The Distance
Chapter 1
Clare
"Hi Eli." The slip of his name off my lip was extremely irresistible. He had beautiful emerald green eyes that lit up when he looked at me. He had been acting weird for weeks, every since the whole "Fitz" situation had occurred. Did he still notice me like he did when he ran over my glasses? That day had been the best and the worst for me. Jenna. OH JENNA! She made me so... mad. She had stolen KC from me, and now she had the nerve to tell everyone something I never said. I remember that day KC came to my house, the way his eyes glossed and his lips had trouble speaking. "If we just make each other mad, we shouldn't be together." He had said. I was tearing up before I said "How long… have you liked her?" "I've tried not to Clare." I just seemed to roll my eyes. That's all you can say? Thanks for breaking my heart you big loser.
Eli didn't seem like a heartbreak kind of guy. He seemed dark, mysterious, and sensitive. Well, maybe he didn't show his sensitivity that much but I could see it; the look in his eyes as I told him about my parents. I could see sympathy, a deep sympathy that just made him want to cry but not because of fear that people would make fun. Well, let's face it, he's drives a hearse of course he doesn't care what people think.
All that I knew was Eli and KC is two totally different people. KC is teary and he seems to wonder around the world upset and moody. As If he didn't want to hide anything he was going through. Last thing I remember him sympathizing to me was "I'm sorry Clare, about everything." He was not thinking straight I guess? Something was wrong with him, but I didn't bother ask why.
"Hey, Clare." He said to me. I looked down at his lip. "It looks healed." Why did I say that?
"Yeah, it's gotten better. Not that it was really bad." He put down his wrench and continued to search through Morty. "I hate this car, actually I don't hate it but I hate what it does to me sometimes." I looked under and said, "What happened to it?" "Morty? I don't know he just broke down."
I tried to bring up the dance that Holly J and President Sav had organized. Eli was just too hard to get sometimes. He knew I liked him, at least I think he knows.
"So… are you going to the dance on Friday?" He looked up at me. I just smiled briefly so he doesn't get any wrong ideas. "You know I'm not the 'school dance' type right?" He smirked his signature smirk.
"I knew that. It's just, I'm going. I'm on yearbook so I have to go. Alli is probably going to find some date_" "Drew? That's real surprising." I smiled. "That's not what I meant. I was thinking, maybe_"
"Hey, guys what's up?" Adam walked up from behind. I frowned and finally smiled the fakest smile and said, "Nothing, discussing the dance." Adam's eyebrows rose, "That doesn't sound like nothing to me. You two lovebirds going together?" I just sarcastically laughed. "No Adam, Clare and I are just friends." Eli said as he concluded his exploration on Morty.
I just pretended to be fine with the fact that he called us "just friends". How come friends just happen to be fine hanging with each other 24/7 and being English partners on top of that. The ways his sarcastic comments make me blush and feel stupid at the same time. The way he smiles at me every time I do something wrong. What was I doing wrong this time?
"Yeah, just friends." I said sadly. As I turned around, I hid my face in shame and when I walked into the halls of Degrassi, a tear slides down my cheek.
Eli
I hated to see Clare upset. I liked her a lot. I remember my first words to her being, "I think they're dead" referring to her glasses I had ran over.
Dances? They just aren't me. I don't dance, especially not in front of people. even if it is with the smartest and prettiest girl at the dance.
See what she does to me? She makes me have feelings. I've never had feelings for anyone as deep as this. Why was it so hard to tell her how I feel? It seemed to me that everyone knew we liked each other; it's just us that couldn't make up our minds.
Or it was our fear, our fear of being together ruining our friendship if the breakup was hard. Clare had a hard breakup before. I don't know the details; Clare doesn't like to talk about them. Only thing I know is that he left her for a cheerleader. Smart for dingy? Dumb choice.
I want to ask her, believe me, I do. I just need to talk to her about the benefits first. I haven't had many girlfriends before, but I feel like it would be different with Clare if we got together. Who could even see her with me anyway? I'm like a bad imitation of a Goth or emo. To be exact, I don't have a label. I'm just 'Guy in Black Clothing who drives the Hearse'.
I had heard things about Clare. She used to wear a private school uniform everyday to school; her hair in a pony tail. What had changed her? The feeling of actually becoming a teenager? The feeling of her hiding for too long? I didn't care if she stayed that way, but if she wouldn't have changed, I would have never ran over her glasses in the first place.
"Dude, everyone knows you like her. Everyone knows she likes you. Why don't you go to the dance with each other?" Adam had asked in concern. "It's not that simple." I said, lying through my teeth. "Man, it is simple; you're just not ready or something." "Ready or something?" I slightly smiled, "I want to ask her. I just don't know how it will settle through."
"Maybe you're scared of a relationship?" Adam suggested. My voice-backfired as I protested, "Why would I be scared? I've had plenty of girlfriends before to know how to tell a girl how I feel." Adam looked down at his feet as he tried to hold in his thought. "What is it, Adam?" He shook is head. "Nothing, just a thought; Just remember those girlfriends you had aren't present anymore. That's the only difference." He said. He gave me a smile, and turned around to leave.
"Adam." I said. He turned out slightly. "Thanks, for helping me." I said. He nodded his head and resumed to walk away as I thought about how to ask Clare Edwards, the prettiest girl in the whole Degrassi, to the dance.
Think I should continue :) open reviews to anyone. Thanks guys.