I really don't wanna go into detail on why I haven't updated, but I hope this chapter makes up for it ;)
I own a foot that is currently asleep, not the amazingness of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Pushing and grunting, forcing myself forward, I tried to catch up to where Fitz was. I knew Julia was messed up in ways, but I never expected her to go this far in being with me.
Why would she? She never said once how she regretted what she did, so why would she try to get me back?
When she was dead?
I cringed, but then remembered the task at hand, and pushed further. I felt my legs grow tired, my muscled weakening, but I needed to speak to him. Maybe he can help save her. If he didn't, I would have to pray for a miracle.
When I reached the end of the rather long side walk, I looked beyond the parking lot, searching for him. I smirked when I noticed him not that far away, but walking towards a police car. I widened my eyes, and sprinted again.
I felt a pain begin on my side, oxygen lowering with each step I took. Putting full force in my legs, I caught up to him and immediately stopped. I held up a finger to him, and set my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath.
"Eli? What are you doing? Shouldn't you be with Clare?" Fitz questioned eyes wide from my presence.
"You were" I gasped, "actually going to turn yourself in?"
He glanced behind him, eyeing the cop car before turning back to me, with a guilty look. "Well, yeah, of course. I mean, nobody's going to believe me when I tell them I couldn't control it, yet remember it. It's not like people can control me or anything." Fitz joked, laughing slightly.
I bit my lip, and glanced at him hesitantly before slumping down in posture.
Fitz's joking smile disappeared and looked at me questionably. "Eli..?"
"Look, Fitz, you may think I'm crazy and maybe I am but I think I know exactly what's going on here." I stated, straitening my posture.
Fitz furrowed his brows and looked at me sternly before we both heard an engine turn on. Fitz turned around and I peeked from behind him and noticed the police car on and backing out of its spot, making Fitz gasps slightly and bite his lip. I tugged on his arm, making him turn around to face me.
"Look, Fitz, don't worry about turning yourself in"
"Bu-"
"No buts. Now I want to tell you something, and maybe you can help me get Clare back." I walked past him and weaved in between cars before finding a side walk and sitting down slowly, preparing myself.
I watched as Fitz scurried over to me and sit down, looking at me intently. I wasn't going to tell him everything, just what he needed to know.
"Help get Clare back from where?" Fitz whispered, studying the ground.
"The shadows."
My chest ached and felt sore, overpowered. I couldn't breathe correctly, and was surrounded by black. Nothing new. The pain for needing Eli, for me to be home, laughing, enjoying life, was growing as each second I imagined ticked by.
He's figured it out, it's okay. You'll be okay. I tell myself.
Why can't my life be normal?
I closed my eyes, imagining Eli and I at school, holding hands and whispering sweet nothings to each other. People looking at us, judging, envying doesn't matter to me as long as Eli was there with me.
"Oh Clare, sweet, naïve, little Clare." I heard someone giggle.
"Julia!" I shouted, standing up abruptly. She thinks she can win, she can have Eli. Well, she's wrong.
"Ah, Clare, tell me, have you gotten used to this place? Because, as soon as that sun goes up tomorrow, you'll be stuck here."
Wait, what?
"Oh really? How am I supposed to believe that?" I smiled smugly. "If I can't leave, neither can you."
"How do you know that?"
I bit my lip, and racked my brain for an answer to give her. I hadn't thought of that, and my insides felt like goo.
"I don't. But I do know that you don't love Eli."
"Ah, you think you know me. You think you know how I feel. Well, I'm sorry, but Eli and I are meant to be." She walked towards me, her face showing more clearly as my eyes adjusted to the dark slowly.
"Then why'd you cheat on him?"
My question obviously threw her off guard, and she looked at me, glaring. "What makes you think that?"
"Julia," I laughed, "it wasn't that hard to figure out."
Her eyes widened and I smiled confidently. "The guy you cheated with abused you, didn't he? After you refused to sleep with him again?"
That one I wasn't too sure about, but took a guess and threw it in her face anyway. "What... h-how?" she stuttered, watching me, "How did you know that?"
"Is that why you acted to psycho all the time?"
"…Yeah."
This time, it was my turn to widen my eyes. I hadn't thought that one was true, but I was on a roll and figured I would ask.
"I just…I wanted someone else to feel my pain too!" She screeched frantic. I tilted my head, and watched her collapse on the floor, heavily sobbing.
