Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi. This story idea belongs to marieloveseclare. Thanks to arctic_grey for writing The Black Rose Season and being a writing inspiration.
Author's note: Ah, sorry for the lack of cutesy Eclare... maybe this chapter will make up for it? ;) I love reading your theories! Some of you are absolutely right, some of you are not at all. Thanks for reading, thank you so much! Um, I might be writing Jake and Imogen terribly OOC, but bear with me. I don't know what they're like yet.
"I'm dizzy and faithless, where is the ground?
You said this thing would not go upside down."
Rollercoaster | Sleater-Kinney
Clare goes through the notes in silence, trying to figure out what everything means. Jake asked her to be secretive about the whole thing, that she was the only person (besides Holly J) who had access to the mysterious envelope.
Acuity was the end of Sadie.
Clare rubs her eyes tiredly as she puts all the papers back inside the envelope. Jake is obsessed with the little circle sketched on top of the paper, and so is Holly J. Both of them seem sure that it means something, but Clare thinks they're just being paranoid.
What if this information is fake? She has asked Jake this question for the past couple days but Jake is as stubborn as ever and refuses to believe someone is trying to set him up. Maybe Eli has nothing to do with it.
She drops the envelope in her backpack and glances at the box sitting in the corner of her room. Her dad sent her some of the stuff she left back home, and she knows that somewhere deep in the box sits a Polaroid camera. She got that from her parents the year before they got divorced, and Clare has been refusing to use it. But her dad probably thought it would be nice to send it to her.
Clare feels tears forming in her eyes, and she snorts at her emotional self. So many things have been going on lately, and she doesn't know how to handle it. She is still thinking about Jake's "confession" and how he almost kissed her. And she is also thinking about how he has been acting like nothing happened. Typical Jake.
Maybe she should just give up on love.
She decides to stop moping around and walks out of her room, holding her book bag close to her. She notices Alli standing by the windowsill, tears shining on her cheeks. Alli glances at Clare and wipes her tears away, sniffing as she does.
Clare gives Alli worried looks until the latter finally snaps at her, looking infuriated.
"I'm fine!" protests Alli, waving her coffee mug around. "I'm over him!"
"It's only been two days, Alli," says Clare calmly. "And I heard you crying last night. Maybe..."
"The bookstore called," says Alli dryly, walking past Clare. "They want you to work tonight."
"Okay, but Alli-"
Alli walks into her room and closes the door after her, her sobs suddenly audible, and Clare wishes the day would end already.
xxxxxx
"I'm still working on my lead!" yells Jake as he munches on a donut. Clare is sitting next to him as he types fast, his eyes glued to the computer screen. "Do you like that, Clare?"
"It's a story about budget cuts," giggles Clare, resting her hands on the desk. Jake gives her a wry smile and continues typing, and Clare wonders if she can address the elephant in the room. But Jake seems busy, so she decides to keep the thoughts about their almost-kiss to herself.
They still haven't had that public fight because, well, Eli is (again) nowhere to be found. Not that she's looking forward to their fight, just because she won't be able to hang out with him like this after it. She's sacrificing a lot of things for this story, and she just wishes Jake was more aware of it.
Clare focuses on the notepad sitting on Jake's tiny desk and sees that Jake has been sketching the circle over and over again, and she is a little concerned about her best friend's sanity.
"Damn it," says Jake, glancing at his empty soda bottle. "I'm already done with it!"
"Jake, it's 8:30 in the morning," says Clare sternly. "You shouldn't be drinking soda this early."
"Sorry, mom," teases Jake. Clare gives him a playful shove as she stands up, pulling her coin purse out of her book bag.
"I'm going to the vending machine," says Clare. "Do you want me to get you another soda?"
"Don't you have to go to class?" asks Jake, stopping his typing. "You know... your World Lit class?"
"I still have an hour... dad," retorts Clare, and Jake grins at her in admiration.
"Sure... do you need change?" asks Jake, reaching for his pocket.
"No, don't worry about it," says Clare, dangling her coin purse in front of him. "Be right back."
Jake just nods and starts typing again, and Holly J is starting to yell at some poor writer, making Clare feel glad she's stepping out for a while. Yeah, newsrooms are definitely not for her.
Clare walks out of the newsroom and she almost freezes at the sight of Eli walking by. He saw her, there is no way he didn't see her, but Eli starts walking faster, Clare trailing after him.
"Eli! Are you coming to class today?" she calls, but Eli ignores her. Clare finally catches up with him, grabbing him gently by the back of his jacket.
"What?" snarls Eli, turning to look at her.
"I just wanted to know if you're going to show up today..." starts Clare, and she notices that Eli finally shaved, but he still looks extremely tired. "Are you okay? You look kind of sick-"
"Stop it. Just… stop it."
His green eyes are shining with fury and Clare steps back as he looks at her, the rage irradiating from his body almost palpable.
"I'm not doing anything," squeaks Clare.
"You're just following me around!" snarls Eli as the people walking by them start staring. "Leave me alone, Edwards."
