Clare's POV

After school, Eli and I sat on the front step of school. He was telling me funny stories about his family. They made me giggle. He had a younger sister, Elsa. She was ten years old. It seemed that they were very close. He was the father figure she had in her life since their parents were divorced.

"Is she living with your mom?" I asked.

"Yeah. When our parents decided to split, they didn't want to go through some stupid custody battle so they let us choose who we wanted to live with. The problem was that the two of them couldn't support both of us so one of us would have to live with our dad and the other with our mom. If anything, I would have chose to live with my mom. I couldn't stand that bastard"

I could see the anger rising in him. I wanted to stop asking him questions about his family. It was his private life and I didn't have to know his problems but deep down inside of me I was itching to know more.

"If you could of chose who to live with… why did you chose your dad if you hate him so much?"

He looked at me straight in the eye. His demeanor was the serious and I could tell he was stiff.

"Because… I knew if Elsa lived with him… something bad would happen to her"

I was speechless. What was I to say? I'm sorry? I felt ashamed. All those times I thought the world was ending because I thought about my parents getting divorced and Eli was living with his father who he hated all because he wanted to protect his little sister. Compared to him, I have it good. But what he had said before, "I just don't want you to get hurt trying to get close to me" ran through my mind. Would knowing more about his personal life get me in trouble?

"Hey looks like you made up!" Adam exclaimed while coming out of the front doors. He came and sat down next to Eli. It seemed to extinguish the serious mood between us.

Eli smirked, "Yeah, and it looks like you're still single!"

"Ha ha! Very funny! It's so hard to find a girl that I can just click with" Adam remarked

Eli smiled at me and grabbed my hand, "When you come by the right girl, you'll know you have her"

Warmness filled my body. I would be lying if I said I didn't blush because I did. Adam looked at the both of us like we were crazy, "Okay well I'm gonna leave you two love sick bird alone. And Eli we're on for the comic book shop tomorrow after school?" Eli nodded, "Yup and don't be late"

The second after Adam was gone Eli put an arm around me, "Sooo, how about we go back to my place and play some monopoly"

"Is that supposed to be some sexual innuendo?"

Eli laughed, "No! I'm serious! Let's go"

We drove to his house in ole Morty. He played some Dead Hand music in the car. Of course I didn't say that I didn't enjoy it. When we got inside his house, it looked like no one was home.

"I think my dad is still at work"

"Do you think it's okay if I'm in the house when he's not here?"

"Yeah don't worry"

We played a game of monopoly and I ended up with more money than he did. He kept ending up in jail. The thought of it made me laugh. My phone buzzed and I looked at the text. It was from my mom.

"Hun. Come home please. Love you. Mom."

Eli frowned, "Everything okay?" I put the phone in my back pocket of my jeans, "Yeah it's just my mom. I have to go, sorry"

"Oh no problem, do you want me to drive you home?"

"No I'm good. I think I can walk, it's not too far from here"

He led me to the front door and leaned against the wall I lingered there for a reason I was not aware of.

"So" He said

"So" I repeated

He smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow then, at school?"

I smiled back at him, "Yes you will"

We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment's second. Very slowly, he moved his head closer to mine. I was frozen just watching him come in closer and closer until… his lips touched mine and we started kissing. Those 4 seconds felt like they went on forever. I pulled back and blushed, "I gotta go" I smiled with and lopsided grin. All he said was "Yeah" and watched me open the door and leave. When I thought I would be walking home I actually ran. I had so much energy inside me and I couldn't believe what had happened.

Eli's POV

Yeah okay, so I kissed her. No big deal. No, it was a big deal. Why did I do that? That was so stupid of me. I ran up stairs, turned off the lights, plopped on my bed, and gazed up at the ceiling. Those plastic glowing stars that Julia put up those still worked. Ugh Julia. What would she think of this? She would probably be so upset that I replaced her. I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed the picture frame with her picture in it. "I'm sorry Julia, but I really like Clare. I hope you're not mad" I said to the picture. Talking to the picture frame sometimes eased the pain of her absence. It wasn't going to bring her back but at least I had someone to tell my feelings to. Suddenly I heard the front door open. Shit. Dad.

"Eli! Are you home?" He called from downstairs. I got up and turn on the light and placed the picture frame back on my bed stand then I hurried downstairs. "Yeah I'm home" I said as I came down the staircase. "Good" he snorted, "I got some steak from the store on my way home from work" He tossed a bag on raw meat to me, "I want you to cook it for me" He said. I wasn't going to say no even though I wanted very much to tell him to make his own food. He looked over at the coffee table where Clare and I had played monopoly. There were open soda cans and a bag of chips on the couch. I forgot to clean it up.

"Eli, what did I tell you about making a mess?" he pointed his index finger at me. I hated when he did that. I was about to say that I forgot to clean it up until he grabbed my shirt and pulled me to the floor. I tripped on my own foot and fell on my back. I groaned in pain.

"Clean the mess up you, little shit!" he yelled and picked up the bag of meat and walked into the kitchen. I did as he said of course. I didn't want to be yelled at again. After I cleaned, I went up to my room and laid low for a couple of hours. When dinner was ready, I heard a knock on my door I opened it and saw a tray with a plate of a nice juicy steak with some mashed potatoes. We never ate dinner together. That was fine by me. I hated the man so why would I want to eat with him? After I ate, I watched some cartoons on the TV. And then I heard my door knock. I opened it only to where was a little crack, "Yes?" It was Dad and pulled open the door and shoved the house phone in my face and left, walking downstairs. I put the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said

"Hey Elijah"

I breathed with relief, "Hey Mom, what's up"

"I'm just calling to see how you're doing."

"I'm doing fine, Mom, don't worry about me. What about you? How is Elsa?"

"I'm doing well. Just got a job promotion. It's defiantly going to help us. Elsa is great she just lost her 4th tooth yesterday and she got two dollars from the tooth fairy"

I laughed at the thought of my mom putting the money behind Elsa's pillow.

"Mom, that's a lot for losing a tooth. Aren't you only supposed to get quarter?"

"Eli, honey, I'm sure you would give Elsa five dollars"

I thought about it for a second and I figured she was probably right.

"Mom, so when do you think I will get to visit you two? Maybe soon?"

"Don't think so, baby, a lot of stuff is going on right now. I'm trying to get Elsa tested for ADD. There's that and then Aunt Annie is coming to visit so I think we will just have to hold off for a while" There was sadness in her voice almost like she wanted me to come visit as badly as I want to go.

"Eh ok. I love you Mom"

"Love you too Eli"

We said our goodbye and I hung up the phone. I lay on the bed and thought about life. I missed Mom and Elsa so much. I wished things weren't the way they were.