Just a Face In The Hall-Eli

[The Julia Night]

School, that was the last thing on her mind after being dragged home to finding her step mother and father had divorced, hence the only reason she was able to come home. She awoke with no desire to even move but she knew she had to, at least today she hoped to see Eli, though part of her was terrified, it had been so long he must've moved on by now right? What if he wanted nothing to do with her? She cringed at the thought as the Eli in her head came to view behind her in the mirror "Of course I'll be happy to see you" he mused at her which only made her smile at the thought as she pulled on her black jeans and a red tank top before grabbing her leather form fitting jacket and sliding into it gracefully. She didn't bother with her hair, just let it flow down her shoulders and she headed out the door. He followed her of course as he spoke she just nodded in thought,"I'll understand and I'll be there for you, and I most definatly have not moved on" but she knew not to ever take much of what dellusion Eli said to heart. She had already gotten her class list the other day and signed up for Drama so her first destination was her locker.

She walked to her locker, hearing faint whispers here and there, obviously curious people to see a new student. She opened her locker and grabbed the notebook she'd need for her first class before shutting it. She turned and walked down the hall looking down at her feet, still listening to him as he followed at her heels,"I'm so close, you'll never see me coming Jules" he spoke and she chuckled but before she could lift her head to finally retort back to her dellusion, THUD. She was on her ass and she didn't even look up to see who she had bumped into, but she noticed Dellusion Eli had shut up and she scrambled to her knees to gather the papers that had flown out of her notebook. When she looked up she was surprised, she looked behind her and Dellusion Eli waved and disappeared. She narrowed her eyes in the deepest confusion as she looked back to the boy, 2 and a half years and he hadn't changed one bit. She licked her bottom lip nervously before she slowly and cautiously got to her feet. "Eli..." the word escaped her lips and that was all that she could muster.

[Eli Goldsworthy]

Another day, he had left school early the previous day due to a psychiatric appointment. Eli looked into the bathroom mirror, he had lacked sleep due to his levels of extreme energy but of course like usual he left that part out to avoid a longer visit with his shrink. The energy always meant one thing mania and with his production so close, he couldn't afford to miss a couple weeks of school. Eli washed up and brushed his teeth, his black hair parted to the side with his natural flip. Eli walked put of the bathroom to his dresser and he took out a black pair of skinny jeans, and a black button down short, he got dressed rolling his sleeves up half way and then accessorized with a studded bracelet. Perfect he thought grabbing some socks and his sneakers walking down the stairs greeting his uncle. Eli walked to the fridge grabbing a red bull then he strolled over to the cabinet taking his psych meds. He sipped his drink and his uncle tossed him the car keys. Times like this he missed Morty. Eli kicked on his sneakers and walked outside getting into the car and drove off to that teen age drama wasteland called high school.

The ride was quite quick and he got there a bit early, parking in the lot tipping his red bull can to a few friends before entering the building. The theater, he wanted to get into his zone before he even thought about class room activities. Eli walked up looking at his chart grabbing skimming it. He sipped his red bull before reading over the new sign ups and a mist sprayed from his mouth almost coughing him to choke. Eli shook his head in disbelief, Julia Night. Someone was messing with his emotions now. "This is bullshit!" Eli shouted his voice echoing through out the halls. He clenched the chart board tightly as he stormed the empty halls, fury in his mind that someone could be this cruel. But who.. Eli walked toward principal Simpson's office and his mind was racing so fast he didn't catch view of the girl he almost trampled in the line of fire.

When he heard his name he came back from a state of mania, and his blinked a bit in disbelief. A half smirk creased his lips and he looked at his red bull then back to the girl. Was he really going crazy? Eli looked at a nearby trash can and tossed the drink, that stuff was making him see things now, ghosts. Eli backed up cautiously and wiped his eyes and she was still there getting to her feet now. "Julia..how?" Was all he could muster as he walked over and put his arms around her holding her tight, making sure if this really was real and sure enough it was. He lifted her off her feet in a tight hug position but now was question and answer time. "Jules...your alive...but the accident...the news?"

