CLARE'S P.O.V.

I was nervous that whole night. I don't think I even slept an hour that whole night. I kept tossing and turning, thinking about what KC had said- "Not for long."

What did he mean, "Not for long"? Was he going to try to break me and Eli up? I obviously couldn't let that happen, and dismissed the juvenile thought from my head, trying to think about something else. Like this weekend, and how Eli had agreed to come to my church's youth group picnic. Or the fact that I had completed my English assignment last night; and now had the whole weekend to enjoy. I absentmindedly dwindled in my room, straightening up my otherwise tidy room. After getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I decided to call Eli, as I hadn't talked to him last night.

Hey, you reached me. If you don't know who I am, you probably shouldn't have called in the first place. Leave your name and number, and if I like you, I might get back to you. But don't get your hopes up. BEEP.

Straight to voicemail. I shrugged deciding not to leave a message and went downstairs to find my dad sitting and drinking coffee at the dining room table, and my mother, in the living room watching the news. It made me wonder what the point of being married was if you didn't even want to be together. I sighed quietly to myself, and made myself a bagel, chatting with my dad about the book he was reading currently, and the rumored triple-digit weather coming up within the next couple weeks. I found it strange, as it neared one o'clock that Eli still hadn't called. He usually called me in the afternoon to hang out, and then in the evening to talk. And judging by the fact that he hadn't done either in a while, I was a little perplexed- but not wanting to see like a crazy, obsessive girlfriend, I let it go- saying that once he saw that he had missed my call, he'd certainly call back.

The day dragged on, slowly but surely. My mother talked about the youth group picnic tomorrow, and I helped her make prepare pasta salad for it. My father took me the used book store, and we spent nearly an hour there. But Eli still hadn't called. I decided to text him, maybe seeing less obsessive.

Hey Eli, could you maybe meet me at the Dot?

My dad agreed to let me walk to the Dot, and we said our goodbyes. It was a good ten minutes walking from the used book store, but I was fine. I suppose I needed time to think.

Everything's going to be fine. I thought to myself. Clare, you're just a big worry-wart. Eli's fine and you've got nothing to be all flustered about.

But as I reached the Dot, I knew that I was wrong.

The alley next to the Dot were lined with police men, crime tape, and bystanders all trying to sneak a peek inside, to see what was going on. I saw Peter, a friend and ex-boyfriend of Darcy, who happened to work at the Dot near the front of the line, talking to an officer. I walked up to him, hoping to get the story from him. I didn't have a very good feeling about this, but I knew Peter would put my worries to rest. He just had to.

"… And then Spinner- yeah, he's like the part-owner, came and drove him to the hospital. I stayed and closed things up." Peter said, kind of shrugging his shoulders.

"Thank you, son." The police officer said, and strode away, to talk to anyone else who thought they might know what had gone on.

"Peter!" I called, running up to him. "What's-?" I began to ask him, but stopped as he looked down at the ground, then up at the sky.

"W-w-what's going on?" I finally got out, trying to catch his eye.

Peter finally looked at me, hands in his pocket, his Dot t-shirt clinging to him loosely.

"It's that Eli kid that you're always hanging out with."

My stomach dropped.

No.

It couldn't be.

Seeing as how I couldn't speak, Peter continued. "He got stabbed last night. And he's… uh… he's um… not doing so hot, right now Clare."

I couldn't believe it.

It had to be KC. It had to have been.

I collapsed to the ground.