A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Especially the ending scene, haha.

Also, REVIEW and tell me what you thought! :)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Degrassi.


How could trimming the bangs could make a one-piece dress look so different?

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"My sister told me that Dot was a wholesale store so they are closed on Sundays," Imogen said after the subject of going to buy fabric was brought up by none other than Eli.

"What should we do?" I asked, grabbing a needle on the table and sewing a piece for the dress.

Eli stood up from the bar chair and fixed his loosely put tie. "Well… Maybe we should shop for fabric after we have settled on our model."

"We have to coordinate colors with her, too," Adam agreed with Eli, as always, from behind the bar table.

I began to stand up and said, "Then I'll take a look around outside again."

Imogen jumped up from her seat and pushed me back down quickly, yelling, "But we have Caroline!"

I stared at Imogen and sighed. "Do you honestly think she'll accept?" She hid her face with her long hair and looked away from me. "Exactly. It's a waste of our time." Imogen went back to her seat and sat down.

Sighing, I put the needle in my hand on the table and put the cloth in my hand up to show Eli. "Is this the right color for our…" I trailed off, noticing that he had disappeared. My eyebrow twitched and I stood up, banging my hands on the table loudly. "Where the hell did Goldsworthy run off to?"

Imogen turned her neck to stare at Adam. "Is he odd to scout for another model?" She asked in a depressed manner.

Adam shrugged, and went to pour himself a cup of water by the sink. "I don't think Eli would wait patiently for three days, to be honest."

"Is he going to give up on Caroline?" Imogen asked quickly.

Oh Imogen, you need to stop being so naïve, I thought, the needle poking my finger.

"Who knows?"


I'll wait three days for your reply, He says. My eyes drifted from the window next to me down at my notebook and a sigh escaped my lips. Clare Edwards, will you be our model for the show?

Three days, huh? I thought, my hand flipping the page of the notebook almost automatically.

A couple of books were thrown on the table I sat at and I gazed at the man sitting in front of me, my eyes never wavering. I noticed the green eyes and dark hair and soon took notice on the dark clothes and I leaned forward on my seat. Could it be him?

I must be delusional.

His eyes snapped up to meet mine and I back away, sitting back on the chair. He let out a gasp and a smile adorned his face.

"Hey there," he said.

"You're…" I breathed out, my jaw falling open.

"What a coincidence!" He chuckled.

I put my notebook to the side and rested my left hand on the table. "Why are you here?"

"Are you studying?" He asked, ignoring my previous question. "Don't mind me, carry on," he said nonchalantly and began to flip the pages of a book talking about silk.

I kept staring at him nonetheless and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Thump, thump it goes. Could he hear it? Could he hear my heart thumping in my chest? I hope to God he can't.

Forcefully, I made myself look down at my notebook to continue studying. Fortunately, the library was a quiet place. Unfortunately, my heart was ringing in my ears.

Thump! Thump!

My stare fell on him and he faced me, closing the book in his hand. "I'm distracting you, aren't I?"

I didn't say anything; I couldn't. The words were stuck in my throat and my heart was pounding and he stood up. He stood up and walked to the table diagonal from me.

He sat down and I couldn't help but glance at him every now and then. He was very fixated with the book he had in hand and I wondered how it was. Was it fun to read about silk? How it is fabricated? What you should use it with – how to wash it?

I wasn't sure, but I knew that's what he like. They liked.

Time passed by quickly and when I looked at my watch, it was already noon. I looked back at the table across from me and he was gone. "Did he go home?" I wondered, picking up my things and walking out of the library.

He could have at least waved good-bye before leaving, I thought bitterly, stopping at one of the windows of the library building. I caught a glimpse of the man I was searching for.

He was under a tree reading his books and without my consent; my feet began to drag me to him.


"Um," I held on to the bag in my hand tightly. "Would you eat lunch with me?"

"May I?" He asked me, looking up to meet my eyes.

"Of course," I told him with a smile, taking seat next to him.

