CLARE'S POV:

Have you ever gotten those moments were you want to do something, but you just don't have the guts to do it, no matter how hard you try? Yeah, that's how I felt pacing back and forth in my room on a Saturday morning, trying to decide whether or not I should go and talk to Jake. I can be very honest and say this is not how I wanted to spent my morning. My legs feel numb from the pacing and I'm pretty sure I've annoyed my mother, who was downstairs directly under my room, half to death. I've gotten used to wearing the cast on my hand everywhere, but that was the least of my worries. Jake and Glen have finally moved in to our house and spent all of Thursday, and Friday night fixing up Darcy's old room, repainting it and moving furniture around.

I wasn't invited to help, due to my "broken hand", but I pretty sure the real reason is because Jake is still peeved about what happened. But can you blame him? I was wrong to play him like that and I know that now. Only problem left is to fix it. After some hardcore thinking and pacing, I decided that the only way I could was to do what everyone else did: just talk to him.

That was the hard part, though. Ever since the move from his house to mine, Jake's made well to stay out of my way and avoid me in any and all possible ways. When we have dinner together, he refuses to look at me. Sometimes, he leaves the table early and goes outside for a "walk", abandoning his plate piled high with food. By the time he comes back, I'm in my bedroom, getting ready to go to sleep. I can tell it's him because of the familiar way his boots sound when he walks against the wooden flooring. The once happy, carefree look he emitted was totally gone, showered by sadness and constantly seeing him like that has been driving me insane with guilt.

I wondered if he would even let me in his room to talk to him. I haven't seen it yet and I'm rather curious as to what it looks like, since Jake forbad me to be near him while he was working on it. Knowing that the time to act was now, I forced myself to walk to the door and step outside, away from the comfort of my rich, lilac-colored room. With quiet, slow steps, I made my way down the hall and stood outside of his room. I craned my neck toward it and pressed my ear against the door. What sounded like a hammer pounding against wood ricocheted off the walls. I swallowed my fear and closing my fist around the doorknob, I slowly opened the door to Jake's new room. My jaw dropped open as an enchanted gasp escaped my throat.

Darcy's old room looked…unrecognizable! Gone were the soft, pastel pink walls that I used to love so much, instead replaced by a royal blue that lined the entire room. The pictures of Darcy and her friends that used to cover the wall were instead traded for posters of Jake's favorite bands and artists. The entire left side of the room was created into a little carpentry studio. An enormous desk sat in the corner, surrounded by little wood models Jake had made. A wood rack that held hammers and nails and other carpentry tools hung above the desk. And sitting there, with shoulders hunched over like a shadow, was Jake. Lying in front of him was a small, broken birdhouse. He didn't seem to notice me enter his room. Either that or he was ignoring me like he had successfully for the past few days.

"Jake?" I asked, my voice nothing but a high squeak. I swallowed and forced it out a second time, stronger. "Jake!"

He looked dazed, as if being pulled from a dream. He swiveled around in his chair and snapped the goggles off his eyes, pulling out the ear buds from his iPod with a thickly gloved hand.

"Clare!" He said, startled. Then, as if remembering he was mad at me, narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

"To talk. To you," I replied boldly. "Can I come in?"

"You're already in, aren't you?" He responded harshly. Jake swiveled around in his chair, turning his back to me, as if already bored with my attempt to talk to him. I padded across the thickly carpeted floor and sat on his bed. It looked rather small for him and was made neatly with white and chocolate brown pillows, along with matching bed sheets. I let out a loud sigh.

"Look Jake, I know you're mad at me," I began. He responded with an acknowledging grunt, which I took as a sign to continue. "But I want you to know I never meant to hurt you."

"Yeah, well if you were dating someone and they kissed their ex, I think you'd be pretty pissed too," He said, turning around in his chair to look at me.

"Jake, this is what I'm talking about. Ever since our parents got married-"

"What do our parents marrying have to do with this?"

"Nothing!" I said, defensively. "I'm just saying that ever since we became brother and sister, it seems that all we've been doing is making each other mad, like now."

"Clare, it seems like the only person who is mad right now is me," Jake sighed and got up, walking towards me. He peeled off the gloves and threw them in his chair. "You don't look remotely upset about cheating on me."

"Maybe because that's what I wanted!" I said. Jake's face contorted with confusion and it looked so funny to me I nearly laughed. "I mean, no, I didn't want to cheat on you, obviously. But maybe, in that moment, I really did want to kiss Eli."

