Disclaimer: Oh dear lord, I'm so poor.

Eli spent the next few hours spilling about Clare, how he had ran over her glasses and how Julia almost ruined their relationship. He carefully omitted his hoarding, deciding that since it was under control now, Holly J didn't really need to know about it. He liked her. He liked being around her. He didn't want her running off and thinking he was some sort of freak. Although, she knew most of his story at this point anyway, and she had yet to run away. That thought was comforting to him.

Holly J shared the "Madam Degrassi" era, revealing how Clare had a crush on Declan and may or may not have had her first truly lustful fantasy because of him. She enjoyed seeing Eli smile again, finding the whole story as amusing as she had. Eli had never read any of Clare's Fortnight fiction, partly to let her have her own, private outlet and partly because it was banal vampire fan fiction. The standards weren't exactly high in that genre. Holly J told him of her love of Roald Dahl's books, her secret obsession with Mamma Mia, and how Jon Stewart is forever on her "list." The two argued over if Fight Club or Choke was better, if Joss Whedon was justified for killing Wash at the end of Serenity, and they agreed that the only good Nicholas Sparks adaptation was The Notebook, Holly J kind of loving the fact that Eli had not only seen it, but had read the book too. That bed became their sanctuary; time seemingly falling away with every strand of red hair that spread out on his pillow, prior modesty and fights being long forgotten.

"I should probably go…" Holly J started as she stared at the text from her mother on the phone. It was already fairly late, the time passing faster than either of them wanted.

"Do you have to? My parents don't mind…"

"Eli," she interrupted, "I do. My mom still thinks I'm with Anya." Eli nodded in understanding. As much as he didn't want her to go, he didn't want her to get into trouble so that she wouldn't be able to go out again.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, picking up her shoes and slipping them on.

"Uh, I work,"

"The day after?"

"Working. My next day off is Thursday," she explained.

"Wanna hang out then?" he asked, spinning the ring on his finger nervously.

"Yeah, sure, that should be okay," Holly J answered after a moment of deliberation. She did want to see him again earlier, but she had made plans to see Chantay at some point this week, and juggling friends and work was getting more difficult. She couldn't even imagine if she still had school or if Fi was here. Eli smiled a little, not liking that he wouldn't see her for 4 days.

"Here, I'll walk you out," he offered and he threw the blanket off himself, standing from his bed to put a robe on. Holly J watched him, allowing her eyes to linger a bit on his toned chest. The boy was skinny, she knew that, but there was definition there, the muscles stretching in his shoulders as he reached up to unhook the garment from his closet door. He smirked a little as he put in on, noticing her staring but deciding to not say anything. He didn't feel uncomfortable or anything, quite the opposite actually. It had been a long time since any girl had looked at him like that. The furthest Clare had ever gotten was her fingers trailing under the hem of his shirt once in awhile as they were making out but she never dared to try to take it off.

"Do you still want to go?" he asked lightly, taking a small step towards her. Holly J took a breath and snapped herself out of it, tearing her eyes from his body, meeting his gaze. She let a small smile crawl across her lips, her cheeks getting warm from embarrassment.

"Um, yeah, I should get going," she whispered and stood up, shouldering her purse and taking a few steps towards the door. She walked through the threshold and Eli led her down the stairs, stopping at the bottom.

"So, I'll see you Thursday?" he asked.

"Yeah, but you know I always have my phone on me if you need anything," she responded.

"Thanks… for everything, Holly J," and Eli leaned in, wrapping his arms around her waist. The girl responded in kind, holding him tightly to her. She didn't really want to go but it was nearing nine at night and she knew that if she stayed any longer, she would never leave. The pair broke apart after a moment and Eli opened the door for her, placing a light touch on the small of her back as she left. He watched her walk down the block and hail a taxi from the store on the corner, safely being taken home. Closing the door, he turned and made his way into the kitchen, Cece sitting at the table as Bullfrog finished up some dishes.

"Evening…" Bullfrog said gruffly with a knowing smile as Eli dished himself out some dinner.

"Baby boy, she could have stayed for dinner. There's plenty to go around," his mother lightly chastised.

"Who is the princess anyway?" Bullfrog asked as Eli sat at the table. He really wasn't in the mood to explain things to his parents, but he knew that he owed them something about the new girl in his life.

"That's Holly J, and she's just a friend."

"Oh, okay, a friend…" teased Cece.

"She managed to get you out of your room finally," Bullfrog continued. Eli sighed lightly into his plate.

"Clare and I… we're over," Eli said, a little surprised at how easily the words came from him now. It hurt a lot less than it did six hours ago. He wouldn't go as far as to say that he was over her already, but he was more numb to the whole situation. After all, to Clare, they had been over for almost two weeks now.

"I'm so sorry, love," Cece sympathized, reaching over to place her hand on his. Eli smiled lightly to her, appreciative of her concern.

"It's fine," he breathed, "It's probably for the best. Things had been… strained between us."

"So, who is this Holly J?" Bullfrog asked as he sat at the table, "She's cute. And feisty." Eli shot his dad a look of confusion, not wanting to give away how much he had enjoyed her company.

"She's just a friend, like I said. She's going through some stuff and I'm helping her out."

"Seems like she's helping you out too," Cece said lightly. Eli looked down at his plate and smiled a little to himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Holly J finally sat down at her computer after lying to her mom about where she was all afternoon. She included her mother as one of the people in her life that just wouldn't understand her friendship with Eli. After all, her mom didn't even really like Declan, who was a saint in comparison. Eli's bad boy factor was a part of his appeal, but Holly J knew that wasn't all he was. He was kind and gentle, protective of the people that were important in his life. He saw the beauty in the world… and the evil too. He was easy to break if you knew how. He wasn't at all scary or anything else that the people at school had said. She liked being around him, liked knowing this side of a person.

She clicked on the icon to bring up her internet and clicked on the link to her FaceRange page, noticing the little red "1" in the corner, informing her of a notification. She clicked on it and the page changed to an event:

Bhandari Birthday Bash!

Come celebrate my 18th birthday and my graduation from Degrassi! We have the Willow Ballroom reserved for the entire night and there will be food, music, dancing, and a pandemic time overall. Dress up so my parents think this is worth the money they are putting out for this.

When: Saturday, July 2

Where: Rolling Meadows Country Club, Ajax, Ontario

Start: 7:30 pm

End: 12:00 am

You have been invited by Eli Goldsworthy. RSVP: I'm Attending | No | Maybe

Holly J sat back in her chair, staring at the invite.

A/N: As always, thank you so much for your patience and for reading. It really means so much to me. ToastMania, Rochelle, Steff, and Lyssa are the four greatest people on this planet and I genuinely tear up when they review. All of my readers make me so happy. Thanks again.

Oh, and if you're never seen the show "Firefly" or the subsequent movie "Serenity," go watch it right now. You will not be disappointed.