This chapter fails. Epically. It is the worst thing I have ever written in my life.
It is short and half way through the chapter I came down with a severe case of Writers' Block, which is why this update is reeeeeeeeeeeallyyyyyyy late.
I promise, next time I will do better.
On another note,
TODAY IS MUNRO CHAMBERS' FREAKING TWENTY FIRST BIRTHDAY! And his Twin Brother, Thomas!
Everybody, join in singing:
Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday Dear Munro and Thomas Chambers...Haaaaappy Birthday to you!
WE ALL LOVE YOU!
Now that I'm done fangirling, on with the story!
Love Always,
~Pho:)
Chapter 4
Eli's POV
Soon after leaving the Dot, I dropped Adam and Clare off at their places. Clare was still a little distraught…and by that I mean very. Clare is…scary when she was angry. I thought she was going to set the Dot on fire. And now she's just very upset over the way she reacted, but she's right. Her powers affect her greater than mine or Adam's.
We each have rolls; I'm the protector, I guess. I always have been. I've always guarded Adam and Clare, from Fitz and any other offending foe. And that's what my power enables me to do; protect. If there were ever a danger great enough we would have to use our powers against it, I'm able to flee with them by teleporting, and keep the enemy away with my telekinesis.
Adam has always been very people smart and able to read and deliberate between them; guess their next move. That's what he's able to do with his ability to read minds. He can get in people's heads and confuse them, and warn us when there's a threat. He's the…mediator.
And then there's Clare. Clare's power automatically puts her in the offense position, I suppose. And she always has been. No matter how much I try to shield her from Fitz, she defends herself, Adam, and I. Her powers create harm, a threat. They create a strong front. She is literally a force of nature. And it pulls so much out of her, and messes with her emotions. It's like she's about to burst.
It's like we're all on a basketball team. I'm defense, Clare's offense, and Adam's the one guessing their next move (whoever that is). We've all got each other's backs but the one who takes the hardest hit will always be Clare.
I sighed and tread upstairs, signing onto my Facerange to see Clare was on.
eli-gold49: How're you holding up?
clare-e23: Oh, you mean have I burnt anything down or caught anything on fire recently? No.
eli-gold49: Clare, that's not what I meant.
clare-e23: But that's what almost happened, Eli! Because I lost my temper, I could have hurt a lot of people. Maybe even killed. How am I suppose to deal with that?
eli-gold49: By not letting it bother you. That's why your power flared up, isn't it?
clare-e23: That's the thing, Eli. Things that I never cared about now annoy me to death! I've never been so short with anybody in my life, and the first people I take it out on are you and Adam. You two, of all people! How do I deal with that? Goodness, as much fun as this power can be, it's a pain in the ass.
I sighed. Clare was not going to get over this quickly, and I don't blame her. But if she keeps dwelling on it, she'll just get upset which will cause another flare up.
eli-gold49: Do you want me to come over?
clare-e23: …do you mind?
I smirked.
eli-gold49: I'll be there in three seconds.
ELI-GOLD49 HAS LOGGED
I shut my laptop and flashed into Clare's room, seeing her scrunched up against her head rest, my earphones canceling any noise. Her laptop was sitting at the other end of her bed, and she was singing quietly.
On the first page of our story, the future seemed so bright. Then this thing turned out so evil; I don't know why I'm still surprised. Even Angels have their wicked schemes, and you take that to new extremes. But you'll always be my hero even though you've lost your mind.
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn? But that's alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry? Well that's alright because I love the way you lie, love the way you lie. Ohhh, I love the way you lie.
Now there's gravel in our voices, glass is shattered from the fight. In this Tug-of-War, you'll always win. Even when I'm right. Cause you feed me fables from your head, with violent words and empty threats. And it's sick that all these battles are what keeps me satisfied.
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn? But that's alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry? Well that's alright because I love the way you lie, love the way you lie. Ohhh, I love the way you.
Ohhhh ohh ohhh. So maybe I'm a masochist! I try to run, but I don't wanna ever leave. Till the walls are going up in smoke with all our memories! As she sang that last note, she sounded utterly broken. Like this really was some sick game. I walked over and tapped her shoulder. She jumped up and looked scared until she realized it was me. She smacked my leg and took the earphones off.
"Yeesh, Eli, stalker much?"
"I said I'd be here in three seconds." I defended, sitting next to her on her bed.
"I was almost able to forget," She muttered sadly, and placed her hand on mine, "And then I realized everything else is cooler than I am. It's like I really am on fire. I understand, that's totally out of reach, but what about everything else? It's like when we were struck by that stupid lightning bolt, something in me was shifted out of whack. And as hard as I try, it's too hard to get it back where it should be."