[/i] Eli questioned, but this soon turned into anger due to the fact he felt lied to and his whole morning process was nothing, the guilt, the hurt, the pain..the broke. "There was a damn obituary!" He said frustrated placing her on her feet as he crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to one side. This was madness, and his mania was just waiting to pounce on this but for now he'd try best to contain himself. For her, because the last time he yelled...was the reason he believed she was gone.[/center]

[The Julia Night]

Questions, she saw it coming and she was about to just blurt out and tell him everything right then and there but he swooped her into his arms and caught her completely off guard. She let him hold her though tight and waited, cause she knew it would sink in and there it was, a moment later he was backing away and at first he yelled but then he realized his tone and he calmed down slightly. She looked around, people were staring, she didn't like it when people stared, it made her feel uncomfortable. She took his hand and dragged him down the hall and outside. She couldn't be exposed to an audience like that. She dragged him to the parking lot and let go of his hand as she looked down, her hair toppling into her face as she rubbed her right arm with her left hand. "I..it wasn't my fault Eli, I begged and I pleaded that they tell you the truth, they wouldn't listen to me" her voice was soft as it always had been.

She glanced up at him through her hair now and she pushed a strand behind her ear before she skimmed her bottom lip with her teeth and continued. "You remember my step mom? How horrible she was? She faked my death...after the accident she shoved me into a psych ward, I gave them reason to keep me there, afraid I wouldn't see you again, I tried to really kill myself...and she just played it off like I died to the rest of the world,"

[/i] that was putting it in simplest terms as she looked around the parking lot for a brief moment before meeting his eyes again. "I knew this was a bad idea...I knew I couldn't just waltz back into your life and expect an open armed welcome, hell you probably have a life, a girlfriend even or something"[/color] she muttered obvious sadness in her voice. She glanced around the lot again and it sank in, something was missing, it sank in deeper,"Eli...where's Morty?" she asked softly in slight concern.[/center]

[Eli Goldsworthy]

And before he knew it he was walking the halls with Julia to the outside world, he stopped dead in his tracks when she spoke and at first he didn't understand but then it sank in and he found himself pinching the back of his hand one more time before remembering the whole reason Julia stay with he and his uncle in the first place. Her step mother never was the best to her, always treating her like a step daughter and for that poor Julia always was o the run. Eli played hero for her as he did Lilli once upon a time and he found himself looking at his feet for a moment. "So it was all bullshit... she erased you from existence. Jealous conniving bitch..." Eli said looking back up to Julia and then her following words caused him to cross his arms and nod into agreement. This was true he wasn't sure where he stood with Clare, it sort of bothered him how selfish she was being as of recently, and Eli he wasn't going to be Jake's replacement. Though he gave everything for love some love was one sided. "Well, I'm here for you and to be honest, I pushed myself hard. So hard to forgive myself, to morn properly other wise I would have been sectioned myself." Eli said taking a breath he felt heart break all over, and was looking for a leg to stand on. "You would have never been there if I just...believed you." Eli mumbled suddenly the guilt he fought so hard to prevent was coming back. "Julia, I have had several relationships since you've been gone, I've worked hard to keep them and Morty...is the result of 'love' and 'impulse' I crashed Morty almost killed myself for my ex Clare. She still is around in my life though at times I feel as if I am a replacement, or she expects too much of me." Eli explained turned walking slowly letting Julia catch up. He made it to his uncles car and sat on the trunk of the car as he usual did.

Eli leaned back petting the spot next to him in his inner thoughts, they were racing. His mind was going for a spin the thoughts that scared him from the past were all scars that could have been avoided. This was great it just kept getting better and better. Now he was positive he wasn't going back into that school. "Julia, I want to go.. just drive I can't have what I want and my mind is unclear here in this moment." Eli explained hopping off the trunk of the car walking to the drivers side. He opened the door putting his key in the ignition and started the car leaning forward letting his forehead rest on the stirring wheel.

