I Can't Stay Away Chapter Ten

Sorry for the wait. I've been busy. But, here is chapter 10. Not sure when chapter 11 will be up. I'm kind of getting writers block. Help? PM me if you would like to help me.

I used a scene from the Vampire Diaries in this, and if you know which scene then PM me and if you get it right, I'll give you a shout out! And possibly a sneak peak of the next chapter? ;)

Clare's POV

Walking into the gym, I sure didn't expect to see that many people. Normally, people would jump at the chance to skip prom. I mean, that's what I did last year. Dances aren't really my thing, especially not prom. But, now I have a reason to go, whether it was to go with Imogen or to go with Eli. Either way, I think I would have been here anyways.

Imogen and I walked to the punch table with our arms linked, waiting for our dates.

I looked around, realizing how people must have put a lot of effort into this. There were streamers hanging from every corner, the lights were blaring, the music is blasting, people are dancing; it seemed like a normal prom. This kind of disappointed me. I guess I was hoping for something to go wrong, for some messed up shit to go down. But, a girl can only dream.

"So," Imogen began, breaking me from my thoughts. "How do you expect the night to end? Disaster or happily ever after?"

"Hmm," I hummed before bringing a cup of punch up to my lips, taking a sip. "I'm kind of hoping for disaster. I kind of want to see Chantey get a glass of punch spilled on her."

Imogen giggled, "Or we could get a double and have a waiter slip, spilling meat all down the front of Jenna's dress."

I laughed, "Oh, what I'd pay to see that."

Imogen and I went on and on about what would make us love Prom even more; we were never really the type to be into Prom. I guess we'd rather sit at home and have a horror movie marathon and stuff our faces with junk food than go to Prom. Prom was just an easier way to make someone feel bad about themselves. There are always different groups; the ones who think their queens – Jenna, Marisol, Chantey and Holly J. Then there are the Jocks who think they can get laid whenever they want – KC and Owen. I would include Drew, but he is Adam's brother and he is actually a pretty decent guy. Then you have the people who came, but are planning on ditching the Prom to go and get a hotel room to trash. I couldn't really name anybody, since I normally stick to my own group. I'm more of a wallflower; I like to blend in with the background. Unlike Imogen who always stood out. It was always a wonder how we ever became friends.

"Hey," Imogen said, slapping my arm. "Check it out."

She then pointed across the gym, and when my eyes had followed her finger, I wished I hadn't. It was Chase with a whole bunch of his buddies. I grimaced as I watched him laugh with them, knowing they were probably talking about the one night stand they plan on doing. I shook my head and turned back to Imogen. She pressed her lips to a line before smiling at me with mischief.

Suddenly I felt an arm being wrapped around my neck, forcing me into s headlock. I squealed and tried getting free before I realized who it was. I turned my head to look up and saw Adam smirking down at me as I gave him a glare. I blew my hair out of my face before gripping his arms in my hands and trying to free myself. Imogen was laughing as she pulled out her phone to take pictures. Adam smiled a triumphal smile and I stuck out my tongue, knowing there was no way I could get out of this before she took the picture.

When I heard the click, signalling the photo had been taken, I swiftly got out of Adam's grip before twisting it behind his back. Imogen stared wide eyed with a grin as Adam tried to figure out how I just did that.

"The next time you decide to put me in a headlock, make sure there are no pretty girls around to distract you." I winked towards Imogen and she giggled.

I finally let Adam go as he laughed at my comment, moving towards Imogen and wrapping his arms around her waist. I smiled as I watched them share a kiss; they were so in love it was unbelievable. It was then that I realized Eli was nowhere to be found. He said he would be coming with Adam, so where is he?

"Hey, where's Eli?" I asked Adam. He looked up and looked around the gym, looking just as confused as I was in the fact that we couldn't find him. He suddenly stopped and pointed behind me, and as I turned around, I swear the whole world had disappeared.

I looked him up and down, breathing, "Wow…" as I took in his outfit. It wasn't the usual prom wear, but he sure did put some effort into looking a bit classier than he usually is, but not by much. He had his normal black skinny jeans and a pair of convers covering his feet, with a white V-neck t-shirt – and it surprised me how well white suited him – with a dark grey button up vest overtop, finished off with a black scarf around his neck. I knew he wouldn't dress up for prom; it wasn't his thing, and I didn't mind. I mean, it would be quite a sight to see him in a tux, but looking at him right now with his hair pushed back slightly made me realize he could be covered in mud and still look amazing to me.

