You guys did not disappoint! Thank you SO much for your reviews! Let's keep it them coming, please! By the way, the chorus of the song "Love Is Pain" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is more relatable to the story than the rest of the song. Just wanted to throw that out there. Here's Chapter Two! Read, review, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Chapter Two
Imogen and Fiona spent most of their time scrolling through Clare's Facerange posts to find any hints of her either being interested in someone or if she was still interested in Eli. It was bittersweet for them to learn that there was no information whatsoever on the subject; this meant that there was the possibility that she did not like anyone, and that included their best friend. Deciding to make observations on Clare's behavior at school the next day, they finished their movie and cuddled until Imogen's curfew.
The following morning, Imogen was standing across from Clare's locker, a magazine covering her face. She peered over the top and saw Clare transferring a book from her book bag to the locker before looking over some papers. She was so focused that she was really surprised that she was not startled when someone sat on the bench next to her.
"What are you doing?" Fiona asked.
"Shhh," Imogen said quietly. "I'm observing."
"What?"
"I'm watching for signs of crushing from Clare."
"Like what?"
"Oh, the usual; staring into space, watching someone as they walk by, checking out someone, fiddling with hair, blushing, etc."
"You really think that'll tell us something?"
"That's how I found out you liked me," Imogen shrugged, turning and giving Fiona a grin.
"I thought that was because my mom told you," she smiled back.
"No, she just confirmed it," Imogen said before peering over her magazine to see Clare again. "So far, she has not done anything out of the ordinary, but the day is young."
Fiona, although impressed by Imogen's determination, had to speak her mind; ever since Imogen proposed that they get Eli and Clare back together, she had been giving it thought. She was up half the night wondering if this was the best thing they could do; by one o'clock she decided that it wasn't and she had to let Imogen know that before they did anything too drastic or took things too far.
"Listen, I've been thinking and . . . maybe this isn't such a good idea."
"What do you mean?"
"This whole setting them up thing; I don't think we should do it."
"Why not?" she asked, slightly disappointed that Fiona was already considering backing out.
"Giving them the push to go out again is going to be tough; making sure they stay that way is going to be even harder; and there's a chance that anything we do won't work."
"But it's not impossible," she reminded her, continuing to use the magazine to shield her face. "We're just going to get them talking again, give them time, and then set them up; we're just putting them in the right direction."
Fiona rolled her lips, determined to be the convincer this time instead of the one being convinced.
"Meddling like this won't help."
"It was your idea to set up Eli with someone," Imogen said in a hushed tone so no one passing by would hear them.
"I didn't mean with his ex."
"She's perfect for him."
"So? She made it clear last year that she doesn't want to be with him."
"Things can change. And she's single now; maybe something good can come of it."
"Like what?"
"They could become friends again, get feelings for each other, fall in love, get married, have kids, grow old together, and die in each other's arms."
"You realize the chances of all of those things happening are slim, right?"
"Better slim than zero," Imogen said. "Do you want Eli to be happy or not?"
Fiona took a breath at a loss for words. Yes, she wanted Eli to be happy, but what if the person Imogen had in mind wanted to stay out of the picture? It was a ridiculous idea to select Clare merely because there was this huge chance that she would never want to be involved with Eli again. On the other hand, she could not think of anyone else who could be the perfect match for him. He was really happy with her as well, and that's what he deserved. Eli clearly missed Clare, but he was too ashamed, embarrassed, or nervous to talk to her, so maybe getting the two of them talking again wouldn't do much harm.
"If we find out that she is not interested in Eli in anyway, we back off and find someone else for him."
"Deal," Imogen said with a small squeal, enthusiastic as to what they would be doing.
()()
Imogen had to stay in her Art class after the bell rang to work on a project she was going to do to get a scholarship for university, so it was just Fiona and Eli who would be hanging out during their study period today; they would be going to the library while they waited for Imogen to come meet them before they all had to go to history. They were walking down the hall and turning a corner when Eli accidentally made a collision with someone. The two of them almost fell down, but they regained their balance and were safe from tumble. Fiona stood to the side, seeing who the person Eli had ran into before he realized it himself; she immediately took it as a sign that she and Imogen were meant to put their potential plans into action.
