Welcome to my new short story!
Legal: I own nothing but the idea.
Important things to know before you read:
*This whole thing was inspired by the original Beauty and the Beast TV Show, the good one from the late 80's with Linda Hamilton and Ron Pearlman not the new one which I couldn't even watch. Anyway I used a lot of elements from that show in this which if you've ever seen the show it will be obvious.
*I didn't mess with the families this time but Helen and Darcy walked out on Glen and Clare. Glen is ooc in this because of the characters history in this story. The Edwards family is not and never was religious in this story.
*This takes place in Clare's grade 10 year, Adam and Drew came to DeGrassi last year.
*Fitz was only at the school for a few months in grade nine and therefore does not know Clare at the start of this story. He was already friends with Owen and Bianca.
*I don't know if there are actually tunnels under Toronto but for this story there are.
That pretty much does it, some of that is reiterated in the story but I know some people skim. Okay enjoy the Flare fairy tale!
Ch. 1 The Light of the Dark Black Night
(CLARE)
"Clare," Alli squeals when I step off the school bus, "your hair! You cut it all off it looks great!"
"That's not the only thing that's changed," Drew comments as Alli hugs me, "she got curves over the summer."
"Curves you're not allowed to notice because she's my best friend and you have a girlfriend," Adam scolds his brother smacking him in the back of the head. "The summer was good to you," Adam says hugging me and Drew grins at me.
"Yeah I thought spending the summer with my grandparents was going to be boring but it wasn't so bad. My cousin was there and she took me to get my haircut."
"Well you're starting your grade ten year with a new look and you're sure to be noticed," Adam comments just as I see K.C. walk into school with his arm around Jenna. When he broke my heart last year I thought I'd never speak to him again. I still don't like to be around them.
We start to walk in together and then Owen calls for Drew and he runs over and joins the football team. Adam, Alli and I walk inside, find our lockers and then go back outside before class. We sit on a picnic bench and I try not to look at Jenna and K.C. making out on the steps.
"What kind of freak drives a hearse to school?" Alli comments as an antique hearse pulls into the school parking lot.
"I think it's cool," Adam says.
"You would," Alli shakes her head.
We met Adam and Drew when they came to DeGrassi last year, Alli had a major crush on Drew and they dated for a couple weeks before breaking up. Then she started dating Johnny DiMarco. Adam and I clicked instantly and became best friends fast, I was one of the first people to find out he was trans and when K.C. dumped me for Jenna he spent the whole night cheering me up. Drew started dating Bianca just after breaking up with Alli and they've been together ever since, I think Drew and Bianca are good for each other and that Alli needs to take a break from boys, not that she will.
We watch the hearse pull into the parking lot and then wait to see the driver. A boy with longish dark hair and wearing all black comes sauntering toward the front of school. As he gets closer he looks in our direction, smirks and then walks inside. He's obviously new and I wonder who is. He's not the first boy to catch my attention since K.C. broke my heart but Declan had a girlfriend when I had a crush on him last year, and this year he's not at DeGrassi. Besides I think my crush on Declan was more admiration and a good way of getting over heartbreak.
When the bell rings we walk inside, Adam and I have our first class together so we wave to Alli and walk to class. I smile when I see the new boy in class; I bite my lip and take the desk behind his. He turns to smirk at me again and I see that his eyes are a piercing green.
"Someone has a crush," Adam teases in my ear and I twist my face at him. "You must be new," Adam says to the boy as he sits at the desk next to me.
"Yeah Eli Goldsworthy, you read The Goon," Eli comments noticing the logo on Adam's backpack.
"Yeah I love The Goon, hey you listen to Dead Hand I'm learning the bass line for Paisley Jacket," Adam tells him.
They continue talking about Dead Hand and comics until Mrs. Dawes comes in. She welcomes everyone to Writers Craft, details what we'll be doing this semester and makes a point to tell everyone that Adam and I are actually in grade ten. Then she reads to us and gives us our first assignment before giving us the rest of class to work on it.
"So you're really in grade ten? You don't look it," Eli comments as we walk out of class.
"It's the new haircut and her chest she didn't have that last year, losing the glasses and the long braids makes her look older," Adam says and I twist my mouth at my best friend.
