Hey guys! So this is a completely new direction for me, and my first multi-chapter fic! I'd really appreciate your input and comments! Thanks! Here are some quick details about the universe I have created this story around, as there isn't a lot of the canon based world in this story except the odd piece which you will spot:
AU and lots of OOCness. Clare was in the same year as Eli, but he was held back due to the drugs and all the classes he missed.
Clare is at NYU, studying journalism.
He's repeating 12th grade again, but on the same path to fail.
Adam was in the year below Clare and Eli, so is in the 12th grade too, but the misfits were still friends.
Bullfrog and Cee have tried everything to help their son, but nothing has worked.
Eli's parents turn to the last person that he ever expected …Clare Edwards.
Exterior shot of Degrassi, students greeting one another before heading up the stone steps and disappearing through the doors.
Two 12th graders approach the stairs, both their eyes black and sunken in due to the large amounts of sleep they have missed because of the wild parties the shorter girl always finds, and drags the slightly taller boy too. The boy has his arm thrown over her shoulder, as he glares at a boy who has a feminine look about him, causing the other boy to stall from saying something and retreating back towards a large group who look at the dark hair boy with pity in their eyes, while glaring at the girl who only smirked and blew them a kiss. The boy held the door open for the girl, and they moved into the school, heading for their lockers.
Their head teacher, Mr Simpson announced over the intercom that Elijah Goldsworthy should make his way towards the guidance councilor's officer, as his parents were waiting to see him. The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes and groaned, because kissing the smaller girl on the top of her head and trudged off towards the guidance councilor's office.
Eli pulled open the door, and fell into the first available chair; looking expectantly at his parents, Mr Simpson and Ms Sauvé.
"Your parents are worried about you Eli, you used to be so imaginative and bright, but your failing the 12th grade again, and I'm afraid if you don't pass this year then I'm going to have to ask you not to return to Degrassi in the fall." Mr Simpson said solemnly. Eli put his thumbs up to acknowledge the principal, who just sighed with disappointment.
"Don't you get it son?" Bullfrog began, "You're going to fail high school, hell even I have a diploma from high school! You ain't gonna get anywhere in life buddy, not unless you turn it around." Bullfrog went to touch Eli on the shoulder, but he flinched away, and he just let his hand drop. Cee sobbed into her hands, as Eli rejected his father.
"We had to find some way of helping you, Elijah." His father's use of his full name caused him to flinch. "So we called in some reinforcements."
Eli's brow furrowed before he let out a hollow laugh. "Who did you call? Fiona? Imogen? Gran?"
His mother's soft voice stopped him from making any more sarcastic comments, "No Eli, we tried to get your friends to help you, but you just simply pushed them away more, and your grandmother doesn't want to see you until you are back under control and clean." The comment about his grandmother cut Eli deeper than he thought it would, although he wasn't close with his mother's parents, it still hurt him to know that she didn't want to see him.
"We called in someone else, bud. We know you aren't going to like it, but it was necessary."
The panic in Eli's chest was building until he felt like he was about to burst. He had to get out of here, he need to find Talia, he needed some release.
Behind him, Eli could hear the door opening and the soft click of heels on the floor, he looked at his mother for answers, but Cee, who had stopped crying, was refusing to even look at Eli, instead choosing to stare at a poster on the wall. Feeling the panic bubble up inside him, he turned to look into the sad blue eyes of the girl who broke his heart.
Eli jumped to his feet and banged into the side of Sauvé's desk. "No…no…no...NO! You didn't. CLARE, YOU CALLED, FUCKING CLARE." Eli screamed at his parents, Cee started to cry again, as Bullfrog rose to his feet, a look of anger crossed his face.
"Your damn right we called Clarabelle, Elijah, your mother is making herself sick with worry about you! She was the ONLY one who could make you see any sense!"
Eli felt as though the room was closing in around him, and he fell to the floor and started slowly rocking backwards and forwards, muttering to himself that when he opened his eyes, she wouldn't be here, and that he was just having a bad trip.
Eli screwed his eyes shut tighter when he felt a soft hand close itself around his arm and pull him slowly to his feet, before leading him out the door. He watched the back of her curly head lead him towards a silver car that he hadn't noticed this morning. She sat him in front seat before silently sitting the driver's seat and pulling out the car park and away from Degrassi. They drove in silence for 5 minutes, before she pressed play on the radio and the familiar sounds of Deadhand filled the car, before he could stop himself, he spun to look at her, but she refused to look at him, but he relished in the small smirk and the pink blush that appeared on her face. Eli moved to face the road and closed his eyes, taking advantage of the warm car and tried to get in an extra few minutes sleep.
