authors note: heyy sorry about the slow update, blah blah, all that jazz, I know people hate long authors notes so I might as well just let you scroll onto the story (:

disclaimer: I don't own the clique

"Can you pass the duck, please?" Claire's voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. Her cheeks were bright red, and her eyes were cast downward. It's wasn't a sign of respect. She was nervous.

Incredibly nervous.

Cam reached over and handed her the large white platter. Claire accepted it with one hand, not aware of the weight, and almost dropped it all over the rest of the food.

And of course Judi let out a little shriek: her social status could be affected.

But Cam simply extended an arm and supported the dish, giving her a small smile.

"Thank you," she murmured, sliding some meat onto her plate.

She didn't want to get sucked in.

She knew that if she fell for Cam even more than she already did, she wouldn't be able to hold on, as he would surely let go. And then she'd really fall.

Gently, Claire set the duck on the table, and tried not to cringe at the sight of it. She absolutely hated duck, but (as usual) nobody cared about that. She would eat it or starve, according to her mother.

Claire wanted nothing more than to be curled up in her window seat, with a old, worn, falling-apart-at-the-seams (just like she was) book. She didn't want to deal with people and rules and society in general. She didn't want to live.

That wasn't true.

She just wished she wasn't invisible.

Claire stared longingly out the window at the magnificent sunset down below on the horizon. The sky was a marvelous collage of lollipop-pink, bright orange, lemon-yellow, and deep, blood-colored scarlet. She wanted to be outside, wanted to feel the warm air caress her face as she joined the world.

Her life seemed like a never-ending dream. A never-ending nightmare.

Cam caught her staring out the window and that's when he realized that was Claire's dream, that's what she wanted: to be outside.

That wish, he decided, would have to come true.

Returning from the bathroom, Judi noticed an uncomfortable silence lingering in the dining room. She decided that since Mr. Fisher wasn't there (he had a meeting that night), she could use the opportunity to find out more about their neighboring family. "So, Ella, what is it your husband does?" she asked Mrs. Fisher.

"Government work. For the Ruler," she replied. "I'm sorry he couldn't be here tonight; he had-"

"A meeting. I know." Judi smiled graciously, pleased. The Fishers were upper-class, indeed.

Mrs. Fisher nodded. "It's a good, steady job." The two women started discussing new laws Ruler Charles had made.

Cam turned to the blonde opposite him, still smiling. "So Claire, how old are you?"

Her head snapped up, and she mumbled, "367 and a few months."

Score! "We're only two years apart. I'm 369." He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

Claire bit her lip and sighed.

"You look really pale. Do you feel alright?" Cam asked.

"I'm, f-f-fine, just, uh, t-tired," Claire stuttered.

Todd rolled his eyes as he cleared his plate and set it off to the side for the maid to pick up. "Sorry about her. She doesn't interact with people her age much. In fact, she doesn't interact at all, really."

Claire turned to him. "Shut up, Todd."

But, of course, Judi overheard her. "Don't be rude to your brother, Claire. He's right." Men were always right.

Claire stood up, feeling as though she would cry, and that was not an option, especially in front of Cam. She refused to embarrass herself more than she already was. "May I be excused?"

Jay jumped in. "You barely ate a thing, Claire." He glanced worriedly at his daughter's full meal.

"Just go," Judi snapped.

She did.

A few minutes after Claire left, Cam said, "Mom, could I go talk to Claire about that library I always see through her window?"

Judi looked angry that he seemed interested in something Claire liked, but she replied in a clipped tone, "Absolutely."

"We're leaving soon, so be fast, please," Mrs. Fisher warned.

"I will, don't worry."

Considering the house was huge, Cam found Claire's library pretty quickly. He knocked quietly, then cracked open the door and entered the spacious room.

Claire's bright blue eyes shot up from her book and focused on him. "You scared me!" she accused.

"I'm sorry," he said honestly, "I wasn't trying to."

She shrugged. "It's alright." Then she focused on her paperback and steadily ignored him.

Cam moved closer and hovered over the blonde's shoulder. "What're you reading?"

She showed him the cover of a worn-out book. The pages were dog-eared and yellowing, and the colors were faded. But the picture, of a thin, black-haired boy perched on a broom, was still clear. "It's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's the seventh one in a series about a boy named Harry who finds out he's a wizard but..."

"I've read them." Cam grinned. "The ending was amazing, but I won't spoil it for you. But you'll have to come over so we can talk about it. Or I'll come here."

She beamed, so excited about what he'd said that she didn't bother to tell him that she'd already finished the books (at least three times). He really wanted to see her again?

Cam started telling her about other books he really liked, and they discovered that they both enjoyed fictional adventure and fantasy. Just when they'd finished discussing their favorite John Green book, T-Fios (Cam because it had made him laugh, Claire because it had made her cry), a hologram of Cam's mother appeared in the room.

"Time to go, Cameron."

He pouted at Claire, but rose to his feet. "I'm coming, Mom." The image fizzled out, and Cam turned back to Claire. "It was really nice talking to you. I hope when you finish Harry Potter we can chat again." He smiled, teeth straight and white.

Claire blushed, her pale skin turning red with the rush of blood to her cheeks. "Me too. I mean...yeah, it was great, uh..."

"See you soon," Cam replied easily, his eyes (one forest-green, one cerulean-blue) twinkling. He stepped into the downstairs portal and disappeared, taking Claire's heart with him, or that's what she felt like.

yays I finally updated, hope u liked the chapter :):):)

-chica

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