"Smart decisions, although I guess getting the body you did wasn't exactly your decision," Eli remarks and I blush. "Any idea where auto shop is that's my next class," Eli tells us.
"Yeah down the hall and make a left you can't miss it, my brother's in that class," Adam replies.
"Cool thanks catch you guys later," Eli grins and walks off.
Adam and I have chemistry this period along with most of our friends. Jenna eats lunch with the cheerleaders and K.C. eats with the football team. Adam and I eat with Dave, Alli, Wes and Connor. Dave has had a crazy crush on Alli since last year, she tends to go for guys like Johnny and Drew but I think Dave would be good for her especially since I know she hates to be single. She also spends all of lunch complaining that she needs more popular friends. After lunch I have a spare so I do my homework, my last class is media studies which is an open elective and there's a mix of grade tens and elevens in the class including Adam, Drew, Bianca, Owen and to my pleasure Eli.
"Well if it isn't the two grade ten writers misfits," Eli grins at me and Adam earning us a look from Drew, Owen and Bianca.
"Hey Eli," Adam smiles as we all sit down.
Eli sits with Adam and I at one table while Drew, Bianca and Owen sit at the table behind us. Miss Oh comes in and starts class with a movie, when the lights go out I feel Eli lean his arm on the back of my chair and I bite my lip. Eli's attractive and I think the attraction is mutual, I've had a few other guys give me looks or compliments for the new look this year but Eli seems to be actually flirting with me and I'm quite enjoying it.
"I have to run see you two tomorrow," Eli says when class is over.
"I gotta hang while Drew's at practice want to keep me company?" Adam requests as we walk out of class.
"You're just jealous because you don't get to play little brother," Drew teases slapping Adam's shoulder lightly.
"Come watch us Clare you know you want to watch our muscles ripple," Owen comments.
"In your dreams Owen," Bianca quips smacking his arm, "I got Bright Sparks see you all tomorrow."
Bianca kisses Drew and waves to us before trouncing down the hall. Drew watches his girlfriend's backside bounce away then he and Owen walk off to the locker room to change for football practice.
"I'll come watch practice with you, it's better than going home," I shrug.
Adam puts his arm around me and we walk out to the bleachers at the football field. Adam starts on his homework but mines already done so I just sit and watch practice. While I watch the display of primal testosterone I suddenly feel another presence, someone else is here and watching but when I look around I don't see anyone, for the rest of practice however I feel like someone is watching. Adam finishes his homework just before football practice ends and we wait on the bleachers for Drew. We wave to Owen as he leaves and then K.C. comes across the field.
"I like your hair," K.C. smiles and I grin back.
"Adam let's go I'm starving," Drew says as he walks past us.
"You want a lift home Clare?" Adam offers.
"No it's okay I think I'll walk see you guys tomorrow," I wave to brothers and start walking. It's faster to cut through the ravine and I've done it lots, I'm walking along the edge of the creek and thinking about Eli. I don't notice the two guys until their right in front of me and force me to stop.
"You know a pretty girl like you shouldn't be walking alone," one of them says. I've seen them before they hang out with Reese at the ravine and they're in grade twelve when they bother to attend school. They're on the low end of the scum spectrum and even Johnny and Bruce wouldn't associate with them. It's not even five but they've both been drinking and I can see that they're also high on something.
"I'm surprised morons like you can walk upright," I shoot back in a snarky tone.
"Why don't you come have fun with us," the other one grins looking at my chest and reaching for my hand. He grabs my hand pulling me to him and I kick his leg.
"Get away from me you creep," I hiss.
He's still standing and now they're both mad, they grab at me and I swing my backpack around hitting one of them. I start to run dropping my backpack, one of them grabs my skirt and I fall flat on the ground. My head hits a rock and the last thing I hear is an angry growling voice.
"Leave her alone!"
I try to look at the source of the voice but all I see is a dark figure attacking my attackers and then my eyes close as I lose consciousness. When I awaken I'm in a dark room with flickering lights, I blink my eyes and realize they're candles. Groaning as my head hurts and trying to sit up.
"You should lay down you hit your head pretty hard," says a male voice. It's the same one that growled at my attackers but his voice isn't menacing any longer.
