A/N: Okay, so I wasn't going to upload this until 2 or 3 more days but somebody (I don't know who it was lol, anonymous people okay.) was like begging me to upload chapter two and like my girlfriend I'm whipped so I'm just going to upload it now for the sake of making everyone happy. There may be a few mistakes because I didn't have anyone read over it, but I'm hoping it's still good enough for all of you! I haven't gotten any questions or anything about it so I'm hoping everything's going great for... everyone. Okay, I'm not finished with chapter three yet, so please don't ask me to upload chapter three like tomorrow or something - it'll be posted when it's posted!

Okay, that's about it. This chapter is dedicated to that pesky anon ;)


She stumbled inside, almost as if she had a bit of tipsiness to her – when on the contrary; she had absolutely nothing to drink at all. Drinking any form of alcohol was completely out of the question for Clare Edwards… yet why was she standing in the bedroom of the home that belonged to a total stranger, with a man she had only met moments before? He closed the door behind him, and she stared nervously at him. In the crowded room of people she could barely even notice any of his features – but now, in the light, in the room alone she could take in his full appearance. He had perfect posture, and emerald green eyes that were hidden behind dark black bangs. The way he stood even made her feel stupid about her own. He had this stature about him. He stood completely straight, without one flaw upon him. He cleared his throat, and took a step forward.

"Wait." Clare whispered, shaking her hair lightly, trying not to make eye contact with the man in front of her. His green eyes were almost intoxicating, and if she continued to stare – she wondered if she might have even gone along with this crazy plan. "I don't… I wasn't listening… I don't even know your name."

"Eli." He said, raising a hand to run through his shaggy black hair.

"Eli what?" Clare pestered.

He laughed softly. "Does it matter?"

"Yes it matters." She blushed, looking down at her shoes. "I think I should know the last name of the guy I'm losing my virginity too."

"So that's what this is about."

"Yes." Clare's voice got quieter. She crossed her arms over her chest out of defense and let out a shaky breath. "They think that me being in college and being a virgin is pathetic. So that's why –"

"- That's why they set you up to come to this party… to lose your virginity." Eli said, finishing her sentence. Clare sighed, biting down on her lip. Eli nodded, sucking in a breath and stepping forward again, coming closer towards her. Clare stared up at the man in front of her and laughed slightly to herself. "I guess we better get this over with." He muttered, licking his lips slightly, and leaning forward – pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

"I…" Clare began, as Eli's lips moved from the place on her cheek to her lips, sending chills down her spine. Only one boy had ever kissed her in the past, and she had known him for a while before the two of them had ever… started something. Now here she was, innocent Clare Diana Edwards kissing the man on the mouth, and about to give him her virginity. "I um…" she swallowed, their eyes making contact for a brief moment. Blue clashed with green, and her breath hitched slightly. "I don't think I should do this." Her voice was quiet – careful. "No, I honestly don't think that I can do this."

Eli took a step back, away from her, and nodded slowly to himself. "That's all right." He muttered. "I don't think I should, anyway. Losing your virginity is important – special. You should save it for someone you're in love with." Clare cocked her head to the side, immediately interested in what he had to say. It surprised her greatly that a… a guy in college, at a college party believed something like this. In fact, she honestly believed that once she had told him no, he wouldn't listen. That he might pounce upon her and, as much as she was afraid to think it – rape her.

"You really think that?" she asked, and Eli raised his eyebrows, a smirk curling onto his lips.

"Is it so crazy that I do?" he asked, and Clare smiled a little. She stepped backwards a little, and sat down on the bed that was only a few steps behind her.

"I don't know." She muttered, as he walked towards her and sat beside her on the old vintage style bedspread.

"Wow, didn't know the Torres' had such a tacky house." Eli commented, and Clare turned to look towards him.

"Is that whose house this is? The Torres? I must have not been paying attention… Alli's obsessed with Drew."

"You really don't know where you are, do you?" Eli asked, giving her a sympathetic grin. Clare shook her head.

"I have psychotic friends, Mr.…." Clare nudged him lightly, rolling her eyes. "You still didn't tell me your last name!"

