Disclaimer: If the writers for Degrassi aren't going to be using Holly J anymore, I'll gladly buy the rights for her.
"I had a wonderful time," Holly J whispered against Eli's lips, the darkness of the hearse providing cover for their actions. Eli moaned lightly, his fingers tracing down her sides as her lips made a path along his jawline.
"So did I," he answered, "I want to see you tomorrow." She pulled back slightly, smiling at him.
"I have work. Dinner shift. After?"
"Of course. I'll pick you up," Eli said, placing a tender kiss on her lips.
"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow then," she giggled as she got out of Morty. She waved to him when she reached her front door and took out her keys, opening it to let herself in. She leaned against it for a moment after she closed it, sighing happily. That was the best date she had been on. Eli was so fantastic and she couldn't believe how much fun she had with him.
"Where have you been?" Heather said from the kitchen.
"Heather? What are you doing here?" Holly J answered as she walked further into the apartment. Her sister rarely ever came to visit, mostly only for holidays.
"Mom called and said she was missing me, I had nothing to do this weekend so I thought what the hell. Mom said you were on a date with your new boyfriend?" Heather asked as she brought her drink into the living room, getting comfortable on the couch. A wide smile spread across Holly J's lips, the thoughts of Eli drifting around her brain.
"Yeah, Eli. He's a good guy," she said softly.
"So, I take it this date was good?"
"Really good. We went to Toula downtown and then to an art museum. It was probably one of the best dates I've ever been on. The only one that maybe tops it was with Declan, on the roof in New York…"
"Oh, yeah, Mr. Money Bags. Do you ever talk to him anymore?" Holly J's smile slipped slightly. She didn't have a whole ton of contact with her sister, but she thought that Heather at least knew what happened.
"He… passed away. A little less than a month and a half ago. Aortic aneurysm, completely undetectable. Fi said that one minute he was there, hanging out at her condo and the next… he was gone," she explained. It still felt slightly unreal to tell the story, like it didn't happen to him and she was just reciting a newspaper article about someone else.
"I'm sorry. I liked him. Declan was a good guy," Heather commiserated. Holly J gave a weak smile in thanks, "But, this guy Eli…" Even thinking about Eli, thinking about how well he listened to her when she needed someone to understand the most, how even after their first conversation he seemed to genuinely care about her, how he opened up to her and trusted her, thinking about him helped ease the pain of Declan. Holly J didn't think she would ever be fully over Declan Coyne, but with Eli's help, she was able to move on.
"He's so incredible. He's patient and kind, sweet, funny, caring, sexy…"
"Not to make him seem like too great of a guy or anything," Heather said sarcastically. Holly J picked up one of the throw pillows from the couch and hit her with it, "Okay, okay, I get it. He's a good guy and I'm happy for you. Now, I have to kick you out of my room so I can sleep." Holly J leaned over and hugged her sister goodnight before she made her way up the stairs to her own room, still clutching the rose that Eli had given her.
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Eli closed the door behind him, swallowing down the thoughts that had been racing through his mind the entire short drive from Holly J's apartment complex. She was leaving. She was going to leave him. There was nothing he could do about it. There was no way he could actually ask her to give up Yale for him. He wasn't that selfish, yet he wanted to be so badly.
"Hey, you're home early. I hope that's not a bad thing…" Bullfrog called from the living room. Eli sighed and made his way into the house. He was hoping that no one would be up.
"It's not. She had a curfew. Why are you up?" Eli asked as he took a seat in a nearby chair, running a hand through his hair.
"I just got home too. Rodney's on vacation so I had to fill in for him. If the date went well, why do you look like hell?" Eli shook his head and looked down. He really didn't want to talk about it. There was nothing that anyone could say that would make him feel better about all of this.
"She's leaving me," he said softly. Bullfrog just blinked at him.
"You're going to have to give me more, son. I thought you said the date went well?"
"She got accepted to Yale and she's going. I mean, I always knew she was going to go; it wasn't like she kept it a secret from me but… now it just seems so much more real. We just got together. We just became official three days ago and kissed not even a week ago and now?" Eli paused to gather his thoughts, all of them spilling out of his mouth before he could really make sense of them, "I met Holly J six weeks ago and now you're saying that my time with her is half gone? I'm not ready to let go of her, dad."
Dad. It felt odd to call Bullfrog that, but that's who he needed right now. Eli needed his dad. He finally looked up and met his gaze, Eli's eyes desperate for an answer, for a solution. Bullfrog frowned slightly.
"Life hasn't been very fair to you. First, Julia was taken from us way too soon, then Clare and her whole situation, and now Holly J. You really like her." He softly replied.
"More than any other girl, any other person I've met. When I wake up, she's the first thing I think about and when I go to sleep, I want to have her in my arms. I've been away from her for, what, fifteen minutes now and I'm fighting my hardest to not text her," and Eli's phone beeped in his pocket.
"I guess she didn't fight quite as hard," Bullfrog chuckled as Eli took his phone out to read the goodnight text from Holly J. He texted a quick reply back, a small smile forming at just knowing that she was thinking of him too.
"She's perfect. She's fun and creative, easy to talk to, warm, sarcastic, beautiful…" Bullfrog smiled a bit listening to his son describe this dream girl.
"When your mom and I first met, I knew she was the one. We dated and were together for close to a year, but then I got my first job out in Calgary and she had to stay around here. It hurts. We broke up and I didn't hear from her for almost two years. Those were by far the hardest years of my life. I needed her more than anyone else and all I could think about was if she had found someone else. My station got bought out and I had to move back here, and the second day we ran into each other at Tim Hortons of all places and, well, you know the rest," his dad said, "I can see how happy she makes you and believe me, I want nothing more than for you to be happy. Sometimes, life takes you away from the person you're supposed to be with, but if it's real, life will put you back with them. You'll be Grade 12 this year and we'll have university visits, holiday breaks, long weekend vacations… if you want to be with her, you may have to wait a little bit, but we'll make sure you see her. This doesn't have to be the end if you don't want it to be." Eli nodded as he listened to the story. He didn't love the thought of a long distance relationship at all, but he would do it for her.
"Thanks. I'm kind of tired so I'm gonna go to bed now. I'll see you at work tomorrow," and he gave Bullfrog a hug before going up the stairs and into his room.
Where was Yale, exactly? Eli knew it was in the States, on the east coast, but which state? How far away was it? He immediately got on his computer and did a search for the university. Connecticut. Morty would never make it all the way there and back for a weekend visit and although he knew his parents supported his relationship with Holly J, they wouldn't shell out close to $600 just so he could see her at school. He could always say that it was a university visit, that he was considering applying to Yale, but no one would buy that. Although he does well at school, Eli didn't have the grades or the desire to go to an Ivy League university. Frustrated, he closed his computer. Life was going to rip him away from the one girl that gave it back to him.
A/N: Read! Review! By my planning, there isn't really much left, maybe 6 or so chapters? So, if you guys like it, let me know and I will for sure write the sequel that I have planned. Thanks again and be sure to leave me a review!