Once and Again 1. Not Such An Idiot After All

  


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1 ~ Not Such An Idiot After All 

Eli rolled over in bed and pushed the blankets off himself. He'd fallen asleep in his work clothes again after staying up late to work on a new song. He groggily turned off the alarm clock that read ten thirty. 

His mom had pretty much recovered fully from the accident so he didn't have to wake up early anymore to help her down the stairs or anything. She was working again, not as much as before. But it was a start. 

He was getting along with his mom again, splitting his time between her house and the house his dad shared with Lilly and her family. He was working full time at BookLovers still, proving he wasn't such an idiot after all. 

~ 

In the kitchen there was a note on the fridge reminding him to pick his sister, Jessie, up from school around lunch and take her to a dentist appointment. He still had a while before he needed to leave so he fixed himself some breakfast and headed downstairs, anxious to get back to the song. 

~ 

Eli drummed his fingers on the steering wheel along with the music on the radio. He was parked outside of the high school waiting for Jessie but she wasn't out front like she was supposed to be. Finally he turned off the car and walked inside to look for her. 

He was roaming through the halls when he noticed his stepsister Grace hanging out with her friends. "Hey Grace have you seen Jess? I'm supposed to take her somewhere," he asked as he rocked back and forth on his feet, with his hands in his pockets. 

"Did you ask the office? They'll page her for you." 

He shook his head, "Yea right and risk running in to the Vice Principal? No thanks." 

"Try the drama hall. I think she and Katie are usually around there at lunch time," Grace answered sounding slightly annoyed. 

He thanked her and walked in the direction of the drama area. Sure enough he spotted Jessie leaning against some lockers by the theatre deep in conversation with her best friend Katie. "Jess!" he called. "Where have you been? I'm supposed to take you to the dentist." 

Jessie looked a bit startled and Eli got the distinct feeling he had interrupted something. Jessie grabbed her things and said goodbye quietly to Katie before following Eli down the hall. "I'm sorry I forgot about the appointment," she mumbled. 

"Don't make me come in to get you next time. Its creepy being here and not being an actual student." 

"They can't give you detention or anything anymore. You graduated remember?" she teased him. 

He sighed, "Just barely." 

"Are you coming to dad's house tonight?" Jessie asked as they got in the car. 

"Nope. Some of the guys are in town for the weekend. We're going out to celebrate Tyler's birthday," Eli replied. "I think whatever they've got planned is going to be a little more exciting than take-out food at dad and Lilly's place don't you?" 

"I guess," Jessie said sounding a little disappointed. "Are you at least going to stay over there tonight? You're never around anymore." 

"Because I have a job, unlike you," he reminded her impatiently. "You know I was staying at mom's to help her out." 

She countered, "Mom's better." 

Eli scowled at her, "I don't see why you're complaining about me being busy. Every time I see you, Katie's glued to your side." 

"What is this music?" Jessie asked, changing the subject without him noticing. 

He rolled his eyes, "Its alternative." 

"An alternative to what?" 

"To that old crap you listen to." 

~ 

Eli walked in to BookLovers through the back entrance in to the storeroom. He pulled on the light blue button down shirt that was his uniform and left it open over the white t-shirt he was wearing. As he walked out towards the coffee bar he heard Jake, the owner call him from the office that he shared with Judy. 

"You rang?" Eli asked as he leaned on the door jam. 

Jake gestured for him to come in, "We're going to be understaffed for a few days. Kenny just called in sick." 

"That's the third time this week." 

"I know. I told him not to come back." Jake rubbed his forehead indicating how stressed he was, "Do you think you could help close tonight?" 

Eli thought about his friends meeting him at Charlie's Pub. He could be a little late and they wouldn't mind. "I've got plans but we'll be done here by eleven right?" 

"Great," Jake smiled, even though Eli hadn't officially agreed to stay longer. "I'll probably need you to take some more shifts too. Is that okay? I mean your mom's pretty much recovered right?" 

Eli nodded, "Yea she's back at work again. I can probably swing a few more hours, I guess I could use the money. I'll just need to know ahead of time that's all." 

"No problem," Jake acted as if he was doing Eli a favor instead of the other way around. "Have you clocked in yet?" 

~ 

"Sammler! Its about time you showed up," shouted Eli's friend Matt. Eli walked past the bar towards the pool table where his friends had congregated. "We were beginning to think you'd ditched us for some chick." 

Eli shook his head, "No man. Important coffee business." 

"Oh ya, Ty told me you got a new job. What happened at the recording studio?" Jay asked as he handed Eli a drink. 

"It's a long and boring story. Besides the pay is much better at this new place," Eli replied hoping he wouldn't have to tell them about getting arrested and everything. Most of his friends were away at college except for Tyler who was working full time at some sort of electrician apprenticeship. Eli just couldn't bring himself to tell them how badly he had messed up. "So who's winning?" he gestured towards the pool table. 

