Hi so Eli and Clare are friends but never got back together in this story.
Ch. 3 Another Secret Crush
(LUKE)
We both look over at Owen, guilty expressions on our faces. Maya sort of hides behind me and even in the dull moonlight I can see that her cheeks are red.
"Hey Owen uh we uh we…" I stumble over my words searching for an explanation that will make sense. Thing is there really isn't one. "We're kind of dating sort of," is what comes out of my mouth.
Not exactly eloquent but I'm kinda on the spot right now. Maya pinches my back hard, displeased about something I said but I'm not exactly sure what.
"Kind of sort of?" Owen questions raising his eyebrows.
"We are dating but it's a secret." I confess.
"WHAT THE HE…" Owen starts to yell, worried he's going to wake up Maya's family I run up and clamp my hand over his mouth.
Owen Glare's at me, looks like he's about to kill me actually but I keep my hand on his mouth.
"SHHH! You're going to wake up her family and then we won't be a secret we'll be dead!" I bark at him quietly.
I take my hand from his mouth and he still glares at me but then looks at Maya.
"Maya go back to bed," he orders.
I look back at Maya, she looks worried but I'm more afraid that someone in Maya's family is going to wake up and catch us out here and then the three of us will be dead. Going over to her I pick her up and put her back in her room through the window, she leans her hands on the sill and gives me a quick peck.
"Goodnight," she says softly before closing her window and her blinds.
I go over to Owen, and start walking back to my car, his is parked behind mine and I'm guessing that's why he stopped at Maya's house. Owen keeps quiet until we're back at our cars but when I unlock my car doors he gets into the passenger seat.
"MAYA MATLIN?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" He yells. "She's 3 years younger than you! Katie's little sister and friends with my kid brother! What are you possibly thinking?" He questions.
"I know okay we're complete opposites and we make no sense and if people find out they'd kill us or mock us which is why we're a secret! I know it's insane, absurd and we don't make any sense together. She's not the type of girl I usually go for but I like her man, a lot! More than any other girl I have ever gone out with! What am I supposed to do Owen? We can't tell anyone, we have to be secret. I can't even really explain why I like her so much I just do! She's like…"
Owen interrupts my rambling. "Dude stop!" He insists. "I'll keep your secret okay."
I look over at him. "You will?" I ask not sure I heard him right.
"Yeah I will, I know what's like to like a girl that's the complete opposite from you." Owen confesses.
"You do, who?" I ask squeezing my eyebrows together.
Owen seems like the kind of guy that always takes what he wants including girls. Come to think of it I've never seen him go on an actual date. He usually talks a lot, flirts with puck bunnies sometimes but I've never seen him really with a girl, of course I've only been going to the school a month.
"Not important but I can't even talk to her. You had the guts to actually do something about it and I admire that so I'll keep your secret." Owen tells me.
"Thanks man I appreciate it and so will Maya. So who's the girl?" I question.
"It doesn't matter it's never going to happen," Owen sighs.
"So why did you stop at Maya's house?" I ask.
"I saw your car here and wanted to know what you were doing at the Matlin's. I've picked Tris up from here a couple of times. The house was dark so I went around back because I thought you were breaking in or something." Owen admits.
We laugh a bit and then Owen says he should get home, he gets out of my car and gets into his own, driving off with a wave. I pull away from Maya's house after him, turning off the headlights before I pull into the driveway, I sneak in by climbing up the balcony attached to Becky's room. The sliding glass door into her room isn't locked because she leaves it open a little and closes the screen at night no matter how cold it is. I open the screen door slowly but she still wakes up, sitting up with a gasp.
"Becks calm down it's me," I whisper to her closing the screen.
"Luke?! What are you doing? It's after midnight where were you?" She asks keeping her voice to a whisper so she doesn't wake Mom and Dad.
"I had to meet Owen, now go back to sleep I'm going to bed." I reply.
Becky lies back down and I sneak out of her room and into mine. As soon as I get into my room I send a text to Maya to tell her Owen will keep our secret. She texts back a smiley face and I go to bed happy and have happy dreams about Maya and me all night. I drive me and Becks to school the next morning and she skips off to find Jenna as soon as we get there. Meanwhile I go to my locker which is not far from Owen's and he's at his locker. I open my locker and start putting in books and then look back at Owen when I notice he's not moving. He's leaning on the locker next to his with his locker open, sort of hiding behind the door as he watches something. I follow his gaze to see that he's watching Clare and Adam. It's a safe bet that Adam isn't the one he's watching so intently and all of a sudden our conversation last night makes a lot more sense.