I took out the food packed in my bag and placed it between us. I uncapped the containers and he began to eat my crappy food, yet he smiled and told me it was delicious.

Liar.

"So you study here on Sundays?" He asked me suddenly after eating a few of my sliced up sandwiches.

I nodded. "I end up goofing off if I stay at home," I told him, biting into my sandwich.

"It's my first time coming here but it's nice," he agreed. "They've got a lot of rare Eastern literature, too."

"Do you understand it?" I asked him, curiosity etched to my features.

"I understand most of the vocabulary in our field. Jus looking at the pictures is fun too," he said with a smile, leaning back on his hands.

"Fun?" I muttered, leaning forward. "Do you need some kind of certification to become a pro designer?"

He brought his hand up to his chin and cupped it in a thinking position. " I don't think so," he said wholeheartedly. He then chuckled at me. "That idea seems like one that you would like," he teased, making me blush.

"Then… Then how do you become one?"

"I guess you need a smidgen of natural kind, a lot of passion, and a drive to match!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "That's not what I asked!"

His bangs fell over his eyes and he covered his face with his hair. "I think anything's possible as long as you don't forget that."

"It must be tough –"

"Not really," he but in, making me cock my head to the side.

"I envy you," I breathed out, closing my eyes. "I don't have any goals like that.

He blinked at me in pure bewilderment. "Doesn't the entrance exam count as a goal, too?"

I shook my head. "That's something I'm being forced to do. My parents are making me do that."

"Your mom's big on education, huh?" He laughed.

I nodded at him as I spoke. "She's always telling me to study – I get tired of it." He smiled at me and I took that as a sign to continue. "Sometimes, I want to scream at her, 'It's my life, so let me do what I want'. But if someone were to ask me, 'What do you want to do?' I wouldn't know what to say," I mumbled, my eyes fluttering close.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between us. A light breeze swooped by and I still wondered if he could hear my heart beat. I wondered if he could read my thoughts. I smiled childishly all of a sudden and scratched the top of my head.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out.

"What for?"

"I'm bitching about myself," I breathed, biting my lip. "I'm so stupid. It must be a real drag listening to me talk. I'll stop."

His face-hardened at this and I flinched at his cold expression. "Why would you stop? You're talking about your life, aren't you? Don't call it silly. I'll take you seriously," He told me, making my heart swell with happiness. He then smiled and continued, "So tell me."

Maybe I can tell you, Eli.

My eyes watered at his smiling face and I stuttered out a thank you and began to pick up my things. "I'm going to study until they close. What about you?"

"I'm going to head back to the atelier," He told me, standing up and fixing himself.

"Um…" I began as he looked at me. "I'm still thinking about it. Tell Imogen and the others I'm still thinking about it."

"Sure."

We smiled at each other and we then turned to opposites sides and walked away from each other.

I never thought anybody would listen to my story. I thought they'd just laugh it off. But now things are different.

I want to live like them.

…I really hope I can.


"Clare!"

I ignored her and kept drying my hair. She then yanked a strand and I pursed my lips.

"Clare!"

"What is it Darcy?" I asked her.

"A guy named Eli Goldsworthy called this morning," She whispered near my ear, giving me a giggle.

Oh Darcy. She thinks he's cute without even looking at him.

"What?" I asked, not for her to repeat herself, but because I couldn't believe it.

"Told him you were at the library," She said, flipping her long hair behind her back.

I didn't say a word so I guess that gave her a lead to keep talking.

"Did you get to meet him?" She smirked, crossing her arms under her breasts. "I didn't say a word to mom, by the way," she said cockily, my eyes closing in annoyance.

What a coincidence! Are you studying? Don't mind me; carry on.

Eli. What a liar.

"I'll take fifty bucks as hush-hush money," she said all of a sudden.

"Are you serious Darcy?" I asked exasperated.

"I need money to live…" She dragged out dramatically. "Okay, twenty bucks."

"Absolutely not!" I retorted.

"Ten?"

.

