Chapter 11: Nothing Could Keep Us Apart

Clare walked into Mrs. Dawes' English class the next day, her eyes bloodshot from a lack of sleep. She had been up all night worrying about Eli, wondering if he would take her back. She hadn't been concentrating in any of her classes that day either, continuously zoning out.

What really caused Clare to fret was the fact that she hadn't seen Eli in school at all today. He really has been missing a lot of school, Clare thought to herself. Great, now he's going to blame me for his low marks, too. Wonderful, Clare dreaded, wanting this horrible nightmare to end. And now, upon walking into English class, Eli was not in his usual seat. Clare wasn't surprised at all, but that didn't stop the slight disappointment that she felt.

She walked down the row of desks, finally reaching her own. She envied the students surrounding her who were laughing with their friends, looking as if they didn't have a care in the world, while her world was falling apart. She haphazardly placed her bag on the back of her chair and was about to sit down, when she saw the black velvet box placed in the center of the wooden chair. Suddenly, excitement rushed through Clare, knowing who had placed that box there. She quickly snatched it up and practically tore the lid off, but curiously enough, the bracelet wasn't there. What was in the bracelet's place was a small piece of paper that had scrawled on it "Meet me at our skipping spot". Clare's heart started racing. She remembered the skipping spot perfectly. It was where they went the first time they skipped English class together. It was the spot where she first started to know who Eli Goldsworthy really was, underneath the gloom and doom.

Clare didn't have much time to spare before the bell rang, so she grabbed her bag and ran for it. She wanted to get there as fast as she could, having such a strong desire to find out what Eli had in store for her. He would finally give her his final verdict. She practically ran the whole way there, feeling like a convict. Although she's done it before, skipping class didn't feel right, but for Eli, she'd do anything.

She finally spotted Morty, prompting Clare to stop running. She gave herself a few seconds to catch her breath and gain composure before crossing the street towards the bench. She walked slowly, suddenly worried that Eli would tell her that he couldn't forgive her and that she might as well move on. That would probably be the worst thing he could tell her.

Her heart flipped when she saw Eli sitting on the bench staring off into space, earbuds in his ears. He saw Clare approaching him and he immediately pulled the buds out and stood up, giving her a small smile. Clare walked up to him, looking at Eli with hopeful eyes.

"Hey," Eli said, his voice steady.

"Hey," Clare replied quietly, kicking a pebble around with her foot.

"Coffee?" he asked, holding up a cup of coffee from The Dot.

Clare smiled and took the cup, her finger brushing his and she grabbed it. "Thanks."

Eli sat down. "I think it's my turn to make an apology. I think I maybe, overreacted to everything. I should have let you explain, but instead, I let my temper get the best of me. I'm sorry," he confessed, looking at Clare in an apologetic manner. Clare let out the breath that she didn't even know she was holding.

"Eli, you had every right to be mad at me. I was selfish, and my brain wasn't thinking straight, and confused, and stupid. I mean, I wouldn't –"

Before Clare could finish her sentence, Eli pressed his mouth to hers, letting all of her troubles wash away. Of all the kisses they ever shared, this was by far her favorite, because it signified that they could through anything. It represented second chances, and that true love really could prevail.

He pulled away, smiling at her. "Did anyone ever tell you that you sometimes talk way to much?" he asked, looking at her with playful eyes.

"No, but I like that method of shutting me up," she joked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Just as long as I'm the only one shutting you up," he teased.

"Promise," Clare reassured, kissing him again.

After the kiss, he pulled something out of his pocket, revealing to be the charm bracelet that had been missing from the box. He clasped it around her wrist, holding her arm ever-so softly.

"I want you to have this." He played with the skull charm as it dangled from the bracelet.

"It's absolutely perfect," Clare remarked, rotating her wrist around to look at it from all angles.

Eli shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I have pretty good taste in jewelry," and he proceeded to kiss her. "And girls," he breathed.

Clare didn't care how stupid she looked, dawning a smile from ear-to-ear.

As if their minds were connected, both of them stood up. Eli put his arm around Clare's neck, and they started walking, no destination in mind.

As Clare was walking with this beautiful boy's arm around her, she knew that her world was right again. All the planets were aligned, and she was even happier than the students she had envied earlier today. Eli had taken her back, and Clare knew that their love was strong enough to withstand anything. She looked up at Eli's face, studying it intricately, loving everything about it. She loved his crooked smile. She loved his messy hair. She loved his dark clothes. She loved his hearse. She loved his obsession with death. She loved his desire to be feared and not fear. She loved his devotion to his friends. Most importantly, she loved him.

As they walked, Eli turned towards Clare's ear and simply whispered, "Nothing could keep us apart."

THE END

Soooo, how did you guys like it? Would you have ended the story differently, or is this what you imagined? I had you guys worried that Eli and Clare might not get together. Now, what kind of world would this be if they weren't? hahaha. I had so much fun writing this story, and I hope that you guys had just as much fun reading it! Please comment!