[The Julia Night]

She watched him and she observed closely, his actions, his words, his expressions and when he spoke of Morty her heart sank but she brushed it off,"Oh...ok, uh it's cool" she murmured but when he began talking about other girls and his present life situation she got a bit jealous but hid it quickly and sighed running a hand through her hair. He got in the car though and she quickly made for the passenger side and slid in but she reached over and pulled the keys from the ignition knowing it was touchy territory to invade on him like this, but she put them in her pocket and she reached over pulling his shakey hands from the wheel. She hesitated but she crawled over the middle console and right into his lap. She faced him and pushed his hair from his eyes as she always used to do once upon a time. Julia looked right into his eyes, her own soft as she dropped her hand from his hair and ran her fingertips gently along his cheek before she dropped her hand from him and into their laps. "I have a better idea...if you want to that is" she said her voice lingering and holding its always soft mysterious tone. She giggled softly and eerily all the same and she tilted her head as she glanced out the window and then back into his eyes,"Church grounds...chalk hearts? Want to go down memory lane with me? Maybe start some new memories too?" she asked softly, but before he could even answer her, she reached over and pushed the door open and got out, she slid her hand into his and pulled him out of the car and closed the door behind him. "I know how to get you to calm down, I know you better than you know you some times as do you know me" she stated as she giggled again and she pulled him toward the edge of where the parking lot met the woods and she nodded her head toward it,"I know its a bit of a hike, but...please?" she asked him softly as she looked into his eyes and gently squeezed his hand.

Note: Had to use that GIF cus it totally could pass as him and her.

[Eli Goldsworthy]

In all honesty he wasn't quite sure how to react to Julia on his lap, so close to him yet so far away. His mind was pushing him away from guilt, and heartbreak but she forced the issue, and if she didn't he wouldn't adore her as he did. Eli looked into her eyes as she spoke but she was speaking from the past and he knew this. "You know me, really Julia do you?...You knew me lets not mistake that past for here and now shall we?" Eli corrected his his sarcastic tone, he hated when people just thought they had him all figured out and even if she was institutionalized with people like him it didn't mean he didn't have control over himself and his mental disability. Eli cleared his throat, maybe he was being a bit harsh and she was just trying to help and at the mention of chalk hearts he tried to suppress a smile but he couldn't and he climbed out of the car pushing down the lock button and followed Julia his hand in hers as she lead him. Eli looked around, it would be hell to have to explain something like this to Allie or Clare nor did he have the patients nor will power to. "Yeah, memories are always great at least ours down here." Eli said walking he walked til they were on the grass, he wanted to say so much, but he held back he'd be able to do all that soon enough. When entering the woods he took the lead. "Can never be too safe." Eli said puffing out his chest protectively, who better then he to protect Julia. This thought could have a negative or positive answer so he just shot out a question.

"When you were gone, did you..miss me?" Eli mumbled avoiding large rocks and he came to some vines and pulled them away letting Julia pass before he let them whip back into place. This was defiantly a turn of events, but he couldn't just say he didn't like the idea of Julia being alive, he just had to convince himself all his morning and copping had reason. "I mean I missed you, I thought about you every day for I don't know how long, I still do. The pictures...they are still in my room, never to be replaced or removed." Eli admitted walking toward the church grounds, he got in step with Julia and thought for a moment. "I don't want you going back...not with your step mother..." Eli said he wasn't quite sure if his word or order could have a hold o her but it was for her own good. If Julia knew what he meant, and knew him well enough she'd realize he wanted her home safe with him. Eli come upon the shrine and looked at the heart giving his charming half smirk and then looked to Julia. "Can you believe we said forever and we are sitting here some odd years later looking at this in a different mind set, it kills me." Eli said sighing and then he put his arm around Julia's shoulders and pulled her close his doubts fading, and his heart warming up to her a bit more now.

