Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi
Author's Note: I have no business making another story – especially since I haven't updated Magnetic in forever – but I've been listening to Fly Away and this plot bunny struck. It's not going to be too long, but I'm not sure how many chapters, but I hope you like it all the same. Oh and even though it's a Jimogen story, it's mainly told from Jake's perspective. The more you know.
Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry, you don't know how lovely you are. I had to find you, tell you I set you apart.
-The Scientist, Coldplay
The day they had official met, it had been raining. A perfect event for the ending of a bad day in her opinion, as she marched, hunched over in some pathetic attempt of shelter from the rain.
She had had a miserable day, and all she wanted was a nice warm tea before she made her way home.
So much had gone wrong in the weeks following the play. Eli texting her or calling her, wanting to meet up with her to make up for what he did to her. As if dinner and a movie could resolve what he'd done to her.
He had used her, and now he wasn't giving her the decency of moving on. To let her move past, and forget her stupid mistake and her misplaced love.
She scoffed. Love. What did she know about love anyways?
But she couldn't deny she had wanted to love Eli. That she wanted him in a way she'd never wanted anyone before. She wanted the boy whose stories had touched her, and who was supposed to be the biggest romantic around.
But he wasn't that.
He was just another disappointment in her growing list.
Sighing, she stepped under the purple awning above the entrance, shook off a bit, and opened the door.
She wasn't surprised that it was crowded. Between the rain canceling practices, and the little coffee shop being a school hot spot, the Dot had become a sanctuary to all from the rain that brisk, November afternoon.
As she waited in line she tilted her head to look out the window. She was getting sick of the rain. For one, it had rained all this week and matched her mood impeccably. Secondly, she wanted it to snow.
She wanted her city to be painted in a bed of white, and she wanted to lie in the freshly fallen snow and forget about everything and just be a kid again.
Someone tapped on her shoulder, pulling her from her stupor. She blinked, realizing she'd zoned out for so long that it was her turn at the counter. Had she been moving? But her spot in line told her she had automatically moved forward, except when it mattered.
An accurate thing she did, she noted glumly.
Ordering her tea, she moved to the side so the boy who had tapped her could order, and she turned to look at him.
He was handsome, to say the least. He had coppery hair the spiked, though it looked like it naturally grew that way. He was tall, and had a nice profile. He turned to her, and she blushed and turned away when she realized who it was.
The boy was none other than Jake Martin, Clare Edwards' boyfriend.
She'd never met him, but of course they knew each other. She knew he probably had no nice thoughts about her, even though she wasn't any better.
She could barely tolerate the arrogant boy, and his smirk wasn't helping any.
Unable to stand it any longer she turned back to him. "What?" she snapped, her voice sharp like a blade, and she felt a moment of triumph when it stunned him and wiped the smirk off his face.
His eyes widened, and then narrowed into some form of recognition.
"Imogen," he said.
She rolled her eyes. His voice held no terseness, no anger, just recognition.
"Yeah," she confirmed tiredly.
He looked at her, taking her in, and she felt uncomfortable by it and wished the workers would hurry up and give her her tea already.
"Nice cat ears," he said, and turned away.
She blinked. She was used to hearing those three words when she wore her headband, but she didn't know if his words were the usual sarcasm, or just something to say.
Before she had a chance to answer, her tea was being handed to her, and taking it into her hand, she said, "Have a nice day, Jake Martin."
He looked up, following her with his eyes as she left the Dot and back out into the pouring rain. Realizing she was going to walk home, the part in him, a stupid part he figured, told him to offer her a ride. He didn't know why. He sure as hell didn't owe her anything after all the shit her and Eli Goldsworthy had pulled, but the nagging feeling remained. So grabbing his coffee out of the baristas hand, he went after her.
"Hey," he called to her, thinking she'd slow, but she didn't. He sighed, "Imogen!"
She paused, looking to her right, and then turned around, the confusion evident on her face, even in their distance.
"Do you want a ride?"
"What?"
"A ride home," he said, his patience wearing thin, even if the response was understandable.
She ponded for a moment, and then nodded, walking back to him.
She climbed into the cab of his truck, careful not to spill her tea, and once she was settled she turned to him. "Thanks," she muttered.
"Uh, don't mention it," he said, but hoped she didn't. He knew if Clare ever found out, she'd probably be mad as a hornets nest.
She gave him directions to her house, and they sat there in the cab, the radio on to make the silence less awkward, but both felt like it was failing at its job.
She played with her fingers as she stared out the window at the passing, blurring homes of the street.
