I Do Not Own DeGrassi
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Ch.4 Eminence Front
(CLARE)
I hear the doorbell ring and run downstairs, Owen smiles at me when I open the door. He's dressed in jeans and a light blue polo and coincidentally we match as I'm wearing capri jeans and a light blue tank top.
"Thanks again for apologizing to Adam." I smile as we get into his car and he starts driving.
"I should have done it a long time ago." He shrugs.
A short time later we park at in front of a brick row house and get out of the car. As we walk up to the door his arm comes around my shoulders to keep other guys from hitting on me. Owen knocks on the door but even out here the music is horribly loud so when no one answers after a minute he simply opens the door. The inside has super loud music but only about a dozen kids mingling about but as we walk through the living room I see that the backyard is full of kids, a few dancing on the small deck but most are talking and drinking on the lawn. Along one side of the yard under a string of lanterns is a table with a cheap plastic table cloth and a myriad of drinks mostly alcoholic. Owen escorts me down the stairs and to a corner that isn't so crowded.
"Stay here while I get us drinks." He instructs and I nod.
Owen walks away and I look around, I do recognize some of the kids here but not from DeGrassi they're on the North Park High Basketball team I remember seeing them at the last game. Normally I avoid sports games but as K.C. and Dave are on the basketball team I go to a few games to support my friends, although Alli still has to drag me usually. As I'm somewhat mindlessly looking around I get bumped into from behind and I turn around.
"Oops sorry," the boy begins to apologize as he turns around but I recognize his voice it's Zane and I see Riley next to him. "Oh hey Clare." Zane smiles.
"Hi Riley, Zane." I greet.
"Did I hear prop master Clare?" It's Declan's voice and my cheeks go a little pink remembering my crush on him.
Declan appears with a pretty drunk looking Fiona and a sober Chantay. "Hey guys. When do you guys leave for University?" I ask and then remember Fiona didn't graduate and feel a little guilty she doesn't seem to notice though.
"Yale orientation is in three weeks, I came to visit Mom and Fi for a week." Declan informs me.
"I'm just going to Banting so I don't have to go very far and orientation isn't the until the last week of July." Says Chantay.
"We leave for Eastern in a couple weeks." Zane says for himself and Riley.
"Where's Eli?" Fiona asks taking a sip from her red plastic cup.
"Fi! They broke up remember." Chantay snaps at her and looks at me apologetically.
"Because the boy lost his mind and crashed his car to get her to come see him." Owen announces coming up to us. "Hey guys." He greets them and hands me a plastic cup with what looks like cola in it and puts his arm around me again.
No one answers 'cause they are all gaping at us, everyone except Fiona that is. "Oh you two make a cuter couple than her and Eli." She giggles tipsily, "Sorry Eli went crazy but you two are adorable." She says and then gulps down the rest of her drink.
Of the other four I know Declan the best and only because we worked on the play together but they're all staring at us like I just announced I was pregnant with Mr. Armstrong's baby!
"Clare and Owen…Owen and Clare, nope doesn't matter how I say it sounds wrong either way." Zane mumbles and I feel Owen tense next to me and his arm around my shoulders tightens just a little.
You'd think we were really dating and he was really insulted by that but I look up at him and his face is calm. Owen starts talking to Riley and Zane about football and Chantay and Declan start their own conversation and I start getting bored and tired of standing. Seeing some white patio furniture I go to sit down, as Owen still has his arm around my shoulders he moves with me and the others just sort of migrate with us. The furniture is metal with lattice pattern seats and flowers along the back and consists of two small benches, two chairs and a table. Owen and I take one bench, Riley and Zane the other, Fiona and chantey sit in the chairs and Declan leans on the table. I only sit a few minutes before Fiona hops up and starts pulling at my hands.
"Come dance with me Clare." Fiona insists.
I hand my cup to Owen and Fiona drags me up to the deck and we start dancing to the music. I look back at the group and Owen is watching us carefully; he really is taking his end of the deal to keep me safe seriously. Fiona is too drunk to really dance well, she has hold of both my hands and we're more or less swinging and swaying to the music together but it's more interesting than football talk. We dance through a couple songs but during the next song a guy comes up behind each of us putting their arms around our waists and grinding into the back of us, Fiona lets go of my hands so we can each turn around.
