Hey everyone. Sorry for the late update. I spent the day at my friend's house doing stupid stuff. You know a person is your best friend when you don't need a lot to enjoy their company. The five of us just messed around and had a wonderful time.
Okay, I love you all too much. Ah, your reviews brighten my day. And, with that said, the third chapter in this installment begins.
Enjoy!
To say that Mrs. Edwards was peeved would be an understatement. Clare rose up the volume dial of the radio, hoping to tune out her mother's rambles about kissing.
"…Purity ring!" She heard at one point. Suddenly, a familiar pop song came on. Clare scrunched up her nose at the over played song and changed the station, satisfied when a recognizable punk rock song came on.
"What on earth are you listening to?" Her mother asked, finally getting that everything she was saying was going in one of Clare's ears and out of the other. Clare turned to her mother and smiled sheepishly. Her mother moved to change the station.
"Don't!" Her mother shot her a strained look before sighing and placing both hands on the wheel.
"I'm worried about this boy, Clare." Clare resisted a groan that threatened to come out.
"You don't have to."
"He's got you listening to this garbage."
"It's better than some of the songs you hear on the radio. The heavy guitar and drums easily scare people off, but the lyrics are actually really good." Clare defended.
Mrs. Edwards sighed. "If you say so." Was all she mumbled before allowing silence to fill between them. Clare lowered the window and let some fresh air in. The harsh wind disrupted her auburn curs, but Clare relished in the simple pleasure.
Clare had always liked driving. She loved having the windows down and the radio up. It was a feeling of pure freedom.
All too soon, they had reached the boringness that was Orangeville. It was about an hour's drive from the Edwards residence.
Clare pulled her luggage out of the car and walked up the familiar cobblestone path that led to her grandmother's humble abode.
Clare knocked and waited. Her mother came up behind her. Clare smiled when the door flung open, revealing her grandmother.
"Hi, grams!" Clare called excitedly. Despite the fact that this trip was forced, Clare loved her whimsical grandmother.
"Hello, Darcy!" Her grandmother called, wrapping her slender arms around her granddaughter. Clare chuckled.
"It's actually me, Clare." She explained. Her grandmother pulled away and squinted. Grabbing her glasses that hung loosely around her neck, she propped up the bifocals on the bridge of her nose.
"Oh my! Why, it is Clare! My God, you've changed so much!" Grandma Edwards pulled her into another bear-hug. "Go on inside, sweetie. The spare room is free as usual." Clare nodded, kissed her mother goodbye, and dragged her luggage through the threshold.
Clare smiled as she lugged her suitcase into the spare bedroom. She had so many good memories here. She unpacked quietly. She was somewhat glad that she would be staying here for two weeks, away from her feuding parents.
They hadn't been fighting when she came home, or when they heard the news. But, she knew that this was just a temporary treaty.
Clare had only packed clothing and a few necessities. She exited the room to find her grandmother sitting on the loveseat in the common room.
"Hey there, Clare. Finished already?" Her grandmother asked, sipping from a teacup. Clare nodded and sat in the seat beside her.
"I can't believe how much you've changed. Clare, you've always been a beautiful girl, but you are turning into such a lovely young woman." Clare smiled shyly, thanking her grandmother.
"You're upset." Clare's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously.
"Of course not! I'm very happy to be here, Grams. I've missed you a lot." Clare explained, setting a hand on her grandma's bony hand.
"I understand that, sweet pea, but I know you. And I know you're upset. This week is supposed to help you relax. So, talk it out with your old grandma. I promise to be a non-biased party." Clare laughed, kissing her grandmother's cheek. Oh, she could always count on Grandma Edwards to help her.
So, she explained. Everything. The last time Clare had seen her grandmother was before she even became a student at Degrassi. Now, so much had happened. Her grandmother nodded and listened, only interrupting to ask a question when Clare had failed to explain something thoroughly enough.
"When did my sweet little Clare's life become one of my soap operas?" Clare's father's mother laughed once she finished. Clare flushed and looked down at her shoes in embarrassment.