Both Eli and the person were too shocked by the sudden impact that it took each of them a couple of seconds to realize just who they were speaking to.
"Oh I'm . . . I'm sorry," he said less urgently when he saw who he bumped into. Clare was looking back at him, taken aback since this was the first kind of contact she and Eli have had in months.
"Don't worry about it," she said before walking around him and moving down the hall. Eli stood there, his face reddening and keeping his eyes glued to the ground as he and Fiona continued going down the hall.
"Okay, what is the deal with you two?" she couldn't help but say.
"What do you mean?" Eli asked.
"You and Clare," she said. "Some days you are civil to her and the next you're trying to avoid her."
"No I don't," he stated. "I'm always civil."
"Three days ago you saw her coming and basically stuffed your head in my locker," Fiona said, recalling the incident.
"I thought I dropped my pen in there," he said in a weak attempt to cover his tracks.
"Look, if you're not over her –."
"I am over her," he argued.
"Come on," Fiona said, not believing him.
"It's true. I don't even remember her name."
"Who's name?"
"Clare's."
"Clare who?"
"Edwards."
"Ha!" she remarked triumphantly. Eli scowled, not believing how easily he walked into that.
"Well, she's a friend."
"Is she?" Fiona said; from what she saw, Clare did not even come close to the title as "friend".
"Yes."
"So you two talk?"
"Um . . . it's been a while, but we do."
"What was the last conversation you had with her?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business," he said. Fiona, however, knew he was just trying to avoid the subject.
"When was the last conversation then?"
Eli opened his mouth, but closed it again. Opened. Closed. Opened. Closed. In truth, he had not had a real conversation with Clare since the summer when they were at Jake's cabin. However, he was not going to admit that to Fiona and let her have the satisfaction of trapping him in a corner.
"Okay, maybe we're not exactly friends, but . . . but it's fine. She's happy; that's the important thing."
"But are you happy?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
She had half a mind to tell him what she was really thinking by saying how she and Imogen thought he was lonely, but that was a serious accusation to make and she did not want to be in Eli's bad books. Instead, she went down a different path to assume something entirely different.
"You miss her, don't you?"
"I . . . I . . ."
Fiona looked at him as they continued to walk, knowing he had no other option than to embrace defeat.
"Okay, maybe I miss her a little."
"A lot."
"Alright, a lot!" he confessed. "But we don't talk anymore and she wants nothing more to do with me."
"You don't know that. You haven't really given her the chance to know the Eli you are now; she only knows the struggling one. Maybe if you two hung out again, you guys can go back to that friendship you used to have."
"I don't know," Eli said, shaking his head.
"Why not?" she asked. "You guys could be really happy."
"It didn't work out last time. Why should it this time?"
"Things have change," she shrugged. "A lot of couples who take that second chance and things between them are better."
"Name one," he dared.
"Easy," Fiona smiled, recalling a phone call she had a couple of weeks again. "A certain brother of mine got back together with his high school sweetheart when they both went to Yale."
"Holly J and Declan really got back together?" he asked.
"Indeed," she nodded. "So, if they work, surely you and Clare can as well."
"I still don't think that's a good idea."
They walked into the library and sat down before pulling out their books; Eli was determined to get some homework done, but Fiona had other ideas.
"What if you guys are just friends?" she said, wishing that the two of them took this step on their own instead forcing her and Imogen to do it themselves.
"It's a bad idea," he protested, his eyes focusing on the center of the page in his history book.
"How is it a bad idea?"
Eli did not answer; the silence gave Fiona an opportunity to connect the many dots that existed in this picture.
"Because you'll be heartbroken if you two don't work as friends . . . because that'll mean you two won't get back together . . . because you still have feelings for her!"
"Shhh," Eli hissed, snapping his head, looking over his shoulder for onlookers and eavesdroppers. "Say it a bit louder; I don't think the rest of Degrassi heard you."
