Hello Readers! I have a couple of announcements.
#1 Due to the number of long stories on the upcoming stories list I'm considering going back to five long stories at a time. If I do so it will not happen until after the new year. Also bear in mind I don't suddenly have extra time on my hands, so it will still be several days between chapters. However, on average long story chapters will be longer.
#2 Starting now I will no longer be posting a one shot with each round of stories. Currently the order is:
Salvaged & Saved
Alone on a School Night
Swirling Storm Inside
Live in My House, I'll be Your Shelter
Two chapters of the same Short Story
One Shot
And then we go back to Salvaged and Saved. If you've looked at my profile page you know that there is quite a list of One Shots and are probably wondering why I'm stopping. Well, I'm not stopping all together. I will still post them, but will only work on them when I'm inspired to do so and will post when done. Essentially one shots will now be surprises. My main reason for this decision is that I have an absolutely terrible time deciding which One Shot to do each round. It ends up delaying the other stories and I have been (as I'm sure you've noticed) in general choosing the one shots I think will be the shortest just to get them out of the way. I don't want to do that, I want them to be good and I want you guys to enjoy reading them.
Really these two decisions go together, if I'm not doing a one shot each round it leaves time for a new long story. I will more than likely have you guys vote on which long story should be the new one. I may not have you vote, I may just decide. It will probably be a Clowen story, though not exclusively Clowen.
Okay enough of me talking, enjoy the chapter!
Ch. 12 Steeped in Hard Luck & Doomed to Roam
(DREW)
After dreaming about Bianca, I sleep pretty restlessly the rest of the night. I wake up very early, almost feeling panicked. Clare is sleeping deeply, and I don't want to disturb her, I grab my phone and text Owen.
Drew: You up?
Owen: Yeah. Wasn't able to sleep, been up all night.
Drew: Want to meet at The Dot for breakfast? Clare's asleep, I don't want to wake her.
Owen: Cool, see you there in twenty.
I go upstairs quietly and find only my dad awake this early. I tell him I'm going to meet Owen for breakfast and go up to my room to get ready. Before leaving I go back to the basement and softly kiss Clare's lips, her eyes immediately open.
"I'm going to meet Owen for breakfast, you should get back to sleep," I tell her.
"Is everything okay?" She asks with a yawn.
"Yeah, just woke up early."
She nods and closes her eyes again, Dad gives me a ride to The Dot and I find Owen already here. I order some coffee and sit down with Owen.
"Didn't see her yesterday. After you texted me I spent over three hours searching the area with Fitz but there was no sign of her or Vince."
"Why is she still with him?"
"No idea," Owen shakes his head.
"Any idea where Vince hangs out?"
"Not really, but if you want to help me look today we can start downtown and work our way back to Riverdale," Owen says, and I nod.
He pulls up a map on his phone and we make a quick plan for our search. We get take our coffee and get in Owen's car, he drives downtown and parks, we get out and start walking. We look everywhere downtown for any sign of Bianca, but no sign of her. We look in every alley, back road, anywhere it looks like she might go, or Vince and his gang might be. Owen and I stop to eat and Clare texts to ask how the search is going. After eating Owen and I get back in his car and we drive up Booth Ave looking along the park, Owen parks and we get out searching all through the park and the ravine. We see a lot of people, a couple passed out drunks but no Bianca. After three hours of walking through the park and the ravine we get back in Owen's car and go to my house for lunch.
"Any luck?" Clare asks when we walk in the basement. She and Adam are watching TV.
"Nothing," I sigh sitting on the sofa with a feeling of defeat.
"We'll find her," Clare says encouragingly.
"We looked for hours, I'm starving," Owen comments.
"Clare and I were just talking about lunch, we could order a pizza," Adam suggests.
"Pizza sounds good," I shrug.
Owen eats lunch with us and we hang at my house for a while before he goes home. Mom calls Adam and says she and Dad are going out to dinner and we're on our own. We decide to go to Little Miss Steaks and have dinner there, rather than find something to make in the kitchen. I lock up the house, put my arm around Clare and we walk the few blocks to Little Miss Steaks. While we're eating Clare sees her mom come in with Glen, Clare waves to her mom and they come over.
