Part 2 Treading Water.

Clare and Sam are the perfect couple. All of her friends love him and so does her parents. But when KC and Sam starting fights in class, Clare confronts KC and Sam. Will she be able to keep both or have to choose one over the other? Will she like KC's answer or will he loose her forever?

Clare Edwards felt as if she had step into a fairytale. Sam was the perfect boyfriend. He was sweet, thoughtful never pushy and was always honest.. She never felt like he was holding back. Her parents seemed to think he was a perfect guy to. In the 3 weeks that they had been dating her parents had asked him over for dinner more than they had with KC. She was happy. That is until KC and Sam had to debate each other in class. The topic: Should we get involved in other countries affairs or stay out of it. KC was for staying out and letting people work it out themselves, and Sam was for helping out in anyway you can. No way this can end well

"Well if you but into people's lives they may not want you there." KC said

"Well sometimes, people need help to clean up the messes others have left behind."

"Well maybe people don't need you to clean it up, maybe the people will work it out by themselves."

"Well it seems your way only leads to more messes."

"And your way is to try to fix things when in reality you cause more problems."

"Oh yeah for who? You?" Sam said, realizing it was a direct reference to Clare. Which was a fact not lost on Clare. This wasn't the first time KC and Sam have done this. She was pissed.

"Ok gentleman that's enough." Mr. Perino said. And they took a seats, each on one side of Clare. She didn't even bother to look at them. The bell rang and Clare ran out of Class.

"Clare wait." Sam pleaded

"Wait up." KC said but she turned around

"I'm not talking to either one of you!" she yelled and walked away. She walked right up to Alli at her locker and she was pissed. "Can you believe that?"

"What? In Class?"

"Yes. Oh I am sick of them making me the monkey in the middle."

"Yeah they got it bad."

"Got what bad?"

"Come on, you really don't know?" Alli asked. When Clare shook her head Alli countiued "They are jelous of each other." Alli she always new how to put things bluntly.

"What do you mean?"

"Ok listen carefully. Sam is jelous of KC, and KC is jelous of Sam."

"Why?" Clare asked

"Well we will start with the less obvious one. Sam is jelous of KC because, KC was your frist crush, frist kiss and first boyfriend. In short your first love. Now you may date Sam longer and you may love Sam more than KC but KC was the frist. So sub-counselee you will always compare Sam to KC. In the good and bad. You two are also very close, I mean very close. You two have a bond that you and Sam will never. With KC being your first. So Sam is jealous of KC being your frist boyfriend and closest guy friend." Clare thought about it.

"Ok Sam's whole jealously thing kinda makes since. But I don't want KC. I am not still in love with him." Clare said, even though she wasn't sure that entirely true. So did Alli. "But why is KC jealous of Sam|?"

"Oh come on Clare, you're seriously asking that?"

"Yeah."

Because KC still has feelings for you." Alli said frankly

"No he doesn't. We are frinds and nothing more." Clare said "Besides what makes you think KC likes me in that way?" Alli added silently

"I think that he likes you in everyway." Clare pretended not to hear it. They went to the Cafeitira and sat in the middle. On one side was KC, Dave and Connor. On the other was Sam, Fiona, Declan and Holly J. Clare didn't even bother to look at Sam or KC.

….. . .

Sam barely touched his food. Fiona looked at her cousin with worry

"What's wrong Sam? Why isn't Clare sitting here?" Declan interjected with

"Oh no Trouble in paradise?" Holly J elbowed her boyfriend in the chest.

"Yeah. Well you know I had to debate KC today.." Sam started and they all groaned

"What happened?" Holly J asked

"I just hate that guy." Sam said "Because of him Clare is mad at me." Fiona said

"Look Sam you need ot talk to her. I'm sure there is more than just this one time." Sam knew she was right. She had to have more reason than just this one time. Sam thought about how he would talk to her.

KC was picking at his food. Dave looked at him

"Come on dude, it isn't that bad." Dave said

"Oh yeah Clare hating me isn't bad youre right." KC said sarcastically.

"Come on man, Sam iant so bad. He is pretty cool." Connor said KC gave him a dirty look.

