Foundations
"Guthrie, pass the ball." Coach Armstrong said. 2 weeks had gone by. They were in middle of basketball tryouts. KC wasn't even going to tryout, but Clare convinced him. He looked for an open player. The only one was Eli. He passed the ball and of course Eli scored.
"Nice Goldsworthy." Armstrong said. "Ok guys gather around." he said "Tomorrow, we have a game. Our annual Blue vs Golds game." he said "Its where you are split up and we face each other. Now if you are on the losing team, it doesn't mean you make the team. This just gives me a chance to see how you not only play with each other, and see how well you can work with the team." he then named the teams. KC and Eli were put on opposite teams. He wasn't even on Dave's team. He and Dave were friends again, but he still couldn't help but feel like he was being replaced.
"See you later man." Eli said "Gotta go with Clare to a power squad dinner at the Dot." he left.
…...
"So Clare," Jenna said as the girls were changing "Tomorrow at the game. Who are you gonna cheer for? Your boyfriend or your boyfriend?" Jenna dragged out the last boyfriend.
"What do mean?" Clare said putting her shirt on
"She means who are gonna cheer for? KC or Eli?" Trish said
"Guys." She was frustrated "Eli is the boyfriend. KC is the friend." Clare said
"Sure." they all said
"Its true!" Clare said
"Clare you and KC are a little too close for 'just friends." Jenna said
"No we aren't. We have always been close," Clare pointed out
"Then you were dating" Jenna pointed out to her
"Then we weren't." she told her "No matter what has happened, KC is and always will be my best friend." then she looked at them "Please don't tell Alli. She is my best friend, but KC is my other best friend." she said and they all began to pile out of the locker room. Eli was waiting for her
"Hello beautiful." he said and he kissed her
"Hi." she said "Ready to go?"
"Yes." he put his arm around her.
…...
After the dinner Eli walked Clare home. The were kissing on her porch.
"See you tomorrow." Clare said and she went for her door but Eli pulled her back
"One more kiss." he said and they kissed again she giggled
"Ok romeo, times up."
"No wait." and they kissed again.
"I have to go. I can feel my mom watching us." she said
"Ok fine." he said "After the game, wanna go with me to the ravine?" he asked
"I hate that place. I went there with Alli last year. It was so gross and stupid."
"Come on babe."
"Fine." Clare said "But if I feel uncomfortable, could we leave?"
"Of course." he assured her. "See you later."
"See ya." she kissed him quick.
…...
"I swear that my relationship with Eli is so prefect." Clare said to KC and Alli the next day. "He is so sweet and kind. I mean I have never been in a relationship that has been this good." Clare said and KC couldn't help but feel like she had just jabbed him.
"I am happy for Clare." he said as she was opening he locker.
"Me too. But look I gotta find Drew. See you at the game." she ran to find Drew.
"You excited for the game K?" she asked
"Not really. I trust Armstrong more than I would Carson, after what happened. But I still feel like I don't know." he said "I don't know if basketball is for me anymore." he looked down
"No KC. don't think that." Clare said and she looked at him with her honest eyes and he knew she wasn't lying. "You have a natural talent. You are good. Don't let anyone, a coach or anyone else hold you back." Clare stroked his arm.
"Thanks Clare." he said "You are awesome." he said "Wanna hang after the game? I mean with Eli also?" he said
"Can't. Sorry but we are going to the ravine." She said grabbing her science book.
"The ravine?" KC was shocked "Wait you hate it there." KC said remembering how uncomfortable Clare was. Not that he had been there but she did tell him
"I know. But maybe cause the whole time, I was alone while Alli made kissy face with DiMarco... it made it awkward." she said
"I would have gone with you." he told her.
"Well it was right after I found out about your..." Clare started but did not finish, but Kc knew what she was gonna say. It was after she found out about his past and the fact he lived in a group home. Something he never wanted her to know...
"Still would have gone." he said
"I know K." she winked at him "Listen I told Holly J I would meet her in the choir room, so see ya later. I'll be cheering for you." she smiled that smile that made KC's aching heart sing.
…...
"Then she winked at me and said 'I'll be cheering for you." KC told Dave "You know what this means?" he said
"Um, Clare is on power squad and has to be there to cheer all the players on." Dave said
"No its gonna be like last year. You know Clare there cheering me on every game." KC was too excited
"You do know Clare has a boyfriend, right? And his name isn't KC Guthrie, its Eli Goldsworthy." Dave pointed out
"But Dave that is the great part. She will be there to cheer me on and Eli can't get mad." KC said
"Wow you are in such denial. OK why don't you like Clare with Eli?"
