The teacher said, "Clare, are you ready to show the robot to the judges?" Clare obviously hadn't been paying any attention because she saw KC. She turned as bright as a cherry. Ever so smoothly he said, "Hey." That was enough to make Clare's insides melt. She was falling for a skater.
She said," Hi."
"Clare? You with us here?" That was the very oblivious teacher. He was clueless about teenage love. He couldn't see how much Clare had liked KC.
Alli needed to talk with Clare and said, "Clare and I need a moment to strategize. " The teacher looked at them as though they were crazy.
Alli pulled Clare aside. She had to make sure Clare went with her totally hot crush to the dance. She thought, "Why would she even go with Connor?"
She said, "I thought we weren't letting hormones get in the way of Bot Wars?"
Clare said, "I'm not!!"
Alli said to her best friend, "I'll simplify! It's obvious, you know. You like KC. KC likes you. Go to the dance with him."
Clare said, "But Connor?"
Alli said harshly, "Will get over it!!"
Clare slowly walked over to KC. She was finally going to tell her crush that she'd go with him to the dance. She was even more nervous than ever. The normal Clare Edwards would never do that, but ever since she started to go to Degrassi, that had changed. She had been able to talk to boys, and not just any boy, the boy of her dreams, KC Guthrie.
She said, "I've reanalyzed the dance situation, and decided it wouldn't be completely horrible to go with you."
He said, "And you're assuming I still want to go with you?" He wasn't looking at her at the moment, but he couldn't wait to see her reaction. She thought at first he was being serious. Clare could've punched him at the moment, but then she realized he was kidding.
She said, "You're sooo….."
He cut in with, "Charming?" He laughed and stared into her blue eyes. She looked down. KC had made Clare finally come out of her shell. She thought that her face was on fire.
The competition was about to start, and they were all ready. Clare was excited because they would probably win, and she was going to the dance with KC!
"All right, let's show everyone what Degrassi's made of," said the normally quiet Clare.
KC squeezed her hand and added, "Good luck." She smiled about at him. He was especially cute at the moment. It felt right when KC squeezed her hand.
Clare quietly said, "Thanks."
All of a sudden Connor grabbed Alli's wrist and she flipped out.
Alli screamed, "EW!! Connor, don't be disgusting!"
He said, "But, KC squeezed Clare's hand!"
Alli said, "She's also going to the dance with him. And don't you dare ask me!!" Even though Alli was being mean, it was true.
Connor said, "Are you going with KC? But I asked you! I was your friend first!! I can make robots better!!"
Clare yelled over the noise, "I'll talk with you later!!" Clare was hoping that Connor wouldn't freak out, but he obviously did.
The team didn't work as well as they should've, but it was because KC and Connor were fighting. Connor was upset that KC was going with Clare to the dance. He didn't realize how much Clare had liked KC. They lost 32-0.
KC yelled at Connor, "What's you problem, dude?!"
Connor ran away like a little baby, but Clare followed him. She looked back at KC wondering why he would say something like that to Connor. She didn't realize how much she hurt KC by walking away like that.
Clare had decided to go with neither of them, again. She didn't want to deal with the pressure of boys fighting over her. She was having a hard time dealing with this. She really wanted to go with KC, but first thing's first: They needed to win Bot Wars. She didn't want a dance coming between her friendship with Connor.
Alli said in the middle of the war, "So, you're really not going with KC?"
Clare said anxiously, "You're asking about the dance when we're fighting for our lives?"
They eventually won the war, and the robot started to say something. Clare wasn't expecting what was about to happen.
It said, "Clare, will you go to the dance with Connor?" The crowd began to chant Clare! Clare! She was really embarrassed by this and said ok to make the chanting stop. KC just looked down like a kid who just found out his dog had died. He was upset because he couldn't believe that Clare would pick Connor over him. KC thought, "What does Connor have that I don't?" Clare was mad that she made the decision, but maybe it would be ok.
The dance came about, and Clare decided to wear something other than her private school uniform. Connor and she arrived at the dance together. They stood on the side of the gym waiting for something to happen. They looked like they were lost.
Connor said, "So, aren't we supposed to dance?"
Clare shook her head yes, and Connor grabbed her wrist. He pulled her onto the dancefloor.
They started to slow dance, and some other high school kid pushed them together closer. It was very awkward for Clare. She wished she would've told KC that she really wanted to go with him.
Clare couldn't deal with it any longer. She told Connor, "I've got to go." She ran out of the dance and into the hallway. Connor was left on the dance wondering why Clare had left.
She stopped in the hallway, and KC came to her rescue. He handed his friend his drink. He tried to be a good friend, but it didn't work out too well.
He said, "So are you having fun with Connor?"
She said nervously, "He's… I wanted to go with you..." Clare was being serious. She didn't want to lie to him.
He said, "Prove it by dancing with me." She put her arms around KC. She made had wanted this to happen for a really long time. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. She looked down nervously and rested her head on the part of his shoulder she could actually reach. Out of nowhere Connor showed up. He looked angrily at KC because he was dancing with HIS date.
Connor said, "Clare! You're my date to the dance!! You're supposed to dance with me!!"
Clare was saddened by the thought of Connor acting like this. He ran out the door, and she yelled his name. Clare looked at KC and followed Connor. He had disappeared. Clare had left KC once again in the cold.
Soon after, KC was getting himself some punch. Clare arrived behind him ready to tell him the truth. She thought it would be easy.
Clare said, "I'm not ready for a relationship." She couldn't believe she had actually said that! She stared at KC, but he wouldn't look up.
KC looked at her mischievously, "And who are you not ready to have this relationship with?" They both smiled at each other. Maybe one day she'd actually be with KC. Clare wasn't as nervous as she thought she would've been. Maybe she wasn't as shy as she had been in a few weeks earlier. This was a big a step for Clare in the right direction.