Welcome to my first of many shorts for the new year I thought it was time to try a ship I haven't done yet, this little short is a Clare/Jack which I have dubbed Jacklare, which was inspired by Clare going ax throwing and Alli's line to Clare about having a female suitor.
Disclaimer I do not own Degrassi all characters belong to respective owners I only own the plot.
Before you read here are some important notes:
Clare survived cancer
Adam is alive
Drew and Bianca are broken up
Imogen graduated and never met Jack
Clare did hook up with Drew and Eli but she doesn't date either of them and their is no baby
A/n this is a scheduled two shot for those of you expecting Three the Hard way due to an unexpected event I have coming up that update will be posted at a date to be announced later
Chapter1 Landing an Unexpected Ace
Clare was having what had to be the worst day aside from the day she found out she had cancer, Alli was busy with Dallas Adam was busy spending time with Becky and she didn't want to be around Drew after having an argument with him the day before about weather they would be a couple after hooking up at the ho-down.
Drew tried to talk to Clare that night and early today before class and see if what happen between them was just a one time thing or if they were going to try and work towards a relationship.
Drew's attempts were unsuccessful because every reason Drew gave Clare as to why they should be together Clare just rebuffed and respond by saying that she couldn't commit right now and wasn't in the mood to talk any further about the subject when in reality Clare was unsure of what she wanted after all any hope of her and Eli went down the tubes when he ran out of Degrassi like an emotional unstable mad man and if Clare was really being honest with herself a relationship with Drew or Eli had more negatives than positives.
Clare came to the conclusion she need some time to think so she decided to skip last period English and go to the zen garden.
As Clare sat in the garden she thought about what a relationship with both Drew and Eli would be like and after thinking for about half hour the only things that became clear to her were that she couldn't risk another toxic relationship with Eli and a relationship with Drew came with drama she wasn't willing to deal with.
After deciding that she couldn't in good conscience be with Drew or Eli she felt like the right thing to do was tell Drew in person and deal with Eli if and when he came back to see her.
Clare knew Drew had a last period spare which he often spent in the weight room so she headed back into Degrassi to go find him.
As Clare suspected she did find Drew in the weight room working out on the treadmill.
"Drew can we talk?"
Drew stopped the treadmill and walked over to a weight bench with Clare.
"Yeah whats up?"
"First I wanna say I'm sorry for being irrational earlier I should have talked to you instead of snapping at you."
"Its okay Clare I kind of get why you did what you did, it may have taken me a while but I remembered that you and Eli have been through a lot and what happen between us was a spur of the moment type thing."
"I guess that would be one way to put it but after doing some thinking I've come to a decision on us."
Drew was eager to hear what Clare was going to say.
"Okay Clare so where are we?"
"Drew there's no easy way to say this but a relationship between us just wouldn't work I mean you dated my best friend and your brother would feel awkward if we dated and for some reason broke broke up."
As soon as Clare said that Drew was stunned.
"So you're saying what we shared meant nothing and I was just a rebound?"
"Of course not Drew its just there's too many hoops to jump through and too many people would get hurt if we started dating."
"You know what Clare if that's the way you feel I respect that I hope we can be friends after this."
"Of course Drew but promise me no hard feelings."
"Its good Clare I get it."
"Thanks Drew I guess Ill see you around."
"Yeah see ya."
Clare left the weight room half relieved half stressed out, she was now squared away with Drew but still had Eli to deal with which was going to be no picnic, she had made it half way out of Degrassi when she spotted Alli in the hall way.
"Hey Clare you look like you could use some fun come to salsa with Dallas and me."
"No thanks Alli I don't think that's a good idea."
"Oh come on Clare it'll be fun." Alli said as she walked outside with Clare who went to her car to grab an extra bottle of water.
"No thanks Ill catch up with you later."
While Clare and Alli were talking Alli noticed Jack walking toward them.
"Hey Clare don't look now but I think that new girl Jack is coming this way I heard her workout group was fun besides I saw her checking you out as we walked out."
"Alli don't say things like that even though Jack maybe a lesbian that doesn't mean she was checking me out and yeah it was fun but also a challenge but I'm beat."
"Okay sorry if what I said was out of line."
"Its all right Alli Ill see you later."
As Alli left Clare headed back to the front of Degrassi and decided to sit down for a bit,a few moments later Jack sat with her.
