"I know a place, where the grass is really greener. Warm, wet, and wild, there must be something in the water."
Clare smiled as her new favorite song played on her radio to wake her up. This is a good sign, she thought before opening her eyes and getting out of bed. She walked over to her dresser to where she had the perfect outfit laid out.
"Sippin' gin and juice, laying underneath the palm trees,"
"Undone," she sang along happily in her underwear and t-shirt.
She spent the rest of the song getting dressed, fixing her hair, putting in her brand new contacts, and applying the perfect amount of makeup (her sister Darcy had taught her many tricks over the summer).
When the song was over on the radio, she decided to listen to it again, and plugged the iPod she'd gotten for her birthday up to the docking station her sister had passed down to her.
"California girls, we're unforgettable! Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top! Sun-kissed skin, so hot, we melt your popsicle!" She sang, while dancing around her room and continuing to get ready for what was supposed to be the first day of the rest of her life.
She had spent her whole summer vacation in California with her sister. Darcy been accepted to the University of Southern California, and had decided to fly straight there from Kenya. She begged for two straight weeks for her parents to let Clare fly out there for the whole summer, and finally, they gave in. Clare was thrilled to not be stuck in Canada all summer; the chances of her running into KC were too high, and she couldn't risk that, not after what had gone down the last time she'd seen him.
And California had changed Clare.
In Cali, Darcy had gone to the gym every morning, so Clare went too, causing her to lose all of her remaining baby fat within the first month. After that, the sisters would go shopping for cute clothes, which meant Clare had a whole new wardrobe full of fun, bright, and exciting American clothes. After shopping, the girls would spend hours on the beach, leaving Clare's hair bleached from the sun, and her skin more tan than she ever would have thought possible. At night, Darcy would take Clare out dancing, where she'd met plenty of guys, and, not to make her sound like a whore, but many times she'd hook up with them. She still believed in abstinence, but hey, nobody said kissing was against the rules!
Clare had definitely come out of her shell, and she was excited to start anew at Degrassi.
"California girls, we're undeniable! Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock! West coast represent, now put your hands up-"
"Whoa, Clare," Alli said, bursting into her room, "Is that you?"
Clare stopped dancing and turned to grin at her best friend. They ran at each other and hugged.
"I've missed you so much Alli!" Clare exclaimed.
"I've missed you too, but look at you!" Alli said, holding Clare at arm's length, "You look completely different! You're tan, you're blonde, you're skinny as mess, and who knew you could dance?"
"All the perks of spending three months in sunny California with Darcy!" Clare explained, sounding girly-er than she ever had in her life.
"Wow, you've completely changed," Alli said, sounding a bit suspicious, "This is all for…"
"Of course not, I'm completely over KC!" Clare said happily. She smiled brightly.
"Oh, ow," Alli said, shielding her eyes, "You're crazy white teeth are blinding me, and wait! Where are your glasses?"
"Darcy got me contacts because she didn't want me getting a glasses tan," Clare laughed.
"Wow, this is great," Alli gushed, "You have to tell me everything."
"No I don't."
Alli cocked her head in confusion.
"Well I mean, I could tell you everything, but you'll forget everything once I tell you about all the BOYS I 'met'," Clare put air quotes around the word met, implying that she did more than meet them, "And I really don't wanna waste my breath."
Alli's eyes grew huge and they both burst into excited giggles.
"Come on, tell me on the way to school!" Alli exclaimed, pulling on Clare's arm. "By the way, that is the cutest outfit I've ever seen."
"Thanks, got it in Cali," Clare smiled, grabbing her brand new Coach purse as she left her room, letting the door slam behind the two girls.
A/N: i am aware that this is extremely out of character for Clare, but just roll with it, the old Clare we all know and love isn't completely gone, she's still buried somewhere deep inside of the new Clare. but i feel like this is something Clare needs to go through. i'm gonna tell you now, Clare will never be the same again. California gave her self-confidence in her appearance, personality, and ability to get guys (bc we all know she was doubting that); California gave her her sister back after a whole year, even if it was just for a few months. Clare needed Darcy in her first year at Degrassi, especially after what happened with KC. i'm not sure yet if this is gonna be a "Clare gets the guy back" story just yet or what, but i'll put it under Clare/KC anyway.
Well, i hope you enjoyed the first chapter! rememberrrrrr: REVIEWS = LOVE! so please review :)