Oh my gosh! So sorry for the late update! This week I have been really busy and I haven't been able to get a lot of time on my laptop. But guess what? I'm sixteen now yay! :) My birthday was Wednesday. :) But that isn't an excuse for a late update. The next update will be on Sunday or Monday, no later I promise!
We scrambled to pick up the boxes from the floor and I shoved them back into my jacket right as my parents walked into the kitchen.
"Clare! How are you honey?" My mother's face lit up when she saw my girlfriend.
"I'm good. How was your trip?" She replied politely.
"Oh it was wonderful! But I sure am glad to see you here again! What brings you around these parts again?" Cece asked hopefully.
"Clare and I are back together." I answered proudly, and put my arm around my blushing beauty.
"Oh baby boy!" My mother squealed happily and hugged both Clare and I. She stepped away and turned to Clare. "Sweetie, you are staying for dinner tonight. You have to fill us in on how you've been doing. After all we haven't seen you in almost a whole year." She glared at me.
"Glad to see you again Clarabelle." Bullfrog said and put a hand on her shoulder. "Eli's been such a mess without you." He stage-whispered to Clare.
"I wasn't that bad." I said. Cece turned around from the stove where she was starting to cook spaghetti to give me a look. "Okay, maybe I was that bad." I held my hands up in defeat. Clare giggled.
"Well I'm here now." She smiled.
"So Clare, how are your parents doing? Last I heard they were getting a divorce correct?" Cece asked a bit intrudingly as we all settled at the table.
"Mom." I glared at her.
"Sorry sweetheart," She said to Clare. "This one," She tilted her head towards me. "doesn't share very well and I don't mean to pry I just want to know what's going on with you. I've always kind of thought of you as part of the family."
"Oh no. It's fine. That was awhile ago. My dad has his own apartment and he's living with his girlfriend Irene. My mom's already remarried." I could tell she was trying not to sound bitter.
"Oh wow." My mother exclaimed. "That's a bit soon isn't it?"
"I completely agree, Cece." Clare said taking a bite of her pasta.
"So who's this Jake boy you dated a while ago?" Cece was completely oblivious to Clare turning bright red. "I'm on the Facerange now and I was checking up on you. I kind of missed having another girl around."
"Oh, um I met him because he was my mom's friend's son. But then my mother married that friend of hers." It was a little funny to see Cece almost choke on her spaghetti.
"Oh!" She interjected.
Later that night, I was laying in my bed just smiling like an idiot. Clare was so cute when she was telling my parents about her summer and writing for the school newspaper. I loved watching the way her curls bounce when she laughs. Or how she turned bright red every time one of my parents would crack a sex joke. While I was just on the brink of sleep, my phone started buzzing.
I saw that it was Clare. "Hello?" I answered, trying not to sound groggy.
"Eli," I heard she was crying and sat straight up.
"Clare what is it? Are you alright? What's wrong?" I questioned, while trying to slow my breathing to stop the oncoming panic attack.
"Would you mind if I came over? For the night?"
"Of course. But what's happened?" I tried to ask calmly.
"I'll be there soon. I'll tell you then. I just need to sneak out first." She said slowly.
"I'll meet you halfway alright? Near our special bench." (1) I responded, already throwing my shirt back on and slipping on my shoes.
"Okay." She said meekly and hung up. I practically ran to my parent's room where they were watching a movie.
"Clare's having trouble at home tonight and she needs to stay here is that alright?" I asked hurriedly.
"Of course she can Eli. We're here if you guys need anything." Cece said.
"Especially sexual protection." My dad winked and chuckled.
"Bullfrog!" My mother scolded him. "Well, actually he's right. As much as I'd love to see little Eli's and little Clare's, I'm just too dang young to be a grandma."
"I know mom. I've already got that covered. But I told Clare I'd meet her so she doesn't have to walk all the way here alone."
I closed the door as Cece happily squealed "You mean, you two are active? Oh I'm so happy for you two!"
I sprinted to our bench to wait for Clare. After a few minutes, I saw a figure walking down the sidewalk, making a beeline to me. I hopped up and ran to the figure and when she saw me, she started running as well. "Clare!" I exclaimed as I caught her in an air-tight hug. "What's wrong?" I demanded, taking her face in my hands.
"I just- Jake found, he knows Eli!" She exclaimed.
"Calm down. I'm here. Let's just sit down." I put my arm around her and guided her to our bench. She seemed so fragile in my arms. She was crying again. "Take your time to calm down. I love you so much. I hate to see you so upset like this." I whispered into her ear and gentlely lifted her onto my lap so I could hold her like a small child.
"Can we just go home Eli?" She asked, and I couldn't help but love the fact that she called my house "home." "I promise to tell you. I just need to calm down."
"Of course sweetheart." I said to her. It was the first time I ever called her one of those mushy couple nicknames and I loved saying every syllable. We walked home hand in hand.
"So, what's up?" I asked once we were in my room.
"Today, after I got home, Jake and I were working on a Civics (2) project in my room, because the teacher assigned us as partners, and he asked to borrow a pencil and I said I didn't mind." She started tearing up again. "He picked up my bag and he-he," She started to sob and I put my arms around her.
"What is it honey?" I layed my head on her shoulder. "What did Jake do?"
"He found th-the tests from earlier and he-he blew up at me." She turned and enveloped me in a full hug. "He said that I should have told him and he flipped out because that one test was positive." Her body convulsed against me with her heavy sobs. "I begged him not to but he called the clinic and arranged an appointment for me Friday."
"Clare I know you may not want to hear this, but maybe it is a good thing that he arranged that appointment. That way you can be a hundred percent sure." I started to rub her back soothingly. "You won't have to worry at all anymore."