"Hi Honey," Helen smiles kissing the top of Clare's head. "Hello Adam, Drew."
"Hi," Adam and I say simultaneously.
"Glen and I just came to pick up dinner. I was hoping you'd sleep at home tonight, spend the day with us tomorrow Clare. Drew is welcome to sleep over, Adam too if you'd like," Helen comments.
"I'll stay over," I nod.
"Me too, I'm sure Mom won't mind," Adam agrees.
"Great, why don't you call me when you're done eating. I'll pick you up and we'll run you boys home to get what you need. I'll call Audra on the way home to be sure it's alright with her."
Helen and Glen leave us and go to the counter to get their food. They leave after a few minutes, waving on their way out. When we finish eating I pay while Clare calls her mom. Helen picks us up outside of the restaurant, and as she starts driving Helen tells us Mom said Adam and I could stay the night. Helen parks at our place, Adam and I pack what we need for tonight and tomorrow. Clare gets her stuff and we go to her house. Glen is still here, but he and Helen leave to get a drink and we watch a movie in the living room, even though it's a bit tore up at the moment because of the remodel. We just take the plastic off the sofa and the TV still works.
Helen returns after a couple hours and says goodnight, we stay up for a few hours watching movies, but I was up early and I'm starting to get tired. Clare sets up Adam in the spare room, he doesn't even ask where I'm going to sleep. Only one washroom up here, so I brush my teeth first and go into Clare's room. By the time she's ready for bed and in her room, I'm already in the bed and she smiles when she sees me. She does however take her pajamas into the washroom to change for bed. When she returns to the room she gets in the bed, gives me a soft kiss and turns on her side to go to sleep.
I fall asleep quickly, but I don't sleep soundly, I fall right into a nightmare starring Bianca. She's with me, on my lap and we're making out, and then Vince appears. She looks at him and goes with him. Just as they're disappearing into the darkness Bianca tells me she's doing it for me. Then she's gone, not just gone into the darkness with Vince she's truly gone.
I wake with a gasp and my eyes shoot open, I feel Clare next to me and know I'm with her in her room. She's sleeping soundly and I'm safe, but my first thought is wondering where Bianca is right now. I'm awake now, very awake and I don't want to lie here next Clare for the rest of the night. Getting up slowly and quietly, tiptoeing out the door and softly closing it behind me. I go down to the living room, there's a blanket on the back of the sofa and I pull it over me. I turn the TV on, put the volume on low, and zone out to late night TV. I never really get back to sleep but sort of drift in and out the rest of the night. Around six I decide I'm not going to get back to sleep again, so I text Owen and ask if he's awake.
Owen: Yeah, couldn't sleep.
Drew: Me either. You want to go searching again?
Owen: Not this early, I doubt Vince or anyone in his gang even knows there is a six in the morning. We do have to work on our project though, you want to come over?
Drew: Sure. I'm at Clare's I'll be there in about 30.
I set the phone down and go upstairs to get my stuff. I manage to go into Clare's room and get my bag without waking her. She sleeps very soundly when she's in her own bed. I dress in the washroom and leave the house by the back door since I don't have a key. While I walk the couple of blocks to Owen's I send a text to Clare and Adam that I'm going to Owen's to work on our project. It's very early still and I don't want to ring the bell and wake Owen's entire house. So, when I arrive I text him that I'm at the front door. A couple minutes later Owen opens the door. He locks the door once I'm inside and we go back to the den to work on the project, he's already got things set up.
We work on the project for a couple of hours before going out to the kitchen to dig up some food. Owen finds a note from his parents that they are out running errands. We make breakfast and take it back to the den to keep working on the project. Within an hour we're totally finished and ready to turn it in tomorrow. Since our project is done and it's now late morning we decide to go looking for Bianca again. While Owen is in his room getting his shoes and stuff I send a text to Clare and Adam.
Drew: Going with Owen to look for Bianca again.
Clare: Good luck and be safe.
Adam: Clare and I are going to breakfast with her mom, Glen and Jake. Stay in touch.
Drew: I will.
