All I have to say is that this is something new for me. Title inspired by "Love Is Pain" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Read, review, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Chapter One
Fiona was sitting in the back of Mr. Perino's class, trying her best to finish this essay now so she wouldn't have to do it that afternoon. She was almost done, but she kept noticing that smile out of the corner of her eye; every time she took notice of it, she could not help but smile herself. What she found incredible was that her girlfriend of one month was just innocently staring at her and nothing else, but it was still enough to make her heart beat like crazy.
"Not that I mind the staring, but don't you have to finish your essay?" she asked, breaking trance with her paper to look at the eyes she had grown to adore.
"I'll do it later," Imogen shrugged.
"Well, that's a shame, because I was hoping you could come over tonight."
"Oh really?" she said, sounding intrigued.
"Yes, and I was thinking about ordering your favorite: Chinese and peach cobbler. And maybe have a movie marathon?"
Imogen immediately fell in love of the idea, but she was not going to cave until she was informed of one detail.
"And . . . there can be cuddling?"
"Only if you're my cuddle buddy," Fiona negotiated.
Both of them were smiling at each other with loving eyes at this point and Imogen was all in.
"I guess I should start this essay then."
"Yes, you should," Fiona asked, reaching across to give her girlfriend's arm a small shove; Imogen retaliated with the same motion.
They continued this back and forth while suppressing giggles until they heard a gagging sound from behind them. The girls turned their heads and saw Eli sitting there; it was obvious that the noise had come from him, considering he was the only person sitting behind them.
"What was that?" Fiona asked of him.
"Can you two get anymore lovey-dovey?" he asked rhetorically.
"What's the matter, Eli? Feeling like a third wheel?" Imogen assumed.
"No," he said. "It's just difficult to focus on writing an essay about the French Revolution while you two are all . . . mushy."
"Well, get used to it," Imogen said before leaning across the aisle to give Fiona a quick kiss on the cheek. Fiona blushed and tried to work on her essay for the rest of class, but was becoming distracted by the way Imogen's hand was flying across the pages of her paper. Her pencil was steady yet fluid as her words left their marks on the white paper, painting a picture with letters. It was beautiful.
The bell interrupted Fiona's thoughts and she had just realized that she still had to write another paragraph plus a conclusion to finish her essay. Sighing in aggravation that she had to finish it tonight, she put her unfinished work in her binder and stood up. She then felt Imogen's hand in hers and, like magic, her anger melted away.
"You still have the rest of the day to finish it," she comforted her.
Fiona smiled at her before leaning in to give her a quick peck on the lips.
"Okay, I'm outta here," Eli declared. "See you guys whenever."
Without another word, he left the classroom, not looking back.
"Doesn't he seem a bit glum to you?" Imogen asked as she and Fiona moved out of the room behind their fellow classmates.
"It's Eli; he's always glum," Fiona reminded her.
"Glummer than usual then?" she said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean . . . ever since this school year started he's been a bit . . . off."
"I don't follow."
"I mean, I hung out with him a bit over the summer and he seemed happy. Now, however, he's been . . . grouchy in a passive way."
"And it's not because you two dated and then broke up?"
"No, we were fine afterwards and everything was mutual; besides, this has been going on even before then," she said. "I just mean . . . I can't put my finger on it, but he's not acting himself."
"Well, he has just got out of a hard time, coping with his bipolar disorder and all."
"I know, but I just wish I knew why, you know?"
That was one of the many things Fiona loved about Imogen; she was always concerned and caring and she wanted to know that the people she cared about were okay.
"You're cute when you care," Fiona said, squeezing her hand. "I'm sure it's nothing; he's probably just getting used to grade twelve, that's all."
"I guess. And I hope you're right."
"Have I ever steered you wrong?"
"Well . . ." Imogen said teasingly.
"Never mind," Fiona said.
Imogen giggled a bit before putting her head on Fiona's shoulder as they continued to walk to their science class.
"So . . . we're still having that Chinese, cobbler, movie date?" she asked hopefully.
"Once I get this essay for Perino done, I'm all yours," Fiona promised.
"And so is the cobbler," Imogen did not hesitate to add.
()()
"Hola," Fiona greeted, standing by Eli at his locker. Imogen had to go to Art, so she and Eli usually walked to Media together.
"Hey," he greeted, his tone still the same as it was that morning. "Did the future Mrs. Fiona Coyne already go on to class?"
"Yeah, she frolicked all the way from science; they're supposed to be studying landscapes today."
"I see," Eli said.
"Are you okay?" Fiona asked, curious if there was some sort of explanation for Eli's recent mood.
"Never better," he answered, closing his locker.
"Well, in that case, how do you feel about coming out with me and Imogen this weekend? We're going to see a movie."
"I think I'll pass on that."
"Come on."
"Thanks, but no thanks."
"Please, please, please," Fiona begged.
"No, no, no," Eli said.
"Eli, when was the last time you went somewhere other than school?" she asked him.
"I . . . I . . . I went to Adam's a couple of weeks ago."
"Besides Adam's, school, and the gym," she clarified.
Eli was silent; in truth, he had hardly left his house since the school year began, but he really did not want to admit that to Fiona.
"Come on," she said. "Come to the movies with Imo and I this weekend. It'll be fun."
"Thanks, but I'd rather not."
"Why not?" she interrogated.
"Because I'm busy," he said.
"Doing what?"
"Stuff that's none of your business," he said, hoping that it would stop her from questioning him; it was a mission failed.
"Do you have a date?" she asked.
"No."
"Are you hanging out with Adam?"
"No."
"Is it –?"
