~A Once and Again Series~
Where Do We Go From Here?
Hey, thanks for reading. This is an Eli/Grace series. Back story It's May, Grace is a senior, almost ready to graduate. Eli still lives in the garage at Lily and Rick's. There's more to it than that, especially about Eli and Grace... but you'll slowly understand more as the chapters go on.
Chapter One// Happy Birthday!
"Happy birthday, Gracie," Lily said, as she shook Grace awake.
Grace opened her eyes and groaned. "Mom, I'm eighteen. I think it's time to drop the 'Gracie'."
"Oh, and what do you want me to call you?" Lily asked.
Grace shrugged, "Anything but Gracie."
"Fine. Happy birthday, your Graciousness." Lily kissed her daughter's forehead and left the room.
Grace sank back down into her bed, glad that her birthday was on a Saturday this year. She was eighteen now... officially an adult. Grace smiled at the thought, and was just drifting back into her peaceful dreamland, when there was a thump on the bed. Grace opened her eyes.
"Happy birthday!" Zoe cried, sitting on the edge of Grace's bed.
"Let me sleep!"
Zoe got off the bed, and went over to Grace's mirror. She looked at her reflection and then looked back at Grace, whose eyes were just starting to shut again. "Are you going to smoke now?"
Grace glared at her sister through her half-closed eyelids, "Of course not."
"But, you could if you wanted to.. you can also get tattoos or get piercings." Zoe informed her.
"I'm not going to do any of that!" Grace cried, pulling her blue comforter over her head. Why wouldn't they just let her sleep in? Grace heard Zoe leave her room, and she pulled the comforter down. She looked around her room, began to get up, but then decided against it. She lay back down with a smile. It was after all, HER day. It was her birthday.
There was a knock on her open door. Grace looked over, but didn't get up.
"Hey Grace," Jessie said from the doorway. "I just wanted to say Happy Birthday."
"Thanks," Grace said. Jessie disappeared, and Grace closed her eyes. She rested for a few minutes and then there was another knock on her door. She looked. It was Rick. Did they all plan to ruin her morning sleep?
"Happy birthday!" Rick said.
"Thanks," Grace said from her bed.
"Aren't you getting up? Your mom's making you a birthday breakfast," Rick told her.
"Yeah, in a minute." Grace said. Rick left, and Grace went to her door, shutting it. Hopefully that would stop the flow of birthday greeters. Of course, the only people living here left to wish her Happy Birthday was Eli and her baby brother Dominic. But Dominic couldn't talk yet, and Eli was... Eli. Grace lay back down on her bed, on top of her blankets. She lay there, thinking for a few minutes, but then her mother called to her that breakfast was ready.
Grace got up and reluctantly headed downstairs.
* * *
Eli rolled over in his bed in the garage. With a groan he put a hand on his forehead and cursed himself for getting drunk last night. What was he thinking? But, luckily it was Saturday and he could sleep off his hangover. Eli reached over and opened the drawer on his nightstand. He took out a jar of extra strength Tylenol and shook out three pills. He swallowed them down without water, the bitter taste lingering in his throat. He pulled the blankets over his head, blocking out the sunshine that was flowing through the windows, and went back to sleep.
* * *
"Morning, Graciousness," Lily said as Grace joined them at the table. Grace began to regret talking to her mom about 'Gracie'. Was Graciousness really any better? "Happy birthday!" Lily said, setting a plate of blueberry waffles in front of Grace.
Grace looked at the plentiful waffles, her stomach turning over. Lily came over with the maple syrup bottle and proceeded to pour it all over the waffles. Grace looked away. "I don't think I'm hungry, mom."
"What? Why not?" Lily asked.
Rick looked over from his seat, worried. Ever since Jessie's eating disorder, when ever someone said they were not hungry, it hit a red flag with him.
"I just... I'm just not," Grace said, glancing at the waffles. "I'm sorry, mom. I know you made them especially for me."
"Yeah, but it's your birthday... and if you're not hungry, you're not hungry," Lily said, a bit disappointed.
