XFurubaX: Here it is! Longer as promised! Thanks for getting me to 5 reviews ^_^!

Everyone was wearing jackets at school the next day. The temperature had hit 43 degrees and everyone was preparing for more snow. Clare was bundled up in her denim jacket as she grabbed her binder from her locker. She hesitantly looked towards the English classroom, hoping she won't have yet another episode in front of the class.

"Hey."

Jake walked up next to her, she had to look up at him. She greeted him with a gentle smile.

"Hey."

They both began to walk to Mrs. Dawes's room.

"So…uh-" he felt so awkward talking to a girl. Especially a girl he thought was so pretty. His height above her didn't help him either, "Did things go ok with your family last night?"

Clare gasped in delight when he mentioned it, making him jump back a little, "Yes! I have the perfect plan to keep them together!" They walked towards there desks.

"What is it?"

Clare looked up at the board. There warm up was pretty long that day. "I'll tell you later."

The bell rang right as Eli walked in. He saw Clare opening her binder, not hiding from the class today. He sat behind Jake although he couldn't see. He looked at the desk next to Clare's, Adam wasn't there.

"God I hope he's ok…"

He opened up his binder and began the essay. He looked at Clare at every few seconds, as did she. About 5 more minutes into the class Clare finally sat up, looking at Eli's desk…with great sadness. He sat up himself, staring at her. She looked at him, he knew that look in her eyes, she was absolutely going to burst into tears.

"Clare,"

She breathed in softly, as if about to say something. Jake turned and looked at them not saying a word. Instead, she breathed out, letting her sob go. She faced forward, going back to her essay.

Jake leaned in a little, "You ok?"

Clare looked at her paper, "Yeah…I'm just…a little tender in this class I guess."

What the hell did that mean? Eli was finally scared. Did he hurt her? God, now he was afraid she never wanted to speak to him again. When class was over he followed her to her locker.

"Clare!"

She just kept walking ahead. He was able to catch up to her at her locker.

"Clare," Finally, he could settle this out. "I'm sorry for what happened at Vegas Night,", she reached for her math book at the top of her locker, "What I did to Fitz was wrong and I know that, I just didn't want to lose you."

She sighed, before looking at her day calendar in her locker. She took her little red dry erase marker and marked off Monday and Tuesday and stopped on that day, Wednesday. It had a circle around it. She lowered her hand, looking at it. Eli had no idea why it was circled then he read the little message in the box, "2 Month Anniversary!"

She had been keeping track?…So she still cares about him!…Wait, he didn't even know…

She sighed again, sadly.

"Clare,"

She marked it off and put it back in her pencil case.

"Happy freaking anniversary." she said before slamming her locker shut and he watched her walk off.

He then sat in his History class confused as hell. Was Clare mad about the 'anniversary'? She didn't even say it to him, unless if that Happy Freaking Anniversary counts. Was he supposed to get her something? He didn't know how anniversaries worked. His parents usually forget every year, then a week or to later, remember and go out to a movie or something. Too late for that.

He was happy that he finally said something, maybe now he could settle things out at lunch right?

Wrong.

He was sitting alone at his usual table again, watching Clare talk to Alli way over on the other side of the cafeteria. He desperately wanted to know what they were talking about. He was sure it was their usual girl stuff but he wanted to know if she had acknowledged his apology, let alone listened.

"So therefore, I have the perfect plan that will make them basically throw themselves into each others arms again!" she waited to give a dramatic pause, Alli raised her fork with salad on it, "I'm taking ballet!"

Alli froze, her mouth open with the fork right in front of it, staring at, a frighteningly happy Clare.

"Okay," she set her fork down, "Ballet, is incredibly hard,"

"I know bu-"

"NO! UNBELIEVABLY HARD! Your mom said she took lessons since she was 3! That's why she got the lead role!"

"I took lessons when I was 6!…for about two weeks then I stopped because I hated my teacher. What's wrong with starting again at 15?"

"Well, its hard to make a living out of it when you start late."

