Title: The Diary of Clare
Rating: PG-13
Chapter: 3
Fandom: Degrassi: The Next Generation
Summary: When Clare leaves the school courtyard, she leaves her diary. Eclare. Minor Klare, Jalli, Parcy.
Comments: Song "Diary of Jane" by Breaking Benjamin and "Airplanes (L. Paramore Mash Up)" made by LSlytherin on YouTube. Check them out!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea.
Clare sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair as she sat waiting for English class to start. She had had a permanent frown engraved on her face all day – as Eli had noticed – and he found it once again as he walked into Ms. Dawes's English room.
Eli walked over, giving her shoulder a squeeze while leaning down. "Hey," he breathed into her ear, surprising her into a jump.
Clare gasped, grasping her chest and turned to face him with a sigh. "Eli. It's you."
"Yeah. What's wrong?" he asked, taking his assigned seat in front of her.
She shook her head, staring at the vandalized desktop before dropping her head on it.
Eli could not resist as he reached forward, running a hand through her short hair as if to comfort the girl before him. "Hey," he said soothingly, brushing his hand down to her arm.
Clare, rather surprised, sighed contently, shaking her head, "No. Can we… just talk after class?"
Eli lifted his hand off her and raised it into the air as if she had caught him in the act of something illegal. "Okay, sure."
DTNG
Eli slipped into the spot next to Clare on the bench at a picnic table in front of Degrassi. He slipped his arm around her shoulder carefully, only to have her lean into him.
Clare sighed heavily, closing her eyes.
Eli rested his head on top of hers, sighing, "What's wrong, Plath?"
Clare shook her head, "That's not going to cheer me up today." When she felt him stiffen, she quickly added, "But it was a good try."
Eli smiled a bit, pulling his head back to look at her. "Clare, what's going on? You're all scrunchy." His teasing nature stuck out even though he knew it was the wrong moment.
"Eli, seriously. It's nothing to worry about," Clare shrugged him away, pulling out her sketch book.
Eli furrowed his brow, letting out all the concern he had held in, "You didn't have an assignment for Dawes, you forgot to do your trig homework, and you're willingly doing art over chemistry. I'm sorry, Clare, but there's something wrong. And if you don't tell me, I'll…"
"I'm sorry, okay!" Clare snapped, cutting him off, while throwing her arms in the air as if to surrender defeat. "I just… I really don't feel good. I… I-I need to go." She grabbed her shoulder bag and sketch book.
"Clare…" Eli called after her as she walked away. "Okay, uh… I'll call you later." He looked down, trying to act nonchalant as always, but this time it was different. This time he had an unsettled feeling in his stomach.
Eli took in a deep breath, pulling out Clare's diary and opening to the third entry.
"Peter dropped by today. He said he was worried about Darcy. Who isn't? Everyone's worried about Darcy, so much that I think we're all getting physically sick from it. The winter's not the only thing giving me a cold lately. But something was different this time. Peter was crying. He was genuinely crying. He was scared and shaking and… I started to wonder if he was even breathing because he was so red in the face and breathing so heavily. He shocked me for sure. But he gave me a pamphlet for this thing some seminar or something for troubled teens. It's called The Red Pine Asset Program for Troubled Teens. He said not to tell Darcy and to just give it to my parents. God, I know you can hear me. I know you love Darcy more than me or Peter or anyone else possibly could. Please, let this help Darcy."
Eli frowned, biting his bottom lip. Clare Edwards was so desperate, she wrote down a prayer. He wondered how long ago this was. It could have been so recent that it was just last year or so long ago that several years had passed since it was written. He could not understand how peaceful and together she was if this was her home life.
"I know, I haven't written in forever. Longer than forever. But nothing worthwhile was happening until today. I met a boy. My first day of grade nine and I already met a boy! KC Guthrie. He's different from other guys. There's something about him… I just don't know what… He's… cute and smart and misunderstood. I hope I get to spend more time with him."
Eli frowned in disgust, furrowing his brow. KC Guthrie. Really? Clare and KC. Eli felt something rise in his stomach, but swallowed quickly before he even had the option to throw up.
He looked up, shoving Clare's diary into his backpack, just as Alli walked out of Degrassi. He got up with a smile, heading over to her.
Alli looked at him, raising her eyebrow, "Can I help you?"
"Clare and KC?" Eli questioned through his teeth, trying to hide his disgust.
"How the hell did you hear about that?" Alli asked, pulling her backpack strap up so it hung on her shoulder. "Clare would never mention him to you of all people. She'd kill herself if she knew you found out about them dating."
"Dating? They dated." The words came out of Eli's mouth and he felt as if he would get the opportunity to vomit any second now. "Didn't know dumb jocks were Clare's type," he spat.
"KC's not dumb. Just an asshole," Alli stated, shouting the last word as KC walked past them.
KC looked up, furrowing his brow in confusion, while wrapping his arm around Jenna's back and resting his hand in her back pocket.
Alli shuttered at KC's actions and turned back to Eli. "How the hell did you find out about them anyway?" she asked in confusion.
Eli pursed his lips together in thought, a twisted smile forming on his mouth. "Let's just say… gossip," he nodded.
Alli sighed, rolling her eyes, "They had an infatuation for, like, the first half of grade nine – this love hate relationship sort of thing. It was kinda cute at first because Connor liked her too, but then Connor gave up and it just got annoying because they started fighting and wouldn't be around each other. Anyway, they got together at this black and white dance and went out, like, until right before spring break last year. KC cheated on her with Jenna and, well, you know Clare. She's not one to go for second best." She looked him straight in the eyes as if she could murder him with a single look. "But you didn't hear it from me. Got it?"
Eli nodded, still trying to take it all in as she walked away from him. For such a small person, she sure spoke fast - and a lot. Then again, Alli was a stereotypical teenage girl.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Clare really did go out with KC. Eli frowned, heading to his hearse. He felt the need to read more, but Morty was the only safe place for such a sinful action.
Once inside Morty, Eli pulled out Clare's diary and opened it to find the next entry.
"So while I'm going through crush stages, I completely forgot to mention my sister's sudden leave. She just got back to normal and now she's going to Kenya for half of the year. Do you know how long that is? That's six months! My sister is going to Kenya for six months! I have a room all to myself. One of her friends she's leaving behind here - with me - is named Jane. She's so cool! She's the… quarter back - I think I got that right - on the football team. Jane's boyfriend Spinner is teaching us about football. She is so cool! She's my new role model. Better than my sister."
"Ugh! Alli just had to be curious! She just had to search Mr. Simpson's room! She just had to put that… that sex toy in my backpack! And now, I'm in trouble because my parents think I'm into that… that sort of stuff. Sex toys and stuff. It's ridiculous! I mean, if I don't do it, they still accuse me because they won't talk to me. I know that I'm supposed to wait. That's what God wants. But I also know that God put my parents on this earth to guide me. And how are they supposed to guide me if they don't tell me what to do? How stupid are they? Ugh, I can't believe it went off during math class and then Mr. Armstrong found it in my bag! I hate Alli soooo much right now! She's so ignorant and naïve. Ugh! I wish my parents would talk to me…"
Eli could not help but laugh. Clare and sex toys? He just could not see it. Now, Mister Simpson… as in Principal Simpson? He shuttered in horror and then shrugged a little - guess everyone has their own sick fetishes. He blinked in thought, "What kind of sex toy could she have found in the principal's bedroom?"