"Gross get off of me, I like girls!" Fiona demands trying to push the guy away but is too drunk to be very effective.
"Let go of me you cretin I have a boyfriend!" I demand as I'm not drunk I do manage to push him away a bit but he comes right back.
"HEY!" Come too angry voices and everyone on the deck stops and looks over at a very pissed Owen and Declan.
"Get your hands off my girlfriend ass hole!" Owen commands advancing on the boy.
"Get the hell off my sister!" Declan commands.
The boys take a second too long to decide and Owen and Declan pull them off of us, Declan steps between Fiona and the boy and Owen puts his arm around me. The four boys stare at each other a second looking like they might start a fight but when Riley and Zane come up to the deck and stand with us the other boys decide it isn't worth a fight and walk away.
"You two okay?" Owen asks.
"Fine." I say for both of us.
"I think I better get my sister home before she finds anymore trouble." Declan sighs and Fiona pouts a bit.
"I'll come with you; she's so drunk you might need some help." Chantay offers.
"We're just gonna go, we have another party to attend tonight." Riley tells us.
We say goodbye and Owen takes me back down the stairs and releases his arm from me when we get back to the table with our drinks. We mingle for a while outside and then go in where there are less people and now that it's after ten the music has been turned down to a reasonable volume. We sit down on the couch joining a small group of two girls and two boys that seem to know each other; one boy is shuffling a deck of cards.
"You two playing?" The other boy asks us.
"Playing what?" Owen inquires.
"Strip poker," says the one shuffling the deck of cards.
"I'm not wearing that much to strip off." I point out.
"Oh don't worry Sherry and I were just about to fix that." The girl with dark brown hair tells me as she and the other girl stand.
"Just come with us." The girl I presume is Sherry says motioning for me to follow them.
Owen looks at me and I shrug figuring that I stand a decent chance as Spin and Jay used to play poker with me. I get up and follow the two girls back to a bedroom, a boy's bedroom; they go right in and to the closet and start pulling out button up shirts and such.
"Kyle won't mind if we borrow some of his clothes." The other girl assures me and I surmise Kyle lives here and these two know him. "I'm Cinder by the way." She says handing me a checkered flannel that look like something Adam might wear.
"Clare." I say slipping on the shirt.
"Is that your boyfriend with you?" Sherry asks me as she puts on a black t-shirt.
"Uh yeah Owen is my boyfriend." I nod.
"He's hot." Cinder giggles.
After each of us has added three more layers to our clothes we go back to the living room and the boy's eyes us with disappointed faces.
"That's Tommy and Scott." Sherry says introducing the boys to me as we sit down again. "This is Clare."
I smile and Tommy starts dealing, the first hand is won by Sherry and the rest of us take off a shoe. I win the second hand and the others take off a shoe again. Owen wins the next hand and off comes my other shoe, Sherry and Cinder each take off one of the shirts they borrowed from Kyle's closet, Tommy and Scott each take off a sock.
"She must be cheating." Scott accuses me when I win the next two hands in a row.
"Clare is too honest to cheat she's just very smart." Owen assures them as he takes off his shirt and I bite my lip just slightly as he is very very buff.
The girls take off another extra shirt, Scott opts to take off his jeans leaving him in boxers and his t-shirt and I can feel my cheeks go pink; Tommy meanwhile takes off his shirt but he's not nearly as buff as Owen. Scott wins the next hand both Tommy and Owen take off their belts, Sherry and Cinder lose the last extra layer they have and I opt to take off my bracelet earning me a bit of a scowl from Scott. I win the next hand but just as Sherry is taking off her shirt a rather drunk boy comes in and looks at us and then smiles as he takes off his shirt.
"Sweet EVERYBODY GET NAKED!" The boy yells over the music and then proceeds to strip down completely.
"Okay that's it for me." Sherry says standing up and straightening her shirt.
Cinder does the same and the boys start getting dressed again but I can't seem to look away from the naked boy in the door way, it's like a car wreck you don't want to look but you do anyway and then Owen covers my eyes and when he takes his hand away the boy is gone. The others are dressed again so I start taking off the extra shirts I had put on.
"Oh sure now she strips." Scott comments and the others laugh.
When I once again have only the clothes on I came there in I put my bracelet and shoes back on and sit next to Owen once more, he's already struck up a conversation with the boys so Cinder and Sherry start talking to me. They're asking me all kinds of questions about me and Owen, how we met, how long we've been dating etc. As I'm already lying about the fact that Owen and I are even dating I decide to just run with it and say the first thing that pops into my head.