"I am," both Tyler and Matt answered simultaneously. 

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	2. Cue The Girl

  
2 ~ Cue The Girl 

Monday morning Eli was shelving a new shipment of books at the store when someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I help you?" he asked as he turned around. 

"I hope so," replied a girl about his age. Eli noticed her right away and straightened up. She was a head shorter than he was, with hazel eyes and funky short layered brown hair. "I was looking for the manager or owner or something? I'd like to hand in a résumé." 

He put down the pile of books he'd been holding, "You came at a really good time. Let me find one of the owners for you." The girl followed him to the back, to the office. Judy was the only one there. "Hey Judy? This is, um," he looked at the girl expectantly. 

"I'm Corrie Kennedy." 

"Right, this is Corrie Kennedy. She was hoping she could talk to you about a job." 

Judy smiled, "Come on in Corrie. Thanks Eli." He closed the door behind him and went back to work. 

A little while later Jenny showed up at the counter to order a hot chocolate. "So how did it go?" he asked as she handed him a five dollar bill. 

"Not bad I guess, since I start training Wednesday night." 

He laughed, "I'll probably be the one training you then. I'm Eli by the way." 

"Nice to meet you Eli," she took her paper cup. "You guys were kind of desperate weren't you?" 

"Totally." 

She smiled, "I thought so. I'll see you Wednesday." 

~ 

"Could you please pass the milk?" Zoe asked. 

Everyone else at the table was busy chatting away. The entire blended Sammler-Manning family plus Katie was having dinner on Tuesday night. With seven people at the dinner table it was easy to go unheard. 

"Would someone please pass the milk?" Zoe repeated, louder than before. 

Lilly pushed the carton towards her youngest daughter, "Here sweetie." 

"So E, you're getting more hours now at the store?" Rick asked he was always eager to hear about Eli's job since what happened before. 

"Yea, they just fired this guy. I'm going to start closing a few days a week," Eli answered through a mouthful of salad. 

Lilly tilted her head like she always did, "Maybe you could work part time at the store Grace." 

Grace looked up at her mom in surprise and then at Eli. "Between school, drama and driving Zoe everywhere I don't have time for a job," she explained. 

"Don't forget the Gay Straight Alliance," Zoe giggled. 

"Shut up Zoe," Grace growled at her sister. 

Eli spoke up, "Actually Judy already hired someone to replace Kenny, the guy they fired." 

"Oh," Lilly said quietly. Grace looked disappointed even though she said she didn't want the job. 

"Yea, it's a girl. Her name is Corrie. I get to train her tomorrow night," Eli explained. 

Katie laughed, "You like her already don't you?" 

Eli shook his head, "I only just met her." 

"Remember what I said about mixing business with pleasure E," Rick warned him. 

"I just met her!" 

~ 

Wednesday Eli got to the store around four o'clock. He was putzing around the back room when Corrie came in. "Oh hey. Eli right?" she said as she put hung up her jacket over the back of a chair. 

"Yea." She was wearing a pair of khakis and a Sum41 sweatshirt and a black messenger bag. "You like Sum41?" 

"I love them. I've seen two of their shows." She smiled, "They're great live, have you ever seen them in concert." 

He shook his head, "Nah, I haven't had a chance." He rocked on his feet for a second, "Um, I'll show you where we clock in and then I think I'm supposed to find you a shirt." In the storeroom there were a few light blue uniform shirts hanging up. "What size do you want?" 

"Probably whatever's smallest," Corrie answered before pulling her sweatshirt over her head. 

Eli got a peek at her flat stomach when her shirt rode up. He looked away, "They fit kinda big. I think Judy said she ordered some extra smalls." He pulled one off a hanger. "Here you go." 

"Thanks," she pulled it on over her small white t-shirt. "Does it look alright?" 

He glanced at her quickly, "Yup. Looks fine." He opened the door to the storeroom, "Okay if you come with me I'll show you how to work the computers to see if we have a book in stock or whatever." 

~ 

"So am I fired or what?" Corrie joked as she was wiping off the counters later that night. 

The store was closed and she and Eli were cleaning up. "You definitely did better than me on my first day. Man I broke a few cups and jammed one of the cash registers." 

"That's gotta suck." 

He nodded, "Yea just a little bit but they can't fire me, I'm family. At least sort of." 

"Oh right. Okay let me get this straight." She stopped working on the counters for a minute, "Judy is your step mom's sister? So she's sort of your aunt." 

"Right. And Jake is my step mom's ex-husband." 

She nodded, "You'll have to write that all down for me." 

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	3. Just Not Chick Music

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**3 ~ Just Not Chick Music**   


Over the next two weeks Eli got to know Corrie better. They were both working full time at BookLovers and they had a lot of shifts together. They talked about music a lot and it seemed as though they had similar tastes. They even started trading CDs and Corrie turned him on to a small indie group out of Boston and he introduced her to another Canadian punk band called A Simple Plan. 

