Eli is actually running behind schedule tonight. He had told Iris he'd meet her almost thirty minutes ago, and he is fretting, hoping she doesn't think he wasn't coming. His grandma had an unexpected run in with an invader in her house--just a small field mouse. Eli had raced over to help her, from the sound of her voicemail, it had sounded dire. When he had arrived, she was holed up in her room, scared as the dickens with a broom in hand. He had managed to talk her into taking a bath and going to bed early. She had her good days and her bad days. He probably needed to have someone check around her house for any holes in the attic or floorboards. Just in case.

Because of that little episode, Eli had been late getting home to shower. It was a good thing he had found a decent pair of swim trunks the other night when Iris had invited him. So he doesn't have any reason to scout out his closet--which normally would take him forever. He liked to dress up under normal circumstances, but for a party thrown by Lara Quinn, he had every reason to look the part.

Luckily, his loft is already downtown so the trek over to the docks and then down to the spot on the beach only takes him about fifteen minutes. It's hard to miss all the excitement. There was a big bonfire already roaring, filling the sky with orange sparks. Loud music and happy people. Eli found himself smiling, ready to have a good time with his friends. As he gets closer, he pulls out his cellphone texting Iris and Jason to see if he could find them.