"Why did you offer me a ride?" she questioned him during the bridge of some song he didn't know, even though he tapped his fingers against the leather of the steering wheel.
He turned to her and shrugged. "Does it matter?"
She sighed, "Kind of."
His brow furrowed at that. "Why?"
"Well considering everything, I'm probably not your favorite person in the world."
"You give yourself far too much credit if you think you're worthy of me hating you," he said truthfully. Though he knew with Clare, it'd be another story.
"I never said anything about hating me," she pointed out, tracing her finger across the worn door handle. "I said I'm probably not your favorite person."
He shrugged. "You're not," he said honestly, "but I'm not just going to let you walk home in the rain."
"You don't even know me," she pointed out.
He sighed, "Do you always take nice gestures with such skepticism, or am I the only one who gets this lucky?"
She shrugged, and turned back to look out the window.
He groaned. "Fine, I didn't because I wanted to."
"I don't remember questioning your free will," she said.
He rolled his eyes. "Well that's the only answer I have for you. Take it or leave it."
They sat in the silence for a few more beats and he heard her phone go off and her sigh. It sounded like a tired, defeated sigh. One he'd never expect to hear from her. He wasn't going to comment on it. It wasn't any of his business, and she was sure she wouldn't appreciate it, but after a few more chimes he finally decided to comment.
"Someone's popular," he joked.
She turned, a glare already set on her face. "Yeah," she said tersely, "lucky me."
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
She shrugged. "It's not like things can get any worse, so yeah, they're fine."
Worse? And then he realized she meant Eli.
He looked over at her, and for the first time, he drank her in. At first, a cliché came into his mind. She wasn't like any other girl he'd ever met before. But there was a truth in the statement. She wore her dark hair in two odd pigtail-like buns, and placed atop of her head was a pair of cat ears. Her uniform had been done up with black lace around the skirt, a pair of black tights with red polka dots and a pair of combat boots. She was different in not only her appearance, but with her personality.
She'd use everyone's full name, she didn't seem to be embarrassed by the things everyone else seemed to, and she was completely at ease with who she was.
And yet Eli Goldsworthy, a short idiot of a boy who wore more eyeliner and nail polish than she did, had broken her. He thought it was sad, that someone like her could be tarnished by something so unworthy.
He gave her a smile, and as they neared her house, he said in a calm, quiet voice, "He's not worth any heartache."
At his words, she jolted and looked at him, seeing the seriousness in his face. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, waiting for the blow, and when it didn't come, her heart pounded.
No! She chastised herself. You will not fall for another one again. Let Clare Edwards be the love sick fool. You're better than that. Don't let some guy manipulate you by a few kind words and a sweet smile.
But even at her thoughts, she knew he was being serious, and expected nothing in return from his kind gesture.
She nodded, and stepping out of the cab with a quiet thank you, she went inside.
He was impossible to avoid after he'd given her a ride home.
Not even when she was being Eli's yes man had she seen the gangly boy so much.
She'd see him walking to math, or he'd pass her locker, or they'd be in line together in the cafeteria.
Everywhere she turned he'd always seem to be a part of the crowd. They'd begun talking, though it was mostly small talk. Sometimes they'd walk to class together in a mutual silence.
A bridge had formed between them since his ride, and she was unsure if she liked it yet.
Apart of her enjoyed his presence. It was predictable, and always there. But another part of her hated it.
What kind of idiot fell for the same girl's (ex) boyfriend twice?
Though she knew things weren't going well with Clare and Jake. She didn't have to have him tell her that at all. She'd seen them fighting, seen their distance, and yet, they stayed, and she didn't understand why.
Jake was a guy of few words, and sometimes it grew bothersome if they were sitting outside together at lunch and she wanted to talk. But she wasn't so open either.
She knew Clare wanted a guy like Eli. Someone wordy, who would spew something nice, and keep the conversation going; she couldn't sit there in silence like Jake wanted to.
Silence was scary. It could mean so many things, and the auburn haired girl couldn't stand the uncertainty of his silence.
But Imogen could.
She'd sit there with him, reading, drawing, and eating. Anything really, and he'd be silent, lost in his sea of thoughts.
She'd sometimes say things, and sometimes he'd break the silence. But for the most part, she enjoyed her silence. There wasn't any pressure to keep small talk, or be something. She could just be her with him, and she liked that feeling.
Author's Note: And so their adventure begins. I hope you guys like this first chapter. Leave a review, favorite, follow, anything is appreciated by me. Next chapter will be up soon.