This last week was just crazy at work but thankfully it's done now and I'm back.
Before we get started some DeGrassi Saviors website news~
1) Check the home page for two new features. Three ship polls and part one of a part series of "If DeGrassi Characters Were" lists. The first list is "If DeGrassi Characters Were Other TV Characters"
2) Check out dragonsprits page for announcements, updates and clues for his stories.
3) Head to tomfeltonlover1991's page for a poll to help her decide on a crossover for DeGrassi and 5 Seconds of Summer. The poll is currently tied and is staying up one more week so get those votes in.
Now onto tonight's chapter!
Ch. 10 All You Seem to do is Cry
(FITZ)
I'm jolted awake by pounding on the door and I jump out of bed.
"FITZ IT'S JAKE OPEN UP!" He yells pounding on the door again.
"What's wrong?" I question opening the door to let them in. Clare comes in and clings to me, her arms tightly around my waist and I wrap my arms around her. "What happened?"
"My uncle," Jake says while he closes the door, "he came to Thanksgiving a…" Jake stops when Clare clings to me even tighter and begins sobbing and shaking her head vigorously on my chest.
"What's going on?" Bianca yawns coming out of her room with a robe on. She only sleeps in an old Dead Hand tour t-shirt so she put the robe on because Jake is here.
"Clare's staying the night, something happened," I tell her.
"Uh come on Clare I'll draw you a hot bath while the boys talk," Bianca says walking over and taking Clare's hand.
Clare nods and little and goes with Bianca to the washroom. I get Jake some water and we sit down on the sofa.
"So what happened?"
"My uncle came to dinner, the one I told you about. I didn't know he was coming but when Clare saw him she was terrified. She wouldn't talk about it but I knew she was petrified of him. She went to her room after dessert, we both did and I was going to call Katie but I heard my dad and uncle Norman talking in the backyard. Uncle Norman asked Dad if there was any progress with Clare's speech. Only he wasn't concerned about it at least not the way he should be. Dad said she hasn't talked but the way he said it too it was more like he was certain she'd never talk and he was happy about it. Uncle Norman asked if she needed another treatment and Dad wanted him to leave medication for her. The whole thing was just weird and I was creeped out about it. Clare wanted to come here the moment she saw Uncle Norman but I couldn't sneak her over until now. Guess I should have called first, didn't mean to wake you up or all your neighbors," Jake apologizes.
"It's fine you're both welcome over here any time. I'll make you both keys so you don't have to bang on the door next time. She's safe here I'd never let anything happen to her," I assure Jake.
"Yeah I know. I don't know what my parents are up to or what they did to Clare and until I know I can't do anything about it. But I don't want her to be home, especially if they're trying to put her on medication again. I honestly don't know any more what my parents are capable of but I know they're hiding something and I'm more certain than ever that Clare's mutism is because of them. I'm going to figure it out," Jake tells me with a determined tone.
"We'll help all of us. Do you want to stay the night too?" I offer.
"Thanks but no I should get back, I'll need to cover for Clare in the morning. I'll see you at school tomorrow, tell Clare I went home and I'll see her tomorrow," Jake says standing up.
I walk him to the door and lock it after he leaves. Then I walk to the washroom and softly knock on the door. I hear Bianca ask Clare if I can come in and then a second later Bianca opens the door so I guess I can come in. Clare is sitting in the bath her knees drawn to her chest and her arms around them.
"How is she?"
"Scared of something she's barely moved she's just been sitting like that and tears roll down her cheeks every few minutes," Bianca tells me and then kneels down by Clare. "Fitz is here he'll take care of you unless you want me to stay?" Bianca asks.
Clare shakes her head and looks up to smile at Bianca, she smiles back at Clare and touches my arm as if to wish me luck before she leaves the room. I sit down and carefully place my hand on Clare's back; she gives me a little smile before biting her lip and then looks away again.
"Clare your uncle did he ever touch you?" I question because a girl that can't speak wouldn't be able to stop a molester and if he's been doing it her whole life it could explain why she went mute to begin with.
Clare just looks at me with her eyebrows arched together in confusion and I realize how the question could be confusing. After all she's been kept from the world so long she probably doesn't know what molestation is.
"Of course he's touched you he's your uncle I mean had he ever touched you somewhere he shouldn't? Has he ever touched you while you were undressed or partially undressed or forced you to touch him while he was partially undressed?"
Clare shakes her head and by the look in her eyes I know at least her uncle hasn't been molesting her.
"Then why are you so frightened of him?" I inquire.
Clare looks away from me again and she tightens up, curling into a tighter ball. She starts rocking back and forth and shaking, trembling with fear. She's sobbing so hard it's making her breathing labored.
