I Do Not Own DeGrassi
Ch.21 Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
(CLARE)
"What the hell happened?" Adam demanded gingerly touching a forming bruise on her arm.
"Jenna and Alli told us Simpson called you to his office." Connor said.
Clare shook her head, "Reese stole some stationary from Simpson's office, forged a note and got some grade nine to bring it to my class. They were waiting for me; they were going to take me. If Eli hadn't come when he did…" She couldn't finish her mind flooding with nightmarish thoughts; she turned into Eli and buried her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and she didn't even mind that he was squeezing the bruises.
"When I found her Reese had her shoved against the lockers and Fitz backhanded her." Eli said, his voice resonating and vibrating through his chest and it made Clare smile, hearing him and feeling him bringing an indescribable comfort and feeling of safety to her.
"Where are the Terror Twins now?" Drew asked.
"Don't know, I kicked Fitz hard in the nards and he went down."
"He's had that coming for a while." Adam laughed.
"No kidding." Eli agreed. "Then I punched Reese in the stomach and he went down too but so did Clare. She passed out so I picked her up and carried her in here to hide before they could get to their feet."
"Another panic attack?" Adam asked his tone full of unease and his hand gently on her back. Clare nodded her head into Eli's chest. "You've been having a lot of those lately."
"I'm not letting her go to history, not taking the chance that Reese will be there. I'll stay with her." Eli said just as the warning bell rang.
"I'll stay too; I can afford to miss a class." Adam said.
"Okay I'll text Jenna to put her backpack in her locker. Get pictures of all her bruises and text them to me so I can add them to our evidence." K.C. instructed.
"Will do." Adam affirmed.
Clare heard the others leave and Eli gently put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him before kissing her softly.
"Adam turn the lights on please so we can get pictures of her bruises." Eli requested.
A few seconds later the room got brighter and then Eli gently pulled her from his chest. She looked at Adam; he had his phone ready to snap pictures. She lifted her sleeves and he took pictures of the ones on her biceps and he took one of her elbow from where Reese had grabbed her yesterday. Then he took one of the corner of her mouth, when he was done she licked the blood away from where Fitz had hit her.
"There may be some on my back from where they shoved me into the lockers." She said quietly turning around and lifting her shirt.
She felt Adam's fingers delicately graze over a tender spot she assumed was a bruise and down to another. His touch was so light it tickled, and although it wasn't Eli's touch it wasn't anything like Fitz or Reese touching her. She didn't feel sick or afraid, she didn't jump or recoil. It was comforting and made her feel safe, almost as much as Eli's touch did, which is why she had turned to Adam so much and so instantly for the time Eli had been avoiding her.
"Looks like they shoved you pretty violently, you have bruises in the shapes of the handles and the locks and I can see the impression of the slats of the lower locker." Adam told her and his voice was strained with anger or sadness she wasn't sure.
Eli kissed her forehead and Adam took several pictures of her back. She knew Adam was done when Eli gently tugged on her shirt to bring it down again. She let go and her shirt fell back into place. Eli sat on the floor crossing his legs and gently pulling her into his lap. She sat down and he encircled her into his arms. Adam turned out the lights once again so they were left in relative darkness and he sat down by them, then started pressing buttons on his phone and she surmised he was texting the pictures to K.C.
"I'm fairly certain they won't try anything else today, and even if they do your all close by, but what about tonight?" She asked her voice getting very small at the end. She wrapped her arms around Eli's and took a deep breath. "I mean Owen spent the night last night so I doubt my parents will let anyone else sleep over before the weekend and I told them on Monday I slept at Alli's so I could sleep at your house."
"Jake'll be there and your parents." Eli tried to assure her.
"They won't care, they got in even with the padlock on my window and they slept in my bed with Jake and my parents' home. If they really want to get me that badly even having Jake sleep in my room again won't make a difference. And anyway Reese will know somehow, he always does. They knew that I slept at Adam's; they knew that Jake and Owen were in my room last night. They'll know Jake is the only thing to keep them from taking me and they could hurt him." A couple of tears slipped down her cheeks and she turned her head into Eli's chest once again.
