I Do Not Own DeGrassi

POV skips around a bit sorry

Ch.10 Her Second Confession

(CLARE)

She lay in Eli's arms, her head in his lap, for nearly an hour and no one still in the room said anything, or barley moved. Then her bed room door opened, Jake came in carrying two pizza boxes, followed by Owen carrying two more, then came Drew and Bianca carrying juice and soda.

"Dinner." Jake announced softly.

He set the boxes down and a stack of paper plates, Owen did the same and everyone starting getting pizza slices and drinks. Eli and Clare however remained silent and still on her bed. Eli brushed the hair from her face willing her to look at him, but she wouldn't.

"Clare baby have some dinner."

"Not hungry." She whispered into his chest so softly that only he heard her.

"Clare you need to eat, to keep up your strength to heal and you can't take your pills on an empty stomach." Eli said gently.

Clare sighed and moved to sit up quickly, the sudden movement caused her to shriek as her battered, and sore body tried to maneuver at the speed she was willing it to. Everyone's eyes shot up at her when she shrieked, mottled looks of worry and horror on their faces. Clare took a deep breath.

"I'm okay, just moved to fast." She explained in a soft voice while looking at her hands.

Everyone went back to eating, Jake handed Eli a plate with 2 slices on it. He held the plate out to Clare but she just stared at it blankly. Eli huffed and tore off a piece holding it to her lips. She opened her mouth barely parting her lips, Eli grimaced at her so she opened her mouth wide, wincing in pain from the bruise on her jaw. She took the bit of pizza in her mouth and chewed it slowly. Eli asked Adam to hand him a can of sprite and Clare's pills. Adam did so. After forcing 4 more bites into Clare, Eli took out her pills shaking the correct dose of the antibiotics into his hand. He popped open the soda and handed them both to Clare. She swallowed her pills handed the soda back to Eli and slowly sank down in the bed a bit so that her head was resting on the pillow.

(ELI)

Everyone ate in relative silence everybody not knowing what to say. Eli managed to eat a slice but he really wasn't all that hungry either. He slumped back into the bed and put an arm around Clare. His arm resting gingerly on her, afraid to put pressure or weight on her bruises. He wanted to give her time, to talk to him when she was ready. Since confessing everything she'd barely said a word. But one question was weighing heavily on his mind, he was pretty sure it was weighing heavy on all their minds.

"Why didn't you tell anyone Clare?" Eli spoke softly but they all heard it.

Everyone's eyes turned to Clare awaiting a response. She had saltwater welling in her eyes, her lower lip quivered and pouted out just a bit. She took a deep shuddering breath before answering.

"A million reasons, they threatened me and told me no one would believe me and I listened. But I also didn't want to ruin my Dad's wedding, and I actually liked Stephanie. Maybe if I had hated her it would have been easy to tell someone, I don't know." She paused to take a breath and gather her thoughts. "That first night when Drew found me at the mall I just didn't want to sleep in that house. And no offense to Drew but I really didn't know him that well and telling him what happened…I…just…couldn't. Truthfully even if you had found me I wouldn't have said anything different."

"But why? They were hurting you Clare! A busing you!" Eli said his voice was low and steady but his body was tense and his teeth were clenched.

"In an odd way because I wanted to protect you, I didn't want you, Adam, Alli or Jake to see the bruises because I didn't want to see the pain in your face."

"So you lied to protect your abusers and thought you protecting us?" Adam asked.

"No I was protecting myself too. What they did even that first night, it was embarrassing, and degrading and it just kept getting worse. After they…" She stopped, shutting her eyes tight as if she was trying to quell the terrifying memory working to push its way out. "I just couldn't tell you, any of you, anyone at all. Talking about it means thinking about it and then it's like it's happening all over again! It's not like saying hey I got an ice cream today, it's embarrassing! I'm ashamed and I feel guilty and I don't want to talk about it!" With that she sank even lower into the bed and turned her back to Eli.

