I own nothing but the idea.
This is an a/u one shot told completely in Clare's pov.
Takes place roughly after Ray of Light but Cam did not commit suicide and is alive. Eli starts taking drugs and Clare breaks up with him.
Locked In
My fingers furiously clicked away on the keyboard, I was typing fast trying to get the article written. I could edit tomorrow but I had to get it written tonight, I was also trying to avoid being home alone which is why I'd come back to school, despite the raging storm outside. This morning two cell towers in Riverdale had been destroyed by the storm and now cell service was nearly nonexistent. Some streets had begun to flood and the school was all but deserted, in fact I was pretty sure that since it was now after 6 the only other one here was the janitor, still I felt safer in a large empty school than home alone. For one thing when I'd gotten home this afternoon just after this tempest began I found our power was out. In fact it was out on my whole block, so I'd come right back to school determined to get this article written, perfected and submitted by Monday. I wasn't about to let anything ruin this chance for me and that included a storm, the school had a backup generator so despite the raging storm outside, the school was lit, warm and I felt safe. My fingers hitting the keys with lightning speed was almost loud enough to drown out the sound of the pounding rain on the roof. I'd all but forgotten there was a storm as I was tucked away in the heart of the building in the DeGrassi Daily office. That is until a bolt of lightning strikes so close I can see it even though there are no windows near me. At the very same second thunder booms so loud the entire school shakes! All the electronics, including my laptop make an electric fizzle and then blink off with the lights!
"Awesome, there goes the generator, guess the lightning got it," I muse to myself as I pack up my laptop in it's case and grab my purse.
The school is incredibly dark without light of any kind and my heart starts pounding. I can't see anything, I begin to get anxious, an irrational fear creeping over me and I fumble in my purse to find my phone so that I have some form of light. Then a hand clamps down on my shoulder, my breath seizing in my throat, my heart racing and I scream in terror!
"Clare relax it's just us," Owen says in a loud yet calm voice.
I stop screaming and turn around to see him with Dallas; they're both trying not to laugh for scaring me and lit only by the glow of their cell phones. I narrow my eyes, twist my mouth and smack them both on the arm, "Don't scare me like that! What are you two even doing here don't you have games on Friday's?"
"It's a bye week and we had to make up for a chemistry project we flaked on because of practice," Dallas tells me.
"What is a bye week?" I question having only dated one jock and he only started playing basketball near the end of our relationship.
"A week without a game, what are you doing here?" Owen questions.
"I was given the chance to write an article for Literary Review Magazine but I have to have it in by Monday," I tell them and then there's a crash from somewhere in the school, I jump and grab onto both of them.
"There's someone else in the school," Owen states.
"That's what I'm afraid of," I mutter under my breath.
"We should stay together, come on Clare," Owen says putting a hand on my back and directing me to turn and walk with them.
"Why are we walking toward the sound?" I inquire gripping Owen's jacket so I don't get lost.
"Because someone else is here and we should all stay together," Owen responds.
"What if the someone is not a friend, anyone could have gotten in, the school is almost pitch black," I point out trying not to sound as terrified as I feel.
"You're with the two strongest, bravest and hottest guys in school, you have no reason to be afraid," Dallas says in a slightly teasing tone.
"And the two most delusional," I spit back in a snarky tone.
There's another clap of thunder right on top of us, I manage not to scream but I gasp and grab Dallas' jacket.
"A little jumpy aren't you Edwards?" Dallas chides.
"Didn't think you were the type to be afraid of storms," Owen comments.
"It's not the storm I'm afraid of," I reply.
"Don't worry, us strong manly men will protect you," Dallas grins as he and Owen put an arm around me, Owen around my waist and Dallas around my shoulders.
I open my mouth to shoot back a sardonic remark when we hear someone yelp and I jump again.
"Wait I know that yelp," Owen says.
"Yeah me too," Owen agrees.
"ROOKIE!" They both yell very loudly at the same time which doesn't help my nerves at all.
"CAPTAIN? OWEN?" Cam calls into the dark halls.
"WHERE YOU AT?" Owen yells again and every time they yell it grinds at my nerves.
"NEAR THE MUSIC ROOM AND MAYA'S WITH ME," Cam hollers in answer.
"Will everyone please stop yelling," I request feeling my last nerve about to snap.
Owen looks at me and then covers my ears with his hands, "STAY WE'RE COMING TO YOU," Owen yells but it's not so loud with him covering my ears. "Last yell I promise," he tells me with a grin letting go of my ears.
