So here it is. My new story. It's been driving me insane the past few days and interfering with an essay that I have to write, so I figured why not! And I know that EClare is basically doomed, but I don't care. I'm still writing about them.

Eli's POV

The new kid. The name I don't enjoy.

Everyone stares as if you have the plague. They try to figure you out based on how outgoing you are, how you dress, what you drive, how your body language reacts. Everyone's so quick to judge you, as if what you see is actually what you get. No one even tries to learn who you truly are. They're more concerned about where you're from, why you moved, and with me, why a hearse. No one needs to know the truth.

Although, isn't it the same in reverse? As the new kid, I judge who I want to associate with based on their attitude and looks. I won't approach someone who looks as if they'll drive me insane. I won't approach anyone who automatically poorly judges me based on how I look. I'm the new kid anyway, shouldn't they open up to me? I'm invading their territory.

The new kid. A name that lasts until someone else moves in and receives the unwanted spotlight, or until enough time passes that no one cares. Others slowly open up to you, but mostly only because they're forced to because of classes, but once they do, they understand that you're just misunderstood.

When you're new, you can become whoever you want to be, or who you truly are. You can put your old life behind you and move on from what, or who, you've done wrong. Being new is a fresh start. A wanted start.

I stare blankly at the steps leading up to Degrassi. I don't want to be here, but I know I should be somewhere other than where I was. After my girlfriend got hit by a car, there was nothing to stop the torture that I received at my old school. The police, for some reason, suspected foul play, but honestly, how could they even tell? Her body was crushed. I passed the polygraph with flying colors, but they never fully ruled me out as a suspect. Word got out around school that Julia was murdered, even though she wasn't, and the torture began. It was a freak accident, but I never have, and never will, stop blaming myself. The questions always start out with "What if..." and they'll never stop.

As I slowly walked up the steps to Degrassi, I could feel everyone's stare against me. No one knew who I was, so I knew they weren't talking about that. I was just the new "emo" kid who drove a hearse. Of course they're going to stare and whisper.

I walked into the office to receive my schedule. The secretary smiled faintly at me before letting me know that the principal would be right with me, so I took a seat while I waited. Soon enough, the principal rounded the corner with a student with him.

"Good morning, Eli. I'm Mr. Simpson, your new principal. I've arranged for a student to show you around school before you head off to your first class together. Your teacher knows you'll be late, but that doesn't mean that you can just gallivant around and go even later on purpose," he stated trying to sound authoritative, but seriously just sounded awkward. It was as if he was going out of his way to make me feel comfortable here, but I didn't want his pity. He knew my story. I'm sure he judged me as well.

"Just point me in the direction of the student, and I'll be on my way." I tried to sound enthusiastic about all of this, but honestly, the idea of some random student showing me around the school wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't want to have to try and make awkward conversation with someone who would automatically dislike me based on how passive I would most likely be. Mr. Simpson motioned the girl to come out from behind him, but she refused to look at me and kept her eyes fixed on her feet.

Great, I thought. She won't even look at me. That's a promising start.

"Eli, meet Clare. She's one of the brightest students we have here at Degrassi and will be in a few of your classes as an advanced student." Oh, so she's younger than me. That's ..interesting. Why wouldn't Mr. Simpson just have someone from my own grade?

"Okay. Thanks." I turned out of the office, while Clare trailed behind me.

"You're going the wrong way," a quiet voice suddenly sounded from behind me. I turned around as Clare suddenly looked down at the ground. "If I'm going to show you around the school, we should start on the other side so that we end at the classroom and don't have to walk back." Not once did she look up at me. She just kept fiddling with her hands and staring at them, and honestly, it was starting to piss me off.

"Why won't you look at me?" I figured I'd just ask the question instead of dancing around it. "Am I really that awful to look at? I mean, I know I'm different, but –." She looked up at me, and her eyes stared straight into mine. They were absolutely hypnotizing, and the most stunning shade of blue. I'd never seen anyone with eyes as crystal as hers, but I couldn't help feel as if I'd seen them before, but I know that's not possible. I moved a good few hours away. I knew no one here.

"Sorry, I've just had a bad morning. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just… distracted, I guess." Her voice wavered and the area around her eyes became a light blotchy red, signaling that she was about to cry. Glancing around the hallway, she ferociously tried to blink away her tears. "Let's get started, shall we?" She faked a smile, and I remained quiet. I felt awful for borderline snapping at her two minutes into meeting her. She began walking down the hallway with me following right behind her. "Right here are the art rooms. You're able to use them with permission during free periods and lunch. We have a dark room as well, so you can develop pictures on your own, but you have to pay a small fee to help keep the supplies stocked."