"But Eli, I just wanted to accept those two negative tests and forget I even took the other one. What if those two tests were wrong? I can't be pregnant. Not now. I have a year and a half of high school left not to mention college." I wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Clare." I looked in her eyes. "There is a higher chance that the one test was wrong rather than the two. And if not, as long as you still want me, I will be with you every step of the way holding your hand whenever you need. Hotel Eli will always be open to you. And I will be there for you the entire time."
"Thank you Eli. I love you."
"I love you too. Now it's late and we have school tomorrow. Let's get you to bed." I pushed her slowly onto her back and began to tuck her in.
"I'm not four. You need some sleep too mister." She used my shirt to pulled me so I was laying next to her.
"Fine." I sighed and took off my shirt.
"Eli, how do you expect me to sleep with you shirtless?" Clare laughed.
"I know I have a beautiful body, but you are very tired. I can tell from your eyes. There will always be another time for you to view moi. But for now, we're just gonna cuddle." I snuggled in next to her.
I could get used to this.
"I don't want to be here, Eli. Not with him." She whispered over the phone.
"Just say the word and I'm there."
"Oh, I hate to ask. I mean you're not busy are you?"
"I will never be too busy for you, Blue Eyes." (3) I said seriously. "Besides, I'd love an excuse not to do Chem. homework."
"Thanks Eli. I appreciate this so much. I don't know how I'll ever be able to make all this up to you."
"Oh I could think of quite a few ways." I purred into the phone, earning a "wtf" look from Bullfrog who was sitting on the other end of the couch.
"Eli!" She laughed. "You don't want end up here again with me anytime soon do you?"
"You saw the condoms didn't you?" I tried to say quietly.
"Atta boy." Bullfrog mumbled.
"Yes I did." She sighed in defeat. "Jake just checked me in. How fast can you be here?"
"I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Thank you so much. I love you."
"I love you too sweet pea." I hung up.
"You've definately inherited the Goldsworthy charm!" My dad laughed as I rolled my eyes and hurried out the door.
"Eli!" Clare exclaimed happily and grabbed my arm and walked me over to where her and Jake were sitting.
"What's he doing here?" Jake sneered.
"I am this sweet girl's boyfriend and I think I deserve to know the result of these tests just as much as you do."
"Really Clare? This guy again? I thought I showed you a real man two weeks ago." He chortled.
"Shut up Jake. You're just jealous." I said in a mock-girl voice and slapped him weakly on the knee from my chair.
"Look dude you want to get physical with me? I'll fuck you sideways anyplace, anytime. I would love to get my hands on you. Just give me the chance, emo boy." Jake said menacingly.
"Sorry bro, as much as I love my eyeliner, I prefer the girls." I turned and flashed Clare a flirty smile.
"You two better shut up." Clare started in a hushed tone.
"Clare Edwards?" The nurse called and Clare stood up and faced Jake and I.
"Play nice." She demanded.
"Yes ma'am." I smirked at her as she walked up to meet the nurse.
"Since when are you two together again?" Jake asked with distaste.
"Sunday night. We were reunited at my party. You didn't really think she spent the night at Alli's did you?" I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.
"Clare would never do anything like that." Jake spat.
"She said she wished I was her first. How could I not show her what she was missing with you?" I said cockily.
"Wow. I guess Saint Clare is more of a whore than I thought. I'm so happy she lives with me. Free action in the next room. I won't have to settle for lose Jenna anymore."
"As much as I'd love to punch you right now, Clare told me to play nice with you. But you sure as hell better get some things straight. First of all, my girlfriend is not a whore and if I hear you call her that ever again, you will end up in the hospital to get my foot surgically removed from your ass. Second, Clare made a colossal mistake giving you what she did and she's in the process of undoing that mistake by fixing things with me, the person she was meant to be with in the first place. And last but not least, if I ever hear about you so much as looking at Clare in a way that I don't like, you will go missing." I let go of the front of his plaid shirt. "Got all of that?" He nodded gingerly.
"Hey guys." Clare said brightly. "All done in there. Now we just have to wait." She curled up in the chair that was positioned in between Jake and I. I held her hand and she leaned to put her head on my shoulder. "Oh my God, Eli. It was so awkward in there."
"It wasn't much different out here between me and the lumberjack." I murmured into her hair.
She snorted. "He's a carpenter and you know it."
"Who cares?" I rolled my eyes.
"Clare?" The nurse called again. "Can you and your, uh, family members come back here?" She eyed Jake and I.
"Do I have to take my clothes off again?" Clare grumbled as we were all led down a small, stuffy hallway.
"No." The nurse laughed. "I just have all of your test results ready."
"Okay." Clare said, taking a big breath as we all were crammed into the small examine room.
"Well you are not pregnant, Clare. Though I can't imagine why one of the test were positive. Can you remember what brand it was?"
"First response." I answered immediately.
The nurse did some typing on her computer. "Aha!" She interjected after a minute. "That brand has had some recalls in the Toronto area recently. Apparently all the wiring was done backwards in them." She flashed us all a smile. "If it was wired correctly it would've said not pregnant." We all let out a sigh of relief.
"Let's get out of here." Clare said once we were out in front of the building.
"Anything for milady." I said in an English accent and she laughed as I pulled her by her hand and we gaily headed into no specific direction.
Again sorry about the late update.
(1) In my Degrassi universe, this bench is roughly halfway between Eli and Clare's houses.
(2) This was the first school subject other than P.E. that popped into my head. To be honest, I don't even know what Civics is.
(3) I don't remember Eli calling her Blue Eyes in the actual tv show but I do like that nickname so it is included in my story because I'm the author and I DO WHAT I WANT! Unless my mother tells me not to...
Feel free to bug me about updating if I'm late again alright? After sixteen years with my mom, I actually respond to nagging. :)