"Clare, as long as you work at it, everything will balance out. It won't be tied to your emotions and only you can choose when you want to use it. It won't control you, you'll control it."
"I try. I try, so hard and I can't."
"You will. I swear."
"What's the point in being able to catch yourself on fire if you won't burn?"
"What are you, a sadist?"
"No, Eli, really. What's the point in this? You and Adam have useful powers that you can use, almost anytime you want. Mine is pointless. I wish I'd never thought of wanting it."
"Clare, wishing didn't give these to us. It was a freak accident. And it was just coincidence that we were talking about them that day."
"Was it, Eli? If there's anything I've learned, there's no such thing as coincidence. Things happen. You can't change them. You have to deal with it. My question is; how do we deal with this?"
"How we deal with everything else. How we deal with the bullying, the odd stares, the impeccable knowledge, anything that labels us. We embrace it." I answered, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand with my thumb.
"Sometimes I wish I was just a niner geek again. The one no one paid attention to. The one who was stuck in her older sister's shadow. The one that hid behind her Urkel glasses and was knee deep in books. Like I was a wallflower. I wish things were that simple."
"When did that change?"
"It started to when I started dating K.C.. But he was from a totally different world, and it didn't last long. After that I was recognized, but as a freak. Then you and Adam came along, and I felt like I actually belonged somewhere. For once I felt normal. And then, we got these powers, and once again, I'm the freak!"
"No you're not. You're just special. You always have been. That's nothing to be ashamed of. And it's not the end of the world. If it were, we would gotten electrocuted the fuck out of." I chuckled. She giggled and turned her head towards mine, about to say something, but she lost her train of thought. It's times like these, I wish I had Adam's power, I thought to myself. Not know what the hell I was doing, I began to lean in, shocked to see Clare doing the same. My forehead touched hers, our lips centimeters apart—
"Clare! Honey, I'm home! Can you come downstairs and help me unpack the groceries?" Her mother called from downstairs. Way to go, Mamma Edwards…
"See ya later, Blue Eyes." I muttered huskily, smirking at her. Right before I had completely flashed away, I heard Clare groan,
"Dammit, Mom…" Yeah, dammit Mama Edwards.
We I flashed back into my room, I saw Adam sitting on my bed, reading one of my comics.
"Your mom sent me up." He said, reading my mind.
"Ah…"
"So what did Clare's mom stop you from doing?"
"Oh, you didn't rack my brain for that info?"
"Dude, you almost kissed her?" He asked, shooting up from my bed.
"Key word: almost. I went over cause she was all distressed over, you know, almost catching the Dot on fire, so I went over there to comfort her."
"I bet you did…" He muttered.
"Watch it, Torres." I snapped.
"Okay, okay. But better you be the one to corrupt my little Clare Bear than someone else."
"Get out!" I yelled.
"Okay, okay!" He laughed, "I'm done! I'm done! God, you take things so literally."
"Because you're not joking, and I don't have to be the mind reader to know that!"
"Shh! CeCe is downstairs!" He yelled in a hushed whisper.
"She probably thinks we're discussing comics." I quipped.
Knock Knock.
"Eli? Dinner's ready in fifteen. Adam, you could stay if you'd like." CeCe said as she entered my room.
"Thanks, Missus Golds—I mean CeCe." Adam said while my mother chuckled.
"Where's Clare? I figured she'd be with you two. It's not often she's not here." CeCe mused.
"Uh…yeah, she uh, isn't feeling well." I said. CeCe rested herself on my doorjamb.
"What'd you do, Elijah?" She asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Why do you think I did something?" I questioned.
"Because, the three of you are inseparable. Adam practically lives here, Clare's here until curfew. And I heard you said you were over there comforting her. So I ask again, what did you do?"
"Yeah, Goldsworthy, what'd ya do?" Adam snarked.
"I did nothing! Do you want me to call and invite her over for dinner?"
"Go ahead. I'll ask her what you did when she gets here." She said, turning and walking down the stairs.
"Why does she think I did something?" I asked Adam.
"Because it's easy to tell that Clare Bear lovesssss you, and if you did anything she'd be devastated. And where is Clare? Not here." He teased.
"She does not." I protested.
"I'm the mind reader, remember?"
"You're catching the wrong vibe then."
"I don't 'catch vibes', asshole, I read thoughts. And they're very distinct. Your thoughts sound like your voice so I can tell who I'm listening to. Plus, because I'm so attuned to you and Clare, it makes it even easier. I can hear you guys, my family, even CeCe and Bullfrog from a distance. If I really strained, I could hear Clare right now if I wanted to. It also helps that Clare's thoughts are so pure. There's no way I could misread what Clare is thinking."