Jake sat down next to me on the bed saying nothing and instead, looking at his feet, twiddling his thumbs together. With a heavy sigh, I continued my speech.

"Look, I don't…I don't think we should be dating anymore!" I said. The words hurt me like a knife stabbing through my chest and for a moment, I thought I might be at risk of crying. I expected Jake to get more upset than he was now, or at least angry at my honesty. But what he said next was something I didn't expect.

"I think you're right," He said simply. And for the first time in days, he finally had the courage to look up at me with those deep brown eyes. "You're right, that all we do is make each other upset. We've done nothing for each other you would consider good or beneficial. I know that at some point before, you and me were great as a couple. And I'll always remember that, but for now, I think we are better off."

I felt numb at his words, like ice had replaced where my heart once beat. I almost lamented saying what I had and felt that at any moment, I would cry out in regret and beg him to take back what he said. But I knew, somewhere deep in my soul, that this was the right thing to do. It wasn't right to go behind our parent's backs and I know that sometimes, you have to let go of what you love. My mom let go of my father and I let go of K.C. It would be no different letting Jake go. I nodded dumbly.

"You have a point," I said, looking at him. "Besides, what we were doing was a sin, wasn't it?"

"Yep, but at least we know now what we did was wrong," He said. Jake got up and offered his hand. I took it and he helped me to my feet.

"Besides, I was so worried about losing a boyfriend, I never thought how cool it would be to have a brother," I said, looking up at him. I could feel a smile grow across my face effortlessly. "And let me just say, you'd make one cool sibling."

Jake smiled back at me and nodded in agreement. He offered his hand, balled up in a fist, "Knuckle touch?"

I laughed and pound my fist against his. With that, I made my way out of his room and Jake returned to his work in the studio. I felt a new sensation of…liberation, like I had nothing to hide from my parents…or Eli. Maybe, this was what I needed all along. A sense of freedom, that for once, I'd done something right. A new burst of confidence flowed over me like water. I knew now, that if I could solve this problem, I could most definitely solve my other problems. I no longer had to hide behind that big "What If?" What if Jake found out this or that? All of that was dissolved from my mind like ash through wind.

Feeling myself walk on air, I waltzed back to my room and shut the door behind me. With a satisfying sigh of complete and utter triumph of my task, I fell back on my bed, the smile still on my face. My eyes caught sight of the new vampire-romance book I'd bought over the summer. Due to my Eli-slash-Jake-slash-family-slash-Alli problems, I hadn't gotten the chance to read it yet. My hand reached over and picked it up, my eyes reading the back. I remember how excited I'd been to read, and thankfully, that excitement was still here, inside me somewhere. I leaned up against my pile of pillows and turned on the lamp. I flipped to the first page of the first chapter and began reading my new book until night fell and dinner–time came upon me.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I woke up the next day from one of the greatest sleeps I've ever had in a long time. I guess solving problems with your boyfriend does that to you. The sunshine slipped through the gaps in my curtains, filling my room with light. Normally, something like this would tick me off, but I couldn't help but appreciate it today. I got up out of my bed and walked to my closet, slipping on my uniform. I wonder if Simpson will ever get rid of these uniforms. I mean, yes it does solve the wardrobe problem, but I liked the old method. It reminds me of how Degrassi used to be….I was friends with Alli and Adam, Jake wasn't in my life, and I was dating Eli.

I sighed, looking at myself in the mirror. Since the last mirror I had broke, I made well to buy myself a new one. It was a lot nicer than my old one. No visible cracks or scratches. Just perfect.

Wow. Perfect.

It's been a long time since I'd considered anything in my life perfect. Maybe this mirror could help me get started on the road to recovery.

The weather outside had gotten noticeable colder; ergo I would need to wear a jacket. I walked back to my closet and fished around for something to wear. I felt my hand brush past a familiar piece of fabric. I grabbed it and pulled it out. In my hand, I held my used-to-favorite denim jacket. I remember I used to wear this everywhere last year. I loved the rhinestones on it, how they twinkled. I loved how it went with everything. It seems like a while since I last wore this. Maybe since I was the boyfriend-free, parent-drama-less, new Clare, I might as well wear it.