"I don't know when he's being serious or when he's lying," I said, talking to myself on top of my mattress. "Besides, how did he know our phone number?"

The thought of him being a stalker startled me quite a lot and shutter swooped pass my entire body and I rubbed my hands against my arms, trying to warm myself up.

I closed my eyes and suddenly gasped, remembering the incident with the ID.

But that picture. What did Eli think?


"Morning. Hey, did you cut your hair?"

I looked up to be greeted by a pair of brown eyes staring at my short bangs. My hand crept up to touch my hair and I smiled.

"Yeah," I told Sav with a smile.

"It looks cool," he acknowledged. "Just like a model."

I blushed and bowed my head.

"Hey, Bandhurner," called out one of his friends, Jay, from inside the classroom. "Commenting on a girl's hair is sexual harassment," he joked, making Sav grin.

"Really?" He asked, raising a thick brow. "Can't I give a girl a compliment?"

"You'll get sued and –"

"It's okay Sav! I don't mind at all," I interjected, blushing madly.

Honestly I'd love to be sexually harassed by you, I thought, sighing out loud as Alli, a friend, tapped my back.

"Clare, is that a new haircut?" She asked me, cocking her head to a side.

"Sort of, yeah," I whispered.

She chuckled and touched my bangs in a friendly manner. "With those looks and that hair you'll have guys fighting over you."

I wish.

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Sav said I looked nice. That I looked like a model, I thought, smiling giddily, putting my notebook and book in my large bag. A model, huh?

I rested my right elbow on my desk and rested my cheek on my palm. I need to give him my response by tomorrow.

Can I seriously model for a fashion show?

But I think I want to accept. If I decline tomorrow, I'll probably never see them again.

Why stop? You're talking about your life, aren't you? Don't call it silly. I'll take you seriously. Just tell me.

Could you take me seriously, Eli?

I'm usually here making clothes after school, Imogen's voice ringed in my head. If you change your mind, you can come by any time.


What should I do? I thought, as I looked down the stairs to the pink, tasteless door that lead to the basement. I can't decide. But to model, I just need to stand on stage for their talent show. The practice and stuff my not interfere with my studies.

With that in mind, I walked down the stairs and stopped at the door, hysterical screaming coming from the inside. What horrible taste in music. I brushed the thought away and knocked on the door.

That's it! I'll ask about it today.

I furrowed my eyebrows when no one responded, so I knocked harder. And harder. And harder, until I gave up and tried the knob. The door was open, thankfully, and I stepped inside, the music blasting from speakers in the far back.

"Excuse me," I said, and stopped in my tracks, clutching my bag.

Jake was kissing Imogen's exposed breast and she was laid on top of the pool table. The noise of the speakers was loud so I couldn't hear her moans. But I could see them.

They looked towards me when I dropped my bag accidentally and I pivoted quickly and bumped into Adam, who smiled down at me. "Oh, hey."

"Uh," I smiled awkwardly. "I guess the place is occupied so, uh, um… I should get going?"

"Wait, Caroline!" Imogen yelled, and I turned around to meet exposed, erect breasts. I blushed and hid my face in my hands in pure embarrassment.

"Imogen, we have a guest you know," Adam said, walking towards her and buttoning up her shirt.

I stared, my mouth hanging open in pure bewilderment.

What in the world is this place? This is completely beyond me.


"Jake! Imogen, this isn't a place to do those stuff," Adam said in a harsh voice as he poured some coffee into a mug. "And the pool table isn't a bed."

"Yeah, but," Imogen began, walking towards Adam behind the bar table, holding some plates with cake on them, "Jake said that it's more fun when it's not on the bed."

Imogen winked at Adam and he reciprocated with a smirk and made me blush in pure embarrassment. "I see, I understand," Adam said, cupping his chin with his right hand.

But I don't want to understand that! My mind yelled, and I closed my eyes.

"Dammit, we're out of coffee," Adam muttered, and with that I took lead and sat up.

"I-I can go get some!"

"Oh, thanks," He flashed me a smile and I nodded, running towards the door.

