CLARE'S P.O.V.

Of course he's not coming. I thought to myself, He wasn't at school today, why would he come to see me afterschool?

It was true that we always met at 5:00 on Fridays at the Dot to talk about things, whether it be English, school, or life- this only being our second time as a date, and our first time as an official couple. I ordered a milkshake, and sat down at our usual table. I couldn't tell you exactly why I was here, when I knew the chances of Eli actually being here were slim. But I sat down regardless, grateful I had brought a book to read, just in case Eli wasn't here, so I didn't look completely rejected. I opened up Catcher In The Rye, and read, as it was required reading in the English class that we were taking. I had just gotten to Chapter 15, when I heard the bell on the Dot door jingle, and Peter's (my sisters ex-boyfriend) asking, "And what'll be?" -In his usual corny manner.

"Just… coffee. Black." I heard a familiar voice answer, and the cash register open. I glanced up, trying not to get my hopes up.

But it was Eli. An Eli I had never really seen before. He looked tired, and weary- emotionally exhausted from the looks of it. He smirked as he cut my eye, and came over with his drink.

"Trying to read me again, Ms. Edwards?"

He asked, slipping in to the stool across from me.

"Hardly," I retorted, regardless of the fact that I was lying. "More of Holden Caulfield, actually."

"Why are you reading that load of-?"

"Required. For English. It got assigned today."

"Ahhh. I've already read it. Want me to tell you how it goes?"

"You're going to anyway, so- sure." I replied, putting the book down and looked at Eli with a smile.

"Pretty much, the guy complains the whole book about how horrible his life is, and how fucked up he is."

"Sounds… intriguing." I responded, laughing.

"Oh it is. And it gets better when pretty much the girl that he's in love with doesn't even talk to him the whole book. He's rather… obsessive."

"From the sounds of it, sure. But maybe he's just… really, passionate?"

"Nah. Not possible."

I smiled, and then looked down in to my almost empty milkshake.

"Something… wrong?" Eli asked, trying to catch my eyes.

I looked up. "Not really," I responded, "But I am curious. Why weren't you-?"

"At school today?" He finished for me. "I had some… business to attend to."

"Mhm." I looked down at my milkshake once again, looking at the remains the way that Drew looks at his phone.

"Clare- I have a feeling there's something that you're not telling me."

"No- I mean…"

"Has anyone told you that you're the worst liar in the history of liars?"

I looked up at him with a smirk, and then replied, "I mean… it's just something that somebody said at school that's not anyone's, including my own, business."

"Well, it's probably stupid and a rumor anyway- but, first- amuse me. What sort of intriguing piece of information did you hear at good ol' Degrassi today?" He asked, smiling in his famous way.

I blushed slightly, embarrassed to have even brought it up. "It's just, Fitz-"

"HA! Amusing already."

"Eli, seriously. Fitz just said that he saw you when he was picking up cigarettes-"

"He must've gotten a new I.D." Eli smirked, obviously amusing himself.

"Maybe-" I replied, getting a tad impatient, "But Fitz said he saw you in a graveyard, and I was just… curious if that was maybe… well true? I mean- it doesn't bother me," I said, all too quickly, trying to cover my tracks as quickly as possible.

"Nosy little..." Eli started, rolling his eyes in the way that he always done when he's angry.

I stared into his menacing gaze, obviously thinking very intently.

"Sorry…" I began, unsure of what I was even apologizing for.

"No, it's nothing. Sure- I was in a graveyard today-"

"But, why?" I asked, the words escaping me before I got a chance to stop them.

Then it clicked.

Julia. Julia had obviously died around this time, because Eli said it was almost exactly a year ago that the accident accorded. Drew had known at least a little, because Adam was his step-brother, and they were incredibly close. That's why Drew had tried to distract Alli from making a big deal out of it.

Eli snapped out of it, and looked at me, almost with annoyance. "I thought you said it didn't matter?"

"I mean… it… it doesn't." I stammered, trying to get the words to come out clear.

Eli closed his eyes for a couple seconds, which seemed like hours nearly. When he reopened then, he calmly whispered- "I was visiting Julia for the last time."

So I was right. "Eli- I'm… I'm so,"

Eli smiled slightly, "it's not a big deal, Clare. I was just… going up to get some- well, to get some closure. It's the last time I'm ever going up there. I went up there, well- I went up there to tell her that I found someone new that was… well, frankly really special to me. And I also went up there to say goodbye to her."

I was shocked.

"You don't have to do that, Eli- I mean, it doesn't bother me.."

"I know- but… I need too." He breathed out slowly, and then rephrased- "I want to."

I smiled at him, and took his hand that was draped over the table.

"You're going to be okay- right Eli?"

"Ha!" He smiled, laughing kind of. "Me? Okay? Never."

He dumped the rest of his coffee into the trashcan, and grabbed my hand.

"Come on, Edwards." He motioned for his car. "I'll drive you home."

So, yeah- it's me again! I wrote this all in one chunk, so there shouldn't be that much waiting for chapters. At least for a while! I hope this is as fun reading it, as it was writing! Much love.