I reach up and feel a bandage on my head as well as some ice. I smell the scent of rubbing alcohol and see wet cotton balls nearby. I realize my mysterious savior was tending to my cuts and abrasions. I turn my head and see him; he's shrouded by shadow, only very dimly lit so I can see he's wearing a dark hoodie and jeans but I can't see his face at all. I look around, I'm in a room of sorts it's dark and cave like, the only light is from the candles. There's something very renaissance about it and sort of reminds me of the phantoms layer from Phantom of the Opera, Adam and I saw it last year when it came to town. It's warm down here, not hot just comfortable as is the bed I'm lying on, which I'm guessing belongs to my mysterious savior.
"Where am I?" I question in a groggy voice. I feel rather woozy and my head is pounding.
"My home, your safe now you should rest some more you hit your head pretty good," he repeats.
"You saved me from those guys," I comment.
"You were doing good without my help until you fell and hit your head."
"My head hurts, I feel sort of sick," I tell him groaning a little
"The tea by your bed it will help," he says leaning forward a bit to point.
I see only his right eye and eyebrow when he leans into the light a little. I think he has light brown hair and brown eyes but it's hard to see in this light. I sit up a little and take the ice from my head, picking up the cup and sipping at the tea. It tastes like licorice and peppermint, it's soothing and I set the cup down putting the ice back on my head. My eyelids are heavy and they close. I drift to sleep again. When I wake up sometime later he's still here watching me from the shadow, I feel a little groggy still but my head doesn't hurt so much now.
"If you're feeling up for it I'll take you home," he tells me.
"What time is it?" I question sitting up. I feel a little dizzy and hold my hand to my head but I don't feel sick like I did before.
"It's almost nine," he replies.
"Shit I have to get home my dad's going to kill me," I exclaim and then stand up slowly.
"I'll walk you out, these tunnels can be confusing," he tells me.
"Tunnels?"
"Under the school and most of the city," he informs me picking up my backpack. He has black gloves on his hands and his oversized hood on his hoodie keeps his face well hidden.
"I'm Clare by the way," I say as I follow him out of the room.
"I know," he replies.
"What's your name?" I ask.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me. I'd like to know the name of my savior. Who knows what those boys would have done had you not been there."
"You can call me Fitz," he says.
"Why do you live down here?"
(FITZ)
I'm watching Owen at football practice, I already watched Bianca get to Bright Sparks. There's other spectators today, Drew's younger brother Adam is here. I saw them both when they arrived last year; Drew and Owen became fast friends which wasn't surprising. Drew doesn't seem very bright but he's a good big brother, I've seen that much especially after everyone found out Adam was trans. When Bianca started dated Drew I thought it was the best decision she'd ever made.
The other spectator is Clare Edwards; I almost didn't recognize her she looks so different this year. I've seen her around the school always hanging out with Adam and the other smart kids. Clare starts looking around, she must sense she's being watched, she looks under the bleachers and I step back into the shadows behind the big trash bin so she can't see me. When practice ends I watch until Owen drives away but Clare's walking and I follow her. I just have a sense that I need to and when Nic and Marcus block her path I know why.
Nic and Marcus are two of the worst kids I've ever known. Mean for the sake of being mean, they'll drink anything to get numb and take anything to get high. They've been arrested more times than I was suspended. Clare might be short but she doesn't back down she fights, kicking Nic and hitting Marcus with her backpack. She might have even gotten away if Nic didn't grab her skirt and cause her to fall. I yell at them to leave her alone, attacking Nic from behind and putting him in a choke hold until he passes out but he's still alive. Marcus is hitting me, he pulls down my hood and I glare at him.
"Holy fuck what kind of freak are you?" He exclaims stepping back.
With Nic unconscious I'm easily able to kick Marcus in the stomach; he doubles over and throws up. I hit him a couple more times and he passes out. Hiding under my hood again I grab Clare's backpack from where she dropped it. Turning her over I see that her head is bleeding, quite a bit actually. I rip my shirt and wrap it around her head then pick her up. I don't know where she lives and I won't risk walking the streets anyway so I take her to my home. Carrying her through the tunnels and into my room I put her on my bed drop her backpack and run to get Doc.
"Doc come quickly she's hurt," I tell him. He doesn't even ask questions just runs after me back to my room.