"Thanks mom," Grace said. She stood up, giving her mother a kiss. She left the kitchen and went upstairs to get dressed.
* * *
Eli opened his eyes at the sound of someone knocking loudly on his door. He looked at the clock, seeing that it was after 5pm. "Who is it?" He called out. He felt better than he had earlier, but there was still a slight headache.
"It's Jessie!"
"Yes?" Eli asked.
Jessie opened the door, and looked critically at Eli, who was still in bed. "Do you know what time it is?"
Eli, who had just looked at the clock a few seconds ago, needed to look again. "5:12"
Jessie rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this is your life!"
"Excuse me?" Eli asked, annoyed.
"You don't do anything!" Jessie said.
"I do stuff..." Eli argued, getting out of bed. He started looking around for a clean pair of pants and a shirt.
Jessie watched him, a sad look on her face. She missed the old Eli. Eli turned around, seeing that she was still there... "What do you want?"
"Nothing," Jessie began to turn away. She stopped. "It's Grace's birthday, by the way..."
Jessie left, closing the door hard behind her. Eli paused in his search for clothes, and looked off into space. "SHIT!"
* * *
Grace looked up from her computer as her mother knocked on her open door.
"Dinner's almost ready," Lily told her. "Are you still feeling sick?"
Grace nodded. She had been unable to eat the big lunch her mother had prepared early. The same thing that happened at breakfast happened at lunch. She had just looked at the food, and felt queasy. Lily had insisted on taking her temperature, but it was normal. Rick suggested they take Grace to the hospital anyway. But Grace had talked them out of it. She knew however, that if she wasn't eating by tomorrow, Rick would insist she go to the doctors.
"Are you sure you don't want to try eating anything, sweetie?" Lily asked. "Maybe just some soda crackers..."
"Maybe later, mom," Grace said, and her mother reluctantly exited into the hall.
After her mother left, Grace heard a car start up on the street, and hurried to the window. She watched as Eli's car took off down the street. She leaned her head against the cool window pane, as tears filled up in her eyes.
* * *
"Grace, it's time for your presents!" Lily said as Grace came downstairs an hour later.
Grace saw her father standing next to her mother, and went over and gave him a hug.
"Happy birthday, my Grace," Jake said, kissing the top of her head.
Grace looked around, seeing her mother, her father, Rick, Jessie, Zoe and Judy... but no Eli.
"Here, open this one first," Zoe said, shoving a wrapped gift at Grace.
"Zoe, let her sit down first!" Lily cried.
Zoe pulled the present back and waited until Grace sat down on the couch, and then handed her the gift again.
Grace smiled at her sister and opened the gift. It was a car air freshener and a CD.
"The CD is for you to play in--" Zoe started, but Jake put a hand over Zoe's mouth.
Grace could already guess how the sentence ended, though. The next few gifts confirmed her suspicions: a CD holder for a car visor, a steering wheel cover, a pair of fuzzy dice, car seat covers, etc.
Grace smiled at her parents. "Okay, where's the car?"
Lily and Jake grinned happily, and led her out to the street, where a baby blue Honda was parked at the curb. Lily handed her the keys, "Happy birthday from all of us."
Grace smiled, knowing she should be happier. "Thanks you guys. I love it."
* * *
Grace was writing a story on her computer later, when a knock came on her door. "Come in."
The door opened and Eli stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Grace looked back at her computer screen.
"Grace..." Eli said, but Grace refused to look at him.
"Happy birthday." Eli said, sliding a bag across the desk.
Grace looked at the bag with disgust. "It's not my birthday anymore... it's after midnight."
"Oh," Eli said. "Sorry. I would have given it to you sooner, but..."
"I don't want your gift," Grace said coldly.
"Please, just take it, Grace," Eli pleaded.
Grace looked him directly in the eyes for the first time since he entered her room. "Do you really think a gift is going to solve everything??"
"Grace," Eli moaned.
"Get out!" Grace cried. "Just go..."
Eli sighed and left, leaving the present behind. Grace looked at it angrily, and then shoved it off the edge of the desk and into the trash can.