"Don't tell me you like John Meyer," Eli said one day when one of his songs came over the radio as they were shelving books together and Corrie had begun to sing along. 

"What's wrong with him?" Corrie cried. "Eli the guy is younger than us and he's had so much success. He's an amazing performer." 

Eli teased her, "You're getting all excited about this. I'm sorry I had no idea you had such a crush on him." 

"Oh shut up. I saw that Norah Jones CD in your car the last time you drove me home." 

"That was my sister's," he replied quickly. "I don't listen to chick music." 

"Don't call it that. You're so close-minded." 

"That's not true. I like all kinds of music. Just not chick music." 

"I'm disgusted with you." 

"Don't tell me you went to Lilith Fair." 

"Ew no! I wouldn't be caught dead there." She rolled her eyes, "I just have more eclectic tastes than you do." 

He raised his eyebrows, "If you tell me that you like country I'm going to throw up." 

"The Dixie Chicks are awesome." 

Eli shook his head, "I've totally lost you to the dark side." 

"Marilyn Manson is the dark side. I will never support that man's music career. My mom always has the Dixie Chicks on in the car and I've started to like them." 

"I can't believe I'm even talking to you." 

"Drama Queen." 

~ 

"Eli!" Grace shouted at the doorway to his bedroom. He had the stereo playing loudly and it was usually impossible to get his attention. "Eli, there's a girl on the phone for you." 

He appeared in seconds and snatched the cordless handset from her. "Thanks." 

"You were ignoring me weren't you?" Grace asked in the offended tone she used so often. 

"No I wasn't. Thanks Grace," he said again and turned back in to his room closing the door behind him. He smiled to himself when he heard her squeal and then walk away. "Hello?" 

"His is this Eli?" 

"Speaking." 

There was a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. You would not believe what I went through to get your phone number." 

"Who is this?" 

"Oh, sorry. This is Corrie from work." 

He raised his eyebrows, "Hey Corrie what's up?" 

"I've just spent the last twenty minutes trying to get a hold of you. I couldn't remember your last name and I had no idea what your mom's was. So finally I called the store and I asked Jake. He thought I was some stalker, that guy is paranoid." 

"Jake can be pretty intense sometimes. He's wound pretty tight." 

"So anyways I was calling because I just wanted to know if you could drive me home from work tomorrow. We've got the same shift. I know it's a Friday night, you've probably got plans or something after. But my mom's car broke down again and she needs mine. I'm going with her on Saturday to buy a new one." 

"That's cool." He added just to be clear, "I mean I can drive you." 

"Oh, okay great." 

"So your mom's going to buy a new car?" 

They had talked on the phone for two hours, barely noticing the time passing. When they hung up, Eli caught his reflection in the mirror above his dresser. He was smiling from ear to ear. 

~ 

At the end of their shift the next night Corrie and Eli stuck around to lock up. As they walked outside with Judy she apologized for scheduling them on Fridays. "You guys must have something better to do thank work." 

"Nobody pays me ten dollars an hour to hang out on a Friday," Eli replied to her. He and Corrie got in the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "So Miss Daisy, back home then?" 

"I guess." 

Eli tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as they were stopped at a red light. "Hey Corrie, you want to get some food instead?" 

"Yes please, I'm starving." 

They went to a small pizza place that was open late and got a table at the window. "What do you like on your pizza?" 

"Just cheese," Corrie replied. "You?" 

"Pepperoni and mushrooms. We can get half and half." He caught himself on the use of 'we.' 

Corrie looked at him intently after they had ordered. "I have a confession to make." Corrie blushed and looked out the window, "I got your number off the schedule at work last week. I never had to ask Judy or anything but it took me forever to decide to call you." 

"Did you really need a ride home?" 

"Yes," she nodded. "That much was true. I'm going to the good old Ford dealership with my mom to get her a new car. But it was my excuse to call you and get you on the phone. What do you think of that?" 

Eli looked up and noticed that Corrie had begun playing with the napkin holder. He reached to the booth behind them and grabbed the full one from that table. "I think I'll have to pay for the food then so that this can be our first date."   



	4. Best For You

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**4 ~ Best For You**   


"So Eli who is this girl you're always on the phone with?" asked Eli's mom one night two weeks later when he and Jessie were staying at her house. 

"They work together," Jessie answered for him. 

"Shut up Jess." 

"Don't talk to your sister like that." 

"Sorry," he muttered as he leaned over his plate. 

His mother sighed they way she always did when she was getting ready to ask Eli a question about his personal life, as though she was warning him and psyching herself up for however he might reply. "So you met her at the store?" 

"Yep." 

"What's her name?" 

"Corrie," he answered quietly. "She moved here with her mom from Boston." 

"Does she go to school?" 