"You like Clare," I state walking up behind him.
He jumps, turning around and shutting his locker. "No I don't," he says with a determined voice as he walks past me.
"So then you were staring at Adam longingly," I tease as I follow him.
Owen stops walking, turns and gives me a look. "That obvious huh?" He sighs.
"Yeah like neon sign obvious so why don't you just talk to her?" I ask.
"We've gone to school three years together and the most I've ever managed to say to her was hey and she was going out with Jake at the time." He tells me.
"Jake? Her stepbrother?" I inquire wrinkling my forehead in disgust.
"It's a long story," He replies.
"Okay so why haven't you ever talked to her? I mean I realize you guys don't exactly hang out with the same crowd and all but you never even tried?" I query.
"When she was in grade nine she was in the gifted program and just a skinny kid. Last year my buddy had a huge crush on her until he got sent to juvie for threatening her boyfriend with a knife and I was a bully at the beginning of the year. I did some really bad things to her two best friends so asking her out after that didn't seem like a good idea. I'm afraid that's all she sees me as is a bully and like you said we don't exactly have the same friends. Clare goes for guys like Eli, not guys like me." He says with a sad face.
"Dude you never know, stranger things have happened look at me and Maya." I tell him.
"Yeah," he laughs, "I guess."
Owen walks away down the hall and I get an idea. Thanks to Becky's mouth I happen to know that Clare writes for the school newspaper, actually she's editor but one of only a few girls on the staff so I go to find Dallas. Our captain is on the steps flirting with puck bunnies of course and smiles at me when I go outside.
"Hey Dallas, excuse us a second ladies we have team business." I say to the puck bunnies as I pull Dallas toward the doors and inside sitting on the nearest bench.
"What is it Baker?" Dallas asks sounding slightly annoyed that I dragged him away from the girls.
"I was thinking we need more coverage of our games and practices by the school paper." I tell him.
"The sports writer has been writing about our games." Dallas shrugs.
"Yeah but not from the sports writer I mean we need a girls perspective on the games. Draw some more girls to the games, ones that aren't puck bunnies. Isn't one of your billet brothers like best friends with the editor of the school paper? Don't you think a glowing article so eloquently written by not just a girl but the editor of the school paper would attract a lot more people to the games? Which makes money for the team and the school." I smile.
Dallas looks thoughtful for a minute and then a smile spreads across his lips. "Baker you're a genius! I'll go talk to Simpson right now." Dallas says getting up and walking toward Simpson's office.
I smile and pull out my phone to text Maya asking if she can meet. She says she can't get away until lunch so I tell her to meet me under the bleachers at the back end of the soccer field again. She says she'll be there and the bell rings so I go to class. The morning draaaaags by but at least Dallas tells me Clare will be covering the game this evening and doing interviews after, Simpson's making her. She's probably not too happy about it but Owen will be. I ditch lunch with the team to go meet Maya; she's already waiting under the bleachers for me. I smile when I see her putting my arms around her lower back and pulling her to me and pressing our lips together.
"You know we're going to have to find somewhere else to meet when soccer season starts," she remarks.
"Yeah but that won't be until like April so we're good for another couple of months at least." I assure her.
"So Owen's really going to keep our secret?" She asks.
"Yep not only that but he likes a girl that's completely opposite from him so he understands." I tell her.
"Owen actually likes someone? Who?" She inquires.
"Clare," I reply.
"Clare? Jake's sister? Adam's friend?" She questions.
"That's the one," I nod.
She just shrugs and put her lips on mine again, she parts her lips and my tongue goes into her mouth. I lean against one of the metal supports for the bleachers picking her up by the hips for easier access to her lips and we stay that way until her stomach growls.
"I guess we should eat," I smile when I put her down again.
"Yeah I guess so. I'd come to your game this afternoon but I have Whisper Hug practice and I've never been to a hockey game in my life so people would think it's odd." She says with the sweetest smile ever.
"Don't worry about it I'll text you later tonight maybe I can sneak over again," I say hopefully.
"You'd better not Katie said she heard noises last night. I really should go eat now." She tells me.
"Yeah me too, big game today, you go around the front of the school and I'll go around the back." I tell her before tipping up her chin for one more quick kiss.