I pulled it on over my red polo. I straightened the khaki skirt around my waist. I bent down and pulled on my favorite brown black flats. I straightened up a bit and walked back to my mirror. I looked almost, normal. I didn't look so haggard or messed up. My hair, now grown nearly past my shoulders, curly nicely, shines in the sun. My skin had regained a bit of color, a neat blush coloring my cheeks. My eyes, thankfully, no longer looked like black holes. I walked to the bathroom and rinsed my face a little and brushed my teeth.

"Clare, are you up?" My mother called from downstairs. I dried my mouth and called back.

"Yeah, mom!" I said. "Don't worry, I'll be down soon." I walked back to my room and applied to tiniest bit of makeup. Bending down, I grabbed my bag and walked back out, where I ran into my boyfriend-er, I mean, my brother.

"Hey, Clare," Jake said casually. He smiled. I remember how I used to love his smile. I remember the butterflies I used to get when I was near him. Now, all I can feel is the brotherly love we now have between us. And frankly, I'm okay with it. I smiled back.

"Hey, Jake," I replied back. "So, are you still gonna give me a ride home after school."

"Yeah, like always," Jake said, tucking his blue polo into his khaki pants. "You're okay with that, right?"

"Yeah, definitely. Why change things, right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Jake said, trailing off. I looked at him quizzically. He smiled casually and together, we walked downstairs were we ate breakfast together with mom and my stepdad.

Like a perfect family.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After my mother dropped us off at Degrassi, Jake and I went our separate ways. It felt…strange not having anyone walk me to class. I felt vulnerable, like there was no shell to protect me from danger. I walked to my class, trying to hide myself from staring eyes. This is probably the first in a long time that people have seen we walk to class without Jake's company.

This is probably why I felt people noticed the cast on my hand just now. There was always Jake, who stood in their way. Now they were free to stare at me for uncomfortable amounts of time. I went to my locker and collect my books for the first class, piling them into my green bag. I made careful to try and avoid bumping into anything that would cost me another to trip to the hospital.

I looked around, making my way to my Geometry class. Suddenly, I felt myself bump into somebody. I let out a yelp and looked up, startled. Staring up at me, a tight scowl formed on their face, was Alli.

"Oh, gosh. Alli, I'm so sorry," I said softly. Alli pursed her lips, unimpressed. She crossed her arms across her chest. I sighed. "Alli, please. I really-"

Alli, remaining unimpressed, simply started to walk past me, not hearing a word of what I said. I turned around, desperate. Before she got too far, I reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Alli, please wait," I said, tugging on the sleeve of her sweater. Alli stopped and turned around, pulling away from my grip. But she didn't walk away. I figured now was as good as a time as any to talk to her. "I'm really, oh so sorry for acting like a jerk to you. Please understand. I-I truly am sorry. I just wished that all the years we've been friends, that you would just please give me another chance. I don't think you'd want to end our friendship that way."

Alli paused, narrowing her eyes at me. She glanced briefly at my cast. "Listen, Clare. I'm not the one who put their boyfriend first when it came to a disagreement. You defended someone you weren't even dating, instead of me. You called my kissing Jake promiscuous. I was going through a crisis with Dave and I was upset. But you obviously didn't care. You refused to see my side of the story. I never liked him. I was never trying to steal him from you. I may be mean sometimes, but I would never be like that with you. I didn't want our friendship to go south like it did. But how can I try and be friends with someone who immediately sides with their boyfriend and jumps to conclusions. I'm sorry, Clare."

And with that, Alli walked away, her heels killing angrily against the tiled floors of Degrassi, her nose in the air. Feeling tears of defeat well up in my eyes, I shook my head. I reached up and wiped away the tears with my cast. I know I wasn't supposed to get it wet, but if I used tissues or the collar of my polo, people would know what's up. I swallowed the constriction in my throat and with my head held high, walked to my class.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

By the time I got to English class, the pain of Alli's rejection was nearly gone, thankfully. I needed to concentrate in my favorite class. It was then I remembered Eli was in my class. How am I supposed to concentrate in class knowing the person I care about so much hates me?

I paused at the doorway and peered inside. A diverse mixture of red and blue polos filled the pastel-green classroom. Since Mr. Lockwood wasn't here yet, it gave the students automatic permission to sit on their desks and talk freely amongst themselves. I sighed, trying to calm my nerve and walked inside, attempting to hide my cast in vain.