"We're partners!" retorts Clare, tired of Eli's cold attitude. "We're supposed to spend time together, you know? To get a good grade? You need to come to class!"
"Right, right," snorts Eli derisively. "I don't trust you. I really don't."
Clare feels furious, who is he after all? He's a stubborn jerk, a jerk that knows something about the murder of that poor girl, and here's Clare, having an argument with him in the middle of the hallway. Maybe she'll get killed too.
"Does it look like I care?" snaps Clare. Well, she should care, because she's supposed to become Eli's friend to help Jake with his article, but there is not way that she will make that happen.
Eli moves closer to her and their noses are almost touching, and she stares at him, not knowing if she should push him or punch him or… something. The contempt in his eyes disappears for a split second and is replaced by an unreadable emotion, but then Eli moves away and his stupid smirk comes back. His shirt looks disarrayed and his collarbone is momentarily exposed before he fixes his clothing in one swift movement, his eyes still on Clare.
"See you later," he says venomously and leaves, but for once, Clare doesn't care. Clare feels her heart racing as she watches him walk away, the image of Eli's collarbone still very vivid in her mind.
He has a tattoo. A silver circle. The circle that has been puzzling Jake and Holly J for days is right there on Eli's skin. Just like the circle sketched on the paper and just like...
Clare tries not to gasp as she remembers that Adam Torres had the same tattoo on the back of his neck. The permanent mark of a much greater mystery, and she can't help but think that Eli is definitely the key to solve that girl's murder.
She has to tell Jake.
Xxxxxx
But Jake is not in the newsroom when she comes back from the vending machine, and Clare looks around in cofusion as she sets the soda on the desk.
"Um... Anya, right?" asks Clare tentatively, and the girl sitting at the desk next to Jake's looks up, smiling.
"Yeah," she says cheerfully.
"Where's Jake?"
"Oh, Holly J sent him to get some student quotes," says Anya, her fingers still typing as she looks at Clare. "He went to the main dining hall."
Great. Clare bids Anya goodbye as she grabs her bag and heads out, headed towards the dining hall. The hall is crowded with people who just finished having breakfast, but she can't find Jake. She spots Eli sitting at a table with Adam Torres and a girl wearing bunny ears, the three of them in deep conversation. Clare looks away before Eli can see her staring, and she sees Jake standing nearby a table. He's holding his reporter's notebook and talking to a very attractive-looking girl, which makes Clare's heart sink.
"Katie Matlin, right?" asks Jake coquettishly. "Thanks for the quote. Any chance your number might come along with it?"
Katie gives him a funny look before smiling. "I'm taken, but thanks."
Clare stands there, floored by what she just witnessed. Jake walks away from the table and waves at Clare as he approaches her.
"Sorry, had to leave the newsroom," says Jake casually.
"Yeah... I know," says Clare, trying to hold back the resentment she's feeling. "Um, just wanted to let you know that-"
"This is it, Clare!" interrupts Jake, his eyes trailing off to the table where Eli is sitting. "We need to fight right now!"
"What? But-" Clare isn't prepared for this, not at all.
"Push me!" insists Jake out of the corner of his mouth, and his expression changes.
Clare thinks of how they almost kissed, how she's been crushing on him for so long, and how Jake was shamelessly flirting with a girl he just met. Okay, she can do this.
Clare pushes Jake away from her, and he tries to move closer to her again. "Clare, make up your mind!" says Jake loudly, and Clare pushes him away one more time.
"Stay away from me!" she snaps back, and the dining hall goes suddenly quiet. All eyes are on them and Clare's face is hot, but Jake's expression is cold and angry as he snorts at her.
"Mary Pure. Saint Clare!" he says, and people snicker in the background. "I'm so tired of waiting around for you. I'm just going to find a girl who will give me what I want."
Clare gapes soundlessly at Jake, because those words hit close to home. The purity ring in her finger is burning her, and she blinks blankly at Jake. His eyes are filled with apologies, but the words coming out of his mouth are bitter and vile. Clare can't make out most of what he's saying, everything is suddenly muted and she's feeling dazed. Another male student grabs Jake by the sleeve and pulls him away from Clare.
"I'm done with you!" calls Jake.
Clare looks around and she sees that Eli is standing up, his hands grasping the end of the table tightly, and she also sees that Adam is holding him back. But Clare doesn't have time to figure out what this means.
She runs out of the dining hall, embarrassment corroding her, and she knows they've been successful. Eli saw them fight, he thinks now that Clare and Jake will never speak to each other again. He doesn't know it was a fake fight.
But right now, Clare isn't so sure she wants to see Jake again.
xxxxxx
Clare stares at her desk, not wanting to look up. Her ears are still burning, tears are stabbing her eyes, and her heart hurts. She knows Jake didn't mean any of the words he said. She knows it was all an act.
But it hurts, so much.
Jake's words go through her head over and over, like a flowing river carrying nothing but hazardous material, and she tries not to cry. Mary Pure, Saint Clare, Mary Pure, Saint Clare.
