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Trespasser

Chapter Nine: Jump

ELI

My legs dangled over the building as I swung them back and forth happily, humming a tune to my favorite song while biting into my turkey sandwich. Hmm, I just love turkey; it's my favorite kind too…fresh from that deli a few blocks away from school.

My peaceful, music-filled trance was broken when I heard over my blasting music, "ELI, WAIT! DON'T JUMP! STOP!"

I knew that voice from anywhere.

"Clare?"

"Eli!" Tears were staining her cheeks as I ripped out my earplugs before asking, "What are you doing up here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Eli…please just move away from the ledge. I know that you might be going through a rough time right now, and-," I cut her off, "Wait, you think I'm going to jump?"

She looked at me, flashing me a weird, twisted expression as I chuckled, "I wasn't going to commit suicide, Clare; I needed air and this place up here has lots of wind. Plus, it's lunch time already, misewell eat my sandwich. Here, do you want a bite?"

I extended my arm out to her, moving the sandwich near her face, "Come on…it's turkey."

"Eli, I came up here thinking you were going to…you were going to…" I saw the sad look in her eyes, tears slipping through her clenched eyelids. I placed my sandwich down while asking, "Would me backing off the edge make you feel better and stop crying? My stomach can't handle the tears right now."

She sniffled, nodding as I got up, moving closer to her, "See? I'm fine, Clare; don't worry."

"We need to talk, Eli…," she whispered, glancing up at me as I asked cluelessly, "What about? Did Fitz bother you?"

"No, Eli, we have to talk about you."

"What about me?" I asked, gripping my book bag and slinging it over my shoulder. Her lips released an exaggerated sigh, "I want to know about you, Eli; I've known you for…well, not a long time but enough to know a little about you. All that I know is your name is Eli Goldsworthy, you wear a mask, and you live in a dark mansion. That's all I know…"

"It's better off you don't know," I simply stated, before she spat, "You know, I'm trying to be friends with you…I'm trying-."

I cut her off, "Well, stop trying and give up. I never said I wanted to be friends; I just told you that you have a place to stay when you need to, nothing more."

"Are you serious?"

I turned to her, before heading towards the roof doors, "As serious as a heart attack."

"There's something between us Eli and you know it," she insisted and I smiled, shaking my head, "You know nothing, Clare; and, even if you do deserve to, you won't ever understand me. I am who am for reasons I'll never tell you."

"I stood up for you to Marisol, I covered for your ass to Ms. Dawes saying you were sick," her cheeks were turning red and puffy as I said, "Those were all things you didn't have to do."

"Why are you being so stubborn?" she asked, embracing herself as I scoffed, "I'm not being stubborn; I'm separating your dream friendship with me from reality. Pull your head out of the clouds Clare, and then maybe you'll see the real me."

Clare stood there, dumfounded.

And that's the way I liked it.


CLARE

All I did was scare him off. Ironic. I go up there to help and all I did was make things worse. I guess I'm a jinx or something. I stood there on the roof, not sure how to feel or what to do. I tried to numb the feeling, but it just remained with me, making me feel alone and cold. I loathe that feeling…almost as much as I loathe Eli's mixed signals and my home life.

I was about to leave when I noticed a piece of paper on the ledge where Eli was sitting before I came up here. My curiosity getting the best of me, I picked it up and unfolded it. The paper definitely belonged to Eli; I recognized his handwriting from the three notes he had left for me. What was on this paper, however, puzzled me. It read:

Clara

-blue eyes, pale skin, pink lips

-vampire (?)

-tries to get Malcolm to open up to her

-has essence of light around her except when it rains

-arrives in Volume 4 or 5

I did not know what to think…but I was amazed and my interest in Eli increased…or should I say Ari Gold? Or Scarred Face?

It all added up. Volume 4 or 5? Those were coming up next in the Stalker Angel series. And Malcolm? That was the name of the main character! It all fit together too well to be considered a coincidence!