"Shouldn't I be the one to be stunned?" He teased, and I frowned realizing that he wasn't looking at me the way I was to him. I'm not saying that he should complement me about how I look, but it would be nice to hear it. His face suddenly fell as he realized the look on my face and he quickly stepped in front of me. "No, that's not- shit, look at me, five minutes and I'm already screwing everything up." His eyes looked me up and down and he took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out as he breathed, "You look beautiful, Clare."

"Nice save, machismo." Adam said and I watched as Eli turned and shot him a glare. I looked over at Adam who had his arm around Imogen's shoulders and I giggled at his comment.

I turned back to look at Eli as he glared at Adam. I grabbed his hand and pulled him out to the dance floor, although I could feel him pulling back. When I turned to look at him I could see the hesitation in his eyes, and I muttered the word, "Please?" in which he finally cracked and let me lead him though the dancing bodies.

The song was upbeat and when I turned to face Eli, I noticed him chewing on his bottom lip; a sign that he was nervous. He was watching everybody dance around him as he stood there, unsure of what to do. I grabbed his hands and he look at me oddly when I tried to get him to move to the beat. I started doing a move, causing him to let out a heartfelt laugh, watching me as I made a fool out of myself. He shook his head when I encouraged him to start moving to the beat, so I started circling him as I danced.

"Okay, I'm going to need a little more foot movement." I said into his ear, moving to the beat.

"Yeah, I'm not really interested in making a fool out of myself." He answered and I shot him a look as I made my way around him again. I kept dancing and I knew he had an amused smirk on his lips as he watched me.

"Come on, you're not that bad." I teased, winking at him.

He chuckled. "Do me a favor; tell me if you see Adam with his camera phone."

I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my lips. A very fast upbeat part of the song came on and I gripped Eli's shoulders, turning him around to face me, and I giggled at the shocked expression taking over his beautiful features. I turned around myself and grinded against him to the beat. Eli's arms wrapped around me and grabbed one of my hands before he spun me to face him, his other hand on my lower back as he pressed me to him. His lips captured mine in a kiss that left me breathless before he smirked and spun me away from him before pulling me back in so our noses were brushing.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance." I breathed as I noticed his smirk.

"I didn't say I couldn't dance, I just didn't want to." He said, and I gave him a playful glare as he chuckled.

The song ended and soon a slow song began to play, and when Eli's arms wrapped around my waist I was surprised, though I didn't object. I wrapped my arms around his neck as we slowly began to sway to the music. I stared into his eyes feeling as if suddenly everything was slowing down. All of the dancing bodies around us felt as if they were too far away to actually take up any of my attention. All I wanted to focus on was Eli and the way he was looking at me.

"Thank you," I said, earning a confused smile from Eli, "for the complement… and for coming to this thing with me. You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't have to, Clare, but I wanted to." He said softly.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Really? And why is that?"

His eyes shifted down to our feet, watching them carefully as if they had become the most interesting things in the world. He whispered, "Because it means a lot to you."

I tried to keep a straight face, but I couldn't help the giggles that escaped my lips as I began to laugh softly. His eyes shot up and he looked at me with a look of horror, thinking that I was making fun of him. I grabbed his face in my hands and calmed down, saying, "That's sweet, Eli, it is, but honestly… I could care less about Prom. I mean, it was more the thought of getting to spend a night of dancing and laughing with you that had gotten me all worked up about it in the first place. I just… wanted to be with you."

"Well if you just wanted to spend time with me, why did you think it had to be here?" he asked, and the tone in his voice sounded a bit cold. By now we had stopped dancing and my hands slid off of his face.

I blinked, "Because, Eli. It's not like we can go to each other's house. The only way that can happen is if your mom is gone, and I'm tired of being rushed out of your window when she does come back. I just thought that this could be a night where we weren't rushed."

"If you're so tired with sneaking around then why are you still with me?" He asked and there was no hiding the harsh tone in his voice.

I looked at him, appalled. "What is your problem, Eli?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting it out as he opened them. "Nothing," he breathed, "I just… I need some air."

He walked past me, bumping my shoulder with his. I stood there in the middle of all of the happy dancing couples, feeling as if my heart had been ripped out as I watched all of their happy smiles as they danced with the ones they loved. I felt my lip quiver but I quickly blinked back the tears before making my way off the dance floor. I found a wall and pressed my back against it before sliding down to the floor. I didn't even care that my dress might get dirty.

I knew he needed to cool off and that if I followed him it would only make things worse. What was wrong with him? Did I say something that upset him? I told him how I wanted to be with him and he freaks out and starts talking about why I didn't leave him? What the fuck?

I glanced up when I felt someone's eyes on me and my gaze locked with Chase's. His face was serious as he took a sip from the cup in his hand, his eyes never leaving mine. He threw out his cup before telling his friends something and heading out of the gym. I sighed in relief, glad he wasn't in sight anymore.