Owen takes my hand and I pull Dallas by the jacket, both of them using their phones as the only light. I could get out mine but I don't want to let go of them right now. We navigate the dark hallways and when we come around the corner Owen's phone illuminates Cam and Maya's faces.
"Okay now what are you two doing here?" Dallas asks them.
"Well we were having a date in the music room, away from my sister where we could be alone but then the lights went out," Maya tells us.
"I think one of those lightning strikes hit the generator, now that we're all together can we get out of here," I request, I don't really want to go home but I can spend the night at Alli and Jenna's or something.
"Yeah let's stay together and head to the front," Owen says turning and taking my hand again when we're facing the other direction.
I release Dallas' jacket and let him turn but I hold his jacket sleeve again. Cam and Maya walk on the other side of Dallas and we begin heading to the front doors. In the dark school it takes us a few minutes to get to the front doors, it's a little lighter as we come around the auditorium since we're out by the windows now. Another lighting strike hits the school; the flash is so bright by the windows we're all blinded for a second. I shriek but it's drowned out by the deafening thunder clap that shakes the windows and I latch onto Dallas and Owen. Owen puts an arm around me and Dallas puts his hand on my shoulder. We all froze when the lighting hit but we're only a few feet from the door and we start moving again. Owen reaches the doors first and pushes on them but they push right back and rattle the windows.
"It's locked, guess the janitor left when the lights went out," Owen remarks.
"Wonderful we're locked in a dark abandoned school during a storm, this is how horror movies start," I exclaim anxiously inadvertently gripping Dallas a little tighter and pulling at Owen's jacket.
"Yeah but that's how porn movies start too," Dallas says and I don't need light to hear the carnal grin on his lips.
Owen starts laughing, I let go of Dallas to hit his arm, and Cam puts both of his arms around Maya protectively.
"Anyone got signal, we've had no signal all afternoon?" Owen asks.
I reach into my purse and find my phone again, it lights up but I have no signal and I shake my head.
"No signal," Cam says.
"Me either," Maya says.
"Alright well someone's parents are bound to notice that we're missing and come looking right?" Owen asks.
Before anyone else can speak there's another enormously loud thunder clap and consecutive lightning strike. I manage not to scream this time but as I'm still holding Owen's jacket I pull him closer to me as I make a frightened gasp. Owen puts his arm around me holding me close and Dallas puts a hand on my arm.
"Mine won't notice me missing," Maya speaks up, "my parents are in Baltimore until next week, Mom is part of a clinical trial. Katie thinks I'm sleeping at Tori's house tonight and she's having Jake, Mo and Marisol over."
"My billet parents think I'm sleeping at Zig's all weekend, I was going to have the date with Maya and then take the bus home to see my family," Cam informs us.
"And my parents took Tris to our grandparents in Montreal for the weekend," Owen says.
"Guess everyone was escaping the storm cause the Torres family went to Boston for the weekend to see Audra's brother, shouldn't you be sleeping at Luke's though? Won't the Bakers notice you're missing?" I ask Dallas.
"No I couldn't take it at their place and they think I'm at Owen's," Dallas shakes his head.
"And mine are in Vermont for a long romantic weekend and to get as far away from me as possible. Like Maya said Jake is at Katie's tonight and staying with Mo tomorrow night. Awesome no one is even going to notice we're missing until Sunday night!" I exclaim as my raw nerves get jolted by loud thunder again!
"What about the office we can call out on the landline," Dallas suggests taking my hand again.
We walk in a line to the office, Owen on one end with his arm around me, Dallas on the other side of me holding my hand, Dallas has an arm protectively around Maya's shoulders and Cam is on the other side of her. Owen and Cam have their phones out to light our way. We reach the office and break our chain, Maya sits in the secretary's chair, Cam hops up on the desk, Dallas leans against it and I stay close to him while Owen picks up the phone.
"It's dead guess the storm hit the phone lines," he tells us setting it back down again, "there's a back door."
"Plus a side door by the caf for food deliveries and a door through the utility corridor," I add.
"How do you know?" Owen questions.
"You're not the first bad boy to attend this school you know," I reply and he gives me a look.
"Okay well that's three doors one of them has got to open," Dallas says.
"Get out your phones so we can see," Owen commands and we all start searching for our phones.
