Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to post the second one-shot, but here it is! I've been super busy with school lately and haven't found much time to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading! :)
I do not own Degrassi, Eli, or Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
Twinkling white specks were scattered across the navy sky, illuminating the jungle gym that sat before me. From somewhere within it, I heard a high-pitched squeal. It had probably come from Alli, or Fiona, or possibly Adam— his female tendencies got the better of him every so often. Just then, I saw Fiona leap out of the shade of a wooden tower, sliding down a pole and sprinting as soon as she hit the ground. Adam emerged not even half a second later and chased her around the park, his toes practically on her heels. With an indignant huff, Alli leaped down from a row of monkey bars as the others fled past her. "You know," she said with her hands planted firmly on her hips, "The game's no fun if you two only chase each other." I smiled fondly to myself. Not only had someone else noted the obvious spark between the two, but Alli was actually feeling like the fifth wheel for once, being the only one there that night who wasn't part of a pairing.
With that thought, I turned to notice that the swing beside me was now empty. The long, metal chains of the one I was sitting on creaked as I swiveled my body around to search the rest of the park, which was nearly pitch black. Technically it closed at dusk, so there was only a single flickering streetlight over by the picnic tables. I gave up and turned back in the direction of my friends.
Moments later, I felt something cold and strong reach under my hair to touch the back of my neck, causing the hair on my forearms to prickle in a rippling motion. I jumped from my seat, reaching my hand back to warm my now-icy neck and squealed, "Eli!"
Just as I'd presumed, Eli Goldsworthy stood behind me with a devilish grin spread wide across his face, his frozen hand still in the air. "Scared yet, Edwards?" he asked darkly, stepping toward me. I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning my face up to his.
"I told you, I'm not scared of the dark," I defended, my heart still racing (though that easily could have been a result of how close Eli and I were at that moment). My jaw quivered a little as I spoke, which he noticed, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "I-I am a little cold," I admitted.
After a pause, I noticed that he was now looking past me. "Well," he said, shoving his hands in his jean pockets, "You know what they say. Heat rises." He gestured at something behind me by cocking his head toward it, a small smirk already forming on his pale lips. I turned around and had to squint my eyes to adjust to the black of the night. My eyes followed the gravel trail that wound through the grassy park before making a sudden left turn and following an incline. It was then that I could just barely make out the outline of a large hill at the end of the trail, barricaded around the top by a rope fence held up by thick, wooden poles. The hill was steep, but the peak was round and flat, and the grass on it seemed to glow with a faint blue from starlight alone. "Go for a walk?"
I turned back to Eli, who was now watching me expectantly, and felt a shiver crawl up my spine. "Sure," I said, my breath hanging in the frigid air seconds after I spoke. Shoving my hands in the pockets of my grey peacoat, I started to make my way to the trail, Eli quickly falling in step beside me. "You do realize that it will actually be colder up there, right?" I asked after taking a few steps. "Heat does rise, but when you're outdoors—"
"I know that," Eli cut me off matter-of-factly. "But it made for a disgustingly suave line, did it not?" Heat rose to my cheeks. Trying to hide my flush, I stared at the ground, though there wasn't much to do about the slight smile on my face. As we reached the base of the hill, I felt Eli's hand reach into my coat pocket, unraveling my fisted hand and interlacing our fingers. We were silent the rest of the way up as we walked just like that, hand in hand.
The grass was slightly overgrown and glistening with frost, softly giving way beneath my knit boots as I made my way across the top of the hill. It was cold, yes, but not even a whisper of a breeze ever came through— the air was still. I shuffled to the outer edge and peeked over the fence, where there was a drop almost like that of a cliff. Far off I could see the tower of an old church, and I was so high up it felt as if I could lean forward and reach my arm into its warmly lit window.
"Clare?" I snapped out of my trance, turning around to find Eli now sitting on the ground in the center of the hill, watching me. As I moved toward him, I blushed a little, embarrassed at how long I had probably been gazing blankly. After wiping away some moisture with my coat sleeve, I joined him in the grass. "Look up," he said quietly, his own head tilted upward. I did just so, and a gasp escaped from my throat.
From up there, the sky looked more vibrant than anything I'd ever seen, as if the stars had been freshly painted on a dark blue canvas that stretched over everything— the playscape our friends were still swinging around on; the twisting gravel trail; the church that now had smoke billowing from its chimney; the river that flowed just a short distance away; the grass; the hill; the trees; Eli and I as we lost time in each other's words, eventually lying side-by-side and admiring the artwork and talking, just talking. I found myself telling him more than I'd ever expressed to anyone. I told him about my childhood growing up with Darcy, how a strange man had come to our house, how she'd gotten raped. I told him about my niner year of high school and feeling like an outcast for the way I'd dressed and my lack of out-of-classroom knowledge. I told him about my breakup with KC. I told him about my parents' constant fighting, the nights that turned into mornings as tears fell hot down my cheeks. I told him about how he'd driven me crazy when we'd first met, feeling his chest lift with chuckles beneath my cheek. I told him about how it had felt to almost lose him to Fitz that night, his arm tightening around my waist in response. And likewise, he told me things, too.
When we ran out of things to say and our throats grew raw from speaking, we listened to music. Eli pulled his mp3 player from his jacket pocket, putting it on shuffle. I was a little skeptical at first because of what I normally heard played in Morty, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by the strum of acoustic guitar accompanied by gentle melodies. Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes, taking in Eli's musky scent and listening to the words carefully.
When I see your smile,
Tears roll down my face.
I can't replace.
And now that I'm stronger, I've figured out
How this world turns cold
And it breaks through my soul
And I know, I'll find
Deep inside me
I can be the one.
I will never let you fall,
I'll stand up with you forever.
I'll be there for you through it all,
Even if saving you sends me to heaven.
I had nearly fallen asleep when I felt him nudge my shoulder delicately, whispering "Clare, Clare, look." Prying my heavy eyelids apart, I lifted my head from his chest slightly to get a better view of the sky. Half a second later, I saw a streak glide across the stars, eventually fading out in the atmosphere. "Shooting star."
"Never seen one before," I mumbled sleepily, lying my head back down and closing my eyes again.
"Better make a wish then," Eli whispered, tilting down and pressing his lips to my forehead. As I snuggled closer to his warm body, aware of the cold air surrounding us, the music still humming quietly, and the kiss that still lingered on my skin, I realized that in that moment, I had absolutely nothing to wish for.
Then, as if on cue, I heard footsteps trotting through the grass toward me and stopping somewhere a little too close. "There you guys are. I've wanted to leave for the past hour, let's go already," the familiar voice of my best friend called from above me. I sighed, hesitating for a moment before climbing to my feet. We jogged back down to the parking lot quickly, too quickly, to meet up with Fiona and Adam, who were shivering by Eli's car. I take that back, I thought as we climbed into the hearse and pulled back onto the street, hoping the magic of the star hadn't worn off quite yet. There is just one wish I'd like granted about now.