Adam and Imogen appeared on either side of me, both of them with big smiles on their faces. At least they were having a good time.

"Why so glum, chum?" Adam asked, poking me in the cheek.

I sighed, "Eli flipped at me and I don't know why. He started freaking about why I'm still with him or something." I groaned and slammed my head against the wall behind me.

I was so confused! Why would he say something like that? Things were great, so why would he bring that up? Did he think that we wouldn't last and that sooner or later we would break up? Did he just think that we were a fling? Did he not want to be in a long lasting relationship? Or am I the problem?

"Clare, I think this is just new for him." Adam spoke up. "I mean, I don't know him all that well, but when we do hang out I can see just how much he likes you. We don't necessarily talk about you, but when you text him or call him his whole face lights up. It gets sickening after a while, but I figured eh, I probably look like that when Imogen text's me." Adam winked towards Imogen and she giggled.

I contemplated what Adam had said. Maybe Eli just thought that we wouldn't last long because of our parents. But I knew that even if our parents did find out about us, I sure as hell wouldn't give up without a fight. I like Eli too much to just let him go.

"I think you should go talk to him." Imogen said, giving my arm a squeeze.

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks guys."

I got up off of the floor to search for Eli. The hallways were pretty empty, so I figured it should be easy to find him. As I made my way down the hallway, I tried to think of what I would say to him. Should I tell him straight up that I won't give up on him if our parents find out? Should I tell him how I truly feel? Though it's not technically a bet, screw it, I'm going to tell him.

I turned the corner and nearly tripped when I saw Chase at his locker. He turned his head and stared at me for a moment before I saw him place something in the jacket pocket of his tux. He closed his locker and walked towards me, and I felt relieved when he passed by me. I kept going with my search for Eli and smiled when I saw him sitting on the floor, leaning against the lockers in an empty hallway. His vest was off and on the floor beside him, leaving him in his white V-neck. I quickly ran up to him and dropped to my knees in front of him. He jumped, startled, but soon relaxed when he saw it was me. He looked at me curiously, his eyes scanning my face.

"What are yo–" Before he could finish, I cut him off by leaning forward and pressing my lips to his. I could tell he was shocked by my sudden move, but he soon relaxed and his hand came up to cup my cheek as he kissed me back.

I pulled back and smiled at him, staring into his eyes. His eyes searched mine, waiting for me to say something. "I-"

Before I could finish I was cut off by the sound of metal hitting metal. We both turned our heads to the source of the noise and my eyes widened when I saw Chase… with a gun in his hand. The sick smile on his face told me that he was going to use it tonight, and that thought made my stomach churn.

"I knew you'd lead me to him." Chase spoke. "Thanks, Clear-Bear."

I winced at my old nickname. I slowly stood up and Eli followed, his hand finding mine as he pulled me behind him. Chase walked towards us, though he was taking his time. He spun the gun around his finger and I wondered if it was actually loaded. He could be trying to scare us. He wouldn't actually use it, right?

Right?

"What do you want, Chase?" I asked, moving to stand beside Eli.

"I think I made that pretty obvious, Clare. I want you back." He said and I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I crossed my arms across my chest. I had to show him that I wasn't scared of him, though inside I was.

"Well, that's not going to happen." I told him.

"And I know why." Chase said. He spun the gun on his finger one more time before pointing it at us. He looked at us, his head tilting slightly as he eyed us carefully. "It's because of him. With him out of the picture, we can be together." He pointed the gun at Eli and my eyes grew wide.

I quickly stepped in front of him, keeping him behind me. Eli tried to move me but I only whispered, "He won't hurt me. Just… stay behind me, please."

Eli finally stopped struggling and took my hand, holding it behind my back.

"Move Clare!" Chase yelled, and I shook my head. "I don't want to hurt you… but I will."

And I believed him.

"Chase, do you really think killing him will solve this?" I asked slowly. I knew he was venerable right now and I had to do everything I could to make sure that gun doesn't go off.

"Yes. He is the reason we can't be together. He is the reason why you don't love me anymore." I was shocked to see Chase had tears streaming down his cheeks. Did he really love me that much? No, if he loved me he wouldn't have treated me like he did. I think he just got too attached to me.

"Chase, if you kill him, you'll go to jail. And you'll never see me again." I said, slowly walking towards him. I planned on taking the gun from his hand, knowing if I didn't, he might shoot. Eli's hand slipped out of my own and I suddenly missed feeling his skin on mine.