We continued down the hallway, and she hadn't once turned around to make sure I was still with her. I also hadn't even said anything to her since her near breakdown earlier. I didn't want to set anything off with her because she seemed so fragile, so vulnerable. Something was really bothering her, and I didn't want to push her. So instead of talking to her, I racked my brain on how I would've known her. I barely knew anyone in other grades at my old school, so I knew that wasn't it. Julia's extended family members I would recognize, plus she would've acknowledged me if that were the case. She wasn't part of my family. She wasn't any of my friends' friends. I finally gave up and settled for the fact that she looked like a friend that I had back at my old school, which is probably true.

"Would you like to talk about it?" My voice interrupted hers and she stopped to turn and look at me.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked if you wanted to talk about it. You know, what's bothering you." She looked down at the ground as if she expected me to understand what was wrong, but I'm a guy. I don't catch on very quickly. "I know we don't know each other, but I'm a good listener and I'm not going to judge. You just look like you need someone to talk to, that's all." She looked up at me and let out a large sigh, a hint of relief flashing through her eyes.

"Honestly, don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Now, where were we?" She turned around and started her tour of the school back up. I rolled my eyes and followed.

Women. I'll never understand them.

Once the tour was done, I followed her into our first period class. Awkwardly, I stood in the back of the classroom, not knowing where to sit.

"Ah, Mr. Goldsworthy. Nice of you to join us and welcome to Degrassi! Please, take a seat behind Clare." I slowly walked over to my seat. "I've already partnered up everyone else in the class, and since you two were the only ones not here, I've assigned you to be editing partners for the rest of the semester."

I immediately watched Clare tense up and her breathing become slightly erratic at Ms. Dawes' statement. She quickly stood up and ran out of the room, her hand covering her mouth.

Awesome. She's sick. I better not get what she had, I thought to myself.

"Alli, could you please go make sure Ms. Edwards is okay? Take her to the nurse if she needs as well. Just don't leave her alone, got it?" A tan skinned girl stood up in response and began to collect hers and Clare's things seeing as the bell was going to ring in about fifteen minutes.

"Sure thing, Ms. Dawes. Could you let Mr. Perino know that I may be late to his class?" The teacher nodded her head at the girl before she made her way out of the classroom with both of their things.

Once the bell rang, I made sure to figure out from Ms. Dawes where to go for my next class, seeing as Clare wasn't there to show me. Once I thought I figured it out, I exited left out of the classroom and walked down the hallway. As I passed the bathrooms, I noticed the girls' door opening up with Alli holding the door as a tall boy with blond hair carried Clare out of the bathroom. Her arm was limp and pointing toward the ground, her head tilted back with her eyes shut, and her skin even paler than it was before, which I'm sure was just her natural tone. But now, she looked deathly pale. I couldn't help but stare.

Noticing me, Alli turned to the boy and said, "Thanks KC. I'll meet you down at the nurse's office. I'm just going to let Sav know what's going on so that he doesn't wait for me after school." The boy nodded and continued walking. Alli quickly approached me, her eyes brimming with tears. "You don't need to worry about her. She'll be fine. It happens every now and then."

"Why?" I asked, not caring that I may have sounded like a nosy jerk.

"I'm not allowed to say, but just act as if you saw nothing. Got it? Mentioning it won't be good."

"How am I supposed to act as if I saw nothing? She's my English partner and she looks as if she's about to die!" I slightly raised my voice at her, and immediately felt bad.

"This. This is exactly why you need to act that way." With that, she turned sharply on her heel and rushed her way down to the nurse's office leaving me to stand there completely confused. Coming out of my trance, I noticed that the hallways were clear and I was late for my second class.

At least I can say that I got lost, I quickly thought to myself as I began making my way to my next class.

So I know that it sucked, but oh well. It'll hopefully get better as the chapters progress. I already have two random chapters written for later on, neither of which are together. They're the main parts to this story, but I have to lead up to them, which is harder than it seems. I feel that I have a good twist to this story that, if I'm careful enough in later chapters, no one will be able to figure out before it happens =)

Don't forget to review, please! If no one does, I'm going to automatically just discontinue it. No point in continuing something that no one likes, right? Right.