Author's note: Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone who's been following along with the story and reviewing. It's great to hear feedback, and you've all been very nice. You help make writing worthwhile.

Eli might have been sick of parties, so many he had had to attend lately, but for the hope that waited for him there. That very next night was going to be the party at Chloe's penthouse that she had promised. Eli knew Genesis' friends were going, so he had discreetly asked her at Sofia's whether she would come along. She promised she would, and Eli made sure to tell her Faith probably would not even be there.

"I really hope Faith won't be there," Eli told Jacob that night, as they were getting ready to go. "I don't think I could handle having to see her tonight without snapping on her."

"Why? What's your problem with her?" Eli quickly told him the story Genesis had given him last night. "No way. That's impossible. I can't believe it."

"Of course not. You can't believe anything bad about anyone…"

"Well, it's not really fair to judge the situation. We don't really know the whole story. All you have is Genesis' word…"

"Oh, so you're taking Diaz' side over Genesis?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. How can I? I mean, for all we know this could be just a big misunderstanding."

"God, Jacob you're so naïve!"

"Knock, knock!" came a voice at the door, and then Lillian entered without a reply or actually knocking. "Now, what are you two lovely boys doing locked away in here so long? I've missed you!"

"We were just talking about the party tonight," said Eli. "Are you coming with us or what?"

"Oh, I would love to! That's so sweet of you to invite me along! Really! Oh, but you have to promise to save a dance for me, okay! Oh, I have to get ready!"

The Bennetts (along with Lillian and Chase) were greeted warmly by Chloe at the door of her penthouse that night. She hugged each of the boys, and welcomed them in. "There's refreshments over there if your thirsty or hungry. Oh, and I brought in a karaoke machine I'll be turning in later. It'll be hilarious!"

Eli craned his neck around the room looking for a sign of her. He had taken time to look good tonight. His hair was styled neatly, he had his best clothes on, and he had even dared to crack open the cologne bottle. "I bet I know who you're looking for," said Michael. Then he shouted out, "Hey, Sofia! I see you! Come over here!"

Sofia did, and Michael asked her where Genesis was. "Oh, she couldn't make it. She said she would be busy tonight, but I don't know what with. The mall's closed by now. I have a feeling she was trying to avoid seeing someone."

"Oh damn her!" Eli said two Chase once the others had wandered away. "I can't handle this. It's all Faith's fault! I hate that little…"

"Eli, darling!" Lillian was following after him.

"Oh great, I can't deal with her either. I'm too upset right now," said Eli. "Please, get her away from me!"

"Eli, don't you remember you promised me a dance? I just asked for them to put a slow song on the stereo. Come on."

"If you'd mind, lovely," said Chase, "wouldn't you rather have this dance with me?"

"Oh," she giggled. "You're so sweet. Really. But a promise is a promise. Don't worry, you can have the next one after this. Let's go, Eli."

Eli reluctantly went with her. Lillian was not a good dancer. She wrapped her arms around his middle, as Eli tried to barely touch the tip of her shoulders. She kept swaying the opposite direction that he was leading her in, and then step on his feet without even noticing. Halfway through, she laid her head on his shoulder, and Eli was relieved at the end of the song to see that all the makeup she was wearing had not rubbed off on his white shirt.

Chase kept his promise too, and took Lillian away as soon as that song was over. Eli decided to find a place to sit down and ignore everyone the rest of the night, when he felt a hand grab him.

"Eli," said Faith Diaz. "I saw you dancing. It must be rare to catch a night when both of us are up for it. Let's not waste the chance?"

"Ok," said Eli. Wait, did I just say okay, he thought to himself. Why had he done that? She had caught him off-guard. When the next song started, the two of the stood awkwardly staring at each other, until Eli stepped forward and put his arm around her. Faith did the same, but stood stiff and rigid. At least she didn't step on his feet. But she was barely even looking at him. She looked miserable dancing, even though she was the one who had asked. Well, Eli would give her a reason to be miserable.

"So are you going to talk to me at all, or what?" said Eli.

