Hey guys! New (unexpected and well-overdue) story! Please Enjoy the first chapter of "You Give Love a Bad Name"...
Twitter: TheCliffyG
No Beta Reader, so ignore mistakes if any :)
Summary: In order to expand the "family" business, and assure a stronger future, an arranged marriage must be wed. /Eclare/AU/
Warnings for the story: OOC'ness at times/Lemon/Language/Unexpectedness
DARCY'S RAPE NEVER HAPPENED!
You Give Love a Bad Name
"I'm getting old Bully! The hair is starting to fall out, and even my skin is gettin' wrinkly. What are we going to do when we can't lift the boxes of money into the office?" Randall Edwards, an extremely stressed out, middle-aged man with a family of three to support exasperated.
"You know, I've got a son whose thirty and single," Bullfrog, his partner in "crime" spoke, belching through every other word that came from his chapped lips.
The alcohol must've gotten to the both of them, seeing as though a plan was being formed without them even knowing.
"I've got two daughters! Both of them still single, and at home. Why don't your son and one of my daughters get together, we get them a nice church, they get married and all our troubles are assured?" Randall offered, taking another swig from his bottle of whiskey.
"My kid is a little asshole though, I don't know how your daughter might handle him," Bullfrog warned, kicking his feet up on the desk before him.
Randall shrugged his shoulders, "Darcy is really patient when it comes to men, so I'm sure she'll be okay with him. And if not, Clare has always listened to me ever since she started to retain memory. Don't worry ole' Bully, this business will live on!"
"I sure hope so, we've got to get this wedding on soon...I feel like I might die any day now. Cheers Randall ole' buddy ole' pal!"
DARCY
"So what do you like to do?" I asked Elijah, my fathers partners son, who was currently chowing down on a rack of ribs. He snorted, wiping away the juices on his face with his white dress shirt sleeve.
With a full mouth, he responded, "I like to eat."
"I can see that," I muttered, feeling a piece of rib meat slap onto the side of my face from his mouth. With much irritation, he pointed to my face, "You got a little somethin' on your face."
"Yeah, because it's from your vile eating habits. Didn't your mother teach you manners?" I spat, placing my napkin beside the plate of food in front of me. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get much eating done when I have a human garbage disposal before me.
Elijah ignored my question, swallowing the pounds of ribs he had inhaled inside that gaping hole in his face. Never in my life have I ever seen a man be so intolerable and annoying in my life.
"So, we're supposed to get married, right? You excited for the honeymoon? I was thinking Mexico or Egypt...you know, so we get to see the pyramids! What do you think?"
His hair was sloppily patted down with-what I'm assuming is-his own saliva, and his fingernails were caked with dirt beneath them. I smoothed out the wrinkles in my dress, and shook my head slowly, "You know, Elijah, I might not be a very picky person when it comes to men because I'm single and in my thirties, but you're definitely not a person I would want to spend the rest of my life with."
"You assume that I'm all that bad just from sitting with me for two hours at a forced dinner? Geez Darcy, give me a chance," he scoffed, standing up from the table.
"W-What are you doing?" I asked nervously, watching him toy with his belt buckle.
"I'm bloated baby, the boys need some air."
My heart sped up, and all the heads in the restaurant turned towards Elijah, whose button popped open with an echoing 'clank'. Many couples rolled their eyes in disgust as he slammed back down in the chair, "Much better. Now, about this wedding-I really don't care what we do, as long as their is doves flying around and shit."
"Doves flying around and shit? This is serious, a wedding, two people taking the next step in their lives to-," Elijah cut me off by making an annoying 'beeping' noise. "See, that's where your wrong Darcy! We don't know each other, ergo we'll just be getting married, sleeping together, you pop out a couple of kids and the family business lives on."
"Pop out a few kids? Is that all I'm useful for?" I asked, getting ready to stand up from my seat. "Well, I don't really have the needed equipment for children...therefore, yes, you have to carry the Goldsworthy offspring's! You excited?"