"Nope. She's working at the store full time just like me." Eli noticed the quick look of subtle disapproval cross her face and then get covered up just as fast. 

~ 

"What did you say her name was?" Rick asked when Eli and Jessie were back at his house. 

Eli shook his head and laughed since he just had the same conversation with his mom two days before. "Corrie. I met her at the store, she moved here from Boston. Her mom is a nurse. Her father isn't in the picture. I don't know her social security number but I'll ask her if it's important that you know." Jessie, Zoe and Grace giggled in to their dinners. Across the table even Lilly was trying to hide her amusement. 

"Do you think it's a good idea to get involved with someone you work with?" 

"I'm pretty sure it'll be okay," Eli answered as he looked at his dad and raised his eyebrows, challenging him to ask another question. 

"I was only trying to say—" 

Eli pushed his plate away. "Just don't dad." He got up and left the room. 

~ 

"Eli?" Grace asked as she knocked on the door. 

"What?" 

"They just don't want you two switch jobs again that's all. It seems like you're doing really well working at the store." 

Eli scowled at her, "I'm not going to work at BookLovers for the rest of my life Grace. It wouldn't be then end of the world if I had to leave the place." 

"I wasn't saying that," she replied. "They just want what's best for you." 

"I know." He looked at her expectantly and she stared back blankly at him. "Grace, can I be alone now?" 

"Oh right. Sorry." 

~ 

Eli and Corrie walked out of a movie theatre, "My dad wants you to come over for dinner. You can meet my dysfunctional family." 

"Aww," Corrie grabbed him by his black leather belt and pulled him in for a kiss. "Does Eli want to show off his new girlfriend?" 

"You're my girlfriend?" Eli asked in between kisses. 

"Yep." 

"Cool." 

"You look so funny, when you're trying to hide your excitement." She paused, "I always thought you would introduce me to your friends as a trial run before the whole parent deal." 

He tucked some hair behind her ear, "I met your mom already." 

"I know. She loves you by the way." 

"Do you want to meet my friends?" 

"If you want me to meet them." 

He looked at his watch. "You want to go for a ride?" 

"Where are we going?" Corrie asked as they drove through town. 

"To see my friends." 

"How do you know where they'll be?" 

"Well, they invited me out tonight but I already had plans with you. Some of them are home for spring break," he explained. 

Corrie wrinkled her face, "You should have gone out with your friends. They're home from school and everything." 

"I had plans with you. I'm going to see them now aren't I?" 

"Okay I get it." She squeezed his shoulder. "So where are we going?" 

~ 

"You're meeting your friends at a bar?" Corrie said when they were outside Matt's dad's place. 

"Is that a problem?" he asked, taking her hand. 

She shook her head, "Not for me. But we're underage." 

"It's okay. I know the owner," he said, instantly realizing how cheesy it sounded. 

Tyler was there, as well as Matt, Ryan and two girls; at the back by the pool table where they always were. 

"Hey guys," Eli said. He greeted his friends and introduced them all to Corrie. 

"Nice to finally meet you Corrie," Tyler said as he sunk the eight ball. "I guess Eli must have been hiding you at the library." 

"It's a bookstore," Eli mumbled as he racked the balls again and took a pool cue from Ryan. 

Matt laughed and sipped a beer, "Whatever you say my little bookworm. I think I liked you better when you were still at the recording studio. At least you had some hookups then." 

~ 

"Eli when did you work at a recording studio?" Corrie asked much later that night when they were walking to his car. 

"It was a while ago. Before I started at the store," he answered uncomfortably. 

"What did you do there?" 

He bit his lip, "I guess I was kind of a glorified production assistant. Mostly I answered phones and ran errands, stupid stuff. But it was a lot of fun getting to be around the studio." 

"How come you left?" 

"Well I didn't really have a choice. I was kind of messed up when I was there. I was fighting with my parents constantly and smoking up a lot. And I got caught. Got arrested at the studio, it was kind of a bad situation." He took a deep breath, "Now my dad's turned in to kind of a tight ass. Well actually, he's being strict and my mom has totally relaxed." 

"You've gotten along better with your mom since the accident right?" 

He nodded, "Yea, it kind of sucks considering the circumstances. But when she got hurt she really changed. She realized that she couldn't control everything and chilled out. She's even dating again." 

"That's really good, I guess. Well aside from your dad." She squeezed his hand, "I'm glad that you feel like you can talk to me about stuff like this." 

~ 

Sunday at five when Corrie and Eli got off of work, they headed over to the Rick and Lilly's house. "Can't we stop at my house? I really think that I should change." 

Eli looked over at her, "Why? You look great." 

Corrie scowled, "I don't know. I might look fine to you but this outfit isn't exactly parent friendly." She was wearing a pair of low-rise blue jeans, a black Paul Frank t-shirt and a white wristband. "I think I look a little too punky." 

"You look like I do Corrie, my dad and Lilly won't mind." 