The students stopped chattering with one another and turned to stare at me, making me feel as weak and as vulnerable as a mouse, cornered by a cat. They stared at my cast quizzically, raising their eyebrows sadistically. I walked over to my usual spot near the front next to Mr. Lockwood's desk and sat down. The students were still quiet. I reached over and fished out the vampire novel I had been reading the other day. Hunching my shoulders over, I buried my nose in the fresh pages of my book and began reading.

But I could still feel them burning holes in the back of my head. I had never wanted Mr. Lockwood to arrive to class as badly as I did now. Soon, the students got bored of their staring and returned to their various conversations. I sighed a quiet sigh of relief, allowing myself to read in peace.

"Everyone, I'm so sorry I'm late," A deeply familiar voice echoed, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. I looked up to find my surprisingly young, English teacher rush to his desk, juggling a coffee cup, several books and three, thick binders in his strong arms. His thick, black glasses perched dangerously on his nose, merely hanging by the tip.

Thankfully, Mr. Lockwood reached his desk seconds before the coffee cup threatened to fall and explode its contents all over the floor. After organizing himself, Mr. Lockwood reached up, running a hand through his dark hair. He chuckled sheepishly," Alright, sorry about that. Now, please get with your partners and answer these five questions...er, after I write them, of course."

Nervously, Mr. Lockwood began to write his assignment on the board, the dry erase marker squeaking obnoxiously. Once finished, Mr. Lockwood sat down and nodded towards us.

"Alright, you may begin," Mr. Lockwood said, taking a sip of coffee. Suddenly, he looked up towards the door and shook his head, pursing his lips in disapproval. "Ah, Mister Goldsworthy, that's detention, you know the rules: arrive on time to class."

Feeling my heartbeat quicken instantly at the sight of him,I put down my pen and looked up him nervously. I know he was still hurt, but the little sliver of hope inside me prayed he'd gotten over it. Eli walked through the door, his thumbs hooked on his black belt. He trudged through the door, the dark curls falling into his sleepy eyes.

"Today, Mister Goldworthy," Mr. Lockwood groaned, tapping his pen impatiently. Peeking out from under his bangs, I saw Eli roll his eyes. I sat up straighter, hoping to get Eli to at least glance at me. But he held his head high, ignoring me cold. With worried eyes, I watched him coldly walk past me, not even bothering to acknowledge me. Eli reached his desk and sat down, staring up at the white board. He pulled out a pen and ducking his head, he began to write down the assignment.

Following Eli's abrupt entrance to class late, everybody returned to the assignment. The sound of squeaking chairs and ruffling papers suddenly filled the environment. Waiting for Eli to finish writing down his paper, I began to play with my pen, trying to think of what to say when Mr. Lockwood cleared his throat.

"Ms. Edwards, must I remind you that its a partner assignment? Get with your partner and get a move one," Mr. Lockwood said, eyeing me with his eyes. With a hopefully secret eye roll, I got up, collected my things, and walked over to Eli, who was still scribbling on his paper.

I sat down next to him just as he'd finished. Without a word, Eli began to scratch down what I presumed to be the first answer to the question. Beginning to feel myself get frustrated with him, I slammed my hands down, loud enough for only him to hear. He looked up annoyed.

"Eli, seriously! You're going to have to talk to me at some point," I said, feeling my voice wither dangerously. Eli scrunched his nose up in distaste. Putting his hand down, he stared at me, exasperated.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Clare," Eli said harshly. "Really, I don't know. You're the one who wanted space after realizing your lies wouldn't hold anymore."

"Lies?"

"Yes, your lies," Eli hissed, narrowing his eyes antagonistically at me. "Did you really think I was that stupid? You lead me on, you mess with me and then you want space? What is your deal? Look, I'm not just some puppet you can play with when you're bored."

"Eli, please listen. I know I was stupid for acting like that with you, but I just want you to know I broke up with Jake. You don't have any reason to be angry with me anymore," I said, putting my hand on his cold one. He paused, looking down at our entwined fingers. I saw what I believed to be a look of remorse. But Eli's face hardened and he pulled away.

"No. I tried to get you to realize that your relationship with Jake was nothing but bullshit. Everyone could see it. But you realized too late. You pushed me away. You got what you wanted. So what I don't understand is why you're suddenly so quick to want my attention? No, it's going to take a lot more than that to make me ever forgive you," Eli said, furrowing his brows angrily. He scoffed and stood up.