We form a line again to go down the hall but with all of us holding our phones we can't hold each other. The glow from our phones isn't all that bright and it's still pretty hard to see.
"Ow!" Maya cries out in pain as she trips and falls to the ground, all of us stop and rush to her side.
"Are you okay?" Owen asks her as she sits up.
"Yeah I think so, I just tripped in the dark, I'm such a klutz," Maya scolds herself. Cam takes her hands and helps her to stand but when she puts weight on her ankle she yelps again and lifts her left foot. "My ankle hurts I think I twisted it," Maya tells us. Cam picks her up and Owen uses his phone to light up her ankle and look at it but it doesn't work very well.
"I can't see a fucking thing, we'll take you two back to the office I don't want to be dragging Maya around with a hurt ankle while we look for a way out," Owen says.
"Yeah good thinking," Dallas agrees.
Cam carries Maya while the rest of us use our phones to light the way back to the office. Cam sets Maya on the secretary's desk and takes off his jacket for her to lean against.
"Alright stay here, we'll find a way out and come back for you, no one else is in the school so don't worry," Owen tells them.
"Cam check the drawers and file cabinets there should be some basic first aid supplies, you should be able to find an ice pack or bandage to wrap her ankle," I tell him.
"I'm fine, you guys find us a way out of here," Maya says.
"We'll be back," Owen assures them.
I leave my purse and laptop bag with Maya and Cam, then the three of us light our phones again and start back down the hall. We get near the back door in silence, aside from the beating rain on the roof and then there's more loud thunder and close lighting but at least it's not on top of the school this time. I still jump and grab onto Dallas since he's the one on my left side and I'm holding the phone in my right.
"So if it's not the storm then what has you so fucking jumpy?" Owen Dallas asks.
"Eli," I respond.
"Why? I thought you dumped his sorry ass when he started taking drugs?" Owen inquires.
"I did, Eli didn't accept," I reply.
"Didn't accept? Didn't accept what? You broke up with him it's done," Dallas states.
"Not with Eli," I shake my head.
"Last time she broke up with him he crashed his car intentionally so she would come see him," Owen explains.
"He didn't crash or anything so melodramatic this time, he's just been…around a lot," I tell them as we reach the back door and Owen pushes on it but it's locked, chained from the outside.
"Ok Caf next," Owen says pulling at my arm to get me to come with him. "What do you mean he's been around a lot?" Owen asks as we start walking to the caf.
"Sneaking into my house at night, showing up places that I'm at," I reply.
"So he's stalking you then," Dallas states.
"Stalking might be a little harsh, he's trying to apologize and just won't listen to when I say no or go away," I tell them.
"I call that stalking but why are you so jumpy? Did Eli hurt you?" Owen asks.
"He's taking drugs and gone off his meds again I think, he's…unpredictable and the more I tell him no the crazier he gets," I tell them and then I swear I hear someone behind us. I whip my head around shining my phone into the dark hallway behind us but see only dark.
"What's wrong?" Dallas asks.
"I thought I heard something," I respond.
They boys shine their phones back and call to Maya and Cam but all we see is dark and all we hear is silence.
"You're probably just spooked cause of the storm and your psycho ex," Owen says. We enter the caf and go through the kitchen but that door is locked too. "Okay one more door, if that's locked then we're stuck, at least until morning when we can see," Owen tells us.
"Awesome," I mumble and we hear a chair scraping against the linoleum floor like someone is pushing a chair back. We all shine our phones out but of course we don't see anything because the light from our phones isn't that bright. "Someone else is in here," I whisper in a petrified voice gripping the sleeve of Owen's Ice Hound jacket so tightly I can hear the leather going taught.
"Who's there?" Owen calls into the room while pushing me behind him a little. No one answers, we hear nothing but silence, "It must have been the wind or something," Owen tries to assure us but I don't find that comforting.
"Let's get out of here, there's still the utility corridor," I say quickly pulling Owen with me as I head for the door.
Dallas follows us and we go out to the hall again, since I seem to be the only one that knows the way to the utility corridor I lead. The corridor is always dark but tonight they seem especially dark. Our last possible exit is locked like everything else and we are officially locked in!
"My batteries about to die," I tell them when the light on my phone becomes dimmer.
"We can find our way back the schools not totally dark, anyway I've been to Simpson's office so much I could probably find it with my eyes closed," Owen jokes and Dallas laughs.
