I'm not sure if I will continue the other story or not. I originally thought of it as being a stand alone story, but I did start writing another chapter. This story will be about three or four chapters and it will be about Clare. It takes place after Nowhere to Run at the start of the new school year. There will be some Eli eventually, but it has to start out with Jake. Enjoy.

Ever since the cabin trip Clare and Jake had been officially back together. It didn't matter that Clare hadn't even been invited to Jake's cabin for the party, and everyone else was. Or that she had caught him kissing her best friend, Alli, that was behind them now. Or so Jake thought at least.

Clare had been quite lovely-dovey since they rekindled their relationship. Jake had enjoyed it for the first few weeks, thinking that she was just trying to make up for their lost time, but lately it had been getting to be a bit much. All Clare ever wanted to do was hang out with Jake. "Doesn't she have any friends? Oh, that's right Alli was her only friend after that whole Eli thing and now I ruined that." Jake thought to himself.

All Jake wanted to do this coming weekend was to hang out with Drew, they had become friends after the cabin trip and got to ditch their girlfriends and hang out every so often. Or maybe even just go fishing with his father. Heck, with the way Clare has been acting all week Jake would be happy if his father asked him to put in a few extra hours of work for the remolding business this weekend if it meant getting time away from Clare.

"Hey, Jake", Clare started on their ride to school in the truck. Jake always had to drive her to school. Their parents made him. And since they were technically brother and sister now and living together it did make sense for them to ride in to school together.

"Yes Clare", Jake asked emotionless. He was hoping for a quiet ride today and was enjoying the radio morning show. That one that he knew Clare found rude and offensive.

"Let's do something fun this weekend, just the two of us." Clare had been trying to think of something special to celebrate their reunion. Having no girlfriends to bounce ideas off of, well no one at all really, it took her until this morning while getting ready for school for an idea to hit her.

"Ok… what did you have in mind?" This cannot be good Jake thought to himself, but decided it would be best to just humor Clare. No sense in getting her all worked up right before they had to walk into school together. Jake found, that with Clare, the path of least resistance was usually the easiest. She could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"I was thinking you and I could go away over night somewhere, spend the night together. Alone. Maybe we could go up to our cabin?" Clare suggested.

"And how do you propose we will get away with that one?" Jake wasn't stupid. He knew what would happen if he and Clare were alone together. He knew that she would want to sleep with him, and by sleep that is exactly what Clare meant. Sleep. It didn't seem worth the trouble of even trying to evade their parents. And Jake was pretty sure that their parents were starting to catch on as it was.

"I don't think we'd be able to sneak that past our parents. They would know something is up if we both just happen to spend the night away from home at the same time. They know you don't really hang out with any friend lately, so that cover would be very see-thru. Plus, I promised Drew we could hang out this weekend." Jake made up that last part. He felt kind of bad about it, but he really didn't feel like sneaking around this weekend.

Jake parked the truck in his usual spot at grabbed his bag to get out.

"It's just that… I thought we could celebrate getting back together this weekend." Clare sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"Clare, we've been back together for weeks now. No need to celebrate. I already took you out to dinner the night we got back from the cabin trip. Wasn't that celebration enough?" Jake was starting to get annoyed now. Couldn't they ever just have a nice, quiet morning?

"I just thought—"

"You thought what Clare? I know you didn't think we were going to have sex this weekend. If that's the case, though, I would be more than willing to cancel my plans with Drew." Jake didn't even care anymore. He knew a fight was coming anyway, might as well lay all of his cards out on the table. At least they didn't have any classes together and he wouldn't have to see her again until lunch.

"No, I just—"

"You just want to continue to be extremely clingy and never let me have a moment's peace?" Jake knew she would be pissed later.

"Jake, I—"

"Clare, please, it's getting old. And we have to get to school. I can't be late to Perino's class again this week!" And with that Jake opened his door to get out, slammed it closed and walked into school.

By the time Jake stopped at his locker and made it to class, Clare was just pulling her self together and getting out of the truck. She rushed into school and straight to class, not having time to stop by her locker. She made it just as the bell rang and sat down next to Adam, thankful that she still had at least one person that would be nice to her.

"You look like crap. Everything alright?" Adam whispered.

"Gee, thanks Adam. Good morning to you too." So much for someone being nice to her this morning, Clare thought and sighed as she placed her head into her hands.

"I'm sorry, but really. Are you okay?" Adam asked.

"I guess. I just. Jake. This weekend." Clare sniffed.

"Full sentences maybe? I can't really read your mind." Adam was trying very hard not to get angry with Clare.

"I wanted to do something special with Jake this weekend but he blew me off and wouldn't even talk about it and he said he had plans with Drew and he doesn't think I would want to sleep with him and he's afraid our parent's might find out if we go to the cabin alone." Clare blurted out quickly.

"You're going to have sex with Jake!" Adam was shocked.

"Well, I don't know. I wasn't ruling it out, but he wouldn't even let me talk. He just kept cutting me off. And here I thought I had such a good idea to celebrate our getting back together." Clare said.

"Clare, I don't think having sex with your step-brother is such a good idea."

"I know, Adam. I just… I just don't know what else to do. At the wedding all he could talk about was getting back together and now, three weeks later, he barely even wants to talk to me. How did this even happen?" Clare was getting whiney now.

"I don't know, but Jake never seemed like he was a one woman kind of man to me. I mean you did just catch him kissing your best friend."

