*RIIING* Ugh. My annoying Alarm clock. I bashed it with my hand so it would…shut up. What time is it? Oh. It's…7:45. Just enough time to get ready, I suppose. I have 20 minutes. Hop in the shower, I wanna smell my best today, but I shouldn't have to explain. Get dressed. 9 minutes. Brush my teeth, spruce it up with mouth wash. 7 minutes. Use that deodorant…6 minutes. Slide down the railing, pick up my keys and a few granola bars. Take $5 from dad. And leave, finally. With 5 minutes to spare. I jump in my car, nothing can lower my confidence.

Except Morty. Are you kidding me? "Morty?" Now? He wouldn't start. Ugh. I briefly ran out of the car. And lifted the hood. Hmm…What could be wrong? I opened the oil cap. Oh, out of oil. Great. I lifted the garage open, scrimmaged it…hmm…I know I have an emergency batch somewhere. I checked my watch. 4 minutes. Ugh! Of COURSE this happened to me! Red bottle. Red bottle. Red bottle? Aha! Found you. I ran in, and grabbed it. Eww. Spiderweb. Gross. I hate it when I run into those things! They appear out of thin air! Woah. They actually kinda do… Back to the car. I fill the oil cap. There we go! "Thanks a lot Morty! I'm gonna be late because of you!" I closed the oil, tossed it back in the box I found it in, and closed the garage. 0 minutes. Ugh. My hands are a mess. Wash my hands. Scrub the troubles away… Ok. Now. I'm not so early. I'm a minute late. Ok. I should make it there on time…Before class. Wait. It's ok if I don't make it. School's not that important. But one person is. She's worth it all. Ok…just stay calm Eli, she's not yours to keep. Yet.

I pulled into the Degrassi parking lot. Oh look, there's Clare walking in. Ok…I'm safe…Now to my locker!

Lunch time

So, since she's my English partner, we decided on meeting up for lunch. It's not a date. We're just friends…But I WISH it was a date…Anyways. I sat down on my chair, and pulled out that apple I bought with the $5 that I stole from my favorite dad. Waiting. It's been about a minute. I can't say she's late. I felt a rush of air pass by me. It was Clare. She immediately sat on the desk in front of me, and pulled out her lunch. "Hey!" She enthusiastically said.

I looked in those…eyes. They're hypnotizing me a bit."…Hi…You ready to fail a paper twice?" I smirked at her.

"Nope, I'm sure I got it down!" She confidentally let out, as she smiled as well. She was so focused on her grades. It's kinda cute. Yet annoying. Ugh. What've I turned into?

She brought out a piece of paper. We can't just talk for a few minutes, can we? "So...what do you think..?"

"It's…um…"

"Awkwardly constructed? Filled with hyperbole? And generally sloppy?" She answered for me, But I wouldn't ever be that rude to someone as pretty as her!

"...The title is centered…?" I smirked at her, hoping she wouldn't hate me…

She sighed. Aww…She's upset. "Dawes is right, I have writers block!" she rolled her eyes in frustration. She tends to stress out easily.

"So don't hand it in." I suggested. It can't hurt her, anyways.

"And what, tell her the dog ate my homework?"

"Or you could...take off?" She's not gonna do it. I should've thought before I said that…

"You mean skip?" It sounds as if she hasn't done it before. Yeah, a grade lover like her is sure not to skip… There goes seconds of quality time we've wasted!

"If you wanna get official…" Oh, how I would love to get official with her…

She thought for a second, "...it would give me time to write a way better assignment." She considered.

*RING!* There's the famous bell! "Decision time. Stay or go?"

She packed up her stuff, and got off the desk. "You coming?" She waited for me by the doorway.

Well, why wouldn't I? Ok, get ready for a thrill Ms. Edwards! I got up, and stuffed the apple in my mouth. We both walked out the door, she was giggling to me. I can tell she's never skipped before. This MUST be a thrill for her. I'm surprised she even got up! She always seemed like a…well…a goody goody. A really, cute, yet sassy goody goody. I'm glad she took this road.

"The dot?" She looked up at me. Her voice raised. I can tell she was happy.

"Sure thing, princess." That was the best nickname I could come up with? Wow…

"Princess?" Hah. I know she liked it.

