Okay, I know this has been done before, but never from Adam and Eli's POV, if I'm correct. I'm sick, so no long author's note today.

Enjoy!

"Clare Edwards, please report to the guidance counselor. Clare Edwards to the guidance counselor."

Everyone turned and watched as the blue eyed beauty stood calmly and walked out of the room with her head held high.

This had been the fourth time this week. Eli was starting to worry. Outwardly, she seemed normal and happy. But Eli and Adam could tell that something was wrong with their friend.

Eli asked for an excuse from class. The teacher gave him a strained look, but allowed him to leave. He sped down the halls. Sure enough, he saw her. She was walking down the hall; hands limp at her sides and face unreadable.

"Clare!" He called. She turned to him, her face instantly turning to one of shock. It took three long strides for him to catch up with her.

"Hey." He greeted awkwardly. She smiled softly and nodded in greeting. He followed her as she walked to the guidance office.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" She asked, turning to him. He smirked and shrugged. He stopped when the reached her destination.

"I'll wait for you out here." He leaned against the wall. She rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to do that." She sighed. He nodded.

"I know." He answered simply. She sighed again.

"You'll get in trouble." She warned. He chuckled.

"I'll take my chances with the teachers." He sat down, to emphasize his point. She sighed, but she couldn't hide the sad smile that she wore. She gave him one last look before she turned the knob and disappeared behind the door.

The whole period passed. Just as the bell rang, she exited the room. She had obviously been crying. Eli felt a pang in his heart at the sight. Broken and weak. This was not the Clare Edwards he knew. When she saw him, she offered a small smile. He stood. Before he could speak, two adult figures stepped out of the room. A woman with dark hair and a rather tall male. The woman was crying and had a tissue held to her nose. The man looked depressed, like a puppy that had been kicked.

"Clare…" The woman began softly. Clare tensed and turned to face her.

"Not here. Not now." She hissed. The woman's eyes went wide. She pressed her lips together in a tight line and nodded. The man stepped forward and kissed her forehead.

Clare and Eli watched as they walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

"My parents." She explained. She looked at her watch and frowned. "I have to go. I'll be late for P.E." She started to walk away, but Eli caught her wrist.

"I think you can afford to skip." She smiled. She started to shake her head, stopped, and then nodded. He smiled and let his hand slide down from her wrist to her hand. Grasping it tightly, he dragged her down the halls of Degrassi.

He pulled her through the double doors and into the parking lot. He opened the passenger of his hearse and led her inside. He walked over to the driver's side and slid in.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Nowhere. I just figured hanging out in here would be better than in there." She nodded and stared out the window. They stayed in silence for a good five minutes until Eli spoke up.

"Adam and I are worried about you." She smiled softly and closed her eyes. She sighed deeply. He watched as she pulled her long sleeves up with shaky hands.

His mouth dropped open in shock as she revealed the long gashes on her wrists. There were only a few, but they were long and mean looking.

"What…" He couldn't finish. His mind refused to form coherent sentences. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"My mom found out on Monday. Caught me doing it after a particularly loud fight. She was horrified. The house has been so quite recently. She made me call Darcy. She was furious. She thought I had learned from her mistakes. She even called the school, to make sure I didn't do it here." She rested her head against the dashboard and heaved a sigh.

"Why?" He asked. Had she been so depressed that she resorted to cutting herself?

"I don't know." Her voice raised an octave higher at the end, a sure sign that she was on the verge of tears.

"Clare…" He sighed. He gently grabbed her wrist to examine the damage. It was sickening. The thought of Clare being in pain was bad enough. The fact that it was self-inflicted just made it that much worse.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"My parents have started hitting each other when they fight. It's killing me." She sobbed, covering her face.

"Why didn't you tell me? Or Adam?" He asked. He rested his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. She laughed, one harsh, angry cackle.

"I thought it would go away. Pathetic, right?" She looked up at him and gave a rueful smile. He shook his head sadly.

"What's going to happen?" He asked. She shrugged and sniffled.

"Therapy." She stated. Her lower lip quivered as she exhaled. Eli felt another pang, this time from guilt. Why hadn't he noticed the signs?

"Physical pain is much more bearable than emotional." She stated. "I wanted to stop, but I couldn't. And I'm not helping my situation either. I can't bring myself to speak during our sessions. I've been trying to skip, but they keep bringing me back."

"How long have you been doing this?" He asked suddenly. She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"I started last Tuesday." Her miserable state only darkened. For some odd reason, Eli felt anger boil up inside of him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked. She flinched and hung her head in shame.

"Do you know you can kill yourself?" He asked, indignation evident in his voice. Clare let more tears slip as he asked this.

"Were you trying to do that?"

"No!" She cried empathetically. He softened.

"Too many people care about you, Clare. Your parents, your sister, Alli, Adam, even Ms. Dawes!" He exclaimed. He let his hand rest against her cheek, rubbing away the tears.

"And I care about you." She nodded, understanding. She let out a sob as she crawled over to sit beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as she cried.

"She was bleeding, Eli. He made her bleed. She didn't even walk away. She just hit him back. It made me forget, Eli. The pain made me forget." He shushed her and rocked her slowly.

The rest of the day was spent skipping class. When school ended, Adam walked up to the hearse and peered inside. He hoped that he would find Eli inside, since he couldn't find him anywhere else. Sure enough, he saw Clare sleeping in Eli's lap. He tapped on the window lightly.

"What happened?" Adam asked after Eli rolled down the window. Eli smirked and smoothed her hair down.

"Get inside. She'll probably want you here to explain." Adam nodded and came around to the side. Eli couldn't help but feel secure, knowing that Clare was safe in his arms. But, he couldn't help but feel a little upset with himself.

Clare was his closest friend, besides Adam. She was smart, with a heart of gold. She was accepting and loving, and she always turned the other cheek. How had he missed the signs? It was simple. How could someone as beautiful as Clare hurt herself?

When Clare woke up and got comfortable, she explained to a worried Adam everything. If Eli felt bad, Adam felt terrible.

He knew exactly what she was going through. He had been just as secretive, just as depressed. Yet, he missed the signs. He felt no anger or sadness, only self pity. When she finished, he hugged her. She hugged him back, squeezing him tightly.

"I'm here for you." He whispered. She nodded and thanked him. Adam and Eli turned to each other and shared a knowing look. They were going to have to work hard to perk up their depressed best friend.

I can't even express my sadness in cases where young people hurt themselves. Anyone who hurts themselves needs someone to listen to them. I wish I could be that helpful to someone. This is dedicated to the people who know a friend who has harmed themselves and tried to help. You are angels. Review?

~S.S.