I see I'm making most of you guys hyperventilating with the instant chapters.
Once again, it only took you guys HOURS to reach and surpass the goal! Damn, at the rate that we're going to run out of the chapters this week. Oh well, that's not such a bad thing right? Anyways I'm posting before Degrassi. Hopefully this chapter will mend some Eclare hearts. Lol
EliLover28: The first time they met face to face (Chapter 8), Eli was wearing a disguise. Second time (chapter 9 and 10?) The lights were out so Clare could not get a good look of him. And the rest of the time…wait no I think that's it. Lol So no he hasn't revealed himself to her.
ThaliaGrace1: I guess it's your day! And I'm sure Alli won't get too close to the phantom (Like how Meg was close to him). Just one of the changes I needed to make so the story does not seem too identical. But that was a good thought :D
Clareandeliforever: Bra-freaking-vo. I must admit that made me giggle. XD
Lehcar14: It's an actual song from the Phantom of the Opera. It's called "think of me". I really wanted to use a current song from this generations, but could not find the perfect one, so I stayed with the original song from the play.
Avalosluvsmj: You have no freaking idea-! I was actually debating with myself like months ago whether or not I should replace Fitz with Jake. But at that moment I did not know if I even liked Jake enough to put him in the story or if he would fit. So I guess you can say that Jake will not appear in this story.
Sarah: I'm starting to see what I do to you guys, yes. XD It's kind of entertaining!
Katra: The epic question! I will sink with the Eclare ship! I have a pass to S.S. Flare as well. And to top it off, I have a ticket to board the Cake ship. I have to say, I think the reason for me obsessing over these couples is because I fell for Clare's character the first time she showed up. She reminded me of myself in season 6(?) as Darcy's little sister, and I just thought she was so cute. So yes, I ship Clare with cute guys! Lol
(Anonymous): Oh thank you, and there will be around 33 chapters in this story. (very long no?)
Ellie: I'm not so sure that Fiona will play a big role in the story, but who knows I might just need her for something. :3
Don't know what else I can say, but enjoy I guess. See down below for another bribe- I mean chapter update hehe... Also I'd like to thank those of you who have been keeping me occupied in twitter and tumblr. I love talking to you guys. :3
I am flattered by your fascination with me…
Hundreds of flowers and assortments filled the limited dressing room, and the leading lady was overwhelmed with the colors. It amazed her how many people supported her. Touching one of the petals of the roses she giggled to herself. She did it. The nights of stress and nerves washed away that night. It had to symbolize something in her life. Since the preparations to the theater, she had been able to see a change—in life, and herself. She was on the fence about this change being beneficial, but inside, she would leaned that it was a good thing.
More knocking came from her door as there were several of adoring fans waiting for her to make an appearance. Clare was no diva, but when it came from large crowds yelling out her name and suffocating her, she avoided the subject. She was never fond of adults yelling, and flashing lights—too many haunting memories and little memories that still taunted her.
The knocking wouldn't stop; the person would just not give up. Clare's conscience took over her, and overtook her emotions and opened the door. Only to be blinded by the many words that people throughout at her.
"Clare Edwards? How does it feel to be the new star in this town?"
"There have been rumors circulating that you broke up with your old boyfriend is this true?"
"Edwards! Anit-grape vine here, our school needs to know. Did you get this role only to get revenge on Jenna Middleton?"
"Miss!"
"Ms. Edwards!"
"Clare!" A familiar voice struck out to her as she saw a hand wave frantically over the sea of many faces.
Stretching out her hand, she attempted to grab her friend "Adam!"
After successfully snatching his hand in hers she dragged him inside her room and quickly shut the door. Her body rested against the wooden frame. She could still hear the mumbling voices just outside of her room, and could feel the knob turning right next to her. The new found fame was a tad stressful.
"Looks like someone's a rock star." He laughed.
"Who would have thought?"