"Clare what is it? What did he do?" I ask but she just begins shaking her head vigorously. "Clare talk to me please, you're safe here," I assure her but she just starts thrashing in the bath. It's like she's being attacked by some invisible force or some memory. It's causing her pain, I can see it on her face but still she doesn't cry out. "Okay you don't have to talk about it. Don't even think about it okay you're safe I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you," I assure her as I rub her back gently. It takes a moment but she stops shaking and slowly uncurls and now I can see her naked body. "I'll get you a towel and one of my shirts to sleep in," I tell her. I go out to the linen closet and grab her a towel, when I return to the washroom she's out of the bath and standing there naked! "Oh my you're…here's a towel and I should go and get you a shirt to uh sleep in," I stumble over my words and can't really take my eyes from her naked body.
Clare smiles and bites her lip taking the towel. I don't really want to leave I want to keep looking at her naked body but that's not a very gentlemanly thing to do so I force myself to leave. I go to my room and grab her one of my shirts I open the washroom door without going in and hand her the shirt. I lean against the wall and a moment later she opens the door and switches off the light.
"Come on you'll sleep in my bed and I'll sleep on the sofa," I tell her grabbing her purse from the washroom. I take her to my room and she gets in my bed. "You know most girls would have pushed me out of the washroom and not let any guy in when they were naked," I comment giving her purse to her. She takes her phone out to type on it and it occurs to me that if she's going to be here a lot I should probably get a some little chalkboards like she has at her house.
Why? You're not my brother you're my boyfriend and I feel good when I'm with you. When you look at me I feel beautiful and important. I don't mind if you see me naked because I like the look in your eyes when you look at me and I trust you. I know you'd never hurt me Mark.
"Never," I smile. "And you are beautiful and important to me and also smart, and amazing, and sweet," I tell her and she grins. "Anyway I should get to bed we have school tomorrow. I'll be right on the sofa if you need me."
I start to get up but she grabs my hand. Sleep in here please I want you with me.
"Of course I'll sleep in here," I grin.
I turn off the light and get in the bed. Clare rolls onto her side and curls up to me, I put my arm around her stroking her back until she falls asleep. My alarm goes off first the next morning and we both wake up. When we're dressed and ready we all go in my car since Bianca's car won't start, thankfully she doesn't work until this weekend and I'm sure that Drew, Owen and I can get it working before she needs to go to work, maybe Eli would even help he's pretty good with cars. I park at the school and then we all walk to The Dot for breakfast.
"Must have been an eventful Thanksgiving you guys look tired," Spinner comments when he sees us walk in.
"Just a late night," I tell him before ordering.
We eat there and finish the coffee while walking back to school. We walk up just as the Torres brothers are getting dropped off and we wait for them. Drew greets Bianca with a kiss and she tells him her car wouldn't start this morning. He tells her we'll get it working this weekend before she has work.
I saw Jake's truck I want to go find him and make sure our parents don't know I was gone last night.
"Okay I'll come with you," I tell her and look at the others, "we'll see you guys inside."
"We're coming," Adam says.
We go inside and Clare easily finds Jake since he's right inside with Katie. He comes over and hugs her and Katie waves to us.
"Uncle Norman is gone, he left Mom with some pills to give you though," Jake informs Clare and she begins shaking just a little. If she wasn't holding my hand I probably wouldn't know she was shaking. What is visible is she's biting her lip and shaking her head. "Don't worry I'll go home at lunch and switch the pills I won't let them medicate you again. Fitz are you working after school?"
"Yeah five to close," I nod, "Clare can tutor me there after school."
"Good," Jake says.
"She can come to my house after that we have all of our classes together you can tell your parents we have a project. She can stay for dinner and Drew and I will bring her back late. If your parents don't like that idea they can talk to our mom," Adam says and Drew snickers because few people are willing to stand up to Audra.
"Thanks I'm going to watch Katie play soccer after school but I'll be home before you and I'll switch the pills at lunch," Jake assures his sister.
Are Mom and Dad going to send me to Uncle Norman's hospital again? Clare types on her phone and shows it to Jake.
"No never again as long as I can help it," he says in a determined voice and Clare nods. Then Jake looks at me, "Fitz can I talk to you a minute?"
"Yeah sure," I nod and Clare lets go of my hand.
"Come on Clare let's go to our lockers," Adam says putting his arm around her lightly. Jake tells Katie he'll see her in class and they share a kiss before she walks away.
"Any problems last night?" Jake questions.
"I asked if your uncle had molested her but she said no but when I asked what he did do she flipped out. She started thrashing in bath and shaking and sobbing. I got her to calm down but she wanted me to sleep with her last night, all we did is sleep though I swear I was going to sleep on the sofa like I normally do."