Once Owen is ready we get in his car, this time we drive out towards Bianca's aunt's apartment. We don't know if Bianca has been back, I doubt that her aunt would have bothered to tell anyone that Bianca was back, and no longer missing, even if she'd dropped by for clothes or something. We'll start from there and work our way downtown, it's all we can think to do, it's not as though Owen or I have any idea where Vince and his guys hang out. Owen parks near the apartment building, we get out and walk, we don't go up to her aunt's apartment, but we check around the building, in it, up and down the street. We get back in Owen's car and he drives down a couple of blocks, we look as we're driving. When we come to a little strip mall Owen parks. There's a laundromat, a liquor store, a dry cleaner, and a drug store. Owen parks at one end by the dry cleaner and we get out walking down the sidewalk and looking into the places. We doubt she'd be in the dry cleaner and you can see right into it. She might be in the drug store, and since we can't see the whole store from the outside we go in. We split up and check the whole store, but she's not in there. As we're exiting however we see her coming out of the liquor store.
"Owen look," I say hitting his arm like he didn't see her too. I'm sure he did and we both know it's Bianca.
"BIANCA," we scream together. She hears us, she looks over her shoulder right at us and then jumps in a car. The car is black, from here that's about all I can see, other than it's small and somewhat sporty.
"Why is she running? I mean I guess I can understand why she's running from me, but why run from you?" I question when the car is out of sight.
"I don't know," Owen sighs. "Come on, we should go tell Officer Turner that we saw her."
(CLARE)
"Eli's back today," Drew grumbles when we walk into school Monday morning.
He and Adam stayed the night again last night, Drew was pretty down after he and Owen spotted Bianca yesterday and she ran from them. They told Officer Turner and they had some officers out looking for her, but there hadn't been any news. He fell asleep early last night, I actually slept through the night again, but Drew had a nightmare. He woke me up because he was thrashing around. He said he couldn't remember the nightmare when I woke him up, whether he did or not I don't think he slept the rest of the night.
"Just stay away from Eli," Adam advises.
"Hard to do when we have two classes together," Drew replies.
"One of which Jake has with you and the other Owen has with you. Just ignore Eli, if he does anything remotely threatening or violent again go straight to Simpson," I tell Drew, he nods but doesn't look happy. As we round the corner toward my locker, and Adam's, I see someone I am happy to have back at the school. "Jenna," I grin walking quickly to her and hugging her.
"Welcome back Jenna," Adam grins when I'm done hugging her.
"Hey Jenna," Drew smiles.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to be back here. I'm only back for half days though. Science and math in the mornings," Jenna tells us.
"I'm glad you're back, even if it is only half a day," I tell her.
"I'm going to my locker, I'll see you at lunch," Drew says and then snatches my lips for a kiss. "Good to have you back Jenna," Drew says before he walks off to his locker.
Adam and I go to our lockers and chat with Jenna a few minutes before Alli joins us. Adam and I don't have science this period, so we say goodbye and start walking for civics when Eli suddenly appears.
"Clare, Adam I…" he begins but I cut him off. I am not ready for one of his begging apologies just now.
"Don't Eli, I don't want to hear it right now. Come on Adam," I insist pulling Adam away by the hand. "Sorry, you could have stayed and talked to him if you wanted," I apologize as we sit at our desks.
"It's okay, I'm not sure I was ready for his apology either," Adam tells me with his grin and I smile.
Try as I might Eli stays on my mind all through class. I wonder what he was going to try and say? What he might try and do? Most of all I worry about him in class with Drew. I know he and Drew are not alone in the class, and that there isn't anything Eli can do in class. It doesn't keep me from worrying though. I guess Adam was worried too because neither of us paid much attention in class. By science I'm feeling better, if something had happened to Drew then Adam and I would have heard about it. I'm overthinking things and stressing myself out over nothing and I relax. The rest of the day is calm and quiet, Eli doesn't try to talk to any of us again, he eats lunch with Fiona and Imogen while Adam and I go to The Dot with Drew and Owen. Jenna has to leave at lunch to get Ty from Lisa, so she can go to work. Afternoon classes seem to pass quickly and when the last bell has rung I'm ready to go home.
"Hey Clare," Jake calls while I'm at my locker stowing the books I don't need. "I'm headed to your house in a bit, but I'm going to do something with Katie real quick. If you want to wait I can give you a ride, unless you're headed to Drew's."