"Only a descendent of the famous Goldsworthy family, am I right?" Clare chuckled at the comment. "Well, I just came to congratulate you on a great night. I think Mom wants to take you out to dinner to celebrate or something…"
After an eventful night, going to an expensive dinner was out of the question for her body. Not to mention, she would have to go through the mob that was sleeping outside of her room. Still, if there was one person she would risk the crowd, it would be to have a nice quiet dinner with one of her best friends. "Would I have to dress up?"
The boy with a mop hair cut put his hands up to signal a 'pause'. "No need, I convinced mom that you'd be too tired to do anything else. Said you might be feeling a little under the weather after a performance like that."
"Then why-"
"Just a heads up I guess." Adam held that smile that meant he knew something she didn't. " Anyways, you're off the hook for tonight. Don't do anything crazy tonight alright?" He winked at her and braced himself as he was about to open the door once more.
They expected a flooded crowd of reporters and gossipers, only to be met with an empty hall and one confident boy leaning on the door frame. Adam's features turned for the worst.
"What are you doing here?"
Fitz frowned at the smaller boy and scoffed. "Heard from somewhere that Clare's sick." His eyes went away from the boy's blues, to the girls. He held a cocky expression. "Wouldn't mind fixing her up, you know since I work here and all."
Adam grabbed his wrists and tried to drag him out of her sight. "Well as an employee, I say you should scrap the gum under each seat." Fitz didn't budge though, his eyes stayed where they were and Clare could only feel a deep blush run through her.
Annoyed with the human being that was trying to pull him away, he snapped his arm from the hold and came closer into the room. "You might be the owner's son, but I don't have to listen to your orders." Each step he took closer to her, the more Adam cringed. "Clare on the other hand, I would have to follow her demands."
He was flirting. The guy that tormented her at a younger age, was flirting with her. To make matters worse, she was changing colors like a fool.
"Clare, tell this caveman to go home already." Adam barked.
Fitz glared at the other male in the room and made his fists in a ball out of anger. That friend sure was cutting into his moves with Clare, that irritated him to a certain point. Mark had to remind himself that he was still under probation. He restrained himself.
At the moment of intensity, a single ring tone alarmed the group and made everyone jump. The sound came from the direction of Adam Torres. He gritted his teeth, as a smirk was forming on Fitz's mouth. He knew whose ringtone that was; everyone knew that dreaded ring tone. It was his mother, it was always his mother. With anger seething through his body, he gripped the cell phone and pushed talk. His harsh stare never left the arrogant boy as he began to answer the phone.
"What?" His voice was calm and at ease, while his face held another expression.
After a pause, he was just nodding his head slowly in agreement. Clare stood to the side just watching the wave of emotions flowing in the air. After another moment, Adam clicked his phone shut and squinted his eyes in anger. Fitz's smile never left his face.
"Does Mommy need her little baby boy?" Fitz said in a smug manor. Adam gritted his teeth and walked over to his friend.
Leaning close to her, he whispered to her in an audible voice. "I'm not leaving you until he does."
The boy in the opposite direction crossed his arms and sent daggers with his eyes. Clare looked between the two, and replied. "You're Mom will kill you if you don't go with her. And don't worry, I can handle him."
Adam was reluctant to leave her, but reassured himself that if things were to go wrong, there was always Eli around to save the day. He gave her half a hug and bumped shoulders to the other male in the room in anger and took his exit.
Fitz eyes never stopped looking at the only girl in the room.
"Looks like it's just you and me cutie." He smiled at the blushing young girl. She was always shy around him, and he found it completely adorable.
"Fitz, I have a boyfriend." Clare stated clearly out loud.
"That mysterious guy I keep hearing about?" The tall man laughed in a spiteful manor as he leaned on the door. "The guy that never shows up to any of your shows, or ever supports you." His head rested on the wall. "Yeah you sure got a winner there."
A faint noise came out of the vents. He could have sworn it sounded like a growl, but assumed it was just the air vents acting up.
Frightened by the noise slightly, she was quick to speak. "He might not show up, but I know he would do all those things if he could."
"Pfft, you're wasting your time with long distance relationship. You don't think he's screwing around with another chick right now?"
"I have a strong feeling he isn't."
