It was finally complete.
Clare Edwards could barely contain her excitement as she looked at the proof copy of Degrassi Daily. "My first article as editor," she said turning towards her friends and smiling. They all smiled back at her. "Now before you all run off to the carnival, I hope you guys are hungry." Clare spoke happily as she waved over to the pizza man. Everyone gathered around the table. "Always" Alli said before taking a box all to herself and walking over to her table.
"You remembered the Bhandari special." Her old best friend said with softness in her voice. Clare smiled. "Pineapple, olives and barbeque chicken, how could I forget." Eli then walked to the table. "Hey Clare." Alli quickly took that as a sign before scampering off to enjoy her pizza and chat with her friends. "Hey Eli," Clare said brightly while shuffling her papers around. "Need help printing off some copies?" Clare looked up as he examined the proof copy. "Erm.. yeah sure thanks Eli." Eli grabbed the copy off the table before running down the hall and yelling "Race you!" "Wait up!" She quickly ran after him down the dimly lit high school hallway.
"Eight hundred copies printed and we still had time to crash the carnival." Eli spoke positively as they walked past picture booths and the carousel with cotton candy in their hands. Clare glanced at him. "You know, I never took you as the cotton candy type." "Well I guess there are alot of things you don't know about me." He said confidently. "Oh is that so Mr. Goldsworthy?" she said subtly, with an eyebrow raised and a sarcastic smile on her face.
Eli then took a bite of the fluffy blue candy before grimacing and spitting it out into the nearest trash can. "No you're right, I hate it." Clare grinned. "See, I do know you." After that they walked in silence for a while enjoying the bright lights, the smell of food, and people chatting. Once the two reached the parking lot though, Eli stopped in his tracks. "Did you really think hanging out would set me off?" Clare turned around to face him, the air now getting colder and the wind howling which stung her sparkling blue eyes.
"It wasn't you I was worried about." She replied biting her lip. Clare then heard a car horn blare and Eli started walking away. "Where are you going?" she asked sadly. Eli turned. "We're going away for the holidays, my dad is here to pick me up." "Oh" Clare said quietly. She slowly started to walk away, so that Eli could leave, when Eli began speaking again. "Clare I just... " She did a one eighty and looked at him questioningly. "I need to know if you mean what I think you mean."
Clare turned back to look at him again, before walking towards him and did the boldest thing she had ever done. She walked over to him until she was facing him, and their faces where inches apart, his piercing clear green eyes meeting her twinkling blue ones. Clare then stood on her tip toes and gently placed her lips on his. He was suddenly overcome with so much emotion he felt dizzy. He returned the kiss of course, because with this beautiful girl he could never say no.
She pulled back and looked him straight in the eyes. "Uh wow," was all Eli had managed to say until Clare put a finger to his lips. "Shhh, we'll talk when you get back." Still dizzy from the emotions and that tender kiss he had somehow managed to nod his head. As he walked towards his dad's car, Clare watched him lovingly, and subconsciously brushed her fingers against her lips as if the kiss was a ghost that lingered stubbornly, but she didn't mind. So with that she walked back towards the carnival smiling like an idiot the whole way back.