"Yeah, what ever." I muttered.
"So are you going to call her?" He asked.
"You tell me."
"I'm a mind reader, not a fortune teller. Stop getting them confused." He complained.
"If you were, you'd see me kicking you out." I muttered, dialing Clare's number.
"Please, CeCe would kick you out before she'd kick me out." He snorted, causing me to flip him the bird.
"Oh, fuck off—oh, hey Clare." Shit. I hadn't realized she picked up the phone.
Nice going, Hot Shot. Adam's voice droned in my head.
It was your fault, Prick. I thought back.
Uh, Eli? Clare asked on the phone, Did you call just to curse at me or was there a reason behind it? I could practically see her crossing her arms over her chest and the smirk she'd adopted from me forming on her perfect lips.
"Oh, no, sorry, I was talking to Adam." I apologized.
Ah…figures. Still doesn't explain why you called. She laughed.
"Why I called…why I called…oh, right! Uh, CeCe wanted me to invite you over for dinner; she made baked ziti." I answered nervously.
Better than the microwave ravioli I was going to heat up. I'll be there in ten. Bye.
"Bye…" I murmured into my iPhone.
"So Clare has perfect lips?" Adam teased.
"I swear, Adam, you'll be the death of me."
"It's not my fault you resolve to vile language."
"Clare doesn't let me use my fists." I retorted.
"Man, you are so whipped." He chuckled, shaking his head.
"Oh, I'm whipped? Mister-I-Do-Everything-Clare-Bear-Asks."
"Hey! There's a difference! One, I'm not in love with her, two, if I were, I would've told her by now—"
"Oh and Ali?"
"Who's dating my brother so drop it. Besides, Clare's the sister I never had. I would do anything for her."
"Exactly! You're whipped, too!" I countered.
"Ha! You said 'too'! You admit Clare has you wrapped around her pinky finger!"
"But we're not talking about me, we're talking about you."
"Oh, no you don't Goldsworthy; don't you try to flip the script on me! We were talking about you."
"No, we were talking about Clare."
"Yes, we were talking about Clare and about how in lov—"
"Okay, okay, I'm here, you can stop talking about me now." Clare said as she walked into my room. I panicked for a moment.
Don't worry, she didn't hear anything,Adam assured. I sighed in relief.
"Does nobody know how to use that thing that hangs on the wall that hides my sanctuary from the rest of the world?"
"Oh, the door? I opened it, I didn't burn it down, did I?" She asked bitterly.
"I was referring to knocking…" I muttered.
"Okay, what's wrong, Clare Bear?" Adam asked, opening his arms for Clare to lie in as he comforted her.
"As if you couldn't hear my me screaming my thoughts in my head as I walked down the sidewalk." She muttered.
"May I remind you I'm the only one in this room that can read minds," He said, looking up at me.
"My mother. My mother, my mother, my mother. She drove my father out of the house! He hasn't been home in almost two weeks, and she's walking around like there's nothing wrong; like the man she's been married to for twenty-three years didn't walk out!" She exclaimed.
"Clare, he didn't walk out," I murmured, sitting down beside her, "Just give it time, your parents just need to cool down."
"But what if they don't? What if the next time he leaves, he leaves for good? What if he doesn't even come home at all; what if there isn't a next time? It seems like I'm the only one in my family that cares! My dad's not home, my mom's walking around as if she's running on a constant high, Darcy's off saving the world one Kenyan school at a time, completely avoiding me and the family she seems to have forgotten she left behind!" She exclaimed.
"Clare, give it time; everything will pan out," Adam soothed, "Your parents will realize what their fighting is doing to you and your dad will move back in, Darcy will realize she's built enough schools and it's time to come back to her real family and you guys will be better than ever!"
"Not gonna happen," She muttered.
"Don't worry, Clare, everything will be fine." I assured.
"I sure hope you're right," She muttered everyone was quiet for a minute until Clare popped out of Adam's arms and turned to me, "Why did your mother think you did something to upset me?" She asked.
"I. Don't. Know!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air.
What'd I tell you?
It sucked, didn't it?
Well I'm very sorry. I will do better.
I'm so sad, one of my favorite fanfiction stories ended today.
Have you guys read Despite Our Struggles by wewillprevail?
Well you should. Like, right now.
It is fourty-three chapters of pure genius.
But today's Munro's birthday, so everything is worth while!
And for now, let's all pray that our Dear Eli realizes that he needs help. Fast. And that our little EClare hearts will soon stop braking.
Well...
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Just don't forget to review it!
Please, don't be too harsh.
~Pho:)