"Ah, I'll come too!" Imogen yelled, trailing behind me.


We had bought coffee at a small shop Imogen took me to and we were heading to a small café, with the excuse that Adam's coffee wasn't as good as it could be. Imogen turned to face me suddenly, and then turned forward.

"Jake's pretty nice when you get to know him," She told me, resting her hand on her chest. "I can really relax when I'm around him. He's like family to me."

"Really?" I said, and she hummed.

"We were neighbors when we were little. Since then we've always been together."

"A childhood friend becoming your boyfriend…" I sighed, closing my eyes, a jealous feeling overflowing inside of me. "That sounds nice. I really envy you."

"Oh, wait, Caroline, don't you have a boyfriend?"

Boyfriend?

"I haven't had a boyfriend in eighteen years!" I yelled, my eyes shut, a blush adorning my face.

"What about Sav?" She asked, and shut her mouth quickly, looking down.

How does she even know about…?

"I looked into your student ID," she told me, her bangs hiding her face.

"So did you see –"

"I-I'm sorry!" She blurted. "I felt that I had to bring it back to you. So I looked for contact info."

I looked away from her and laughed nervously, scratching my arm.

"But Eli took everything afterwards," she mumbled, and I swiftly turned my head to face her.

"So he didn't use the phone number in my ID to call me?"

"Eli's a gentleman," She told me matter-of-factly. "He wouldn't look into things that aren't his."

"So, anyways, about Sav…" I muttered, looking away.

"Ah, yes! I thought you were Sav Bhandari's girlfriend because of the picture."

A gasp slipped pass my lips. "So does that mean…?"


"Ah! It really is Sav!" I said excitedly. "He was so cute!"

We were sitting on the chairs laid in front of the café, and Imogen had taken out a picture of when she was little. She was in-between Sav and Jake and they were holding onto each other.

"We lived in the same building until we were nine," she told me, drinking her coffee. "The three of us would always play together."

"Ah, what happened then?"

"Because of their jobs, my mom and dad had to move overseas before I started high school. So I moved in with my sister and her husband."

I passed her the photo and she put it in her purse quickly and then rested her elbows on the table.

"What do your parents do?" I asked.

"My dad is a cameraman," she said, in a not-too-proud voice. "He takes pictures of the sky in different countries. "My mom is a writer. Now she's traveling around the world with my dad and writing novels."

"That's incredible. And your sister is even a designer," I said, leaning back on my chair.

"What about you?" Imogen asked, taking a bite of a sandwich she ordered with the coffee.

"My dad is an ordinary office worker," I sighed, drinking my coffee. "He's working in another city."

"That sounds lonely…"

And not being with you parents doesn't? I shook my head to get rid of the ignorant thought.

"Hey," I said loudly, getting her attention. "Did you tell Jake about Sav's picture?"

She shook her head and looked at her lap.

"I'm glad! I just admire him, that's all. I don't want to bring him any trouble."

"No big deal," she told me, holding her mug in her hands. "Also, Jake moved out of his house so he lives alone and far away from both Sav and I." Her eyes narrowed. "We haven't seen Sav in a long time."

As I looked at Imogen's lonely expression, I wondered about people's ties. Do people drift apart when they move away from each other, even if they were close to each other at one point? And how many encounters will I have with them in this town?

"This coffee is delicious," she said, her eyes closed.

With how many people will I have an understanding?

"Maybe I should do the modeling."

Her eyes snapped open and she stood up harshly, her hands hitting the table. "Seriously?" I nodded. "That's great!"

"Yeah, but, what do I have to do?"

"Right," she said, stepping back, "we haven't explained it to you yet. Sorry. I'll explain things once we get back to the atelier."

I bit my lip, looking down at my watch. "It's almost time for cram school so we'd better do this tomorrow."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," she told me, and took the bag of coffee from the floor and flung her purse over her shoulder.

"But I left my bag back there so I'll walk with you to the atelier," I said, standing up.