The rest of the afternoon goes by quickly and before I know it it's game time. We skate onto the ice and I scan the audience, sure enough Clare is sitting in the second row with a note pad. She doesn't look happy to be here, just as I suspected. Cam scores the first two goals, Dallas the next one and by the end of the first period we're up by one. When we go into the locker room I convince the coach to put Owen in next period for a while and he does. Owen plays well and even scores a goal, during the last period I score two goals and Dallas one and we win by three points completely crushing the other team. Then we head to the locker room to shower and change. About the time we all get out of the showers and have towels wrapped around us there's a knock at the locker room door. Dallas goes to the door and opens it.
"Oh my god!" I hear Clare exclaim when Dallas opens the door in nothing but a towel and at the sound of Clare's voice Owen looks over at the door.
"Come to interview us Clare?" Dallas asks.
"Yes but put some clothes on first," Clare insists, Dallas laughs and closes the door.
"What's Clare doing here she doesn't cover sports for the school paper?" Owen asks as he starts getting dressed quickly.
"Baker had this great idea that we needed a girl's perspective to cover our games and practices." Dallas says slapping me on the shoulder.
Owen shoots me a look, he knows I did it on purpose but I just smile at him. Owen's the first to get dressed and after he looks around, goes to the door opening it.
"Everybody's pretty much dressed now Clare you can come in." Owen says in the nicest voice I've ever heard him use.
Clare comes in and looks at us, a few of the guys still have their shirts off but other than that we're all dressed.
"I'm being made to do player interviews and I know nothing about hockey so I guess I'll talk to the players that made the goals. That would be Dallas, Luke, Cam and you right?" She asks Owen.
"Yep that's all of us that made goals," Owen says somewhat clumsily.
"Yeah, great so umm Owen what…" she starts when Dallas interrupts her.
"I'm captain you should talk me first," Dallas says going up behind her and getting close to her.
He gets a little too close for her comfort apparently as she backs up into rookies skates and starts to fall but Owen catches her. I couldn't have planned it better if I tried. Owen catches her with an arm around her waist and she grips his shirt. They stay like that for a second until the guys start snickering.
"You okay?" Owen asks her.
"Yeah I'm fine, good catch Owen thanks." She smiles as he helps get her to her feet again.
"Yeah sure," he smiles back.
"You two going to make out now?" Sam taunts.
"Uh I think I have enough for the article, good game guys." Clare says and walks out of the locker room quickly.
I can't help but snicker as I finish getting dressed; Owen grabs his stuff and leaves the locker room quickly. My family waited to have dinner with me and they all congratulate me on a good game. The last thing I do before going to sleep is text Maya.
SB: Goodnight Beautiful, sleep tight. I'll be dreaming about you.
SG: Goodnight Secret Boyfriend, see you tomorrow. Get to school early and meet me under the bleachers.
SB: I'll be there. Can't wait to kiss those lips.
She texts me back with a kissy face emoticon and I smile, putting my phone on my nightstand and going to sleep.
(MAYA)
"Why do we have to get to school so early again?" Katie asks as she drives us to school.
"Because I have to work on my composition," I lie.
Katie sighs as we park in the parking lot. "Hey Jake's truck is here, he must be here, maybe this morning won't be so bad." Katie remarks.
My sister leaves me as soon as we're in the school to go find Jake and I go out to the soccer field to wait for Luke. I lean against one of the metal supports for the bleachers and pretty soon there's a warm pair of hands covering my eyes. I reach up taking the hands away from my eyes and pulling Luke to me, standing on my tiptoes and crushing my lips to his.
"Good morning beautiful," he smiles and I blush.
"Morning," I reply.
He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear and captures my lips again. His tongue strokes across my lower lip and I open my mouth to let his tongue in. It slips into my mouth finding my tongue and caressing it. His hands rest on my hips while I comb my fingers through his hair. I lose track of time as our making out becomes more and more heated. Hearing a loud car horn in the parking lot and some guys yelling breaks us apart.
"Guess we should head in," Luke says pulling his lips from mine with a big smile.
"Yeah I guess so," I reply.
"You go around the front of the school again," he tells me.
I nod and start walking away when I remember the other reason I wanted to meet him so early and I turn around again.
"Wait, Clare's birthday is tomorrow and Adam's throwing her a surprise party at his house tomorrow night. He invited me and Katie so I was thinking maybe you and Owen could crash. You and I could probably sneak away in a crowded party and Owen could get to spend some time with Clare." I suggest to him.
He smiles and cups my chin giving me a soft kiss. "I'm dating an evil genius," he says when he takes his lips away.
"I have band practice at lunch but maybe we can meet after school?" I ask.
"Ice Hounds practice." He replies with a frown.