"Doubt it."
Another noise came out of the vents. Clare's worry increased as she thought that Eli's old tricks would resurface and probably expose him. She needed to get rid of the boy in front of her.
"Take my word for it, and I don't like how you are talking about him." Clare put on her acting face as she expressed an outraged emotion to the scene. In some point, she wasn't completely acting as it did offend her best friend. "Please leave." She pointed out to the door and held her feet to the floor.
Fitz raised an eyebrow, and was slightly shocked at the action. He hardly ever saw Clare angered, it intrigued him slightly. Still he shrugged it off, and attempted to calm her down. "Hey, take it easy. I'm sorry I offended your precious boyfriend, but I was just telling you my thoughts-"
"No! You really need to leave. Right now." She was a tad hysterical as she attempted to push him out of the door. She was obviously not able to, but Fitz got the hint that she wanted him gone. No excuses.
"Alright! Sheesh. I'll just talk to you when you're not on your rag then." He added as he let himself be shoved by her. Then out he went to the halls.
After taking him out, she shut the door and locked it tight. Relief flooded through her body and slid to the floor. It was exhausting, her life that is. She clenched her head and scrunched her body together.
"Did I ever tell you I hate him?" A deep voice filled the room. Clare stared in the ceiling with her shock reappearing at her face.
"He can't be as bad as he looks," She tried to be the optimistic one, she always did. The person in between, she was good at that. That and school obviously. "Maybe one just has to get to know him…"
"And you want to be that person?" His tone was sarcastic, but not like his usual sense. It was slightly angered. "He gives me a bad vibe. I don't want you near him." Clare resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew what this was about, he was always the jealous type. The proof was in the pranks he pulls on KC, almost a year later after breaking up and he still has a strong hatred towards him. It was both heartwarming and threatening to see he held such little grudges for her self-being.
"I know enough to say he is somewhat harmless."
"Still, the Neanderthal shouldn't be anywhere close to you." Her facial expression was quizzical, she was about to say something until he interrupted her once more. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
Nodding, she tried to put the subject behind them, and introduced another subject. "Did… did you like the show?"
She couldn't see it, but somehow knew he was smiling. "Yes, and I'm very proud."
"Really?" Her face lit up.
"Yeah, who knew I could be such a great teacher." Humor was in his tongue, and Clare couldn't help but pull out a fake chuckle. "All jokes aside, I am proud of you. You were amazing out there."
Her blush was made obvious as she went into her closet to grab a loose flowing nightgown. "I do have you to thank. I would never have done that, done anything for that matter if it wasn't for you." She shut herself in the closet to change.
"To think that we changed each other's lives in a year. "
Her smile never fell as she dropped her stabbing , yet extravagant dress from her body. "I can't believe it's been a year. A year since we met, since you saved me, since everything."
"I'm grateful you were too stubborn to leave my theater." Clare started to hear little fumbling echo around her. It sounded something like the vents 'acting' up again, but not quite.
"I'm grateful you were creepy enough to keep me as your slave." She chuckled and slipped the light material through her body and then passed her arms and hands. The linen was loose and free, just how she felt on stage. "I just can't believe how everything just played out. It's like a dream almost…"
She opened the door to stare at a site that caught her off guard. It was Eli, or what she assumed was Eli, wearing a white, upper half faced mask. Hair slicked back, clothes dark and gothic with a bouquet of roses held in his hands.
"W-what's going on here?"
He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "I figured it's been too long since we've met met." He stepped closer to her and handed her the assortment of flowers in her arms. "And what better time than right now."
From up close, Clare could barely see his eyes, she couldn't tell if they were real or not, but she thought they were the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. Clare lightly giggled, and Eli laughed with her completely dumfounded expression.
"Why laugh at me?"
She pointed to his face and continued to chuckle. "It's just the mask, it seems too much don't you think?"
"I think it's kind of cool." He came even closer to her. "A little mysterious." His hands secured her waist and held her for a brief moment. "Don't you like that about me?"
