Chapter 3

Warning: Some of the information in this chapter may make you want to jump out a window. So please, close all windows in the house. Enjoy! By the way, I make a lot of references to Morty, Eli's hearse. I'd like to take a minute and mourn for the loss of his car. (RIP Morty)

All day Eli had looked for her. He checked all their old spots, but he still couldn't find anything. He remembered last year, when he'd first met Imogen. She seemed like a psychopath then, but he was so weak then, so it didn't matter.

But he actually was started to develop feelings for her. Seriously, he didn't know what to think about his love life anymore. Imogen was great. She loved him, a lot. And he was starting to have those same feelings, but now, he just didn't know.

He dropped by Clare's house. He knew that Helen Edwards, excuse me, Helen Martin, still hated him, even though he wasn't with her daughter. And hated that, by the way

He knocked on the door. Jake's father answered. "Hello." He said, trying to be polite. Eli hated people like that. They tried so desperately to please people. And yet, at this very moment, he was desperate to talk to the girl who fit that exact description.

"Hi. Um, is Clare home?" Eli asked, shuffling his feet along the curb. "Yes, and who might you be?" He asked, very fatherly-like, and Eli remembered. He doesn't know that Clare and Jake are together, oh yeah.

"I'm…Eli. I'm in Clare's English class." He said, and remembered the first time he'd met Clare's parents, at dinner. He was going to flashback, but Mr. Martin had interrupted it.

"Ok, well here she is." He motioned to someone in the kitchen. Clare came walking outside, closing the door behind her. She looked up.

"Yes?" She asked, very flatly, but also with a twinge of curiosity. "I wanted to make sure you were okay…after earlier." He sighed, and walked closer to her.

"You saw that?" She said. Now he knows I'm not over him. Dammit! Get ready for the sarcastic comments to start rolling. Yeah, I'm still in love with you. Do you have a problem with that? Come at me, Eli Goldsworthy!

"Yeah. You looked so mad. I needed to know that you were okay. And I also wanted to know what happened?" He said, making sure that it sounded as if he were asking for the information, instead of commanding she'd tell him or something.

"I'm fine," Clare started. Maybe he doesn't know! Maybe he's just as confused as I am! Or, maybe he needed to hear me say that I loved him, again, just so he'd know it was true. And maybe he'd tell me that he felt the same, and we'd be together. Psh, like that would ever happen.

She continued, "Imogen and I just had a little argument. She won, if you hadn't already realized." She said, and Eli smirked. She never fails to make me smile, with her terribly failed attempts at sarcasm.

"I realized, with the screaming and all. Now, what did she say that made you so mad?" He asked, knowing not to tease her. They were on speaking terms now, but it wasn't going to ever be the same.

Clare bit her lip from accusing him that he had slept with Imogen. She didn't want to argue, not after she just spent the last hour crying her eyes out, and the other half hour before he'd shown up, starting her letter to him.

"Nothing that concerns you, if that's what your thinking." She said, trying to end the conversation, but knew she just started a new one.

"Oh really? Because Imogen told me that most of the stuff you were yelling about, very loudly about, were all about me. Care to explain?" He didn't like where he was going with this, but the words just floated out.

"All I want you to know is that she started it." She said flatly.

Eli was fighting the urge to laugh and tell her how much of a child she sounded like. "Okay. Did you start on the, um, assignment?" He asked, not wanting to leave her there, looking really upset with her bloodshot eyes. She'd probably been crying.

"Yeah. I started earlier. Did you?" She asked, but she knew he hadn't. She knew he had come straight from school looking everywhere for her, because when she came to the door, he was still out of breath.

"No, but I'm planning on starting." Eli said. "Oh, cool. Well, I have to go meet with Alli at The Dot." She said, suddenly not wanting him to leave. "Okay. Do you want me to drop you off?" He asked, pointing to his new car. It was an old mustang. She was happy that it wasn't Morty, but she knew it was hard on him. She noticed that Morty's old ornament, that Fitz had taken off of the car, was on this new one.

