Eli

Clare came down the stairs wearing a blue dress. It hugged her curves perfectly but it didn't suffocate her. She looked beautiful. When she got down the stairs I grabbed her hand and kissed it. Her face flushed red. I guess I've still got it. Once she put on her coat and grabbed her purse we went on our way to the winter dance. Dances are okay every once and a while but I think Adam has gotten out of hand with planning them. The homecoming dance was just a few weeks ago! Clare seems to be pumped about it though so I'll go and I'll have a good time.

We arrived at the school and checked our coats at the door. Ms. Dawes and Ms. O were working the ticket table. We gave them our passes and then we went into the dance where things were already in full rotation. Adam spotted us out before we spotted him.

"Eli, Clare…you two look great!"

"Thanks Adam, you've done a beautiful job decorating."

"Well I'd like to take all the credit but my team really did a lot of the work."

"Who is your team exactly?"

"Oh, Alli and Olive."

Every time I see her or hear her name I think about tall that ways that the universe is going to kick my ass for breaking that girl's heart. We haven't spoken in months but she no longer rolls her eyes at me or looks at me with pained expressions. I looked around the room and I saw her standing around talking to Bianca, Drew, Jared, some guy I don't know and surprisingly…Alli. I guess she's over the whole boiler room incident.

"Dance with me Eli. I love this song."

I held Clare in my arms while we danced close and slow to the ballad that was blasting through the speakers. I forgot about all my guilt and I focused on this moment with Clare. I haven't asked her to my prom yet. Its months away but I want to give her enough time to decide and get her outfit. I can't believe this is my last year of high school. After this… it will be college. I just hope Clare doesn't think our relationship has to end because I'm going to be graduating from Degrassi.

When the song ended Clare and I broke up our lover's embrace and we went to the punch table where Alli was. She and Clare squealed when they saw each other and they jumped in place before going out onto the dance floor to groove to the pop-y techno song that was playing.

"You look happy."

The voice that spoke was familiar, the words and the tone of voice just wasn't. I turned to look at Fitz, who was standing there beside me sipping on some punch. I wonder why he's here tonight and what he wants with me.

"They let you back in?"

"I'm coming back next year but tonight I came with Danielle."

"I don't know her."

"I know. Look dude, let's just bury the hatchet."

"Alright. I mean it this time. No ipecac or criminal fake ids."

"Cool."

The chat was interesting and brief. It wasn't long before Clare was walking back over to me. She was sweating a little and she was out of breath. I handed her a cup of punch while she fanned herself with one of the little paper plates that people were using for the finger foods.

"Hot?"

"Yes… That was a real work out."

"You looked amazing out there."

"You always think I look amazing."

"You always do Clare. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Then you'd know what all the fuss was about."

She pulled me by my hand. We went out into the empty hallway. It was dark with the exception of the moonlight shining through the windows.

"Eli I know you said no sex but…I really want you tonight. I need you inside me."

"Need or want?"

"Eli don't make me beg… please? Not so close to Christmas."

"You're sure?"

"I've never been surer. I want you to make love to me until dawn."

"Well then… your wish is my command."

We stayed in the hallway kissing for the longest time. The music from the gym sent a muted thud through the entire building. You could tell the party was in full rotation but I didn't care. I had my Clare and even though I said I wasn't going to have sex with her again until we were married, I'm happy that I'm going back on my word. Our bodies need this connection and this stress relief.

Olive

"Want to dance with me Olive?"

"Well I would Reese but… my leg and crutches."

"Don't worry about that. I've got you."

He whirled me around like I was weightless on the dance floor. Reese is my new crush, though I'm denying the fact to myself because I don't want to rush into anything. I've been getting to know him these past couple months because he's been helping organize the dances that Adam has been throwing so I guess Mr. Torres' compulsion to party has paid off for me in at least one way.

"Are you busy tonight or tomorrow?"

"No. I'll just be scratching my broken leg and watching Teen Wolf reruns tonight…and tomorrow."

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go have icecream with me tonight and go catch a movie tomorrow? You don't have to I just really want to hang out with you."

"Reese Reynolds do you like me?"

"Yes… I do. You are smart and funny and gorgeous."

"Well you aren't so bad yourself."

"I'm glad I got that off my chest. Not only because I wanted to tell you but because Adam threatened to paralyze me if I didn't."

"Well you know Adam."

"Yeah… so?"

"Sure I'll go have icecream with you and a movie with food sounds nice."

"Great."

When the song was over Reese went to help Alli get the raffle tickets and prizes together. That gave Adam and opportunity to grill the hell out of me.

"So… did he ask you?"

"Ask me what?"

"He didn't did he? I'm gonna take away his legs!"

"Adam he did ask me I was just joking. You have to be a bit less intense."

"You like him don't you?"

"Yes."

"Ohhhhhh Olive likes Reese! I bet you'll be like 'oh Reese please come and whisk my away in your civic and let's explore the city…eating!"

"Shut up! I do not only eat."

