Legal: I own nothing but the idea.

Welcome to my new short story here is all the important info to know before reading:

This is story is A/U and is mostly fluff but has some drama as well.

Drew never dropped out.

Cam is not dead and will not die he is still happily dating Maya.

Alli is on track for early graduation.

That should do it enjoy the story!

Ch.1 Pick the Lock off My Life

(CLARE)

"Eli please talk to me what's wrong?" I beg my boyfriend as I follow him onto the football field where he's currently wandering.

It had been a month since the ending of the play and I had gone to the police and pressed charges against Asher. They were investigating but I'd heard nothing and I had a feeling nothing would be done. At first Eli was very supportive, assuring me that Asher would be convicted and everything would be fine. In the last couple of weeks everything had changed. Eli was tense, stressed and…buzzing I think is the best word, like he couldn't keep his head on one idea. At first I thought it was all about his movie and NYU portfolio, but as his mood and behavior continued to become erratic and unpredictable I was sure that wasn't all it was. But no matter what I tried or said Eli wouldn't talk to me, I was sure he was going off his bipolar meds however I had watched him take them this morning. So I had no idea what was going on but I was very worried.

"TALK TO YOU?! HOW CAN I TALK TO YOU CLARE?! I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT YOU WITHOUT SEEING THAT PEDOPHILE KISS YOU! KISSING THAT'S ALL YOU DO IS KISS! YOU WON'T TRY ANYTHING YOU'RE TOO AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING BUT BE PERFECT ST. CLARE! SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE REST OF US THAT TAKE RISKS AND LIVE BECAUSE YOU ARE PERFECT ST. CLARE!"

He's angry, very angry and I believe he means every word of it. His eyes are open so wide I can see every vein and his green eyes are burning. Seeing him like this turns my worry for Eli into fear of him, he doesn't seem like my passionate, creative boyfriend anymore but a demon about to tear me to shreds. I turn to leave, I just want to be away and be safe, I'll talk to Eli when he's calmed, or just break up with him possibly. Eli however does not seem to be done with me as he grabs my arm squeezing and turning me to face him again.

"Don't walk away from me I'm not done with y…" Eli starts to growl but I kick him in the shin as hard as I can and he let's go of me.

"We're done Eli don't ever come near me again!" I spit at him and then I run.

I keep running down the field and into the ravine, past the ravine and through the woods coming out at the drug store on the corner of my block. Then home, straight home and take the spare key from under plant to get in. Up to my room I run slamming my door and sinking down against it I begin to cry. Once I start I can't stop, it's not just Eli I'm crying over my whole life has begun crumbling since Asher. My mom and I have been fighting a lot, she's been comparing what happened between me and Asher to what happened to Darcy. Mom keeps insisting I could have done something to prevent the assault and she stopped going to our normal church because people were talking. Not about me and Asher specifically because very few people knew but someone saw me going into the police station and gossip spread about why. Rather than stand up to them and tell them it's nothing or none of their business Mom decided to completely change churches. She won't let me go to the new church and I don't want to go to the old one with everyone postulating on my reason for going to the police station. Our fighting is causing fights with her and Glen and she blames me for those too. Dad left four months ago and I only found out yesterday. I feel cast out by mom, I feel like she doesn't feel me, like she'd be happier if I was just gone and I'm tired of it.

Tired of being a considered a burden by my mom, and tired of not being felt by her, seen as a blight on her image instead of a source of pride as a child should be. I'm tired of being thought of as perfect, prudish St. Clare, I was never perfect or a saint. I was cautious, I had beliefs and even fear about going too far and giving too much of myself. Well I don't have those beliefs anymore they've been slowly stripped away by everything I've lived through. I have no more caution and no more fear, of anything at all somehow when I was running and it just all went away and I no longer care. Something inside me has changed, there's a new fire burning within me, it's fierce, it's roaring and it's blazing! So hot it evaporates my tears and anger and even my fear. I sit up ripping off my cross necklace and dropping it to the floor, next comes my chastity ring and I throw it into my closet.