(ADAM)

Like everyone else he was absorbing everything Clare had just said. He watched as Eli slowly got up off the bed and exited the room. Adam quickly got up and followed his best friend downstairs. He was closely followed by Jake, Drew, Bianca, Fiona and Imogen. Adam arrived downstairs just in time to see Eli punch the wall. His emerald eyed best friend was furious, Adam hadn't seen that look in Eli's eyes for a long time, and this time Adam knew Eli had taken his meds. He knew why Eli was so angry and he had a right to be but for Clare's sake Eli needed to calm down. Adam went over and put a hand on Eli's arm, but Eli shook it off.

"Those FUCKERS did that to her! They hurt her, whipped her! They cut into her! They just about RAPED her! And they have her feeling guilty! She WOULDN"T TALK I couldn't protect her! I…" Eli hissed out a seething breath between clenched teeth and punched the wall again.

(OWEN)

Owen watched Eli storm out and Adam and a few others follow. Clare began to sob silently and Alli quickly sat on the bed next to her friend. Then they heard Eli yelling but they only heard a few words; fuckers, raped and wouldn't talk.

"He hates me; I knew he would hate me when I told him." Clare said quietly and began to cry more vigorously.

"No sweetie Eli doesn't hate you, he's just angry." Alli said stroking Clare's hair softly.

Clare shook her head into the pillow, "No he hates me, he hates me because I let them touch me."

Owen had heard enough, and he could hear Jake and Eli both yelling downstairs now. He got up and went down to the living room where Jake and Eli seemed to be having a shouting match over who was more guilty of not protecting Clare, her brother or her boyfriend.

"I'm in the HOUSE with her every night I should have seen the BRUISES!" Jake yelled.

"GUYS!" Owen's big voice was louder than all of them, they all snapped to attention and looked at him. "You need to stop or take it into the garage where Clare can't hear you. I know you're mad and you should be, but your yelling is just upsetting Clare. She thinks that you hate her Eli."

Eli's face immediately fell, his posture slumping. "How could she…why…"

"Go get your anger out and then come back and talk to her." Owen commanded.

Eli nodded and started walking to the garage, then he turned back. "Adam go sit with her please?"

Adam nodded and he went upstairs, Eli and Jake went out to the garage. Owen followed Bianca, Drew, Fiona and Imogen back to Clare's room.

(ELI)

After a good thirty minutes of him and Jake yelling and punching stuff in the garage they felt under control again and went back into the house. They went into Clare's room and Adam got up so that Eli could take his place at Clare's side.

"Could you guys give me and Clare a minute please?" Eli asked.

"Umm lets go figure out sleeping arrangements and get beds set up." Jake said, and everyone but Eli and Clare left the room.

Clare heard the door close and turned a little, she still wouldn't look him in the eye but she looked at his hand. "I tried to fight Eli I did, please believe me I tried to fight them…"

"Shhhh I know you did Clare, I love you. I am mad but not at you, I'm mad at them for what they did to you. I want to kill them. I hate them with a burning fiery passion. But I don't hate you I could never hate you. Listen to me Clare; I need you to hear me. What they did was not your fault. You have no reason to feel guilty. I love you Clare." He bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

(JAKE)

He was pacing nervously Helen and his Dad would be home at any minute. The previous night he had called Clare's Dad but only to tell him that Clare hadn't been feeling well and he'd come and got her the night before. Everyone had spent the night last night, spread out amongst the house. Eli and Adam had slept with Clare in her bed, her request. Alli and Jenna had shared an air mattress on the floor. Jake in his room of course, Owen had slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of his room. Drew and Bianca in his parent's bed and Declan, Fiona and Imogen had slept in the living room. They had spent all day at the house as well, mostly sitting silently in Clare's room, simply to let her know she wasn't going through this alone. He heard his parents car in the drive way and went up to Clare's room.

"Our parents are home. Clare said she doesn't want to repeat the story and I won't make her do so. Eli, Adam, Alli could you guys stay? Eli and Adam I was hoping you could help me tell my parents, Alli can you stay with her while we do?" Eli, Adam and Alli nodded. "Thanks, the rest of you should say goodbye, you can come see Clare tomorrow."

Jenna squeezed Clare's hand. "Goodnight Clarebear I'll see you tomorrow."

Fiona and Imogen said in unison, "We'll be back tomorrow Clare."

Declan added, "Call if you need anything at all."