So maybe that's the reason why Jake doesn't want to date her. Her purity ring. Jake stopped wearing his years ago, and she still remembers the awkward conversation they had after Clare first noticed. She looks at the ring in contempt, wanting to rip it off, wanting to destroy it. She reaches for her ring finger and…
"Hey, I'm here! Happy?"
Clare looks up and sees Eli standing there, a guilty look on his face. He takes his seat and glances cautiously at her, and then clears his throat to speak.
"So… he was a jerk," says Eli, grinding his teeth.
"Sorry?" asks Clare hoarsely.
"Martin… He was a jerk," states Eli, and his face is slightly red. "Um, he had no right to talk to you like that… and stuff. Because you know, like… yeah."
Clare starts laughing at Eli's nervousness, and the boy looks affronted as he raises his eyebrows.
"Verbal acuity," mocks Clare, and Eli offers her a derisive smirk. "And for you to point out that he was a jerk, well… He must have really been a jerk."
"Ouch, you just keep going at it," chuckles Eli. "But yeah, what an asshole. He must be pissed off at the world because he looks like a scrawny lumberjack."
Clare can't stop laughing at Eli's comments, and her face hurts from smiling. "Why are you being so nice to me?" asks Clare finally, and Eli lowers his eyes a little, making him look, well… very, very attractive.
"You're my English partner," he shrugs. "And although I've been a dick to you, Martin crossed the line."
Eli turns away and fixes his eyes on the blackboard, and Clare can't help but think that he looks a little vulnerable. Eli's lower lip is trembling, and he seems determined not to look at Clare.
"Thanks," says Clare quietly as Miss Dawes enters the room.
Miss Dawes starts talking and Clare looks away, but she can feel the blush creep on her cheeks. What is going on?
"This doesn't mean we're friends, okay?"
Clare glances at Eli, feeling disappointed, but the boy is smirking, and laughter threatens to escape her lips.
Xxxxxx
They both leave the classroom at the same time, walking side by side. Clare feels a little nervous now that Eli seems to like her (well, at least not hate her as much) and gives him a side smile as he looks at her. Eli doesn't smile back, he still seems a bit hesitant while talking to her, and she can feel a wall between them. Eli seems like he's about to say something, but the girl with the bunny ears walks over to them and narrows her eyes a little when she sees Clare next to Eli.
"Imogen, this is Clare Edwards," says Eli, and Clare notices a hint of amusement in his voice. "Clare, this is Imogen Moreno."
Imogen purses her lips but then a smile replaces her frown, and she hugs Clare tightly. Clare doesn't hug her back, she just stands there in complete shock.
"The Clare Edwards?" she winks, and Eli clears his throat. "I mean... I have never heard of you, no. Hey, that dude was totally a jerk to you. Like... totally. The way he talked to you was preposterously ridiculous! He should be lynched!"
"As much as I would enjoy it, I'm afraid that's it's against the law," giggles Clare.
"Details," says Imogen dramatically. "Elijah, we're going to be late."
"Oh, yeah," says Eli nervously. "Um, Clare, we have to start working on our project. Because you want to get a good grade, not because I care. Just wanted to make that clear. When do you have time?"
Clare goes through her schedule in her head as Imogen starts humming loudly, tapping her toes to a non-existent beat. "Tomorrow? I work an early shift but I have no classes, so..." says Clare, and Imogen starts twirling around. Imogen's shirt rises up a bit, and Clare sees a circle tattooed next to her belly button. Another one. Yeah, there's something going on.
"I'll pick you up," says Eli, completely oblivious about Imogen's quirky behavior.
"You don't even know where I work," says Clare, and she realizes with horror that she's sort of flirting. Maybe she's just doing it because of what happened with Jake. That's all.
"Campus bookstore," shrugs Eli. "You know, I do buy books and such, and you've checked me out several times."
Clare frowns, because she doesn't remember doing that.
"And he has checked you out several times too, if you know what I mean," winks Imogen, and Eli looks like he's about to pass out from embarrassment. Clare starts giggling and Eli looks simply horrified, but Imogen is still dancing around like nothing is going on.
"Okay, we're leaving," says Eli, grabbing Imogen by the wrist. "Um... I'll just stop by, okay?"
"Bye, Clare Edwards!" says Imogen merrily as Eli drags her along with him, and Clare can hear them bickering as they walk down the hallway. Her phone starts vibrating in her bag, and she knows that it's Jake, but right now she doesn't want to deal with him.
The circle tattoos are haunting her, and maybe that secret society does exist after all. Did Sadie have a tattoo as well? Did they kill her? No, they don't seem like the kind of people who would kill someone... right? She shakes her head, pushing all those thoughts away. She doesn't really care at the moment.
As she walks away she takes in what Imogen said, that Eli has checked out Clare in the past. And then she remembers the conversation she had with Eli a few days ago, and she realizes that Eli has noticed her before. She feels flustered and flattered, but most of all, she feels confused.
Clare feels suddenly giddy, and it amuses her that the source of her sudden happiness is the boy that she hated just a couple of hours ago.
It takes Clare a long time to realize that she can't stop smiling,