* * *
Where Do We Go From Here?
Hey, thanks for reading. This is an Eli/Grace series. Back story It's May, Grace is a senior, almost ready to graduate. Eli still lives in the garage at Lily and Rick's. There's more to it than that, especially about Eli and Grace... but you'll slowly understand more as the chapters go on.
Chapter One// Happy Birthday!
"Happy birthday, Gracie," Lily said, as she shook Grace awake.
Grace opened her eyes and groaned. "Mom, I'm eighteen. I think it's time to drop the 'Gracie'."
"Oh, and what do you want me to call you?" Lily asked.
Grace shrugged, "Anything but Gracie."
"Fine. Happy birthday, your Graciousness." Lily kissed her daughter's forehead and left the room.
Grace sank back down into her bed, glad that her birthday was on a Saturday this year. She was eighteen now... officially an adult. Grace smiled at the thought, and was just drifting back into her peaceful dreamland, when there was a thump on the bed. Grace opened her eyes.
"Happy birthday!" Zoe cried, sitting on the edge of Grace's bed.
"Let me sleep!"
Zoe got off the bed, and went over to Grace's mirror. She looked at her reflection and then looked back at Grace, whose eyes were just starting to shut again. "Are you going to smoke now?"
Grace glared at her sister through her half-closed eyelids, "Of course not."
"But, you could if you wanted to.. you can also get tattoos or get piercings." Zoe informed her.
"I'm not going to do any of that!" Grace cried, pulling her blue comforter over her head. Why wouldn't they just let her sleep in? Grace heard Zoe leave her room, and she pulled the comforter down. She looked around her room, began to get up, but then decided against it. She lay back down with a smile. It was after all, HER day. It was her birthday.
There was a knock on her open door. Grace looked over, but didn't get up.
"Hey Grace," Jessie said from the doorway. "I just wanted to say Happy Birthday."
"Thanks," Grace said. Jessie disappeared, and Grace closed her eyes. She rested for a few minutes and then there was another knock on her door. She looked. It was Rick. Did they all plan to ruin her morning sleep?
"Happy birthday!" Rick said.
"Thanks," Grace said from her bed.
"Aren't you getting up? Your mom's making you a birthday breakfast," Rick told her.
"Yeah, in a minute." Grace said. Rick left, and Grace went to her door, shutting it. Hopefully that would stop the flow of birthday greeters. Of course, the only people living here left to wish her Happy Birthday was Eli and her baby brother Dominic. But Dominic couldn't talk yet, and Eli was... Eli. Grace lay back down on her bed, on top of her blankets. She lay there, thinking for a few minutes, but then her mother called to her that breakfast was ready.
Grace got up and reluctantly headed downstairs.
* * *
Eli rolled over in his bed in the garage. With a groan he put a hand on his forehead and cursed himself for getting drunk last night. What was he thinking? But, luckily it was Saturday and he could sleep off his hangover. Eli reached over and opened the drawer on his nightstand. He took out a jar of extra strength Tylenol and shook out three pills. He swallowed them down without water, the bitter taste lingering in his throat. He pulled the blankets over his head, blocking out the sunshine that was flowing through the windows, and went back to sleep.
* * *
"Morning, Graciousness," Lily said as Grace joined them at the table. Grace began to regret talking to her mom about 'Gracie'. Was Graciousness really any better? "Happy birthday!" Lily said, setting a plate of blueberry waffles in front of Grace.
Grace looked at the plentiful waffles, her stomach turning over. Lily came over with the maple syrup bottle and proceeded to pour it all over the waffles. Grace looked away. "I don't think I'm hungry, mom."
"What? Why not?" Lily asked.
Rick looked over from his seat, worried. Ever since Jessie's eating disorder, when ever someone said they were not hungry, it hit a red flag with him.
"I just... I'm just not," Grace said, glancing at the waffles. "I'm sorry, mom. I know you made them especially for me."
"Yeah, but it's your birthday... and if you're not hungry, you're not hungry," Lily said, a bit disappointed.
