General POV

Eli walked over to Clare's door, more nervous than ever. He was doing this because Clare was staying with her mom this week and she liked him.

Clare's mom answered the door.

"Oh, Eli, hi!" she said, holding caffeine in one hand.

"Is Clare here, I need to ask her something big," he said nervously.

She smiled knowingly. "She stepped out with Alli and Fiona, getting a makeover, new clothes and a prom dress,"

Alli/Fiona+ Clare+ Makeover= More Beautiful Than Before

'Damn,' he thought 'I'm screwed.'

Her mom invited him inside.

"I have a surprise for her, you want to see both?" She asked and he nodded.

Then from downstairs he heard footsteps.

"Mom, is Clare here yet?" he heard and a brunette that looked sort of like Clare stepped out from the basement.

"Eli, this is surprise number one," her mother said andwent upstairs to get surprise number two. The girl looked him over.

"Eli Goldsworthy," she said. He recognized her from the picture Clare had in her locker, next to Robert Pattison.

"Darcy Edwards," he said and she smiled.

"You make Clare this giddy and girly?" she shook her head. "Amazing,"

Eli shrugged. "I do my best. Wait…"

Darcy didn't let him finish. "Yes, you do make her girly… and frustrated." she hinted and leaned against the wall.

He looked down, too much pressure. But, it was hard. Everything he's ever loved has slipped away from him. Everything, no joke, even his hamster died when he was 5. And that would be more the reason to ask Clare. But he couldn't let her close enough to let her slip away. Plus she was perfect and good and… and… she was Clare and he was… messed up.

"I…. can't do it." He admitted sheepishly.

Darcy smiled at him. "It's easy. You love her, right?"

He looked down again. How'd she know that? "Yes," he said, barely over a whisper.

She raised her eyebrows. "Prove it,"

"What if I can't?" Eli asked her, and to Darcy he looked like the definition of scared to death.

"Here, it's easy. Pretend, I'm Clare." She said and positioned herself in front of him, leaning off the wall.

"Ok…" he said, furrowing his eyebrows. She grinned.

"You want my sister or not." She said it as a statement.

"Yeah," he shrugged. But, it was probably better doing this here with Darcy than with Adam.

"Will you go to prom with me," he said quietly, his stomach churning at the mere words.

"Wonderful," Clare said, overly sweet. She emerged behind Darcy. "You can ask my sister to prom but you can't ask me, wow. I don't care if it wasn't going anywhere. You can ask everyone... anyone.. before me and I thought you at least liked me enough..." she trailed off and picked at her new clothes.

He opened his mouth but Clare turned to Darcy who's eyes were wide. "Hey, Darcy, long time, no see." Clare said to Darcy who's mouth also opened.

She looked at a speechless Eli. "Bye, Eli, I never want to see you again." A tear rolled down her cheek but she waved it away.

Clare put her head down and stomped upstairs.

'Everything,' he reminded himself. 'Just flew out the window,'