"What, he is." Connor added defensively. Dave added

"Look man, just let Clare cool off. You know better than anyone that Clare doenst hold grudges." KC nodded, thinking about last year. Dave was right. She hadn't hated after last year. So maybe by tomorrow things would be back to normal.

After lunch, Clare had to go to a meeting with the counslar, and Alli went to locker. Sam was waiting for her. She looked confused but she headed there. She liked Sam. He was a good guy and he treated Clare really well. In the weeks he and Clare had been dating he hadn't looked at another girl. So she wanted to help keep them together.

"Hey Alli, look I know Clare is mad at me, but I need to talk to her, any ideas?" Sam asked. Alli looked at him. She thought about it.

"Look we are doing a project in the Media immersion room. After school. If you come by, I may or may not slip out to go to the bathroom." she winked, and he sighed. He walked away. Alli walked away. KC came running up to her. She rolled her eyes.

"What?" she snapped

"Look, I know we havent exactly been close since.." but she cut him off before he could finish

"Since you broke my best friend's heart for some disty blonde?" she said

"Ok, Clare has forgiven me, why can't you?"

"Because you didn't have to deal with post break-up Clare. I did. You didn't have to tell her about you and Jenna, I did. Do you know what she said once she found out?" she challenged him

"No." he said suddenly feeling very small

"She said and I qoute. 'I just hope he is happy.' no hint of scarcasm or anything. Well you got wht you wanted, until you realzed it wasn't. So sorry I don't have any sympathy for you. I helped you get Clare once and you screwed up. Sorry of I don't wanna do it again. No KC you are on youre own. Bye." and she walked away. Why had he thought she would help him? She was right he was on his own. He walked away in a huff.

Clare and Alli worked on the project for a while then Alli said she had to go home. Clare was working on some last minute things. Then she looked up. Sam was starring at her. She got up

"I'm gonna kill Alli." she said as she tried to leave.

"Wait Clare, just hear me out." she stopped "I know you're mad about today. But I just can't stand KC." he said

"Well I can't stand that you two making the monkey in th middle"

"I just care about you." he said

"Great way of showing it. You embarrassed me."

"And I'm sorry Clare, really." he seemed to mean it but she wasn't done

"Do you know how it makes me feel to have my boyfriend and best friend fighting all the time?"

"It sucks?" he said

"Yes!" she said she looked at him "Look I care about you, a lot. But he is my best friend. Please don't make me choose between you. Because I don't want to loose either one of you." she left leaving him to process what she said.. She headed out and headed to the junk yard, where KC often went to work on bikes and such. He was listening to music and at first didn't notice her. She turned off the radio. He looked up to see Clare's sweet face pissed off. Something that seemed out of place.

"What?" he said

"Why, just tell me why?"

"Why what?" he added defensively

"Why you want to embaress and hurt me? Do you hate me that much? Is it so hard for to accept that I am happy?" she yelled

"I don't hate you." He said

"Then why?" she demaded

"Because.."

"Because why?"

"Because I it makes me realize that I made a mistake!" he said realizing that he reveled too much. He sat back down. Clare sat on the other side of him.

"What do you mean?" she asked

"Last year, our break up. I never thought I would miss us so much. Until I realzed that Jenna didn't really have much in common. don't get me wrong, I love that we are friends again, but I guess I just wonder what would have happned if hadn't come to your house that day, you know the day we broke up?" she put her hand on his shoulder. "I wonder if we would ne together or not. I guess I short I hate that he can make you happy, and I falied." she smiled

"You know I felt the excat same way about you and Jenna. I hated that you two seemed so happy, when the last few weeks of our relationship were spent fighting." she looked at him "now you know how it feels. But I got over it. I love that we are friends again too." she smiled and KC swore the whole world lit up whenever she smiled, at least his world did.

"I know I have said it maybe a thousand times before but I'm gonna say it again. "I am so sorry for all the pain and suffering I caused you. I never ment to hurt you." he ment every word. She knew he did.

"Thanks." she laughed to herself.