"You still like her!" Fiona said in a low whisper.
"No, I don't. We're done, over, kaput, finished, done, nonexistent, –."
"I get it. But that doesn't mean you don't feel something for her."
"I don't."
"Don't lie to me, Eli," she scolded, crossing her arms with a grin on her face. "You have feelings for her."
"Just because you keep repeating it doesn't mean it's true."
"I wouldn't have to if you just told me."
"I can't because it's not true."
"Oh, come on," she groaned, getting annoyed at his constant denying.
"Even if I did feel something for her, why would I tell you? Last time I told you I liked someone you tricked her into a date with me."
"Well, if you look me in the eye and tell me that you're really over her, I'll let it go."
"Fine," Eli agreed before making his green eyes meet her blue ones. "I'm over Clare Edwards. Completely over her."
"Alright," Fiona sighed, knowing it was her turn to surrender. She turned back to her work, no longer being able to look at Eli. "You're over her."
()()
"He is so not over her," Fiona stated as they moved to their usual table at the Dot. She and Imogen had agreed to a coffee date so they could talk, do some homework, and discuss their plan to get Eli and Clare back together.
"The poor boy's in denial," Imogen sighed as she pulled out a seat and gestured for Fiona to sit down.
"Thank you," Fiona grinned, sitting down in the chair.
"Anything for my lady," she smiled back before sitting across from her. "Now, what should we do with our star-crossed lovers?"
"Well, we have to get them together as friends first; that's the main priority right now. We can't advance to a date until they are sure for their feelings for each other, which won't happen until we get them in the same room together."
"And everything unravels from there," Imogen concluded.
"But how could we get them talking again?"
"I think one of us has to become friends with Clare," she suggested. "She is an important part of this."
"Absolutely," Fiona agreed. "Which one of us should it be?"
"I think it should be me; we developed a tiny acquaintanceship last year when I was trying to get together with Eli."
At those words, Fiona looked down at her cup of coffee, feeling a bit stung by the fact that Imogen had these feelings not so long ago and that everything was disregarded so quickly. It hurt a bit to see her girlfriend go out with one of her best friends and it was still a bit weird for her to think about whenever the memories came back to mind. Sometimes she could not help but wonder if Imogen was really over Eli; then again, she proposed the breakup, so it did not make sense to think otherwise. Nonetheless, the usual past-relationship paranoia plagued her brain. Imogen, thankfully, saw the pain in her eyes and knew that it was time to step in before Fiona's feelings sunk even lower.
"Thankfully, I'm not in denial about who I like," she assured her by putting her hand over hers. Fiona looked up at her and smiled, feeling at ease.
"You're the best."
"I guess that means we're in a tie."
Fiona blushed a bit before they got back to discussing Eli and Clare.
"What are you going to do after you become friends with her?"
"Then I'll find out if she misses Eli, if she has feelings for Eli, if she wants to be friends with Eli . . . basically anything related to Eli."
"What if Clare thinks there's something going on?"
"I'll be subtle," Imogen promised. "And, it may take me a few days, but I will eventually get her to tell me how she feels about him."
"But what if she likes someone else? Or what if she's not over Jake?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's just get me in Clare's circle of friends."
"Got it; short-term goals."
"Exactly," Imogen said. "So tomorrow I will break the ice with Clare Edwards."
"And I'll keep working with Eli until he admits that he has feelings for her."
"Miss Coyne, we are officially in the matchmaking business."
Fimogen, EClare, and Dolly J! Three ships I love and support 100% are mentioned in this! Just need to put some Semma, Jiberty, Spane, Ziley, Drianca, and Zaya in there and I have my absolute favorite ships in one story (that's not going to happen, but I may do a whole new fic on all of them at once one day . . . although, Jiberty may be a bit difficult to use with the rest of them). Sorry, went completely off topic there (I do that a lot).
One more thing: the Frostival will not happen in this fic. If it did, I would've put that in the summary. This is takes place post "Need You Now", but after that it's run by my imagination.