Everything You Want,Nothing You Need.

KC Guthrie sighed and looked at Clare Edwards with a soft smile tracing the corners of his mouth. She was standing with Alli in the lunch line,laughing gaily and tossing her carefully curled hair over her shoulder.

Clare began to walk over to her usual table with Alli,not really paying attention to what she was doing when she suddenly tripped over a bookbag and fell,the soup that had been on her tray immediatly spilled onto her sky blue,baby tee soaking through quickly. "Darn it." She grumbled,staring at the ruined garment.

"Here." A voice said behind her,holding out some white napkins.

She took them thankfully and began to pat at her shirt. She looked up and opened her mouth to voice her thanks,coming face with Reese Cambridge. The one who had spilled the secret about KC stealing a car at his last school and the guy who had flirted with her right after she changed her look. She turned red in embarassment and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "Um....thanks." She muttered,gifting him with a smile.

He smirked softly at her. "Your welcome."

Alli watched the two with intrest for a moment before wrapping a surprisingly strong hand around her friends forearm and pulling her from the floor. "Come on Clare. You need to change your shirt." She said as she handed her tray to Connor,who had just walked over and dragged Clare out of the cafeteria.

"Ow! Careful Alli! I need that arm,you know!" Clare grumbled,glaring at Alli when she loosened her grip. She rubbed her arm softly,to sooth it.

"Sorry!" Alli exclaimed with an exaggerated roll of her dark eyes. "But Reese totally wants you!"

"Alli! No he doesn't! He was just being helpful." Clare said with a sigh as she pulled the dark green hoodie that she used as a jacket out of her bookbag and walked into the girl's restroom to remove her top. She pulled on the hoodie and zipped it up quickly,pulling her hair out from under the shirt and pulling it into a messy side ponytail.

Alli grinned wickedly and tossed her hair with a 'hmph!' "I know how guys are Clare,and that boy was looking at you as if he wanted to ravish you!" She said passionatly,throwing out her arms.

Clare blinked at her as if she were nuts and shook her head in disbelief. "You watch too many soap operas,Alli." She commented as she tossed her ruined shirt into her bookbag and walked out of the bathroom.

The two were still arguing over the matter when they went back to the cafeteria and sat at their table.

"What are you two arguing over?" KC asked as he slid his tray with half of a sandwich and some french fries and a bottle of water over to Clare who gave him a quick smile before beginning to eat.

"Reese totally wants Clare! And Clare...totally wants Reese!" Alli said as she sipped at her diet coke.

"Don't listen to her!" Clare said with a quick smile. "She's just being dramatic."

"It's true though." Alli said casually,as if she were commenting on the weather or something equally unimportant.

KC looked at Clare and Alli in shock then let his eyes drift over to Reese who sat at his table,with his friends,staring straight at his Clare. So it seemed as if it were true that Reese liked Clare,but did she like Reese? He wondered,furrowing his brow as if in concentration.

Clare tilted her head to the side and looked at him curiously. "Are you okay,KC?" She asked him worriedly.

He forced a smile on his face and nodded his head. "Yeah. 'Course I am."

-----

In their last class of the day,Clare walked into the English class with the biggest grin on her face. Alli clutched at her arm with a smile from ear to ear.

The Edwards girl took her seat next to KC,still grinning.

"Hey,What's got you so excited ?" He asked of her,smiling softly at her.

"Reese." She stated breathlessly,her beautiful blue eyes wide. "He asked me out on a date for Saturday."

The smile drooped off KC's face and he turned to face the teacher with a frown set on his mouth.

----

After class,Clare hurried after KC. "What's wrong? What did I do to you that entails you to ignore me?" She demanded to know,forehead wrinkling as she shoved his shoulder.

"Nothing!" He spat out sharply,making Clare back away from him in shock.

"Your being childish! What is so wrong with me going on a date with Reese? Don't I deserve to have someone like me? You know that my sister was always the pretty and popular one and I was just 'smart',that is until I changed clothes,metamorphisized. And now I finally have someone who cares but you don't like me being happy!" She yelled at him.

"You know what Clare? I'm not happy! I hate that you are going out with that guy. He only wants to go out with you for one thing,and one thing only. He doesn't care how smart you are,or how kind and gentle and loving you are,he doesn't love the way your nose crinkles when you concentrate. He doesn't know that you have a Shakespeare collection. To him,your just another notch on his bedpost. Your something he will use and discard like an old tissue and then he'll brag about what happened." KC bellowed.

Clare looked up at him and backed away slowly before she turned and ran. She couldn't believe that he thought the only reason a guy would want to date her,was for sex.

"Dammit!" He yelled as he slammed his fist into a locker. He'd messed up,royally.

----

It was now Friday night and KC and Clare had yet to make up,let alone talk. Clare was probably on her date right about now and he couldn't help the jealousy he felt inside of him,how come he hadn't had the balls to tell her how much he liked her the other day,when he had the chance?

Suddenly,he heard a desperate knocking on his door and went to answer it,so they wouldn't wake up his guardian or the other members of the group home. Clare stood there in a pretty,dark purple sequins top and a pair of jeans and flats. Her hair fell freely in cascading waves down her back. When he looked up into her eyes,though he could see the tears welling in them.

She tossed herself into his arms and buried her face into his chest,soaking his shirt with salty tears.

"Clare? What's wrong? Did Reese---did he hurt you?" KC asked in a soft,but deadly tone as he stroked her hair. He'd kill Reese if he hurt her in any way.

She shook her head. "You were right. Reese did want just one thing. I said no and he called me a bitch and said the only reason he asked me out was because he heard that the smart girls were wild in bed." Clare laughed in disgust and broke away from KC to plop down on his bed and hug his pillow to her chest. "Will I ever find a guy who just wants me for me?" She asked him vunerably.

KC felt his heart break and he sat down beside her immediatly. His hand went to her cheek and he moved her head so she was looking him in the eye. "Clare...your beautiful. I love everything about you. Your laugh,the way your eyes light up,how you stick up for what you believe in,your protectivness of your friends. I want to be more than just your friend Clare. That's why I was such a jerk about Reese. I'm sorry I made you feel as if I guy would only want you for sex,because your worth so much more than that." He told her before he swooped down to kiss her.

She didn't respond immediatly,she was too shocked but then her arms slid around his neck and she kissed him back. She'd always liked him,but had never expected he'd feel this way torward her.

They parted and locked eyes with one another----and they just smiled,perfectly content to just be in one another's arms.

The End