"Fitz it's cool I know you'd never hurt Clare or force her into anything. She feels safe with you if she wanted you to sleep in the bed it's because you make her feel safe. I heard Norman and my parents talking early this morning they were talking again about sending her for more treatments. Spring is always hardest on her and it's when she's always gone for treatments usually early in March but sometimes late in February. If I really think they're going to send her to the hospital again I want her to hide at your place. Not just for a night I mean you might have to protect her from my parents," Jake says.
"I'll protect from anyone or anything that tries to hurt her."
(ADAM)
"How was your Thanksgiving?" I ask Clare when we get to our lockers but she only responds with a shrug.
We take our books, close our lockers and walk to class. Sav and Holly J are hanging posters in the hall for the Halloween dance.
"Are you and Fitz going to the dance? It will just be in the evening but usually there's an after party at Above the Dot," I comment as we sit at our desks.
Yeah sounds like fun. I guess we need costumes.
"We can go out this weekend and get some," I tell her and she smiles.
Fitz comes in just before the bell and sits at his desk. We watch a movie in class and we don't even get any homework. Fitz walks with us to math and kisses Clare at the door before he goes to auto shop. We spend lunch with Fitz, Drew, Bianca and Owen of course and we all talk about the Halloween dance. We decide our costumes should all fit together since we'll all be going as one group. Fitz is actually working the party at Above the Dot but he assures Clare that Spin will let him dance with her. After lunch we all go to photography and after that Clare and I have geography.
"Hey are you guys going to the Halloween dance?" Jenna asks walking into class with Dave, K.C. and Alli.
"Yeah the six of us are going to find costumes that work together," I tell them.
"Jenna and I are going as belly dancers," Alli says and Dave smiles probably at the thought of the two girls dressed as belly dancers I'm sure he has in his head.
"Dave and I are thinking of going as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker," K.C. tells me.
"No you won't, I am not dancing with a Star Wars character," Alli shakes her head but they can't argue about it any longer as the teacher has come in.
When the last bell of the day rings Clare and I leave class and meet Fitz on the steps. Owen and Drew have football and Bianca is going to watch them practice but Fitz, Clare and I walk to The Dot. She tutors him in math and I get started on my own homework. They work for about an hour and half before Fitz has to go back and get ready for work. Clare kisses him goodbye and we walk to my house.
"Mom Clare and I have homework is it okay if she stays for dinner?" I ask when Clare and I walk through the front door.
"Sure that's fine, if you need a snack I stocked the basement kitchen this morning," Mom says.
"Sweet you're the best," I grin.
Clare smiles at my mom and we go downstairs, we grab a snack and work on our homework. Drew calls to say he's eating at Owen's and then Owen will bring him home. Since it's just Clare and I Mom lets us eat in the basement and we watch TV. Dad is working late on a big case so Mom leaves to take him dinner. When Clare and I are done eating I take our dishes upstairs and when I return to the basement she's not there. At first I think she's in the washroom but the door is open.
"Clare?" I call to her and then feel stupid because it's not like she's going to answer.
I look outside but I don't see her and the sliding glass door is closed. I turn around to walk to alcove when I see her in the kitchenette. She's curled into a ball and rocking back and forth as she sobs.
"Clare what is it? What's the matter?" I question but she won't even look at me. I have no idea what to do here, no idea how to help her and if Mom comes back and finds Clare like this she's going to call Clare's Mom. The only thing I can think to do is call Jake so that's what I do. "Something's wrong with Clare and I don't know what to do. I went upstairs for a minute and she was fine but when I came back down she was huddled in the kitchen. She's sobbing and holding herself, she won't even look at me," I tell Jake in a slight panic as soon as he answers.
"I'm on my way," Jake tells me and hangs up.
"Jake's coming you're okay," I try to assure Clare but she just keeps rocking and sobbing. A moment later the basement door opens but it's not Jake it's Drew and Owen.
"What's the matter?" Drew asks when he sees my face but they can't see Clare yet.
"I don't know I took our dishes upstairs and when I came back she was like this," I tell them and they come around to look at Clare. "She won't even look at me. I already called Jake because I don't know what else to do."
"Clare it's okay you're safe," Owen tells her kneeling down close to her but not touching her.
It doesn't do any good; she's still balled up and rocking back and forth. She won't look up; she doesn't even seem to notice that we're here.
"Clare it's okay you're safe. What is it?" Drew asks. Still nothing, no response, she doesn't look at us or seem to hear us.
"Clare it's okay you're okay," Owen says in a firm voice and touches her arm. I guess his touch does it because she suddenly looks up. She sees that it's us and she bites her lip and looks terribly ashamed. Owen smiles at her, we all do and she wipes her tears.
"It's okay don't worry about it, are you okay?" I ask her and she nods slowly.
"Jake's on his way I didn't know what to do," I tell her.