I turned around and watched him walk up to Mr. Lockwood. I heard Eli murmur something and Mr. Lockwood scribbled down what I presumed to be a pass. Eli returned and gathering his things, looked at me, his eyes full of hate, anger, betrayal and God only knows what else. His eyes widened and I saw the painful hurt in his eyes. With a final glance at me, Eli left the room and walked towards the nurse's ward down the hall.

Frustrated, I buried my hands in my face. I sighed, feeling myself close to tears. I've lost it. I've lost my best friend and the person I love the most. Someone tapped my shoulder. Wiping my eyes with my cast, I looked up and locked eyes with my English teacher. He blinked, saddened by my appearance.

"Ms. Edwards. I'm afraid class is over, therefore I am sorry to say that you must take this and finish it for homework," Mr. Lockwood said in a low voice. He paused, as if wanting to say more, but thought better of it. He straightened up and walked back to his desk. I stood up and gathered my things.

After struggling through the rest of my day, I felt relief in the fact that I would be going home soon, where I could mourn my emotions in peace. Not even bothering to hold my head anymore, I walked back to my locker and organized myself, grabbing the books I needed for homework. Straightening my jacket, I walked back to the entrance of Degrassi and met Jake in the red truck. I didn't even bother to see if Eli was there, if he'd returned to class after abruptly leaving English class. I didn't want to burden myself with anymore thoughts of Eli.

By the time I got home, I rushed to find something different to worry about in vain. No matter how hard I tried, I struggled to get Eli out of my head. Jake fumbled for his keys and opened the door, letting us both inside. I instantly looked around for Mom and Dad, but couldn't hear them. All but silence was present in the house.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I asked, letting my bag slip to the ground. Jake walked to the kitchen and returned with a pink note-pad in his hand.

" 'Dear Clare and Jake, Dad and I went grocery shopping and we'll be back soon. There is lunch in the fridge if you're hungry. Don't stay up too late. Love, Mom' " He read out loud. Figures, I thought. True, I had reconciled with Mom after "breaking" my hand, but I still didn't quite approve of the leaving Jake and me alone so often. Jake folded the note into his pocket and threw his bag on the floor next to mine. "Well, I'll be in the den, watching TV, if you need me."

And with that, Jake walked away. I grabbed my bag and walked up to my room, closing the door with a slam behind me. I dropped my bag and fell back against my bed, hugging my knees close to my chest. I bowed my head, the cinnamon curls framing the defeat on my face. I was so stupid to thing that Eli would forgive me like that for playing him so cruelly. I know Eli. I know he doesn't forgive so easily. Had I really forgotten who Eli was? I knew I couldn't just go up to him like that and he'll forgive me simply because I ask him too. And I was even stupider to think that he would actually take me back after the mess I had made.

I reached over to my nightstand and pulled on my headphones. I turned on my iPod and scrolled through a list of songs that could fit my emotion. I had just selected a song when a loud knock on my door interrupted my mourning. I pulled out my ear buds and looked up.

"What?" I yelled, not exactly feeling sorry. Someone opened the door and Jake peered into my room.

"Hey, Clare. I think you have a visitor. Or visitors," He said. Jake opened the door wider and in walked in Alli Bandarhi, followed by the bubbly, blond songbird of Degrassi, Jenna Middelton. My eyes widened as I threw my iPod aside and jump up on my bed, towering over them.

"Oh my God, Alli! Jenna! I can't-I don't...what are you doing here?" I asked, feeling a smile cross on my face. I caught sight of Jake, who nodded and closed the door, leaving us alone. I sat down, criss-crossing my legs. Alli walked over to me and smiled. She let her bag drop on the floor.

"Well, I heard how beat up you were over Eli and we figured what type of friends would we be if we didn't come over and comfort you about it," Alli said, straightening her jacket.

"Wait, how did you know?" I asked, hugging my knees, feeling my throat constrict at the mention of Eli.

"Well, my friend Erin is in your English and she told me about what happened. Everyone knows you guys are meant to be," Jenna spoke up, twirling a blond strand of hair around her finger. I nodded and looked back at Alli.

"Look you guys, I know I haven't been the...nicest of friends. But I just hoped you-and Jenna- would give me a chance," I said quietly.

"Oh Clare, forget it. You're apology at school was enough. I understand your reaction and I hoped you would understand mine too. I never liked Jake that way. I'm with Dave now. Everything's good and your my best friend. I don't want that to ever end," Alli said. She walked over to me and arms open, embraced me. After separating, I looked over at Jenna.