My phone dies and now we have only the light from Dallas and Owen's. It's slow going back to the office in the dark, we walk careful so as not to fall like Maya did. At least the storm seems to be passing, the rain is lighter, the lightning and thunder far off so that I don't hear it so much anymore. The startling sound of a door slamming from somewhere in the school stops the three of us in our tracks and I grip onto the two of them dropping my phone. I hear the sound of the case cracking and the screen shattering, Owen puts an arm around me and Dallas takes my hand.
"If that's Cam I'm going to kill him," Owen growls.
"Let's just get back to them and see what's going on," Dallas advises.
We start walking a little faster, staying close together, mostly because I'm forcing them to surround me.
"Finally, you guys have been gone forever, you were really loud though," Cam says when we finally do get back to the office.
"What do you mean?" Owen questions taking his arm away from my shoulders and moving me to the other side of him which forces Dallas to release my hand.
"We kept hearing doors slamming and stuff falling," Maya replies.
"That wasn't us," I shake my head and look at Owen and Dallas, "someone else is in the school!"
"Clare relax, if someone else is in the school we'll find them," Dallas tells me just as Owen's stomach growls.
"We tried every door but they're all locked, we're stuck here for the night at least but the good news is that we have food. I say we head back to the caf and get some dinner. Clare hold my phone for light and stay between Dallas and Cam, come on Maya piggy back," Owen commands handing me his phone and leaning against the desk so that Maya can get on his back.
Dallas puts an arm around my shoulders and Cam stands close, Maya lights the way with her phone too and we start walking to the caf again. We start slow but when we hear someone walking in the other hall, brushing by the locks on the lockers, we speed up. Once we do reach the caf Owen sets Maya on a table then he and Dallas barricade the doors so that whoever is out there can't get back in.
Since there's no power we can't cook or open the fridge, so all we can eat are snack foods but Dallas does find a case of waters not in the fridge so at least we have water. We all eat at one table, Maya sits on it and Cam elevates her foot with his jacket. Dallas and Owen scarf down their food like a couple of ravenous dogs. Cam eats only a little slower, even Maya seems to have an appetite as she eats two granola bars and a banana. I on the other hand am too freaked out to eat, I fear who's out there and it doesn't help that I'm supposed to give my bench trial against Asher on Monday; something my mom knew and still decided to go on a romantic weekend with Glen. My fears start to mingle together and get warped in my head, I become lost at them and don't realize that I'm picking off pieces of my apple with my fingernail rather than eating. Owen puts his hand on mine to get me to stop and for a second I feel Asher, I yank my hand away and Owen puts his hand up. I give him an apologetic smile and he puts his hand on my back.
"Clare whoever is out there they can't hurt you, or any of us, we won't let them," Owen tells me in a firm and comforting voice.
"I know, sorry it isn't that, it's not just that anyway. I'm okay sorry I'm a nervous wreck," I apologize.
"It's okay Clare, every time you get scared you jump into our arms and we're fine with that," Owen grins and I smile.
Owen takes the apple and tosses it into the trashcan three tables away. Dallas pushes a granola bar at me and I start eating.
"So where are we going to sleep?" Maya asks when we're almost done eating.
"Well there's the gym mats in the weight room and gym, they would make a pretty good bed. There's enough of them that we can all have our own. We'll sleep in the gym, it's central and there's only two doors so no one can sneak up on us," Owen comments.
"What about blankets? Without the power the heater isn't going and the temperature is already dropping," I point out.
"The prop room probably has some, we don't need much and we'll stay warmer sharing body heat," Dallas grins with a slight carnal smile.
"Great so I'll sleep with Clare and you three can sleep together," Maya says and all three boys freeze.
"Hell no!" Dallas shakes his head.
"Yeah well none of you are sleeping with my girlfriend!" Cam says sharply as he puts an arm around Maya's shoulders.
"Maya and Cam will share a bed and Clare can sleep with the two of us," Owen speaks up.
"Excuse me?" I exclaim.
"We're all sleeping in one room we're not going to do anything," Dallas says.
"Come on we should go find blankets," Owen comments standing up.
Cam gives Maya a piggy back and the three of us use phones to light our way, however we don't even make it to the prop room. We still have enough that we can see a little; Maya's holding her phone over Cam's shoulder as well. Dallas unlocks the prop room door and we go in, Cam sets Maya on the table near the front and the three of us start looking through the shelves for blankets.
