Just a quick author's note that I forgot to mention last time: This may be rated M later on, but it's really a matter of opinion on how you feel on certain topics. But it is going to turn into a boarder line-M story later on. This chapter is kind of long sorry. And I'm probably gonna be doing these little Author's Notes at the beginning. Just to let you know. Anyways, enjoy this chapter! And thank you for the nice reviews I got last time. :D
Chapter 2:
I sat in the living room a few days later. I was on Twitter, and I was looking through my dash. Everyone from school was talking about how they were so excited to see all their friends again, but they didn't want to go to school. I don't know how I felt about going back to school. The only people I'd probably hang out with was Alli and Jake, so it wasn't going to be much of a difference once school started, because I had spent so much time with them over the summer, and I knew that going back to school would only mean that I would face Eli again. After my episode a few days before, I didn't know how seeing Eli would make me feel. Would it hurt more? Would it make me feel better seeing him happy again? I didn't know.
My mom came through the door with her boyfriend. They started dating not too long after my parents announced their divorce. Well, she told me about it soon after her divorce, it may have happened before it, I didn't know, and in all honestly, I didn't want to know. His name was John. He wasn't awful, even though I didn't feel like that for a long time. At that point, I was beginning to finally warm up to him, but that didn't mean I particularly liked him. I just accepted the fact that he cared for my mom and he made her happy, so I let her have her fun. I doubted that they would ever really turn into anything. I always assumed it was one of those "I don't remember how to be single" loves.
"Hi, Clare," my mother said with a smile.
"Hey, mom," I replied.
"How was your day?"
"It was fine," I paused for half of a moment. "Do you mind if I hang out with Alli tonight?" I asked. She hung her purse on the coat rack.
"Not tonight, John is staying over for dinner, and it would be nice if you stayed," she explained. I was kind of upset. I was supposed to go with Alli to find the perfect dress for her cousin's wedding, but I guess it could wait a few days. I wanted to get out of the house. It was becoming uncomfortable after being there for almost a week.
"Okay," I said. I didn't really want to fight it. I knew that she would win the battle, and I didn't want to fight with her. We went through enough turbulence while she was divorcing my dad, and I didn't want to cause any more. We made a point to avoid fighting now. It was nice, I'll admit. The air was always calm in the house, no tension or anything, just because we stopped fighting. This got us closer together too.
I went back to my computer screen, and continued to go through the twitter posts. After looking through some posts I could care less about, I saw Adam's latest post. "With RealEli at the Dot. Fun times bro." An ache began to set in again. After Eli and I broke up, Adam and I began to drift apart. He had always been closer to Eli, and I guess that took a toll on our friendship after Eli and I broke up. I just stared at the post. The ache set in deeper and slowly became more painful. I had to stop this in its tracks. I didn't want to hurt, I wanted to be happy, so I went to a different website. I went to the Forever 21 website, and signed on to skype. I was going to help Alli find that dress, even if it was over the Internet.
We sat at the dinner table; me, on one side, my mom in the middle, and John was facing me. The air was quiet and still, as we ate silently. It was awkward, as if they were hiding something. My mother put her utensils down, and looked at me.
"Clare, there is something we need to tell you," she spoke. I wasn't predicting anything; I didn't know what to think.
"What is it?" I ask, trying to break the silence.
"John and I…" she stopped talking for a moment, as if she was trying to find the right words to speak, "We are engaged." My eyes went wide.
"What?" I ask, in shock, knowing they aren't joking, but wishing it wasn't true.
"It happened a few days ago," she said. I couldn't speak. I tried to say something, but I couldn't figure out what to say.
"John and Lilly will move here next week, and she will start the school year with you at Degrassi."
"Are you kidding me?" I burst. She jumped slightly when I yelled. I stood up from my chair. "You've been divorced for less than a year, and you are already ready to start a new family?" I felt bad for yelling, but I needed to, I needed to get my anger out. Screw trying not to fight with my mom.
"Clare, calm down," she said.
"No." I said. I turned to John, "I'm not going to call you Dad," I said, attitude seeping through my pores. I turned around and stormed up to my bedroom, leaving my mom and John sitting at the table alone.
Once I got to my room, I shoved my head into my pillow, and began to cry. I just had to let everything out. My father was being replaced, and so was my sister. I was going to get a new family in a week, and I didn't want a new family. I still wished I had my old family.
After about 5 minutes, I had stopped crying, and I decided that I wasn't going to cry over this. It wasn't worth the tears. I definitely would be angry, and stay angry, but I wouldn't cry over it. I picked up my phone and flipped it open. I clicked my contacts open and searched Eli's name, out of habit. I almost hit send, when I realized what I was doing wrong. I had been so used to calling with my family problems, that now that I have them again, I immediately want to call Eli. I find Alli in my phone, and I text her. "Change of plans. Can I still meet you at the mall?"
"Yup. See you in ten?" she replies.
"Yeah," I typed, then hit send. I grabbed my purse, and made sure that I had my wallet, and crawled out the window. Thank God for the tree outside my window. I went unnoticed down the tree. I took my bike from the driveway, and began biking. I reached the mall about ten minutes later.