"Are you sure this is okay?" she asked. 

"It's fine. They won't care." He smiled, "What are you going to do Corrie? Go home and change in to a sweater set?" 

"Well I'd at least put on some jeans that don't give me plumber's butt." 

They were at the house by then, Eli parked the car and started pulling her towards the back door. "I love your jeans. They're perfect. You're going to be fine. Just be yourself. That's why I like you and if they see the real you, then they will like you too." 

"Oh Eli!" She hugged him, "How do you expect me to go in there with a straight face when you're saying things like that to me." 

"Do you want me to be mean and insensitive and ask if you're PMSing?" 

Corrie stared at him. "If you ever say that to me I will never kiss you again." 

"Okay, duly noted. Let's go inside now." Corrie groaned as he dragged her to the door but she was all smiles once they got inside.   



	5. Classic Romance

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**5 ~ Classic Romance**   


"I'm sitting next to Corrie!" Zoe yelled. Everyone was headed for the dining room off of the kitchen. So far Corrie had survived introductions in the kitchen; as Lilly and Rick prepared dinner the other kids in the house milled around and tried not to stare at Eli's new girlfriend. 

"Eli probably wants to sit with her," Grace said wryly to her little sister as she put a basket full of bread in the center of the table. 

Zoe rushed around the table, "Then I'll sit on her other side!" 

"Sorry," Eli whispered to Corrie out of the side of his mouth. 

"It's fine," she said back to him. 

"I really like your hair Corrie," Zoe said as the food was passed around the table. "I keep asking my mom if I can get mine cut that way, but she says no." 

Grace sighed loudly, "That's not true. You had a hissy fit the last time she even suggested you get a trim." 

"No I didn't!" 

"Yes you did." 

"Not tonight girls, please," Lilly told her daughters. 

Jessie piped up, "It's always like this." 

"That's okay," Corrie answered her. "I'm an only child. It's fun watching you guys." 

"Try living here," Grace muttered. 

"So Corrie, Eli told us that your mom is a nurse," Rick paused. "Which hospital does she work at?" 

"She works in the pediatric ward at Blakely. She was in the ER back in Boston but she decided she wanted a change when we moved here." 

~ 

"Can we be excused now please?" Eli asked as he pushed back his chair. 

"Sure," Grace answered. 

"Don't forget your plates," Rick added. 

Eli took Corrie's plate for her. "Thanks for dinner, it was great," Corrie paused at the doorway before following him in to the kitchen. 

"Oh man. That was brutal." Eli took her hand, "Okay now you can see my room." 

"Your parents won't mind?" 

"Nope it's fine." Eli pulled her towards the door and in to the garage. 

He sat down on his bed and held on to Corrie's waist as she stood in front of him. "My dad totally gave you the third degree." 

"It was okay Eli." 

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm sure," she smiled down at him. "Your sisters are hilarious." 

"They're a handful." 

Corrie sat down on the bed next to him, "All the things you take for granted are what I enjoyed." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well you always rag on having such a big family and I'm always by myself. You've got three parents, I've got one. Sometimes I wish I had a big family." 

"Do you want to watch a movie?" 

Corrie nodded, so he pick a video off a shelf and popped it in the VCR. He got back on to the bed and pulled her across the bed towards him. "What did you put on?" 

"Fight Club." 

"Oh, a classic romance," she replied sarcastically. 

"We can watch something else." 

"No, Brad Pitt's fine with me. I love him." 

~ 

"Eli what time is it?" Corrie asked as she looked around his room. She had fallen asleep as they watched a second video, now as she blinked her eyes sleepily the last scenes of an Adam Sandler film were playing on the screen. 

"It's almost twelve." 

"Okay," she yawned and cuddled up closer to him. 

"I take it you don't want me to drive you home yet." 

"Do you think it would be okay if I just slept here tonight?" 

Eli smiled, "That's totally cool." 

"Don't get too happy. I'm too tired for _that_." 

"No problem." He stopped the VCR. "Do you want to go to sleep now?" 

She shook her head, "Nah. I'm just getting comfortable. Do you have a t-shirt or something I can wear?" Eli got an old shirt from his dresser and handed it to her. "Eli, you're glowing." 

"Well I at least get to see you change, don't I?" 

"Silly boy, you get to undress me."   



	6. Pillow Talk

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Thanks to all the reviewers and everyone that's been e-mailing me! 

* * *

**6 ~ Pillow Talk**   


"Who's covering my shift?" Corrie asked. 

"Me." 

"Aw, I'm sorry. Is it busy there?" 

Eli balanced a pile of books in his arms as he talked on the phone in the back room at BookLovers, "It's not too bad. How are you feeling?" 

"I feel better. But now I'm just bored. I've been stuck at home all week, it's pretty boring." 

"It's better than being at work." 

"True, I can't watch Jerry Springer at work." She paused, "Will you come over after your shift?" 

