A/N: is it just me or is like, every other story in the clique archive like, 'what happens when a new clique moves to town? submit your own characters!' or something? sorry, newbie talking here. i just find it kind of... i dunno. i don't know what i'm talking about.
"it's a hard life to live so live it well
i'll be your friend not to pretend"
monday
cl;
Before I leave for school on Monday morning, my mother stops me at the foot of the stairs. "What are you wearing?" She asks, looking at my clothes. I look down. I'm wearing a blue Lacoste sweater and torn black jeans Massie had bought for me. "You look trashy."
I make a face. "What do you mean?"
"Your jeans are ruined."
"That's just the style, Mom," I tell her.
"The style of what? The trailer park? Go change," she orders, gesturing towards the stairs.
I start to protest, "Mom, I'm going to be late for school."
She sighs, that sigh that always made me feel like I don't deserve to be her daughter. "What made you buy that, Claire?" She asks.
"I didn't buy it. Massie got it for me."
My mother makes a face. "Massie? Massie Block? She got you that?" There's clearly a tone of disgust in her voice. "Didn't she start a fire when you were in eighth grade? The fire that killed somebody?"
"She had an alibi, Mom, she was sleeping over when that happened," I say tiredly. "Mom, I really need to go to school."
"Maybe you should stop hanging around her, Claire, she's a bad influence."
And I gape at her. "Are you seriously telling me who I should be friends with now?" I ask angrily.
"Don't you know who her father is? People say he's a crime boss, Claire," she insists. I roll my eyes and put one hand on my hip. "Don't look at your mother like that."
"You're being ridiculous."
"You're not thinking straight," she snaps.
I don't answer, only walk out of the front door, slamming it behind me.
dh;
"So how's Mission: Get Claire Lyons in Bed Before Summer Vacation coming along? Also known as Mission: GCLIBBSV," Kemp asks me, as Olivia Ryan walks by. "Yes."
"Great," I mutter. I've almost forgotten about that. And on Saturday, I had come to the realization that, yes, Claire Lyons is an actual person with actual feelings and get this: actual problems. It put a lot of things in perspective.
"They went on a date on Saturday," Josh muses.
"Wait, what?" Kemp asks, looking away from the girls and at me quizzically.
"Yeah, what?" I ask incredulously, looking at Josh.
Josh looks at me, confused. "Didn't you? You were at that diner. You should've stayed, they were giving free ice cream to soccer players."
"You went on a date with Claire Lyons?" Kemp exclaims. "Dude, I was on Facebook all weekend, and you didn't tell me about it?"
"You're a girl, sometimes, Hurley," Cam remarks. "Seriously."
"But Harrington went on a date! Since when did Harrington date?" He points out, gesturing wildly with his hands. "More importantly, since when did he date Claire Lyons? Dude, I do not have a hundred dollars on me right now."
"It wasn't a date," I say. "We were there for like, three seconds. And I didn't sleep with her."
Kemp muses, "Boring date."
"I went on a date with Massie Block," Cam volunteers.
"See, that's just crazy shit talk right there," Kemp mutters, leaning against the tree.
tuesday
cl;
We have a sub today. Everyone has switched seats. I wanted to sit next to Massie, but she's sitting with Cam, so I'm stuck in my seat with Derrick, like always.
"Stop looking so sad," Derrick says, smiling that smile that made him look like he knew everything down to how many girls were currently about to die of a heart attack because of him.
"I'm actually ecstatic that I can sit next to you."
"Oh. Sweet. So do you want my number now? Or I can just give you my house address."
"I was being facetious."
dh;
What the hell does facetious mean?
wednesday
cl;
Derrick walks into class and compliments my shirt.
I nod.
dh;
We're learning about metaphors in English. We have to make one up. Mine is, If normal girls are like glass in terms of 'breakability', Claire Lyons is the fucking Great Wall of China.
thursday
cl;
"I have a boyfriend," is what I find myself telling Derrick.
