Chapter Five
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi, A Walk to Remember or Romeo and Juliet
After a week of rehearsing lines with Clare, Eli and the rest of the drama club were incredibly impressed with Eli's progress. He grinned at Clare secretly, and she smiled and blushed looking away from him. Ms. Dawes vocally applauded Eli and Clare about their chemistry onstage and insisted to hold off on the kissing scene where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. She insisted that scene would suffice since the chemistry was so raw and powerful.
Even with Eli's progress, he was still lacking in the complete memorization and stage presence. He kept telling himself, as long as I still have Clare, it will all be fine. So far, it had been.
One particular Wednesday night, Clare and Eli were sitting on Clare's couch watching Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. It was the only version Eli could stay awake for. They had attempted other versions, but Eli insisted that cars, guns, and drugs were seriously the only way to truly understand what Shakespeare was getting at with this play.
At the start of the evening, Clare and Eli were situated at opposite ends of the couch, but after many washroom and food breaks, they had ended up sitting right next to each other. She glanced over at him and smiled. Eli caught this and gave her a look. "What?"
"43," she mumbled to herself making a mental note.
He looked utterly perplexed. "It's a list of things I want to accomplish."
"What's 43?"
She smirked at him playfully, "Befriend someone I don't like."
"Ouch, Edwards. That hurt." Eli clutched his heart in fake agony. She giggled and responded, "Well, do you like me?"
Eli bypassed the question although it still rotated in his mind. "What's number one?"
She leaned closer to him. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."
He shook his head and smirked. He didn't know hanging out with Clare could actually be . . .fun. Weird. Eli paused the movie right when Romeo spots Juliet for the first time and turned to face Clare. "Why do we only get one kiss?"
Clare smirked and took both their scripts and put it on her coffee table. "Did you prefer more than one? I know it must be tempting."
He grinned and continued their playful banter, "I meant for you. I see the way you look at me during rehearsals."
She attempted to hide her blush but accepted his challenge, "You must be looking in a mirror, Eli."
He was quiet for a little staring into her eyes. He'd been with her almost every day after school for the past week, but this wasn't the first time he noticed her eyes. "You have pretty eyes."
Her eyes widened in surprise and confusion and in flattery making her big blue orbs even more breathtaking. She blushed and looked down. "Thank you."
He still kept looking into her eyes when he faintly heard her mumble that they should keep practising. He took her hand in his still keeping the intense eye contact and began reciting his lines, "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
Clare blushed and licked her lips, "Uh Eli, I'm not really in that scene."
He jumped ahead a few lines and leaned in closer to her and began, "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."
Clare rattled her head in search for her lines and desperately tried to get into character, but it was difficult with Eli looking at her like that. She took a breath and continued the scene, "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."
Eli moved in closer to her, and he was surprised when she reciprocated the action, "Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take."
His lips were right over hers. She could feel his hot breathe on her face, but she couldn't move back, didn't want to move back.
"Clare, I think it's time for Mr. Goldsworthy to go home." Randal's voice was firm and his gaze was locked on the bad boy sitting in his living room dangerously close to his little girl.
Clare immediately pulled back and stood up. Her face was flushed and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, Eli."
Eli nodded and waved goodbye to the Edwards family. Once in his car, he exhaled loudly. His arms still had goosebumps from where Clare unintentionally caressed. He let his head bang on the steering wheel. "Holy shit."
The next day, Eli had managed to calm himself down from the close incident with Clare the previous night. By the time he got to school and was surrounded by his friends, he was back to normal. They were gathered around his locker talking about an upcoming party when he spotted Clare down the hallway. His grin faltered as he saw she was making his way over to him. Dammit, dammit, dammit, don't come here.
"Look at Clare-Bear," Jenna laughed adjusting her short shorts and tank top, "it's like so hot, how can she wear that sweater?"
Eli wasn't entirely paying attention. He was still freaking out but managed to keep his cool demeanor when Clare had finally entered his circle of friends. Everyone gave her a look of confusion or disgust.
She smiled brightly, "Hey, Eli. So I'll see you after school?"
There was a collective stare at Eli waiting for his answer. All he did was put on a smirk and said, "In your dreams."
Bianca was the first to laugh at Clare who had a look of confusion and hurt on her face. Eli tried to make her understand with his eyes, but it was no use. She was already gone.
Eli sat in his mom's car outside Clare's house fidgeting. He wasn't sure where they stood after their little encounter that morning. After several minutes, he finally got out of the car and rang the doorbell.
Clare answered the door with a smile on her face which faltered as soon as she saw who it was. Eli opened his mouth to talk, but the door was already slammed in his face.
He cursed himself. He rang the doorbell again, "Clare open up!"
Suddenly the door opened and Clare stepped out just as quick making Eli lose a step. She shut the door behind her and crossed her arms in front of her chest in anger. "What?"
He gave a weak smile, testing the waters. "I'm good, Clare. How are you?"
She rolled her eyes and turned to make her way back inside her house.
"Wait! Clare, wait. I'm sorry, it's just that if my friends knew . . ." He let his sentence drag on as he sheepishly put his hands in his pocket.
Clare turned giving him an incredulous look, letting him know that he could continue. "I just thought it would be a nice surprise for everyone when they see how good we are in the play and stuff. It'd be a shock, you know?"
"Oh, you thought we could be secret friends?" She gave a deceiving smile which Eli fell for immediately. "Exactly, it's like you're reading my mind."
"Oh, well maybe you can read mine." Clare glared at him staying quiet. Eli looked at her dumbfounded. When he didn't say anything, she turned on her heel and slammed the door on her way in.
"Dammit!" Eli yelled kicking the air.
Reverend Randal immediately came out with a stern stance and stared down the younger boy. Eli pursed his lips mumbling an apology before driving back home.
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