She was smiling and he was whispering stuff to her stuff that made her hit him playfully and stuff that made her blush.

I guess it went well.

Chapter 2

Clare's POV

Eli was kind of close to me and it's only been three weeks of school. I have about 4 (not including lunch) classes with him including one where he's my English partner, because he's a junior and I'm gifted.

Everyday our teacher puts a 2 way topic on the board and everyone writes on it with a partner. Plus, we have to read huge books, alone and or together. Eli is very deep when it comes to his reading, but he needs help sometimes, he has this acute form of dyslexia

It went by the alphabet and I almost had KC Guthrie since no one had an F last name in our class.

I dodged a bullet there.

*Flashback*

I was particularly depressed today as I sat at my desk. Mrs. Kwan had already informed me about my partner, who needed to tie some loose ends at the office with, ahem, PRINCIPAL Simpson.

My parents had a huge fight that halfway destroyed our kitchen. It was over the fact Mom allowed me to cut my hair without Daddy consulting. Sure he says he loves it and that I look more mature and beautiful than ever. Mom doesn't get why he's yelling at her then.

Thinking about that really hurts.

So I won't.

On the board:

Interview your partner

Write about your first day of school.

I didn't want to talk about my first day of school so I decided to interview my partner when he comes back from the office.

"Hi," he said, as soon as he did. Oh my gosh… it was that kid… the kid who ran over my glasses this morning… that kid who is so…hot. I had trouble speaking.

"Hey," I answered. "You killed my glasses,"

He looked at me, remembered, and smiled or smirked… kind of in the middle… I don't care, I just wanted him never to stop smiling or smirking or whatever.

"Oh, so, you're my partner…you don't look like a junior."

"I'm gifted," I whispered. He looked into my eyes.

"You also still have your pretty eyes," he whispered.

Um, KC who? I really honest to God had trouble remembering my own name, and I didn't even know his.

"You promised I'd see you around," I smiled.

"I'm glad I did,"

Mrs. Kwan bent down to our level. She kind of liked me. Kind of…

"Clare, Elijah, let's keep the flirting to a minimum and return to writing." She said and walked away.

"Elijah," I whispered, teasing.

"Shut up, it's Eli." he joked about it. "So… you want to do 1 or 2,"

"1." I answered immediately.

He smirked. "You first?"

"No, you first,"

"Whatever happened to ladies first?"

I smiled. "I was here first and I believe chivalry is dead,"

"Touché,"

He looked at me, up and down, practically undressing me with his eyes. Instead of violated, I felt good. I waved my hand in front of his face and he snapped back. It's funny, ever since he showed up I had been blushing… hard and he seems to never ever blush.

"So, you are in 10th grade."

"Yes, I am in 10th grade."

"And you're 15?"

"Correct,"

"And you have no siblings or something?"

"I have a sister named Darcy and she's in Kenya for little children."

He looked at me. "Do you miss her?"

No one's asked me that in awhile. She's been gone for over a year. "With all my heart, especially now,"

"Why now,"

My face blanched. I flushed. I blushed. I turned every color under the sun.

I didn't mean to uh, say that.

"Is that a no comment?" he said, looking up at me and trapping me with those eyes. Those pools of green that I really wanted to swim in squeezed me in and I really felt the urge to answer.

"Clare," he whispered. Ok, he said my name. I can now die with a smile. I couldn't say a word and he knew it too. He smiled and tapped my hand lightly as to wake me up.

Even though it was in my other hand my pencil fell. I went to pick it up but a hand was already doing that.

I was not breathing. Damn you hormones…

His forehead touched mine. Was this what heaven felt like? My heart exploded and my hormones wanted him… bad… now! We reached up slowly.

"Sorry…" he whispered "I guess I couldn't help it."

I don't know what he's talking about for sure. Did he not mean it, or did he mean it?

I nodded. "It's okay, it just couldn't be avoided." I said in a voice I could not recognize. Oh lord, was I flirting? I've never done it before and it was so easy with him.

And he handed me the pencil. It was so warm and I fiddled with it.

"So…uh…what were we doing?" Eli asked.

I had forgotten. "Uh, you were saying words… and stuff about…uh… I forgot, I got lost, somewhere." Which is true, his eyes did count.

He smirked suggestively. I blushed a bit and bit my lip.

Great he probably thinks I'm too stupid to be in gifted. Why can't I think straight? My heart was doing the Irish jig and my stomach was in so many knots…I wanted to throw up. Good God, his green eyes…I found myself clutching the warm pencil. I wasn't breathing rhythmically.

"Meet me after school; I want to show you something." He had whispered in my ear.

*Flashback*

I snapped out of her vision when Eli whispered something in my ear, again.

I giggled and smacked his arm. He anticipated the attack and grabbed my fist.

Not knowing what to do with it, he spread apart the fingers and played with each one. I looked at the teacher, Mr. Garcia, and he was busy asking Dave a math question.

Seeing Eli and I so crushing on each other and in denial (Is it denial if I admit I am in denial? Both our hearts have been broken before and our families are screwy.) really hurts Dave.

Because if he was in my situation but with Alli where he could have her if he wanted, he would've been ecstatic.