Bianca bent down and placed a small kiss on one of the few small un-bruised places on Clare's face. "I'll bring Adam over as soon as we're out of school tomorrow."

"I'll come by in the morning before work." Drew told her.

"I'll be here too Clare, as soon as school is out." Owen said.

C

lare managed a small timid smile for her friends new and old, it was the first time they'd seen her smile in days. Just then from downstairs they heard, "Kids we're home!"

Jake exited his sister's room followed by a stampede of teenagers. As they headed out the door they said a quick "Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Martin," before leaving the house.

"Jake I told you no parties!" Helen said getting angry.

"It wasn't a party Helen, you two need to sit down there's something we need to tell you." Jake said motioning them to sit at the kitchen table.

Helen and Glen sat down as did Adam, Eli and Jake. The three boys looked at each other and Jake took a deep breath and began to tell them what Clare hold confessed to them just yesterday.

(CLARE)

Alli was stroking Clare's hair in an effort to comfort her friend when Clare's door opened and her Mother and Glen stepped in. Clare's face was hidden by her hair and the blanket so they couldn't see anything yet.

"Clare?" Her Mother's voice was shaky; Clare knew she'd been crying. Clare peeked her head out of the blanket just enough so that the bruise on her jaw line was visible. Helen gasped and turned into her husband. "Clare why…"

Clare cut her off. "I don't want to talk about it; I'm not explaining myself again. I just want to sleep. Alli needs a ride home but please let Eli and Adam stay? I can't get to sleep without them."

"Okay honey," was all her Mom said.

"I'll be over right after school tomorrow okay?" Alli said and Clare nodded.

Eli, Adam and Jake came back to the room as Alli left. The three of them sitting on the bed and surrounding Clare. Glen drove Alli home while Helen started dinner, all though no one was very hungry.

"What did they say?" Clare asked after they had sat in silence for a while.

"Your Mom asked your Dad and Stephanie to meet for dinner tomorrow night, we'll confront them then." Jake said.

"I'm not going." Clare said firmly.

"Of Course not baby, I'll be here with you and so will Adam and probably Alli and a few the others." Eli assured her.

Clare nodded. "You two don't mind staying the night again do you? I know they aren't here but still it…I just feel safer."

"Anything for you my love," Eli said kissing her hand.

"Of course I don't mind Clare. Speaking of which I better call my Mom." Adam said and he stepped out of the room for a minute.

(ALLI)

She and Jenna arrived at school and went inside to their lockers. They were physically there but their minds were with Clare. They were absentmindedly sorting their books into their locker when Alli saw Adam and Jake walk in. Jenna saw them too and the two girls rushed over to them. Apparently Fiona, Imogen, Owen and Bianca had the same idea because they all converged on them at once.

"How is…I mean is she…" Alli started but wasn't sure how to finish, of course Clare wasn't okay, how could anyone be after something like that.

"She had a nightmare last night, she didn't get much sleep. She stayed home to rest; she probably won't come to school until Wednesday." Adam said slowly.

"Dad, Helen and I are meeting her Dad and Stephanie to confront them tonight. Eli and Adam will be at the house with Clare but the more of you that could be there with her the better." Jake said.

Everyone nodded and said they'd be there and then the bell rang. Everyone split up to go to their classes. Alli walked in to class with her head down, her eyes brimming with tears when she looked at Clare's empty desk.

"Hey Alli have you seen Clare we're supposed to…" Connor began but Alli started crying sinking into her chair and he stopped.

"Alli what's wrong? Where's Clare?" Dave asked coming up to her with Wesley at his side.

Alli sniffled her tears away enough to talk. "Clare was hurt, beaten and…" she began to sob again. "She's resting at home, Eli's with her."

"Hurt?! How? Beaten by who?" Wesley asked.

"Her new stepbrothers, they were hitting her and touching her and…she was beaten really badly guys. She probably won't be back to school until Wednesday Jake says. Some of us are going to see her after school if you want I can call her and see if she'll let you come? But guys she…she looks bad, her face is all bruised, her left eye is black and swollen shut. She's got bruises all over her chest and arms…" Alli had to stop because she was crying again.

Connor, Dave and Wesley just stood there staring at Alli in shock. Then Miss Oh came in and started class and they all sat down.