Eli laughed, clicking his tongue. "Maybe I don't want you to know. Maybe I don't want you finding me around campus!" he exclaimed, a cheap grin plastered to his face.

"Do you go to DU?" Clare questioned, and Eli nodded slowly in response. "I've never seen you around before."

"I lurk in the shadows." Eli said in mock mystery. "No, but in reality we probably have nothing in common. No classes together." Eli shrugged.

"Well what do you like?" she asked, suddenly interested in the boy that… that seemed to care about her, though they had never even spoken in the past. Eli had never even noticed her in the past, and now here they were – and he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't take her virginity because she had asked him not too. There was something different about this boy than others, and she was interested in figuring it out.

"Reading. Writing. Listening."

Clare laughed slightly. "Are you kidding? You're describing my entire life in front of me." She smiled, a red blush appearing on her cheeks and she didn't even know why. They didn't have chemistry… they didn't even know each other! "Who's your favourite author?"

"Chuck Palahniuk."

"You're kidding!" Clare exclaimed, an excited, interested grin on her face. "I love his work!" Eli pressed his lips into a line in surprise.

"Hmm." He shrugged. "Maybe we do have a lot in common, Clare." He said. Clare furrowed her eyebrows.

"How'd you know my name?"

"Your friends. They said your name when they introduced you." Eli said, but there was a hint of a lie in his eyes… but she didn't question it. She nodded, sighing softly.

"My friends." She groaned, looking towards the door. "I can't go back out there and tell them I didn't do it. They'll… they'll hate me?" Eli snickered. "Stop it." she nudged him. They had known each other five minutes, and they were teasing each other like they had known each other for years.

"They're your friends. They won't hate you knowing you came out of here a virgin." Eli told her straight, and Clare looked down, trying to smile but it seemed absolutely impossible. Eli's eyes scanned her over and he breathed deeply. "You really don't want to let them down, do you?" Clare shook her head, and Eli looked around the room to see what he could do. "Okay. What's in your bag?" he asked, and Clare stared at him, confused. "You got lip stick, eye shadow? Anything?"

Clare opened up the small handbag she had brought with her and looked through it. There were tampons, a small comb, and other various supplies a girl in college might carry around in her purse. "I have lip gloss?" Clare said, holding up the small red container filled with sparkly red lip gloss. Eli rolled his eyes.

"It'll do. Put it on." He demanded, as he stood to his feet and looked around the room to see what other damage he could do. Eli moved over towards the bed, and ruffled the sheets, and threw a couple pillows on the floor.

"Okay. It's on." Clare said, as Eli walked around the room back to Clare, and bit his lip.

"Kiss my face." He told her, and Clare scoffed.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on, Clare. Just do it. Do you want this to be convincing or not?"

Clare raised her eyebrows. "W-What to be convincing?" she asked, and Eli sighed.

"Don't you want them to think we actually had sex?"

"You mean lie." Clare corrected.

"If you want to get official. It's more of a… let's not, and say we did."

The words hung in the air for some time. It was actually quite the brilliant idea. Tell everyone that the two had slept with each other, when in actuality they hadn't even touched each other. Except for a kiss or two. If the two of them had made it seem as if they had, and told everyone that they did… it would be the most perfect scheme. And then while everyone was thinking that they had, Clare could be left alone when it came to Alli or Jenna bugging her twenty-four seven. Clare sighed softly, and stood to her feet. "You're lucky that I think this is such a good idea, you know. Otherwise… otherwise I'd be totally against doing this. I mean, we've just met, Eli."

"You're the one that told me to follow you in here." He snickered. Clare stood to her feet, and punched his arm playfully.

"Oh, shut up." She rolled her eyes, and stood on her tip toes to reach his face. Her lips placed sticky, watermelon kisses against his cheeks, trying her hardest to leave behind traces of her glossy lips. "There." She stepped to the side, and away from him. "You're covered in kisses." She said, feeling quite proud of herself.

"Great. Now, come here." He motioned his finger, and stepped closer, messing up her perfect curls.

"Eli!" she shouted, batting his hands away.