Clare laughed, "Alli! I don't want this as a career. Just to help my parents remember what made them fall in love."

Alli then turned to her in realization. "Oh…"

Clare pursed her lips, nodding.

"Well, there's this ballet studio right here in Toronto called The Star Kirov. They put on awesome shows." she commented with a smirk.

"Do you think it's too late to audition?"

"Nope, in fact they should be holding auditions for their winter production this week!"

Clare smiled brightly, "This is perfect! And, I still have those techniques up my sleeve…Will you come with me after school today?"

Alli squinted, "I don't think I-"

"Please Alli! ", she grabbed her arm, "It'll be our little adventure!"

Alli thought about it for a quick second, "What will your mom say?"

Clare eyed the ceiling with thought, she hadn't even thought of anything to tell her mother. "I'll tell her I have an emergency meeting with the math club today after school!"

"And what about my parents? Clare remember? I have them to."

"Just, say that you had science Olympics practice!"

Alli looked at her with an unconvinced look.

"C'mon! It'll work!"

Alli thought about it, before smiling. "Alright, I could use a little fun."

Clare giggled before thinking of her plan.

Her, in a ballet show.

She was unaware that Alli, although supportive, was highly doubtful that it would work.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X

Eli skipped his last class again. He didn't plan it, but by the end of the day that day he just didn't want to be around, only one way to put it, people. He was laying on the bench outside the Dot again listening to music, freezing cold. He made a smart move of forgetting his jacket that morning as he had to rush out again. He began to think about his car, it wouldn't start for the past few days. It was an old, and he knew old car, so of course he figured it would break easily. He remembered picking it out with his dad his 16th birthday. Neither him nor his dad didn't really give a damn about what it looked like, as long as it had a motor, and a radio.

Why he picked out the hearse he had no idea, and every time someone would ask he's simply say it was appealing to him. No one would have any idea how a hearse could appeal someone but they didn't seem to pay notice after a while. He had made it through 4 songs and the bell still hadn't rung. He was thinking of walking home but then his parents would wonder how he got home so early.

He turned over to his side on the bench, letting his arm dangle off a little. It was not comfortable. He watched the cars pass by, some of the drivers giving him odd looks. He didn't give a shit of course. He was used to people giving him those looks. Having been branded a 'freak' for most of his life. Finally, he accepted it. He was 'different' only by his own choice. He took freak as a compliment. He was happy being different from an entire set of students that matched.

The Degrassi bell rang in the far distance. He sat up pulling the head phones out of his ears. He watched an array of students crowd outside the entrance. He decided to go home, he didn't want to make himself look even worse to Clare.

Clare and Alli stood anxiously in the long line inside the halls of Star Kirov. Clare felt nervous yet excited at the same time. She stood in line, stretching like all the others. Lucky for her, they all looked about her age. But like Alli had said, they had been doing this for years. Clare was surprised she actually remembered how to do her stretches, thank god for those two weeks.

"Oh hey, you might want to put this on really quick!" Alli reached into her bag, white leggings, pink ballet shoes in a plastic bag and an array of undershirts and a leotard. "I had this from last year before I quit my classes."

"What's all this?" she took them from her.

"See what they're wearing?"

Clare turned around, they were all decked up in ballet gear, Clare was in her school uniform.

"I thought they provided them."

"Nope!" Alli pushed her to a door nearby, "I'll hold your spot now hurry and change!"

Clare held them close to her chest as she rushed to the changing room, "Oh and by the way! The wooden blocks are to hold your toes together!"

Clare stopped, skidding across the floor a little, she looked back, with terror in her eyes, "Wooden…Blocks?"

"Welcome to ballet oh! And they're…", she fake winced, "Excruciatingly painful."

Clare painfully smiled before she opened the door.

Eli slammed the back door shut behind him, happy to get out of the cold. He could hear the TV on in the living room. He set his bag on the floor, "Dad? You there?"