"Text me when it ends maybe I can get away," I tell him.
"I hope so," he smiles and we start walking back to the school.
I get to my locker with a smile on my face and it stays. I know Luke's all wrong for me but it feels so right. Without realizing it I start humming to myself, some random happy tune off the top of my head.
"Someone's awfully chipper this morning, who put the extra rainbows in your lucky charms this morning?" Tris asks appearing next to me.
"What?" I question looking at him.
"And scatterbrained Maya are you twitterpated?" Tris laughs.
"What are you talking about Tris?" I question as we begin walking to English.
"Well my brothers been like that for months now and he swears he's not twitterpated either but he so is. He just won't tell me who which is so lame. So who has your heart all a flutter?" Tris asks me.
"Tris you're crazy no one has my heart all a flutter you're imagining it." I insist as we sit down at our seats.
Tris keeps bothering me about it all day and so do Tori and Zig once they catch on. I keep insisting I don't have a crush on anyone but they don't believe me. Of course they think I have my heart a flutter because of Cam. By lunch time I'm glad to have a break from them at band practice, well Zig's still there but at least he cuts out the teasing.
"Adam what time is the party tomorrow night?" I ask as we leave Whisper Hug practice.
"Dude your having a party tomorrow night?" Mo questions.
"It's Clare's birthday party you're not invited." Adam says to Mo and looks at me. "Guests should start arriving at five, we'll be there about six." He tells me.
"Come on dude let me come Clare's my friend," Mo tries.
"Name one thing you know about Clare," Adam challenges.
Mo looks thoughtful for a minute then snaps his fingers. "She's Sav's little sister's best friend."
Adam shoots him a look. "I only invited people Clare actually knows and is friends with and it's a surprise so you guys have to keep your mouths shut." Adam warns as he leaves.
The rest of my day is pretty mundane but I do text Luke to let him know they should get to the party sometime after six. Katie stays after school to help Jake with the garden so I walk home and get straight to my homework so I can have it all done by the time Luke texts me. Katie gets home just before dinner and she spends the whole dinner talking about Jake! She talks about him so much my parents tell her to invite him to dinner this weekend, Saturday since Clare's birthday is tomorrow night. Just after dinner I get a text from Luke.
SB: Practice is over can you get away?
SG: Hang on I'll try.
"Mom, umm Tori just called and she needs my French notes can I walk them down to her?" I ask.
"It's dark outside Maya; you can't walk that far by yourself in the dark. Dad or Katie can drive you." Mom tells me.
"But…" I try to argue.
"No buts Maya you are too young to walk that far by yourself in the dark." Mom affirms.
"Fine but can I stay for an hour? She's doing really bad in French and we have a quiz tomorrow. Her parents will drive me back and I'll be home by eight, please mom?" I beg.
"Okay fine but home by eight; get Katie to drive you over there." Mom says.
"Thanks Mom," I smile hugging her.
I go back to Katie's room and ask her to drive me to Tori's house, when we're in the car I text Luke giving him Tori's address and telling him to wait in his car a couple houses down. Katie drops me at Tori's and I tell her Tori told me to go around back so I wouldn't wake up her dad who's sleeping. I go through the fence to the backyard and come out again when I hear Katie drive off. I look down the street and see Luke parked in his car at the next house. I smile, running up and getting in the car. He smiles at me cupping my chin and putting his lips on mine.
"I have to be home by eight." I tell him pulling away a little.
"That gives us an hour, but I think we should probably find a spot not so close to Tori's house in case she comes out and finds us." Luke remarks.
He drives a couple blocks and parks in front of some random house. His hand goes to the back of my head and he pulls me to him, my lips part allowing his tongue to find mine. We spend the next hour making out in his car, it's not the most comfortable place to make out but I don't care one little bit. He drops me at home right at eight, giving me one last quick kiss. I go inside and tell my parents I'm home before getting ready for bed. The only thing I dream about all night is kissing Luke. The next morning I'm at my locker doing my best to not look at Luke while he stands nearby with Dallas and the Swedish twins, laughing and talking. I keep secretly smiling at him until Zig passes them and they start in on the teasing and Luke takes his backpack.
"Give it back you hockey jerk!" Zig demands reaching for it but Luke tosses it to one of the twins.
I slam my locker shut and march over there. "Give him back the backpack!" I command in an angry tone with my hands on my hips.
"What are you going to do about it Mini Matlin?" Dallas taunts. "I know I'll give it back for a kiss," Dallas offers.