"Perfect!" Eli grinned slyly, looking at what he had done in front of her. "Sex hair. Faaabulous." Clare blushed.

"Is that all? Nothing else?" Clare whispered, and Eli nodded.

"One more thing. I'm going to need that." He said, pointing to her hand, as Clare raised it up. "The ring, it's a purity ring, isn't it?" She nodded slowly, knowing that it was. A purity ring that she had gotten when she was seven or eight years old, and had always planned on keeping it on her until she had truly lost her virginity. But here Eli was, trying to take it from her. And she was a little bit apprehensive.

"What are you going to do with it?" she whispered, looking up at him with fearful blue eyes.

"Wear it. So everyone thinks that I did it."

Clare nodded, looking down at her ring finger and the small silver band with words engraved on it. As she slipped the ring off of her finger, she reluctantly placed it into Eli's palm, and bit her lip. "Take care of it, okay?" she mumbled, swallowing hard. "Don't ever lose it or… give it to someone. It's important to me."

"I would never." Eli responded. Clare watched as he unclasped the silver necklace he had on, and pulled it off. She was slightly confused as to what he was doing – but it soon hit her. He was going to attach her purity ring to it so all could see. So that everyone and anyone would see that Eli had her virginity. Or at least, that's what everyone would believe. "True love waits." He read off of the ring before he slid it beside the small silver guitar pick. "Wait, okay?" Eli told her. Clare raised her eyebrows.

"Wait for what?" she asked.

"For this. For whatever it says. True love waits, you know? Stay true to that."

Clare stared at him in awe. This was the first boy she had met, that wasn't someone from her strictly Christian church that actually believed in this mumbo jumbo. She had honestly been waiting for someone to come along that she would really fall hard for, so she'd be able to give it up. But here this man was, telling her to wait. She'd never met him before. She'd never even seen him before – and here he was… He honestly didn't look like the type to believe in this sort of stuff, either. In fact by the way he began; capturing her lips in a kiss he seemed to know what he was doing. "O-Okay." She whispered, staring nervously into those green orbs.

"You should probably get out of breath." Eli suggested, and pulled lightly on the purple blouse she was wearing, making it slightly messy. "I hope you can act." Clare smiled.

"I can't. But I can try my best, how does that sound?" she offered, and Eli nodded. Clare began to back up towards the door of the bedroom – taking in several breaths to hyperventilate. "You still didn't tell me your last name."

Eli smirked. "Goldsworthy. Eli Goldsworthy."

"Wow." Clare laughed, "That's really Jewish."

"Shut up, I know." He rolled his eyes, and looked around the bedroom. "Well. It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice letting you take my virginity." Clare said with a wink, her hand on the doorknob. "Maybe I'll see you around…" Eli shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watched Clare leaving the bedroom. "Bye." She whispered, a small red blush appearing on her cheeks. She had been in there maybe all fifteen minutes, and as she walked out – the loud music of the party began to overwhelm her. Everyone around her seemed to be completely wasted, and deep down she hoped that Alli might be a little tipsy to not notice the fact that Clare didn't really look as if she'd gotten her cherry popped five minutes before.

"Clare!" A voice called from around her, shoving others out of the way. "Did you do it!" Jenna squealed, and Clare nodded slowly, earning a loud ecstatic cheer from Jenna in response. "She did it! Clare Edwards swiped her V-Card!" Jenna yelled, as Alli accompanied them.

"Holy shit!" Alli yelled, stumbling up beside them, her typical red cup in her hands as she bumped into Jenna. "You really did it, Clare-Bear? You let him take your virginity?" Clare held up her hand in response, showing the bare spot on her ring finger. Alli gasped. "You did! We've got to celebrate! Someone get Clare a beer!"

"Woah, Alli." Clare shook her head in response, as the door behind them opened. Eli walked out, only glancing slightly at the three girls. Their eyes met for only seconds, and a smirk curled onto his lips.

"He is so looking at you!" Jenna exclaimed, and Clare rolled her eyes, turning back to the two girls in front of her.

"Really, Jenna? I didn't even notice!" Clare scoffed, as someone tried to hand her a drink. "No thank you." She said, pushing the drink away.

