Clare was trying to leave the classroom but Eli blocked her path
"Sorry Clare." He said and winked at her
"It's fine Eli." Clare said and nodded as she left. He just watched her.
"KC, I am sorry, I have to get to power squad tryouts. See you later." Jenna said and kissed KC goodbye. KC sighed. He did not know how he was gonna spend his spare.
"Hey K" Clare said coming up from behind him "Got a spare?" she asked
"Um yeah, you?"
"Yup, look can I buy you a cup of coffee and talk?" KC looked at Clare
"Yeah, sure, why not?" and they left school.
…...
As they left the Dot KC looked at Clare
"You look good Clare."
"Thanks. So do you." She said. They were silent for a while when KC began
"Clare about what happened the last day of school…" but Clare cut him off
"KC before you speak, let me talk ok?" he nodded and she sat down. "Remember when I told you that you didn't know what you wanted?" he nodded again sitting next her "well I thought about it and realized that I didn't know what I wanted. Last year, I didn't know if I just be your friend or be your girlfriend again, I was hurt and angry, but I still had feelings for you. There were a lot of things left unsaid" Clare admitted "But I thought about it, and realized that we were really close, so close. You are my best friend. And the fact we don't talk anymore, because of this whole dating thing kills me. You have moved on, I have moved on. You are happy with Jenna and I am happy for you. I am also happy being just Clare. I have discovered things about my self and realized that I like being single." She smiled "Almost as much as I like being you friend that is if you want to be my friend?" KC looked at Clare.
He thought about this. He should be happy. He could keep Clare in his life, and still be with Jenna. He could have all the benefits of both. Why wasn't he thrilled? Maybe the thought of he and Clare being completely and totally over, broke his heart in a way he had never known. But he looked at her face. He had chosen this path, not her. He knew the only way to have Clare in his life was to be her friend. Besides he was with Jenna. He cared about her. He was sure of that
"That sounds awesome; I would love to be friends." Clare looked relieved
"Great! That's a relief." She smiled and he couldn't help but smile too.
…
"So Clare, how was coffee with KC?" Alli asked
"Great, we came to an understanding. We are just gonna be friends." Clare said proudly
"Yup I give you guys about a week. Then you gonna re-fall for KC and be all like 'Oh my god he is so sweet and cute, oh my god I am so in love with him" Alli said trying to mimic Clare
"Thanks for your confidence in me." Clare said "I figured out that the day KC and I started going down hill really was when he asked me out."
"No Clare, the day you and KC started going down hill when a perky blonde named Jenna came into the picture." Alli said but Clare shook her head
"No Alli, it is so easy to blame it all on Jenna, and true she did play he part, but KC choose to leave me for Jenna, she did play a part, but KC choose to leave me, not Jenna. She may have flirted but KC flirted back. No one held a gun to his head. It was all his choosing. Besides he is happier with Jenna than me. I wish him and her all the best." Clare said with no hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Good for you." And they entered the café. A boy with spiky hair who was sitting with Sav and the other football players. He smiled at Alli who smiled back\
"Who is that?" Clare said
"Oh that? That's Drew. He is new and so cute. He is on the football team with Sav." She waved and he waved back
"Alli no." Clare said
"What?" Alli said
"I thought you were gonna do this boy free year with me." Clare said
"Yeah I don't want to do that anymore." Alli said
"After Johnny, I can't believe that you even want to date again."
"Clare not every guy is Johnny. I have learned that. I am ok with dating unlike you." She said
"All boys bring are heartache and misery and." But Alli was making her way to sit with them "you aren't even listening to me."
"Come on Clare join us." Alli asked.
"No thanks, I'm just gonna eat outside." Clare said and made her way outside. She looked around for an open table. Once she found one, sat down and opened her lunch. Then she heard
"Hey Edwards, why aren't you eating with Alli and the football players?" it was Eli.
"I wanted to eat out side, why aren't you eating with KC and Jenna and all of them?" Clare asked
"I don't like Jenna." He said Clare looked at him with surprise "Hey can I sit here?" he asked
"Yeah sure." Clare said "So why don't you like Jenna?"
"Cause she is so annoying. I mean she looks like she is permanently high. Its like 'hi my name is Jenna and my eyes are always wide. Will you be my friend?' " he made his eyes go wide and got his voice up high like girls "Cause I am sunshine and rainbows and perky joy." Clare busted out laughing
"That's really mean." Clare said but continued to laugh
"But its true…..you know it is." he said and she laughed again. He liked her laugh
"I would have thought you were like all the other guys here and find her hot."
"I never said she wasn't pretty." He admitted "but she is annoying. so that cancels out any "hotness" she has
"Yeah that is the problem, either she is pretty and annoying or ugly and interesting"Clare said as she took a bite of her sandwich.
"No not always." He said
"Oh yeah?" Clare challenged "Name one"
"You." she looked up "You pretty and interesting." And he smiled and Clare couldn't help but smile form ear to ear