Sure, there was no sense in wondering about the things I was, but I couldn't stop.
Clare ran through my head, the old customs of the ninth grade doing the same. It was annoying, how I couldn't seem to focus, my mind focusing in and out, from Jenna to Clare, Drew to Conner, Marisol to Alli. Everything created a parallel, something to show the difference between now and then. Just like the Algebra II textbook I had pushing into my locker just as the lunch bell rang. I used to have A's, now I have C's. I used to be on time to everything, and well, now, that would be quite the opposite.
I shrugged and shut my locker, heading down the hall, a hand in my pocket as I did so. The slap of my feet against the tile was one of the only sounds echoing through the hallway, accompanied by a few others that sounded distant and far away from the way I'd been seeing it.
Then they sounded closer and the sound was more defined, louder and snappier, more hard than soft. I raised an eyebrow at the way it seemed to speed up and finally end as the person, running down the hall with a beanie in hand, slid in her slippery flats and took a moment to regain balance. She figured she was safe and calmed down, her walk normal.
Just a few feet away.
Really, he should have expected this kind of thing would happen to him, that he would end up standing just a yard or so away from one of the few people I'd had on my mind.
She suddenly seemed to realize what was going on and looked up, her eyes alert as she tucked one side of her auburn-y ringlets behind her ear. The beanie clutched in her hand, gray and knitted, she looked at me, her eyebrow raising. I suddenly felt self conscious, that my hair was mussed or maybe my eyes looked tired or—stop. Stop, stop KC.
"KC?" she addressed me in a sweet voice, while it was still a bit heavy, for she had just been running. "Oh, hey," Clare muttered, her voice sounded young and innocent. I remembered that voice.
"Clare," I replied in a simple voice, my eyes moving quickly over her, having to stop myself, I wasn't supposed to do that, was I? I had a daughter, and a girlfriend, someone I loved. But I was pretty sure there was a moment in my life when I had almost loved Clare as well.
Why is this just a long moment of reflection? This isn't even.
"What's that?" I asked, gesturing to the had she had crushed in her hand, folding in on itself. It probably wasn't any of my business anyway, but I did wonder, I always wondered. Like how I'd been dwelling on these what ifs, wondering what would happen if I'd chosen Clare, or if I had stayed friends with Conner. I couldn't seem to pull myself away from that.
"Oh," Clare began, glancing down at the hat in her hand and holding it up, moving it back and forth in her hands. "It's just Adam's beanie, I took it from him and, well, ran away. A little game of hide and seek, eh?"
Hide and seek? I repeated mentally, noting that playful smile on her lips, the one I had never seen before. Then I tried to locate the name Adam to a person, I knew he wasn't her boyfriend, knowing his name was Eli, seeing as I actually cared that she was with him and sometimes wondering if he was good enough. Adam, Adam, Adam.
Adam, I repeated again as the name connected.
Sophomore year, Bianca had gone off about him flirting with her, Fitz had always been harassing him for something... something. I couldn't seem to figure that out.
"That sounds fun," I muttered, the words sounded rueful.
I regretted that, how my voice seemed to break in the slightest bit right there.
"Well, I should..." Clare began, taking a hesitant step back. I could tell she didn't want to be here, that she didn't expect us to reconnect and that she was eager to get away. Of course, right? Of course my wondering would have no effect on her, that she wouldn't want to be anywhere near me right now, she'd probably rather be playing a little capture the flag with Adam, right? "I should get to lunch."
"Yeah, me too," I muttered, although my voice was stronger.
Clare nodded and headed down the hallway from which she had game, me taken a few minutes before following her, quite a few meters behind.
Now, I feel I must clear up some things.
This isn't meant to be a Kenna story, because they are far from my favorite couple. I despise them, actually, I was a Klare supporter. I'm, in a way, using this fanfiction as a way to revive something I miss, as I did with 'With the Aid of an Angel' in which I revived JT.
But this is not a way to reinvent Klare, however, considering Eclare is my favorite couple ever.
I think it's just a voicing of what I think KC would be like in a year.
If he were a little more reflective.
Also, I'm sorry I'm so terrible at speaking in the voice of KC Gunthrie. I'm not... Well I'm a bit out of practice, to be honest.
Lastly, this is meant to be a short series. For, if it goes on too long, I fear it may start to lose its plotline. Just four, five or six chapters.
Less than ten, of course.
Oh, well, comments, concerns, whatever you'd like to leave me.
Leave me love, lovlies.