We made our way back to the atelier holding hands like innocent children.

.

What kind of face will he make when he finds out I took the offer?

I fell asleep thinking about that.


"Do you really want to do it?" He asks me like a smart ass, and drinks his coffee. "I want you to work at our pace once you've done the commitment. We have no time to work around your schedule."

"I decided…" I muttered, biting my tongue. "I decided to do it for myself! I'm prepared to do it responsibly."

His eyes fell on me and he held a stern look, making my brows pin together. What's wrong with him? I thought he'd be happy.

And then, laughter. He was laughing, holding his sides, the coffee mug almost falling from his fingers.

He's either crazy or laughing at me.

"Why are you laughing?" I yelled at him.

"No. Nothing, really. I'm just glad," he told me with a wink. "This is fantastic."

Nice way to put it.

"Now, the guest of honor should be dressed better than that," he said, eyeing me from top to bottom.


"Cheers!" We said, our cups filled with fake champagne hitting each other.

They changed me into a really flashy looking, black dress and Imogen applied make-up for me, which I had denied but she managed to make me agree.

"Welcome to ParaKiss," Eli said, turning to face me.

I looked down at the table and smiled. They had made so much for me – for this moment. "Thanks, guys," I said truthfully, before Jake began to eat first out of all of us.

So we ate and ate and Jake gasped suddenly.

"I can't believe you're about to be a model," he told me, and I stopped eating to smile at him.

"It's all right," Adam called out from the bar table. "It's all low-calories."

"Hey, Cinderella," Eli said from across the table. "Doesn't your spell break at six? It's already five."

Cinderella? Isn't that way too far-fetched?

I sat back on my seat and began to drink my fake champagne.

"I don't think you should be drinking that much," Eli acknowledged.

"This is non-alcoholic, right?"

"That stuff is for kids," Jake blurted out, drinking his own cup of champagne.

Eli turned to Imogen who was taking pictures of all of us. "Help her change."

"Of course," she told him as I began to stand up.

"Hey, don't pass out because of children champagne," Jake joked, and I grinned.

"I'm totally fine!" I said with a laugh and suddenly everything went black.


I woke up to be greeted by green eyes staring down at me and I stood up, looking down at my watch and asking, "What time is it!"

"Imogen was worried so you can use my phone to give her a call," Eli said.

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"Caroline, are you okay?" I heard Imogen's echoed voice from the other line say.

I was standing outside of the atelier. I was waiting for Eli on top of the staircase clad in my uniform. "Sorry to make you worry," I told her. "It sounds lovely over there," I remarked, hearing all of the giggling in the background.

"Oh, that's Angie," Imogen said. "She's my sister's daughter."

"That's so cute!" I said, and Eli walked passed me. "Ah, Imogen, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow!" I began to walk after him. "Hey, that's my bag!"

"Get in," he told me, opening the door for me and throwing my bag inside. "I'll give you a ride home."

"Is this okay?" He asked me, parking a block away from home.

"Uh, yeah," I told him. "It's just around the corner."

He un-fastened his seatbelt and opened his door, getting out of the old hearse. I stared from the front mirror as he walked to the other side and stopped at my door, so I un-fastened my own seatbelt and he opened the door for me. He gave out his hand and I took it, my bag in my other hand.

"Thanks," I said, and he looked down at me. "I'll try my best as a model… What should I do?"

He shook his head. "Will you come by the atelier tomorrow?"

I nodded, and he grabbed my chin and leaned in. Is he going to kiss me? IS HE? Was what I thought as our breaths fanned over the other's. My eyes closed as if I was under a spell and I waited for warm lips to be placed on mine.

But it was cold the whole time and I heard him step away from me.

He began to walk to the other side of the hearse and I looked at him as he opened the door. "Hide your mouth and head straight to the bathroom."

He closed my own door from the driver's seat and drove off, my eyes following the car as far as my sight let me.

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I could smell the strong scent of Eli's cologne as his lips neared mine. It was far more intoxicating than the champagne.