AN: This chapter is probably one of my favorite things to ever come out of my brain. Hope you all like it as much as I do. :D
Clare slept in late the next morning. She didn't get much sleep because her parents were fighting most of the night. She just wanted everything to go back to the way it was. Sighing she got up from her bed and went over to the laptop in sleep mode on her desk. She sat waiting for it to wake up so she could check facerange. Nothing too exciting, but she did see a status from Alli that she'd hear all about the next time they hung out together. She groaned knowing Alli would want to know the details of her evening with Eli, but smiled as she remembered him calling her his girlfriend. Should she send a relationship request? Is Eli that kind of guy? Is she that kind of girl? Probably. Before she could do anything she heard a ping telling her she had a message.
Eli: Hey there pretty lady.
Clare giggled at his greeting. Hey yourself.
Eli: You have any plans for today?
I don't know I'd have to ask my boyfriend. :P
Eli: He won't mind if I steal you away. ;)
Oh? And what did you have in mind?
Eli: Come outside and find out.
What? Clare was confused.
Eli: Just do it.
Clare got up from the chair and made her way downstairs stopping at the window to look outside. Sure enough there was Morty with Eli perched on the hood. She opened the door. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi Clare how are you? I'm fine thanks for asking." He teased.
"Hi." She smiled.
"I thought you'd might want to hang out today. Bullfrog is working at the station and I thought it might be cool to visit. Listen to some stuff." He looked a little nervous and Clare giggled.
"Sounds fun. I uh, just have to go change." She pointed to the house. "You can come in and wait if you want. My parents are gone."
"Oh, Miss Saint Clare having a boy over while home alone. Scandalous." He smirked at her and she pushed him.
"I'll be right down." She ran up the stairs to change and came down a few minutes later ready to go. "Ready?"
"Yup." He pushed himself up off the couch.
They pulled up outside the station and Eli put the car in park before getting out and opening Clare's door. "Thanks."
Eli nodded and led her inside the building, stopping at the receptionist's desk. "Hey Debbie is it cool if we go see Bullfrog?"
Debbie looked up from the computer and smiled at Eli. "Sure kid. Just no funny business this time. Your dad is working."
Eli laughed and looked at Clare who had a questioning look on her face. "Oh don't worry we'll be good." Eli knew his way around the station and led Clare down a hallway to the elevators. He pushed the up arrow and a second later the doors opened. "Ok I know you want to know so just ask." He smirked over at Clare.
"Ok what funny business?"
"Well you see Adam and I were helping Bullfrog by organizing the CD's. He found this random Britney Spears CD and dared me to switch it with the CD for the next song. Of course I wasn't gonna back down from the challenge and Bullfrog trusts me and was all excited I was interested in his job. He didn't know what hit him. Oh Clare you should've seen his face!" Eli laughed at the memory and Clare smiled at how happy he was and even laughed a little herself.
"And they still let you in the building?" She was shocked.
"Bullfrog thought it was pretty funny once he got over being mad. The higher ups didn't think so, but he smoothed it over." The elevator binged and they got off, Eli leading Clare down another hallway until they got to a door with a window next to it. Bullfrog was inside and there was a red light on signaling they were on the air. Eli made a quiet knock on the window and waved as Bullfrog looked up. "We can go in in a few. He just has to cut to commercial."
"Ok." Bullfrog was everything she expected Eli's dad to be. He was dressed in leather and black just like his son, and gave off a total rocker vibe.
A few minutes later Bullfrog took off his headphones and opened the door to the booth. "Hey Eli, and is this the famous Clare?" Clare blushed.
"Hi." She gave a timid wave hello.
"Come on in. I have to end the commercial break in a few but you're welcome to hang out. As long as you don't try and pull anything again. There's a lady present." He pointed at his son and added a bit of a glare for good measure.
"Oh, not with Saint Clare here Bullfrog. I'll be the perfect gentleman." Eli smirked and Clare giggled.
"Better be." Bullfrog sat back down in his chair. "So Clare wanna put in a request? I happen to have the power to move yours up on the list if you do." He smiled at her.
"Um sure. Is there like a catalog or something I can look at?"
Bullfrog laughed. "Eli can help you out with that can't you son?" He put the headphones back over his ears getting ready to go back on the air.
"Yeah." He reached for Clare's hand and led her over to a wall with shelves full of CD's. "There's a computer there with all the CD's in the database." He pointed to the computer off to the side. "If you have a certain song you want you can type that in too and it will tell you the CD and where to look on the wall or if you have to go to the CD room. Makes it easier to get the list ready during the breaks."
"Nice." Clare nodded and tried to think of songs she might want to hear played on the radio. She didn't want to pick something Bullfrog wouldn't approve of. "Got it!" She typed in her song into the search and made sure Eli didn't see it as she looked along the wall to find the CD. "This one. Track 7." She held up the CD.
"Bob Seger?" Eli's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Yup." Clare smiled and handed the CD to Eli who brought it over to Bullfrog. He nodded and held up a finger telling Eli to wait.
"And we'll be right back with a few listener requests right after this commercial break." He pushed a button turning off his mic and starting the station's jingle and commercials. "Alright what did Clarabelle pick for the listeners of the Toronto area?" Clare smiled at the nickname.
Eli gave him the Bob Seger CD. "Track 7."
Bullfrog nodded. "Good choice. She's a keeper." Eli smiled and Clare blushed while putting a stray curl behind her ear.
A few minutes later it was time for the break to end again and Bullfrog made sure Clare's request was first up. "Alright we're back and we'll start things off with a little Bob Seger 'We Got Tonight'. This one's for you Clare." He hit a button which started the song. Clare smiled.
"May I have this dance?" Eli asked. Clare giggled and placed her hand in his as they started dancing to the song. "So is there a story behind the song choice?" His eyebrows went up behind his hair.
"Yeah. Maybe I'll tell you sometime." She smiled and leaned her head down to rest on Eli's shoulder as the continued to dance. The song soon ended and another one began but wasn't a slow song. They stopped dancing but didn't pull apart. Clare's phone went off and she jolted away from Eli to pick it up, shooting a glance over to Bullfrog to see if she was in trouble. He waved her off. "Sorry, I'll just go take this outside." She left the room. "Hello?"
"Clare I don't know where you are but I'm gonna need you to come home. We have some things to discuss." It was her mom. She didn't have a good feeling about this and her mood soured.
"Um sure. Everything ok?"
"Yes. I'll see you in a little bit. Bye Clare."
"Bye." She hung up the phone and turned to see Eli was behind her.
"You have to go don't you?" He looked worried and a little sad.
"Yeah it was my mom. Said we had to talk which can't be good these days." She shrugged.
"Ok I'll take you home." They waved through the window at Bullfrog who sent a quick wave back. They made their way back to the elevator, waving again to Debbie on the way out.
It was too soon before Eli pulled up to Clare's house. "Thanks for today. I had a lot of fun. Your dad is pretty awesome." She smiled.
"You're welcome. I did too." He smiled back.
"Time to face the music I guess." Her smile faded. "I'll talk to you later." She got out of the car and turned back before shutting the door, "Bye."
"Bye Clare. Goodnight. Call if you need to." He waved as she opened the door and then he backed out of the driveway.