so for the august '13 fic exchange, I'm writing for glitterxgurl. sorry its not as good as it could've been
prompts: an end of summer party, sangria, mosquitoes, pearl necklace
pairings: anything goes. i prefer claire and derrick or olivia and harris, but i'll read anything
Life is Kind of Twisted
I wonder if I catch someone's attention, even in the streets or a crowd, and if they sort of want to get to know me.
_.-._.-._
Floppy blonde hair.
Her first memory of him. The insecure, but insanely cute, guy that she met at the mall. "I'm so sorry," He mumbled feebly as he helped retrieve the contents of her shopping bags, which had spilled onto the floor in their collision. They were both on their knees, scooping up the items one by one, when she caught a whiff of him. A delightful fragrance. The intoxicating mix of sangria (and thus her hunger follows in pursuit of the lovely wine) and a tropical breeze. The scent forever lingered in her mind.
Their fingers brushed against each other softly as they reached to shake hands. A wary smile crossed his lips, his perfect pink lips, and Claire felt one crawl onto hers as well.
_.-._.-._
One little invitation taunted her.
It was set on her desk, shuddering the slightest in the breeze of her fan, and the fold was sticking up like the tip of a house. She wanted to go, she practically begged her mother, but unfortunately she had to attend a tea. Who wanted to get dressed up and sip steaming hot liquid-herbs while making small talk with old people?
Not that girl.
An end of summer party was exactly what she needed before the school year started. And it was going to be at Kemp Hurley's house, which made it ten-times better. He always had the best parties, and she always got drunk enough to forget the world for one night.
She snuck away from the tea. Another frumpy dress clung to her as she peeled it off and changed into shorts and a ruffled shirt. Slipping away through the bathroom window, she climbed into her car and veered onto the road. Not long after, she was in front of the Hurley mansion. As soon as she stepped in, she spotted him. A flash of blonde hair, unmistakable even from a distance. He seemed to notice her as well, because he flashed a smile and made his way towards her.
A red cup was in his outstretched hand. "Wanna drink?"
Smiling shyly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, although she was know stranger to alcohol. "Depends. What kind of drink?"
"Fruit punch," he laughed sort of nervously, it was a cute laugh. Smiling, she swiped the cup out of his hands and swigged down the fruity drink. It wasn't tainted with the familiar bitterness of alcohol as she expected. It was clean. He was clean. And she liked him instantly.
_.-._.-._
Judi Lyons didn't approve.
But she didn't quite approve of anything, did she?
Dishrags were sprawled across the counter, after one of Judi's fits in which she would do chores (in a frustrated manner) until her hands were purple and numb. Then, she would proceed to angrily toss her equipment around the room until she was done yelling. Claire called her fits, the Judi-attacks. Her mother was on her knees, picking up the shards of her broken plate that mistakenly slipped onto the floor. Claire tugged on her arm, pulling her back up to her feet. Judi nodded thankfully, wearing a tiny grimace. Picking up her knife, she went back to what she was doing.
"There are so many important things in life," Judi lectured Claire for the umpteenth time that day as she sliced through the vegetables on her cutting board. Claire didn't pay attention to the type, she simply didn't have the patience to decipher through the dozens of possibilities, let alone regard them as anything but bitter. Like her mother. "All of them more important than love."
Claire rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I don't know why I thought I could talk to you about this." She spun around and started leaving the room, her mother staring at her with her mouth hanging open. Judi didn't make any moves. She didn't lunge to her daughter in protest. She didn't try to stop Claire, stop her from the anger. She didn't do anything. As usual.
They hadn't gotten along since the divorce.
Who thought that would ever change?
_.-._.-._
Her visitations were always sort of hesitant.
Claire would curiously step through the glass doors of her father's upper east side apartment and find him in the same spot. The luxurious lounge chair. He plumply sprawled himself out on it, a pair of sharp reading glasses nestled on the crook of his nose and a book in his hands. "Hey clairebear," he stood up and greeted her. Walking over to her, his shoes click-clacked across the floor and the rich aroma of his cologne drifted towards Claire's nose. Arms wrapping tightly around her, Jay Lyons squeezed his daughter with all of the love that he couldn't supply when she was away.
"Hey dad?" She asked. Looking up, he raised an eyebrow. Claire took this as a sign to continue. "Do you ever miss mom?" The words rolled off of her tongue before she could consider what she was doing.
He sighed and ruffled Todd's red hair before slicking back his own-which was streaked with grey. Then, he proceeded to sit on the nearest chair and bend over, thinking furiously. "Life is kind of twisted. I'm miserable without your mom, pumpkin. She's the only girl I ever really loved." he looked towards a small picture in the corner of the space that captured him, Jodi, Claire and Todd on the beach having a wonderful day. "I miss everything. So yeah, I miss her."
Todd tugged on Claire's jacket. She irritably looks over to him but quickly melts in the six year olds eyes. "I miss mommy too."
Raindrops streaked the windows like tears, and suddenly the foggy day was the least of her problems.
_.-._.-._
Judi stepped up to the front door of the Harrington House; a red bricked Mansion with mahogany accentuation. There were magnificent stables in the back of the home, keeping their horses inside. Her bony fist lifted up to the door and banged against it. After a few minutes, Derrick appeared at the door. "Mrs. Lyons?"
"It's Judi. I stopped being Mrs. Lyons a long time ago." She smiled. "Anyway, Derrick, is it? I'll be a jiffy, I just have a proposition to make."
Stepping outside, Derrick closed the door behind him. "What kind of proposition?"
