Well this is a really late update... Forgive me?

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

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Test

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I could only stare in disbelief at the girl standing before me.

I was going to die? How - what - when? The questions were buzzing through my mind but I just couldn't pinpoint one at a time. Imogen looked at me curiously, her hands held together in front of her dress.

"What do you mean 'I was going to die anyways?'" I finally asked.

"Remember last April? You felt sick and run down, always so cold and tired…" She twirled as she trailed off quietly and I squinted my eyes when the memory flooded through me. It was a week after Eli bit me.

Imogen's polished fingers snapped before I could respond and an image of myself was displayed upon us. It was that day when I was analyzing my bite mark. Wondering who - what - did this to me. I looked so sick now that I realized and had to look away.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," I said, aggravated.

"You had cancer," she bluntly stated and I froze in shock. "That was the day you received it. Your symptoms disappeared after a few weeks and it seemed like you were healthy and living a good life - you weren't. You were supposed to die in September."

I couldn't believe it. After all this time of being distraught over of being a vampire and wishing I could've just died… I was going to get my wish all along. I didn't feel relief from this saddening news. All I felt was more dread.

"Oh my God," I mumbled, but suddenly realized something. "Wait, you said Eli and I were destined to be together. Why did I have cancer if we were going to be together anyways…?"

"That day when you found out that Eli was a vampire - it was a test to the supernatural world," she informed firmly. "Either you were going to go back to him or forget about him and go on with your life. If you would have left, you would be dead from cancer just months later."

"What about Eli?"

"He would've probably became careless with himself and accidentally stay in the sun too long," Imogen shrugged dismissively.

"I don't know what to do anymore," I sputtered out. I wasn't sure about going back home but I sure didn't want to stay here. I felt so lost and upset, I didn't know how to make things right. I was a mess and I couldn't stop the red tears from blurring my vision.

"I know you're not a bad person," Imogen said sincerely, truly meaning the words. I looked up at her with blood stricken cheeks and shook my head. She gave me a smile and touched my arm. "And I know this whole 'charade' you've been using for the past months is to hide what you're really afraid of."

"And what exactly is that?" I asked a little saucily, irritated how she has me all figured out.

"You thought the only way to deal with becoming a vampire is succumbing to your inner monster. Which we both know is not you." She gave me a knowing look and I bowed my head, hiding away from the fact how dead on she was. "You didn't want to kill any of those people, didn't you, Clare?"

I shut my eyes and cried out more tears. Of course she was right. I never wanted to kill anyone. That's not who I am. But I just took it as an easy way to deal, I guess.

"No," I said, opening my eyes. "I didn't. I just thought it would help me get over-"

"Being scared," she interrupted in a voice that stated rather then questioned. I narrowed my eyes in confusion and she only held her chin up. "That's your biggest issue, Clare Edwards. You're scared of being a vampire because that would result in you spending forever with Eli. And what scares you the most about that, is because you want to."

I tried to deny it. I buried it so deep inside that I didn't even know that was my ultimate fear. I loved Eli. He was everything to me and before I found out he was a vampire, I thought of us being together for a long time. Maybe getting married; having kids; grow old together… The possibilities were endless but I didn't feel scared because we had our whole lives ahead of us.

But now… we were going to stay this way forever.

And a subconscious part of me enjoyed the thought. We were young forever and I would always have him. But I was just scared of how this would affect our relationship. What if he got tired of me? I knew Eli loved me but I just never thought of things as… permanent.

"What happens now?" I said quietly.

"I want to show you something." Imogen closed her eyes and images started to pop around her.

My parents. They looked so young and happy… together. Then I saw they were holding a baby. Me. I walked over and Imogen stepped aside as we both saw my timeline unfold. Young versions of my older sister and I were strewn all over, both of us playing in a background and laughing at some joke I couldn't remember.

Then it was the day I first met Alli. We made a secret handshake that had me smiling foolishly. Everything was overlapping through the years… My parents… Darcy… Alli… It was all so fast. Alli and I on our first day of high school. The day Darcy left. The first party I went to. The day I met Eli. All of our time together.

Then finally, an image of Eli and I paused. We were both sitting on his bed and staring at each other and I remember that day very clearly. That was the day I fell in love with him. I thought it was too soon to tell him so I kept it to myself, but it was a very special day for me.

"I love him so much," I admitted, more to myself then Imogen.

"Then you'll need to go back to him," Imogen said gently.

Before I did, I needed to know something. "How come Eli and I are supposed to be together? And why did you say if we weren't together we would screw up the supernatural?"

"I was hoping we would avoid these questions," Imogen huffed but took a seat on the floor, crossing her legs. "Take a seat."'

Despite how uncomfortable I felt, I did anyways.

Imogen looked at me intently. "There's another world within this one. No one knows that vampires are living among the humans. And they don't know that all of us are linked together."

"Eli didn't know either," I mused.

"Yes, we wanted to keep it that way." Imogen raised a dainty finger to her chin. "The master of us named you two as the higher powers of the supernatural world. If you both died before you were turned as a vampire, we'd find others to replace you, but that wasn't the case."

"Who is this 'master' you're talking about?" I was thoroughly interested.

Imogen's eyes downcast before flickering under her lashes and over her glass frames, a sinister gleam suddenly evident to them.

"I can't say who he is exactly but I will say, he's been around for a long time," she replied suspiciously but I ignored it so she could finish the story. "But you two were picked out of random. Every vampire knows about you - yes, they do, they just pretend because you're not allowed to know your fate."

A light bulb suddenly went off. "Declan. That's why he went after me."

Imogen nodded. "He wanted Eli out of the picture so he could rule the supernatural world with you. It's funny because he knew it wasn't possible."

"So Eli and I weren't supposed to know about any of this unless one of us left or tried to kill ourselves?" I described, trying to understand, the idea absurd but this wasn't the first time something crazy has happened.

"Exactly. But I haven't been completely honest with you." She looked away - not necessarily in shame though. "You can leave, if you want to."

"What?"

"It was kind of a test I had to give you, if you were going to stay with Eli or not. But even if you did leave, Eli and you are still the head of the supernatural. It would just be split apart."

My eyes widened in confusion mixed with shock. So I wasn't forced to stay with Eli? I could leave and do whatever I want without being burdened? Did I really want that?

"I would be… by myself? Alone?" I asked timidly.

"If that's what you call it, then yes."

"No, I don't want that," I said slowly, standing up. "I want to go back home. Be with Eli. To see Fiona and Adam. I want to go back to Toronto and clean up the mess I made. I want to be myself again."

Imogen stood up in one elegant movement, smiling in approval at my words. "Are you sure about this, Clare Edwards?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I am sure."

Her smile widened before everything went black and I was sucked in mid air. I waited until my feet felt the ground and I was standing outside in the dark. My shoes were resting beside my feet and I looked around but I was left alone.

Imogen was nowhere to be found.

I scooped up my shoes and took off in a sprint towards Declan's mansion, smiling because I was finally going to make things better for everyone, including myself.

No more pretending.