He stares at me. "A boyfriend?" I nod, trying to remain expressionless. I don't think it's working though, because he's looking skeptical. "And who's the uh, lucky guy?"
Shit. "It's a secret," I tell him. "You know, like Romeo and Juliet. Nobody can know, otherwise... we'll die."
He raises an eyebrow. "Does he go to this school?"
"Yes?" Then I cough, and say it more firmly. "Yes." I nod to emphasise. "Yes, he goes to our school." Now, as long as he doesn't ask me who this alleged boyfriend is, I'll be fine.
"And who is he?" Derrick asks again.
"I told you it's a secret," I say.
"You can tell me anything," he replies. Which hits a bit too close to home. The back of my neck prickles. "I'm totally on top of this clandestine boyfriend thing. I have a thirteen year old sister."
"It's still a secret, no matter how many sisters you have," I argue.
"I think you're lying," he says, matter-of-factly.
"Well, I'm not," I lie.
"Prove it," he says.
"You obviously don't know the meaning of secret," I sniff.
He gives me a look. "You're the one who told me. There has to be a reason why." Yeah, maybe because you keep flirting with me? "Who is it? Is he on the soccer team?"
I let out a strangled noise somewhere between a yes and a no. I point behind me randomly. "It's him," I mumble, hoping I'm not point to Kemp or something.
dh;
I give her a very, very surprised look. "Um, Josh?" I ask incredulously. "Funny, Claire."
"No, really," she insists. And now I know she's fucking with me. "It's just a secret. Don't tell anyone. Don't even tell him. He'd get uh, mad. Because it's a secret."
"Hey, Josh," I call. He looks up.
"No!" She cries. She actually stands up in protest. "Do you want me to define secret for you? Kept hidden from knowledge, not expressed, known to oneself or a few select others. As in, no, you don't call Josh over-"
She shuts up when Josh makes it to the table. "What?" He asks.
"Claire just told me something interesting and I want you to confirm it," I told him. He just looks at me, even more confused. I throw a glance at Claire, whose eyes are wide.
She bites her lip.
Josh looks at her.
I look at her.
She looks at me.
Then at Josh.
"You're kind of an ass, you know?" She says.
"And you're kind of cute when you're angry, you know?" I reply. Her cheeks turn pink.
"Um, so..." Josh says. "Should I just... go?"
"Yes," Claire says.
"No," I say. Josh looks torn. Claire looks at me again. It's a haughty look. Her arms are crossed over her chest. Her eyes are bright. Her lips are set. "Anytime, Claire."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she huffs.
I lean forward in the table and rest my chin on my hand. "Okay, whatever," I shrug, letting it go, at the same time she sighs, "Fine" and goes up onto her toes, grabs Josh, and kisses him.
The whole class stops talking and turns to stare.
After thirty long seconds, she turns to me, says, "Happy?" Then grabs her bag and walks out, muttering something about the nurse's office.
Josh looks at me, his hand at his lips. "Um," he says. "I didn't plan that."
"Yeah."
friday
cl;
I wish I would die of embarrassment.
dh;
Claire Lyons is enigma.
A/N: lyrics are from the kooks. they would've worked better for the last chapter. whatever.
this chapter was all over the place. blame it on this girl, named artificiallysweetened here, i was like, WHAT AM I GOING TO WRITE HELP ME. and then she was like, CLAIRE SHOULD KISS JOSH. and then i was like, what? and she was all, it was in the books, and then i said, but this is AU, and she said, it's like an allusion to the books! ANA, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M GIVING UP TO CHAT WITH YOU RIGHT NOW, if you don't use my idea, i think i'll eat the ENGLISH CHOCOLATE BARS I GOT YOU. to which i said, wait! i love the idea! because me and chocolate are soulmates and she was like, oh okay. and don't forget to feed my goldfish!
i don't know why i just typed all of that there. i need to stop with the atrocious author's notes. this was a filler. i got a franz ferdinand poster.