[The Julia Night]

Julia disregarded his words about her having known him and that he was different now, though true and she herself was different now as well, she still believed that she knew him better than most anyone else other than himself. She followed him when he took lead and she chuckled when he announced one could never be too safe as he puffed out his chest being protective of her. He asked if she missed him and at this she gently squeezed his hand and nodded to herself,"Of course I missed you, missed you so much I..." she trailed off, it probably wouldn't be the best idea to tell him she developed a delusion of him in her own head, a delusion that now seemed to not be around so much when she was actually in his presence. "My missing you is one of the only things that got me out of there alive Eli...because I swore and promised to myself that one day I'd be able to come back and tell you the truth" she muttered. When he mentioned not wanting her to go back, she looked up and met his gaze for a moment,"She's dealing with the authorities because of her actions, my dad wants to divorce her but I don't even want to live with him either for letting her get away with it in the first place" she admitted as she squeezed his hand again. "So if you're offering me the ability to go back to staying with you, in what was once our bed, being able to wake in your arms every morning, of course I cannot decline such an offer" she said allowing a smile to crease her lips.
They reached the spot and her eyes flitted to the heart and she was surprised it was still there. When he pulled her into his side and put his arm around her, she put her arm around his waist and smiled,"It may be a different mindset we're in at the moment, but my mindset still says I love you" she whispered to him as she turned to look up into his eyes.

[Eli Goldsworthy]

And that was it, all he needed to hear, she missed him wanted him, he was her motivation to get out of the place she was in. For the first time in a long time he felt like someone was caring for him, Clare and her quoted words of how his play was stupid, and Imogen that loved him so much and when she had him, let go because she couldn't deal with him. But Julia...she never really did leave his side and this feeling of love, and desire caused him to close his eyes and he reached over and took her hand in his opening his green eyes so filled with mystery as they locked with hers. Eli licked his lips before speaking he thought for a moment about her words, she wanted to come home, home with him where she belonged. "Yes, home with me, where your love and devotion has always been perfect and enough. Jules I never meant to doubt you that night, I just couldn't see the love of my life as imperfect." Eli thought for a moment and moved a bit closer to Julia and he looked down. "You were never imperfect, I was just stubborn and dealing with my own mental illness, I didn't want us both to suffer and in my mind back then, I couldn't control myself. But now... Though my mood swings come and go I can control them...sometimes and with that said I may have been with other girls.. but I could never fully get over you nor would I ever stop loving you." Eli admitted fully speaking from his heart and though he sounded sappy, he was aloud to with Julia, and he knew no judgment would come from his heart filled words. Eli was attentive to how she spoke of her mindset, and he was pretty sure they were meeting somewhere in between with it all and with no more thought he pulled her close and closer his eyes and brought his lips to hers. "I Love you Julia, I'm so glad your back where you belong." he whispered his lips brushing against hers as he pulled her in for a passionate kiss, and he could feel his heart speed up, and his thoughts slowed down as he kissed her with passion not wanting it to ever end. This was perfect, like a kiss at the end of a love story, the sparks the feelings he hoped they were mutual. When breathless he pulled away opening his eyes slowly and gave her a smile, his cheeks tinted pink now and his mind lost for words, but he couldn't let it end there. "Wow...that kiss proved you missed me, I must be that amazing." He teased a bit cocky with his words, but he was aloud to feel highly of himself now, he had no one bringing him down, telling him his goals were stupid. Nothing coming in the way of his life and it felt good actually.

[The Julia Night]

She was surprised at how he spoke and she listened though to every word that escaped his perfect lips and she looked at him not ever wanting to stop admiring him. As he stepped closer to her and his arms slid around her petite waist she rested her forehead against his and placed her tiny hands against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding against the palm of her hand and when his lips met her's half unexpectedly she gasped but she fell into the kiss, her eyes closing, her hands clinging to his shirt slightly as she deepened the kiss showing him how much she missed him, how much she loved him. She pulled away but kept her forehead against his as a soft content sigh escaped her lips. "Don't you ever let me go again Elijah, you hear me?" she said as her eyes brimmed with light tears and then tumbled down her cheeks. She wasn't sad, she was happy but she was also afraid of ever losing him again. She bit her bottom lip her eyes never leaving his gaze. "Even if that means you have to lock me in your chambers back at home and have Bullfrog guard the door, whatever it takes, don't lose me again" she whispered as she brought one hand up and brushed her fingertips along his cheek as a smile crossed her lips.

