Chapter 10

Later that night, Claire's lying awake in bed, she can't sleep. She sighs and rolls over onto her side. Eventually, she gives up. She looks over at the clock, it's gone midnight.

There's a knock at her door.

'Who's there?' She calls out, tying her hair up into a ponytail.

There's a long pause. 'It's me!' Shane calls back. 'I need to talk to you.'

Claire sighs. 'Hang on!' she calls to him. She climbs out of bed and walks over to the door, opening it to find Shane stood there. He's wearing jeans, no T-shirt. Claire feels a blush climb up her neck. Then she realises that she's wearing some short shorts and an old crop top. The blush deepens.

'Um...' she crosses her arms over her chest and crosses her legs. 'Can I help you?'

Shane takes in her outfit before doing a double take. He clears his throat. 'Um, sorry, I didn't wake you, did I?'

'Oh, no - I, uh… couldn't really sleep.'

'Yeah, me neither.'

'Um, so… what's up?' Claire asks, feeling more than slightly awkward.

'Um... can I come in?' he asks.

No. Claire tells herself. No. Nu-uh! Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea. NO WAY!

'Sure,' Claire seems to find herself saying. She opens the door fully and lets him in. Uh-oh!

'I need to ask you something…' Shane says, starting to pace around the room.

Here we go…

'What do you need to ask me, Shane?' Claire sighs.

'It's about this… sacrifice you have to make.' Crap.

'What about it?'

'What IS it? What do you have to sacrifice?'

Claire's silent, trying to come up with some sort of answer that doesn't involve the words, 'I have to die,' she's not doing a great job.

'Claire?'

'Um... I - I have to…' her voice trails off.

'You have to what?'

Claire's silent.

'Claire, please… tell me!'

'No.'

'Why not? It's bad, isn't it? That's why you don't want to tell me…' he's still pacing.

'God, Shane!' Claire says, hiding her face in her hands. 'Would you just… stop!'

'No! I want to know what it is that you're sacrificing!'

'WHY? Why do you care? Why do you want to know? Why-'

'Because I LOVE you!' Shane half yells at her. Silence. A long silence.

'Shane…' Claire starts but he cuts her off.

'No, I know how I feel so don't even try and make me think otherwise.'

'Shane, I can't do this, not now,' Claire half sobs.

'Why not?' Claire doesn't reply. 'Look into my eyes, Claire. Look into my eyes and tell me that you don't feel the same way, because I know you can't.' Again, she says nothing.

'Claire,' he takes a step towards her, she takes one back.

'Shane, please… DON'T do this,' she begs.

'Why not?'

'Because... because I CAN'T lose you!'

Claire's Flashback - (Her first ever eighteenth birthday)

Claire's lying down on the stone table… she knows her fate and she's too tired to run from it anymore. She's been running her whole life! She tries to block out the hundreds of Dacoro's watching her as she awaits her death. She can hear the footsteps walking towards her, and she knows who it'll be. Sarah. She turns her head to the side and sees Amelie, watching from the stands in a mixture of horror and regret. That's funny, Amelie doesn't usually regret things.

'Well, well, well, Claire, we finally get to meet,' Sarah sighs. Claire looks back up and sees Sarah standing above her.

'So we do,' she mutters. She can feel the tears running silently down her cheeks and falling into her hair but she ignores them.

'I am so terribly sorry, Claire,' Sarah murmurs, raising the knife in the air, right above Claire's heart. Oh God.

'Yeah, me too.' She looks to her left and sees Drake sat there, tears running down his face. Drake, the love of her life. The only guy that she's ever loved and can't bear to lose.

'I love you!' he mouths to her.

'Kill her already!' Someone in the crowd yells out.

Claire squeezes her eyes tightly shut quickly before opening them again. Her eyes lock with Drake's, and he's the last thing she sees… before the knife comes down.

End of Flashback

Claire blinks as the images flash past her eyes.

'Claire?' Shane asks worriedly. Claire focus's back on him.

'Sorry,' she mumbles. 'I was… remembering.'

'What's wrong?' Shane asks, walking over to her and wiping away her tears. She's been crying?

'Um... Nothing. You - you should go,' Claire replies, her voice shaking. She walks over to the door and holds it open for him, not looking his way.

'Claire?'

'Please, Shane,' she mutters, looking down at the floor.

'Fine,' he sighs. 'But I'm not giving up on you. I WONT give up on you!' He walks out into the hallway.

Claire closes the door, feeling like she's in some kind of nightmare. She climbs back into bed, all the while thinking…

Drake? Drake was my first love?