"What do you want me to say? That it's nice weather? That you look nice? That this song is awesome?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot you're above conversation."

"Do you usually talk during a dance?"

"Yeah, sometimes. It would be weird not to say anything. But I guess, some of us our good at arranging our conversations so we don't actually have to speak much."

"Are you talking about yourself or trying to poke fun at me?" asked Faith.

"Both. I mean, I don't think we're that different. We're both antisocial and introverted, not bothering to speak unless we can say something clever and make it seem like we're geniuses."

"That doesn't sound anything like you," said Faith. "I can't say how much it is like me. I guess that's what you really think of me."

Faith stayed quiet after that, but Eli had not had the pleasure of torturing her like he had hoped. So he went on, "So, I guess you saw the new friend I made the other day in Mississauga?"

"Oh yes. Genesis is great at making friends. It's keeping them that seems to be her issue."

"Well, she certainly lost you as a friend, didn't she? But I guess you're proud of that…"

"Aw, aren't you two cute together," said Kevin, who approached them out of nowhere. "Haha, you're like the next Jachloe."

"Jachloe?"

"Yeah, Jacob and Chloe. Or Chlocob. Whatever. Well, bye."

"That was weird," said Eli.

"What were we talking about?"

"We weren't talking about anything," said Eli. "Every time we try to start talking, we just end up staying quiet. What's the point?"

"We can talk about books," said Faith.

"I doubt we have the same taste."

"We can compare our tastes."

"I don't want to talk about books at a party."

"Yeah, you're just too carefree and wild like that," she answered sarcastically.

"Whatever," he muttered. "Look, one time you said you almost never forgive people on they get on your bad side. Well, do you try hard to make sure people don't get on your bad side in the first place?"

"Of course."

"And you never let bias get in your way?"

"I hope not."

"Me too. People who never change their opinions have to be careful in making them."

"Why are you asking me this exactly?"

"I'm just trying to figure you out," said Eli.

"And how's that going for you?"

"I'm not sure. I hear so many things about you. I'm not sure what to believe."

"I'm sure you do. But I hope you don't judge me on what other people tell you about me."

The song was over. Neither of them had any more to say. They went their separate ways in silence. Faith was upset, but not so much at Eli himself.

Eli had barely turned around when he found himself staring right at Carter Brown. He looked upset. No doubt he'd just seen him dancing with Faith.

"I wanna have a word with you," said Carter. It was not a question. "Your brother has been bothering us all night with questions about some girl named Genesis. Well, I thought I should set the record straight. She probably didn't mention it to you, but this girl's mom used to be Faith's maid. I don't know what she's told you, but don't trust her. Your brother seems to think that Faith did something to her, but that is not true. Faith told me herself that everything that happened was Genesis' fault. I mean, she didn't tell her any of the details, but I know Faith well enough to know she doesn't lie. Be careful around her."

"Why exactly? The only actual fact in what you just told me is that her mom worked for Faith's family, and yeah, she did mention that to me."

"Fine, don't take my word for it. I was trying to be helpful." With a sneer, Carter left. Eli rolled his eyes and laughed.

He saw Jacob with a crowd of people, standing next to Chloe and laughing. He marched over and tugged at his sleeve. "I need to talk for a second." He dragged his brother away from the others then asked, "So, what did you find out? Or have you been having too much fun to learn anything?"

"I tried Eli, but I didn't learn much. Chloe doesn't know what the deal is, but she says she's sure that Faith has always behaved decently, that she's correct in whatever happened and she's always tried to be respectful. She's says Genesis deserved worse from Faith than anything that really did happen. She and Carter both tell me Genesis isn't trustworthy. They said she's always been irresponsible and deserved to lose Faith's approval."

"Uh huh," said Eli. "So Chloe doesn't actually know Genesis?"

"No. She'd never heard of her until the other day…"

"So all she actually knows is what Faith told her. I'm not surprised. Did you tell them what Faith did to her."

"Yes. They said there's more to the story, but Faith doesn't want to talk about it."