Plus, this character – named Clara – had my eye color, my skin, and my lips and just so happens to be trying to get this mysterious guy to open up to her. It made sense…it was the only logical explanation.

"Miss Edwards?" a stern voice called out behind me.

I stopped gazing at the paper and twirled around to see Principal Simpson behind me.

"You aren't supposed to be up here," he scolded.

"Sorry, sir. I was just…um…"

"I'll let you off with a warning this time around since you usually follow the rules, but don't let me catch you up here again."

"Okay," I promised, before exiting the rooftop with him right behind me.

"Remember, next time there will be consequences," he warned me.

"There won't be a next time, sir," I said, folding up the paper and putting it in my pocket.

"Good," he said. "Now get back to class."

I obeyed and began walking towards my appropriate classroom, wondering if I was right and the masked boy was one the people I admire so much…


ELI'S POV

Morty was my only place of sanctuary now that Clare discovered my hideout on the roof. I was now sitting in my beloved hearse and this is where I was for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to be able to sit back like I planned. I was panicking…seriously panicking. I was going to try to plan the rest of the latest volume of Stalker Angel, but when I went looking for my notes on Clara, I could not find them anywhere. I searched through my books, folders, bag, everything!

It was gone!

I didn't know where it could be.

What if I lost it?

Or worse, what if someone found it? What if they figured out that I was the writer known as Scarred Face? It was a long shot that it could happen, considering I actually only met one of my fans, but it was still a possibility.

I kept searching for the remaining hours of the school day to no avail. I needed air and I needed it desperately. I climbed out of the hearse and tried to breathe; it would've been easier to inhale the oxygen if it wasn't for the mask, but it wasn't worth the risk.

I inhaled and exhaled, trying to clear my head...


CLARE'S POV

"Where were you last night, young lady?" my mother demanded the second Fitz and I stepped into the house. I do not remember how Fitz convinced me to get me to come back to this place with him; all I can recall is him threatening to beat up Eli and break into his house, so I had no choice to surrender and the first thing to greet me was my mother's yells. There was no "Clare, I'm glad you're alright" or "I was so worried"; it was yelling right off the bat.

"She was at her rapist's house," Fitz said before I could get a word out.

"He's not a rapist!" I stated. Nick, Helen, and Fitz stood there and ignored me…surprise, surprise.

"That's it! I'm calling the police!" Nick declared.

"No!" I shrieked. Eli and I may be on bad terms right now because of what happened on the roof, but I didn't want him to go to jail because of me.

"He told me you weren't there last night and you clearly were!" Mom shouted.

"I didn't go to his house until after midnight," I lied, hoping it would sound believable and help Eli's situation. "I was in the street for a few hours, but then I went to Eli's and he let me stay."

Everyone looked shocked and disgusted; they stared at me like I was some kind of slut.

"How could you even consider going there after what he did to you?"

"You mean save me?" I snapped, wanting them to believe my story…to believe the truth.

"Clare –."

"He did! And if you don't believe me then…I'm not staying in this house anymore!"

I then shoved passed the adults, stormed to my room, and locked the door. I meant what I said; I refused to stay with a group of people who could care less about me. I went to my closet and pulled out my suitcase, determined to pack all I could into it. I packed clothes, my wallet and money, copies of Stalker Angel, and a few other important items I wanted to keep with me (like the necklace my sister made me before she left).

I didn't know where to go, what to do, or who would help me if I were to need it, but I refused to be in this house for one more second.

I moved to my balcony, my suitcase in one hand and my school bag over my shoulder. I dropped both of them to the ground first before climbing out of the house and praying that I would not hurt myself, and hopped down and landed on my feet. I stumbled and the impact hurt my ankles a little, but that was the worst of it.

Not wanting them to come after me, I grabbed my bags and ran…I ran and I did not look back.

END OF CHAPTER 9


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Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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