AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's the next chapter:

Ps. Disclaimer: I don't own Clare, Eli, Degrassi in general, Starbucks...Disneyworld, and a majority of life's true wonders

Every day, before work Clare would head into Starbucks for her morning coffee. She'd usually wait on a surprisingly short line and Taylor, the latte boy and manager, would have her coffee made and ready to go. Taylor had been very friendly to Clare in that way, and so she owed him.

So on that day when the place was shockingly busy, Taylor asked her to help him, and Clare couldn't refuse.

"Could you bring this coffee over to that guy over there, I don't think he can hear me call his name and I'm swamped."

"Sure, no problem" Clare wasn't really in a rush that day, since she didn't have to go into work.

"You're a saint" he called after her. Clare walked toward the table Taylor pointed at. The man sitting there hadn't looked up until Clare, who was too busy reading the label of the coffee to acknowledge the man, started talking.

"Taylor sends his sincere apologies but here is-"

"Clare?" At her name, Clare looked up. She finally recognized the man at the table. She wasn't sure how to feel. At the moment they both seemed a bit too shocked to run into each other.

"Eli?"


Clare ended up joining him at the table, where at first it was very awkward, but as the realization started to seep in they both began to relax.

"It's been-" Clare started

"Too long." Eli finished. "What have you been up to? Any books published yet?" Eli asked comfortably. Clare blushed at the idea of her childhood dream. She had always wished to be a writer. Write stories and books and novels. But as Clare grew up and her heart was crushed, so were her dreams.

"Oh no, I'm in marketing now" Clare said embarrassed. Eli responded with a small Oh, his smile diminished.

"Well what about you? What do you do?" Clare attempted after a long pause.

"I work with bands, I'm the manager's assistant," Eli said proudly. After another long pause, Eli began laughing.

"What?" Clare said, very pleased to hear his laugh.

"Nothing." He waved her off, but when she gave him a look he continued. "Do you remember your 18th birthday, how Adam and I threw you a surprise party, and we all attacked you with water balloons-"

"Filled with paint, and how the teachers were so mad at you for holding it on school grounds." Clare laughed. "It took us weeks to clean it up!" The two continued on with memories of the past laughing so loudly that majority of the public in the coffee shop look over at them. One lady even shushed them and as they tried to muffle the sound, it only ended up getting louder.

Eventually their snickers dwindle and Clare unconsciously plays with her ring, twirling it and fettling with it. Eli stopped laughing all together, and his smile dropped to a frown. The room seemed to grow silent as Clare realized what he's glaring at.

"His name's James." Clare uneasily answered his silent question. At first Eli didn't respond in any way. He sat immobile, and mute. Eyes stuck on the giant diamond on her ring finger. But Clare didn't bother explaining; frankly she didn't have anything to say. So they sat there in silence.

"Do you love him?" he finally questioned. This took Clare by surprise. She hadn't been asked this before. Everyone tells her how happy she looks with him, but happy doesn't have to go hand-in-hand with love. Clare began to panic at the fact that it was taking her so long to think of the answer. So she rushed and decided not to think about it now.

"Yes." Eli looked at her for a good couple of minutes. It made Clare self-conscious, like she was being examined. She fumbled with her hands, not meeting his watchful eyes.

"Okay." He said in monotone, but he continued to stare. Searching her face for something.

It became too much for Clare. Grabbing her coffee and phone, she stood up, and Eli followed her.

"Um, well, I have to go, but it was great seeing you again."

"Yea, we should get together sometime, you know, to catch up," Eli said, disappointment in his voice. Clare just nodded as she turned to head out the door.


Eli watched her leave, each step like a prick to his heart. Once she was out of sight, Eli sat back down sighing heavily.

"Taylor, I'm gonna need a refill." Eli called. Now, seeing as the place was less crowded, Taylor had time to spare and approached Eli with a refill all ready.

"I didn't know you knew Saint Clare," Taylor said amused. Eli was taken back by the fact that Taylor knew her high school nickname, but didn't comment on it.

"We went to school together, we used to, uh, date." Eli said bitterly

"Uh oh," Taylor said.

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