[Eli Goldsworthy]

Eli looked down into Julia's eyes and he noticed tears. He knew how she was feeling, and he wasn't just going to let her go back to a horrible place she didn't belong. The sound of his full name snapped him from his thoughts and his eye twitched. "Don't call me that Jules, you know I hate that." Eli corrected. He knew Julia always tossed a couple full name comments in there to push her luck with him, yet her attempts always got the same reaction so he never understood why she continued to force the issue. Yet for the answer to her he was indecisive. Clare, had been involved with him recently and after the kiss he wasn't sure where they stood he'd have to find that out but now he had to speak. "You know I won't let you go back to that place, and I'll let you stay with me and be safe but there has been a lot of changes to my life, and I guess I might have to explain them one by one for you to understand even if you don't like my reasoning." Eli said with all honesty.

Though his feelings never escaped fully from loving Julia they were at ease, and he did have feelings her Clare. "I am officially crazy, I see a psychiatrist weekly for my new found bipolar disorder." He was sure Julia started to see his mood swings when she was here in the past but he wasn't diagnosed til she was actually gone. "I have been seeing this one girl on and off, I am unsure where her and I stand." Eli said looking Julia dead in the eyes, his tone softened and he knew he had mentioned it before but it was something he needed to deal with as well. "I am directing Romeo and Jules...a musical I corrupted into a homosexual interpretation....And yes I Eli Goldsworthy and directing a Mus-ical." He said a bit proud. Eli was sure life would be a bit different with Julia staying with him but he couldn't let her leave his side, not after she had been through so much. Not that it was out of sympathy, because he was sure it was out of love. "Let's leave, I want to go back to my house and sit down talk more clean my room for you a bit." Eli teased as he slid his hand into Julia's. If she knew anything about his disorder she'd know he was going to struggle with all this change. They walked to the parking lot and he got into his car after letting her in. Eli wasted no more time he had to break the news to his aunt and uncle. "Bullfrog is going to be psyched to see your still alive and kicking." Eli admitted as he drove st right home. "Home sweet home." Eli said letting Jules out of his car and he walked to the front door. Once in he slid off his shoes and walked to the kitchen looking at his uncle. "Guess who joined us for dinner." Eli said looking at the clock it was about evening time by now. Eli waited for Julia to show her face he knew she'd take control and feel at home, also act it as well.

[The Julia Night]

She let him explain everything as she nodded slowly at his words,"No worries Eli, I didn't expect to just jump back into your life and everything be as it used to be, I understand it's been a few years and you have new things going on in your life" she said softly when he took her hand in his as she followed him back toward the parking lot through the trees. "But I'm here and if ever you need anything you know you can come to me and I'll help you with anything and everything you ever need" she assured him. She squeezed his hand lightly,"And about this musical, you must let me see what the script looks like, if it's your work I know it is going to blow them away" she said her eyes dancing as she looked at him. "I'd love to be involved if you could find a space for me somehow" she added, after all part of why she and Eli got along so well and loved each other so much to begin with was due to how much they had in common, theatre being one of the biggest common grounds of their's. As they drove she kept his hand in her's still, she was anxious, nervous even but as soon as they entered the house and he hollered out to Bullfrog and CeCe, she grinned as they entered the kitchen "CECE!!!!" she said loud and dramatically as she watched his aunt and uncle's faces. CeCe shrieked and lifted Julia off her feet in a hug in which she returned it and chuckled before being put down and rushing over tackling Bullfrog who playfully poked at her sides as she groaned smacking his hands away,"I see you're all surprised yet happy," she said as she stood back at Eli's side and sniffed the air,"Mmm smells like Taco night!" she said grinning and rushing over to help CeCe set up the table.