"No, I'm going home today. Drew and Adam both have after school things anyway. How long will you be with Katie?"
"Not long, fifteen minutes or so," Jake replies.
"I'm going to walk to the drug store on the corner. You can pick me up from there," I tell him, and he grins.
I wave to Adam before I go to find Drew. I find him as he's about to go into the locker room, and give him a chaste kiss before leaving school. I walk down the street to the drug store across from The Dot and pick up a few things I need. After purchasing everything and stashing them in my backpack I still have a few minutes before Jake arrives, so I step outside to wait for him. I lean against the building and close my eyes, letting the warm sun hit my face. It's a peacefully serene moment as I think about Drew and smile. Unfortunately for me that moment of serenity is broken by a voice.
"Just the girl I was hoping to see," Vince says. Upon hearing his voice my eyes shoot open.
He's alone, I should hit him, kick him, scream…anything, but I'm frozen. I can't seem to move, I just stand there looking at him, holding my breath, waiting for what he's going to do.
"Pretty Boy's been stalking my girl, I'm repaying the favor," Vince grins. He puts his hand on the wall above me and leans in real close. I bite my lip, my eyes begin to close, I cringe wondering what he's about to do and wishing I would get a surge of adrenaline so that I could move!
"HEY, LEAVE HER ALONE," Sav barks angrily and my eyes stop closing. Sav is coming out of The Dot followed by Holly J. They must have been working on student council, or possibly on a date, and seen us from the café.
Vince grins at them and walks off. When he's finally away from me I release a breath, I'd been holding since the second I heard his voice. My lungs burn at the sudden increase in oxygen.
"You okay Clare?" Holly J asks, and I manage to nod.
"Who was that?" Sav asks.
"Vince," I breathe out and then shiver even at just saying the name.
"The guy that beat Drew up?" Sav queries.
"He didn't beat Drew up, he had his gang do it. I should call Officer Turner," I comment just as Jake pulls up in his truck. "Thanks Sav," I smile at him before getting in the truck.
"You okay? What happened?" Jake asks as he begins driving.
"Saw Vince, he was looking for me," I tell Jake. His expression changes instantly and his face goes a little pale. I'm sure he's remembering when we ran into Vince and his gang downtown. "He didn't hurt me. Sav or Holly J must have seen him hovering over me and they came out of The Dot. I should call Officer Turner when we get home."
Jake parks outside of my house, his dad's truck is here of course. We go inside, I go straight to my room, taking out my cell phone to call Officer Turner. I tell him what happened this afternoon and he takes down my statement. He tells me he'll also speak with Holly J and Sav to get their statements. He'll see if there's security footage from either The Dot or the drug store. If there is security tape footage outside the store, then it shows Vince violating the restraining order and he can be arrested. I hope that there is footage, I'd feel a lot safer, and so would Drew, if Vince were in jail.
When I hang up with Turner I try to concentrate on my homework, but I find it difficult. I keep thinking about what happened with Vince. He didn't hurt me, he didn't even touch me, yet every time I think about him and the look on his face I shiver. Knowing I'm going to get no homework done, after sitting on my bed and spacing out for over an hour, I get up and take a shower instead. A very, very long shower. At first, I still can't get Vince from my mind, but slowly the incident with Vince fades and I think about Drew. After getting out of the shower, only when the water starts to turn cold, drying off and getting dressed once again I return to my room to find Drew on my bed.
"I heard from Sav, are you okay?" He asks enveloping me in his arms.
"Yes, he didn't touch me. I think he intended to, but Sav stopped him."
"What did he want?"
"He said you'd been stalking his girl, so he was repaying the favor. I guess he knows you've been looking for Bianca. That's when Sav yelled at him and Vince left. I called Officer Turner and told him already. He said if there was security footage that showed Vince violating the restraining order her could be arrested."
"Good, I hope he is arrested. Adam's here too, we both came straight from school, we'll spend the night if you want or you can come to our house," Drew says.
"I want to sleep here, if you two don't mind spending the night again I would feel better if you were here. I've gone two nights without nightmares, but after this afternoon don't think tonight will be another nightmare free night."