"What?" KC said

"I actually thought you and Sam could be friends." KC shook his head "come on you too have more in common than you think. Just think about it." she stood up so did he. "Oh and if you too ever out me in the middle again, I'll kill you." she teased

"Promise." he said and then she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. As she pulled away he pulled her in closer and harder this time. She returned tha long embrace. She smiled and walked away. He watched her leave sighing. He wanst sure if he would be friends with Sam. But for Clare he was willing to at least try.

Sam serched for KC the next day at school. He couldn't find a good place to talk to him. He finally saw him playing basketball in the gym. He walked in, and Kc turned around.

"Ok KC, I know we arent friends. And I know we probably wont ever be, but I care about Clare. And us fighting. is hurting her. So I was wondering, is there any chance we can pretend to play nice, for her sake?" Sam didn't know if he wanted be friends but he knew he didn't want to loose Clare. KC felt the same.

"Ok what do you like to do?" Sam smiled

"I see you play basketball," Sam started

"Yeah, you play?" KC asked

"I was on my old school's team. I was the star shooter." Sam said proud.

"Well looks like we do have something in common, I was Degrassi star shooter."

"Well it seems we have a title to settle." Sam challenged

"Oh really Coyne well we will see about that." KC smiled. Sam took off his jacket. "I wouldn't want to mess up that pretty face." KC laughed. They played for well over an hour. It was tied 19 to 19. KC had the ball and scored, then Sam scored. They were about to finish, when Sam's phone rang

"Yeah?" it was Declan

"Dude come home now"

"Why?" "Just do it." Declan said

"Sorry KC I have to go, but I will beat you tomorrow." Sam went home and KC headed to the Dot to see Clare.

"Hi KC." Clare said, her face burried in a textbook.

"Well I hung out with Sam." KC began. Clare look up with hope

"And?" She said

"And he is a pretty cool guy." he said. Her face lit up

"Oh K, that's amazing." She hugged him.

"Yeah we played basketball. He isn't bad." "See I told you two would get along if you tired. You two have more in common tham you think." she said. KC thought, Yeah, we like basketball and we are both in love with you. but he didn't say it. She gathered her books. "Well I have to go see Sam. See you tomorrow. Maybe we all can go to lunch." she smiled and kissed him on the cheek. She headed to Sam's place, and KC left. He walked to his group home. So Sam wasn't such a jerk. He was a good guy and he mahe Clare happy. Right now that was all KC wanted.

Clare knocked on the Coyne's door. Declan opened it.

"Hey Declan, is Sam here?"

"Um, Clare you have to call him later, um he cant see you right now." she smiled but she felt hurt. She walked home. Has he planned to break up with her when everything was finally coming to come together fro them? She went to Alli's and told her about KC and Sam's bonding, and Declan's weirdness. "Clare I'm sure you are just paranoid. You know Sam he is probably planning some romantic dinner for you two." She sighed

"Really?"

"Yeah." she smiled. After hanging with her for a while Clare went home.

Sam wanted to be anywhere but at his aunt and uncles. He came home to find his parents were both there. They all sat in the living room.

"So Sam, we have something to tell you." His father started. "I have a job in Vancouver. And your mom has a job in New York City at a theatre."

"Congrats." he said

"We want you to decided who you want to live with." his mom said

"I want to live here. In Toranto with Aunt Laura, Uncle Max, Decs and Fi." he said

"I know but, with your uncle's job, they may be moving soon also."

"But I have a life here. I have friends, a girlfriend I really like and I don't want to leave her." he said very upset.

"Sorry son, but you have decide." his father said. They both kissed him goodbye and left. Sam couldn't believe it. He would loose Clare after all. He was sick inside. He didn't know what he would do…

Part 3 A Birds Song.

Sam is torn. His mom wants him New York, and his dad wants him in Vancouver. Sam wants to stay at Degrassi with Clare. Clare hates long distance relationships but doesn't want things between her and Sam to end. She wallows with some surprising company. Will this mean the end of Sam and Clare, or will they make it work? A blast from the past breezes into town and makes KC have to choose, will he give up on him and Clare or will he be able to fight for her on last time?? When the dust settles nothing will be the same.