"I just know Clare can do a lot better." He said as they entered the locker room prepping for the game. Eli hadn't come in yet.
"With who?"
"I don't know someone else."
"Yeah. With you, you mean?"
"What no!" KC said "Clare and I...no never happen again." KC just said "I wouldn't want it to I mean. I almost lost her last year, forever. And now she wants to be my friend, I wont mess everything up. Not a chance."
"Big news" Eli told Drew as they entered the room
"What?" Drew said
"Tonight, Clare and I are gonna do it!" Eli said
"You and Clare?" Drew said
"Yes." Eli said Drew high fived him
"Way to go man, welcome to the club." KC couldn't believe his ears. No way his Clare would have sex. Especially at a dirty ravine.
"Does Clare know?" KC said
"Nope, gonna surprise her after the game. At the ravine." Eli said
"But Clare isn't gonna have sex with you. She has only known you 2½ months and only been dating you about 2 months." Kc said "We knew each other for 7 months and dated for 3 of that and we never had sex. Trust me she isn't gonna have sex with you." KC told him
"Maybe Clare just didn't want to have sex with you. I mean not even Jenna slept with you." Eli said and everyone said 'ooooohhhh'
"Maybe Clare isn't gonna dump you when she finds out you planned this "surprise"." he said
"Why don't you stay out of this?" Eli stepped towards KC
"Why don't you make me?" KC stepped. Just then Coach Armstrong came in
"I hope you all are ready to show me what you got." he said "Gather in." Everyone gathered but KC and Eli. "Gentleman, come on. Panthers on 3." they walked over to the circle.
"One, Two, Three. Panthers." they said together.. they walked out and the cheerleaders were waiting for them. Then they warmed up and KC was walking to the bench Clare was waving at him he waved back
"Dude who are you waving at?" Eli said waving at Clare. KC realized that Clare was waving at Eli.
"Oh no one." he felt embarrassed
"I was gonna say your cheerleader girlfriend but I just remembered that you don't have one." he said
"Yeah." said
KC's team would be ahead then Eli's. Eli would score and so would KC. Finally 10 seconds left KC's team was head by one point. KC had the ball. He dribbled up to the basket, he took the shot but Eli knocked it out of his hand. Eli took the ball, and made a 3 pointer. His team won. Everyone was cheering him on.
"Eli!" Clare said running into Eli's arms. He twirled her. She laughed and kissed him "You did it!" she said
"Yes I did." they kissed again. He let go and he got hugged and high fived by the rest of the team. KC was looking upset. Clare walked over to him
"Hey K. you OK?" Clare said
"yeah." KC lied she smiled and hugged him
"You are still really good." she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Remember that I love ya. You are still a winner!" she told him
"Thanks Clare." KC said. Why was she so amazing?
"Clare come on" Eli said
"Gotta go. See you later." she said but KC grabbed her arm
"Clare, wait. Don't go. OK don't." he told her
"Why?"
"Just trust me, OK don't go."
"Yeah OK, bye K." she just walked away. Just then Dave came over
"What's man?" Dave said
"Tonight, we go to the ravine." he said
…...
Jenna couldn't find Adam. They had another fight. Jenna couldn't tell her why she couldn't tell her parents about them. She called his phone.
"Its Adam, um leave your name and number and I will call you back. Thanks you rock!" Jenna smiled and heard the beep.
"Hey Adam, its me. Listen I need to talk to you. Please stop giving me the silent treatment. We can work it out. Please just call me. OK?" Jenna hung up her phone. She sighed. Jenna liked Adam. Why was it so hard for he to tell her parents? Or her family? They adored Adam. They maybe OK with her and Adam dating. No they wouldn't and Jenna knew that. She left the gym and went home.
…...
Everyone was partying at the ravine. Eli walked over to Clare.
"Come with me." he said and Clare walked with him.
"Where are we going?" Clare asked. She was kinda nervous.
"To the van." he said and opened the door. Clare hesitated. "You OK?" she thought about last year, and how KC and Jenna hooked up the day after their split. She knew she didn't want to deal with another boyfriend leaving her because she was a 'prude'
"Yeah I am coming." she climbed into the van.
…...
"You go left and I'll go right" KC said to Dave
"Remind me again why we are doing this?" Dave said
"You know Clare isn't gonna want to have sex, she will need help." KC said
"You are so jealous."Dave said as he went off. KC couldn't find Clare and he was getting worried. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
…...
They were sitting on opposite sides of the van. Eli went over and started kissing Clare passionately. He kept kissing her and she began to lay down. Eli kissed Clare's neck. She had flash of Darcy's, and Alli's trauma's about their first time. She realized that this was wrong.
