Chapter 1

".. W-where am I?" Eli thought as he came to sudden realization that he was outside, in the pouring rain, with nothing but a knife. Looking around, lost, he glanced at the the weapon in his hand. For a moment he was frozen, he didn't know why he had it. He looked up, "..What the hell? Clare's house?.." He looked from Clare's house and back to the knife, and suddenly dropped it. In that instant, Clare came outside, wrapped up in a robe, holding an umbrella.

"Eli! What are you doing? It's 3am and it's storming!"

Eli did nothing but stare at her, seeming just as confused as she was.
She couldn't believe that he was in her front yard a week after getting his cast off. They haven't spoken to each other since the incident.

"Eli, why are you here? You need to go ho-..." Her heart dropped the second she noticed the knife laying on the ground at Eli's feet. She started slowly walking backwards in terror. "I'm going to call the cops if you don't leave."
Eli slowly looked up at her, his hair hanging over his eyes and every part of him dripping wet from the rain.

"Clare.. I don't know how I got here. I don't know why I'm here. I don't know why I would bring a knife. I don't remember anything..."
"Oh my god. You're crazy, Eli!" The instant the word 'crazy' left her mouth, Eli started to tear up. He was growing tired of people saying he was insane, crazy, etc... Especially the girl he was in love with and would do anything to get her back. "Seriously Clare," his voice got shakey, "I don't know what's going on! What's wrong with me?" She couldn't resist his sad face and watery eyes. She slowly walked up to him. The first thing she did was grab the knife and keep it to herself, just to be safe. She got close enough to Eli so the umbrella would cover him up. She put her hand on his arm, and at that instant he broke into sobs.

"Clare.. I really am crazy.. this is why you broke up with me.. this is what killed Julia.. I caused everything.."

"Eli, don't. You can't blame yourself. Come on, let's go inside."

While walking inside, she put her arm around him and got close enough so the umbrella would also guard him from the rain, somehow thinking it would help his shaking, although she wasn't sure if he was shaking because of the cold or because he was such a wreck.

Eli seemed to be too shocked to do anything. Clare took him up to her room, to avoid waking up her mother, but he just stood there, staring.

She walked up to him, "You'd probably be a little warmer if you took off these soaked clothes, you can wear one of my big tshirts and a pair of my basketball shorts. I have some that would fit you." He didn't respond, he just continued to stare. Clare started taking his jacket off. He didn't respond, so she continued to unbutton his shirt and take it off.

"Hey! Eli, I would rather not take off your pants.." That got his attention.
"Oh, uhm, sorry.. I'm just, not all here right now." He took off his shoes and socks, then undid his belt and took off his pants. He was now in his boxers. It was hard for Clare not to stare at him. They may be broken up, but she's still crazy for him, and she had too big of a heart to leave him on her yard, during a storm, bawling his eyes out, with a knife.

"Clare.. Claaaaare. Are you going to stare at me, or get me some clothes?"
"Huh? Oh! Sorry.. I'm just uh, tired.." She was embarrassed for getting caught looking at his body. Knowing he didn't mind it, she shrugged it off and got him a tshirt and some shorts.

She sat down on the bed, and he sat down beside her.
"So, can we talk? It's kind of important.." Eli whispered to her, his eyes watering up again, still shaking.

To be continued...