"Hey you're Clare right?"
"Yeah I was in your workout class today."
"I remember now listen you look like you've had a rough day wanna talk maybe blow off some steam?"
"Yeah after what Drew and Eli put me through I could use a release."
"Okay so the root of your trouble is guys what else is new?."
"What do mean?"
"I mean guys are stressful and just don't get us sometimes that's why I go for the more understanding of the sexes that doesn't bother you does it?"
"Of course not."
"Well if you want to get your mind off of guys for a bit I have just the thing."
At this point Ill try anything."
"Great follow me to the back woods."
Clare followed Jack to the backwoods where Clare was amazed to see girls throwing axes at targets.
"Wow everyone is so relaxed here."
"Yeah a group of us come back here every now and than to relieve stress and just hang loose its kind of our no guys time if you want I could teach you."
"I don't know is it safe?"
"Sure it is I have a prop ax you can learn with."
Alright Ill give it a try."
Clare picked up the ax and flung it at the target imagining Eli's face.
"Great shot now try it with the real thing."
Clare walked over to a bag of axes and picked one up while Jack set up another target.
"Now just do what you did with the prop ax Clare."
Clare again imagined Eli's face on the target and launched the ax getting a dead center hit.
"Great job Clare you're a natural."
Thanks Jack you're a great teacher."
After a few more rounds of ax throwing Clare and Jack sat by a tree and had some sodas.
"So Clare I was thinking if you're not doing anything maybe you want to come over and watch a couple movies?"
"Sure Jack that would be nice."
"Cool Ill go put these back and we can head to my place its not too far from here."
Jack packed up the axes and headed to her car with Clare.
The ride to Jacks was spent listening to the radio Jack put on pop music just to play it safe with Clare as not to scare her.
Twenty minutes later Jack and Clare pulled up to modest home painted in simple lite blue.
Jack parked her car and opened her door Clare was taken by all the art work and military related pictures that adorned the walls.
"Nice place Jack."
"Thanks my dads in the army so we moved around a lot just hang here a sec I'm going to drop my stuff upstairs Ill be back."
"Take your time Jack."
Jack went dropped her stuff in her room while Clare admired a few trophies that adorned the living room taking an interest Jacks triathlon trophies.
Clare was amazed at how athletic Jack was.
A few moments later Jack emerged wearing a pair of blue sweats.
Clare I have a few movies you can pick from the shelf under the TV."
Clare ironically chose a mobster movie that they both thought was cool.
Jack was surprised by Clare's choice in movie but let it be as continued to read the girl.
"Clare I'm surprised to picked a mobster movie."
"I wanted to think outside the box I'm tiered of just being known as smart bookworm Clare."
"Well I guess I get that do you mind telling me whats up with you and Drew."
"Sure I was dating Eli and we hit a rough patch and I ended up hooking up with Drew and Eli caught us and flipped he ended up storming out of school and not talking to me, Drew asked me today if we were more than just a hook up but I decided against it after I realized it would be drama and I don't think Eli and me are a good mix now".
"If you ask me I think Eli is a toxic for you I overheard your friends Jenna and Alli talking about Eli a few days ago and the way they made it sound he suffocated you."
"Well I wouldn't say that I'd call our relationship intense."
"Okay well what have your other relationships been like?"
"Well I dated a guy KC in grade nine until he cheated Eli in grade ten til that blew up and Jake in grade 11 but he turned into my step brother when my mom re married last year and just before the beginning of this year I was with Eli again but you see how that turned out".
Jack was amazed at that Clare had been through the relationship wringer in her time at degrassi.
"Clare from what I've heard about Eli it sounds like he doesn't really appreciate you if he would just flip on you hell he borderline disrespects you."
Clare didn't believe how much Jack was able to understand her situation without her saying much.
"Wow Jack you're the first person whose gotten me in while."
"What can I say I just get people and I've learned to read people and situations."
Clare didn't know what it was but being around Jack provided a sense of calm she hadn't felt in a while even dating back to when when things were going good with her and Eli.
"Clare you wanna stay for dinner I could order out for us."
Clare checked her phone and realized that Jake sent her a text saying that Helen and Glen wouldn't be home til late they were going to a business dinner for Glen's contracting business.
"Yeah Ill stay for dinner."
"Cool Ill even drive you home if you need it."