"So, I guess she just didn't feel the same then? Or.. didn't know her feelings or something? Or, maybe she just...I don't know."
Fitz listened as Eli spilled almost everything to him, and watched as his hands flew in the air, how he got up and paced around the tree beside them, and how his eyes started watering when he mentioned Clare.
"Wait, so what was this chick's name, Julia?" Fitz asked, standing up to be next to Eli as he rested his head on the tree.
"Yeah," Eli sighed.
"Well, okay, so did Julia act any different a little before she" Fitz struggled to find the right word "...you know?"
"I guess" Eli answered, lifting his head to look at him. "She would never be by me, and when I tried to be…umm… intimate with her, she was so distant! I just got tired of it. She loved when we cuddled together and spent time together before! I just…don't understand."
"Yeah" Fitz agreed, "It doesn't make sense"
"But, I got over it. I guess we were never meant to be, but when I saw her, she wanted us to be together so bad! I mean, she.."
"Wait, what?"
"Oh, umm…I can see her ghost." Eli bit his lip, and closed his eyes, waiting his reaction. When he heard nothing, he grew curious if the taller teen was even there still and lifted his head to look. When he glanced his direction, he was surprised to see Fitz curious face and Eli smiled.
"Right, you wouldn't think that's crazy" Eli chuckled to himself.
"No, I don't." Fitz smiled, "but explain further, please."
Please? Is this Fitz still? Eli asked himself.
"I don't want to get into detail, but you know how some people believe that ghost can control people?" Eli asked Fitz, slightly smirking at his expression.
"Yeah."
"Well um, I can see Julia's ghost, and…Julia can control people."
Eli was shocked to see Fitz's face unfazed and he leaned up against the tree. "Okay, she controls people," Fitz started, "what else?"
"Fitz, Julia was jealous of Clare, whom I was hanging out with her, and she umm… knew what I was feeling towards her." Fitz blinked. "She knew Clare was dating you, so she controlled you. She used you to beat her. I don't know if she was planning this, but I know she wanted to get rid of Clare. So, she might have been trying to kill her,"
"She… she was…oh my god." Fitz breathed, collapsing to the soft grass.
"So, now all we need to figure out is how to save her." Eli said, sliding down the trunk of the tree.
"What do we do?" Fitz asked, glancing up at Eli. Eli inhaled a deep breath, biting his lip and glancing at Fitz.
"That's why I came to you; I was hoping you could help me figure that out?" Eli whispered, having a gut feeling he won't be much help at all.
"I… I don't know."
"Me neither"
The two boys sat in silence, just thinking. How much of a mess his life was, and how they could possibly find a way to save Clare. Both of them weren't Christian, and had never before shown any intentions on connecting to God any way.
But they both found themselves praying that in the end, Clare will be okay. She would be happy, laughing, enjoying life like she disserved. Even if it meant they would be out of it.
Eli enjoyed the silence; it actually helped him think better. The cool breeze hit his face, and Eli sighed.
"Hey Eli?"
"Hmm?"
"Who knew we would be sitting alone at a hospital, seven at night, getting along?"
"…"
"Ha, I find that funny."
"…"
"It's a nice night, tonight. Not that cold. Not that warm."
"…"
"Maybe it can help us think of ways to help Clare!"
"…"
"I'm going to shut up now."
"Please?"
Both boys sat in silence after that, enjoying it. Unfortunately, the night air didn't help at all, and both grew flustered.
"Do you think I can see Clare?" Fitz said just above a whisper.
"Yeah, I want to see her again too." Eli said softly. "Let's go."
Standing up slowly, the saddened teens made their way back to the hospital, needing Clare's sweet face for comfort.
Eli didn't care about anything else except Clare's happiness and safety, and he would make sure that she was both; happy and safe. No matter what.
Dun Dun DUHHH! Did you guess that? Or...not? Hmm, Well, since I havent updated in FOREVER I shall tell you guys two things:
1) Next chapter, Eli and Julia have a talk
2) Chapter after that, well, that's eclare fluff ;). We need some, after DTW, I'm kinda peeved at Degrassi, but I'm in denial and think eclare will get back together in season 11 and have a huge make-out session from all the sexual tension. Yep, that's what i'm sticking with ;)
Review? Tell me whatch'ya think!