When Eli woke up, they had stopped driving and he was alone in the car, but he could see Clare; she was wandering round the old church ruins they had found the year before. Eli smiled softly at the memory before getting out the car, and trudging towards Clare; as he figured he would get an explanation from her. He sat down beside her, and was silent figuring she would do most of the talking.
"Your parents approached Simpson a few weeks ago to get you 4 weeks of directed study. Directed study is when you get your assignments get emailed to you and you send it to them via email, you will still get tests and grades but it will not in any classroom or with any teacher assistance."
"What does that mean, what are they going to do with me?" Eli croaked - he had never expected that his parents would pull him out of school.
"It means that you have a choice to make Eli, no-one can make it for you. It's all down to you. No one is going to make you go anywhere." Clare turned to look at him, but he kept his gaze on the dirt. "You can choose to stay at Degrassi and continue to ruin your life, or…" Clare paused and bit her lip.
Eli turned to look Clare in the eye, "Or?"
"Or you can come to New York with me and go cold turkey. Use those four weeks of directed study you have to catch up on everything you've missed, and get your application for NYU in. You deserve a chance at a bright future; don't ruin it by doing drugs Eli."
Eli just stared at Clare, "Go to New York with you? Are you serious!? Who's insane idea was this?!"
"It was mine actually Eli; I thought maybe getting you out of Degrassi might help! Especially when your mother phones me at 4am crying her heart out because you've passed out and have had your stomach pumped again?"
Eli cringed; he didn't know that what he had been doing had been affected his mum so much, that she would phone his ex-girlfriend to confide in her, about Eli and his issues.
"And what happens to me when you're in class? Do I get to sit in your room like a good little boy waiting for you to get home? FUCK THAT CLARE! I'M NOT SOME PUPPY!" Eli started kicking branches around as a way to vent his anger.
"No Eli, you don't get to sit in my room waiting for me, sure you might be alone for a couple of hours, but that might be because I have class when you don't."
It took Eli several minutes to realise what Clare had just said, "When I have class? Clare, I'm not a student at NYU, I don't get classes! Hell I haven't even finished high school yet."
"And you won't finish, if you keep this up Eli, and as for the classes. I spoke to the dean, and explained the situation, and he was very sympathetic. He's allowing you sit in any class you want – English Lit, Film, Media, Creative Writing. Simpson will also take any credits you get from any work that you pass at NYU towards your GPA at Degrassi, but you will still have to finish the required course work that Degrassi requires you to have."
During Clare's speech, a rare smile had begun to spread over Eli's face. "Any class?" He sat beside Clare with the smile still spread on his face.
"Yes Eli, any class! But there are conditions that you need to know, before you make your choice." Eli just nodded, no matter what the conditions were Eli knew in his heart that he was going to New York.
"Condition 1. You go cold turkey that means no weed, no MDMA, nothing! Condition 2. You don't get any contact with anyone in Canada except Cee and Bullfrog, no texting, no Facerange, no video-chatting, no IM'ing, no nothing. Condition 3. You really try Eli; don't slack off because this is your future we are talking about, and you only get one! Do we have a deal?" She held her hand out for Eli, who's grin was now huge. He grasped her hand, trying to ignore the spark that he felt between them.
"You got yourself a deal, Edwards."
Clare grin, before jumping to her feet and checking her watch, "Well we better get a move on then, the next flight out to New York leaves in an hour."
Clare turned and started walking towards the car, Eli ran after her, "Clare wait, I don't have any clothes, hell I don't even have my passport."
Clare put the key in the ignition and pulled away from the ruins, and headed back towards the freeway. "You don't, but I do. Cee packed a bag for you while you were out last night, and it's in my trunk, your passport and some money are in the glove compartment."
Eli grinned and turned up the music, Deadhand blared from the stereo. "To the airport Blue Eyes! Let's get this party started."
Even out the corner of his eye, he could see Clare's face turn red when he called her Blue Eyes, and just saying that gave Eli a good feeling about this trip, he knew this trip would change everything, and hopefully for the better.
Well? Good? Bad? Let me know! I have a good feeling about this story!
Lots of love and kisses!