"Oh we just met a couple of weeks ago at the beach and we've been dating ever since. Yes he was playing frisbee and knocked me over and when I said my ankle was hurt he carried me to his car where he had a first aid kit." I smile and then jump as Owen tickles my ribs just slightly and I can feel him silently chuckling at my sides.
"Awww how cute!" Cinder exclaims.
"You two should come to Tommy's party this Saturday," Sherry says to me, "unless you guys have other plans of course."
"Uh not that I'm aware of." I reply.
"Perfect," she smiles and then looks at Tommy, "Hey babe give your address to Owen I invited them to your party on Saturday." Sherry commands and I presume by her pet name for him that they are dating.
We spend the better part of the rest of the party talking with the four of them and leave a little after two when they decide it's time to go home.
"We met at the beach two weeks ago?" Owen questions me once we're in the car.
"What? We don't know them and we already lied to them and Riley and the others whom we actually do know by telling them we're dating in the first place." I point out.
"We never told Riley and the others we were dating they just assumed and we didn't dispute it." Owen counters.
"They assumed because you came and put your arm around me and when you and Declan came up to the deck you called me your girlfriend." I tell him.
"Fine but everyone in that group is leaving for University soon except for Fiona and it's not as though you and Fiona have the same friends plus she was pretty drunk. But should one of your friends find out about us you can just tell them you lost your mind after you broke up with Eli." He says.
"Technically there is no us so I can just tell them the truth." I respond.
"Or that." Owen shrugs. When we reach my house a few minutes later it's dark but there are two cars in the driveway. "You want me to come in with you?" He asks.
"No the house is dark they're probably asleep or at least in the bedroom I'll be sure and lock my bedroom door before I go to bed." I assure him.
"Okay but call me if he tries anything otherwise I'll pick you up tomorrow night at…"
"Nine." I finish for him, he smiles and nods.
I say goodnight and get out of the car, Owen waits until I'm safely inside before driving away. I get ready for bed quickly and go to my room locking my door. I wake up around ten the next morning pull on my robe and sleepily go downstairs to get breakfast. As Mom has failed to go grocery shopping there isn't much so I go for toast and fruit. When I'm nearly finished eating I hear someone coming down the stairs and the steps are too heavy to be my Mothers and I realize Tim is still here.
"She left him alone in the house with me!"
I get up tossing the rest of my food and turn around to be met with the horrifying sight of Tim in nothing but boxers and he's giving me a rather lust filled look. I cinch my robe tighter and glare at him.
"What are you doing here shouldn't you be at work?!" I state in a venomous tone.
"It's my day off I thought I'd hang out here and get to know you a little better now that your mother and I are seeing each other." He smiles carnally and I gag internally.
"Sorry I have plans with my boyfriend all day." I tell him through clenched teeth and walk quickly to the stairs.
"About this boyfriend of yours Clare," he says to me just as I start to ascend the stairs and I stop, "I don't think I like him."
"Of course not because he's standing in your way of raping me you sick pedophile!" I scream in my head before I turn around to face him with daggers in my eyes. "I barely know you so your opinion of my boyfriend doesn't matter to me." I snap at him angrily and run into my room to get dressed locking the door behind me.
The thought crosses my mind to just call Owen but I'm not sure that he's even awake besides I don't want to bother him even if he is and Tim didn't really try anything. Instead I dress quickly grab my purse and leave the house without another word. I begin walking to nowhere in particular as I ponder where to go, if Tim plans to be at my house all day and I'm sure that he does, then I need somewhere I can hang out for the day. Too hot to spend the day outside, the museum would mean the possibility of seeing my mother and I was furiously incensed at her for leaving Tim in the house with me. After running through a short list of options I end up at the mall, not my favorite place but there's enough to keep me occupied for the day and a food court for when I get hungry. At five as I'm in the food court eating dinner my Mom calls.
"What?" I ask into the phone.
"Tim and I are going out baby so I won't be home for dinner." Mom says cheerily.
"You're never home for dinner Mom, why don't you call if you are actually going to be home for dinner from now on." I say angrily.
"Wonderful idea sweetie." Mom says and then hangs up on me before I can ask her what she was thinking leaving Tim in the house with me.