"I'm sorry Clare." Eli said his voice full of hurt and remorse. "I should have been there."
"You think Cece and Bullfrog would let me spend the night?" Adam asked.
Clare felt Eli shrug, "Yeah I don't see why not."
"Clare." Adam said and she lifted her head from Eli's chest to look at him. "What time do your parents go to bed?"
"Around ten I guess." She replied.
"Would Jake sneak you out and drive you to Eli's after their in bed?" He asked.
Clare smiled at Adam's plan and was glad he was still level headed enough to think clearly. "If it means keeping the Terror Twins away, especially after this morning, I'm sure he would. I'll talk to him at morning break."
"Good you'll be safe at my house tonight." Eli predicated tightening his hold on her just a little.
She kissed his cheek and nuzzled into him.
"I sure am glad you two are okay again and I'm back to being the third wheel." Adam said in a half mocking tone.
"ADAM!" Clare scowled at him slapping his leg playfully, "You are not a third wheel! I don't know what we'd do without you." She leaned away from Eli putting a hand on Adam's shoulder and kissed his cheek lightly.
Adam made a pseudo surprised face, fluttered his eyelashes and placed his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him. "I'll never wash my cheek again." He teased in a horrible southern accent.
Clare burst out laughing, she laughed so hard tears began to stroll down her cheeks, they were the first happy tears she'd shed in she couldn't remember how long. Even Eli was chuckling; it was shaking his chest and in turn shaking her and causing her to laugh all the more.
"See," Clare said trying to catch her breath again, "only you could make us laugh at a time like this."
Adam smiled proudly and then the bell rang and they all jumped a little. "Come on." Adam said standing up and pulling her out of Eli's lap. "We'll walk you to class."
Eli stood up too and they exited the room together dropping Clare at her next class. Eli kissed her cheek since the teacher was watching and couldn't kiss her the way she knew he wanted. He told her that he'd be there to get her as soon as classes let out. She smiled genuinely for the first time in days and went into class sitting at her desk. For once she wasn't worried about Reese or Fitz; she didn't feel afraid, guilty or ashamed. She felt secure, happy and loved it was a nice feeling. She sighed contentedly leaning back into the hard plastic chair and then scrunching up her face when it hit her bruised back. But even the reminder of her bruises and her encounter this morning couldn't ruin her mood, she had Eli back.
When the bell rang for morning break she saw Eli and K.C. waiting for her at the classroom doorway. They found Jake by his locker and explained the plan to him and after he found out that they'd nearly kidnapped her this morning he was more than willing to sneak her out and get her to Eli's after their parents went to bed. Then they walked to Clare's locker and she opened it to get her backpack and books out, she began pulling out books from her bag and exchanging them for ones in her locker and that's when she noticed that taped to the inside of her locker door was a red paper heart with block lettering on it which read: WE'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME BABY DOLL.
"E…Eli." She squeaked in a nervous gasp, opening her locker door all the way so he and K.C. could see the note.
K.C.'s posture tensed dramatically, he took the note down and put it in his backpack, she presumed to add it to their growing pile of evidence and then took out his phone and called one of the others. Eli enveloped her in his embrace kissing her cheek gently. She shrank into him, feeling safe and protected in his arms but her good mood had vanished completely and been replaced with a terrified anxiousness. A couple minutes later Clare heard a small stampede and looked up to see the others approaching with Alli, Jenna and Dave in tow.
"I told Dave everything so he can help, I hope you don't mind." Alli told her moving her from Eli's arms so she could hug her friend.
"No it's fine." Clare smiled a little at Alli pulling from the hug and going back to Eli's hold. "The more people to protect us the better."
