Everything Led Us Here

Pairings: Clare/KC, Clare/OC, Connor/OC, Jenna/OC, Johnny/Alli

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of it's characters. I do however, own this story and the OC's James (Jamie) Williams and Vanessa (Nessie, Nessa, Ness) Quentin.

A/N: :Stares mournfully at season eight KC.:

Clare Edwards sighed and stared at herself in the mirror. She was dressed up in her graduation garb. Including the cap and gown. She couldn't believe that the moment she'd been waiting for since she was fourteen was finally here. She was the valedictorian of her class. It seemed as if everything had been leading her here to this very moment. Alli Bhundari walked up to her and stood beside her, staring into the mirror as well with a smile upon her face.

"I cannot believe that the day is finally here." Alli squealed happily, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Clare smiled back with tears in her eyes. "I know. I can't believe that our high school life is all over." She replied. She and Alli had been through alot together. Boyfriends, breakups, heartbreaks, embarrassments, fights, arguments. They'd dealt with it all and it had only succeeded in making their friendship stronger.

Alli noticed the sad look on her friends face and wrapped her arms around her friend's neck, hugging her close. "Clare! There is no reason to cry! Today is a happy day and we are going to keep in touch." She said, not letting go of her friend.

"I know." Clare stated, sniffling softly. Everything that happened these past four years passed through her mind like a movie. Her first day of high school, dressed in a Christian school girl uniform, meeting Alli, meeting Connor, meeting KC and changing her mind about just being in school for studies. Her's and KC's first fight. Their first kiss, the times she and Alli stuck by eachother, sticking up for Connor, him telling them all about robots. Jenna Middleton coming to the school, what happened between Jenna and KC that caused Clare and KC to end things and for Clare to be alot less level-headed. The embarrassing situation she'd gotten herself into that second semester of freshman year---shortly after her breakup with KC, that Alli and her brother, Sav had saved her from. Now at seventeen years old, she would be leaving Degrassi behind. Things were rapidly changing again.

A knock on her bedroom door distracted her from her thoughts. "Clare!" Her twenty year old sister, Darcy cried. The twenty year old girl bounded into the room and threw her arms around her kid sister. "I can't believe it! You're GRADUATING!" She squealed. "And you are valedictorian! Do you know how proud I am of you." She pulled away to grasp one of her sister's hands and then one of Alli's. "By the way, Jamie just got here. He has Connor and Nessa with him. They are waiting for you two to get down there so you all can head to Degrassi together."

James Williams was Clare's boyfriend of six months. Her first really serious boyfriend since her breakup with KC a few years ago. She had of course, dated other guys. Declan Coyne being one of them and she'd struck up a bond with his sister Fiona. She forgot why she and Declan had broken up but they'd dated in her sophmore year of highschool for three months. She'd dated Reese Michaels a couple of months after her breakup with KC as well.

Nessa, or rather Vanessa Quentin was Connor's girlfriend of over two years. She'd come to the school in eleventh grade and had immediatly fallen for Connor who'd fallen for her as well. Connor and Nessa had been described by alot of people as the school's very own, geeky Brangelina.

"Come on Clare! We'd better get going before the guys get impatient!" Alli said urgently, tugging gently at her friend's hand.

Clare's blue eyes broke away from the picture of she and KC on their first date that sat on the stand near the mirror and then slipped of her glasses and put in her contacts. She then turned to face her friend and her sister with a smile upon her lips. "Okay! I am ready!" She said as she laced her arm with Alli's.

**************

"Hey Clare." Jamie said, getting out of his Jeep to wrap her in his arms and kiss her lips. "You ready for tonight?" He asked coyly.

Clare giggled fakily, averting her eyes. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Now that they were graduating, he thought a good way to celebrate would be to have sex. Of course, Clare had told him all about how she wanted to wait until marriage. After all, virginity was a precious gift that you should give someone that you really loved and Clare wasn't sure that she loved Jamie enough to do that. She didn't even think that he was in love with her, though he said that he was. "Jamie, you know that I said that I wanted to wait." She said softly.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes up torward the sky. "You and your old fashioned ways Clare-Bear. Come on! Everyone's done it." He said in disbelief, waving his hand dismissively.