I'm shocked speechless, the twins start making kissing noises. I look at Luke to help but he's making kissing noises too. Now I'm mad more at Luke than the others but I can't show it.
"Dallas don't be a pig give Zig back his backpack." Clare says suddenly appearing behind Luke.
"How about I get a kiss from you then?" Dallas asks.
"Fine and then my headline for yesterday's game will read Ice Hounds captain is a cold pig." Clare tells him.
Dallas grimaces, sighs heavily and hands Zig his backpack. "You know I am the captain Edwards I can give you an exclusive. Say alone in the locker room, I won't even wear a towel this time." Dallas smiles carnally.
"Dude not cool," Owen scolds appearing suddenly.
"I'm just teasing, she knows that." Dallas replies putting his arm around Clare's shoulders.
Owen gets an angry look on his face and pulls Dallas back hard removing his arm from Clare.
"What I know is that if I tell Audra what an ass you're being she'll roast your head on a pit." Clare smirks linking her arms with me and Zig. "Come on guys all this testosterone is giving me a headache." Clare says and we start walking down the hall.
"Have fun tonight," Dallas calls after us and she looks back at him, "at your birthday dinner with Adam." He adds quickly.
"Those hockey players are such jackasses!" Zig says when we're out of earshot.
"They're not all bad some of them are nice," I speak up although I have no idea why I'm defending them when Luke didn't defend me.
"They're nothing but blockheaded jocks," Clare says taking her arms from me and Zig. "Although Owen was surprisingly…gallant," she comments and then goes sauntering down the hall.
I just smile because I think there's a good chance she likes Owen too. Then I scowl when I think of how Luke just stood there and participated. I keep the scowl as Zig and I walk to French class.
"Yesterday you were are all smiles and today you're all frowny, moody much?" Tris remarks coming in and sitting down.
"I'm just…questioning a recent decision." I reply.
I keep the scowl all morning and it doesn't help when Luke texts me at lunch.
SB: Meet under the soccer bleachers?
SG: Whisper Hug practice.
SB: After school then? I have half an hour before practice.
SG: Going straight home to get ready for the party.
He doesn't text back after that thankfully and I put him out of my head for band practice. By then end of the day I've filled my mind with everything but Luke Baker. I tell myself that I need to be strong and break up with him, that we are all wrong for each other and he's never going to be the boyfriend I want him to be. He's too old for me; he's a jerk, a narrow minded jerk and I can do better. By the time Katie and I are driving home I've decided we're breaking up. If there's one thing I've learned from Katie's best friend Marisol it's that you should look really hot when breaking up with a guy. I choose scarlet red skinny jeans with knee high black boots, a black and grey pinstripe vest and my leather jacket.
"Whoa! Who did you get all bootylicious for?" Katie asks when I come out of my room.
"No one I just wanted to look good for the party since I'm the only grade nine invited. Just thought I should look a little older to fit in." I tell her.
"Well you're just lucky Mom and Dad aren't home to see you; let's go I told Jake we'd help set up." Katie tells me.
Jake makes a comment about my outfit too when we get to the Torres house. Adam did most of the work; we just blow up balloons and hang banners. Clare is out with Adam and Alli for a birthday ice cream or something and they're due back at six. Adam is telling her they're coming back for pizza and movies. Other guests quickly start arriving, a lot of them look at my outfit but no one else says anything. Just before six Eli stands on the back of the sofa.
"ADAM JUST TEXTED THEY'LL BE HERE IN TWO MINUTES, LIGHTS OUT EVERYONE HIDE!" He yells.
Someone turns off the music, someone else turns off the lights and we all hide, a minute later we hear the sliding glass door.
"Are you sure Dallas is gone for the night? He was such a jerk today." We hear Clare say.
"I told you he's gone, everyone's gone." Adam says turning on the basement light.
"SURPRISE!" We all yell jumping out.
Clare shrieks a bit grabbing Alli and Adam and then gets a great big smile on her face. "You guys, you've been planning this all week haven't you?" Clare says looking at her friends and Jake.
"Pretty much," Adam smiles.
Clare spends the next half hour thanking people and smiling when they tell her happy birthday. After I wish her a happy birthday I hang out by the food knowing Luke's going to show up at any minute and I have to get him alone and not make out with him this time. No this time I need to get him alone to break up and I keep telling myself this over and over. Then the sliding glass door opens and Luke and Owen walk in wearing their team jackets and the entire party stops and looks at them.
"What are you two doing here?" Jake demands.
Update Soon
Shout out to randomnesslover for suggesting the Clowen ship in this story.