Eli recognized the tone in her voice, "Sure. I'll be over around ten." 

~ 

As he left the store that night Eli jogged eagerly to his car. He cranked the stereo up and tried not to speed. Corrie had been off work all week sick with a bug and he had not been able to see her because it was contagious. The week had been long and boring, more hours at the store had been a bit of a distraction but he hadn't noticed until now, as he turned the corner on to Corrie's street, how badly he wanted to see her. 

He parked the car, walked up the steps, let himself on to the porch and knocked on the door. It quickly swung open and Corrie pulled him inside. "My mom isn't coming home tonight," she said as she pushed him up against the door and kissed him. 

"Well hello to you to. Who do you think I am, your love slave?" 

"Not yet." 

"I take it your not sick anymore," Eli said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Not that I would mind catching whatever you had." 

"I'm all better I swear," Corrie grabbed his hand and led him towards the stairs. He had been to her house before but never left the first floor. 

"What are you wearing?" Eli asked, first taking notice of her outfit since he had come in the door. 

She laughed loudly and did a little spin at the top of the stairs; she was wearing a pair of boy style underwear with a lightning bolt on the backside and a small black t-shirt. "I just had a bath before you came over, I didn't really see the point in putting on pants. Do you like it?" 

"Well yea, it's even better than Saran Wrap." 

They walked down the hall and through an open door. "This is my room." 

Eli paused in the doorway, distracted by all the clutter. There was a long dresser sitting under the sloped ceiling, the top was covered in books and photographs. A desk had been pushed in to the corner, there was a computer on top and a stereo next to it that was playing loudly. A huge CD tower stood next to the desk, CD cases spilled out of it and on to the floor. There were posters on the wall from movies and bands. The closet door was open showing clothes on hangers and shoes covering the floor. In another corner there was an empty painter's easel and a side table covered in equipment. 

"Stop staring at my room, I'm trying to seduce you," Corrie said as she tugged his jacket off him. 

The bed was in another corner, placed on an angle. It was covered in pillows and a colourful bedspread that looked like it was from the seventies. 

"I know I shouldn't have made my bed since we're just going to mess it up, but my room was a sty and I figured I better clean up the place." She smiled and watched as he took everything in. "Eli, you're supposed to kiss me now." 

He nodded, "Yea. Sorry." 

"That's okay," Corrie said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I've been thinking about this ever since I spent the night at your house and when I got sick I thought I was going to go crazy." 

"I missed you this week." She pulled at his t-shirt and he lifted his arms so she could get it over his head. 

"I missed you too." 

~ 

"What was it like when your parents got divorced?" Eli asked quietly. 

Corrie frowned and bunched the pillow up underneath her head. "Is this your pillow talk? Eli after what we just did, you really want to talk about my parents' divorce?" 

"I kind of feel like I was cheated, I'm only meeting you just now," he explained. "I want to know everything about you." 

"Everything?" Corrie smiled. Eli nodded. "Okay." 

She told him how her parents had gotten married very young, her father was still in law school and her mom got pregnant pretty much right away. While her dad focused on school and an internship at a prominent attorney's office her mom was at home with the baby in a place where she didn't really know anyone. 

"When I asked her about why they got divorced she told me that she was sick and tired of taking care of him like he was her second child. My dad was a great lawyer but in other areas of his life he was a scatterbrain." 

So her mom asked for a divorce, Corrie's dad left for North Carolina where he was actually from and for the most part all they heard from him was a monthly cheque. Her mom then went to school and became a nurse. 

"I visited him once when I was thirteen, just in time for his second wedding. I didn't like my stepmother or her kids. Truth be told, I kind of just felt like she was in it for the money. That was the last time I saw him in person. I went back for his funeral but it was really awkward. I inherited more money from my dad than she did and she wasn't too pleased." 

"So I guess you were right about her being in it for the money." 

Corrie nodded, "Unfortunately." 

"What did you do with the money?" 

"Well let's just say that I don't need to worry about things. It just feels weird having it you know? How can I be excited about having all this money, when you consider the way that I inherited it? It doesn't seem right." Eli pulled her closer. "I used a bit for college and for my car. But for the most part it sits in an account. I don't want to seem ungrateful about it, but I don't think I deserve it, we rarely saw each other." 

"But he wanted you to have it." 

"Yea, I know." She sighed and pushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Do you ever wish that your mom and dad were still together?" 

He shook his head, "Not anymore. I did for a little while, right after my dad moved out. But now I'm okay with all of it. Now I know that it was the right thing to do, they're much happier now." 

"What's it like having a stepfamily?" 

"Well, I know I complain about it a lot. But it's really not that bad. Lilly's really cool, she compliments my dad and she mellows him out. Then again the male to female ratio in that house is totally out of whack." 

Corrie laughed, "You are sort of outnumbered." 