"Thanks Jack."
"How do you feel about sushi?"
"Ill try anything once."
"Cool Ill order it with some iced tea and white rice".
After Jack placed the order she returned to the living room and sat next to Clare on the couch.
"The food will be here in fifteen mind if we talk a bit instead of tossing in another movie?"
"Sure Jack."
"You said earlier dating both Drew and Eli came with drama tell me if dating Drew would create issues with Adam and dating Eli is just toxic have you ever thought of dating a girl?"
Clare was shocked at the question for the first time in a while she didn't know what to do she had never thought of dating a girl but had seen how Fiona and Imogen had come together and been good for each other but why would Jack ask that was she hitting on her?"
Clare decided to play it by ear and see where Jack was going before deciding on her next move all of a sudden she heard Jack call out to her.
"Clare."
"Sorry Jack you say something?"
"Yeah I asked if you had ever given any thought to dating a girl?"
"Well to be honest no why?"
"Just asking listen I'm going to step outside for a sec I need some air."
"Okay."
Jack went to the backyard and tried to pull herself together."
"Come on Jack keep it together you can't go after a straight girl." Jack mused to herself as she took a deep breath in.
Even though Jack was a nervous wreck there was a small part of Jack that wanted to try her luck with Clare maybe she could take a shot.
"After some internal debate Jack decided to play it cool and take a shot musing to herself that she needed to take the risk.
When Jack returned she found Clare by the door with the delivery guy.
"How much do I owe you?"
"$10.25 miss."
Jack went to her purse paid the delivery man accepted the food and closed the door.
"Come on Clare Ill set us up."
Clare followed Jack back to the couch as she pulled the two orders of sushi along with the rice and chopsticks.
The girls ate in silence as Jack kept stealing glances at Clare which didn't go unnoticed by Clare, after they finished eating Clare offered to clean up as she continued to notice that Jack kept glancing up like she wanted to say something and had something on her mind Clare had a clue to what it was didn't want to risk being wrong and offending Jack after the evening they had together.
After cleaning up Clare checked her phone and realized she should start heading home.
"Listen Jack thanks for the food but I need to get home now before my mom flips".
"Ill drive you its no big it'll be better than sitting alone waiting for my mom to get home."
"You sure Jack?"
"Its no trouble at all I swear Ill get my coat."
"Thanks Jack." Clare said as she made her way to Jack's car.
A few moments later Jack made her way outside having decided that before Clare left her car she would take a chance and ask her out.
Jack got in the car turned on the radio and set the station to rock music.
"I hope you don't mind the rock music Clare."
"Not at all I'm used to it Adam even got me to listen to Dead Hand so its cool."
The whole ride to Clare's went by smoothly with Clare and Jack even doing a duet to a Dead Hand track as they pulled up to Clare's.
Once they pulled up Clare noticed that the lights were on but Jake was the only one home.
"Well thanks for dinner and the fun afternoon Jack." Clare said as she was about to exit the car.
"Clare wait."
"Whats up Jack?"
"Clare I have something I need to tell you."
"Whats that Jack?"
"Well hanging out with you today and listening to the stuff you've been through with your past relationships and I felt like those didn't work out for you because you were either misunderstood or in Eli's case disrespected and I feel like you deserve so much more."
Clare was stunned at what she was hearing she couldn't believe her hunch as just about right.
"Jack what are you saying?"
"I'm saying after hearing all the stuff you've been through and spending the afternoon with you I think I could do better if you allowed me to show you a good time."
Clare didn't know what to say she put together that Jack might like her but never thought Jack would actually ask her out, she took a moment to consider Jack's offer.
"Maybe Jack could show me a good time after what the Eli and Drew situation got me maybe one date wouldn't hurt after all Jack is different I could use different." Clare mused to herself before coming to a decision.
"Jack I've thought it over and I've decided that Ill accept your offer of a date."
Jack couldn't believe it she had actually gotten Clare Edwards to agree to date she was over the moon but didn't show it.
"Great Clare Ill pick you up tomorrow night wear something nice."
"Alright Jack Ill see you around."
"Thanks Clare."
Jack and Clare shared a hug after which Clare left car and went home.
Once Clare saw Jack pull away she thought to herself "I'm in for quite a ride."
I will try to post chapter 2 of this story next Tuesday 1/20 as always check the website for most current info.