Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updating for a while. I just haven't been that into it, although I am starting to think of some stuff for the later chapters that I haven't written yet. Anyways, I'm getting ready to go out of town. I'm going to Paris for a week! I've been saving for it pretty much my whole life. So I won't be able to update again for at least a week. So I hope you guys like it. It's mostly filler and just about dealing and stuff. But I think it captures Clare's personality/beliefs pretty well. Enjoy and au revoir!

Chapter 7

"Okay Eli. You've got some serious explaining to do," Adam said.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Clare," Dave chimed in.

"What about me and Clare?"

"Come on, man. Don't play dumb," KC added.

"Look, we've been working in English together and we came to, I don't know, an understanding," Eli argued.

"An understanding?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, like a truce."

"Yeah, right. A truce," KC said. "She must be putting out."

"Whoa," even Dave was shocked by KC's remark.

"Dude, not cool," Eli clearly wasn't impressed.

"Seriously, you've spent the last who knows how many years hating each other and suddenly you're hanging out in the hallway practically holding hands," Adam added.

"Well, get used to it, because I'm eating lunch with her today, too."

"You're eating lunch with Clare?" Adam asked.

"You gonna have a problem with that?" Eli challenged.

Adam just laughed. "No, I've never had a problem with her, but are you sure you don't?"

Eli understood where he was coming from. "Yeah, we're good."

"Okay, cuz if this is part of some overly orchestrated prank, then that's pretty messed up. Even for you, man," Adam declared.

"No hijinks," Eli stated. "I promise."

"Well then," Dave said, "she hangs around with some pretty cute hunnies, doesn't she?" and he and KC began to smile.

A few hours later, Eli was waiting in the doorway outside Clare's classroom, watching her stare into space from the window. He wondered if she was thinking about him or the kiss and immediately tried to shake the thought from his head. While he had no clue what had come over him Sunday night, he had admit he liked it and wanted to do it more. At the same time he felt like an idiot. Clare didn't push him away but she barely responded to him. And he felt even worse now that he had done the very same thing Mike Dallas had tried to do to her the previous weekend.

Here she was trying to get over being attacked by some jerk, and then the only other person to know about it, the one person who was supposed to be helping her with it, does it himself. He was partially hoping she just needed some time to get over what happened. But even if he couldn't have her romantically, he would do whatever he could to make her happy and be her friend. This seemed even more ridiculous due to the fact that up until now, she had been the most annoying person in his existence. He must be crazy about her.

"Hey," he said after the bell rang.

"What are you doing here?" She didn't quite look upset to see him there, but a little bewildered.

"I came to pick you up for lunch."

"Thanks, but I don't need a bodyguard, Eli." As far as he was concerned, his suspicions were confirmed. She wasn't in to him.

"I know, I just, happened to be in the neighborhood?"

"Right," Clare said skeptically.

"Come on, I'm hungry," he said, taking her books.

'You're always hungry," she mused. Eli relaxed a little at her joke, easing the tension. Plus, she didn't object to him taking her books, either.

"So, you know how my dad works at the radio station?" Eli asked.

"How could I forget? He's almost as annoying as you."

"Ouch! Someone is on fire today."

"I like to think so," she smiled.

"Anyways, I got free tickets for The Bodies exhibit this weekend at the museum," he said, clearly excited about it.

"That's the one with the preserved dead people who donated their bodies to science, right?' she asked.

"Too creepy?"

"No, I can handle it," she decided.

"Cool," he tried to sound nonchalant, but he was pretty sure she could sense his excitement.

"And I can tell my mom its extra credit or something so she'll let me go."

Eli turned to look at her. "You don't want her to know you're hanging out with me?"

She hesitated. "Well, it's not exactly like that. I mean, you know that I told her we were working together. It's just, I've been complaining about you for years. She doesn't exactly have the best opinion of you, even if we are friends now."

He nodded. "Right, of course. It's my own fault."

She turned and took his hand, surprising him. "Eli, we're friends now. That's all that matters."