I look through my clothes and suddenly hate them all, they are not me, not the new me anyway. They are constricting, they are costumes, a shield, something to hide in. I alter a few cutting off sleeves and turning some into halter tops or skirts. Then I go into the attic looking through Darcy's clothes, and I grab a few things, I also grabbing the sewing kit and bag of spare buttons. Mom would ground me forever if she saw me in these but I don't plan for her to see me, I plan to move out. I pack a bag, leave a note and then leave my house, possibly for the last time ever. Walking a couple blocks to the bus I take it to Jay and Sean's townhouse close to the garage they work at. It would have been Jay and Manny's townhouse but she broke off the engagement running off with some Latin guy to be a singer in Las Vegas. So when Sean got back from his tour of duty and was discharged he needed a place to stay and now they share the townhouse. I know they're at work still but I know they always leave the back door open because Jay is notorious for leaving his key at home.

I know they won't turn me away and neither of them ever liked my mother, although Sean only met her once. I put my stuff in the spare room on the first floor, it's really a sort of office with a pullout sofa but I don't care it already feels more like home than mine has in a long time. I get some water and pull out all the clothes I brought to finish altering and try on what I grabbed from Darcy's stuff. Not too many of her clothes fit me so I sort of rip them apart and put them together again with thick stitching, safety pins and sewing on buttons and extending them with extra fabric. I'm still doing that when I hear Sean and Jay get home and decide I'd better make my presence known before they hear me and think I'm a burglar.

"Hi," I call as I walk out of the room and down the hall.

"Clare?" Jay calls back with a puzzled voice.

"Yep, is it okay if I move in? 'Cause I sort of already did," I tell them.

"Still fighting with your mom?" Sean questions giving me a hug.

"Yeah and I broke up with Eli after he freaked out and yelled at me, I think he might have been high," I inform them.

"He do this?" Jay inquires looking at the bruise on my arm left when Eli grabbed me.

"Yeah he wanted to yell at me more but I kicked him in the shin and ran off," I respond.

"Good girl," Jay grins hugging me and tousling my hair.

If they weren't so much older than me and didn't think of me like a little sister I'd make a move on Sean or Jay. They're both hot, sweet, protective, strong, good with their hands.

"You know you're welcome to stay here but does your mom at least know where you are?" Sean asks.

"I left her a note I doubt she'll care, lately I've been more of a burden to her than anything," I sigh sitting on a stool at the breakfast counter while they start making dinner.

"I'm not surprised, your mom only seems like she wants to be a mom when it suits her," Jay comments.

Since all of the Asher stuff has thus far been kept from the media only a few people even know about it. Eli and my mom started out by being on my side but now they seemed to be blaming me and they were making me feel worse about the whole thing. Alli knew because I told her and Dallas knew because of my tipsy confession but I hadn't even told Adam. I hadn't told Jay and Sean, nor Peter, Spin and Em about Asher either, I knew that just about all of them but Em would react with violence. Jay still thinks he won't get in trouble for the things he does, and he usually doesn't but I didn't want to risk him getting arrested for battery and aggravated assault. Simpson knew of course and Miss Oh but they were the only other two people besides Asher and his boss who didn't believe me.

We eat dinner while watching TV and then I take a shower, it occurs to me I didn't bring many shoes so Sean takes me downtown to the thrift and consignment shops. I get a few pairs of shoes and a few more clothes. When we get home I show Jay everything I got, which is nothing like what I normally wear and I can see Jay's surprised look but he doesn't say anything. They help me make up my bed and tell me if I'm going to be here a while they'll turn this into a room for me with a real bed and everything. Then they say goodnight and I go to bed. I check my cell phone since I've had it on silent since school, Mom hasn't called or texted, neither has Eli, But I do have a missed call from Adam. Three actually and a couple of texts, I look at the clock it's a little after ten so I know he's still awake and I call him.

"Thank goodness are you okay? I've been worried all day, some people heard you and Eli fighting and you didn't come back after lunch. I went by your house after school and you weren't there," Adam says all at once in a tone that's both scolding and worried. I hear video games in the background so I know he must be in the basement with Drew and Dallas.