"Here you and Maya can take this," Dallas says to Cam as he pulls down a large quilt I remember we used for a production of Macbeth when I was in grade 9.
Cam takes the blanket and walks back to the table to give it to Maya. Owen finds a white comforter and since we don't see any others those will have to suffice. This time Dallas gives Maya a piggy back and we go out to the gym, after setting Maya on the bleachers Dallas helps us get out gym mats to sleep on. We leave one folded into thirds for Cam and Maya to sleep on then Owen lays two next to each other and puts two more on top of those for the three of us to sleep on. It's a little hard to do without much light but we're getting some from the moon now that the rain has stopped.
"At least the storm stopped," Maya remarks while taking off her shoes. Cam had already put the blanket on their bed and carried her to it.
"Yeah it would be hard to sleep with the thunder shaking the building," I comment while Dallas and Owen take off their coats and shoes. I take off my coat but leave my shoes on, "I'm going to use the washroom in the girls locker room," I tell them.
"You want company?" Owen asks.
"Don't be gross, I just need a phone so I can see," I reply and Owen hands me his phone.
Walking back to the girls locker room I start to get an anxious feeling. My heart rate increases and my stomach churns. A deep foreboding sets over me but I convince myself I'm freaking myself out. Anyway I'm not about to ask one of the guys to come into the washroom with me and Maya has a hurt ankle. So I take a deep breath and tell myself that there is nothing in the dark and I'm scaring myself. I get back to the washroom and find a stall, setting Owen's phone on the toilet paper holder so I can pee. While I'm doing so I hear the door to the hallway open and I pull in a terrified breath!
"O…Owen?" I choke out and then clear my throat to talk better, "Dallas is that you?"
No one answers but I hear footsteps, I bite my lip and consider screaming and then decide Owen or Dallas is trying to scare me so that I'll jump into their arms again.
"Guys it isn't funny to scare me like this, if you don't knock it off then I'm sleeping with Maya and Cam and you two can keep each other warm," I tell them in a firm voice. I flush the toilet, grab Owen's phone throwing open the stall door and shining Owen's phone out but all I see is black. "Guys it's not going to work, if scare me I'm sleeping with Cam since he seems to be the only real man here," I say into the darkness but I'm met by only silence.
Maybe I'm going crazy, I've been around too much testosterone and in a dark school and I'm going crazy. I find my way to the sink set Owen's phone down and wash my hands. I depress the button again for some light so I can dry my hands but when I see a face in the mirror, a face that isn't mine, I gasp and the light goes out making the room dark again!
"There's no way in hell I'm letting you sleep with those two horny jocks!" Eli growls in a threatening whisper, grabbing my hand and spinning me around to face him.
"Eli what are you doing here?!" I question gripping the sink behind me with one hand.
"I followed you; I had to talk to you. I wanted to wait until you were done with your article but then the lights went out. Before I could get to you those two found you. You keep clutching them and letting them hold you," Eli says in an accusatory jealous tone.
"Only because you're skulking around the school and scaring me half to death," I tell him.
"You can't be with them Clare! You're supposed to be with me! You're my soul mate! You belong to me," he growls pulling my arm and trying to get me out the door to the hallway.
"Eli let me go! Have you taken your meds?" I question.
"No they make me stagnant, I can't think with them Clare I need to think I need to do so much for my NYU portfolio. I found something better, something that opens my mind! Remember when I wrote Stalker Angel Clare? You were my inspiration Clare, I need my muse, you have to come with me now," Eli growls and now I'm really scared!
Terrified tears crowd at my eyes and adrenaline takes over. I push at Eli while pulling my arm away and manage to get free, but I use so much force that I end up falling to the tile floor.
"Clare?" Dallas calls into the washroom just as I hear the door to the hallway open and know Eli's gone but I doubt that's the last time we'll see him tonight. "What are you doing on the floor? Did you fall?" Dallas questions helping me up and I cling to his shirt.
"He's here, Eli's here he followed me into the washroom, he was talking crazy saying he needed his muse and talking about Stalker Angel! He was angry that I was with you and Owen, said he wouldn't let me sl…"
My panicked ramble is cut off when Dallas' lips attach to mine! I freeze, my breath hitching in my throat as from shock as pleasure. The kiss is tender, comforting and over with too quickly. His lips leave mine but he takes my hand and puts an arm around me. I can't see a thing but I know he's smiling and I'm calmer now.
"At least we know who's in the school now. Owen and I won't let Eli hurt you," Dallas assures me.