"EX- best friend." Clare pointed out.

"That's not the point. Jake isn't really boyfriend material." Adam didn't know how to make his point any clearer.

Clare only frowned back and Adam thought that meant it was time to actually pay attention to their class.

A few minutes later Clare gasped, "Oh Adam, who am I going to sit with at lunch today? I CAN'T sit with Jake."

"Sit with me." was Adams obvious response.

"But wouldn't that be weird? I mean, Eli…"

"Will be at a meeting for the play with Fi and Imo. I was going to have to sit with Drew and you guys today anyway."

"Oh Adam. You're such a lifesaver!"

Later at lunch Jake was not surprised when Clare didn't join him at their usual lunch table. It did upset him a bit, though, when he saw that she was sitting at Eli's usual table.

"Hey dude." Drew said, slapping Jake on the shoulder and sitting down, "Bee just told me she's having a party tomorrow night. You in?"

"Yes! That's perfect. I already told Clare I was hanging out with you this weekend. I was just about to ask you what we could do." Jake was getting excited now.

"Is something up with you and Clare, man? I couldn't help but notice that she's sitting over there with my brother and not here with you, her boyfriend." Drew asked.

Jake glanced over at where Clare was a noticed it was still only Clare and Adam. That made him happy.

"Well… we kind of had a fight this morning. She wanted to go up to the cabin over night this weekend. Just me and her, but I told her it wasn't a good idea. I was kind of mean to her, but I'm sick of her drama. Everything is always such a big deal with her."

"Jake, dude. You got to dump her. She's bringing you down. Come to Bee's party and meet some other girls. No need to stay with Clare. She's your sister, that's weird man." Drew so eloquently stated.

"I think I might do just that." Jake smiled.

Meanwhile, across the lunchroom, Adam was also telling Clare about Bianca's party.

"Yeah, she's having this huuuuge shindig at her place tomorrow night. You got to come! It will be so much fun. You can bring Jake if you want, I guess. I mean if you make up by then." Adam hoped that they didn't. He really just wanted to be able to spend time with his friend again, without her lame boyfriend.

"I don't know, Adam. I don't really know any of those people. And parties aren't really my thing."

"Oh come on! It will be fun. You have to come. I haven't hung out with you outside of school in ages." Adam practically begged Clare.

"Yes. Fine. I'll be there." Clare told Adam as the bell rang and she packed up her lunch.

At the end of the day Clare rushed outside and waited by Jake's truck, knowing that she had no other way home from school. Jake gave her a strange look when he walked out and saw her standing there, but just shrugged it off hoping that it meant that Clare was no longer mad at him.

"All settled then?" Jake asked Clare after they got in the truck.

"If you are talking the fight we had this morning, no. Not settled. I just didn't have any other way home and I thought that it wouldn't be such a great idea to call my mother and tell her I need a ride because my boyfriend-brother and I are in a fight." Clare spat back.

"Okay then." Jake responded and they spent the remainder of the ride home in uncomfortable silence.

When they got home Clare told her mother that she didn't feel well and was going to bed early. She didn't think she could face having to sit next to Jake at dinner right now and figured that was the only way to avoid it.

Saturday afternoon rolled around and Clare though it was probably safe to leave her room, since Jake usually helped Glen out with the business on Saturdays. She snuck downstairs to get her phone she had left in her bag and realized she was the only one home. She grabbed her phone and headed straight to the kitchen. She was starving after having skipped dinner last night and breakfast this morning. She started to make herself a fairly large sandwich when her phone buzzed.

She had a text from Adam, " So will I be seeing you at the party tonight?" Clare had to laugh to herself. She shook her head and responded with a yes to Adam and took her sandwich back up to her room to pick out a cute outfit for the party.

Clare finished up her lunch, picked out an outfit, took a shower and got all dolled up. She still had a little while until it was time to leave for the party so she thought she'd head downstairs and watch some television when she realized Jake and her mother were in the living room also. "Too late to turn back now," Clare thought, and took a deep breath as she sat on the opposite end of the couch from Jake.

"Oh, Clare. Hello. Are you feeing any better sweetheart?" her mom asked.

"Yes, mom, I feel fine. Just a little migraine last night, all that sleep got rid of it," Clare smiled back at her mom, ignoring Jake's existence.

"Well, good. You look very nice darling. Are you going to that party with Jake tonight? He said some girl in his class is having a small get together to kick off the new school year." Helen Edwards innocently asked of her daughter.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I guess. I didn't realize Jake was going also." Clare's mood fell, so much for a drama free, Jake free night. Of course Jake would be going. She should have known. He and Drew are all buddy-buddy lately and Drew and Bianca are best friends again.

"Well, we should get going soon, then, Clare." Jake said.

Clare knew that it was still a little early to head to the party, but she though maybe Jake was feeling bad for their argument yesterday and wanted to spend some alone time with her. Maybe they could go on a date instead and skip the party. Clare smiled at her own thoughts and grabbed her sweater and followed Jake out the door to his truck.

"Are you going to apologize to me for how you acted yesterday?" Clare asked Jake, "Maybe you could take me out to dinner to make it up to me. We have such a great cover now, we could probably fit in a movie too. There's this one I've been dying to see."

"Look Clare, I told Drew I would go to this party so I'm going. And I have no problem giving you a ride, but I don't want to spend the whole night with you clinging to my side. Are we clear?" Jake plainly stated, shocking Clare.