"Thanks mom," Grace said. She stood up, giving her mother a kiss. She left the kitchen and went upstairs to get dressed.
* * *
Eli opened his eyes at the sound of someone knocking loudly on his door. He looked at the clock, seeing that it was after 5pm. "Who is it?" He called out. He felt better than he had earlier, but there was still a slight headache.
"It's Jessie!"
"Yes?" Eli asked.
Jessie opened the door, and looked critically at Eli, who was still in bed. "Do you know what time it is?"
Eli, who had just looked at the clock a few seconds ago, needed to look again. "5:12"
Jessie rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this is your life!"
"Excuse me?" Eli asked, annoyed.
"You don't do anything!" Jessie said.
"I do stuff..." Eli argued, getting out of bed. He started looking around for a clean pair of pants and a shirt.
Jessie watched him, a sad look on her face. She missed the old Eli. Eli turned around, seeing that she was still there... "What do you want?"
"Nothing," Jessie began to turn away. She stopped. "It's Grace's birthday, by the way..."
Jessie left, closing the door hard behind her. Eli paused in his search for clothes, and looked off into space. "SHIT!"
* * *
Grace looked up from her computer as her mother knocked on her open door.
"Dinner's almost ready," Lily told her. "Are you still feeling sick?"
Grace nodded. She had been unable to eat the big lunch her mother had prepared early. The same thing that happened at breakfast happened at lunch. She had just looked at the food, and felt queasy. Lily had insisted on taking her temperature, but it was normal. Rick suggested they take Grace to the hospital anyway. But Grace had talked them out of it. She knew however, that if she wasn't eating by tomorrow, Rick would insist she go to the doctors.
"Are you sure you don't want to try eating anything, sweetie?" Lily asked. "Maybe just some soda crackers..."
"Maybe later, mom," Grace said, and her mother reluctantly exited into the hall.
After her mother left, Grace heard a car start up on the street, and hurried to the window. She watched as Eli's car took off down the street. She leaned her head against the cool window pane, as tears filled up in her eyes.
* * *
"Grace, it's time for your presents!" Lily said as Grace came downstairs an hour later.
Grace saw her father standing next to her mother, and went over and gave him a hug.
"Happy birthday, my Grace," Jake said, kissing the top of her head.
Grace looked around, seeing her mother, her father, Rick, Jessie, Zoe and Judy... but no Eli.
"Here, open this one first," Zoe said, shoving a wrapped gift at Grace.
"Zoe, let her sit down first!" Lily cried.
Zoe pulled the present back and waited until Grace sat down on the couch, and then handed her the gift again.
Grace smiled at her sister and opened the gift. It was a car air freshener and a CD.
"The CD is for you to play in--" Zoe started, but Jake put a hand over Zoe's mouth.
Grace could already guess how the sentence ended, though. The next few gifts confirmed her suspicions: a CD holder for a car visor, a steering wheel cover, a pair of fuzzy dice, car seat covers, etc.
Grace smiled at her parents. "Okay, where's the car?"
Lily and Jake grinned happily, and led her out to the street, where a baby blue Honda was parked at the curb. Lily handed her the keys, "Happy birthday from all of us."
Grace smiled, knowing she should be happier. "Thanks you guys. I love it."
* * *
Grace was writing a story on her computer later, when a knock came on her door. "Come in."
The door opened and Eli stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Grace looked back at her computer screen.
"Grace..." Eli said, but Grace refused to look at him.
"Happy birthday." Eli said, sliding a bag across the desk.
Grace looked at the bag with disgust. "It's not my birthday anymore... it's after midnight."
"Oh," Eli said. "Sorry. I would have given it to you sooner, but..."
"I don't want your gift," Grace said coldly.
"Please, just take it, Grace," Eli pleaded.
Grace looked him directly in the eyes for the first time since he entered her room. "Do you really think a gift is going to solve everything??"
"Grace," Eli moaned.
"Get out!" Grace cried. "Just go..."
Eli sighed and left, leaving the present behind. Grace looked at it angrily, and then shoved it off the edge of the desk and into the trash can.
* * *