"High school is never easy, Clare. All I can do is reassure you that I will help you no matter what." Clare smiled brightly and kissed her cheek.
"Thank you." Her grandmother smiled and rested a hand against her cheek.
"So, this Eli must be someone close to your heart." Clare felt her cheeks heat up as she nodded
"In the short time that I've known him, I've felt a connection to him. Something strong, something powerful, something raw. And it scares me. I feel like I'm losing a part of me and it's being replaced by something new and excited. Sometimes, all I can think about is him. He makes me want to do things I never dreamed possible. He's just…perfect. And it really scares me that I feel this way about him already." Clare explained.
"Baby girl, that's love for you." Clare smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Grams, I barely know the guy. We just met, like-"
"What's his favorite color?" Her grandmother interrupted.
"Black." Clare answered immediately.
"What's his hobby?" Clare was confused, but answered.
"Writing, reading, fixing his car, and-" Clare cut herself off, blushing as she realized she was about to say 'and kissing me.' Grandma Edwards continued to throw questions at her, much to Clare's annoyance.
"Why are you asking me these questions?" Clare asked, fed up.
"To prove a point, sweet potato." Clare arched a brow and her grandmother let out a chortle. "You stated that you barely know the guy. Just because you've only known him a certain amount of time doesn't change the fact that you know a lot about him. And he probably knows a lot about you. So, the faster you admit that you could, possibly, be in love with him, the faster you and I can start our annual shopping spree."
Clare's eyes flashed t the clock to see that it was already two in the afternoon. Clare laughed and smiled.
"Maybe, quite possibly, I could like, sort of love, Eli Goldsworthy." Clare admitted after a struggle. Her grandmother laughed and patted her cheek lovingly, murmuring something about how she remembered her teenage love.
The day was spent wandering Orangeville Mall and buying random things. Clare loved that her grandmother's wayward and unpredictable attitude. It actually made shopping fun.
When they arrived home, they ate dinner and chatted absentmindedly. When Clare phone suddenly vibrated, she was surprised to see Eli had sent her a text requesting her to come outside.
"Grams?" Clare called tentatively, stepping into the living room where her grandmother was watching television.
"Yes?" She asked, turning to her. Instead of speaking, Clare showed her the text. Clare was surprised when she suddenly yawned and stretched.
"You don't mind if I rest my eyes for a minute, do you honey bun? When you get as old as me, you can't help but need to rest every now and again." Clare smiled and caught on to her grandma's act. Clare skipped out of the house when her grandmother winked and shut her eyes.
She pulled open the doors and stepped outside. The cool evening breeze chilled her slightly. Her heart spiked erratically when she saw Eli standing in front of her grandmother's house. She walked over to him and smiled.
"Hey." He greeted, smiling softly.
"Hey, yourself. What're you doing here?" She asked. Reaching over, she intertwined her finger with his. An electrical shock went through her. He smiled.
"A little birdie gave me your grandma's address. Just thought I'd come see you." He shrugged nonchalantly, his usual smirk appearing.
"Because it's been so long since we last saw each other." Clare giggled sarcastically. Bending down, his nose bumped hers as he leaned in close.
"Way too long." He agreed, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. His hand snaked around her waist as he pulled her body towards his. She smiled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting her fingers tangle in his hair.
His teeth nipped her lower lip and she allowed him entrance.
Tongues dancing and hearts racing, Eli and Clare were unaware of her grandmother's vigilant eye. Grandma Edwards chuckled to herself, remembering her own husband, away from home, her teenage love.
Aww, I think I threw up in my mouth a little. Also, please excuse any mistakes. My editor is sick, so I tried revising my own work, but then again, it IS three in the morning! That was so sugary, but I'm pretty happy. My grandmother loves giving me silly nicknames, and I find it absolutely adorable. I was too lazy to come up with Clare's grandma's name. Anyways hope you enjoyed! Review?
~S.S.