She glared up at him and shrugged off his arm. "Well I'm not everyone! And I've told you a million times not to call me that!" She snapped, crossing her arms and flipping back her hair as she got into the backseat of the jeep and taking a seat between Alli and Nessa, causing Connor to move to the front seat.

Vanessa flipped back her honey brown hair and narrowed her dark eyes. "Why didn't you want to sit up front with Jamie, Clare?" She asked in a whisper, making sure to look up to see that Jamie wasn't listening. He wasn't.

Clare looked down at her hands. "Jamie wants to have sex and he insulted me because I brought up the fact that I want to wait until I am married."

Alli put a comforting arm around her friend. "Don't take it personally Clare. Boys are idiots." She stated firmly with a nod of her head.

Vanessa nodded in agreement.

***************

They finally came to a stop infront of the school and the girls nervously got out of the car. Clare's gaze immediatly fell on KC who stood on the stone steps, holding his cap. His sandy hair was messy as usual and he looked delicious in his graduation gown. His green eyes seemed to sparkle mischeviously as he caught her gaze with his own. They stared for a few more minutes until the spell was broken by Alli's hand on her arm. She looked down at her friend who blinked up at her.

"You go talk to him. I'll distract Jamie so you can." Alli told her, turning away before Clare could disagree.

Clare flipped back her silky, smooth light brown hair and groaned. She slowly walked up the steps until she stood infront of a smirking KC.

"I was wondering if you were going to come over and say hi." He said, giving her a crooked grin as he took in her appearance appreciatively. "You look beautiful Clare. You really deserve to be valedictorian."

She smiled back at him and took a seat next to him on the steps, their knees brushing against one another. "Thanks. You look good too KC. And I could never not say hi to you. You are one of my best friends." She said playfully, knocking his shoulder with her's. And it was true. Although their friendship had been a bit rocky after the Jenna situation, it had all eased up when he'd broken up with the blonde about a month later.

KC smiled back at her as he took in her appearance. She looked beautiful with her crystalline blue eyes and her long, silky smooth tresses of light brown hair. He'd been an idiot back when he'd had her. He didn't even know why he'd done anything with Jenna, other than the fact that he'd been a stupid, hormonal, fifteen year old boy at the time. He'd ended up losing the girl he loved---the one he still loved and probably always would. It had almost cost him his friendship with her as well. Shaking the thoughts of the past from his head he reached over and took her tiny hand in his. "So have you decided what college you are going to?" He asked of her.

Clare shrugged and laced her fingers with his, giving him a tiny smile. "Well, I got accepted into Banting and Smithsdale. Along with NYU. I think I want to go to Smithsdale though. They've given me a scholarship as well." She told him carefully, eyeing the students that passed them by.

A delighted smile curved his lips. "Smithsdale?" He asked her, looking down into her eyes.

She nodded lightly. "Mmm-hmm." She mumbled.

He pressed his free hand to his chest and stated, "I've been offered a scholarship for there as well."

Clare grinned and leaned in closer to him. "Really?" She asked in awe. "Are you going to go? It would be great if I actually knew someone in college."

KC nodded and slid his arm around her thin shoulders, resting his head against her's. "I was planning on it."

"Oh. We'd better get up and head into the gym before all the parents get here. The ceremony will be starting soon." She said, standing up and brushing off her gown. "I better go find Jamie. See you at the party that Nessie is having tonight?" Her voice was hopeful as she stared up at his tall, broad form.

He smiled and leaned in to hug. His head moving up and down against her shoulder.

************

"Hey Alli! Where's Jamie?" Clare asked, looking around and trying to spot her boyfriend.

Connor and Vanessa came up, holding hands and Vanessa shrugged one, uneasy shoulder and swallowed nervously. "He went off a few minutes ago with Jenna Middleton."

Clare frowned and eyed her three friends nervously even as Johnny DeMarco swooped in and wrapped his arms around Alli's tiny waist and pressed soft, sweet kisses down the length of her neck. "Well which way did they go?" She asked impatiently, tapping her foot against the concrete.

"They went left and went behind the school." Connor replied carefully, pushing up his glasses.

She nodded a thanks and walked away from them torwards the back of the building. She could hear giggling and breathy moans getting closer and her frown deepened. She walked around a corner only to see Jamie pressing Jenna against the brick. His hand was drawing circles under her shirt lazily and his lips were fused with her's hungrily.