"Sure, that'd be great," She said, walking down the walk, heading for his car. "By the way, does this car have a name?" She asked, purely out of curiosity.

He really didn't want to answer that to her. He named it "Clara" in honor of the play, because Bullfrog had bought him the car on opening night. He also named it because of her, he just didn't want to tell Imogen that she was sitting in "Clare". He decided to answer it anyway.

"Yes. I named her Clara. Bullfrog bought it for me on opening night of the play." He said, opening the passenger door, and letting her in.

She smiled. "Okay." She said, sounding kind of disappointed. Eli sensed it, but he didn't want to say anything.

"So, off to The Dot?" He asked, starting the car, right before he remembered it. The picture of him and Clare, that was sitting there, in plain sight. He quickly picked it up and put it in the clove compartment.

"Yes." She said, wondering who was that picture of. She flipped on the radio, and realized that a CD was in.

It was Jewel. Clare had started making him listen to it when they'd go out driving in Morty. She didn't know that he would listen to it now that they weren't together. She tried to hide her smile, but Eli already saw it.

Eli seemed scared, until he saw her smiling. Then he calmed down. She finally seemed happy around me, and there was NO sign of Jake.

That made him smile. What made him laugh, is when she started belting out the words.

I will remember you.

Will you remember me?

Eli started to sing along with her. They were laughing so hard, Eli had to stop the car. He wanted her. Now.

Clare's laughing was stopped completely when Eli's lips crash-landed onto hers. She needed this, and she wanted it. She opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth.

It wasn't like before. When they were together, there kisses were sweet and passionate. And this, now it was rough and intense. They both loved this feeling. But it stopped when Eli and Clare's phones both went off, and they ended the kiss.

Eli checked his phone first.

Imogen: Hey, are you still coming over tonight? My parents wanted to meet you, remember? Love ya, Imo. 3

He looked to Clare, who was now looking at her phone, but facing away from him. He replied quickly.

Eli: Yeah, of course I am. I just have to do something first. I'll be there in a half hour. Is that ok?

Quick reply came through from Imogen.

Imogen: Its fine as long as I get to see you ;)

Eli: Haha, ok. See you soon.

He closed his phone.

Clare checked her phone.

Jake: Hey, our parents are going outta town. We got the house to ourselves, all week. I wanna see you. Catcha later?

Clare smiled to herself. She didn't know if she was smiling about Jake wanting to see her, or Eli's kiss from another planet.

Clare: I'm meeting up with Alli The Dot, but I'll see you when I get home. We'll get a WHOLE week together, all alone. ;) See you.

Jake: Ok. Haha.

Clare closed the phone.

She looked up to Eli. "I'm sorry about that Clare. I don't know what came over me, I just got…"

"Caught in the moment." They finished together, then laughed. "It's okay. I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow at school, then?" They were in front of The Dot.

"Thanks. And yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." He said as she got out of the car.

"Bye." She said with a smile. She waved as she walked into the café.

Clare's POV

That wasn't a kiss. That, was a miracle. It was so different. It was so, intense. I almost wanted to rip his shirt off, that's how freaking intense that was. I really needed that. Something that intense, in that unexpecting moment. Jake cannot know about it. We're going to be spending the next week together alone in a house, it can't be ruined. It was just a one-time thing. It's gone now.

Eli's POV

You asshole. You're in love with this girl, and you let her get out of the car after that perfect moment, with an apology for taking a chance? You're so stupid. Imogen can't know. I'm meeting her parents tonight. I'll just forget about it. It meant nothing.

They were both thinking it, but they didn't believe for a second that it was true. It meant a lot. And they both knew it wasn't gone.

Hope you guys liked it! And I'd really like suggestions on how I could make it better. Just email me, maggie_. Also, follow me on Twitter: SkyWriter6675

And thanks for all of the reviews that I got during the last two chapters! It means so much, really.