"She's sleeping at my house tonight and so is Adam, so she'll be safe." Eli informed them.
The sudden loud screech of the bell gnawed at her already agitated nerves and startled her. Eli held her tightly and kissed her cheek.
"Connor you and Dave walk Alli and Jenna to class just to be safe, the rest of us will take Clare." Owen instructed.
Alli and Jenna each hugged Clare quickly before turning down the hall. Eli kept an arm around her as they walked in the middle of the others. They arrived at Clare's class; Wesley was already at his desk he waved at them all but looked confused. Eli kissed her softly and said to contact them right away if she saw or heard from Reese or Fitz. She nodded and went into class sitting at her desk next to Wes.
When the bell rang Owen, Drew, Adam and Eli were waiting for her. She said goodbye to Wes and went out to them. "Wouldn't it have made more sense for K.C. and Connor to walk me to gym class? At least they have that class with me and so do Alli and Jenna."
"K.C. and Mo went to Jenna's class to get her and Connor went with Dave to Alli's, they'll meet us at the gym so we can be sure your all safe." Drew informed her.
Clare nodded and went to Eli wrapping his arms around her so she'd feel safe again. He held her as tightly as he was able while still walking. Alli, Dave and Connor were already waiting at the gym doors, Jenna and the others came a moment later.
"We better go change for gym." Jenna sighed.
Eli kissed her cheek and he walked down the hall with everyone but K.C. and Connor. Clare watched him go and stood frozen in the doorway until K.C. and Jenna pulled at her sleeves to get her to move. She couldn't explain it but she had a sudden uneasy feeling. She followed Alli and Jenna to the girl's locker room and they began changing. She was moving slow her uneasy feeling making her extra jumpy.
"Come on Clare class is starting." Alli whined as she finished changing.
"Go ahead I'll be out in a minute." She called pulling her socks on.
"K we'll see you in a minute." Jenna said.
Clare heard footsteps walking away and knew that they had gone out to class; she tied her shoes and stood up to walk out to class as well but stopped dead in her tracks when a figure appeared. It was Reese! Clare gasped; her fists clenching instinctually, tears of pure terror began trickling down her cheek. Her first instinct was to scream, to get Connor and K.C.'s attention and anyone else who was listening but for some reason she couldn't. It was as if she had forgotten how. So she went with her second instinct and ran, not that there was really anywhere for her to go. She heard Reese running after her she tried to dodge around the lockers and make it out of the locker room door but he caught her.
(ALLI)
"Clare should be out by now; she was almost dressed when we left." Alli commented in an agitated voice as Coach Armstrong began splitting them into teams.
"Maybe we shouldn't have left her." Jenna replied looking anxious herself.
They looked at each other another couple of seconds, Jenna's face was flushed with guilt and anxiety and Alli was sure that her face looked about the same.
"K.C.!" They both said at once in almost exactly the same distraught tone. They ran over to him and caught Connor's attention a well.
"We left Clare in the locker room she should be out by now."
The four of them turned and ran to the girl's locker room.
(CLARE)
He caught her arm and pulled her to him, squeezing harshly in nearly the exact same places as that morning. She whimpered from fight and pain but it was nearly inaudible it was as though Reese had stolen her voice.
"It isn't nice to run from me Clare." He barked at her, shaking her violently, his face maniacal and stone like sending a terrified shudder through her body. "The chase can be fun but frankly I'm getting tired of chasing you baby doll. And I'm all out of patience I want my prize now."
He leaned in to kiss her and she felt her stomach turn, she may not have a voice but she could do one thing, when he got close enough she spit in his face. Reese flinched and she let out a nervous laugh. His face flashed surprise for a second before turning malevolent and hostile, his eyes lit with a fiery rage, his grip on her tightening even more eliciting an agonized sharp shriek from her lips. This made Reese smile and Clare realized, now that she was no longer submitting; now that he no longer had patience or any sort of kindness toward her he was happy to make her suffer, bringing her pain brought him a deviant joy. This frightful realization brought forth horrific thoughts of what he and Fitz would do if they truly got their hands on her and just as she began to feel another panic attack coming on she heard an angry and determined voice from the doorway.
