Such a long time since I posted up a new chapter. I got lazy, I suppose, and I lost inspiration. D: How horrible am I?

Exams are finally over! :D Aren't you all happy?

Sometimes, Claire had trouble with her feelings. Most people didn't believe her when she said that. Claire was known to have a strong heart, and though she had her ups and downs, she always came through and followed her heart. That's the reputation she'd rightly gained. She was the one who followed what her gut instinct told her to do, and somehow found her happy ending using that one decision. That was what always happened, intentionally or accidentally. In fact, Claire had eventually started to expect it. But now? When she needed that instinct the most, the one she took for granted at most times, it abandoned her. What was it trying to say? That Claire wasn't worthy anymore? Hell-o? She was Claire Lyons. She wasn't the new Massie Block, but she was happy. She had everything she could ever want. She had a boyfriend, her best friends, and a wonderful family. Well, as wonderful as her family could be. Let's face it, Todd Lyons was never going to be mature.

But the guy she wanted would never be hers. Her best friends would ditch her as soon as they realized she was never going to be the It girl. They weren't very bright, which would buy her some time, but it was inevitable; they would leave her. And her family? She knew that she was blessed, to have such loving parents, and a little brother who acted as if he hated her, but showed that he truly did love her when he had to. But Claire felt so undeserving lately, keeping so many secrets from her mother. She hated seeing her mother get close to tears because of her, because she treated her so rudely, so bitterly, because she couldn't afford to love anyone.

They all just ended up breaking her heart sooner or later.

Like Derrick Harrington.

Massie, Cam, Derrick, Claire. The four had known each other since second grade. Of course, she and Derrick had been neighbors and close, while Massie and Cam were even closer. But the two ate lunch together, for a guy couldn't have a girl friend. He had to have a boy friend, too. Massie and Claire had stuck together when they had to, but they both knew that they would rather be with their man. The two both harbored secret feelings of jealousy and worry towards each other, wondering if the other was stealing her man's heart. They knew.

But eventually, Massie set her sights on Derrick, and Cam, dejected and abandoned, turned to Claire. And for 'some reason,' after Cam told Massie he and Claire were a couple, the brunette had turned her into an enemy, before Derrick convinced her out of the stage. Massie started to treat Claire like a friend again, but Claire knew. Claire knew that they were dating the wrong people. Massie would always dislike her, as long as she was dating Cam.

After that, Alicia came into the picture, somehow, someway, Claire wasn't sure. Then Josh Rivera came with his girlfriend Dylan Marvil. Then Kristen came, all the while staring hungrily at Derrick. Oh, even if Claire was still dating Cam, she had wanted to rip Kristen's hair off after seeing that look in her eye. Derrick was hers, and hers alone, and he always would be.

Just like her heart would always be his. Always.

She remembered the time they got together on the roof to simply 'catch up with each other.'

"So, there's this girl I like," Derrick had started off. He wasn't looking at Claire when she stole a peek at him, but he seemed to be staring at her all the same.

Perhaps their souls were gazing at each other, touching each other, embracing, kissing...

Or perhaps it was in her imagination.

"But I don't know what to do. 'Cause of Massie. She's scary. She'll kill me if I break up with her," Derrick went on.

"Follow your heart," Claire said honestly, tearing her eyes off of him, feeling as if her stare was too obvious.

"What's my heart saying, Claire?" Those brown eyes. They were looking at her. She could feel his gaze. It tingled.

"It's telling you to date me!" Claire wanted to scream. In fact, the words burnt so fiercely on her lips, she was surprised he couldn't read them.

Instead, she said, "I don't know, I'm not your heart."

Suddenly, Derrick's warm fingers were holding her chin and forcing her to look up into his eyes. Her heart stopped beating. Her breath caught in her throat. Her whole body was on fire. All because of that simple touch.

And now he was leaning in and pressing his lips against hers, gently, as if he would break her if he kissed her too hard. Claire didn't do anything, just let him kiss her, even daring to kiss him back after two seconds.

When the two ended the kiss, they were smiling, and Derrick's eyes were sparkling.

Oh, she had never seen anything so beautiful than that loving smile of his. And suddenly, it seemed to magnify by ten times, because she realized that the smile was for her.

"True," he finally said. "But you're most of it."

Oh, she got butterflies just thinking about it. She and Derrick would be perfect for each other, she knew it.

Too bad Massie was too scary for her own good. And too bad that, after she moved, Derrick had gotten over her.

Yeah.. It was too bad.

I decided to just do Claire's. It's short, I know, but really, I loved writing Claire's point of view. And I thought, "Hey, you know what? I'll save Cam's for later."

(: I'll start working on it now. :D And hopefully, it'll be up by next week.