I stare at the phone indignantly, the fact that she hung up on me only makes me angrier at her and if I wasn't in the middle of the mall I'd scream. When I finally calm myself down it dawns on me that if they're going out it means that Tim isn't at my house anymore. I walk home and heave a relieved sigh when the driveway is indeed empty, after a very long hot shower I watch TV until it's time to get ready to go out. As Owen never tells me where we're going I opt for a denim skirt and a green V-neck with sparkles around the neckline whose sole purpose seems to be to draw more attention to my bust. As I'm brushing my hair and applying my makeup I'm still infuriated with my mother and disgusted by Tim, so caught up in my anger that when the doorbell rings it startles me.
"Hey." I greet Owen trying to look happy but he twists his face at me so I don't think it worked.
"What's wrong?" He asks as I lock my front door.
I shake my head. "Nothing." I say forcing a smile on my face and we get in the car. He gives me a doubtful look but starts driving, after a short while of driving he parks as I've been looking out the passenger window the whole time, silently lamenting my mother's recent insanity, I look up to see where we are. "You brought me to a bar?" I question.
"Pool hall not a bar," Owen smiles, "I don't know of any parties tonight at least none not on the east side and I'm not taking you to one of those, they're worse than hanging out at the ravine."
We go in and I look around, it's filled with kids most of whom look of University age. There is a bar area that does seem to serve alcohol but plenty of non-alcoholic options as well as food and coffee. There's a few scattered tables near the bar area and then lots of pool tables. Owen puts his hand at my back and we walk to an empty pool table, he grabs a couple of cues and hands one to me.
"You ever play pool?" Owen asks me as he racks the balls.
"Yeah Peter had a pool table in his apartment and he taught me." I tell him as he takes the first shot but doesn't manage to sink any balls.
"Peter who?" He queries.
"Stone he worked at the Dot remember? He dated my sister before she left for Kenya." I tell him and then take my shot sinking two balls. "Guess that makes me stripes." I smile.
"Peter taught you well." Owen smiles.
"Actually it's all geometry." I reply.
"Right you're all smart and stuff." Owen says and I grimace at him.
I win the first game easily. "How about loser of the next game buys dessert." I challenge.
"How 'bout I just buy you dessert now?" He says.
"Root beer float please." I request with a smile as we walk to a table.
I sit down and he goes to the bar to order returning a few minutes later with a root beer float for me and a sundae for himself. He sits down across from me, there's whipped cream on the top of my float and I scoop some off with my finger and then lick it off like I always do.
"Don't do that again." Owen says and I look up at him and blink.
"Why not?" I question.
"Your innocence is adorable." He smiles. I look at him another minute but he's eating his sundae so I go back to eating my float but I use the spoon this time. "So you want to tell me what was wrong now?" He asks when I finish my float.
"Just that my mom has completely lost her mind and doesn't seem to care what happens to me." I lament.
"What did she do now?" He asks.
"She didn't do anything that was kind of the problem." I say and he squints his eyes at me waiting for me to explain, I look down at my empty cup and start playing with the straw as I continue. "When I woke up this morning Mom had left for work but as I was finishing my breakfast Tim came downstairs in nothing but boxers. My Mom went to work and just left him in the house with me. I asked why he wasn't at work and he said it was his day off and he thought he'd spend it getting to know me better!" Suddenly I notice that Owen has become very tense and I look up at him, his face is red, his features hard, his eyes narrowed.
"Why didn't you call me?" He questions with a clenched jaw.
"I didn't want to bother you besides I went straight to my room, locked the door and got dressed and left; well after he told me that he didn't like my boyfriend." I tell him rolling my eyes as I relay Tim's comment.
"You should have called me I would have come and got you. You could have spent the day at my house." He tells me, his jaw has relaxed but he still looks livid.
"I spent the day at the mall, it was fine. It's not like he touched me he was just very friendly in a double entendre sort of way." I say.
"I don't care; if he's ever in the house with you again or if he so much as looks at you the wrong way even if your mother is there I expect you to call me. I promised to keep you safe this summer that was my end of the deal." Owen insists.
"Your end of the deal was to keep me safe at parties and such this summer not at my own house." I remind him but he just gives me a look that says not to argue with him. "Okay I promise next time I'll call you."