There wasn't an answer. But as he walked by the stair case, he could hear his parents having a fight upstairs. They hardly ever fought, so Eli was never used to hearing his parents yell, let alone even raise there voice an octave. He could hear his dad's voice among the yelling…then he could hear his dad's voice coming from the living room. Eli was confused until he looked. He saw his mom on the TV, unbelievably young and the camera moving around. He figured out it was a home video, and walked over to the couch, leaning over the head rest to watch.

In the video, the camera switched its angle from Cece to his dad, "Ok, now this is to my dad, my son Eli he is now 6, and I'm going to show you how smart he is."

"Oh god…"

The camera 'walked' out of the kitchen into the living room. Then it kneeled down to the floor. Then he saw himself at 6, hopelessly adorable, playing with his cars, and not wearing black. Eli had forgotten what he looked like without black.

"Hey, Eli."

He looked up at his dad rather than the camera, "We're going to show grandpa how smart you are, alright?"

"Mhm!"

"Who was the first man on the moon?"

"The man on the moon was…um…"

Eli smirked, laughing on the inside. He remembered his dad filming him all night that night.

"Neal…"

"Armstrong!" he heard his dad whisper from behind the camera

"What?"

"Armstrong!"

"Neal Armstrong!"

"Alright!"

Eli couldn't help it anymore, he laughed a little watching the video go on, forgetting about his parents upstairs. But what was the point of this? Then in the video he heard a door open and laughter from his mother. The angle switched from Eli to the kitchen.

"Hi mom!" Cece walked up to hug his grandmother who had just showed up at the door.

"Aren't I such a nice surprise?"

He then heard laughter in the video, he saw his parents hugging, his grandma getting kissed by his dad on the cheek…him hugging his grandmother. He looked away, now saddened, remembering what was going on.

"Alright Cece, I'm sorry."

He could hear his mother crying upstairs and his father trying to comfort her.

"I'm upset to…"

He slowly walked upstairs, somewhat hesitant to walk any farther. But he did. He stood out in the hallway, his parents were both sitting on the bed. His mother completely in tears in his dad's arms. He backed up against the wall, peering through the door. He could see his father…his eyes reddening.

"I'm just so…" he wiped them quickly as possible, "Fucking, upset!"

Eli was shocked, he had never and he meant never heard his parents curse. He remembered listening in when he was 7 about how his father wanted no cursing around him as a child so there wouldn't be any trouble in elementary school. Apparently they had gotten used to the rule and he never even heard a "crap" out of them even in high school.

Eli didn't want to upset his parents any more with how emotional they were at the moment. He looked down, turning and walking into his room. He locked his door, sliding down against it. Why wasn't he crying? He loved his grandmother to. He practically raised him during elementary school and his first half of middle school. He felt like he should force himself to…he tried to force tears out but they wouldn't come. But he did have that weird knot in his stomach again…and it was unbelievably tight.

xXx

The 16 year old ballerina danced remarkably to Amazing Grace as she practically flew around the room. Clare watched in both awe, and fright. How was she supposed to do that? She was dressed properly sitting on the floor with the others, as Alli stood by the door, giving Clare a thumbs up every now and then. The show would be The Nutcracker. Clare was a little more comfortable, a ballet she knew almost every musical piece to. She hoped she'd get at least a background dancer…or a rat…or a techie.

She squeezed her foot for the 50th time, the wooden blocks were tight and uncomfortable. At least she knew she'd be on her toes. When the ballet teacher said on your toes, she meant on your toes. The ballet teacher seemed serious about what she was doing, but she seemed nice enough. Finally the song was over.

"Thank you, Angelina."

She smiled, walking to the pile of dancers and leaving, taking her things with her.

"Next we have, Clare Edwards?"

Clare's stomach flipped when she heard that. She slowly stood up, eying Alli as she gave her a smile of confidence. Clare pursed her lips before walking up. Unaware that Alli got a frightened look as she turned away.

