"Yeah" Clare spoke into her cell phone's receiver while standing at the foot of the Degrassi Community School steps. "I'll see you soon"

She paused for a moment before giggling at the words of the person on the other line. "Yes, I promise... Okay. Yeah... Bye, Eli"

As she removed the phone from her ear and clicked to end the call, she turned to see Adam behind her, slowly descending the last few steps. He wore an unreadable expression...but it didn't look good. "Eli?" he questioned her sternly.

"Oh, um-" she tried thinking of something to cover up. But, Adam cut her off.

"Why were you talking to Eli?" he asked, now standing beside her. "And why will you be 'seeing him soon'? Did he come here just to see you?"

"What-? No! Adam he's here to see us!" she tried to explain.

"Then, why didn't you say 'we'll see you soon'? And why didn't he call me? Because I sure don't remember getting the memo that he was coming to visit!" he sad matter-of-factly.

Clare was clearly annoyed at this point. She hated this side of him; the side that got easily jealous and defensive. "Adam! Why are you being like this? Eli's your best friend!"

"Yeah, and he's also your ex! And now you're going to go meet up with your ex meanwhile, we had plans, Clare. What, Eli comes to town, and suddenly I don't exist? Oh, and on my birthday, too. Nice"

Clare scoffed. "What is wrong with you, today? And you know what? If I wanted to meet up with Eli on my own, then I'm pretty sure that would be my decision; Not yours!" Clare made her last statement purely out of spite. She knew she didn't have any intentions to be with Eli one-on-one as Adam suspected. But, it was like he thought he could control her. However, Clare knew that he only acted this way out of fear of her just leaving him for Eli. She hated that he thought she would ever do that to him.

Adam's annoyed expression slowly faded to a hurt, almost pained one. He spoke in a soft, weaker voice, "This is how it's always going to be, isn't it... I'm always going to come to come second to him"

Clare's eyes went wide. How could he even think that? "Adam-"

"No, its fine, Clare... Go be with him, I'll be fine"

Clare met his gaze, her heart sinking with his broken expression as he slowly backed away from her. He finally broke their gaze as he turned on his heel and began quickly hurrying away in the direction to walk to his house.

"Adam!" she called once he was a few feet away from her. But he refused to look back at her. She began going after him, continuing to call after him, still receiving no response.

She finally reached him and grabbed at his hand. He turned around at the contact to look at her. "What?" he said annoyedly. But his expression still looked utterly hurt. Clare could tell he had tears rimming his irises.

Just the sight of his face at the moment broke her heart. She sighed. "Adam..."

He looked to her, expectantly as she trailed off. Finally, Clare grabbed him by the arm. "Let's go" And with that, she dragged him along with her as she began charging in the direction of his home.

"Where are we going?" he asked flustered.

"Your house" she replied simply.

"Why?" he wanted to know.

"Isn't that where you were going?" she replied tiredly, not bothering to make eye contact with him as she continued to lead him along the sidewalk.

"Yea, but why are you coming?"

Clare sighed frustratedly. "You ask too many questions"

() () ()

A few minutes later, both teens stood in front of the Torres residence. "Clare what are you doing?"

She ignored him as she freely opened the unlocked door to his home. Adam followed her a few feet inside and was stunned by what he saw. Drew, Katie, and a few other select people were scurrying around the living room, blowing up balloons and hanging streamers. There was also a large banner hanging that read: Happy Birthday Adam!

"Adam?"

He looked to his right to see none other but his best friend, Eli eyeing him curiously.

"Eli?" Before the two could exchange anymore words, Adam felt Clare tugging ob his arm and dragging him out of the house, slamming the door behind them.

Adam, a confused expression plastered on his face, opened his mouth to question what he'd just witnessed. However, he was cut off by Clare answering his unspoken question. "We're throwing you a surprise party, dummy!"

Clare could see the features on his face fade to one of realization.

She continued. "Your mother came up with the idea and she thought it'd be nice if Eli came down for your birthday. He's been in town for a couple of days now and we've been in contact via phone to keep tabs on party plans"

Adam shook his head lightly in disbelief. "I'm such an idiot"

Clare gave a light laugh, while nodding her head. "Yep, you are" she agreed playfully.

"I'm so sorry, Clare" he said while gently placing his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it slightly.

Clare smiled sincerely while taking his hand in hers. "It's okay... Come here" Clare slightly tugged on his hand, willing for him to follow her as she walked out onto the Torres' front lawn.

The two seated themselves beside each other on the freshly mowed grass like they'd done so many times before. They used to sit on the lawn on cool summer nights, the summer Eli left for university. Clare was lonely once Eli was gone and had began making it a habit to come over Adam's house every evening to hang out. While they waited for Clare's mom to pick her up at the end of the night, they'd take a seat out on the grass. Clare remembered the first time she and Adam kissed was on that lawn. Ironically, the sprinklers came on as soon as their lips touched.

Clare now smiled to herself at the memory. She looked to her left at the boy beside her. She couldn't stand the fact that he'd actually thought she would just up and leave him for Eli.

"Adam, Eli and I; we're over. We have been for a while now" she clarified.

Adam nodded his head. "I know. What I said before, how I acted... I am so sorry, Clare. I can't believe I just accused you like that"

Clare smiled sadly, placing her hand on his knee. "Eli's in my past. But you... You're my now and I want you to be my future, Adam."

He smiled gratefully at these words.

She continued. "I mean, Eli will always have some kind of place in my heart; he was first love... Just like I'm sure Fiona will always have a place in your heart, right?"

Adam wrinkled his nose and shook his head no.

Clare raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I mean whoever your first love may be-"

"It's you" he said suddenly.

Clare's eyes widened but her shocked expression soon subsided to a loving one. "Me?" she asked softly.

Adam smiled shyly and nodded. "Yeah. I mean I cared about Fiona a lot but... Her and I weren't in love, not like us"

He then quickly added on. "I mean, I don't know about you but... I'm completely in love with you, Clare" He blushed after realizing the cheesiness of his words.

But she didn't seem to mind at all. Clare smiled at him sincerely. "I love you too, Adam" And with those five words, Adam's heart was sent soaring.

Clare flung her arms around his neck as she felt tears beginning to rim her eyes. Adam returned her embrace, silently thanking God that she'd returned his feelings. Clare loosened her arms from around his neck so that she was able to look at him. She had held back her tears but she now wore a slight pouty face.

Adam smirked. "What's wrong?"

"Here I am telling you how Eli was my first love and then you go telling me that I'm yours. I feel bad now, that I can't say that about you" she voiced.

Adam smiled genuinely at the girl before him, his arms still wrapped around her torso as they sat on the grass. "Clare, it doesn't matter to me that I'm not your first love... I just want to be your last"

The stubborn tears that she had managed to hold back all this time were now freely cascading down her face. Adam smiled as he reached to wipe away a few of her tears, but Clare ignored this gesture. All she could fathom to do was to place her lips on his while combing her fingers through his short locks. Adam returned the kiss wholeheartedly, holding her body as close to his as possible.

He took in every element of her being as she caressed his lips with her own- her smell, her touch, her far from steady heartbeat pumping so close to his; and her silent teardrops cascading off of her cheekbones onto his face.

It was then that he realized how much he meant what he'd said: He wanted to be her last love. Just the thought of her being in love with someone other than him after today sickened him. That's why he'd reacted so monstrously when he assumed she and Eli were back on good terms, romantically wise. Adam couldn't have that- he wouldn't. He'd fight to be her one and only. But by the looks of it, there would be no need for fighting. She returned his feelings whole heartedly.

And there was no doubt that they'd be each other's last loves.