"Clare! Just have a sip; you deserve it after the cherry popping that just went on in there! Don't you want to sit down? Aren't you like… majorly sore?" Alli questioned, and Clare shrugged.

"I'm okay? Besides, we all know who the designated driver here is." Clare said, and both girls laughed at her. "Stop it. If it wasn't for me you two would probably end up in a car accident."

"Can't you at least come and dance with us, Clare?" Jenna suggested, tugging on Clare's shirt, suddenly noticed how it was pulled slightly on her left side. "Sweetheart, you could have at least cleaned up a bit before you joined the party again." Clare batted Jenna's hands away and began to fix it up herself, playing slightly with her skirt as well. "We really do need to celebrate! Now that you're not a virgin anymore, you can get your sexy on with us on the dance floor." Jenna winked slightly, earning a groan from Clare in disgust.

"That is not what it means, Jenna. It means you two can leave me alone from now on? I did it. I had sex. Now I don't have to hear you two constantly bickering about my 'well-being'." Clare said, rolling her eyes. Another couple pushed past them and began to make their way into the bedroom Clare had just exited – and a sigh fell from her lips. "Can't we just go home?" Clare begged, and Alli raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Go home? The party is just getting started, Clare-Bear!" Alli exclaimed, and almost as if on cue – people began to scramble for the exits. Clare furrowed her eyebrows as everyone began to leave, and suddenly Clare heard it.

Sirens.

Of course, Clare Edwards' first college party would be ruined by the police, though it seemed as if the sudden ending of the party was due to rowdy and irresponsible young adults. Alli dropped her cup, and it seemed as if she was about to start sprinting for the door. Clare followed after her slowly, catching her by the arm and pulling her to the side.

"Unless you're missing your ID, I don't see why you're running." Clare said sternly as Jenna followed after them. "You're of age; you're only… slightly drunk? Let's just go back to the car. I'll drive us back to the house." Clare said, dragging a plastered Alli by the arm to her car parked halfway up the street.

"But Claaare." Alli whined, tugging on her arm. "I left my bag in Drew's bedroom." Clare stopped in her tracks and looked Alli over – hoping to find some trace of her hot pink handbag.

"Can't we come pick it up tomorrow? Or is it ideal we get it."

"Does she have her cell phone?" Jenna chimed in, and Clare reached for Alli's pockets, looking for it. There wasn't a trace of it. They'd have to go back. They'd have to go back to the home that was now occupied by Drew Torres, Adam Torres, and the police. This was not how Clare had planned to spend her evening. Faking the loss of her virginity, and now running into the police? Not her style.

Clare groaned, and shoved Alli towards Jenna. "I'll go back and get her bag. I'm the only sober one here anyway. You two go back to the car and stay put." Clare demanded, shoving her bag into Jenna's hands. Jenna raised her eyebrows.

"For someone who isn't a virgin anymore, you sure aren't in the best mood." She said, laughing slightly to herself as she walked Alli back to the car. Clare just had to be in one of the worst moods ever at this point. All it seemed her friends cared about were partying, getting drunk, and having sex with strangers. Did she really go to this party and almost let someone take her most precious gift? At least the man had been considerate and let her do what she wanted – and even helped her cover it up a bit and pretend that she had. At least someone was daring enough to help her. At least –

"Are you serious, Clare?" A slightly familiar voice said. She stopped in her tracks. "You're going back to a party that's been busted by the po-po?" Her eyes scanned around the dark street, unable to see who was speaking to her. "Roaming around in the dark alone without your bag, too? Someone might take advantage of you."

Out of the shadows, stepped Eli Goldsworthy, and Clare let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, you almost scared me to death." She rolled her eyes, continuing to walk back towards the house, with Eli following after her. "My friend left her bag – and she's wasted. I have to go back and get it." she explained, shrugging lightly.

"The friend that put you up to having sex with me? Yeah. Seems like you should help her out." Eli said, stepping beside her.

"That's what friends are for, Eli."

"Well then I'll go in and get the bag for you." Eli said, taking hold of her arm and stopping her.