Her adrenaline grew in her hands as she stood in front of the instructor. Mrs. Alvaraz, as that's what they called her, walked around her observing her up and down. Clare wasn't sure what to do so she stared at her reflection in the mirror, all the other girls were casually watching her, whispering to each other and on them they had curious expressions. Clare felt more nervous by the second. She inhaled through her nose, letting it go after 4 seconds. She had to be calm. It was for her family.

Mrs. Alvaraz was in front of her again. Clare kept her expression blank. The teacher backed away. "Remember students," she exclaimed in a powerful voice, "Ballet, is simple, graceful dances to simple, beautiful peaces. In order to perform correctly, you must be passionate," she began to walk toward the piano, "dedicated," Alli bit her lip out of nervousment for Clare, "and…calm." she stopped at the piano, smiling at Clare as she said the last word.

"Calm…ok, calm…"

"Marche de Salon! This is a piece from Sleeping Beauty."

Clare nodded, gulping one last time, surprised she didn't choke on it.

The pianist began to play the song. It was slow and steady, peaceful and sweet. Alli leaned back on the wall, relieved it was an easy song.

Clare breathed in, before stepping forward, then with the other foot twisting it in such a way to at least make it seem like she knew what she was doing. She looked at the teacher in the mirror, she seemed like she was impressed so far…something else, something else. She stepped to the side, lifting herself on her toes before continuing her little walk with her twisting ankles.

She closed her eyes, the peace started to grow more powerful. She stretched one of her legs out completely, lifting herself and twirling, bending the other leg so it wasn't on the floor.

Don't fall….don't fall!

She then landed back on her feet walking about again. She sighed in relief in her head. She then remembered something from when she was 6 "have an outward rotation of the thighs from the hip" What did that mean again? She suddenly had another memory, "bend knees until just below the hips while maintaining turn-out at the joints therefore the thighs and knees are just above the toe line"

One more twirl…

She did it, only this time, she raised her arms doing it faster and oh so gracefully, unbeknownst to her, it fit perfectly with the piece of the song. Alli widened her eyes, amazed. The other girls started whispering again.

Clare was surprised herself, she was just winging it.

You got this, you got this

"Keep your back straight!"

She straightened herself up, twirling to her side toes by toes, before doing her little walk around the room.

I swear if I'm just fooling myself up here…

Mrs. Alvaraz was impressed, she twirled her hand at the pianist as he nodded. Suddenly the song became faster, as Clare continued her dance faster, becoming nervous again. She twirled, walked on her toes, lifted her arms in such a way, trying to use the techniques that had come back to her.

Finally she heard the tag of the song and as it ended, she didn't mean to but she ended up skidding to the floor mid way on her toes but saved herself just in time for one last twirl.

It was the hardest thing she had ever done, and the most painful. She breathed rapidly and softly looking at everyone's expressions in the mirror. She couldn't tell if they were amazed, or secretly thinking how horrible she was, same with Alli's.

She saw Mrs. Alvaraz walking up behind her. She gently touched her shoulder.

"Thank you, Clare."

It was now 6:30 and they walked outside of the studio. Care rushed to the nearest bench she saw, practically flinging her leg up and untying her shoe, Alli sat next to her, smiling joyously, "That…was…awesome."

Clare smiled a little before she was able to get the shoe off. She had never felt such relief in her life. She squeezed the edge of her foot, trying to crack her toes. Alli looked, there was a small blister on her middle toe.

"You can also tape them together if you hate the wooden block."

Clare lifted up her other leg, untying that one, "No its fine…I'll get used to it." she was still breathing heavily. Alli got nervous, wrapping an arm around her, "You ok? Your in that much pain?"

She massaged that foot, "No! I've, I've just never done something like this before!" she said with a small smirk.

Alli smiled, "Well, your gonna have to wait."

"I know, she said that the cast list will be up on their website on Saturday…"

"Maybe then would be a good time to tell your parents."

"Well," she exhaled one last time, putting her foot back on the floor, "If I get in. If not, I'll save up for some tickets…"

"Until then…lets find a less tight pair of ballet shoes."

The two giggled.