New Years Eve

Sav hadn't spoken to his parents since Christmas. He only went home when his parents were out. Alli felt torn in two. She haded that her family was split over all of this. Why couldn't her parents let Sav be happy? She always felt guarded when she spoke to someone in her family. She couldn't mention the wrong person or say the wrong thing.

Fiona was throwing a New Years Eve party at her loft. Alli needed a chance to escape.

"Where are you going Alli?" Her father yelled.

"To Fiona's house."

Jenna picked up Alli and they were off. "How's Tyson?"

"He's good. K.C.'s mom is watching him for for a few hours. I will have to go home at 10 though, so she can get some sleep."

"Well, it's nice that she's been so supportive."

"I know. I couldn't do this without her."

"What about K.C.?"

"He tries, but he's a bit of a goofball. Sometimes he's bringing in money and other times, he goes out with the boys and we're broke."

"When Tyson's old enough to go to daycare it should get better."

"Yeah. I'll finally be able to get a job."

Alli and Jenna got to the party. There were a lot of people packed into her place already. Mistletoe everywhere and people stealing kisses left and right.

About an hour later, Sav and Clare arrived. He held her hand. They found Fiona at the bar and got a shot with her. Clare saw Alli and gave her a hug. "Happy New Years."

"How's Sav?"

"He's getting there. A new year, a fresh start. He needs one."

Sav was chatting with Mo and Peter. Marisol was with Katie who was awaiting Jake. He said he'd be back today. Jake was stuck in traffic, but he would be there before midnight to kiss Katie.

Eli was there with Imogen. Adam was quarreling with this girl Becky. Everyone around them thought it was time for them to shut up and kiss already.

Ten came and as Jenna had to go, Jake finally arrived. He kissed Katie on the forehead. "I finally made it."

She took his hand and led him around the party. She had a cute boyfriend to show off.

The group drank and danced and then time for the count off. Sav had his hands on his fiance's hips. Her hands found his shoulders and at midnight, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. Their tongues probed each other endlessly. Everyone else went on to their next activity, but Sav and Clare had no intention of breaking this kiss. They finally came up for air to see the crowd staring at them.

Clare blushed a pretty shade of pink.

After the party, Sav and Clare went home. Sav stayed in her room. They slept side by side, holding hands.

The next day, Clare's father showed up, unexpectedly.

Helen was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"How could you let this happen?"

"Let what happen?"

"Clare get engaged."

"How could I stop her? He asked her and she said yes. What was there for me to do?"

"Forbid her."

"Like that would work."

Clare woke up to her parents arguing.

"What's going on?"

"Clare, you must end this engagement immediately."

"No!"

"That was impressive," Helen mocked.

Glen came downstairs. "What's going on?"

"Who the hell is he?" Randall yelled.

"He's my husband!" Helen seethed.

"This isn't his business."

"It isn't yours either," Clare hissed. "You abandoned mom and me, and you don't get to come back just to tell me what to do with my life. "I'm going to marry Sav and if you don't like it, I'll find someone else to walk me down the aisle."

"You can't be serious."

"I am." Clare had her ring on. She never took it off.

Sav slept through the fighting, which was good because he had been through enough of it this break.

Randall left in a huff.

Clare went back upstairs to check on Sav. He was still asleep, so she rejoined him in bed. Glen stayed with Helen.

"I don't think she's old enough either," Helen told Glen, "but what can I do? She said yes." Glen held her.

"This will all workout," he told her, how he had no idea.

Jake slept through the chaos as well. He hadn't actually met Sav yet. He was away when Sav came home and he just got back to go to the party. He assumed that Sav was the tall guy trying to suck Clare's face off at midnight.

When he did wake up, he came downstairs to see Sav drinking orange juice. "So you're Sav."

"And you're Jake." The two boys stared at each other, not having much to say.

"How do you find Degrassi?"

"It's alright. I'm just there for one more semester though, then graduation."

"Senioritis will hit you like a sack of bricks."

"It already has. How's TU?"

"It's pretty good. I've made some good friends. I just missed Clare. Things just aren't the same without her."

"I can guess. Did you always stay here when you came to visit or is this a recent development?"

"Well my parents pretty much disowned me for proposing to Clare, so here I am."

"Really, why?"

"They had picked a wife for me from India and flew her to Toronto without my knowledge."

"WHAT! That's totally crazy."

"To normal people yes, but they think that this is normal. They don't realize that I'm not in India anymore, and I don't care about their classist regime."

"I thought the caste system was outlawed."

"So are drugs, but it doesn't change their prevelance."