"I'm fine Adam I broke up with Eli and I didn't want to fight with my mom again so I'm staying with friends. I'll see you at school tomorrow," I tell him.

"Which friends are you staying with because Alli hasn't heard from you either," Adam states.

"Jay and Sean," I reply and Adam is quiet for a few seconds as he tries to remember who Jay and Sean are.

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow, by the way Eli's been taking narcotics, he told me. MDMA, pot and acid, I tried to help him but he just freaked out on me too, he almost punched me but Drew stopped him," Adam informs me.

I feel like this information should be making me feel something but it doesn't I'm just kind of numb. It does explain Eli's behavior but all I feel is mad! When did he start taking drugs? Why? When did we lose him? I tried to be there for him, be a good girlfriend and he still went to drugs. Well there is no more good Clare, she melted away bit by bit and she's been reformed into this new Clare.

"We lost him Adam; I can't even look at him again," I comment and we're quiet for a minute. "Goodnight Adam," I say quietly and hang up.

I feel surprisingly tired but it has been a long day, long and emotionally trying. I get ready for bed and fall asleep pretty quickly but have disturbing dreams all night long. The first is about my parents how they bred me to be this "perfect Christian" girl from birth and yet couldn't hold to their own ideals and beliefs. I was told to be seen and not heard, dressed by my mother, scared away from intimacy by my father and at 12 I was their ideal child. Then Darcy got raped and everything fell apart. In the dream I see myself growing up as this sort of living doll that they dress and pose and pull a string on my back when I can talk. Then Darcy is raped and she gets burned at the stake by mother like she's being accused of witchcraft. Then my family starts missing it's pieces, they come out like puzzle pieces and as my parents begin missing pieces they take them from me. When I'm nothing but broken pieces that no longer fit together my dad leaves and my mom just ignores it all. Then Eli comes, he puts some of the pieces back but he also puts them back wrong and covers them in black fabric and marker. I wake up from the dream sweating and get up to get glass of water. After that it takes me quite a while to fall asleep again and I only fall asleep to end up having another disturbing dream. I don't remember this one as well but I know Eli was in it and I wake up angry and glad to be done with him.

Jay and Sean are louder than Jake in the morning so I wake up when they wake up. I go out in my pajamas because they're family and I know they only see me as a little sister. Jay makes eggs and bacon for breakfast while Sean makes coffee. Jay tells me they'll get me a key made today and their only rule is that I check in if I'm out late so they know I'm not dead. Sean offers me a ride to school on his motorcycle which I think is a fitting way to introduce the school to the new Clare so I accept and then get ready. I decide on a pair of Darcy's old daisy dukes, I had to alter them since Darcy had no hips and I do. I did so by cutting up a pair of crimson shorts, then cut the black shorts down the sides, inserting one 2 and half inch strip on either side the same length as the black shorts I held it all together with black buttons. I think they came out quite well given the time and materials I had. I bought a pair of black espadrilles that lace around the ankles and I wear a crimson halter top to complete the look, which I can't wear a bra with but the shirt has a sort of built in bra. I do my hair but I've never been much on makeup other than mascara so that's all I put on. When I go to the living room they look quite shocked but give me a whistle and don't start yelling.

"You trying to kill your ex with jealousy?" Jay jokes.

"Couldn't hurt," I respond with a sardonic smile.

"Here better wear my jacket on the bike," Jay says giving me his leather jacket.

I put it on and zip it up, it swallows me but that's okay. I grab my backpack and we say goodbye to Jay. Sean walks the motorcycle out of the garage while I put on the extra helmet. Sean starts the bike; I get on back holding him tight as he starts driving me to school.

(DALLAS)

Audra drops us at school and the first thing we see is Eli sitting with the burn outs on the picnic table at the far end of the courtyard. They all look as though they've already had something and they're laughing at something. Eli has his arm around a girl I think is in grade 11, she has long black hair, a nose ring and she's skinnier than Becky she's also nowhere near as attractive as Clare or Becky.

"He moved on fast and when did he start taking drugs?" I question Adam.

