New Story Indeed. Clare is for the most OOC as well as Helen. Italics are song lyrics unless otherwise stated.

Enjoy

It's hard

When no one appreciates you

You feel like you're never enough

You never meet their expectations no matter how hard you've been trying to fulfill them.

xxxx

"Are you proud? Four years straight in honor's classes?" Clare questioned her mother. She rushed home to brag about her accomplishment of being involved in honor's for yet another year.

"Sure."

"Sure? Mom, I've worked so hard for this. How about actually caring?"

"What do you want me to say? Good job sweetheart. Aim for straight A's next time."

"I got one B+. You never appreciate anything I do." Helen simply rolled her eyes at her daughter's criticism and made herself comfortable in her couch, tasting the menthol on her cigarette bud.

Clare beyond exhausted headed up to her room beyond frustrated and fell back on her bed. She dug through her bag and reclaimed her compass she used for Geometry. She opened it and lifted up her sleeve. She sucked in her lower lip trying to hold in the tears as she pressed the sharp metal down hard against her skin. She slid it across her wrist as a tear fell down her cheek falling on her wrist, causing a slight tingle.

Maybe making me bleed will be the answer that will wash the slate clean

Everyday's the same, she fights to find her way.

She hurts, she breaks, she hides and tries to pray.

She wonders why, doesn't anyone ever hear her when she cries?

She threw the compass across the room, falling back down on her bed, holding a towel against her wrist. She suddenly felt a knock at her door. She quickly hid under her blanket and wiped her tears, "Yes?"

The door opened and it was undoubtedly her mother.

"I'm going out; I won't be back before you go to school."

"Nothing new." Clare mumbled.

"Okay well later. Love you."

"So you say." Clare responded but Helen was already behind the closed door and Clare wept herself to sleep that night.

XXXX

Clare awoke at the obnoxious sound of her alarm clock. She slammed her hand on top, discontinuing the noise and sat up in her bed. She rubbed her tired eyes and got up from the bed. She went through her everyday morning process as always; after she was all showered and clean, she slipped on her Degrassi hoodie they supplied her with, a pair of jean shorts and slipped on her converse. She grabbed her backpack and sped downstairs. She gazed the interior of the fridge and found nothing that interested her. She grabbed a fun out of the four she made the day prior. She pocked her keys and was out the door. She popped in her headphone buds and began listening to one of the most played songs on her phone music playlist.

From the scrapes and bruises, to the familiar abuses

I'll kick and scream but it never changes anything

I could spill my guts out wearing my best little girl pout

And I almost missed it, but no one said this would be easy

…..I don't know how to word it; I just started to deserve it.

Clare picked up her pace considering she had about 10 minutes before the bell sounded. She soon arrived and on her way speeding to class, she crashed into a hard figure.

"Hey, I was looking for you." She pulled her headphones out of her hair and looked up and saw no other than KC Guthrie, her ex.

"Why?" She lowly asked.

"I….me and Jenna broke up."

"Okay."

"Clare, I'm really sorry about how things ended. And you changed, I mean look at you now."

"Everything's in the past, it's whatever." She said ignoring his indirect compliment. She began walking away and he grabbed her arm, pulling her back and a hint of her sleeve rolled her up revealing her hidden secret. She quickly pulled her sleeve back down.

"What the hell is that?" KC asked.

"Leave me alone."

"What is that shit? That's disgusting."

Clare swallowed the lump in her throat, tugged her arm out of his grip and walked off as she saw a guy watching the scene that just played out. He stood in his dark colored wardrobe, with his jet black hair, soft green eyes, filled with utter curiosity.

She ignored his presence and walked off to class.

Drift away to a place another kind of a light.

Take away the pain, I create my paradise.

Everything I've had has hit the wall

What used to be yours isn't yours at all

He's under my skin; just give me something to get rid of him

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