "well….err…." she muttered.

"Want me to give her a message to call you?" Eli supplied for her.

"Yeah…would you? That'd be so great! Much appreciated!"

"Sure….and sorry you couldn't get through to Grace…." Eli said.

"Oh…not you're fault…."

"Sorry you got stuck talking to her stick-in-the-mud step-brother!" Eli added, and hung up abruptly.

While in North Carolina, Carol still held the phone to her ear, in such shock and dismay…..Grace was going to kill her!


AUTHORS NOTE

Hate me! You have every right to! I know I haven't updated in a century, and I am so sorry! But school has been hectic and I just couldn't find time! I will try harder! Sorry! Hope you enjoy this chapter!