Hey guys! This one-shot is a bit different than my usual...but I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm going to be doing more one-shots/stories about various characters. Yes, I will still be doing Eclare, but I need to mix it up a little! Please enjoy "The Quirky and The Innocent"...

Twitter: TheCliffyG

No Beta Reader, so ignore if mistakes any :)

Rated T: Slight sexual content...an extremely quirky Imogen, and a mixed emotion Clare.


The Quirky and The Innocent

IMOGEN

"Well well well, if it isn't Clare Edwards," I smiled, cocking my head to the side as Clare stood in front of my locker, looking nervously at me. I scrunched my brows together, before saying, "Hate to be a downer, but my locker is where your body is standing in front of..."

"Oh! Oh, sorry, here," Clare scattered anxiously to the side, as I started to plug in my locker combination. As I did so, Clare kept staring at my hands as if she had nothing better to do, so I asked, "Not to be a pain in the doodle, but what are you doing here?"

"U-Um, it's about Eli," she stuttered, "And what about him?"

"You went out with him for a little while...right?" I nodded, recalling our relationship mentally, as Clare's lips parted, then shut, as if she was fighting herself on whether what she had to say was appropriate or not.

"Do you want to talk about something?" I asked.

She sighed dramatically, sliding down the lockers and taking a seat on the floor. I glanced around, the hallways eerily empty as I let out a dramatic huff and copied her actions, joining her on the desolate looking ground.

Clare gave me a confused look, and I shrugged my shoulders, "So tell me, what's on your mind Edwards? I mean, no offense, but you're the last person I would expect seeing in front of my locker."

"It's Eli," she admitted, "What about him?"

"It's just-you see, after Frostival...we got back together. He seems so normal, so calm, and it bothers me. I just want to know if he acted that way around you too?" She looked at me, seriousness in her tone as I giggled, "He was an untamable tiger at some times, but he was worth it."

"Then why'd you break up with him?"

"Why'd you break up with him?"

Clare bit back her bottom lip, staring at the window as the sun blazed through, "Imogen, he's so different this time. He seems so happy, so content with our relationship and that makes me so nervous."

"Intense relationships are the best kind," I grinned playfully at her, trying to break the sad mood she was expressing, but she didn't seem to acknowledge it, "It's a good thing that Eli's happy, you know? Don't take his happiness as a bad thing."

"I am happy, overwhelmed with happiness, but it's like I'm just waiting around-," I cut her off, "for him to snap, right?"

"Exactly, and I can't take the waiting. I feel more on edge than he does sometimes," her shoulders were tense as tears formed in her eyes, but did not seep over her eyelids.

"Clare, if a relationship with him is too much then you can just-," she laughed, "I'm not breaking his heart again, I promised him this time would be different, and I'm not breaking this promise. I want to be with him, I do."

"For a year, all I wanted to do was be with him. I wanted to be the one who was the first person who was on his mind when he woke up and went to sleep. I wanted so desperately to be underneath him while he penetrated my-," Clare's eyes widened, while she waved her hands in front of my face, "I get the picture Imogen, you wanted to be his...so what happened to make you change your mind?"

"When reality and a fantasy mixed together, it was different. Though, every kiss we had, every ounce of affection he showed me will be remembered forever. He's a good guy Clare, a good guy with a bad case in his file," I spoke the truth about my ex-boyfriend; he was a sweet, caring guy, but not the person I thought he was.

"I took him back at Frostival, and I don't regret it for one minute Imogen, but it's just hard...," I smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder, "All you have to do is believe in him. Believe that he can act that way all the time, and be the Clare Edwards he loves. Just be yourself."

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm pathetic," she looked at me, tears on her cheeks, "You're not pathetic Clare, you're just the equivalent of an innocent, lost puppy covered in mud during a tornado."

"A tornado?" I shrugged my shoulders, "Sorry, mad metaphor."

"You know, I know why Eli liked you," she whispered, not making any eye contact with me whatsoever.

"And why did the famous, ravishing Elijah Goldsworthy like me?"

"You're accepting, caring, a bit quirky, but you're just an overall good person," I chuckled, "Looks can be decieving. Eli and I broke up because we both made mistakes, too many in a small amount of time. But when we're friends, we're as tight as two strips of velcro."

