Kay! Here it is! Sorry for the lateness. Halloween weekend was crazy. I don't remember even being home xD. This isn't my favorite chapter. actually probably my least favorite of the 7 but it's a lead up chapter so i kind of need it. Hope it's decent enough for you! Please Read and Review!
Clare picked at her sandwich taking small naive bites. Eli sat across from her on a bench outside watching her holding his signature smirk. Clare questioned his stare where he answered, "You're just too damn cute." Clare immediately blushed and grabbed his hand that he held out across the table. He started to play with her delicate fingers. "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot this morning. You do know I was just kidding around. I respect you too much to mean all of that."
Clare didn't reply immediately, then said, "I know you were."
Jenna waddled over to Clare, "Hey, can I talk to you?"
"Sure." She let Jenna sit next to her. "Eli?"
"Yeah. I'm going to get a water. Want anything?" They both shook their heads and Eli headed to the cafeteria. Eli got to the cashier and reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay. Owen came up behind Eli and patted him on the shoulder saying, "Nice man!" Eli confused what he was talking about, ignored it and finished paying. He moved his way through the lunch room to the doors that led outside. But was stopped by K.C.
"Hey you're Eli right?" He asked.
"Yeah. And you are?" Eli was now very confused of what was going on now.
"I'm K.C. I just got to ask you. How'd you tame Little Miss Edwards man?" He tried to make it sound cool but came out sounding like an idiot.
Eli gave a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"
"Dude. Everyone knows you guys have done it." He responded patting him on the shoulder. "So, how'd you do it? I was barely able to get her to make out, let alone… She's a Saint. Well was."
"Uh… Well dude I have no clue what you're talking about. So if you don't mind, will you leave me alone." Eli replied making K.C. feel stupid, and walked through the doors and started to head back to the table where Clare and Jenna were hugging each other before she left.
Adam jumped into Eli's view looking annoyed. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were buds."
"Tell you what?"
"That you and Clare fucked. Everyone knows. And I had to figure out from the football team." Anger grew in Adam's voice.
Eli's eyes widened in shock. "What? Who started this rumor?"
"So it's not true?"
"No! We're talking about Clare here!" He lowered his tone. "So who started this?"
"Drew said K.C. heard Clare talking about it with Alli this morning. Sorry for the mix up."
Eli stood there standing alone mouth dropped and with too many thoughts running through his mind. He walked up to Clare, "did you tell Alli we had sex?"
Clare gave a surprised look. "No. Where'd that come from?"
"That kid over there, K.C." He pointed over at K.C. standing on the front steps talking to Owen. "Said you and Alli were talking about us doing it. And now the whole school knows."
Clare looked at K.C. as he looked at her but was talking to Owen. "K.C.? He's so pathetic." An idea crossed her mind and a sinister smirk appeared on his face, and removed her abstinent ring. "What?" Eli asked. "He started a story. Let's give them a show." She stood up as she spoke and grabbed his collar. She dragged him to the parking lot standing behind Morty. "Technically the rules are we can't show public displays of affection in school." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and crushed her lips to his. When they parted she opened the back of Morty and crawled in. "C'mon! I have a plan."
Eli looked at the school, seeing there were no teachers around and K.C. and Owen eyeing Morty. Then he climbed into Morty right behind her. K.C.'s mouth dropped and he ran inside after Eli followed Clare into Morty.
"So K.C.'s your ex?" Eli asked.
She groaned. "Yeah. Worst three months of my life."
"What did he do?"
"He liked Jenna the entire time we were dating. Then dumped me for her. Then got her pregnant and left her. Ergo, why I'm accompanying her to her ultra sound tomorrow."
Eli stroked her back. "I'm sorry babe."
She looked him in the face. "Don't be. If he didn't dump me. Who knows if I would have even met you. So maybe we should thank him almost for helping us find each other." They smiled and kissed before climbing out while the bell rang. They linked hands walking back to the school, relieved that no teachers heard anything about them going into Morty.
They were driving from the school in Morty, when Eli reached his right hand out. Clare quickly responded to intertwine her fingers with his. He stroked her hand with his thumb for a second before pulling it to his lips to kiss her hand. He noticed her purity ring was gone which made him ask her where it was.