"I'm leaving," he laughed, sipping his wine, "Aw! Why so soon?"
"Do you want me to answer that question honestly?" I asked, venom dripping from my tone.
Although I was single, and was obedient towards my fathers wishes, I just couldn't live up to this particular order.
What I didn't expect him to ask, was, "So...when do I get the delightful pleasure in meeting baby Edwards?"
ONE WEEK LATER
CLARE
"It was horrible Clare! You won't survive the two hours with him! He's annoying, very grotesque, and there's not enough patience in the world to take on this guy."
My older sister Darcy talked of this 'Elijah' character in such a negative tone, while curling my hair behind me, as I stared into my vanity mirror, "You know, I do work with thirty five year olds every Monday through Friday. I think I can take on a thirty year old man."
"Oh just wait until you meet him," she scoffed, sarcasm evident in her tone, "He's just a bundle of joy in a sticky package."
"Dad said that one of has to...to go through with marrying him Darc. If he's really that bad, what are we going to do?" I asked nervously, turning towards my older sister, who was propped up on my bed and twirling her fingers.
"You see, I already met a guy," she mumbled, a blush on her cheeks, "I-I don't think you have a choice."
"This isn't fair! All because of this stupid business! I don't even want it to live on, it's so stupid! I'm a Kindergarten teacher, what am I going to do with a bunch of shipments of old comics?" I spat, the dress that Darcy had placed me in was sticking to my skin, showing off my curves.
"Those things are worth thousands, and Dad has worked really hard with Bullfrog to get this far. Someone has to keep it going for him, it's his most prized possession," she begged.
I rolled my eyes, "So because you have a little boyfriend now, I'm the one who has to take the downfall and marry this guy? You know how important marriage is to me!"
"Are you trying to say that I'm not a good Christian or something?" Darcy asked, being as nasty as she possibly could.
"You already lost your virginity, okay? There, I said it. You lost your innocence to a guy you loved at the time, and I just don't want to end up...," Darcy finished, "Like me?"
"I didn't mean it like that," I whispered, my palms becoming sweaty. "It's fine Clare, I get it. I'm just-I think he may be your type, anyways. You're right, I did give my virginity to Peter in High School because I was stupid. I know how important marriage is to you, but you have a month until the wedding anyways."
"A month? That's not enough time to get to know somebody," I whimpered, and immediately fixed my posture, seeing my father poke his head into my bedroom.
"Are you ready sweetheart? Elijah is downstairs," My dad asked, batting his eyelashes with a goofy, hopeful grin on his face.
Even though my father is forcing me to go through with something I might regret for the rest of my life, I had to do it. Ever since my mother died of Cancer when I was sixteen, I had always obeyed his orders no matter what.
If this made him happy, then so be it.
ELI
My father has always clung to Randall Edwards' side ever since my mother died when I was seventeen, due to a drunk driver. He found comfort in comics; he even become more comfortable in Randall's life long dream to trade and sell original comics.
Unfortunately, they had both met at a comic book store in the mall, and decided to start their own business.
Recently, my father has noticed that he's beginning to slow down, mentally and physically. He's beginning to stop midway of a task to mutter curse words and wait for the pain to pass. Many days he spends near the air conditioner because he has a dangerously high fever that could stop his heart; but he never listens to me. I try to tell him to see a doctor, but he always says the same thing, "If I'm going to die, I want to die naturally-if it's meant to be, I'm not going to fuck with fate!"
If this makes him happy; getting married to a woman I'll most likely despise, and the feelings will be mutual, then so be it.
"Elijah, this is my youngest daughter, Clare."
Maybe this won't be so bad.
END OF CHAPTER 1
A friendly reminder that Darcy's rape did NOT happen in this story!
Reviews please? Let me know if I should continue or not! :D
Love you guys,
Cliffhanger Girl
3
P.S. I'm going on vacation from Monday through Thursday, so I won't be updating until the weekend-most likely Sunday! Enjoy the last week of the showdown! #TeamEli #TeamClare #TeamEclare!