Clare gasped and put her hand on the wall near her head to steady herself even as she smothered a sob with the other. Turning on her heel she ran from the scene.

******

When she walked into the gym with Alli, Connor, and Vanessa she was still in a daze. She had yet to tell her friends what was wrong or if she'd found Jamie, ignoring the questions they asked. Ignoring Jamie's waving hand, she walked up the bleachers on the stage and took a seat next to KC.

Alli exchanged a look with Connor and Vanessa and led the way over to where Clare now sat.

KC looked at Clare strangely, noticing the tears that glistened in her eyes and the way her bottom lip trembles slightly. What was even weirder was that she wasn't sitting by her boyfriend but had instead, chosen to sit next to him. He was about to ask her what was wrong until the ceremony began.

Clare watched carefully as all her friends got their diplomas until she was called up last so she could give her speech. She stood to her feet and gazed at Connor who nodded in understanding and followed her up so he could hand Mr. Simpson the dvd he'd made.

"It's been said that highschool can be the greatest experience of your life. I'd have to agree with that statement. I've met so many interesting people during my time here. I've made friends---people who've become like family. For the last four years, my life has revolved around this school---" Her voice got quieter as a picture of she and Jamie, looking happy filled the wall behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut and her slender fingers clenched the podium. "I--I'm sorry! I can't do this!" She said, voice breaking as she ran from the stage.

Alli made a move to get up as did Clare's mother---that is until KC got up and ran after her.

**********

KC didn't know where to look first. Nor did he know what had troubled the love of his life so. He finally found her in the darkened Media Immersion room, sitting in the chair that she'd always sat in every weekday since she began Degrassi. Her hands covered her face and she had her elbows on her knees. His large hands pulled the cap from his head and he held it loosely to his chest as he stepped into their old classroom. "Clare?" He voiced hesitantly, waiting for her reaction carefully. He stepped farther into the room and took a seat beside her, resting his hand on her crossed legs, squeezing lightly. "Clare?" He asked again, leaning in close.

Clare's hands slid from her face and he could see that her pale skin was blotchy and her blue eyes were red as was her nose. "KC." She hicupped. "W--what are you doing here?"

He shrugged and slid his arms around her comfortingly. "I was worried about you Clare. Why'd you run out like that? Did Jamie do something?" He asked, knowing she'd want to kill him if he had.

She laughed bitterly. "It seems that you aren't my only boyfriend that Jenna had a fascination with---or who was taken in by her." She spit out.

KC winced at her words. Then, they registered in his brain. 'Jamie had cheated on her. With Jenna.' He realised, green eyes widening. "I'm....I'm so sorry." He said, shaking his head lightly.

Clare met his eyes and than rested her head on his shoulder. "Well it's not like I shouldn't have expected it. I mean----today he was upset because I told him again that I wasn't ready for sex. I guess he found someone who was. Is that what attracted you to her our freshmen year?" She asked faintly.

A blush stained his cheeks at her question. "I um...I don't know what attracted me to her actually. I never really have. I guess I was stupid. And that ended up costing me the best thing in my life. You." He told her quietly, just looking at her. Wanting to see her reaction.

"I don't even know why I am so upset about Jamie. I mean....I'm not in love with him and he's kind of immature. I guess....it was just seeing him with Jenna that got to me. It reminded me of how we broke up." She said to him, averting her eyes.

KC raised an eyebrow. She was still upset about that? Did that mean that she was---in love with him? He wondered. Swallowing hard and stilling his strength, he opened his mouth to confess, "You know....I still love you." He said. "I mean...I don't expect you to believe me. Not after how I hurt you those years ago. But I really did. It's just....a pity I didn't realise it until I'd lost you."

Clare's mouth fell open in shock as she eyed his profile. She truly hadn't expected that. Wanted it? Yes. For years now. But she never thought it would actually happen. She felt him stand up as if he were going to leave but her hand shot out and tugged him back into the seat.

He eyed her curiously, wondering what she was up to.

Sighing, she framed his face with her hands. "I still love you too, KC." She said in a mere whisper, lips a fraction of an inch from his own.

He smiled and put a hand behind her neck, pulling her closer so he could press her lips to her's.

It had taken a long time to get their destiny back on track, but it was all right again and neither one could be any happier.

End