"Why'd you come in?" I ask when he lets go of me.
"You were taking too long, we got worried," he replies, using his phone for light we find Owen's phone again and go out to the gym.
"What happened?" Maya asks when we sit on our bed.
"Eli's here, he followed me to the school, said he wanted to talk to me and then the lights went out. He was angry because I was with you guys and said I couldn't sleep with you," I tell Owen managing not to ramble quite so much this time.
Owen puts his arms around me from behind and enshrouds me, his embrace is comforting and I feel shielded. "Eli won't touch you, you'll be sleeping between us, there's nothing he can do," Owen affirms.
I realize that Maya and Cam are already in their bed and I take off my shoes, crawling over our makeshift bed and getting under the blanket. Owen gets in on the right and Dallas on the left. I hear running through the halls, I know it's Eli and I tense up a little but Owen puts his arms around me and I relax a bit.
"I can't sleep," Maya says after a few minutes of silence.
"It's not that late, we can talk until we get tired," Cam offers.
"Talk about what?" She asks.
"Tell us something no one else knows," Dallas suggests.
"I feel invisible in my own house and think my parents would be happier if I was gone," Maya says softly and I hear Cam kiss her.
"I take my anger out on others and feel like I failed my brother every time I can't protect him from something," Owen confesses with a heavy sigh and I realize just how deeply he cares for Tris.
"I worry that I can't hack it here and I'll disappoint my family. When I can't handle the pressure I hurt myself," Cam tells us.
"You broke your arm on purpose, I had a feeling, we're talking tomorrow rookie," Dallas informs him, he's lying on his back with an arm behind his head and I've got hold of his other hand. His head rolls to the side, I know he's looking at me because I can feel his breath but it's too dark to see an expression. "I'm a dad," he says and my eyes go wide, I feel Owen get very still as he's shocked by the news. "I have a two year old son Rock, he's with his mom in Guelph but they're moving here in the summer. I video chat with him once a week but I miss him like crazy."
"Dude you have a kid?!" Owen exclaims and I squeeze Dallas' hand.
"Yeah, ok Clare we've all gone," Dallas prods either wanting to hear my secret or just not wanting to talk about his son anymore.
"I'm terrified of facing Asher on Monday at the bench trial. I think my mom ran off with Glen to purposely avoid the bench trial because she's ashamed of me and the whole situation. Of course I took on that article to escape in a way too. I don't know if I'm brave enough to face him and repeat it all, have his lawyer pick apart my testimony. I'm most afraid that Asher will get off without so much as a slap on the wrist and I'll be there alone. Which I guess is sort of fitting because it's how I've felt for the last two months," I confess and this time Dallas squeezes my hand.
"So you pressed charges," Dallas says.
"Who's Asher?" Maya inquires.
"And what the fuck did he do to you?!" Owen demands.
"Asher Shostak was my co-op boss and he sexually harassed me. Kissed me, then assaulted me in his car the next day. I got away; he didn't even do much besides caress my cheek. When I told his boss that he did this I found out he beat me to it. Only instead of confessing what he'd done he told her that I came onto him and there were all texts and tweets from me for being do excited to work with him. I got fired and didn't tell anyone but Alli and then Dallas at first," I explain and Dallas tenses up remembering when he kissed me. I reach over putting a hand on his chest and he relaxes. "Eli seemed to take it well and support me, then he forced me to tell Miss Oh and my mom. My mom was shocked, angry and then she started telling me it was all disgraceful and started blaming me, at least that's how it felt. I wanted Asher to pay and so I almost planted topless pictures of myself on his computer."
"WHAT?!" Dallas and Owen exclaim together.
"Where are these pictures now?" Owen inquires.
"Destroyed, I found another intern that Asher assaulted and we went to the police. We pressed charges but it's our word against his and Monday after school I have to go before the judge, Asher and his lawyer and give testimony."
"You won't be alone Clare I'll go with you," Dallas says and I smile.
"Me too," Owen agrees and I smile again.
I ask about their practice and they tell me it's that morning. Maya decides that this conversation is too depressing and Owen changes the subject. He and Dallas begin telling us about hockey stories, at least until we hear one of the doors open and I know it's Eli. I go rigid with fear and cower between Dallas and Owen. Owen tightens his arms around me and Dallas holds me too and I'm now protected by a shield of muscled hockey players.
"Clare," Eli whispers.
