Chapter Four
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or A Walk to Remember.
A/N: I just wanted to thank all those who have reviewed and put this story on alert or favourited it. It really means a lot to me. =)
Adam was clutching his sides laughing. In fact, he had been for the last three minutes. He managed to take a deep breathe, laugh a little some more, and was finally able to speak before wiping a laughing tear from his eye. "Oh God, that was good. Wait, wait, tell me again."
Eli rolled his eyes still fuming. He couldn't even believe it either. "I'm playing Romeo in the school play, okay? Are you done laughing?"
A new wave of laughter came over Adam. Eli growled and tossed his shoe at him. "Dude! Enough."
Adam sat up still trying to contain his laughter. "This is probably the best thing I have heard in a while. Thanks man. But hey, at least you'll get to lock lips with Fiona Coyne. Damn, she's hot."
Eli grimaced, "She's in New York."
"Then who's going to play your lovely leading lady?"
"Clare Edwards." He answered with surprisingly little venom and disinterest. Of course he didn't want to act, but when Declan laughed out loud when Ms. Dawes announced that Eli was going to be cast in the role of Romeo, he was determined to show that city-slicker preppy boy exactly what Eli Goldsworthy could do.
Adam burst into a new fit of laughter, pulling out his phone. "Shit, I gotta tell Fitz. That was the best thing I've ever heard."
"Adam! Seriously man, I need your help."
"You're not practising your lip-locking skills with me."
Eli smirked, "Trust me, that's not what I'm worried about. Help me run lines, I got three weeks to learn all this Shakespeare crap."
"Eli, you couldn't pull this off if you had three months man."
Eli sat down on his front steps sighing. Adam was right. It'd take a miracle for him to actually pull this off. His face reddened as he imagined messing up in front of the entire school. There goes his reputation.
Adam noticed Eli's solemn silence and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you got it man. And I'll be there opening night, front row. With tomatoes."
Eli smirked and the two boys proceeded to do the handshake they created from when they were kids.
A week after the announcement of the roles, Eli threw down his script in frustration while sitting in study hall and got a stern loud shush from the teacher supervisor. He was the only cast member who needed to read directly off their script. Everyone else had a majority of their lines memorized. Shakespeare was a genius, but damn him and his iambic pentameter rhymes that made no sense.
He let his head bang down on the table staring out the plexi-glass walls. Maybe they would shatter and he would get too badly injured that he didn't have to be in the play. It was times like these he wished the car crash did more damage than it did.
He was ready to tell Ms. Dawes to call it quits when he spotted the one and only Clare Edwards walking the hallways in the unnecessary school uniform looking at her feet as she walked. He only really ever talked to her at rehearsals. He sighed, picked up his book bag and pocketed his script and walked over to the quiet girl.
"Clare!" He called as she passed the study hall entrance. He got another loud shush.
Clare turned looking up at him in surprise. "Eli?"
"Hey, how are you doing?"
She gave a smirk of her own before turning away from him and continued walking. "Since when do you care how I'm doing?"
He sped up getting ahead of her and making her face him. She seemed surprise by his persistence and his nervousness. "Listen, I need your help."
She raised an eyebrow, moving a curly lock out of her eyes. "Eli Goldsworthy needs my help?"
He sighed but nodded.
She pushed past him and said, "Okay, I'll pray for you."
He looked confused by her response and took two steps to overtake her. "No, I was wondering if you wanted to run lines with me. After all we are soul mates in the play, right?"
"Actually, 'star-crossed' and you only want my help because you're afraid you'll make a fool out of yourself in front of the entire school." She smirked and giggled when she remembered him stuttering during Romeo's soliloquy. "Which you probably will."
He smirked at her sass and was highly amused by it. "No, seriously I am doing this for Declan. That boy needs a proper Romeo and who better than me to make the ladies swoon?"
Clare rolled her eyes pushing past him again. "Can you be more arrogant?"
"Absolutely."
He caught up with her again but held her arms so she wouldn't leave again. He looked genuine and gazed deep into her eyes. "Please?"
The sincerity in his voice was new. It bewildered both of them. She never broke eye contact but answered with a soft, "Okay."
He released her and smiled a genuine smile. She continued talking, "But you have to promise you won't fall in love with me."
Eli held back a chuckle. Was she serious? The stern look on her face confirmed his answer. He hid his laughter and answered, "Believe me. I promise."
She nodded and adjusted her bag. "Meet me at my house after school."
And with that Clare Edwards left Eli Goldsworthy standing in the middle of the hallway as the period ended.
"He is not coming over." The finality in Reverend Randal's voice was evident.
"Daddy, it's just to run lines." Clare was rinsing some vegetables that would be used for dinner that night.
"That boy is bad news, Clare." He took off his reading glasses to get a better look at his daughter. "I don't want you hanging around boys like him."
She grew quiet for a little bit, the only sound was the sound of the faucet running. "I thought we agreed that I could choose how I spent my time. God would want me to be happy, daddy."
The reverend sighed deeply. Clare didn't ask for much, but when she did, he knew that he'd give in to his daughter. He always did.
"Hi," Clare answered the door with a smile plastered on her face. She wasn't wearing her uniform anymore. Instead, the polo and khakis were replaced with a beige cardigan and a light blue sundress. Eli inhaled sharply as he looked her over. Clare was . . . cute? That was never a word he had associated with her before. But there it was.
"Hey," they lingered by the door, neither of them making the first move. "So we running lines on your porch or did you plan on practising the balcony scene first?"
She giggled and stepped back letting him in. He stepped in and spotted the reverend in a recliner reading the newspaper. Clare had quickly run upstairs to obtain her script which gave Eli time to inspect the house. The living room was decorated with many religious memorabilia from the crucifix to the angel Gabriel. He inspected a plaque with a poem engraved on it and noting Clare as the author. He was impressed enough to talk out loud, "One hell of a-"
"Mr. Goldsworthy, I would appreciate it if you refrained from cursing in my house. Thank you." Eli jumped when he heard Randal's voice and looked over at the man still sitting in his recliner.
Eli cleared his throat and attempted casual conversation, "Thanks for letting me run lines with Clare."
"I didn't." The reverend didn't even look up from his newspaper.
Clare came down and gently tugged on Eli's hand. "You ready?"
A/N: The next chapter should be up within the next couple of days. Don't forget to review! =)