"At least I'll know you'll be alone." I could tell he was close to shooting; his finger was on the trigger and his grip was tightening with each step I took. I finally made it right in front of him and stared into his teary eyes.

"Is that what you want? For me to be miserable?"

"No." he answered softly. "I want you to be happy… with me."

"Chase, I am happy. I'm happy with Eli. And if you pull that trigger you'll lose everything. You'll end up going to jail and you won't be out for a very long time. You'll only get to see your family once and a while. But, you won't see me ever again." I told him. "If you pull that trigger, I will hate you forever. And nothing you do will change that."

He looked at me with soft eyes and for a second I thought I had won. But, his eyes soon turned black as his features twisted with anger. "You already hate me, so what more damage could it do?"

He raised his hand and my eyes grew wide with terror as a loud shot echoed through the hall, followed by a scream. It took me a minute to realize the scream had come from my mouth, but when I turned around to face Eli, I couldn't breathe. His hand was covering the place just above his hip as thick red liquid poured out onto his white shirt. I felt anger flow through my body as I turned to look at Chase.

Suddenly, Adam and Imogen were running down the hallway and when they saw me, I quickly nudged my head to Eli, telling them to go help him. They quickly ran to his side and I could hear Imogen's cries. I turned back to Chase and quickly snatched the gun from him, bringing it up and pointing it at him. His eyes went wide and he raised his hands up.

"Clare, what are you doing?" He asked, obviously scared, and for once I felt power. I felt as if I was the one who called the shots now, not him.

I placed my finger on the trigger, knowing that with one pull everything would be done with. I would get my revenge and he would get what he deserved. It was then that I realized I had tears streaming down my cheeks as my shaking hands aimed the gun at him. I knew that if I pulled the trigger, I would lose everything. I wouldn't be able to see my family, my friends… or Eli. Though at this point I wasn't sure if I would ever get to see him again anyways, and that thought nearly killed me. I glared at Chase as I realized I wasn't able to go through with it.

I raised my hand and smashed the gun to the side of his head, watching as he fell to the floor. I dropped the gun to the floor and kicked it down the hallway just in case he wakes up and decides that he's not finished with us.

"Clare!" I heard Adam yell from behind me and I quickly turned around. I ran to them and dropped to my knees beside Eli. "I called 911 already."

My whole body was shaking as my hands found his wound. I bit my lip as I put pressure on it, hearing Eli cry out in pain. I knew it was hurting him, but I had no other choice. Adam was holding on to Eli's hand as Imogen cradled his head in her lap. I looked into Eli's eyes and suddenly regretted it, noticing how dull they were becoming. He was shaking and his skin was pale, his lips turning purple. Imogen's hand came up and wiped a tear from my face, though it was pointless because more had flooded out and down my cheeks.

"I – I can't f-feel my le-legs-s." I heard Eli mutter and I cried harder. This is all my fault. If I hadn't made such a big deal about Prom this would have never happened! Eli would still be alive and I wouldn't feel as if my heart had been ripped out.

I took Adam's hand and placed it on Eli's wound before I leaned up and grabbed Eli's face in my hands. I moved his bangs out of his eyes and choked on a sob once I saw his blood on my hands. Eli's hand reached up and he grabbed one of mine in his own, holding it tightly. I buried my head in his chest, crying into it. I hated myself. This is all my fault. Why couldn't Chase have sot me? I'd rather that over this any day.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. Eli was dying and it was my fault. How will I ever live with myself if he doesn't make it. Just the thought of that breaks my heart more than it already is. I can't imagine my life without Eli. And that's when I knew I had to tell him.

I lifted my head and looked into Eli's eyes. I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his purple lips, feeling just how cold they were. "I love you. Please, don't leave me. Not like this. I need you." I whispered, my hands running through his hair. "I love you."

His eyes closed and his hand went limp in mine and I cried harder. I pulled his body to me, not giving a crap about my dress. I could hear the sirens outside of the school and the paramedics running towards us. A few checked to see if Chase was okay and I felt like screaming at them and telling them to let him die and that Eli needed help. But nothing came out but sobs.

When they had reached us they pulled me from Eli and I flailed around, not wanting to leave him. Adam grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me in a hug, and I cried into his shoulder.

"He's still alive." I heard one of the paramedics say and I turned my head to watch them.

And as I watched them work on him, I did something I hadn't done in a while.

I fell to the ground with Adam following and I prayed.

Crapy ending… oh who am I kidding, this was a crapy chapter. And for that I am sorry. I'm having troubles with writing this. I have it all planned out in my head but it's just not coming out the way I wanted it to.

Sorry for any mistakes. I'll fix them later.

Anyways, tell me your thoughts. xoxo