"Sweetie, I received a letter from that bible camp you went to when you were little." Clare's mom said.
"Thanks" Clare said. She opened the letter and read it to herself.
Dear Clare Diana Edwards,
We know this is extremely late but we just found out that a dear friend of yours, Julia Smith, died on April 22nd 2009. We would like to hope that you pray for her family's well-being. Her father suggested that we contact you, and inform you because he thinks you 2 were very good friends. We're sorry that this is late but he was not aware of your last name and we had to figure out which Clare he meant.
Sorry again for the delay,
Mr. Johnson the Administrator/Camp Director
"April 22nd 2009, why does that sound so familiar?" Clare asked herself.
The next day Clare walked over to Eli and Adam, sitting against the locker reading comics, Eli was drinking a Coke while Adam was eating a ham and cheese sandwich.
"Hey" Clare said.
They both lifted their heads and said "Hey"
"Can I ask you something?" Clare said.
"You just did, go ahead." Eli said chuckling.
"Does the date April 22nd 2009, ring any bells?" Clare said Adam started choking on his sandwich and Eli spewed coke from his mouth as if it was a perfect spit-take. Eli patted Adam on the pack, which stopped him from choking.
"Thanks man." Adam said "Clare, why are you curious? Just asking."
"When I was 8, I went to bible camp."
Clare was then interrupted by Eli "There's a shocker"
"Anyway, this girl and I were really good friends, her parents had just gotten divorced, and she started wearing dark clothes" Eli gave Clare a dirty look.
"Not that there's anything wrong with it Eli" Eli smirked.
"Doubting her faith, listening to um, Dead Hand and screamo, and well basically she was the female version of Eli." She said with a giggle.
"We were like best friends, even though we had nothing in common, people always wondered how we got along; anyway I got a letter in the mail, that they had forgotten to send, saying that she died that day." Clare said.
"Does she have a name?" Adam asked giggling.
"Yeah, Julia Smith, sound familiar?" Clare said.
"You mean, Julia Smith my dead ex-girlfriend Julia Smith?" Eli said.
"Didn't' see that coming." Adam said.
"Oh, that's why the date seemed so familiar." Clare said.
"Well Julia, and Smith are very common names, maybe it's just a coincidence? Then again Clare you said yourself the 'female version of Eli', and Eli you said you and Julia were exactly the same, minus the whole male vs. female thing." Adam said.
"Wait a second…does that mean you're the Clare she lost contact with after your sister was raped?" Eli asked.
"Yeah, all are mail had to me given to the police to search for evidence so I never got her letters." Clare said.
"Which also means, you're the Clare who Julia said 'constantly rejects some boy she's completely in love with' she said it was because 'dating only leads to heartbreak', interesting." Eli said realizing how ironic that was.
"First of all, I was not in love with KC, second, I don't think you disagree that dating mostly leads to heartbreak." Clare said victoriously.
"You dated Guthrie?" Adam said.
"Is that all you got out of that?" Clare said.
"Yeah, pretty much." They both said at the same time.
"Yeah, we were together for, uh, 8 months." Clare said.
"Never pictured you with a jock." Eli said.
"That's because you only pictured me with you." Clare retorted.
"Good point." Eli said, Adam just giggled.
"But that makes you the Eli she always talked about." Clare stated.
"I do have that affect on the people I date." Eli retorted.
"Ignoring that comment, that makes you the ridiculously annoying boy that she can't decide whether she wants to kill or kiss. I can see where she's coming from." Clare said.
"What else did she say about me that you agree with?" Eli said.
"Has a huge ego, can't let things go, and really ugly." Clare stated.
Adam was cracking up. "Excuse me?" Eli said.
"Actually, she said something more along the lines of ridiculously hot, but she also said that once in awhile she needed to cut your ego down to size, she was so right." Clare said victoriously.
"So do you think I'm really ugly or ridiculously hot?" Eli asked curiously.
"This isn't going to end well either way, either you will be mad at me, or tease me constantly." Clare said.
"Pretty much" Adam and Eli said at the same time.
"Fine, Really-"
"Watch what you say Edwards"
"Really-"
"I said watch what you say!"
"If you'd let me finish, really ridiculously hot." Clare said laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just that I thought I was the self-conscious one who always blushes, not you."
"I'm not self conscious!"
"You were nervous for my answer though."
"Well, you're the ONLY exception to my anti-self-consciousness rule Clare; I care what my girlfriend thinks of me!" Eli said stressing out the word girlfriend.
"What about Adam? Don't you care what he thinks of you?"
"No, what's not to like?" Eli said extremely cocky.
"See, now you're completely 'anti-self-conscious', as soon as we talk about what someone else thinks of you."
"Like I said, you're the only one whose thoughts matter!"
"Thanks man, I'm right here." Adam said.
"Not like that Adam, I meant in a more not-friend way, in a girlfriend way." Eli said.
"Glad to know you don't think of me that way." Adam said laughing. "Anyway, I never would have thought you and Julia were friends Clare."
"Until they lost contact they were best friends, according to Julia." Eli said.
"Isn't going for your exes best friend against the girl code or something, then again your situation is a little bit different." Adam said. "To think that 2 best friends would fall in love with the same guy…"
"In what?" Clare questioned.
"In love" Adam said plainly.
"No offense to Eli but I don't love him, trust me, after 8 months of what seemed like a perfect relationship, the idea of love didn't occur to me once. I don't fall in love easily." Clare said.
"That's crap." Adam said.
"Excuse me?" Clare retorted.
"You not being in love with KC is one thing, but Clare, you've been in love with that one," Adam said pointing to Eli "god knows why, since you 2 first met."
"Clare, are you honestly implying that you don't love me? That you just like me? I know you're in love with me. You can't deny it to this face. Plus you're a terrible liar." Eli said.
"You are so -"
Clare was cut off by Eli "Amazing, charming, perfect?"
Clare looked down at the ground, a frown; upset look appeared on her face.
"What? Is my amazingness too much for you?" Eli asked.
"It's just that someone else said those same exact words to that same exact comment I made, forget it's, it's nothing." Clare said sounding unsure.
"Something's bothering you Clare, something you care to share with the Class?" Adam asked teasingly.
"Sorry, it's just, like I said before, Eli just sounds like someone. Drop it. What were we talking about before?" Clare said.
"You being hopelessly in love with Eli." Adam said.
"I am not! But before that." Clare said.
"Oh yeah, something about you and Julia being best friends." Adam said. "I honestly thought 2 people who are exact opposites wouldn't get along but you being best friends with Julia, and dating Eli obviously proved me wrong."
"It doesn't shock me." Clare said. "First off, as Eli told me, opposites attract, and second wouldn't 2 people who were the exact same clash or fight a lot?"
"True." Adam said in defeat.
"Maybe that's why Julia and I always fought even though everyone thought we were 'perfect for each other'." Eli said.
"Maybe." Adam said.
Then the bell rang. The 2 boys got up put there comics away.
"Better get to class Edwards." Eli said.
"Sure Goldsworthy." Clare retorted.
"Maybe if you guys stopped flirting, we would get to class on time for once." Adam said as the started walking to Ms. Dawes English class.
THE END