He really wanted to kiss her. She was so perfect with her happy curls and intense attitude. It was his job to be comforting her right now, but here she was making him feel like a man again. It was time to change the subject and get back to reality. "If we don't get to lunch soon, Drew is probably going to eat everything. That guy is a machine."

When they arrived at their table, Adam was already sitting down. Jenna and Alli quickly joined and the rest of the boys followed suit.

"Hey KC, what'd you get for number four on that history pop-quiz?" Dave asked.

"It was the French and Indian War, dude. Easy."

"Damn, I guess I can kiss university goodbye," he laughed.

"Please, you can survive one silly little quiz," Alli said.

"Or maybe I can get your fine self to tutor me."

Alli rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smile until Drew walked up, wiping it off her face.

"Hey guys. What's up?" he said, sitting down.

"Um, I believe skanky Bianca is sitting over there," Alli answered, rolling her eyes.

Drew looked over to see Bianca eye-fucking him from across the room. He looked back at Alli ashamed and then said, "Right. See you guys later." Then he began to head her way.

"Way to play it cool, Bhandari," Jenna said.

"If Drew wants to ignore me all night for some slut like her, then he better be able to deal with the consequences."

"Yeah, I'm not about to defend my horny brother," Adam declared.

"Ok, enough boy drama. I'm shooting my new music video today after school. Anyone want to be my official cameraman?" Jenna asked.

"Cameraman?" KC asked, slightly skeptical yet somewhat interested.

"Yeah, I need someone to hold my phone straight so it won't be all shaky when I put it on youtube."

They all continued to banter back and forth, clearly enjoying the company of the rest of the group. Eli had to admit, they all blended well as a friendship. Then he turned a glance at Clare who was once again lost in space. She stared at her plate as though it was another dimension, obviously lost in thought.

"Hey, you okay?" he subtly asked so the others wouldn't notice.

Her eyes dilated as they began to resurface and focus on him. "I'm fine," she said shortly, though he could tell she clearly wasn't.

She spent the rest of the day in the same state, ignoring Ms. Oh in media emersion and practically sitting on the sidelines during gym class. When the day finally ended, she couldn't be more relieved. Alli and Jenna seemed to notice a little bit, but they were too caught up talking about sitting with KC and Dave during lunch.

"Clare," Eli had just pulled up next to her in the hearse after exiting the school.

"What's up?" she said trying to put on her happy face again.

"Do you need a ride?' he asked.

"That's okay. I've got my bike."

"Really? You're really going by yourself when I'm right here offering you a perfectly good ride?" Eli challenged.

"I don't need a bodyguard, Eli. I can handle this myself," she continued to argue while sounding slightly annoyed.

It again confirmed Eli's suspicions that she clearly didn't like his kiss, but he was going to prove to her that they could be around each other without him making a move. "Believe me, after everything, I know you're tough. I'm just trying to be helpful."

She stared at his empty passenger seat when he spoke again. "Come one. You never know. You could have a horrible accident and develop some freakish fear of bicycles to the point that you never want to ride one again."

"Well that would be silly."

"Stranger things have happened."

"Like me becoming friends with you?" she asked with a sly smile. He popped open the passenger door for her and she climbed in.

They sat in silence for a few minutes while she stared out the window. "You don't always have to be so tough around me, you know."

"Did you know that my sister was raped?" she commented. He turned to look at her while pausing at a stop light. "I just keep thinking about her and how violating it must have been. Sure she was unconscious but she didn't even know who did it. She never found out. Now she's in Africa and I can't even talk to her about it. We haven't been able to talk in weeks."

"Dallas wasn't going to rape you, Clare."

"I know! What he did wasn't even that bad… but it was," her voice cracked. "Great, now I'm crying again."

"Clare, I want you to be able to talk to me, but I don't want you to cry," Eli said as genuinely as possible.

She took a deep breath. "I'm trying to be strong, but hiding everything makes it so hard."

"I told you, Clare, I'm not going anywhere. You can talk to me." They reached her house. "Do you want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"No, I'll be alright. I can do this," she said defiantly.

"Just remember, you don't have to do it alone," he told her.

"I know, Eli. I trust you."

Eli was worried for her, but at the same time, he had to smile as he watched her walk to her front door.