"Yeah, wherever you want to go, it makes no difference, Clare." Using her actual name tingled my lips… We were already almost there anyways.

"Ok, the dot. I'm dying for a coffee."

"Ok then, let's get you a coffee! I wouldn't want you to die. But after all, I could just take you to the grave in my hearse." I smirked at her.

"Was that your intention this WHOLE time?" She smiled. I'm glad she enjoyed my odd sense of humor.

"Of course it was! Because I just LOVE keeping dead bodies around, Clare." There goes my tingly lips. I was kidding of course. About the dead bodies, not the tingly lips.

"Well then!" We finally arrived at the dot. I opened the door for her. Should I offer to pay for her coffee? I dug around in my pocket, looking for my wallet. Oh, there it was! "I can get my own, but thanks."

"Ok, if you insist." I walked out the door, and waited for her outside. I picked up her paper again, and read it. Wow. It's VERY bland… She walked out, and sat on the bench beside me. We were a foot width apart though…She gazed up at me, waiting for my opinion.

"Wow, this is a first, skipping school to do work." I broke the silence.

"Ok, i don't understand how you got an 'A' and I got a 'C'." She obviously needs my writing expertise!

"Simple. I'm dating Mrs. Dawes." She rolled her eyes and let out that famous whine-sigh. "You're a good writer, but anyone would've penned this piece. It has no point of view…"

"I wrote about gun control! I say it's good." I digress. A lot.

"Wow. Controvercial." I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Ok. fine. what am I supposed to write about?"

"Something that pisses you off." I wonder what it is…

"Besides my English partner?" She let out a subtle smile, which let me know she was kidding.

"Ouch!" I immediately said. I smirked. I love the way she humors me. But before we go on and on 'insulting' each other, I should help her focus. Hmm. "If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?" She was silent. I hope that wasn't the wrong question to ask.

"My mom and dad. They're not exactly getting along…" She looked away in frustration, and didn't seem too happy. Good job Eli. She's probably gonna cry on your 'date'…Your 'stud' days are over…

"So write about that…" I suggested. Hopefully I won't screw anything up anymore…

"I can't, it's personal!" She threw back at me, wow…She's very self-conscious…

"You care too much of what people think." So, I said it! I feel a challenge coming on!

"That is not true!" She loves proving me wrong. I hope she'll prove wrong that she hates me, I'd enjoy the exact opposite…! But that's only in my fantasies. Hmm, another thing she could prove wrong!

"Ok, then prove it. Scream. At the top of your lungs." Hah. I wonder what she'll do!

"Aaahhh?" She seemed very unsure of herself. I hope I could get her out of the habit.

I looked at her with a 'wow' face. I felt it. Hah. "Wow. THAT's the best you could do?"

She glared at me, angrily stood up, and "AHHHHH!" Wow. A yeller. How hot. I'm shocked! She looked at me with her Clare-stare. "Ok, your turn!" Great. She actually wanted me to yell! Hah. It's cute how she thinks she can order me around like that! Saucy!

"Yeah, not my style!" Since she was standing up, she was already on her way to yelling at me. I stood up, and she walked forward, pointing at me, as she approached me more, I took a step back.

"You have to!" She repetitively said, too many times to count.

"it's just, it's not my style!" I simply explained to her. I took one more step back. I was already backed up into a pole. Yes. Draw her in. Be "ELIcious." Perfect. She tried to playfully hit me. I grabbed her wrist. She was so having fun. She finally stopped nagging me to yell. I gazed in her beautiful eyes. She looked into mine. I'm unsure of how she feels, but, I know EXACTLY how I feel. She finally realized the position we were in. Me, backed up into a pole, enjoying my life. Her, against me against a pole. Lovely positions. Honestly, I couldn't stop smirking. She pulled her hands back, as I innocently played along. Even though I knew the whole time my intention. Starting the master plan TO my master plan. She sat back down. I could tell she was interested. And I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Oh, my master plans always go the way I want them to. Except at home. But I don't really want to focus on that. I want to focus on her. Clare. My brain feels a…cooling sensation…? I'm not sure. But I feel all…different with her. She's not the usual person I would want to scare off. And…I hope it remains that way.