"Let her go Reese!" K.C. growled at him.
Reese looked away from Clare and smiled almost mockingly at K.C., Clare saw just a glimmer of apprehension in Reese's eyes and knew that K.C was not alone.
"Make me Guthrie I dare you." He taunted.
Clare heard heavy, determined footsteps approaching them, two sets which she assumed to be K.C. and Connor. They got closer and Reese spun her around so quickly she wasn't aware it had happened until she was facing her friends and her back was being tightly held to Reese's chest. His arm was pressed so tightly around her chest it was making it hard for her to breathe, his hand digging into her shoulder with such a violent force she could feel his short nails ripping at her flesh through the cotton fabric of her shirt.
"There's nowhere for you to go Reese." K.C. said.
From her peripheral vision Clare saw Reese smile, he bent down a little licking her earlobe and Clare shivered then he shoved her forcefully at K.C. and Connor and ran out the door slipping past a shocked Alli and Jenna.
"What are you all doing in here?!" Coach Armstrong demanded loudly from behind Alli and Jenna startling all of them.
"I slipped and they were helping me." Clare said quickly.
Coach Armstrong looked them over for a minute, considering that K.C. and Connor were still holding her and she had tears in her eyes and obvious tear tracks on her cheeks she was sure he would buy this excuse.
"You need to go to the nurse Clare?" Coach Armstrong asked.
"I don't think so." She said, fearing that a walk through the empty halls would leave her vulnerable to Reese and Fitz.
"Alright everyone back to class." He commanded before turning and walking back to the gym.
Clare straightened up breaking from K.C. and Connor's hands as she did.
"You okay Clare?" Connor asked.
"Honestly I don't know." She said her voice trembling nearly as much as her body.
Jenna and Alli ran up and hugged her tightly. "We are so sorry Clare." Alli lamented a couple of tears breaking out of her eyes.
"We never should have left you alone." Jenna bawled.
"It's not your fault you guys, Reese would have gotten to me ayhow and could have hurt you in the process. They're not going to stop till they have me again." She sighed out in a whisper before walking out to gym class. She heard the others following her close behind.
(ELI)
Science class was two minutes from ending and he was gathering his stuff to meet Drew and Adam to go pick up Clare from gym class when his phone beeped.
New text message from K.C. Guthrie: Everyone meet us outside the gym now!
He felt a sharp stabbing breath catch in the back of his throat and his heart stopped for a second and then raced wildly, nearly beating out of his chest. Something else had happened what if she was hurt? He bounded from his desk clutching his backpack tightly and running down the hallway to the gym, ignoring the teacher calling after him. He saw Clare leaning against the wall Jenna and Alli had their arms around her and K.C. and Connor were on either side of her. Adam, Owen, Mo and Dave were approaching quickly from the opposite direction and he heard fast moving footsteps behind him and knew it was Drew. Clare flew into his arms the second she saw him and the rest converged around them. He embraced her as tightly as he could without crushing her. She was shaking and she'd started to cry. She was curled into him as much as she could be while remaining standing and clutched at his shirt like a nervous child would their mother's skirt while hiding behind her.
"What the hell happened?!" Eli demanded.
"We're so sorry it's our fault." Jenna and Alli cried together.
Clare lifted her head to look at Eli but kept clutching at his shirt. "It's not their fault Eli, don't be mad at them. Reese would have gotten me reagrdless and they may have gotten hurt for being in his way."
Eli's face softened as he gazed into the crystal blue eyes of the girl he loved. "What do mean would have gotten you regardless? What happened?"
The bell rang, the hallways began filling with students and they huddled closer together.