"Fair enough. So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. Eventually, I'll have to go back to school and start the semester. I was hoping to smooth things over before then, but they don't want to talk to me. They get mad if my sister mentions my name in the house."

"Rough."

Clare came downstairs and kissed Sav softly. "I'm thinking of getting a job at Above the Dot."

"What? Why?"

"For the money."

"I know that, but what for?"

"Well, my car needs a lot of maitenaince and marriage costs money. I currently have very little."

"Maybe I should get a job too." Sav kind of blew most of his money on her ring.

Jake headed upstairs. They could use some alone time.

Clare and Sav sat down. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Like, when do we see ourselves getting married? Where do we want to live. How will we afford a wedding or living together."

"I was thinking after you graduated high school. I will be in Toronto at least until next year. I wasn't sure where you would want to go to school. If not in Toronto, maybe I could transfer to be close to you. I'm broke."

"Yeha, me too. So jobs for both of us."

"Yeah."

"And your parents."

Sav groaned.

"I want them to be at our wedding."

"Do you think they would come?"

"I don't know, but I don't want our kids to not know one set of grandparents. My dad is bad enough as it is. I also don't want your sister caught in the middle."

"What can I do? They won't talk to me."

"But is there someone they will listen to, like an Imam?"

"I can try, but he might not be very sympathetic to my position."

Clare kissed his head. She went to fill out her application for Above the Dot. Sav drove her there and then went to talk to their local Imam. "Can I have a word?" Sav asked as afternoon prayers were just letting out.

"Sure. You're the Bhandari's boy, right."

"Yes, I'm Savtaj."

"Well, Savtaj. What brings you here?"

"It's about my parents. They always wanted a specific life for me, to become a doctor and to marry a woman of their choosing. Instead, I became a music major and fell in love with a girl who is a Christian, and she is now my fiancee."

"I see, and what did your parents do when you told them?"

"They found a fiance for me from India, lied to get her to come here, and she flipped out when she realized I was not going to become a doctor and she went back home. We got into a heated argument and we haven't spoken since."

"What do you want?"

"I want to make things right with them. I want them to accept me as I am, but I don't want to be a bad son either. I don't know how to be a man who is true to myself and respect my elders. I feel torn in two."

"Well Savtaj," he took a deep breath. "Respect and obedience are not the same. Respect means you hold them in high regard. Just because you don't want the life that they wanted for you doesn't mean you didn't appreciate what they did for you. All you can do is reach out to your parents, tell them how grateful they are for the life that they gave you, and whether or not they accept you as you are is up to them. You cannot force them. One more thing, I think it would be good for you and your fiancee to seek counseling before you get married. Interfaith marriages are complicated. How do you raise the children? Which holidays get celebrated? Will they be baptized. It takes more than one conversation to figure out. It's a process."

Sav went to pick up Clare. She was waiting for some time.

"Sorry about that."

"No. It's good that you had someone to talk to. Shall we go home?"

"Actually, I think it's time for me to talk to my parents first." Sav drove them to his house. He rang the doorbell, Clare by his side.

Alli looked out her window. "Sav?" She ran down. "What's up?"

"I think it's time I speak to Mom and Dad."

"Good luck," she told him. "Mom, Dad you have visitors." They came down, not expecting their son and Clare to be waiting for them.

"Alli! What is the meaning of this?"

"I think it's time we talk Dad. You can't avoid me for ever."

"Like hell I can't. After the stunt you pulled." Mrs. Bhandari was silent. She just stood there with her arms folded.

"I didn't come here to argue. I just wanted to thank you for being my parents, for giving me a life, for encouraging me to do my best, for teaching me respect and discipline and the importance of hard work."

"A lot of good that did us."

"You also taught me courage and how to stick up for what's right. I'm sorry that we don't see eye to eye about what kind of life that I should live or who I should marry, but I was meant to be a musician and I was meant to be with Clare. I want nothing more than for you and Mom to be apart of my life now, but that's all up to you. I can't change your mind, but I hope you think long and hard before you throw away what took 19 years to build." His parents just glared at him.

"I think we should go," Sav told Clare. They started heading for the door.

"Wait," his mother called out. Sav turned around.

"Can you at least stay for some tea? I just made it." Well, it was the world's most awkward tea party. They barely said 10 words between the four of them, but Mrs. Bhandari was trying. She didn't want to lose her son; she just had no idea how they diverged so quickly.

After tea, Sav and Clare headed home. Mrs. Bhandari stopped Clare before she left. "Take good care of him," she said. Clare smiled at her, and they were off.