"Why'd you bring her here?"
"She's hurt I couldn't just leave her."
"Get clean water and soap clean the cut on her I need to get my bag."
Doc leaves my room and I do as he says, he returns and gives me rubbing alcohol. I clean the cut on her head some more, he looks at her eyes and bandages her head while I clean her other scrapes. He tells me to get some ice so I sneak into the school to get it and he sits with her. Doc says she'll be okay after some rest and the cut on her head has a very small bump but he's sure she doesn't have a concussion. He tells me to watch her and get her out of here as soon as she's able. Doc makes her some tea and brings it to me, I set it by her bedside and she starts to wake up.
I tell her to lie down again, we talk for a few minutes, I tell her she's safe and to go back to sleep. When she complains that her head hurts I tell her to drink the tea but I make sure to stay in the shadows so she can't see me. Everyone's frightened of me now, except the people down here but even they are disgusted by my appearance at first. Clare sips her tea and then falls asleep again and I stay watching her. When she wakes up again she's ready to leave so I grab her backpack and start leading her out of the tunnels. She's rather chatty and is asking a lot of questions including my name which I reluctantly tell her.
"Why do you live down here?" She asks.
"I never knew my father, he took off before I was born and my mom had a lot of bad relationships. A few years ago she married this guy but he hated me and so did his son Steve. Things got real bad and I left," I tell her a short version.
"That's awful; my mom took my sister and disappeared seven years ago. It's just me and my dad now, he's not a bad guy but he's sort of given up and he brings home a lot of women but he's never gotten close to being remarried. I understand leaving when things got bad but why live in tunnels under the city? Don't you have any other family? What about a group home? My first boyfriend lived in a group home it wasn't great but he was looked after."
"I don't have any other family and I couldn't go to a group home," I reply.
"But why? If you're a minor and…"
"I just couldn't," I snap with a snarling tone and hear her gasp. I feel bad for scaring her but I don't look back at her she'll be terrified.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…I think it's the head injury it's making me ask too many questions," she apologizes in a sheepish voice.
"It's okay I'm just not used to answering questions or talking to too many people. I'm not alone down here, there's a small community of people and we look out for each other. You can't tell anyone about us Clare, if the cops found out they'd drive us from the tunnels. Some of us have nowhere else to go," I inform her.
"I shouldn't have asked it's none of my business anyway and I promise that I will never tell anyone Fitz. Can I ask one more question? You don't have to answer," she says.
"What's the question?"
"How did you know I was in trouble?"
"I was watching my friend at football practice; I keep an eye on my friends and try to keep them out of trouble or from getting hurt, if I can help it. I saw you at football practice and when you started walking through the ravine I followed you."
"I'm very glad you did or I would have woken up with them raping me I'm sure," she says I stop walking.
"This storm drain leads to Jimmie Simpson park how far is your house from there?" I ask her as we reach the end of the tunnels.
"My house is one street over, I can get there from here," she tells me and I turn to hand her backpack to her. She starts to reach for her backpack but then grabs my hoodie and pulls it down revealing my face. She gasps shrinking away in horror as everyone does, her hands held to her mouth in fear and I drop her backpack turning away. "Wait," she says grabbing my arm and moving in front of me. She puts her hand on my shoulder kissing my right cheek just between the two scars and releases my arm. "Thank you for saving me Fitz and for taking care of me," she smiles and then takes her backpack and walks out of the tunnel to the park.
I watch her when she's under a streetlight she turns back and smiles at me and I smile back, I haven't smiled in a long time but I smile at her. I put my hoodie back up to hide my face and follow her home from a distance, staying in the shadows but I'm making sure that she's safe. And I want to know where she lives, other than Doc she's the only person that didn't run when they first saw me and wasn't so terribly scared of my appearance. I can still feel the gently soft tingle of her lips on my cheek. On one of the few parts of my skin that isn't scarred and mutilated but she kissed me and she didn't run.
When I see Clare is safely in her house I return to the tunnels and my home. I sit on my bed and smile even more when I breathe in her scent which has permeated my pillow.
"Will she keep our secret?" Doc asks coming into the room.
"She promised not to say anything and I believe her."
"I know that look in your eye, be careful son she'll break your heart."