"Jenna, I'm-"

"Clare, I know I've been a bitch to you these past two years. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am," Jenna said. I nodded and she embraced me. Alli clapped her hands excitedly.

"Alright, now Clare...you must tell us about what's happened with Eli that made him leave class," Alli said, staring at me mischievously. I smiled.

"I'll get the popcorn," I said, hopping off my bed and rushing out the door with Alli and Jenna on my heels. We bumped into Jake on the way down. His black backpack was slung over his shoulder as he made his way down to his room.

"Ladies...," He said, nodding gently at us. Had we not been step-siblings, that simple gesture would have made me blush. But thankfully, I could no longer feel anything for my brother. We reached downstairs and I put some corn for popping. Jenna and Alli made themselves at home, sitting down at our table. I set down the bowl on the table. Alli instantly reached out and picked at it with her perfectly manicured fingers.

"So, what exactly happened with Eli?"

"Yeah, Clare tell us," Jenna encouraged, playing with her famous star earrings. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Oh gosh, where to begin?" I mumbled, feeding myself popcorn. "Well, it all started on the first day of school.."

I began to tell Alli and Jenna about my amazing connection with Eli on the first day of school when I encountered him sitting alone, the partnership by Mr. Lockwood that forced us to become closer, the bowling "date" that caused me to become grounded for staying out late, the hide-and-seek trip to the library, the photo that brought forth bubbling questions about my feelings and finally, the kiss that sparked our ultimate re-connection. I didn't mention how I got the ugly cast on my hand and they, thankfully, didn't ask.

"Wait. Clare, question," Jenna said, lifting a finger to graciously interrupt me. "And please don't take this the wrong way, but is Eli a good kisser? I heard Imogen bragging about it last year when she kissed him for the play and I couldn't help but get curious."

I blinked and felt my cheeks heat up. But the memory of those infinite sparks flying caused a grin to stretch across my face. I nodded.

"Yeah, it was a really good kiss. I mean, he is a good kisser," I admitted, more to myself than to them. Jenna nodded understandingly.

"Well, what happened after that?" Alli asked, fixing her sleek, black hair. I sighed and then explained the unbelievably, disastrous confrontation with Eli and the discovery of Jake eavesdropping. After I finished my story, Alli and Jenna let out a rather shocked sigh.

"Oh God, Clare," Alli said, sounding heart-felt for me. "God, if that happened with me and Dave, I don't know what I would do."

"Do you even know what you're going to do to fix this?" Jenna asked, eyeing me as she dug in the popcorn bowl. "I mean, if you're going to fix this..."

"I don't know. I tried talking to him and everything," I said, remembering my embarrassingly feeble attempt to apologize. Alli tapped a finger to her chin, deep in thought.

"I have an idea," She said suddenly, her face lighting up. Jenna rested her head on her face.

"Spit it out, Bandarhi," Jenna urged. Alli smiled and lowered her head secretively. She gazed at us mischievously.

"Well, it's been a long time since I last threw a party at my house. And what better way to reunite two people than to host a throw-down?" Alli said, tapping her long nails against my glass table. Jenna nodded in agreement. "So, the idea is to invite you, Clare-obviously-and your handsome man, Mr. Eli Goldsworthy. Eli might be the only senior invited, and since you're the only person he knows next to Adam, he'll have to talk to you. You talk in private, convince him of how stupid you were to push him away. He accepts and-voila-your back together!"

Alli smiled victoriously. Jenna clapped for her idea and Alli accepted graciously.

"But Alli, so you really think it's that simple?" I asked, wondering if Eli might even come to the "party". I knew for sure, he wouldn't if he knew I was there. Alli wrapped her arm around mine and Jenna's necks, hugging us close to her.

"Come on, Clare. Have faith. Everyone knows that Eli really loves you. If he does, he won't risk loosing you, especially at a party," Alli said, smiling positively. I sighed and nodded in agreement.

"If you say so...then I guess the party's a go!" I cheered. Alli and Jenna looked at each other and smiled at the sudden spark of encouragement that lit up inside me. Alli stood up and pulled out a notepad from her bag. She clicked her pen and began to scribble down party ideas with Jenna and me. I sighed, forcing a smile. Silently, I prayed for strength.

Let's hope that destiny would show me enough mercy to bring Eli back to me.