This chapter is a little bit of a filler, but it's necessary.
As sunlight poured in through her window, Clare slowly began to open her eyes. She found herself face to face with Eli, and, startled, sat up too quickly, knocking her shoulder on the headboard. Clare realized it was just the photograph of Eli, which had managed to slip out from under her pillow in the night. "I am losing it," she thought. "How else would that picture have gotten there?" Clare checked the clock on her nightstand and noticed she'd woken up early. She didn't need to leave for school for over an hour, and today she would be going to school. Weird hallucinations and slight changes in the temperature would not keep her from getting an education and seeing her friends. Clare quickly showered, threw on her uniform, ate breakfast, and said goodbye to her mom before heading off to Degrassi.
As Clare passed the chain link fence surrounding the basketball hoops, she realized everything seemed ordinary. There were no footsetps or cold chills to be found. Clare smiled to herself, relieved that everything that happened yesterday was just a psychological reaction to coming back to school so soon. Now she was ready, and super happy to see her best friend walking about ten feet ahead of her.
"Alli!" she called, while waving an arm over her head.
Alli turned to look at Clare, her face contorted into a look of utter confusion. As Clare caught up to her.
"Am I missing something?" Alli asked. "Yesterday, you were a complete mess. You never showed up for lunch, and now here you are grinning like an idiot! You have some explaining to do."
Clare ushered Alli over to a picnic table, and began by apologizing.
"I'm sorry I missed lunch yesterday. I know I should have called. I really appreciate how nice you've been these past few weeks. You're pretty much the only person I can count on, right now. So, I have to let you know, I'm going to be fine. I'm going to get over Eli Goldsworthy, and go back to being safe and reliable St. Clare." She sputtered out a sad chuckle, hoping Alli bought what she was selling.
"Clare, you do realize that you sound nuts, right?" Alli replied. "It's not like you and Eli just broke up or something. He's dead. You don't have to put on a brave face for anyone. You're supposed to grieve when your ex boyfriend dies, as manipulative or weird as he may have been. Now, I think I need to walk you to class, and no bathroom breaks or anything like that. I want you to make it there in one piece. Now, hop to it, Soldier."
Clare and Alli gathered their belongings, and walked, arms around one another, toward the double doors of Degrassi.
