"Clare I am not judgmental" her mother said sternly.

"Mom" clare said giving her a look.

"I just want to meet this boy you spend so much time with."

"its just that…" she began fiddleing with her purity ring, "he's VERY different."

"Well I just want to see who my daughter is hanging around with, what if he's another-"

"MOM!" She cried out, "He's a nice guy he would never do anything like that!"

Later that night

eli-gold49: is it just me or does it seem like Morty wants a ride?

clare-e23: is that an invitation?

eli-gold49: do you want it to be?

clare-e23: when?

eli-gold49: I'll be there in 10 min ;)

clare-e23: okay see ya then

…eli-gold49 has logged off…

Clare's POV

I can't wait… his crooked smile…no no no no, oh boy, he's on his way. I look over at my door and listen to my parents silently quarrel, and quickly decide against going down the stairs… I finally look over at my window, nice and easy but dangerous way out. I locked my door and turned off the lights and went to my window slowly skidding down, oh boy, I saw Morty slowly approaching the house. It stopped for a second and slowly went around the corner from what I could tell. Then I heard fast paced footsteps, and I prayed it wasn't the neighbors.

"What the hell are you doing!" a voice whispered loudly enough for me to hear.

"E-Eli?"

"No it's Becky!" He approached slightly into the light.

"Shhhh"

"Oh," he said as he moved out of the way, "parents?"

I nodded, finally jumping off… turns out I wasn't that far off the ground.

"Let's go" I hurriedly run off the lawn, and he follows. Luckily we made it off my property when my dad angrily storms out of the house, Eli and I just watch him drive off in the opposite direction.

Eli's POV

At the hearse

"Why were you climbing down your window?" I asked bluntly

"I've seen it on TV" she said

"So miss stunt dummy, what did you want to tell me?" I say trying to get her to look at me.

"Well" she blushes and puts her hand on mine, "my mom…she wants to meet you."

I didn't know how to react, was I surprised about the fact that her mother wants to meet me or the fact that she told her about me.

"Humm…" I say raising an eyebrow, "now… what does your mother know about me?" she intertwined her fingers with mine… and I'm wondering if she knows what she's doing.

"You're… my English partner?" she smiles innocently

"That's it?" I say not believing her

"And that you're a little different" she says meekly, which sending shivers up and down my body.

"OH? You just want me for my body" I smirk, she gawks at me and her face flushes in embarrassment.

"Eli!" she smacks my hand, "it's not like we're going out!"

"Oh but you wish we were." I smirk devilishly. She lets out a sigh and leans back into her seat, not letting go of me. I just went back to the conversation she keeps trying to avoid.

"It's just…" she looks out the window.

"We're too different." I say, she squeezes my hand lightly and I look up at her, her big blue eyes pleading.

"We are… and I can't… not after what happened."

"I thought you were over that."

"Well I am and really I do want to be with you, but what will people think?"

"Do you honestly still care what people think? What happened to not being afraid to be yourself? What happened to the Clare who could scream at the top of her lungs flailing and all that?"

"I'm still her it's just that… I don't want people to think I'm going out with you to spite him."

"Really?" I say sarcastically, "You really think you could spite anybody dating me?" Silence fills the air.

She looks so sad. So I tickle her.

"Eli!" she laughs. I climb over and continue tickling her. She takes off her seat belt and starts shoving me softly. Suddenly she pushes me kind of hard and I hit the window with my head.

"Ouch, hahaha" I say laughing. Her giggling lessens. The space between us is inescapably hot. I look at her eyes and notice she's looking at my lips, her breathing becomes ragged.

Clare's POV

We've kissed a few times before…well actually a lot. I do like him, I really do, but I'm just not ready for us to be an "item"… not yet anyway. But every time we're in a situation like this, about to kiss, I can't help but want to, badly.

I lean in and our lips touch carelessly, and he pulls back leaving me dazed.

"Why did you pull back?" I ask him hurt.

"I did, didn't I?" he says becoming conscious of it.

"Why?"

"If we can't be together, I think we…"

I felt my heart shatter, the raking feeling of rejection.

"…should just be friends."

I wanted to cry.

"B-but Eli… what about our…"

"Our feeling towards one another?" I nod, "We'll just have to put those on hold."

"So… " my voice cracks, "we're English partners now, nothing more?" He let out a dark scoff.

"Were we ever more?" I look at him in the eyes and frown at him.

Eli's POV

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, I had to hold back from kissing her forehead, hugging her, consoling her… loving her.

She said she didn't want to go out with me, she said she didn't want us to become a couple. No matter how many times I asked her out, no matter how many times we shared passionate kisses or how many times I held her when she cried or how I sat there and listened to her laughter, I can tell... Its too soon for her. because she's still not over it.