So this is my first story on here. I used to write frequently on TeenNick, but then fell out of it. But I recently had some inspiration from the new episodes and some of the upcoming previews. This story takes place after "Not Ready to Make Nice" so "Need You Now" doesn't come into account with this.

Please read and review! -K

Clare woke up to her alarm clock.

"Oh god, not another Monday." She thought to herself as she smacked the beeping clock. She sat up in bed and stretched as she yawned before grabbing her bathrobe and towel and heading to the bathroom.

When she got to the door she heard the hair dryer going. She knew her mom Glen had already gotten ready for the day, as they were always up before her and Jake. That meant only one person stood between her and her shampoo.

"Jake! Come on! You're supposed to be out of there by 6:45 on Mondays! Did you not pay attention to the schedule I posted?" Clare pounded on the door.

"I'm drying my hair!" He shouted back.

"If it looks a little less perfectly messy today, it won't kill you. I, however, cannot promise you the same fate unless you LET. ME. IN!" She pounded again.

Jake smirked and turned the hairdryer to a higher setting. "What Clare? I can't hear you!"

Clare put her back against the wall and slid down til she was sitting on the floor. Glen walked by and saw her.

"Hey, breakfast will be ready in ten, shouldn't you be getting ready?" he said.

"I would," she said and turned toward the bathroom door, "IF SOMEONE FOLLOWED THE DAMN SCHEDULE!"

"CLARE EDWARDS DON'T SWEAR!" Helen shouted from downstairs. She wasn't that loud. Helen just had an uncanny ability to know when Clare did something wrong.

"I can't win," Clare shrugged.

Glen laughed and knocked on the door. "Son, thirty seconds to get out of there and let Clare in or I will let her scan every baby picture of you on to FaceRange." The hair dryer immediately shut off.

"Thank you," Clare mouthed. Glen walked back downstairs just as the door finally opened.

"Happy?" Jake said motioning her to enter.

"No. I was sincerely hoping that with that amount of time spent in the bathroom, you would have at least come out looking a little more human," Clare sighed.

"Aw, how sweet. I decided to be nice and leave most of the beauty products for you, seeing as you need them more," Jake spat back.

"Just move so I can shower and pee!" Clare whined.

"God you're such a baby," he laughed.

"Jerk."

"Baby."

"Asshole."

"Love ya too sis!" He blew a kiss before Clare slammed the door in his face.

It had been two months since Clare had ran away from home and Jake had rescued her from the weed dealers. Since then, they have fallen into a brother-sister relationship instead of bitter exes. It worked well for both of them. Jake finally had a friend of the female variety: someone who he could no longer flirt with, but could give him advice. Clare had someone who was always on her side. Even when it didn't seem like it, Jake had her best interests at heart. Plus, the best way to get over a relationship is constantly bickering and playfully beating up the other person. Yes, the sibling thing worked for them.

Clare came down to breakfast twenty minutes later.

"No eggs?" She said confused.

"Snooze you lose sis," Jake said gulping down some orange juice.

"Seriously?" Clare said glaring at him.

"You two are going to be late," Helen said. "Better get going."

"And who's fault is that?" Jake and Clare said at the same time.

"Both of you. Clare, I figured this would happen. Here's a bagel and apple, and some coffee," Glen said handing Clare a travel mug and brown paper bag. "Jake. Be nice to Clare. Clare, don't kill Jake on the way to school."

Clare took out the apple. "You know, in the favorite parent competition." Clare took a bite. "He's winning."

"Don't chew with your mouth open," Helen scolded.

"Yes, Clare, at least act like a lady," Jake teased Clare. He was also mocking Helen, but subtly enough that she didn't catch it. Clare hid her smirk and shoved him as they headed out the door.

"I liked it more when they were bitter exes and not speaking," Helen said to her husband.

Eli was half asleep at the wheel of his parked car waiting for Imogen.

Imogen ran up, opened the passenger side and slid in. She poked Eli's face to wake him up. "Need me to drive sleepy head?"