"Eli. Stop." she sat up
"What is it." Clare looked at him
"I am not ready." she said
"What do you mean?" he said
"I made a vow, that I would wait. And I am not ready to break that." Eli looked disappointed "I am sorry." she said
"I know. I wish I had known." he said
"I don't know if I will wait until I am married but I am not ready right now. Tonight."
"Clare I care about you. Do I want to have sex with you? Of course. But I care about you. I don't like it but I understand." he grabbed her hands. "I will wait." he said
"Really?" Clare said
"Yeah" he said and she kissed him long and slow. "As long as we can at least to make out."
"Of course." they were kissing long and and slow. Again laying down, but they were just kissing, nothing more. Then Clare's phone went off she grabbed it but it was in her purse on the other side. She went up too grabbed it, but he hair was caught. "Ow!" Clare said
"What's wrong babe?"
"My hair is stuck." he was still over her and he went to help her
"Here I got it." Eli told her.
"OW! Don't. No. Eli stop." Clare it hurt her
…...
KC was walking past the van, when he heard Clare's 'OW! Don't. No. Eli stop.' he opened the door and saw Eli standing over Clare and wincing in pain.
"What the hell?" KC said pulling Eli off of Clare and punched him. Eli punched him back they were in the middle of a fight when Clare stepped on the other side of him.
"What are you doing? Stop!" Clare said "What are you doing KC?" Clare said
"He was just, I was " KC was confused
"KC a a word." Clare said she was walking away "I can't believe you just punched my boyfriend.
"He was planning on having sex with you. I was only trying to stop you." KC said
"And since when is that your job?" Clare yelled "Since when do you care about what I am doing? If I wanted to have sex with Eli, that is none of your business!" Clare said
"You where gonna have sex?"
"So what if I was?" Clare accused "You hooked up with Jenna in a hotel room, the day after you dumped me. You have no right to judge me!" Clare said
"How did you find out about that?" KC asked
"Please, Dave and Connor couldn't shut up about it!" Clare said
"Well you shouldn't have sex with Eli!" KC said "He isn't the one for you!"
"Oh My God! I can't believe you!" she said "You are just mad that I am happy with someone and your miserable alone!" Clare accused again. "You know what? Leave me alone!" Clare said and went home. KC walked home alone.
…...
Adam, listened to his messages and heard Jenna say
"We can work it out. Please just call me. OK?" Adam wanted to break down and just call her. But he couldn't. He couldn't live a lie. He had for so long and thought Jenna would be the one to be happy to be with him. Jenna was gorgeous, and Adam loved to listen to Jenna sing. But Jenna was so scared. And Adam couldn't stand being with a scared person.
…...
KC walked over to Clare's the next morning. He knocked on her door. Clare answered
"What the hell do you want?" Clare said
"To apologize. You were right, I don't have a right to tell you who you can," KC said gritting his teeth "can't have sex with." he looked at her "i just wanted to tell you that Jenna and I never had sex last year. We did go to the room, but we made out for five seconds before the coach came in. she left I stayed." KC shook his head "end of story." KC said
"Really?" Clare was surprised
"Yes."KC assured her "If you want to sleep with Eli, go ahead." KC turned away.
"We weren't having sex" KC turned fast
"Then what were you doing?" KC said
"We talked and I told him I wasn't ready. He said we could wait, we were kissing and my ahir was caught on the seat. and he was helping me." Clare said
"Really?" KC was happy
"I can't believe that you think I would just have sex with someone I have only known for a month." KC looked at her
"Things are changing." he smiled "I guess I just didn't know anymore."
"I am still me, K. I haven't changed that much." she smiled and hugged him "But it means a lot." she said
"What does?"
"The fact that you care about me" she let go "Your the best "
"I just care about you. Can I say one thing? And the I will never diss you or Eli again?" he asked
"Fine 30 seconds." Clare replied
"Ok I think he is all wrong for you, you are moving too fast, and I just know that you can do a lot better." he told her
"Noted, noted and I know." she said and gave him another hug. As they pulled out KC looked at Clare and sighed and pulled her back in. harder this time. Clare was choked up. He had never held her like this. Like he never wanted to release her. She let go and walked inside
KC walked home and realized something. He loved Clare. She was everything he ever wanted and everything he needed. He realized that his love for her was like a sweet and sour candy... Sweet because it was real, probably the only real thing in his life. But sour because she belonged to another... He made the biggest mistake breaking up with her and now he had to bite his lip and deal with it. Something he was not good at.