AN: I know this chapter is short; I'm sorry. I'm going to make this a little short story. It's probably going to be about 3-4 chapters. I hope you all are enjoying this. By the way, this chapter MIGHT make you mad, but I promise everything will get better. :D
Disclaimer: Stephen Stohn owns Degrassi.
"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU CHEAT ON ME WITH DREW?!" Eli yells into the phone.
I stifle a laugh that's building up. Clare grins and shakes her head.
How can Eli be so stupid? He was the one who cheated first! How dare he try to pin the blame on Clare. She did it for revenge; who knows why he did it!
"You cheated on me first, Eli!" Clare yells into the phone.
"I did not!" he exclaims. "What the hell gives you the right to excuse me of cheating?!"
"Because Lenore sent me the video of you two! I saw you, Eli."
For a moment, Eli is speechless and it makes me chuckle. Eli is rarely known to be speechless. I walk closer to Clare and I wrap my arms around her. She looks over at me and then, she looks down. I follow her gaze and see that we're still naked. Her face turns tomato red when I kiss her shoulders.
"Clare," Eli starts off, "I am so sorry. Lenore and I were walking on a project. Then, one thing led to another and-"
"I don't want to hear it! You cheated on me! You have no right to sit here and try to blame me for cheating! I was hurting and Drew just so happened to help me!"
"Help you by getting even? He helped you look like a whore!"
Clare gasps and my grip tightens around her. She grips her phone in her hand, letting out a low growl.
"Don't ever say that about her!" I growl as I snatch the phone from Clare.
"Oh look, if it isn't the genius behind this. I know Clare couldn't come up with such a dumb plan like this. Tell me, just what the hell were you thinking? You wanted to try to make yourselves look good? You wanted to hurt me, but you didn't. Clare, I hope you enjoyed that, because I will be posting that on FaceRange. All of our friends can see how Clare Edwards is really a whore!"
Why is Eli acting like this? I thought he'd at least be mad and beg Clare yo forgive him, but we were wrong. He's taking this the wrong way and trying to expose Clare in front of everyone. This is not the Eli that begged Clare to be with him. This isn't the same Eli who wrote a play about Clare to win her back.
Who is this Eli?
Clare drops the phone and retrieves her clothes from the floor. She storms into the bathroom and closes the door behind her. I hear Eli cackling through the phone. I grab it from the floor and take it off speaker. I place it to my ear and start to go off on Eli.
"If you put that on FaceRange I'll kill you," I grit through my clenched teeth, "and I'll sue you! My parents are lawyers so you better watch your back Goldsworthy!"
"I'm in New York; you're in Canada. Your threats are nothing."
"I will find a way to New York and I will skin you alive if you put that video on FaceRange!"
"Why shouldn't I put it on there? It'll let everyone know that Clare Edwards is a little whore! She tried to get back at me, but it didn't work! I don't care about her nor her feelings!"
Before I could speak, I hear footsteps. My heart drops and I turn around, thinking that mom and dad are home. I sigh in relief when I see Adam instead. He pauses at the last step and his eyes widen.
"Drew," he says slowly, "um, where are your clothes and where's Clare?"
I hold my hand up to silence him. I turn my attention to the phone, but Eli hung up. I grab my clothes and put them on. I curse under my breath and sit on the sofa. Adam looks at me and shakes his head.
"Clare's in the bathroom," is all I say.
Clare comes out of the bathroom and wipes away her tears. She looks at us and more tears start to fall. Adam asks her what's wrong and she looks at me, wondering if she should tell him. I nod my head encouragingly and she takes my hand. She exhales a breath and tells Adam my plan. Before Adam can hit me, she tells him that she wanted to go along with it and she liked the idea at first. She tells him about us confessing our feelings towards each other. Then, she starts to tell him about Eli. Her body tenses and she starts crying hysterically. She looks over at me and I take it from there. I tell him about what Eli said and what I told him. Once I finish, Adam has his mouth gape open.
"So, are you two, uh, dating?" he asks.
"No, not yet," Clare tells him.
"Not until our first date," I say with a smile.
"Wow," he says. "I'm going to call Eli and try to convince him not to send the video out."
"He won't listen," Clare cries. "We tried and-"
"I will try, maybe he'll listen to me." Adam takes out his phone and fails Eli's number. He presses the phone to his ear and starts talking to Eli. He yells at him and we can hear Eli yelling back. Adam tells him not to do it because it can ruin Clare's life and that we can press charges. Adam says okay about three times and hangs up.
"Well, what did he say?" Clare asks.
Adam sighed. "He said that you made him angry and feel humiliated. He said seeing that video broke his heart and that he couldn't believe you'd willingly have sex with that dumb ass. He also said he's sorry for hurting you; he couldn't believe Lenore sent that video and that he never meant to hurt you. He acted on impulse and-"
"So, he's not going through with the video?" I ask.