"He attacked her in the locker room; he waited till she was alone." K.C. said his jaw tight and his face a mixture of regret and ire.
"I tried to run away but he caught me, I have new bruises on my arms or darker ones anyway. He said he was getting tired of chasing me and he wanted his prize, he leaned in to kiss me. I wanted to scream but no sound came out, but I spit in his face. Then Alli, Jenna, Connor and K.C. showed up and demanded he let me go. Reese shoved me at them and then ran out." Clare explained through a few trickling tears and shaky breaths.
"I already got new pictures of her arms," K.C. told him, "but we don't have enough evidence to go to the cops with a stalking case yet. Maybe enough for a restraining order."
"They're getting more desperate and more violent." Adam sighed with a worried and lost sort of look on his face.
"They're going to take me Eli, they'll find a way. They'll wait till I'm alone anywhere and they'll take me. They'll leave with me and they'll hurt me and…" She whispered in choking sobs, she was beginning to get hysterical and he silenced her with a soft kiss.
"No they won't, not as long as we can help it." He assured her.
"But you can't always be around, there are going to be times when I'm alone, it can't be helped and Reese will know, he always knows." She sobbed.
"We won't let them get you Clare; we'll do everything we can to keep you and the rest of us safe. Dry your tears we need to get you to class." Adam's sweet and determined voice seemed to comfort her a bit and she stopped shaking in his arms and sniffled in her tears.
She wiped the rest of her tears in his shirt but he didn't mind, he just kissed the top of her head.
"I have class with Clare next but someone should walk with Alli and Jenna to be safe. Who knows what Fitz and Reese are capable of at this point?" Stated Dave.
"Connor, Mo and I will walk Jenna and Alli the rest of you take Clare." K.C. commanded.
The group broke into two; Eli released Clare with one arm keeping the other around her as they began walking to her next class. She was still gripping his shirt tightly and he wondered if she'd let go when they reached her class. She did, kissing him quickly before Dave took her hand and led her into the room. He watched her sit down at her desk and then began walking down the hall with the others.
"Adam…" He started but now that Clare was out of his arms his voice was strained with distress.
Adam put a comforting arm around his shoulders, "We'll keep her safe Eli."
He nodded but a part of him worried that they couldn't, that Clare was right and Reese and Fitz would stop at nothing to get her, to take her and then take what they wanted from her. The very thought cut at his heart like a knife and he clenched his fist and bit the inside of his lip to keep from crying.
(CLARE)
She was trying to pay attention to the teachers lecture but her mind wouldn't focus. She'd barely made it through gym class and only succeeded because she was on a team with her friends and they were playing dodge ball; she'd imagined the opposing team to all be Reese and Fitz it was oddly therapeutic. However the frightening encounter with Reese in the locker room had disturbed her more than she'd let on but now her raw nerves were splintering with every click of the chalk on the chalkboard, every loud breath from a student around her, every tap of a pencil against a desk. And just when she thought she was going to run from the room screaming hysterically she saw a malicious looking Fitz lurking near the classroom just beyond the teacher's vision.
"Dave." It came out in such a terribly high pitched squeak that it drew the attention of a few other students besides Dave.
They gave her an odd look and she realized she must look petrified but she couldn't seem to calm her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath then mustered a tiny smile.
"Hiccups." She said nervously.
The other students looked at her like she was crazy but they took their attention from her and put it back on the teacher.
Dave leaned into her and put a hand on her arm, "Clare what's wrong."
"Fitz he's here." She whispered shakily glancing toward the devilish figure smiling wickedly at her.
Dave followed her gaze and his posture immediately straightened and his hand on her arm curled around gripping her tightly but not hurting her. They watched as Fitz pulled his silver switch blade from his pocket, flicked out the blade and began twirling it in his hand. He was looking right at them, his eyes full of lust, lechery, malice and a cruel sort of perverse pleasure. A small but sadistic smile crept over his lips as he mouthed, "She's mine!"
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