"No. I've seen you play Mario Kart. I'd rather keep my new car in tact."

"New?" Imogen laughed.

They were sitting in a bright yellow station wagon that was quite possibly older than the two of them combined.

"A car is a car," Eli nodded. After evaluation from his doctors, he was okayed to drive again. However, the hearse was officially history after his breakdown last year. So his dad went out and found the cheapest, cheeriest car possible. And thus, the yellow submarine came into his life.

"And a majestic car it is," Imogen smiled. "Come on, I wanted to get there a few minutes early to catch up with Fi about New York." Fiona had been spending the past week in New York visiting with Declan and Holly J while they were on break. Eli loved that he got more time with Imogen because normally she and Fiona were glued at the hip.

"Alright," he said starting up the car and pulling out of her driveway.

Clare sat down to lunch with Jenna, Jake, and Ali. Since she and Jake have been doing well, she had grown closer to Jenna, who was now officially Jake's girlfriend. Clare and Ali had even made up, though they weren't as close as they once were.

"So I'm playing the open mic on Thursday, and considering you all love me dearly, please please please be there?" Jenna bit her lip.

"Do I have to?" Jake asked flirtatiously. Jenna nudged him.

"Of course, I'll be there to support you," Clare said.

"Can't. Grounded." Ali said. "

"What'd you do this time Bhandari?" Jake laughed.

"I don't even know, it may have been sneaking in past curfew, or borrowing my dad's car without asking," Ali thought deeply. "I honestly think my dad just thought I hadn't been grounded in awhile and that I might forget what it feels like."

"Speaking of cars..." Jake said. Everyone looked at Clare.

"What?" she said. "Why's everyone staring at me?"

"You've been due to get your license for months now," Ali said.

"And you keep putting off reasons to get it, let alone learn," Jenna added.

"So? Clare said like it wasn't a big deal.

"So as the people who love you the most, you're getting a driving lesson this afternoon," Jake said.

"I'm sorry what? No. I don't want to, no, no, and no."

"Look Clare, I know the last time you tried to learn how to drive, it didn't end too well..." Jake said. He quickly ended where he was going when he saw the glare from Ali and Jenna.

"But you got to pick yourself up, and move on," Jenna said cheerily.

"Why do I even need to get my license?"

"Well, Jenna can't afford a car. My dad will never let me behind the wheel of one. And the amount of times you threaten to kill Jake, someone's going to have to drive to the lake in order for us to dump the body," Ali explained clearly.

"Completely logical," Jenna nodded.

"I agree, but why do I have to die?" Jake asked. "Look. Clare. After school. Just give it an hour."

Eli walked through the cafeteria and Clare looked up from her lunch and saw him. They briefly made eye contact and he gave her a soft smile. Clare couldn't help but return it.

"Clare? Clare?" Jenna shook her arm.

Clare snapped out of her daze. "What? Yeah."

"And we have the verbal confirmation," Jake started to get up. "Meet me after your paper meeting by the truck. We'll go from there." He and Jenna got up and walked away.

"Mmmhhmmm," Ali smugly hummed.

"What?" Clare questioned.

"Oh nothing. Just that I know what you were looking at, and Miss Edwards you liked what you saw," Ali took a bite of her pudding. Clare waited for her to continue. "You totally just checked out Eli!"

"Did not!" Clare whispered.

"Did too!" They both leaned in.

"Did not!"

"Then why are we whispering with our faces less than three inches from each other?" Ali asked. Clare fell back in her chair.

"Did not," she stated with confidence.

"Whatever. I'll be there to keep the peace this afternoon with your driving lesson. I'm telling my dad I have a science club meeting or something," Ali grabbed her tray.

"Don't you think lying to him will give him more of a reason to ground you?" Clare laughed.

"Eh," Ali shrugged and walked away.

Clare thought more about what Ali was saying. "Did not," she said barely audible. But this time, it was herself she was trying to convince.