"I'm just messing with you. Have fun tonight. Oh and I put pepper spray into your coat pocket. If he turns out to be crazy, hose him down!"

"Thanks Adam and don't worry… I will."

The dance ended and I was just lucky I wasn't on the clean up committee. I bid my friends goodbye and I told Bianca I would be home a little later. She gave me that wink and then she went off with Drew.

Reese and I went to the best icecream shop in this part of town. Not only is it homemade but they have the best topping selection ever! Plus they don't just throw the toppings on top…they mix them in. It's wonderful.

"So I'll have two scoops of chocolate with Oreo cookies and… Olive what do you want?"

"I'll have two scoops of vanilla with double rainbow sprinkles."

"Coming right up."

Reese paid and then I limped over to the table we'd decided to sit at. I cannot wait until next week when I ditched this stinky cast and get my boot. At least I won't have to wag these blasted crutches around anymore.

"So… I never asked you how you broke your leg…"

"You mean you didn't hear it through the rumor mill?"

"No."

"Well…I was fighting with my ex and I ran off into the night only to be hit be a bicycle."
"Seriously? A bicycle hit and run. That is…"

"Go ahead and laugh. Even worse than that he was the one to have to give me a ride to the hospital."

"That sucks. Well hopefully I won't be added to your list of ex boyfriends."

"Yeah hopefully you won't. So Reese… where did you come from? You just popped up at Degrassi and got involved."

"Well I'm from around here. I went to Lakehurst until I started living with my older brother. Degrassi was closer."

"Oh. So how do you like it?"

"The adjustment wasn't too bad because I've hung out at the dot for years so I just knew a lot of Degrassi people already. Then I saw you…"

"You saw me?"

"Yeah. I remembered Adam from the dot and since he was the student body president I figured he'd know who you were… he did and he helped me get to know you by putting us on decorations together."

"Wow… I feel so wanted."

"You are wanted. Whenever I'm talking to you even if it's about glitter and paint… I feel like I'm going to vomit but not in a bad way."

"That's how I feel right now!"

We ate our icecream and I found myself willing to fall into something new. Reese is cute and he's nice. Who knows, maybe this will turn out to be something good. A great romance that won't leave me in pieces…literally.

Clare

"Well this is luck! Who would have known Helen would actually come home tonight and demand I be home at a decent hour? I'll leave my window open."

He smirked at me in an odd way. I got out of the car and I went into the house. My mother was reading and dressed for bed.

"Clare I was just waiting for you to get home. Now I can go to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I swiftly went upstairs and unlocked my window. Eli was already by it. I opened it and let him in. His lips viciously found their way to mine and I let out a slight moan because of the passion that the kiss had. He started unzipping my dress. It fell down around my ankles and my panties were next in joining them. Our lips met again and our tongues conversed. I could feel Eli's hardness through his pants against my naked core. While we kissed I started unbuttoning his shirt and then I undone his pants. They fell down around his ankles and he kicked them to the side. He snapped on a condom and suddenly he was filling me up. It was hard to contain my moans and whimpers but I had to because Helen was asleep so I bit my lip to keep from being too loud. Eli, however, seemed like he was determined to make me scream. With every thrust it made my entire body react in a way I can't explain. I held onto him as his erection ripped through my body in the most wonderful way. I started orgasming and I moaned out. Eli followed me soon after and he carried me over to my bed and then he went over to my waste basket and threw away the condom.

"Eli what would you do if I got pregnant?"

"I'd take care of you and the baby if that's what you wanted."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"No reason…just seeing a rubber full of little soldiers made me want to ask the question."

"Oh. Well there's no reason to worry about that. You are on the pill and we are careful."

"Yeah we are."

Jared

Tonight was fun. Seeing Clare always makes me want to shoot myself for hurting her but she seems happy now with Eli. I kind of get the feeling that he's who she wanted this entire time, she just didn't know it.

Therapy with Ms. Suave is helping though my wounds aren't anywhere near being healed. I still have a lot of work to do on myself before I'm where I need to be mentally but with the help of Ms. Suave, Riley and his boyfriend Zane I've come to realize this… being raped doesn't make you gay. I'm straight and through therapy I'm becoming more secure and confident in my sexuality. I've even met someone at my incest survivor's support group. Her name is Gerry. She's had to deal with abuse and molestation by her mother; we bonded over our trials and over coffee. She would have been my date tonight if she didn't have a dinner date with her father.

When I got home from the dance my mother was parked in front of the TV, but it was off. I walked around to see that she was writing something on her laptop.

"Mama I'm home. What are you writing?"

"My therapist thinks I should write down every feeling, my worst memories and all that jazz so that's what I'm doing."

"How much you have so far?"

'Eighty pages."

"Mama you don't have a note, you have a novella."

"Well if it's good maybe it will get published. I've realized now what a horrible man I was married to and if somebody reads this they can see that their abuser is a horrible person too."

"It's worth a shot. Goodnight Mama."

"Goodnight Jared."

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