I don't have any idea where this is going. It just kinda popped into my head so I wrote it. But it's most definitely going to be Eclare. :) So enjoy, little Eclare shippers! I hope you all still have faith, because I certainly am not giving up!
WARNING: Mild language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi. But it'd be way sweet if I did.
"Dude," Eli Goldsworthy laughed, looking at his friend Drew Torres. "That's like, the third girl that's turned you down this week. You're losing your mojo."
"I am not losing my mojo," Drew said, looking at Eli incredulously. "You can't just lose your mojo, right, guys?" He looked around the table at their group.
The guys all avoided his questioning stare. Drew swallowed.
"Well?" He demanded a little more loudly.
The guys finally muttered their thoughts, most agreeing with Eli.
"How is that even possible!" Drew wailed, letting his head fall into his hands.
Eli just chuckled.
"Got somethin' to say, Goldsworthy? Haven't seen you with a chick in awhile," Drew remarked, taunting his best friend.
"Yeah, well," Eli murmured, looking around the caf.
"Well what?" Riley prompted. It was no lie that the guys were incredibly curious about Eli's sudden celibacy. It was so unlike him to for so long without some fling.
Eli turned his attention back to them, meeting five pairs of curious eyes. "I don't know," Eli muttered, picking up his water bottle and uncapping it. "Just kind of decided I didn't want to be 'that guy' anymore."
"'That guy'?" Owen piped in. "What the hell does that mean?"
Eli squinted his eyes, looking for the right words. "You know, kind of a... man-whore?"
The guys all laughed. "But that's you. That's who you've been since we've known you." Drew said, punching Eli's shoulder.
Eli shrugged, drinking some of his water. "Yeah, well," Eli muttered. "Anyway." He said, hoping someone would take the reins and change the topic.
"So who next then, Drew?" KC asked, more than willing to change the subject. Because he knew why Eli was suddenly giving up his active lifestyle. It had happened two weeks earlier, when Eli was feeling like he was on top of the world.
"Dude, Jen? Nice!" KC laughed, high-fiving him on his latest conquest.
"Yeah, I know," Eli said smugly, pulling his foot up to the bench to tie his shoe. They'd just gotten out of basketball practice and were the last two in the locker room, so they continued the conversation they'd been having before everyone left.
KC laughed. "I don't know how you do it, dude,"
"Easy. I don't have a mom-zilla and baby at home waiting for me," Eli teased, shoving KC's shoulder as he stood up from tying his shoe.
"Hey, now," KC warned, teasingly. "I get around puh-lenty, thank you."
"Oh, really?" Eli challenged, smirking.
"Yeah," KC continued. "Like right now? Marisol."
Eli busted up laughing. "How do you manage that?"
"Hmm... "work" at Little Miss Steaks," KC said, winking.
"And you don't know how I do it? You, my man, are obviously the master at this," Eli chucked light-heartedly.
KC joined in as they pushed through the doors to the parking lot, the cool Canadian air washing over them.
They walked in silence for a minute when KC chucked to himself.
Eli smiled, not in on the joke. "What?"
KC shrugged. "It's just... My first girlfriend, Clare, you know her?"
Eli shook his head no.
"Clare Edwards? Grade ten?" KC asked, searching for recognition in Eli's face. "Anyway," He continued, shrugging. "Total Bible thumper. Purity ring, no sex 'til marriage, the whole deal."
"And?" Eli asked, curious where he was going with this.
"It's just funny that I was with her, I guess. Ironic, really, considering..." He trailed off, referring to his baby-momma and little Guthrie.
Eli laughed. "Yeah, I guess it sort of is."
"Wonder if she's changed?" KC mused. "I mean, physically she did, that's for sure," He said in an impressed tone, raising his eyebrows. "But otherwise, I wonder..."
Eli shrugged. "Wouldn't know, man."
By now, they'd reached KC's car, but he just stood beside it, fumbling mindlessly with his keys, scuffing at the pavement with his shoe.
"But maybe you could know?" KC said finally, looking up, his eyes brightening.
"Huh?" Eli asked, confused by whatever scheme KC had going on in his brain.
"You're Eli freaking Goldsworthy." KC stated, trying to stoke his ego. "Wonder if you could get her to crack, you know?"
Eli saw right through that. KC was trying to challenge him.
"Yeah, right, dude. Not my game. I don't want to be the one to take some innocent girl's virtue." Eli said, laughing and he started walking backwards toward his own car.
"Yeah..." KC trailed off. "Good idea. I mean, you probably couldn't do it anyway." KC egged him on.
Eli sighed loudly, turning back to face KC. "Fine." He muttered.
And even though he knew exactly what KC was doing, he gave in. What could it hurt?
KC smiled victoriously. "Great." He said, finally unlocking his car. "Let's just see how good you really are." KC taunted.
"Yes, let's," Eli said, returning KC's challenging stare.
KC had some bigger scheme in mind, Eli knew. And he had every intention of figuring it out before he did anything.
"I don't know, I was kinda thinking about that girl Katie..." Drew started, but Eli didn't hear them.
He didn't process any of what they were saying, it was all just idle chatter in his ears.
He had something else occupying his mind.
Or more like someone else.
Clare Edwards.
Where it all began.