(CLARE)
Dad didn't come home last night, not unusual for him, so he didn't see gauze wrapped around my head or yell at me for being home late and not calling. There's also a scrape on my cheek but it isn't bad, and a few scratches and minor cuts and bruises on my hands, arms and legs. I'm already ready for school and in the washroom unwrapping the gauze from my head. It looks rather nasty actually, a cut that's about an inch big but it's over a small bump and surrounded by bruising. I put some antiseptic cream on it and cover it with a large round bandage; it's quite visible but doesn't look as nasty as the cut, bruise and bump.
I thought of Fitz all last night and stayed up very late unable to shake the vision of him from my mind. His face is like something from a nightmare but he isn't. When I first saw him it was a shocking terror, like a vision from a nightmare. An image from a horror movie that would make me scream and hide my head. His face is frightening but he is not, he's sweet and nurturing, I felt connected to him in weird way. I'm fairly certain he wasn't born like that, I'm sure that something happened to him but I was afraid to ask last night.
He has a slash across his face, going from his right temple under his eye, across the bridge of his nose, down his left cheek to the corner of his chin. He has another cut going from the right corner of his mouth to his chin and down his neck. Both cuts are oddly scarred and almost look like still open wounds that split his face in two, and gives the one side of his mouth an almost muzzle like appearance. The entire left side of his face is red and slightly pitted, the skin looks almost melted and stretched and it seems swollen in a way. I saw the same thing on his neck only more stretched and melted looking and not as red. It looks partly like Freddy Krueger and partly like Two-Face from Batman. He looks monstrous but he himself was anything but monstrous.
"What happened to you?" Adam inquires as I join him, Drew and Dave on the steps when I get to school.
"I fell walking home through the ravine last night," I tell them which is technically true.
"You okay?" Adam questions looking at the bandage under my bangs.
"Yeah it's just a bump and a few scratches and bruises," I reply walking into school and they follow me. We go to our lockers and I smile when I see mine, decorated by flowers that have been made origami style with paper. They're beautiful, all made of white paper but I see orchids, lilies and even roses. I'm sure Fitz did this somehow, got into the school and decorated my locker.
"Whoa guess you impressed Eli yesterday," Alli comments.
"I don't think Eli did this," I reply.
"Don't think I did what?" Eli asks appearing suddenly.
"Decorated Clare's locker with paper flowers," Adam says.
"Wasn't me, flowers aren't my style. So who was the Romeo?" Eli asks and I'm fairly certain I hear jealousy in his tone.
"I don't know," I shake my head. I'm still certain it was Fitz but I promised not to say anything about him or where he lives and I will keep my promise.
"Told you the new look was working you have a very romantic secret admirer," Alli grins and Eli humphs.
I open my locker and get my book out while everyone is conjecturing on who the secret admirer might be. Drew leaves the group as soon as he sees Bianca and the rest of us walk out to the foyer. The subject of my secret admirer is dropped in lieu of Friday's football game. When the bell rings Adam, Eli and I walk to class, we're split into pairs to work on assignments and I get paired with Eli. We talk more than we work, there's definitely a mutual attraction and we have a lot in common. We like a lot of the same music and the same plays, many of the same authors and poets. He sparks me intellectually and physically and yet as attracted as I am to Eli I can never get the intrigue of Fitz off my mind. There are times throughout the day that I could swear I feel him nearby watching me. I never see him though he stays well hidden but I'm sure he's there.
Adam and I get paired in media studies for a project and he invites me to come home and work on it at his house. Since Drew has football practice after school we start walking until Eli offers us a ride in Morty. There's only one seat and I sit in the middle, the hearse is somewhat unsettling but it's a quick ride to Adam's house. We thank Eli for the ride and go in through Adam's basement greeting his mom when she comes downstairs. Adam tells her we were paired on the project and Owen will probably come home with Drew since they got paired on the same project. In fact the two of them arrive home just before dinner and at the same time as Omar. We all eat dinner together and then Adam and Drew have to clean up so Owen and I go downstairs to the basement. I've finished my other homework so I begin working on my story for writers craft class but I begin thinking about Fitz and my thoughts take over what I'm writing.