"No idea, I know he smoked pot with Jake a couple of times but I don't know when he started taking hard drugs, he told me what he'd been taking not when he started. Clare said she was okay but she didn't sound it on the phone, she did say she can't even look at him anymore and I'm not sure I can either," Adam tells us.

"You know Clare, she'll freak out a bit, cry a bit and then she'll be fine. I'm gonna go find B see you guys later," Drew says and waves.

"Yeah I'm going to see if Clare's here yet and then go find Becky," Adam tells me waving to me as he walks off.

I wave to Adam as he runs up the stairs and into the school; I stroll up the steps joining Owen and Luke who are leaning on the banister.

"I always knew Eli would completely lose it one day, he's already fallen off the edge twice and just barely made it back," Owen comments as I lean on the banister next to him.

"Yeah Drew told me about how he lit his script on fire opening night, for the play he wrote about him and Clare," I remark.

"Yeah and that wasn't half as bad as him crashing his car to get Clare to come see him in the hospital after she broke up with him," Owen tells us.

"He really is crazy, kinda glad Becky didn't work with him on the play," Luke says.

"Well Clare broke up with him yesterday too after he yelled at her so maybe he's trying another desperate ploy to get her back," I comment just as we hear a motorcycle approaching and all look in the direction of it as do most of the other kids in the courtyard.

A very nice looking Harley pulls in and turns around parking near the steps, a guy is driving but his head is hidden by a helmet so we can't see who it is. There's a girl on the back though, wearing tiny little red and black shorts and some kind of high heels. She's also wearing a helmet that covers her head and a man's leather jacket so we can't tell who she is either. Doesn't matter that we can't see her though, even without seeing her face a few guys whistle including me and Owen.

"Nice legs," Luke smiles, "who do you think she is?"

"Must be new, I don't know any girl at this school that would ride in on a bike like that, not even Bianca," Owen comments just as the girl gets off the bike.

She unzips the jacket to reveal a crimson red halter top and we all whistle again, and then we all go into shock when she takes off the helmet. Her cinnamon curls are a dead giveaway, it doesn't look like Clare but it's her. She straps the jacket and helmet to the back of the bike, lifts the face shield of the guy that brought her and kisses his cheek. Then she grabs her backpack, waves to the guy and saunters up the steps, her breasts bouncing more than they usually do. From the corner of my eye I see Eli gaping like the rest of us.

"Clare?!" Owen, Luke and I all question in dubious astonishment as we watch her sashay up to the steps.

She giggles softly when she sees our reactions. Something has changed with her, I don't just mean her clothes but something is different I just can't quite put my finger on what.

"Morning boys," Clare says in a flirty voice as she passes us.

It's like someone took Clare and replaced her with Jessica Rabbit, Bianca and Alli all in one! We all watch her flounce into school, her ass perky and round wiggles so nicely, her legs gliding across the floor, her hips swaying. She looks like Clare, sounds like Clare but she's not the Clare I know, any of us know.

"So she was abducted and replaced with an alien," I theorize.

"Pod person," Owen says as we stop leaning on the banister and follow her inside.

"Possession," Luke offers.

We can hear the whispers about her new look spreading through the school. I'm more curious about who the guy was, guess we all have the same idea because we all walk to Clare's locker. We weren't the only ones; we find Adam, Becky, Jenna and Alli also at her locker.

"Well if you're trying to make Eli jealous I'd say it's a good start but as he's been making out with Lenore all morning you might need a guy to make out with," Alli comments.

"This is not to make Eli jealous; I want nothing more to do with Eli Goldsworthy. This is the new Clare, I did this for me and no one else," Clare states closing her locker.

"Hey I'm all for the new Clare but who was the guy on the motorcycle?" I question.

"Motorcycle?!" Exclaims anyone that wasn't outside.

"Sean," Clare says nonchalantly as she start to walk away and the rest of us follow her.

"Who's Sean?" Owen inquires.

"Shortest explanation is that he's a like an older brother to Clare," Adam explains. "What happened to your arm?" He asks and I notice a bruise on it, a dark blue one.

Clare looks down at it briefly, "Eli did that yesterday, like I said I'm done with him."

"What did your mom have to say about your new look?" Jenna queries.