"You know I sleep better when I'm with you," Drew says in a soft and sweet voice. He releases me just enough that he can cup my chin and bring our lips together in a tender kiss. "Mom is downstairs we told her too, she's ready to run us home to get our stuff or to bring you home with us. I think she called your mom too."
I smile at my boyfriend and realize how lucky I am to have the people in my life that I do. We go downstairs and Audra hugs me, then Adam.
"Clare wants us to sleep here," Drew tells his mom.
"That's fine, why don't you come back to the house and have dinner with us Clare. Then the boys can pack up what they need, and I'll bring you three back here after dinner. I spoke to Helen already and she said she was working late, so by the time we're done with dinner she should be home," Audra suggests.
"Sounds good," I smile.
We say goodbye to Jake and Glen before going out to Audra's minivan. I don't lock up the car because Jake and Glen will be going in and out. Drew and I sit in back and he holds my hand the whole way. When we get to the Torres house Audra gets started on dinner while the rest of us start on our homework. I'm able to get most of mine done before Audra calls up for dinner, so is Adam but Drew has more homework to do. Omar is home for dinner, of course he hears about Vince's visit today. After dinner the boys pack what they need and then Audra takes us all to my house. Glen and Jake are gone, but Mom is home. Audra comes in with us and talks to my mom for a few minutes. Before she leaves I thank her for dinner and letting her sons stay the night. She kisses her boys and hugs me before she leaves.
"Just terrible what happened today, are you alright Honey?" Mom asks.
"I'm alright, he didn't even touch me. It was scary, but I'm okay and I told Officer Turner."
"I'm grateful no one was hurt this time. I have an early meeting can you kids take care of yourself?" Mom asks.
"Mom, we're not kids. We'll be fine," I reply rolling my eyes.
Mom kisses me and says goodnight. The three of us stay in the living room to finish our homework before going to bed. While Drew's getting ready for bed I get Adam set up in the spare room. After I'm ready for bed I find Drew in my room, in bed. I turn off the light and get in with him, he wraps his arms around me and I feel safe. Even the safety of Drew's arms can't keep the nightmares away.
"Clare wake up, it's okay your safe," Drew's voice pulls me from my nightmare. All I can do is cling to him and sob on his chest. "You're safe, I've got you," Drew says in a soothing voice as he rubs my back. "Was it about Vince?" Drew asks when I've stopped sobbing.
"Yeah, Eli too and Bianca. It was kind of all jumbled, very dark, I remember Vince had me and…Bianca was…she…Eli had hurt you and…" my sentence stumbles as I struggle to remember and put into words the nightmare that had terrified me.
"You're safe, no Vince, no Bianca and Eli wouldn't even look at me today," Drew says, and I nod. "Can you get back to sleep?"
"I don't think so; the dream was very disturbing. I know it didn't sound like much but…"
"You don't have to explain, it was terrifying for you that's all I need to know. Let's go watch TV," Drew says.
He puts a shirt on, he was already wearing pajama bottoms. I put on my robe and we go downstairs, I turn on the TV and turn the volume down. My sofa is not as conducive to sleeping or stretching out together, but we sit together, Drew puts his arm around me and I do feel safe. Drew falls asleep after an hour, it takes me over three hours to get to sleep. I wake up when Mom comes downstairs the next morning. She gives me a sympathetic smile, but doesn't say anything. She leaves quietly, but Drew and I have to get up soon after to get to school. We go upstairs, and Adam is already up, he's in the washroom. I use the washroom when Adam is out, and Drew is already dressed. I start getting dressed and the doorbell rings.
"I'll get it," Adam calls. A few seconds later I hear the door open and then a deep voice, but I can't make it out from here.
"Clare, Officer Turner is here," Drew tells me knocking on my bedroom door.
"Be right there," I reply. I finish getting dressed and go downstairs where I find Drew, Adam and Officer Turner in the living room.
"Good morning Clare, I know it's early, but I thought you'd all like to know right away. There was security footage yesterday, a warrant has been issues for Vince's arrest. We have officers out looking for him right now."
I smile with great relief, that's the best news I've heard in a long time.
Update soon, probably picking up from around here. The next story to be updates is Alone on a School Night.