"Why?"

"That's what friends are for, you just said so yourself."

Clare laughed lightly and shook her head. "Eli, we're not friends. We only met thirty minutes ago." She corrected him. There was a streetlight only several feet away from the two of them, and because of it – she could see the saddened expression on his face. Had telling him that they weren't friends really hurt his feelings? "Wait, are you seriously upset by that?"

"No." Eli shrugged, stepping aside. There was an awkward silence between the two of them, and Clare's eyes wandered to the purity ring hanging on his necklace chain. "Look, I just didn't want you walking into there and getting questioned by Officer Turner."

"Oh, you know the Blue Meanies personally?" Clare questioned, crossing her arms.

"Blue… meanies?"

"Sorry." Clare corrected herself, feeling slightly stupid. "I'm a Beatles fan. I mean the police. You know them personally?" Eli cleared his throat and looked away from her. The answer was obviously yes. "I'm going to take that as a yes. I think I can fend for myself, Eli. It's all right." She told him, reaching forward and placing a hand on his arm gently for a few seconds. "But if you'd like to do your thing and lurk in the shadows," she teased, "then be my guest. I'll be right inside getting Alli's bag."

Eli let go of her arm, and she smiled, letting her own fall back to her side. Clare turned on her heels towards the house again and bit her lip. Why was he taking such an interest in her well-being now, anyway? Only earlier had he been okay with sleeping with her and now he had completely flipped switches to an awkward, caring kind of person. She shrugged it off and stepped up to the building, where several cops stood at attention.

"Can we help you, young lady?" An African-American man asked her, giving her a serious look.

"My friend left her bag in there. Is it all right if I step inside to get it?"

"What's it look like?" The man asked, stepping out of the way to show several misplaced handbags and other accessories. "One of these?" Clare took another step forward and searched through the forgotten bags, hairbands, and even shoes. But absolutely none of them seemed to be Alli's.

"No." Clare shook her head. "None of these. She said she left it in one of the bedrooms."

The officer rolled his eyes. "If you think you're going into this house right now, you must be insane. Miss, you can get your friends bag tomorrow, or the next day. Not today." Clare pursed her lips.

"Sir you don't understand. It has everything in it. Her ID, her cell phone, her-"

"You're still not going into this house. Unless you live here, or are related to the Torres or Martin's, you're not entering this building." He said sternly. Clare sighed, walking off the porch and down the front steps. Not only was Alli going to be majorly drunk when she returned, but angry too without her hot pink Prada handbag. Clare almost groaned to herself walking around in the darkness to find her way back to her car. But then there he was again - the green eyes piercing through the darkness and coming up in front of her. She stopped, and sighed.

"Couldn't get in?" Eli asked, approaching her again, as Clare shook her head, defeated. "I've got it." he clicked his tongue and looked away from her at the house in front of them. "Go around the back. Whose room is it?"

"Drew's."

"Upstairs, first door on the left." Eli told her, turning her body around and directing her to the house. "I'll go distract Officer Turner. You go around the back, and whatever you do… just get the bag." Eli told her, and Clare bit her lip, nodding slightly. She had never disobeyed the law before – but Eli seemed to know what he was doing, so she casually began to make her way around the house for the back door. It was, of course, left open from the amount of college students practically running for their lives. As she stepped inside, she tried to follow Eli's instructions. Don't talk to anything – don't do anything but get the bag and get out. Clare walked up the stairs to the bedroom, and found the door. First door on the… left, was it? Clare turned the handle, and looked inside. It seemed quiet, and she hoped nobody was in there. Just the thought of walking into a room where… she didn't want to think about it. Clare stepped inside and glanced around for the hot pink hand bag. There it was, lying in the middle of the bed, completely vulnerable to be stolen from.

"Dammit." A voice muttered from around her, and Clare jumped, immediately shocked from hearing a voice. Her hands quickly reached for the bag as she took it in her procession and started to walk out the room, until a crash came from behind her. Clare quickly turned to look – seeing two people tumble from the closet behind her.

"Drew?" Clare said, startled. "Bianca?"