"She hasn't seen it and I doubt she will since she didn't care to call or anything last night," Clare shrugs.

"Then where are you living?" Alli asks.

"With Jay and Sean," she shrugs.

"And Jay's also like a brother to you?" Luke asks.

"Yep," Clare replies just as Drew comes around the corner with his arm around Bianca and they freeze at the sight of Clare.

"Shit it's true! I thought Dave was joking," Bianca comments.

"Whoa you lost your mind," Drew remarks.

"Maybe I just found it," Clare responds going into her communications and technology class. Adam has the class with her and I guess Dave does too since they both follow her in.

"She shoulda done that last year after breaking up with Eli, maybe she never would have dated Jake," Owen comments as the rest of us split up to go to class.

Owen, Bianca, Drew and I all have the same class for homeroom and when we get there Jake is at his desk.

"You seen your sister this morning?" I ask him.

"No but everyone's saying she's dressing different, not my business," Jake shrugs.

"I wonder if his attitude will be so flippant when he actually sees her," Bianca whispers.

A lot of the students coming in are whispering about Clare's new look, the consensus seems to be that she's lost her mind. I even hear Mr. Perino commenting on it as he comes in to start class. When class gets out we wave to Drew and Bianca while Owen and I walk to our nutrition and health class. Clare's new look remains the hot topic at school all morning and at lunch kids are still talking about it. It makes sense though seeing as yesterday morning she was a modest, smart good girl and came back this morning as a centerfold bad girl. Speaking of the schools new femme fatale she's leaning on the wall and looking annoyed at her stepbrother who is gawking and lecturing her at the same time.

"Your mom will ground you for life, where'd you even get those clothes?" Jake questions.

"Bought some, converted some of mine and Darcy's clothes. Mom will never see them I moved out and she doesn't care," Clare says just as Luke joins us, and now the three of us are watching Clare's conversation with Jake. Not sure why, morbid curiosity I guess.

"Don't tell me you're living with pot growers again," Jake comments.

"When did she…" I start to ask and Owen shakes his head and shrugs.

"No with Jay and Sean," Clare sighs and walks off.

Jake watches her a second, scratches his head, and then shrugs walking off the other way.

"So we eating in the caf?" Owen asks.

"Yeah just have to put away my backpack," I reply.

Of course they also have to put away their backpacks so we head to our lockers. Owen and I have lockers close together so we go to ours first. We lock up our backpacks and walk to Luke's; he's putting his backpack in when Clare walks up to us, without her backpack so it must be in her locker.

"If one more person asks me if I'm doing this to make Eli jealous I swear that I'll scream! I need a drink you guys got any beer?" Clare asks and we all blink at her.

"Last time we drank on school grounds you wrote an article about it and got half the starting line suspended from three games," I remind her.

"That was different and I don't work for the paper anymore. Never mind I didn't really like the beer and I have a much better idea," Clare remarks then grabs the corner of my Ice Hounds jacket and starts pulling me with her.

"Where are you two going?" Owen calls after us and Clare stops looking back at them.

"You boys can come too but I don't know if we'll be back after lunch," she replies.

She does let go of my jacket but I keep following her, we walk out of school getting a few looks from kids including Eli. We follow Clare to the Dot and now I'm confused, so are Owen and Luke.

"Your better idea was to come to the Dot?" Luke asks.

Clare doesn't reply but instead goes around the back and to the employee entrance, she goes in and we wonder if we should follow her but she appears a minute later. Gives a grin and I see a key in her hand, she goes up the stairs to Above the Dot and we follow her in after she unlocks the door.

"How did you get the keys to the club?" I question.

"I took them off their hook," is her response as if it's an everyday occurrence for her to take the key and go into the club when it's closed.

"Peter who owns the Dot and the club used to date her sister so I'm guessing that's how she knew where the key was," Owen explains.

Clare locks the club door once we're inside, she walks to the bar sets the keys on it and hops on the bar leaning over it. Her tiny shorts ride up a little and her ass is hanging off the bar, it's tempting to smack it but I don't. Clare comes up again after a few seconds holding a bottle of whiskey.