She stuttered to respond, "Oh… It's here. It was like straining my finger during school. So I took it off." She pulled it out of her pocket and slid it back on easily, not needing Eli to let go of her hand. He raised his eyebrows in a not-believing-her-for-a-second look. But turned away, not wanting to even bring it up again. He drove passed the turn to his house, when Clare was able to catch on. "You missed the turn." Eli wouldn't look at her. "Eli, please tell me we're going to The Dot?" He looked out his window to check for any cars before changing lanes. "Eli! Please! My parents are going to kill me."
"No they aren't Clare. They just want you home." He stroked her hand with his thumb again but she yanked her hand back crossing her arms. "Clare. C'mon. Nothing bad is going to happen." He pulled up to her house and put Morty in park.
Clare finally looked up to see a for sale sign in the front yard. She sighed. "Will you come in with me?" She looked back at him with her innocent pout. He dropped his stiff shoulders in surrender then turned off Morty and started to climb out of the hearse. Clare wouldn't get out, so Eli opened her door and took her bag when she went to grab it.
Clare unlocked the front door, slowly walking in glaring at the floor. Helen rose to her feet yelling, "Clare! What is wron-" She was cut off when Eli walked in after her holding her bag over his shoulder. "Oh. Eli."
"Hi Mrs. Edwards," he gave an simple wave, keeping a straight face.
Helen took a few breaths. "Thank you Mr. Goldsworthy for bringing Clare home. But it would probably be better if you leave now."
"I understand," he set her bag against the wall by the stairs and headed for the door. Clare grabbed his arm and begged, "please don't go." He leaned in to hug her and during the embrace he whispered in her ear, "Don't worry. I won't be far. Just don't leave." When they pulled apart, she wouldn't let go of his hands. So he kissed her forehead and walked out.
"Clare. What has been going on with you?" Helen asked once Eli was out the door.
Clare's mouth dropped. "What's wrong with me?" She snapped. "What's wrong with this entire family should be the question!"
"Clare! Watch your tone!"
"No! This family is falling apart! And I have done nothing to cause it." She was using her hands as she spoke, much more then needed. "First, Darcy gets in her own drama and it ruins her life! Then she decides to go to Kenya for what she just said was a semester, and now we haven't seen her in over a year." She wiped some tears from thinking about her sister. "Now, you and dad do nothing but argue. It's as if you never loved each other. I don't see a reason for it."
"Honey, your father and I have just… grown apart. Like what happened between you and K.C." Her mother implied her ex from the lies Clare told them.
Clare's voice was broken but there were no tears running down, but it seemed to her like there was. "K.C. and I never grew apart. He dumped me! On those steps right outside that door. And ran off with Jenna immediately after. So I don't know what you mean."
"Oh honey." She walked up to her to hug her. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Once her hand touched Clare, she jumped back. "Don't change the subject, just because I brought it up."
"Your father and I just aren't seeing eye to eye sweetie. I think one thing, he thinks the opposite. I want to go out for a date night. He, at the last minute has to 'work'. We just aren't the people we fell in love with twenty years ago."
"Then why don't you go to counseling or something?"
"It won't help Clare. This is for the better. Better for me. Better for your father. And for you." Clare tightened her crossed arms. "There will be no more fighting to stress you out. You'll spend weekdays with me at a town home near the school. And you'll spend the weekends at your father's house just out of town."
"Out of town?" Clare repeated. "If I have to go out of town on the weekends then you'll have to give me more freedom throughout the week."
"What do you have in mind?"
Clare thought a bit. "Let me spend the night with Alli every now and then, even on school nights. I can go on dates with Eli since we won't be able to do our regular Friday and Saturday dates. And late movies with Adam sometimes. Like a midnight curfew."
"Ten!" Helen shot back.
"Fine Eleven." Clare stayed calm.
"We will talk about it," Helen put her hand on her forehead. "Now go to your room and start packing. Divide what you want to bring to your dad's and to our new home. And also give away. There are already boxes upstairs."
Clare decided not to continue the conversation and ran upstairs, still slightly choked up. She shut her door and quickly turned around to lock it. Taking deep breaths and hit her door once with her fist before turning around. Eli was sitting on her twin bed, right leg crossed over his left and leaned up against the headboard holding the teddy bear her gave her with the picture that had his headphones hang around the bear's neck, that she sets on her nightstand next the framed photo, so they are the last things she sees before she drifts to sleep at night.
So what did you think? Most likely Chapter 8 will be up tomorrow. It will i have no school tomorrow so yeah. Please Review! I love them! They make me smile. More Reviews the faster I'll post chapters! so think about that if you want to see what happens to Clare! :D :*(^_^) ~Eli