"Well, I'm sure Chloe believes that. Excuse me if I don't."

"Eli, you naughty boy!" He turned around and there was Lillian, Chase just behind her. "Chase here just told me that you found out last night that one of the girls here at this party is Caleb Anderson's stepdaughter! Oh-Em-Gee! How could you not tell me? What a coincidence. It's like fate brought us all here together! I have to go meet her!"

"No, you're not really –" But Lillian was not paying attention. She pushed forward to where Faith was standing. She could not hear the conversation, but just looking at it told her enough. Lillian, with a huge smile, came and tapped Faith on the shoulder, then grabbed her hand and started shaking it before she had said anything. She looked on as Lillian's lips kept moving and moving for two straight minutes, where Faith had hardly gotten more than a "hello." She was staring at Lillian in shock and restrained disgust, and as she kept talking, was clearly paying less and less attention. By the end of it, Faith simply turned and walked away without saying anything else. Lillian raced back towards her.

"Oh, she was so good to talk to me like that! Really. What an amazing young woman."

"Lillian!" came a sudden loud voice. "And Eli! Wow! I love you guys!" It was James. He was staggering towards them with a beer in hand.

"James? Oh God, are you drunk?"

"What. Ha. Nooo!" He then laughed for thirty seconds straight. "Ok, maybe."

"Look bro, just take it easy, please. I don't want you getting sick." He was helping James sit down at a table when he overheard Kevin, who was sitting nearby with a group of friends, talking loudly.

"I know, ain't it great to have friends like me getting you all connections. Invited into Chloe Brown's place, not bad, huh? I gotta say, I owe it all to my big bro. He's so hot and heavy with that girl. It's totally serious. Just think, if those two hook up, all the sick parties I'll get to go along to. She's friggin' rich, let me tell you. Man, if I ever need money, all I'd have to do is go ask her some. I mean, yeah, Jacob says they're 'just friends', but I don't buy that for a second. Who could pass up a hot, famous rich girl, eh?"

With horror Eli realized that Faith, in her usual manner, was leaning against a wall sipping at a drink. Her eyes were focused on Kevin. Eli went and whispered in Kevin's ear,

"Would you shut up! Faith Diaz is listening to everything you're saying."

"So? Faith Diaz can go screw herself."

"Get your dirty hands off me!" Eli heard a girl scream, and he turned on saw his brother Michael get slapped across the face. Everyone nearby was giggling.

"Fine, go on," said Michael. "I can get better girls than you!"

Eli felt a serious headache coming on. He had not heard the worse of it yet.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen!" came the amplified voice of his drunken brother James. Apparently, alcohol quite cured him of all shyness. He was holding the microphone of Chloe's karaoke machine, which only a handful of people had picked up the whole night. "This song goes to a very special girl out there. I think she knows who she is!"

With that, James began singing a famous love ballad, a demanding song for even a good singer, which James was not. His voice warbled and belted out off-key. He slurred his words and missed verses and when he couldn't keep up with the prompted lyrics he just started humming along until the chorus. Eli watched in pain, wishing something, anything could stop him, but there James stood until he had finished.

By now the room had burst into laughter, and James confused this as a sign of approval from the crowd, and so announced he would sing another one. "Woah now, brother," said Jacob, who hurried up to him, "I think one's enough for tonight. You don't want to hog the spotlight from everyone else."

"You know, I wouldn't mind singing one myself," said Lillian, "if I had any talent, which I don't. I mean, I'll sing in church of course, but that's just along with the choir, and no one can really hear you. Besides, when you sing at church that's for God, not yourself. Not that's there's anything wrong with sharing your talent if you've got it. I just wasn't lucky enough to get singing talent. I apply all my God-given talents in my wonderful job as assistant to Mr. Caleb Anderson. Yes, the Caleb Anderson, who I think Ms. Diaz over there can tell is an amazing man!"

Eli sat down and buried his face in his hands. This had definitely been, from beginning to end, the most irritating night of his life.