"I thought they didn't serve alcohol at Above the Dot?" I say as she hops off the bar.

"They don't but Peter kept a few bottles for friends and I happen to know where they are," Clare explains opening the bottle.

"Okay I think you've lost your mind just like Eli," Owen comments.

"Oh Owen I didn't lose my mind, Eli can go crazy if he wants I was just so tired of being so good," she says taking a sip from the bottle and sitting on the sofa in the back.

We follow her, I sit on one side of her and Owen on the other, she passes the bottle to me and I take a sip. We pass the bottle around but Clare is drinking most of it, she's taking twice as many swigs as us and considering she got tipsy off one beer it doesn't take her much to be slightly over tipsy on hard whiskey. The bottle comes around again, she takes a sip, passes the bottle to me and I take a gulp passing it to Luke then Clare suddenly gets up and straddles my lap with her arms leaning on my shoulders. I cock an eyebrow at her and put my hands on her hips.

"You know Dallas," she says managing to sound tipsy and sultry all at once, "I actually did like our kiss even though I slapped you."

"When did you guys kiss?" Owen and Luke ask at the same time.

Clare twists her hips to look at them, her lip pulled into her teeth, she releases her lip and licks across it. I don't think she realizes just how much she's flirting but we do, if we were really bad human beings then this would turn into a gang bang. Fortunately for Clare we're not terrible people and as she's Adam's best friend especially I have no intention of hurting her.

"It was after Asher assaulted me and I got fired and had to still give my report in class. I was upset and Dallas here offered me a beer. I told him allllllllll about Asher and kicked off my shoes and then he kissed me," Clare informs them, and then sings the words "and then he kissed me" a couple of times.

"Dude!" Owen scolds me.

"That was pretty low," Luke says.

"I know but I've apologized," I tell them as Clare turns back to me no longer singing. She starts to lean down to kiss me but Owen speaks.

"Who the fuck is Asher?" He asks so she turns back to look at him and I want to kill him.

"Mmmmy boss at co-op," she tells him and scrunches her face at the memory.

"Fuck your co-op boss assaulted you?!" Owen exclaims.

"Mmhmm but I don't want to talk about it again," she responds turning back to me. She grips onto my shirt and tries to get it off me but I'm still wearing my jacket so of course it doesn't work and she twists her face in frustration whining a little.

I lean forward a little to get my jacket off and help her out, looking at Owen and Luke as I do so. "You too get out," I demand setting my jacket on the sofa.

"Are you stupid? I am not leaving you alone with her like that!" Owen says with bit of an angry tone while Luke just gets up.

"I don't need a babysitter Owen I know what I'm doing," Clare snaps at him.

"No you don't you're tipsy," he argues.

"I'm not that tipsy; I'm still coherent aren't I? Not slurring my words and I can see straight and I know what I want. Now unless you want to stay and watch do as the Mike man said and get out," Clare commands.

Owen looks at her a second and then looks at me, "If she says no you stop and I'm telling Adam what you two are doing."

"I won't do anything she doesn't want, Clare is completely in control," I assure Owen.

"I like being in charge," she giggles.

Owen leaves with Luke, Clare looks back at me biting one corner of her lip, the other corner is turned up in a teasing smile. She grabs my shirt and I lift my arms so she can get it over my head. She gets it off and twirls it over her head a few times before tossing it in the room.

"I like this new Clare," I smile moving my hand to the small of her back slowly but she never stops me.

She looks down at me biting her lip again and giggling slightly, her eyes wander down from my eyes to my bare chest and she smiles. Her fingertips touchdown on my Adams apple before tracing down my neck, softly going over my clavicle and then slowly and gently down my chest, so soft that it tickles.

"You seem to be the only one, everyone else seems to think I've gone cuckoo for cocoa puffs," Clare giggles.

"I think everyone else is crazy," I reply.

"Maaaaaybe but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be quite this brave if I wasn't quite so tipsy," she laughs tracing the muscles of my six pack. "But maybe I would be, this new me has a lot more courage and less self-doubt," she says and then putting her hand at the back of my neck crashes her lips to mine!

Update July 10th from right here and with lots more wild Clare.