"I mean, not physically, since we don't date anymore...although, if he loves you and still likes me, then maybe we can have a three-," Clare giggled, "I can't believe I'm sitting here in the middle of the day, letting you talk me into a threesome."

"I was going to say a three musketeer party," she blushed a shade of red, and I smiled in triumph, knowing I was a person (aside of Eli) who could make her blush like a tomato, "Eli was right, you do blush a lot. You know, I heard if you have sex more often, the blushing goes away."

Clare stood up, holding out a hand for me to take, "I'm not ready to give up my virginity, and I had to learn that the hard way."

"Oh my gosh, you've got major guff! Spill it," I grinned, taking her hand as she helped me up off the floor. She looked down at the Degrassi floor, burning holes through it if she could, before saying, "I almost had sex with my stepbrother."

"Jake right? Oh my gosh, was he too big?"

"No-,"

"Too small?"

"No!"

"Too wide?"

"Imogen no, it's just..." she giggled, "He wasn't the one."

"And who will ever be the one to pop Saint Clare's cherry?" I teased, as we walked side by side down the hallway, "I don't know Imogen, but I hope it's Eli...on our honeymoon night, when we're both ready."

"Oh! Yay! Can I join you two? I won't be a bother, I promise! I'll stay out of you two guys' way! Oh please," Clare held her book bag tighter to her shoulder, before teasing me, "You can come, as long as you're quiet and stay under the bed."

"Really? Sweet! I'm awesome at hide-and-go-seek! When I was younger, my dad couldn't find me for days! Guess where I was hiding?" she shook her head, her curls bouncing from side to side, "I don't know Imogen, there's too many possibilities. Where were you?"

"I was on the roof! It was the best hiding spot ever! I stayed there for four days, but then I got a really bad sunburn, so I came down crying to my dad," when Clare laughed, I just had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that she barely does that, because she's always tense around Eli and well...doesn't have that many friends.

"You have a nice laugh, you should use it more often, perhaps around Eli?" I asked, as we walked into the cafeteria, stares and glares upon us.

Clare's body tensed, seeing Eli and Adam sitting together, probably talking about the latest goon comic, "Go get em' tiger."

"Imogen, I don't think I can do this," she whispered, and I interlocked my arm around hers, dragging her over to the table, "Oh hey Clare, hey Imo, what's up? How's lunch going?"

"Clare has something to tell you," I chimed, as Eli arched his brow, looking at Clare, "What's up Clare? You look like you're going to be sick...do you want me to take you to the nurse, or home?"

She shook her head, obviously frozen in her tracks as I sighed, pushing Clare into Eli's lap. She squealed, and Eli's blush was obvious, as I said, "Clare wants to marry you and I want my rightful place beneath your bed. See you later Edwards, and remember, be happy!"

Adam fist bumped me, as he said, "Just like ripping a much needed bandage off."

As I walked off, I couldn't help but smile as Clare and Eli conversed, their noses brushing against each other's. Even though it hurt a little to watch, I knew I could handle it because I'm strong. Eli and I weren't meant to be, so I was happy to see him happy.

I watched from afar, as Eli stroked his fingers through her hair, and I watched him mouth, "I love you so much."

"Why'd you do that?" I jumped at Adam's voice, and asked, "W-What do you mean?"

"Why'd you push Eli and Clare closer together? I thought you still liked him...," Adam reminded me, and I looked at him, then back at the couple, "They're meant to be...we weren't."

"So are you friends with Clare now?" Adam asked, and as I was about to answer, Clare called me over, as she sat down next to Eli. Adam glanced at me, "She's calling you over, go!"

Minutes later, Clare and I were conversing about childhood memories, laughing and cackling like old, gossipy ladies. Our conversation came to an abrupt halt, when Eli broke our ramble, "I can't believe you guys are like best friends now after one talk...who would've known that the quirky girl and the innocent one would get along so well."

END OF THE QUIRKY AND THE INNOCENT


Reviews?

I know it was different...but I'm going to be doing more like these, with different characters and such.

Let me know what you think! :)

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl

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