_.-._.-._
28 dates.
That's all it took for her to fall in love with Derrick Harrington.
"You see that one?" He glanced over as they lay on their picnic blanket staring at the stars. "It's a red giant about 10.35214 light years away."
Claire laughed. "You're such a geek sometimes," She rested her head on his chest and gazed up at the sky with her boyfriend. He patted her head gently and sighed. The cool night air pricked their skin and shook their bones but if they noticed, it didn't show. Of course, Claire donned a mint knit sweater that blanketed her with warmth and Derrick had his jacket, but the chill was still enough to break through most barriers.
_.-._.-._
"You need to break my daughter's heart."
Derrick raised an eyebrow. "What? No, I can't do that." He leaned against the door frame and ran a hand trough his hair. Immediately, she whipped out a checkbook.
"I'll pay you." He marveled at the black leather rectangle. "Whatever I need to do to teach her a lesson, I'm willing to do it."
_.-._.-._
28 seconds.
That's all it took for him to dump her.
"Claire, I'm sorry. I just uh found someone new."
Click.
Sob.
Pillows were thrashed around the room in horrid anger, the only kind that comes from the turmoil of a hurt girl. Todd stood in the doorway, watching in agonizing ignorance for why his sister could ever be so upset.
_.-._.-._
The Auction
A special annual occasion where all of Westchester's elite piled into the Block Estate and bid for items in order to raise money for charity. How sweet. If only people were actually interested in the well being of the unfortunate. But, of course, this is Westchester. No one really cares.
Judi had to remind Claire constantly to sit with her back straight and to maintain her best posture. Claire was forced into a long turquoise dress with embellishments above her cinch. "Mom, why did you divorce dad? You were so happy together."
"Claire," she snapped, her finger wagging in the air. It sliced back and forth, and Claire couldn't help but glare at it menacingly. Finally, Judi brought her fist to the table, slamming against it hard and not flinching a bit after. "You just don't understand. I divorced your father because he's immature! He doesn't understand how to fit into our world."
Scoffing in shock briefly, Claire glanced around the room and allowed her hands to fall to her sides. "Well, if that's the only reason you divorced him, then why did you hold on for so long?" She finally cracked. Claire was done with the arguments, done with the empty conversations. "Mom; there was a reason you married him, there was a reason stayed with him, there was a reason that Todd and I were born, but there was no reason for you to leave him." She remembered seeing her dad, all alone in his apartment. The rain splattered across the windowpane, just to drizzle down and meld into the cluster of droplets at the bottom. A tear sliding down his cheek, just like the rain drops outside.
"You may not think I know what love is," Claire continued, tears forming in her eyes. "and maybe I don't. But if I do, it's the way you and dad look at each other. It's when you're holding hands with someone and you just feel a rush when their fingers brush against yours." she immediately thought of the moment with Derrick at the mall. "When you're in the same room and it could be dead silent but you don't notice because they can make you laugh and cry and do all of the things you never imagined doing. It's when they break your heart," she glanced over to Derrick, who was staring at his dinner. "Because that means you had to feel something.
"But what do I know?" She looks at the ground. "To you, I'm just a kid but I hope you can comprehend that I actually can understand some things." And with that, she walks past the dozens tables and shoved through the doors, the eyes of everyone in the room on her.
Shuffling out of his seat and jogging to the door to catch up, Derrick pushed through as well. "Claire," He called after her and tugged on her arm.
Brushing him off and spinning on her heel, Claire stopped in her tracks. "No. Look, I don't care if you heard my little speech and felt bad for me because I don't need sympathy. Especially not right now. And you said yourself that you like someone else, so why would I stand in your way?"
He doesn't say anything. Claire knows that he's scared, but why? Why does he get to win all of the fights, why does he get to be absolutely terrified for no reason and it be absolutely okay? Why was he always so ridiculously perfect that you could hardly stay mad at him? Night time closed in around them, the pink and orange that lit the sky fading into maroon, then black. Gusts of wind occasionally pushed against them, cool and gentle. White specks dotted the sky with a shimmery glow. It was a perfect night for the wrong moment.
Suddenly, he stepped forward and fished a velvet box out of his pocket. It was long and rectangular; definitely not a ring and Claire inwardly released a sigh of relief. Clicking it open, he revealed a pearl necklace before unlatching it from its spot and wrapping it around her neck. His breath was hot against her spine and she shivered at his slightest exhale. "Claire," His lips softly grazed her ear and nervous tingles shot through her. "I didn't mean what I told you, your mother told me to lie to you. I didn't think I had a choice." He pulled out a thick wad of money. "Here, give this back to her. I don't deserve to be forgiven for betraying you like that but I really do like you and I wish I hadn't messed it up."
Crimson reached his cheeks in embarrassment as he turned to the winding road of limos and cars. "Derrick," She called softly. "I don't know if we could be the same ever again, but I really would like to try."
He turned back around and grinned. "Really?" Bobbing her head, Claire steps over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
So they stayed in the crisp night air, swatting away mosquitoes and talking like they haven't spoken in years.
_.-._.-._
Judi glanced out the window and notices the two sitting on a stone bench, conversing and laughing and even kissing. It reminded her of the days with Jay. She turned to Todd, who was chowing down on a steak, and said "Todd, honey, am I a horrible person?"
He shrugged. "I guess you can be," he admitted honestly before climbing out of his seat and engulfing her in a hug.
Laughing she patted his back warmly. "I think I made a big mistake," she sighed. "But at least I have you."
thanks for reading :)
xoxo,
natalie