Clare blushed even more, and hid her face behind strands of curls. He would always have that effect on her, that mushy embarrassing effect. That he was completely in control, while she was the quirky girl that giggled at everything.
"I question my sanity when I try to reason out why I like you."
He laughed at the response, she always played hard to get with him. Just how he likes it. "So you do admit you do like me…"
"I suppose ..."
"It's either a yes or no."
"Are we really doing this right now?"
"Just answer the question."
"No! You'll just get cocky."
"That's my answer then!"
Another chuckle erupted from him, in his eyes she was the very essence of cute. "Clare just tell me that you like me already…" He took her even closer in his arms and made her drop the flowers to eliminate the distance from each other. Her arms made their way to the back of his neck and they just stood there for a brief second.
"Alright, I like you Elijah Goldsworthy." The very phrase sent shivers through his body.
With those words escaping her lips, Eli leaned forward and planted a greedy little kiss on her. She jumped back slightly at the action, but melted into his arms as she did the same. He took the kiss a step forward as he licked between her plump lips and allowed himself in her. At first he was hesitant of his actions, but then lost himself, and his mind as he continued to taste every bit of his love's mouth. Clare liked the sudden passion he was pushing and attempted to be brave and mirror the same actions. Her tongue swirled around with his, as she pulled on the little hairs on the back of his neck.
It was an enjoyable moment as they took big gasps of air and hardly stopped their activity. His hands were about to roam north of her body as he started to lean more and more into her.
Then a knock on the door was heard.
Clare's eyes opened, while Eli's stayed in the moment. She tried to back away, but he wouldn't have any of it. They've been apart for too long, and he wasn't going to let some jerk ruin his happiness.
The knocking didn't stop of course, and Eli grew annoyed with every beat. He clutched her closer, trying to distract her from the horrid noise. It was working for a second. That is until a voice complimented the gesture.
"Hey, Clare. I wanted to know if you were ok." Out of all the jerks in the world—it had to be Fitz. "You're light's still turned on."
Clare separated her lips from Eli's and he looked irritated by the intruder that he produced a low growl. He whispered in her ear. "Don't answer him."
Clare said nothing but just looked into his eyes. She was hoping he would leave, and things would go back to what they were, and Eli wouldn't have hatred pouring out of his posture. She hoped, but after a minute, she saw that Fitz wasn't giving up. He was twisting the knob. Fear filled inside of her as she remember that he held a copy of her key. Clare was terrified of what he might think if he found a strange boy in her room.
"Eli, you need to go." She whispered at his face, and held a worried expression. Meanwhile Eli looked at the door with anger.
"I leave, or you come with me. You're choice Edwards." He said, still holding his anger at the door. The sound of a ring of keys could be heard and he adjusted his sight back to Clare. She had to choose now.
She bit her lip and looked at the door. In a strange way it scared her the reaction that Eli's been having. His attitude completely turned into the opposite as they were interrupted, but she knew what her decision would be. As she thought this, the sound of a key being shoved into a hole was heard, and she had to speak her mind quick.
"I'll go with you."
He smiled and took her hand. Clare was curious where he always hid, and this was the opportunity for her to see just that. With a jerk to the theater's large full size mirror, he shoved it to the side and felt the wall for a second. After sensing an emptiness in one region of the wall, he swiftly pulled out a door that could close to blend in with the walls. Clare's eyes went wide. Her room was the entrance to his home.
The door knob turned and was being pushed open. Eli was already through the door, and pulled her close to him. And just in time, he shut the door as soon as Fitz opened his door. They escaped. And Eli Goldsworthy could not stop grinning.
Ho snap what just happened.
I'm killing you guys right now aren't I? OH JOY!
So I'm going to keep the rounded number of reviews. I'll say about 545 reviews. I say this because, I'm sorry to say that I MIGHT update Wednesday if you guys accomplish early (as you guys usually do). The reason? I have a test coming up. Still it's a might. Hell I think I am kinda prepared for the test, but who knows... wish me luck guys! It's a doozy.
545 reviews!
OH and to kill you even more, you'll like the next one just a tad more than this chapter, I think.