Clare's not crying anymore but she's still shaking a lot and it's making it hard for her to get up. She doesn't need to tell us though we know she's sorry.
"Don't be sorry it's fine," I assure her just as the basement door opens and Jake comes in.
"Hey are you okay?" Jake asks and she nods. She holds her hand out and he takes his phone from his pocket giving it to her.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry everyone.
"It's okay Clare," I tell her.
"Come on let's go home. I won't tell Mom or Dad anything just stay in your room the rest of the evening," Jake says and Clare nods.
Jake and Owen help her up and I hug her goodbye, Jake gets her stuff and they leave through the basement door, shortly after they leave Mom returns. Owen leaves since he only came over to bring Drew home and neither of us say anything to Mom about what happened with Clare. Just before I got to bed my phone rings and I see that it's Jake.
"Is she okay?" I ask upon answering.
"Yeah I think so; she's in bed and said she was tired. Our parents don't know anything happened. I asked her about it but she wouldn't tell me what scared her she just kept apologizing."
"I wish I knew what happened she was fine when I went upstairs, I was up there maybe three minutes while putting our dishes in the dishwasher. When I came down again she was in the kitchenette hiding behind the counter and curled into a little ball, shaking and sobbing and rocking back and forth. She was so terrified and I have no idea why."
"I wish I knew, she wouldn't tell me anything. She's okay; whatever happened it wasn't your fault Adam, thanks for calling me when you did. We'll see you at school tomorrow."
I say goodbye to Jake and hang up. The next day at school Jake tells me Clare woke up after a bad nightmare and they were awake most of the night. Clare doesn't ever say anything about what happened at my house and she doesn't seem to have any other problems or scares. She does spend a lot of time at my house and Fitz and Bianca's apartment over the next couple weeks. By Halloween she's just excited for the dance and after school we all get ready at my house. Halloween is on a Thursday this year so the dance will only go until seven but Above the Dot has an after party and there is no football practice or homework today.
We wanted our costumes to work together so after a lot of shopping we settled on Disney heroes and heroines. Surprisingly Owen was all for the idea as long as he got to be Ralph from Wreck-it-Ralph. His costume was pretty easy he just needed dark red overalls and a red plaid shirt then he spiked up his hair. Bianca wanted to be Merida from Brave, she already had the right hair she just died it red. Fiona made Bianca a green dress and Eli let her borrow a bow from the prop room and she made herself a belt that holds a quiver and a couple fake arrows. I was going as Woody from Toy Story, it was a pretty easy costume I already had jeans and a yellow plaid shirt I could use. The belt was easy and I found a belt buckle at a thrift store. The cowboy hat, boot and holsters along with the cowhide vest were easy enough to pick up from a costume store. Drew wanted go as Mowgli at first but we were pretty sure he wouldn't be let into the dance wearing nothing but a loincloth. So Bianca convinced him to go as Prince Eric which he already had jeans for and even the boots, he wore a white dress shirt partially unbuttoned and borrowed a red scarf from Mom to use as a belt. His hair wouldn't quite cooperate so we got him a black wig that resembles Eric's hair. Fitz let Clare decide on his costume since he couldn't and she wanted him to be Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty. We found a cape pretty easily and a Robin Hood hat we died red. He wore a long sleeve black shirt and we found a grey tunic but he already had a black belt to wear. He also had black boots and wore black jeans rather than leggings. Clare was going as Wendy from Peter Pan. It was pretty easy to do her hair since she just had to curl it a little more and pull it back. Fiona and Imogen helped her make the dress and she found blue ballet slippers.
"You all look wonderful, gather together so I can get a picture," Mom says when we're all dressed.
"Mom we need to go," Drew sighs.
Mom snaps some pictures and we leave for the dance in a few different cars. We walk in together and give our tickets to Mr. Perino at the door. Eli, Imogen and Fiona are all together and we greet them, they gush over the costumes since they helped with a lot of them. Owen goes to see some of the other guys on the football team, Bianca and Clare take their boyfriends to the dance floor and I talk with Eli for a bit. When I leave Eli I walk to the refreshments table and get some punch.
"Looks like we had the same idea," Anya laughs from behind me and then she walks around in front of me and I see that she's dressed like Jessie from Toy Story.
"I guess so; I'm not wearing the same costume as Sav am I?" I question handing her some punch.
"No we broke up last weekend, now he's dating Holly J and they came as Fred and Daphne from Scooby-Doo. It was her idea and Sav looks ridiculous. You on the other hand look great it's as if we planned this. Care to dance?" Anya inquires.
"I'd love to," I grin taking her hand and we walk out to the dance floor.
Update next Sunday will pick up with more of the Halloween dance, some intimate time for Flare and a romantic interest for Owen.