Special thanks to PeaceLoveAndWar67 for proofing this!

Dedicated to my lovely twin Jen (jmpaz13 on Twitter)!

Tell me if you want a sequel or not. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI

Repairing Hearts

Her eyes were shining with salty tears. The soft pillow beneath her head was wet. Her throat was dry from silently crying herself to sleep. She was Clare Edwards, and she had lost everything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They talked about her non-stop. It was negative gossip, as well as false information. The "Saint Clare" was now "Emo Clare".

Jake and Alli were Degrassi's new "it" couple ever since the break up at the cabin. Drew and Katie weren't on the best of terms anymore. Everyone could see that the new girl, Julia Dal Monte, and Drew were definitely interested in each other. Adam and Fiona had resolved their differences. The two of them were finally back together. Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards were the only single people in school. People talked of them being "the perfect Goth couple".

"Maybe Eli can talk some sense into that freak."

"They went out before. Maybe he can use some of his tricks and she'll be her old self again."

But he knew better. He knew that girl like the back of his hand. There was something terribly wrong. And he couldn't fix it. But he was curious, nevertheless. How could bright Clare Edwards turn so dull, so depressed?

They all favored Eli now. He was no longer the strange and mysterious Goth boy, but now the philosophical and loving young man. Everyone had turned away from Clare as if she had become a contagious disease. If she walked down the hall, people stared in utter disbelief, almost as if they were astonished that she had the nerve to attend school every single day.

Of course she was aware of the circulating rumors. She understood their reasons, yet she couldn't help to long for their acceptance again. But she had deserved it. There's no such thing as never paying a price for your actions.

In silence, she walked to her locker just as the bell rang. People pushed past her and snickered. She pretended to turn a deaf ear to their snarling remarks. A boy came up next to her. Clare saw him, yet opened her locker as if oblivious to his presence. He sighed and got her books from the locker. Without a word of thanks or a glance of astonishment, she took her things and prepared herself for the flamingo-pink detention slip she would be receiving later on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E&C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the end of the day, she was sitting in a classroom with him. They sat far away from each other; Eli in the very back, Clare in the front row. His eyes were glued to the comic book. It was wrinkled and a bit torn, but he read their story with a sense of longing. The teacher left the room and he hopped up to the desk next to Clare. She didn't look up at him.

"Leave me alone, Eli."

"No."

"You don't want to know-"
"But I do."

"Why?"

"Because I care!"

The air stilled with tension floating around. Footsteps clicked closer to the door. Eli went back to his seat just as the teacher came back in.

"You two. Out. Now."

With puzzled thoughts, Eli and Clare left the room. After they were about twenty feet away, Clare stopped him and gestured to a tall, blonde woman walking towards the classroom.

"That's Ms. Hatzilakos…" She stated.

"Okay…"

He began to walk away when her hand found his wrist.

"Don't leave me. Please."

As he turned around, he gasped. Her cinnamon hair was disheveled. The bright, sky-blue orbs that he had fallen in love with were faded and surrounded by red. Unhealthy, marshmallow skin had fitted her once rosy cheeks. He gently pulled the girl towards him until her head was firmly against his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Drulia. Oh yes. I ship it very hard, indeed. Sequel? Review please! Love you loads, Jen.