"Man, my sisters are so weird. Thank God my dad lets me live in the garage or else I would never have an ounce of privacy."   



	7. Dirty Laundry

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**7 ~ Dirty Laundry**   


"Where were you last night?" Jessie asked as she and Eli drove towards their mother's house. 

"I was at Corrie's house." 

"Oh." Jessie bit her lip, "You've been staying at her house a lot haven't you." 

Eli frowned, "This is none of your business Jess." 

"I was only asking a question. You're never around anymore." 

"What do you care? You've always got Katie over at the house, up in your room doing God knows what. You wouldn't even notice if I was around." 

"Shut up Eli!" Jessie cried. "You don't know what you're talking about." 

"Am I missing something?" 

"No. I'm just – I think –," she sputtered nervously. "I just think that you're never around anymore. You're always hanging out with Corrie. I know you stayed with mom while she was recovering and all that. But she's better now. I just think that when we're supposed to be staying at Dad's house, that you should actually stay at his place." 

He sighed and waited impatiently for a stoplight to change colour. "You know Jess, I'm not always going to be around." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Sooner or later I have to move out and live on my own. I'm not a little kid anymore." 

"You just want to move out so you can be with your girlfriend," she argued. 

Eli looked from the road to Jessie and back to the road, "What is your problem today? Don't you like Corrie?" 

"Corrie's fine. It's you I can't stand right now." She ignored him for the rest of the drive and acted civil with him for the rest of the night in front of their mother. 

~ 

It was another Friday night and Eli was supposed to be staying at Rick and Lilly's house. Ever since Jessie had blown up at him they had barely spoken to each other. 

"Lilly we really have to get going," Rick shouted as he pulled on a sport coat in the front hall. He and Lilly were going out for dinner with Judy's new boyfriend and as usual they were running late. "You've seen this guy before at the store right?" Rick asked Eli. "What's he like?" 

Eli leaned against the wall, "He seems all right. I think you'll like him." 

"Good. Judy certainly has interesting taste in men. I never know what's going to happen when we meet her boyfriends." 

"What are you saying about my sister?" Lilly asked teasingly as she came down the stairs, dressed to go out. 

"Only good things," Rick replied. "What are you doing tonight Eli?" 

"I don't know, I might just stick around here," he looked in to the living room where Jessie, Katie and Zoe were watching the television. 

Rick and Lilly hustled towards the door, "There's money for pizza on the table. Call soon because they'll take forever to deliver tonight. Bye everybody," Lilly called just before the front door closed. 

Eli went to the kitchen and found Grace staring in to the fridge. "Unbelievable," she whined. "They go out for dinner and leave us to fend for ourselves." 

He smiled and pointed to the money on the counter, "You want to call for pizza or shall I?" 

"Oh." She blushed with embarrassment, "I will. You always order wrong." 

"Are we getting pizza?" Zoe asked as she ran in to the room. Nobody said anything in that house without her hearing it. "I don't want any olives." 

"Fine Zoe," Grace dialed a number in to the cordless phone. 

"And no peppers. Or onions!" Zoe shouted as she tried to get Grace's attention. "Get some garlic bread though, with the cheese on top." 

Grace shot her sister a look and Zoe went back to the other room. Eli got himself a glass of water and watched as Grace ordered the food. She sounded much older than her age as she gave the address to whoever was taking their order. It was a stark contrast to the high-pitched, exasperated tone she tended to use with her little sister. 

"Aren't you going out tonight?" Grace asked when she had hung up the phone. 

Eli shrugged, "Aren't you?" 

"Why does everyone love to point out that I have no social life?" she cried, immediately going in to drama queen mode. "Just because I don't go to the movies every weekend or hangout with friends all the time, it doesn't mean I'm a freak or anything. God. I'm not going to turn in to the next Unibomber or anything like that." 

"Chill out Grace. I didn't mean it like that." 

"Whatever. Will you answer the door when the pizza guy gets here?" she didn't bother waiting for his answer, she stormed in to the other room. 

Eli shook his head and sat on the counter for a little while, debating whether or not to try and make some plans. Corrie was working until close at BookLovers so she wouldn't be available until much later. He considered calling Tyler but he would only want to play pool at the pub and Eli didn't feel like it. 

"What are you guys watching?" Eli asked as he came in to the living room. Jessie, Katie and Zoe were sprawled on the couch, leaving Grace to the loveseat and only an armchair empty for Eli. 

"An old Friends show," Zoe replied since none of the others had. It appeared that Jessie was now giving him the silent treatment, Katie was of course on her side and now Grace was upset with him as well. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable night if he stuck around. 

~ 

"Man I have got to get the hell out of my mom's house," Tyler said as he and Eli drove through town in Tyler's noisy truck. Eli had given up on spending the night at home and convinced Tyler to go somewhere other than Charlie's Pub. 

"Why's that?" 

