A/N: I've been prettY busy lately, which is why this took a while. I also have been making an effort to make longer chapters. =)

I'll be continuing this story as much as I can, but as I work full time and am starting back up at school full time as well I can't promise huge chapters. However, reviews are a great motivator for me! Positive/negative, just please be respectful!

Clare's POV

I feel exhilarated. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins as Eli and I both hurry out of the school to his car. He smiles for once, a smile so sweet, and pure, I wouldn't have thought it could come from someone as…as what? What did I really know about this boy? He had an infuriating, mysterious, and…exciting? Smirk. He was witty and eloquent, and always seems to have a sarcastic response poised and ready. He drove a hearse, and he wore black and listened to heavy music. But his true self, how he felt, his emotions…I knew nothing of. It's unfair of me to cast this stereotype on him without knowing his heart.

"Well, are you getting in?" My eyes snap back to reality, and focus on…Eli, smirking. Gloating almost. He's opened the door of his hearse for me, and giving me that infuriatingly intoxicating smirk. At least he hasn't said anything about me staring at him for who knows how long. I roll my eyes at him and slide onto his plush seats. It makes sense to me, that a car that was made for transporting the dead would have such comfortable seats. One would think the living would be uncomfortable enough.

Truthfully, the hearse doesn't faze me. I was curious—How does one even AQUIRE such a vintage specialty car? But that, I am realizing, is part of Eli's magnetism. Everything, from his guitar pic necklace to his carefree attitude to his dark smirk to his car was an absolute mystery.

A useless bit of information about me: when I was young, two of my favorite children's series were Nancy Drew and Box Car Children. They're both older series, but I couldn't get enough of them. Most of the time, I figured out the mystery before the book revealed it. Most of the time, I was right.

Needless to say, I just can't resist a good mystery.

I hear a door slam and the car tip with the weight of another person getting in. I look over at Eli, and smile. He smirks back and asks where I'd like to go. I contemplate for a bit.

"The Dot. It'll have food, or coffee, or more snacks for us, and, since school is going on it'll be mostly quiet, giving us time to work on our essays." He looked amused when I said this, but said nothing. Part of me, just a tiny part, was disappointed.

Eli's POV

I open Clare's door for her after we arrived at The Dot. Clare's eyes question my motives, even while she's smiling.
" Don't worry, I'm not suddenly becoming a gentleman."

No, I had parked at The Dot and gotten out of Morty. Clare didn't, instead, she absent-mindedly watches me. Just like she had before we left. It's funny, when we first scurried out of the classroom, both amazed at her daring, I could almost hear her heart pumping. Then, as we got to Morty, it was like she was distracted with a much more important issue, something completely encompassing.

I bet it was me.

A part of me that I don't listen to tells me that I need to change "bet" to hope", but, with my usual finesse, I ignore it.

I follow Clare into The Dot, watching her hair bounce with each graceful step she takes. She has fantastic hair, hair that makes you want to just run your hands through it. It's so…touchable looking. I reach a hand out and get halfway to her hair when she turns and smirks at me. I freeze, caught.

"What were you about to do?" She's smirking at me. I love how she doesn't let me get away with anything. Unless…

"Your hair is amazing." I say smoothly, "I just wanted to see if it was as soft as it looked."

In my experience, sometimes the best way to win a battle of wills is to use the "Ockham's Razor" approach. That is—the most obvious answer is the correct one.

Clare's lips tightened, her eyes glistened and narrowed slightly, and I knew I won this round. She was trying hard not to blush. Pink colored her cheeks slowly, gradually becoming more vibrant. I grinned widely. I was pretty sure I could spend forever making Clare blush. I was pretty sure I'd like to try, anyway.

"We were going to work on our assignments?" I ask, a hint of suggestion in my voice. She nods and shakes her head, just a little. She probably doesn't even think I noticed. Clare walks out of The Dot, I'm guessing because she forgot she wanted to get a drink. She sits on the bench and looks over at me expectantly. I stroll over and throw one leg over the bench, then the other, sitting on the top part, where most people rest their backs. I smirk down at her and she rolls her eyes at me. We exchange the papers we've already had graded. I steal glances at her, but she's just frowning in confusion. I read her essay. No passion, nothing that says it's Clare. Hm. I glance down at her again, where she's now looking somewhat irked. I smirk.

"Wow, skipping school to do school work, exciting." She ignored that jab and spilled what was irking her.

"I can't understand why you got an A while I got a C."

Oh, this again.

"Simple." I wait until she glances up at me, and look into her eyes and state the obvious. "I'm dating Ms. Dawes." She sighs, frustrated , and I laugh quietly. However, something about her demeanor…it makes me want to take this seriously. I'm starting to get suspicious of myself.

"You're a good writer but anyone could have penned this piece." I stated, completely serious. "There's no point of view."

She looked miffed. "I wrote about Gun control. I said it was good!" I give her the smirk I know makes her face flush "OOoh, controversial" I say, sarcasm dripping.

"WELL, what should I write about?" Clare asks, exasperated.

Me.

"Something…that pisses you off." I say slowly, trying not to grin at my own egotistical thoughts, and trying to give Clare honest feedback.

"Besides my English Partner?" she throws at me. She can be so feisty.

I smile and chuckle softly, then lock eyes with her. I feel the connection between us growing, and I get an uneasy feeling I've been misjudging how in control I was of my emotions for her. This seems to be confirmed when I speak without thinking, just responding to the feeling of remorse that shook my body unexpectedly

"If you could change one thing, what would it be?" my voice is soft, sincere. This isn't good. She's getting through my defense mechanism much too quickly.

She's looking at the ground now, sadness emanating off of her and for a split second I have to control the urge to slide down next to her and comfort her.

"My parents." She said suddenly. I frown. She doesn't seem like someone who'd have parental issues. She glanced at me and back to the grown and kind of smiled slightly, as if embarrassed with herself.

"They're…not exactly getting along."

She's upset about this, more than she wants to let on. "So, write about that." I state baldly. I'm trying to pull myself together still, yet part of me is hanging on every sound, every word she utters. My entire being into trying to understand her.

"I can't! It's personal." She looks shocked. I grin, finally seeing an opening in which to regain my composure entirely. "

You care too much about what people think." I goad her. Her eyes flash at me

"I do not!"

I'm having fun again

"Then prove it." She looks at me questioningly. "Scream, at the TOP of your lungs." She stares at me bewildered. Then, amusingly, she straightens up, looks around, and …

"AhhHHHHhhhhh….." ….Pathetic. I look at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Is that the best you can do?"

She sets her jaw stubbornly and looks away. I smirk, thinking I've won this round when…she's standing up?

I stare at her, and she looks back at me gloatingly. And then she was screaming. My face registered shock for one moment, then turned into a look of appreciation. She was amazing. She ended wit a flourish, stomping her foot a little bit and turning to me, eyes sparkling with triumph and excitement, She stunned me.

"Well, you next!" What? …oh. Screaming. I tried to shake off the stunned feeling I got from looking at her.

"Nah, Not really my style." And suddenly she was after me, harassing me and we were laugh as I backed into …something, I wasn't paying attention and grabbed Clare's wrists as she tripped into me, holding her up.

I'm staring into her eyes again, and the energy between us is chaotic, intense. I need be closer to her, and, without thinking I lean my head closer to hers, ever so slightly.

And just like that the spell is broken. She pulls herself away and I let go of her instantly, hands up. She turns and walks a few paces away quickly before facing me again and smiling shyly. I smile back.

I can't ignore it anymore. This girl is breaking my defenses down.

And I don't know how to stop it.

More terrifyingly—I don't know if I want to.