"Owen," I venture and he looks up at me with a cocked eyebrow wondering what I could possibly want of the football player. "When you first came to DeGrassi in grade nine was there a boy that went by the name Fitz in your class?"
The dark haired blue-eyed boy lowers his eyebrow and twists one side of his mouth, "Yeah. Fitz was one of my best friends. Bianca and I met him in grade six, his mom had just remarried and his stepfather was an ass. His stepbrother Steve is a year older than me he still goes to DeGrassi."
"He does?"
"Yeah Steven Bowes," Owen says.
"I know him he's a jerk; he's almost always in trouble for beating up someone."
"Yeah and a couple years ago it was usually Fitz but then their house caught fire and Fitz disappeared. Some people thought that Fitz set the fire and ran away; it's what I like to think. I wouldn't blame him, his stepdad and stepbrother made his life hell. Fitz was always showing up at school with cuts and bruises. Other people think Fitz's stepdad killed him and dumped the body somewhere."
When Owen tells me this theory I see a sadness in his eyes over his long lost friend. I know now that Fitz was watching Owen at football practice. I want to tell Owen that Fitz is alive and looking after him and Bianca but I can't break my promise. It's up to Fitz to reveal himself to Owen and Bianca if he chooses to.
"That's terrible," I comment and realize most of Fitz's scars must have come from the fire.
"How'd you know about Fitz anyway you weren't at DeGrassi when Fitz was there and you didn't go to the same junior high as us," Owen remarks.
"I thought I heard someone talking about him at school yesterday," I mumble a reply and Owen squints his face like he doesn't believe me. He doesn't have time to ask questions though as Drew and Adam come back down the stairs.
"Mom's all freaked out because a couple of guys were attacked near the school in the ravine. They had cracked ribs and a lot of bruising, both were knocked unconcious. The police think it was gang related but Mom said you shouldn't walk home alone through the ravine anymore," Drew tells us.
"Didn't you say you fell near the ravine?" Adam questions.
"Yeah but I didn't see anyone," I reply.
"Well Mom can't get a hold of your dad she said you should sleep here," Adam tells me.
"Sounds good," I smile. Since Dad is often gone I stay here a lot, here or Alli's and I have extra clothes at both places. There's a bed in a little alcove down here in the basement and that's where I sleep. Bianca stays here a lot too because her aunt is a lot like my dad and Bianca has extra clothes here too.
Owen leaves after finishing his project with Drew, the three of us stay up watching TV for a little while. The Torres brothers tell me goodnight and go upstairs. I don't turn on the lights since I know my way around. Going to where the bed is and opening the top drawer of the dresser to get out my pajamas and then I stop. I look out the window barely able to make out the figure in the moonlight. It's Fitz, I can see his hood, the way he stands, I know it's him.
"The flowers on my locker it was you wasn't it?" I ask quietly as I open the basement door.
"Did you like them?"
"They were lovely, come inside it's freezing out here," I insist waving him inside.
"No I shouldn't," he shakes his head, "I should go home."
"Fitz wait please," I run out and grab his arm. "Owen told me about your stepdad and stepbrother. Most of your scars are from the fire aren't they?"
"Yeah."
"The cuts on your face did they do that?"
"Steve cut me but Barry, my stepdad, he used the fire poker to cauterize them but it only made it worse. He set the fire just two days later; I hadn't left the house since getting cut so no one had seen me. I blacked out during the fire and woke up in the hospital, they didn't know who I was and I wasn't going to go back to my family. So as soon as I was strong enough I left the hospital."
"Owen's worried about you, he still cares about you, he's still your friend," I plead with Fitz hoping he'll reveal himself.
"Not like this, people can barely look at me and my face is only part of it, I was burned on over 30% of my body. I have to get home but I'll be watching you like I do for Owen and Bianca," he says. I hear a noise in the house and a light comes on in the kitchen, I look away from Fitz at the light and when I look back Fitz has vanished.
I want to know more, I want to know him, I'm so intrigued and by so much more than his appearance. An appearance that's hideous and grotesque but also sad in a way. I didn't see him tonight, he kept hidden in the shadows but I wish I wouldn't. He told me he lives in tunnels below the school so I decide to explore the school on my spare tomorrow and find these tunnels.
Update Friday April 17th starting the next day with Clare exploring and learning more about Fitz.
