Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or A Walk to Remember.
A/N: I didn't put a disclaimer up in the last chapter, but I didn't own Degrassi or a Walk to Remember then either. Also, thank you to for all the positive reviews and many story favourites and alerts. It's really wicked of you guys!
The Sunday morning following the incident, Cece sighed hearing Eli thump slowly down the stairs. He quietly limped into the kitchen with a large patch in the middle of his forehead. She gave him a stern look standing from her seat to place her dishes in the sink, attempting a silent treatment.
Eli sat, avoiding eye contact. He had been in trouble before, but not like this. He began twirling a fork between his fingers before he broke the uncomfortable silence with a small cough. "Mom? My leg kinda hurts, I don't really feel like going anywhere."
Cece sighed again finally facing her son. "Maybe we should call your dad."
"No." His answer final.
"Eli."
"I'm not talking to him."
She walked back to her vacant seat and took his hand in hers. "Baby boy, this has to stop between you and him. Look at you. You need a father."
He pulled his hand back not responding and just continued twirling the fork
"Let us be thankful today of the young life that was saved by our Lord," Reverend Randal Edwards began, "and let us pray for the lives of the others involved who are clearly not on the path of righteousness."
Eli wasn't looking or really paying attention to the sermon, but he could feel the reverend's eyes bear into his soul. Not only was his dark clothing a huge stand-out from the soft pastel colours the rest of the congregation wore, but the giant patch on his forehead clearly said I was there when Dave almost died. He couldn't wait for the mass to end. He only came because Cece forced him to every Sunday. It wasn't easy being an atheist in this town. God, he couldn't wait until he left this town. Everyone knew too much about everyone.
The reverend nodded to the choir as a soft tempo piano beat began playing, and the choir rose to sing:
Let the light from the lighthouse
Let it shine on me
I wonder (I wonder)
If the light from the lighthouse
Would shine, would shine, would shine on me
Eli kept looking everywhere but the choir and didn't bother to cover his mouth when he let out an obnoxious yawn. Cece gave him a stern look that Eli just smirked at. He made eye contact with Jenna who was sitting adjacent to him in the next row. She smiled and rolled her eyes at the choir, clearly bored of them as well.
Eli gave her a small grin before finally looking up towards the choir. He did a double take when he saw Clare Edwards, the reverend's daughter. She stood in the front row of the middle of the choir in a perfectly pure white robe. Her pale complexion and the light shining from the stained glass window above her made her look heaven-sent. Eli smirked. Of course Saint Clare looks so perfect.
Sure he had seen her before, hell he grew up with her, but at this moment, she had seem to be looking at him, if for only a split second, before her mouth opened and an angelic voice came out of it:
Here is my thought, this is my plea
Lord let your holy light shine on me
I wonder will you, hear my prayer?
I know I'm not worthy, but I need your help.
Eli became entranced by her voice, and it took a great deal of strength to blink and look away. He shifted uncomfortably in the pew waiting for the mass to end. Jenna gave him a look of concern. He didn't want to have to deal with Jenna now. He glanced up when he felt Clare's eyes on him again as she continued to sing:
Lord, shine your light. Shine it this way
Shine it so I can see which way to take
My faith is in you, to bring me through
I have one question
She looked away from Eli, shrugging a loose auburn curl out of her eyes as the rest of the choir continued. Eli took one final look at her before he resumed counting the minutes until the end of mass.
Monday morning, Eli and his friends were gathered on the steps of Degrassi revelling in Eli's evasion of the law.
"I can't believe you were in jail," Jenna cooed.
"Man, what you tell them?" Adam asked playing with Eli's crutches.
Eli shrugged non-chalantly. "You know me, told them I felt like spoiling Morty for the night by taking him out, found Dave, got a little spooked when the cops came and hit it."
"You are the man!" Fitz fist pounded Eli as the boys laughed.
In the midst of the boys' laughter, Bianca snorted head-nodding towards Clare who was walking towards the entrance. "What's wrong with her? She's been wearing that since the ninth grade."
Clare was dressed in Degrassi's old uniform. In their freshman year, the school decided to forego the uniforms allowing the students to dress casually. For the four years Clare had attended Degrassi, she was the only student who opted to wear the long, beige skirt and polo. Today, however, she sported a light brown knitted sweater over the polo, the same sweater she wore every time there was a light breeze in the weather.
"Nice sweater," Jenna said in the sweetest voice, but every word dripped with sarcasm.
Clare stopped and looked up from her feet. Her baby blue eyes sparkled, and she answered, "Thank you."
Before she was out of ears' length, the entire group burst out into a fit of laughter, mocking her clothes and her response.
Ms. Oh came to interrupt their fun when she crooked a finger towards Eli. "Mr. Simpson wants to see you."
One bottle. Two bottles. Five bottles. Eli leaned back casually in the chair in front of Simpson's desk bobbing to music in his head as Simpson placed a sixth bottle on his desk. Eli tapped his knees to the drum beat of 'Paisley Jacket'.
"Eli," Simpson waved a hand in front of Eli to get his attention. "These were found on school property at the dance, and one of the students pinned you drinking them. You know the policy of underage drinking, especially on school grounds."
Eli nodded along, "I do, Mr. Simpson, but clearly whoever left those bottles there doesn't know it."
Mr. Simpson waved off his comment. "Lucky for you Dave Turner isn't talking, and the owners of the factory aren't pressing trespassing charges."
"Awesome, can I go?" He lifted himself up to leave, but Simpson motioned him to sit back down. Eli scowled.
"I told them I'd arrange an appropriate punishment," Mr. Simpson said.
Eli smirked. "What, are you gonna expel me?"
Mr. Simpson had a small smile on his face. "Not today."
Eli rolled his eyes getting restless.
"You will attend your regular classes, help our custodial staff after school-"
"For pay."
"For the satisfaction it brings. You will tutor other students on Saturday mornings – I'll even be nice and let you choose the subject – and finally you will participate in our school's drama club."
"The spring play?" Eli asked outrage. "Hell, no!"
Mr. Simpson threw Eli a smirk of his own. He shrugged and leaned forward to Eli. "It's time for you to turn around, Eli. Experience new things, hang out with other people."
Eli scoffed, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. He got a hand on the doorknob when he heard Simpson say one final thing.
"Don't blow it, Eli."