Adam gives us a look; a sympathetic look. "He already sent it out."
"NO!" Clare cries as she drops to her knees.
I rush to her side and wrap my arms around her. She fights me off her and starts screaming at me.
"I SHOULDN'T HAVE LISTENED TO YOU! I SHOULD HAVE WENT WITH MY FIRST INSTINCT! NOW EVERYONE IS GOING TO KNOW! THEY'RE GOING TO CALL ME A WHORE!"
"Clare, I'm sorry," I whimper.
Heavy footsteps come down the basement steps. Adam, Clare, and I's head snap up. We see Dallas standing there, holding his phone up for us to see. His eyes are wide and we know exactly what is on his phone; it's the video.
"Oh God!" Adam says.
"Please tell me what the hell is going on!" Dallas says as he looks at us.
"Not now Dallas," Adam snaps.
"Clare, this isn't you, is it?" Dallas asks as he shoves the phone towards her.
"I SAID NOT NOW, DALLAS!" Adam roars, startling all of us.
Dallas quiets down and I explain to him what's going on. I don't know how, but I going to find a way to New York. I'm going to kick Eli's ass.
.
.
.
When we get to school Monday morning, everyone is talking and whispering about Clare. I grow angry just hearing about it. Clare didn't want to come to school today. She wasn't strong enough to face the students today. Adam says she's at home having a tough time. She's been crying her eyes out and blaming herself for being so stupid. She doesn't want to talk to me. She tells Adam it hurts too much.
I walk to my locker to see Alli and Jenna standing there with their arms folded. They're giving me daggers, also.
"Before you kill me, let me explain," I say once I reach them.
"What the hell is that video about?" Jenna snaps.
"Why would you do that to Clare?" Alli growls.
"I didn't do that; Eli did," I tell them.
"Why would Eli do that?" Alli grits through her teeth.
I explain to them what happened. I told them what I came up with and how Clare went along with it. I told them about me sending it to Eli and about him getting mad. I told him about what Adam told him and about it was too late to talk him out of it, because he sent it.
The girls were outraged. They told me that they're sorry for blaming me. Before leaving, they tell me that they're going to kick Eli's ass. I told them we can go to New York and do it together. They might think I'm playing, but I'm serious. I'm going to kick Eli's ass and I'm going to try to sue him for doing that. He hurt Clare and he humiliated her. Now, she's the main subject of the school.
I hear people talking and whispering around me. They're talking about Clare being a whore and about how I was "The Man" for sleeping with her.
"Shut the fuck up!" I growl to everyone that's talking. "Clare's not a whore! She was hurt and wanted to get back at Eli. The video wasn't meant for everyone to see. So, I suggest you all delete that fuckin' video from your phone and forget it ever happened. If you send it out to anyone then you will also be sued for having the video and sending it!"
Everyone is silent and they're looking at me like I'm crazy.
"You think he's playing?" I hear Dallas say. "He's not; if you even utter Clare's name I will kick your ass myself! That goes to everyone who's talking about her!"
"You can't hit a girl," I hear one of the students say.
"Try me," Dallas retorts before turning to me. "Go see how's Clare is doing; ditch school."
I nod my head and thank Dallas. I run out of the school and get inside of the mini van. I put the keys in the ignition and drive off to Clare's house. I run on the porch and pound on the door. The door flings open and Clare is standing there. Her eyes are puffy and she has dry tear stains on her cheeks.
"What are you doing here?" she questions.
"I need to talk to you," I tell her.
"If you're going to tell me about the things people are saying about me then save it. I don't want to hear it."
"Clare, ignore what people are saying about you. They don't know what's going on. They just like to gossip!"
"Drew, that can ruin my life! When I go to apply for jobs or colleges they can go and see that video! They won't accept me, because of that damn video."
"Clare," I say with a sigh, "I'm in that video, too. I-"
"THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU! YOU'RE A GUY, DREW! YOU GETTING LAID AND PUTTING A VIDEO UP IS COOL POINTS FOR YOU! I'M GETTING CALLED A WHORE, A SLUT, A CHEATER, AND MUCH MORE! THEY'RE MAKING ME THE BAD GUY HERE!"
"I was apart of that video, too," I say again, "which means we're going to get through this together. You're not going to go through this alone."
Clare looks at me and gnaws on her bottom lip. Fresh tears slide down her rosy cheeks. I reach for her hand and take it in mine. I gave her a light squeeze and give her an assuring smile. I want her to know that I'm going to be there for her. I want her to know that we'll get through this together, because I find myself falling for her. I'm falling for Clare Edwards and I'm proud of it. I helped her with this mess and I'm going to get her out of it. I promise.