"Fiona, I have things to do, okay? Now drop it," he said before going past her and moving down the hall to the computer lab as quickly as possible.
()()
Hours later, the couple were having their movie date on Fiona's couch, Fiona's head in Imogen's lap. Empty takeout cartons and a bare bowl that used to be full of cobbler laid on the coffee table as a classic film from the nineteen eighties played on the television.
"I love your hair," Imogen stated as some of the strands fell through her fingers. "It's just so nice, long, and dark. It's like a chocolate waterfall . . . like in Willy Wonka."
Imogen expected Fiona to chuckle, blush, or even say something in agreement, but she remained mute; it was as if she did not hear a thing.
"Fiona?" Imogen said. "Fi, you okay?"
She sighed and sat up, feeling horrible that one of her best friends felt so rotten.
"I think you're right about Eli."
"Why do you say that?"
"I asked him to come to a movie with us this weekend and he said no."
"Why?"
"Evidently he's busy."
"That's what he always says," Imogen stated. It was true; lately, that has been Eli's classic excuse for getting out of plans.
"Exactly," Fiona said. "I don't know what his deal is."
"Do you know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think he's lonely."
"Lonely?"
"Yeah, he's around the two of us all day and he must feel like the third wheel at times; maybe he's jealous that we found someone and he's still single."
Fiona dwelled on these words; it would make perfect sense. It would explain the moodiness he had whenever he was around them, his refusal to hang out with them after school, and how annoyed he got whenever they acted sappy with each other.
"Poor Eli," Fiona said. "Do you think it'll make him feel better if we don't act all mushy around him?"
Imogen merely shrugged. "It doesn't change the fact that we're in a relationship and he's not."
"Good point," she agreed.
The two of them leaned, wishing there was something – anything – they could do to help their friend. They had not seen him happy in so long and he deserved it because of everything he'd been through this past year. He deserved to be with someone who would make him smile and laugh.
But how could he find someone when would hardly leave his house unless necessary? He wouldn't. He needed a push to get back up on the dating horse or he needed to wake up and see that there could be someone out there for him . . .
Then it came to Fiona . . .
"I have an idea," she said, sitting up.
"What?" Imogen asked enthusiastically, sitting up straight as well.
"We should set him up with someone."
"Seriously?"
"Of course," she said, smiling.
"Do remember how that went last time?"
"And you guys worked for that certain period of time."
"Still, I'm not sure Eli will go along with it. He doesn't know that we know that he's lonely, remember? We might even be wrong and he's just adjusting to the school year like you said."
"Do you really believe that?"
"No," Imogen answered honestly. "But I don't think we should just set him up with someone."
"Well, what if we just get Eli and his significant other to hang out and then they can determine the relationship for themselves?"
Imogen sat back and thought for a second; starting off with a friendship usually had better results, so maybe Fiona was on to something. And, by doing that, Eli would be in control as to how fast or slow the relationship goes. It seemed like a perfect plan . . . it was the perfect plan.
"Okay, but it has to be the perfect girl for Eli."
"But who?"
"Well, let's rule out those who are already taken."
"That takes out Marisol, Bianca, you, and me."
"Katie Matlin?" Imogen suggested.
"No, she's not really is type."
"Well, I can't think of any other girls in our grade who are single and his type."
"Okay, then let's skip down to the grade elevens."
They did not know many people in the grade below them, but a fair few stuck out. They soon eliminated Jenna since she was with Jake and Alli since she was with Dave. There was only one option left that they could see and there was no use in denying her existence.
"What about Clare Edwards?"
"What?" Fiona spat.
"We were both thinking it, one of us had to say it," Imogen said. She had actually thought of Clare first, but she was not sure if she should mention her or not.
"But Clare Edwards?" she repeated. "I don't think she wants anything more to do with Eli."
"Think about it: he always goes by her locker to go to math even though it's the longer route, he always smiles at her when he sees her at lunch, and he hasn't been in a relationship since their breakup."
"Uh, let's remember that you two dated," Fiona reminded her.
"Yes, but it was short lived," she explained. "Look, I had a crush on the guy for a year and even I could not deny the chemistry they had."
Fiona then recalled the time Eli told her that he said that he would probably always love Clare. Was it because of that love that he was so afraid to go back into dating again? Was it because of that girl, who he had seen date another guy for so long, that he felt so alone? It was possible and she wanted Eli to be happy, but there were so many more parts to the equation here.
"Well, even if he is still interested in her, she's probably not interested in him. It took her longer to get over Jake than Eli, so she's probably still over him."
"But feelings can come back," Imogen reminded.
"This is Clare, though."
"So? She's still a teenage girl who dated him; and, with their history, those feelings can't just change overnight or disappear so quickly."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that there's more to Miss Clare Edwards than meets the eye; maybe deep down she still cares for him. Those feelings just have to be resurrected and she and Eli will be back together in no time."
"Are you crazy? How are those feelings going to be resurrected?"
"That's when we come in," Imogen said, plans already forming in her brain.
"What do you want us to do? Hold an intervention for Clare until she falls for Eli again?"
"No, that's too simple. We just need to get them together and then everything will start to unfold, then we set them up, and we all live happily ever after."
"Imogen, they've had plenty of opportunities to make things work, but nothing. Clearly, the universe isn't ready to bring them together."
Imogen rolled her lips and picked her backpack off the floor before pulling out her laptop, opening it up, and logging on to Facerange.
"If the universe won't bring them together, we will."
I know this chapter was short, but I didn't want to include too much; just enough to start it off. This will be centered mostly around Fimogen with some EClare interaction. 10 reviews for Chapter 2, deal?