I see a faint glimmer and realize that Eli must be using his phone to light the room. Owen turns a little and kisses me suddenly which is shocking but calming at the same time and then he gets out of bed.
"Leave her alone Eli she's not your girlfriend anymore," Owen tells him.
"She's my soul mate she b…"
I hear Owen punch Eli and then Eli falls to the floor, Owen gets back in bed and holds me again. "Did you kill him?" I question.
"Nah just knocked him out, let him sleep it off," Owen says.
"Now that Eli isn't stalking the halls anymore you guys don't have to hold me," I tell them.
"I want to hold you," Owen responds.
"So do I," Dallas agrees and Maya starts laughing.
"What's so funny?" Owen questions.
"Clare has two boyfriends," Maya giggles.
"I do not, we're not dating they're just being gentleman," I refute.
"I think they're being horny teenagers," Maya responds with a laugh.
"We're keeping her warm," Owen says defensively.
"And safe," Dallas adds in the same defensive tone.
Cam seems to decode that a change of subject is in order and starts talking about his brother. Then Dallas tells us about Rock and sounds like a proud dad, by the time Owen starts telling us stories about Tris as a baby I'm drifting to sleep. It's Eli's groaning that wakes me the next morning, I sit up to look at him and this wakes up Dallas and Owen.
"What's up?" Owen asks sitting up and stroking my arm. Eli opens his eyes and glares at us as Dallas sits up, brushes a curl behind my ear and rests his chin on my shoulder.
"Eli's awake," I comment.
"So he is, Clare is very warm and soft, she's great to sleep next to," Dallas tells him and Eli sits up holding his head.
"Fuck you!" Eli snarls which wakes up Cam and Maya.
"Hey it's daytime, we should try and get out of here again," Owen says.
"Maya how's your ankle?" I ask.
"It hurts a little but it's okay," Maya says.
Cam stands up and helps Maya stand, she's able to put weight on her ankle, it's slightly red but not very swollen. Dallas, Owen and I get up and Eli stands, he seems to be almost normal again having come down from whatever he was on or his craziness is temporarily settled. He glares at us but doesn't say a word; I think he's afraid of Owen hitting him again. We put the gym mats back and fold the blankets, Eli doesn't help and walks out of the gym while we're busy putting the gym mats away.
"We'll kill him later," Dallas shrugs when we see that Eli's gone.
"You don't need to kill him," I refute as everyone starts getting their shoes and jackets back on.
"My purse and laptop bag is still in the office, maybe the phone lines are back on," I suggest hopefully.
The five of us leave the gym and start walking to the office when we see Simpson outside. Owen runs over and bangs on the glass, Simpson looks up and unlocks the front door.
"What are you five doing in here?" Simpson asks.
"We were all here late yesterday and got locked in when the storm blew the generator," Dallas enlightens our principal.
"And there's six of us, Eli is around here somewhere," I inform Simpson.
"Ok well you should all get home, I'll check in with you later it's amazing none of your parents called the cops," Simpson says.
"None of our parents were home or they all thought we were sleeping somewhere else," Owen says.
I grab my purse from the office and the five of us walk out the front doors.
"Fresh air!" Maya smiles taking in a deep breath of the frosty morning air.
"Cam you should come back to the Torres house with me," Dallas insists.
"Maya can come to my house, I've got my mom's car," I offer and she smiles at me.
"Then I guess we'll see you Monday," Owen says waving to us.
Maya and I get in my car and we start driving to my house. "I think I'm in love with Cam," she smiles.
"I think he's in love with you too," I tell her and her smile gets bigger.
"So you know Dallas and Owen both like you," she tells me hardly containing her giddiness for me.
"I got that impression yes," I smile.
"So which one are you going to choose?" Maya questions.
"Until they ask me to choose there isn't even a choice to be made. They haven't even asked me out and I'm not coming between two friends. I'd like to see if there's something there with either one but not if they're going to fight," I respond parking at my house.
"They weren't fighting last night," she points out.
I just smile and bite my lip as I unlock the front door and we go into my house. Cam calls and tells Maya he loves her, they talk on the phone for at least two hours during which time Owen and Dallas call to tell me they'll be with me Monday for the trial. I even finish my article before Cam and Maya get off the phone. For the first time I'm not worried about Monday or what will happen to Asher, or that Eli will never leave me alone and it's all thanks to a storm and spending a night in the school because we were locked in.