He finally relaxes, "Come on you can beat my ass at pool again." He says pulling me up. We have to go to the back of the room to get an empty pool table. "You rack them and break, I'm gonna get some water." He tells me and walks back to the bar.
I rack the balls and position myself to break and without warning there's a guy behind me, his arms around me and over mine. "Why don't you let me teach you how to shoot sweet thing."
"I don't need your help pervert get away from me." I demand pulling my arm forward to elbow him but before I can do so the guy is pulled off me.
"Don't you fucking touch her!" Owen says in a hard tone, loud enough that the better part of the place is watching us. Owen shoves the guy against the wall and picks up a nearby pool cue and when it looks like he's about to hit the guy with it I drop my pool cue and run over grabbing Owen by the arm.
"STOP! Owen let him go!" He doesn't look at me and doesn't let go of him either. "Owen if you hit him you're going to be arrested for assault let's just go okay?"
Owen stares the guy down for another few seconds and then let's go of him. He grabs my arm but is careful not to hurt me and he walks so quickly out of there that I have to run a bit to keep up with him. We get in the car and he starts driving and I'm not sure to where we're going but he looks so angry I don't want to ask. When he parks at the school I realize we're going to hang out at the ravine again and by now he's calmed down. As we come into sight of the ravine he puts his arm around my shoulders we walk straight to the bonfire and sit in what was once the backseat of a car. Pauly is there in a lawn chair with some girl on his lap and so is Reese on the log with his arm around some other girl. Pauly and Owen start talking and I space out on the fire until I realize Owen is talking to me.
"Huh sorry?" I question.
"You thirsty?" He asks.
I nod and he gets up returning a minute later with two cans of soda Reese and the girl he's with follow Owen back to the fire and I wonder how long I was spaced out as I didn't even notice Reese and the girl had gotten up.
"Vans free if you want some alone time with your girl Owen." Reese offers and I realize where they went off to.
"If I wanted alone time with my girl we wouldn't be here and I have more respect for Clare than to take her into some scuzzy broken down van." Owen informs him and I smile, I mean I know we're not really dating but that just scored him some points.
We hang out at the ravine until about three when everyone is either asleep, high or gone. When we get to my house it's dark but there are two cars in the driveway again and Owen gets out of the car before I can even say anything. I unlock the front door and we go in quietly, he follows me to my room but stops at the doorway.
"Lock your bedroom door and if that ass is here in the morning or tries anything tonight call me, I don't care what time it is or if I'm asleep or not got it?" He asks in a low voice and I nod he turns to go down the stairs but I catch his arm and he looks back at me.
"Why'd you get so mad at that guy at the pool hall? I was about to elbow him." I say not bothering to keep my voice low as I figure both my Mom and Tim are passed out drunk.
"After you told me that Tim was almost naked with you in the house alone I was already angry and then that guy had his arms around you and I kinda lost my temper. Did I scare you?" He questions.
"Only that you were really going to hurt that guy." I tell him.
"Get to sleep; I'll see you tomorrow night." He smiles and turns to walk down the stairs.
I smile and shut my door making sure it's locked before I change for bed.
(OWEN)
When I get home just before five my Mom is already up having her morning coffee, she must have an early meeting but I'm glad she's awake.
"Hi honey how was your night? You have fun with Clare?" She asks me.
"Yep." I nod and then yawn, having a girlfriend even a fake one is exhausting. "Speaking of Clare she might be over here some nights. Remember I told you her parents were going through a divorce?"
"Oh yes it's just awful the poor dear." Mom comments.
"Yeah well her Mom has a new boyfriend and I don't trust the guy. I don't like the way he looks at Clare, he hasn't touched her yet but her mother left her alone with him still at their house this morning and he came downstairs in only boxers and said he wanted to spend the day getting to know Clare better." I tell my Mom and she looks ill.
"That does sound suspicious and her mother just left him in the house? How terrible, well of course Clare is always welcome at our house honey just be safe." Mom says.
I'm about to tell her we're not going to sleep together but then remember that they think Clare is my girlfriend. "We will. I'm going to bed, goodnight Mom."
"Goodnight honey." She says as I kiss her cheek. "Oh you're on your own for dinner tonight your father and I both have dinner meetings and Tris will be at Tori's house. Why don't you take Clare out for a nice dinner?"
"Sure Mom." I nod sleepily as I walk down to my room.
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