Ok, so yeah. Sorry about not updating lately! I have had so much schoolwork it's unbeweavable. Hahaha, actually it's mostly been L.A. homework, so I'm all writing tuckered out. But I hope you larvae this chapter, and there's only like 3 weeks of school left, so I shall be writing a bunch of stories this summer! So I hope you like it, and all reviews are welcome!
CLARE'S POV:
My watch read 7:30, I start to head out for the author reading. Hopefully I'll get there early enough to find a good seat, I would especially love it if I were in the front row. I am finally going to have genuine fun tonight, even if I will be alone. I love going to author readings in Chicago, but when I go with my dad he just talks the whole time. Hey, I might even see old friends from high school there. I doubt it, though. The only people who I knew really loved writing were Eli and Adam, and I'm sure they are off to bigger and better things now. As I walk into the dusty bookstore I find that I am the first person to arrive. Did I come too early, or is this the right day? It obviously is the right day, why would chairs be set up if the reading wasn't soon. I guess I'll just play games on my iPhone until the reading starts.
Just as I am about to beat my high score on Temple Run I hear my name called out. "Clare! Clare Edwards, is that you?"
ADAM'S POV:
It's about 7:45 and I start walking to the bookstore. I live about 5 minutes away, so by leaving this early I hope to get a good seat, preferably in the first row. I haven't had a good night in a while. I'm usually doing homework; I go to U of T, or playing COD all night. Don't get me wrong, I love video games, but they aren't as fun with nobody to play with. I also live at home, so I don't have the best social life. My mom thought it would be best if I lived at home for the first couple semesters. She didn't know whether to sign me up for a girls dorm, or a boys dorm. I can't believe the she hasn't accepted the fact that I am never going to become Gracie ever again. I can't stand her, Gracie that is. I know that it's kinda weird to hate yourself I guess, but I know that Gracie isn't me, so it's fine to hate her. Maybe after the reading I'll stroll over to the comic book store. I always used to read comic books with Eli. Maybe I'll see him tonight, although he's probably in Chicago or something, wandering the streets looking for Clare. I would probably be doing the same thing if it weren't for my lack of money. Not to mention my crazy mother that won't let me out of the city. I arrive at the bookstore and find that only one other person is there, with the same bouncy curls I remember Clare Edwards having. I take a closer look and my voice acts faster then my brain.
"Clare! Clare Edwards, is that you?" Did I seriously just shout that? But as soon as I'm about to apologize for screaming at a stranger, piercing blue eyes look at me.
"ADAM! It's so amazing to see you! I've been thinking about you and- umm, wanting to see you lately." She was going to mention Eli. I wish she did, though.
"I've been thinking a lot about you lately too. I don't want to be rude, but why are you here? In Toronto, I mean." I am still awestruck.
"I'm here visiting my mom for the holidays. I'm actually thinking about transferring to U of T next year. As much as I love Chicago, something is pulling me to Toronto. So what have you been up to? Any new girlfriends?" She says suggestively, nudging my side.
"Nope. It's just me, myself and I. What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?" I ask, hoping she will say no.
"As if! I don't know if I could have another boyfriend after Eli." She whispers, almost testing herself to se if she can mention Eli's name without her voice breaking. We talk for about another 10 minutes, and the bookstore is slowly starting to fill up. Finally it's 8 o'clock and the author reading is starting. I think I am just as surprised as Clare when I see who the mystery author is.
ELI'S POV:
Today I visited Julia's grave. Then I walked past the park where Clare and I shared out first kiss. Then I went beck to Julia's grave. Then I went back to the park where Clare and I shared our first kiss. Then I went beck to my apartment and cried. Now it's time to go to the bookstore for my reading. Fun.
As I drive to the bookstore, I evaluate my life. My father died being drunk. My mom was depressed. My first girlfriend got run over by a car. I crashed a car for my second girlfriend, and have gotten no action since that night. I am a pity case.
Arriving at the bookstore, I am surprised to see so many people there. I walk up the aisle and look into the audience. To my surprise, I see Clare and Adam sitting front and center.
"Uh, um, uh, hi, ur, e-everybody. Thanks for c-c-c-coming out to hear-hear my n-n-new novel. It's um based on my life, and so um I'm g-g-going to read an excerpt about my u-u-unlucky l-l-l-l-love life." I manage to get out, feeling as though I will faint. Adam looks basically the same, but his presence is a little more confident. He's probably a lot more comfortable with himself, and accepts himself more than he used to. But Clare is still as breath taking as she was in high school. Her eyes still shine bright, and I can see that they are now rimmed with tears. I think about my choices. I could A, run out of the store in a hurry. Or I could B, read the excerpt and move on with my life. As tempting as choice A sounds, I decide to go with the latter.
"So um, h-h-hear it is." I begin, as I feel a lump forming in my throat. "Life is unfair, but that's what makes us better people. When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, right? Wrong, at least I never thought of it that way. I've always thought that when life handed ME lemons, I needed to block out the world until the lemons went bad. But I've learned that it doesn't work. You can't just wait for your problems to go away. My first girlfriend is dead. She died on April 22, 2009." I hear a gasp go through the audience, as people realize that she died on this very day. "When Julia passed, I blocked out the world. I also developed a mental illness. I began hoarding, and it wasn't until my later girlfriend found out that I decided to seek help. Julia was hit by a car, so when she died, it only seemed right to get a car that represented death. That's what cars were to me at the time. Death. My father died in a car accident, and now the love of my life. When I bought my hearse, I named him Morty. I'm not quite sure why I named him that, but I think I saw it on a billboard somewhere. Morty isn't with us today," I steal a quick glance at Clare, but she can't look up. She's holding onto Adam's hand for dear life, while he is white as a ghost. "The story of how Morty got destroyed is quite a sad one. I intentionally crashed him. The reason, you may ask? Because I was desperate. I was completely and utterly desperate. I needed my girlfriend to not leave me, and at the time I thought crashing my car into a wall for her was the right thing to do. But it wasn't. I learned that that day. So when you are feeling down, and life hands you lemons. Don't wait for them to go bad like I have in the past. Make lemonade." With that, Clare looks up at me, and smiles. I may just have a second chance waiting for me.