Okay so a lot of people have been telling me that the story is too fast paced or that Clare is very OoC. So in this chapter, I will try to adapt my writing style to your preferences and make the story go smoother with slower plot development. I will try to make Clare true to her nature as well.
And I know for a fact that FLARE is very legit and there seems to be a lacking number of them in this site. Hopefully soon, many FLARE writers can change that. Don't get me wrong, I love Eli and Clare, but I feel that Fitz' character needs to develop more in the show and I can find Clare helping him in that area.
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of it's characters.
I hope you enjoy and here is Chapter 2.
"Hey baby, you're finally here" Fitz said as I approached him and gave him a light peck on the cheek.
*Snap.. Click*
"Mark, we need to talk." I hastily but quietly started. I looked down at my feet, afraid that he would get violent and hurt me. I mean he hasn't done anything remotely harmful around me. Since we began dating behind everyone's back, I haven't seen him bullying anyone, or getting suspended. "We have to stop this." I continued. "I can't do this anymore. The guilt is killing me. Eli, Adam, and all my other friends. They won't accept me like this, if we want to be together then there must be another way." I looked into his eyes and they were filled with sadness.
"Well if that's what you want then I can't do anything about it." He touched my shoulders one last time before he left, looking dejected and almost teary-eyed. I was about to call out and stop him but I stopped myself. I fell to my knees crying. "What did I do?"
*Snap.. Click*
"Ha! I've got you guys now. I wonder what the students will say when they find out that St. Clare is not as innocent as they think she is."
I felt like I was in one of those tween movies where the girl refuses a sweet and adorable guy but realizes that she really loves him in the end. I turned my phone on for the first time since the "incident". I saw that I had twenty messages, ten from Eli, five from Adam, and five from Alli.
E: I know you've been telling me to give you some space but I can't. I miss you clare, please call me.
E: Clare? Please forgive me for ever doubting your intentions.
E: Clare? Clare? Please don't do this to me. After Julia, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too.
A.T: Clare, where did you go? I was looking for you after school today.
A.T: Eli is getting desperate. He's even asked me for help.
A.T: Can you just end his misery? He's been with me for the past ten days and he's getting kinda clingy.
A.B: Clare Edwards! You better answer your phone, something big happened. Call me when you get this. Immediately.
I knew this would happen. The day everyone finds out about me and Fitz. I walked around my room, I needed to think.
Should I call her? What if what she's referring too isn't about my secret relationship. Maybe it's an Alli related problem. Yeah, that must be it. I have nothing to worry about.
I picked up the phone and I started dialing her number while I nibbled my fingernails. You can do this Clare. There's nothing to worry about.
*Ring.. Ring.. Ring..*
"Oh my God Clare! Thank you for getting back to me hours later." I heard her scoff.
Geez, I don't even remember why I befriended her in the first place. Ever since we became friends, she seemed to think that "our" lives revolved around her. Most of our conversations were either about boys she's currently crushing on or boys that she thought she liked but didn't anymore. Seriously, I loved Alli but sometimes she could be too much.
I mentally sighed.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't realize that my phone was off. So what's up?" I lied.
"Johnny visited me today. After that whole running away drama, we exchanged our number and he texted me and asked me if I wanted to hang out. Naturally, I said yes!" She was squealing. I just laughed at her sudden outburst.
"Okay, I'm not being a negative nancy or anything but Alli, please tell me that you're not planning on hooking up with him again. It didn't work before. I doubt that it'll work for the what? Nth time?" I seriously said. I cared about her. She needed to the truth.
"What? Why are you telling me avoid him? I appreciate your concern but you don't know anything about relationships. Your's and Eli's is already in the dumps and I know you want out."
"Wait? What? Alli. I need time to think. I feel that I don't love Eli anymore but he would be devastated if I broke up with him. Didn't I tell you before that he would on a suicidal rampage when his last girlfriend got into an accident." I was convincing both myself and Alli that staying with Eli would be the best thing for everyone. I didn't want to end a life.
(A/N: Okay, Clare might sound cocky or uber confident about him loving her but that's how their relationship is really portrayed :D.)
"Okay, Clare. Do it your way but I'm warning you, "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." You know you can tell me anything right? I just don't want you to get hurt again, especially after the KC and Jenna thing."