"Do you remember Laura Gregory? She was in our grade." 

"Yea I know who she is," Eli answered waiting impatiently for Tyler to begin whatever story he was hinting at. 

Tyler wiggled his eyebrows and turned down his stereo, stalling to peak Eli's curiosity. "She's working for a year instead of going to school. I ran in to her last weekend when I went bar hopping with my cousin, and we totally hit it off." 

"How drunk was she?" 

"Shut up man," Tyler replied. "She wasn't that drunk. Anyway, she gave me her number! So I called her up and we went out and after she said she wanted to come back to my place." 

"Big surprise. This is Laura Gregory we're talking about." 

"So she came over and everything was cool." Eli rolled his eyes at the hand gestures his friend was using. "But my mom was looking for dirty laundry and she found Laura's bra." 

"Your mom still does your laundry?" 

Tyler laughed, "Yea. Seriously though, I have to get out of the house. Laura wants to go out with me again and there's no way I can hold on to a girl like her if I'm living at my parents house." 

"I know what you mean." 

"We should get an apartment together. A buddy of mine from work is getting married and he has to sell his place. It's a two bedroom, in a big building. It's actually a few minutes from here. Let's go by, I'll show you." 

"Hey, hold on a second. Can we even afford something like that?" Eli asked getting excited about the possibility of moving out of his parents' houses.   
  
  



	8. Solemnly Swear

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Thanks to all the reviewers and everyone that's been e-mailing me! 

* * *

**8 ~ Solemnly Swear**   
****   
****

"You did what?" Rick yelled. 

Eli sat back in the chair at the dining table and rubbed his eyes, "Maybe we should talk about this later." 

"No I want to talk about it now!" Rick replied. "How could you do this without talking to me first?" 

"I didn't think that I had to. I'm old enough to move out," Eli shot back. "I don't have to ask your permission for every little thing anymore." 

"Girls if you're finished maybe you should clear your plates," Lilly got up and gestured for the girls around the table to follow her. 

Eli heard Grace mutter, "If he moves out, I want his room in the garage." 

"I just wish that you had talked to me first, before doing something like this E," Rick ran his fingers through his hair. "Does your mom know about this?" 

"I haven't told her yet. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. I never thought about moving out until Tyler told me about the apartment." 

"So you just signed yourselves up?" 

"It's not final yet, they're checking our references and we'll hear from them before Wednesday." 

Rick was caught off guard by how mature Eli was sounding. "How are you going to afford something like this?" 

"I'm making enough at the store to cover everything and I have lots of money saved up. Besides, Tyler and I will split all the costs." 

"What if you two have a disagreement?" 

"We've been friends since the sixth grade," Eli answered, sounding annoyed. "If there' s a problem I can afford my own place too, but I doubt that'll be necessary." 

"What about a car? You won't be able to use ours if you're living somewhere else." 

"Grampa wants to buy a new car and he said I could have his Taurus, remember?" 

Rick sighed and bit his lip. He had no more arguments, obviously Eli had put some thought in to this, and regardless of how little time he had. "You better tell your mother then." 

"Obviously," Eli got up from the table and left. 

~ 

Corrie snuggled up against Eli in bed and rested her hand on his chest. "Don't worry about. He's just miffed because you're leaving the nest," she said, Eli had just told his father's reaction to him moving out. "At least your mom was supportive." 

"Of course she is. I cost her a fortune in groceries," he joked, his mood beginning to lighten. "Do you think it's a good idea?" 

"Of course I do," Corrie answered. She propped herself up on her elbow, "If you have your own place, we can hang out there and not worry about our parents." 

"Very true." Eli smirked at her and pushed the covers out of the way, "Hopefully we'll get the apartment. But in the meantime your mom's at work and I fully intend to take advantage of this situation." 

"Do you?" Corrie laughed as he kissed down her neck towards her collarbone. "Hey, can I help you and Tyler decorate?" 

Eli was focusing on her bellybutton now, "Baby, you can paint the place pink for all I care but now is not the appropriate time for such a discussion." 

"You sound like your father," 

He stopped what he was doing abruptly and sat up, "Okay so I'm no longer in the mood." 

"Eli!" she cried, wriggling underneath his weight. "What are you doing?" 

"Never mention parents while we're in the middle of foreplay." 

"Okay, okay. Fine." She wrapped one of her legs around his waist and attempted to pull him towards her. "I'll never do it again." He laughed at her and tried to stay out of her reach. "Eliiii," she whined. 

"Promise," he whispered huskily to her, holding her arms over her head against the pillow. 

"I solemnly swear to never ever mention parental units while Eli's trying to get his swerve on!" she rattled the oath off quickly. 

He added with a twinkle in his eye, "Don't say 'swerve on' either." 

"I-won't-say-that-either!" she shouted. "Eli." 

"Good girl," he let her arms free and started right back where he had left off.   



End file.

Once and Again, Romance