"Wow, quoting Friedrich Nietzsche are we? I know I know, when something awful happens I can count on you. Hey I gotta go, my parents are home and I need to help make dinner. I'll see you later okay?" I turned off the phone as Alli finished saying goodbye. I sighed a breath of relief. We were safe. for now.
After going through the insufferable banter between my parents for the fiftieth time, I was in my bed;restless but somewhat content. I needed to find a way for Eli to fall out of love with me. This way, he won't do anything that might affect other people physically. I could always try being a jerk to him. Nah, he would be convinced that someone was blackmailing me to do that. I pondered the whole night, thinking of countless possible ways for Eli to break up with me. I decided to sleep it off, hoping that in the morning, inspiration will come.
The next day, I went about doing my morning routine: brushing my teeth, taking a bath, eating breakfast, and then off to school.
I enjoyed my long commutes to school. It gave me some "me time" if you know what I mean. I was grateful for all my friends but during my day, I rarely had any alone time. Arriving at school with ten minutes to spare, I rushed to my locker, getting all my books for my morning classes. As I rummaged through a pile of paper, I saw one different from the others. I eyed it weirdly and slowly took it and grasped it in my hand. I flipped it over and I saw a picture of Fitz and I getting intimate at the back of the school. I gasped and I as I panicked, I saw a familiar writing sprawled in the right bottom down corner of the note.
"Looks like St. Clare is not as innocent as she looks. Wonder what her boyfriend will feel about this. Clare. Clare. Clare. When will you learn? Nothing escapes Degrassi. Every secret, every betrayal will be revealed soon enough. If you don't want me sharing this secret of yours to everyone then you tell them yourself. Remember Clare, rumors can kill."
I gasped. I folded the note, hid it in my front pocket and walked very slowly to Fitz' class. He needed to know too. He's the only one I could tell this to. If someone was blackmailing me then he would know what to do.
I quickly took the note out of my pocket and read the message again. The penmanship was vaguely familiar but the writer of the note only wrote a couple of question marks as his/her identity.
Classes were starting and as I peeked through the wooden door, I saw that Mark wasn't there. Disappointed, I turned around and I bumped into someone. As I was about to fall, something, rather someone, caught me.
His sparkling eyes caught mine and we were once again trapped into a moment of lust and passion. He was about to kiss me when Mr. Simpson, the principal, grabbed us both and led us to his office.
"You guys know the rules. No public display of affection. Clare, I thought you were going out with that junior who owns a hearse?"
I nodded. "Well it's kinda complicated. We are currently on a stalemate and I have found myself looking every bit of feelings I have for him."
"So what are you doing in the hallways in a situation with Fitz? And for you Mr. Fitzgerald, why were you late? You do know that three lates equals an absence and one more absence will suspend you for three days, remember? You promised that you would change Mark, what happened?"
"Well Sir, it's not that I was late purposely but -" It was clear that he needed help making an excuse, so I gave him one.
"I was helping him out in one of his subjects. He told me that if he failed one more science test, then he would fail the class and summer school is not an option for him apparently." I tried to sound very sincere and honest. Hopefully, Mr. Simpson believed me.
"Well, if it's coming from Clare, then I believe you. Clare, you should talk to one of the advisers, you deserve some volunteer credits for tutoring Fitz." I was shocked. We got away with it. For the first time ever, I lied my way out of something. I know it's bad to lie and I know it would plague me later but I was just so happy that no one got in trouble.
"Now, go back to your classes and I better not see you guys roaming the halls again." The principal finally said. Mark and I rose from our seats, and as I was about to close the door, I asked him one huge favor.
"Mr. Simpson, can this conversation, not leave the room? I mean I don't mind tutoring Mark but if my friends know, they would persecute me for sure. Thanks a lot."
When we were out his office, Mark just looked at me and shrugged and began to walk back to his class.
I grabbed a piece of his shirt and dragged him to the back of the school.
"Someone is blackmailing me. He or She found out about us." I started. I was really hoping that he would know who would do crazy things like this.
"What?"
"That person gave me a note, and a picture of you and me kissing. What are we going to do?" I asked him as I took out the note and gave it to him, letting him read it personally.
"Hey, I know who's penmanship this is."
There you go guys, I hope that you guys liked it
Anyways, thanks for all the support, and don't forget to comment, vote, and fan ^.^
