Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.
Author's note: Thank you so much for the reviews, and thank you for continuing to support Eclare.
"And I will make sure to keep my distance, say "I love you" when you're not listening
How long can we keep this up?
And please don't stand so close to me, I'm having trouble breathing
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now."
Distance | Christina Perri
"Alli is in there," mumbles Clare softly. "But thanks for walking me to my door."
"No problem," says Eli. "And Clare? You can't tell anyone about Acuity. It's vital that this society stays secret."
"Don't worry about it," says Clare, and Eli suddenly kisses her fiercely, his lips moving fast against hers. He lets go quickly, and Clare barely exhales, her skin crawling with want.
"Good night," smirks Eli, and he walks away.
"You're in. Holy Mary- sorry, Clare- you're in."
Clare stops daydreaming about the last time she saw Eli, and she realizes that she's still in Holly J's office. Great.
Jake covers his face with his hands, sighing with delight as he sits on top of Holly J's desk. Clare slumps in her seat, staring at her hands sorrowfully.
"Did you see the rest of the members?" asks Holly J behind her desk. "And Martin, take a seat. A proper seat."
"No, they had their faces covered," lies Clare. "And it all happened two days ago, everything is a blur… I don't know who they are."
"But Acuity exists!" says Jake excitedly. "It's not a myth at all. And Eli is the leader-"
"I don't know that," interrupts Clare. "Just because he asked me to join…"
"Silence," says Holly J brusquely, rubbing her temple with her fingers. "You two are giving me a headache."
Clare and Jake sit in silence as Holly J goes through piles and piles of notes, her eyes a blur as she reads. After a few minutes, Holly J takes a binder and looks through it, looking up to meet their eyes. She smirks and looks back at the binder, parting her lips to speak.
"I got this from the Toronto Homicide Squad," says Holly J smugly. "Goldsworthy is still a person of interest. They're still investigating him. Do you want to know why?"
Clare feels her insides turn cold, but Jake looks immensely pleased. Holly J takes their silence as an affirmative response, and she starts reading.
"Elijah Goldsworthy is still being pursued as a person of interest without his knowledge, due to some particularly interesting developments in the Sadie Rowland case," reads Holly J. "Also, this is not the first time Goldsworthy has been interrogated about a murder. Please refer to case #16872AGH for further information."
Clare's eyes widen after Holly J stops reading, and the older girl smirks at her with vindictive satisfaction as she closes the binder. Eli has been interrogated before? Why? When?
"Goldsworthy was questioned after his girlfriend died, years ago," says Holly J, glancing at Clare. "But Martin, you knew that."
Clare turns to look at Jake, frowning.
"Yes, yes, but… Whoa, where did you get that? The report? How?" asks Jake in awe.
"I have my sources… better than the ones you had last semester, obviously," shrugs Holly J. "However, I need you to contact Detective Gavin Mason. They replaced the former detective with him… and he's willing to talk."
"Thanks," says Jake, standing up at once as Holly J hands him a card. "Thank you so much."
"If you don't mind, I need to talk to Clare," says Holly J, her smile forced. "If you could step out…"
Jake scrambles to get out of the room, and Clare feels absolutely terrified to be left alone with the TU newspaper editor. Holly J's eyes are narrowed to the limit, and she stands up so she can be in front of her desk. She leans her back on the desk and crosses her arms, staring at Clare with contempt.
"You're hiding something from me," says Holly J simply. "I know it, and there's no point in you denying it. You can lie to Jake all you want, but you can't lie to me. Spit it out."
"I don't know what you're talking about," blushes Clare.
"Look, I know you have a thing going on with Jake," says Holly J indifferently. "I could care less about that… he wants to be all secretive and whatnot about it, and that's fine. I'll pretend I don't know. But there is something you're not telling me about Eli Goldsworthy and that is pissing me off."
"I've been honest with you," says Clare, her words coming out choked. "I swear."
"Don't bullshit me, Edwards!" says Holly J, raising her voice. "I saw you. I saw you and Eli kissing."
"What!" blurts Clare, panicking. "You… what!"
Holly J leans in, and Clare swears she can count every single freckle on her skin. A knowing, cunning smile makes Holly J look even more menacing than before.
"Ah, there you go," winks Holly J. "I actually didn't see anything, I was making it up. I just wanted to see your reaction. And it worked."
"Don't tell Jake," whispers Clare, lying again. "I have no feelings for Eli whatsoever. But it was the only way to get the information."
"Oh, I don't care how you get the information," says Holly J, laughing. "You can fuck Goldsworthy for all I care. I just want to make sure you don't let your emotions get in the way."
"I won't, I promise," says Clare miserably, and Holly J pats her on the head.
"Well done, little girl," says Holly J condescendingly. "You're free to leave. Next time, make sure you bring a list with the people in Acuity, or don't bother coming in at all."
Clare stands up, and before she leaves the office she turns to face Holly J again. The editor is still smiling, but there is nothing warm about her smile, and when Holly J flashes her perfect teeth, Clare feels scared.
"Maybe you should consider journalism," says Holly J smugly. "You sure know how to get information."
xxxxxx
"This is the text," says Jake, handing Clare a crumbled page. Clare's eyes can the phone log, and Sadie Rowland's texts from the last day she was alive are right in front of her. Clare recognizes the last digits of Eli's phone number, 4567, and she feels nauseous.
(******* 9670) I have it.
(******* 4567) how did you get it?
(******* 9670) It doesn't matter, does it? I know who it is.
(******* 4567) And?
(******* 9670) I can't here. Let's meet.
(******* 4567) Does Dave know?
(******* 9670) No.
(******* 4567) Good. Meet you at Wilson. Two hours.
(******* 9670) Eli… it needs to be just the 2 of us.
(******* 4567) Okay. Later.
The texts are more incriminating than she thought. No wonder the police wanted to talk to Eli… and why did Sadie want to meet him? Clare's hands are shaking as she hands the page back to Jake, who rereads it, highlighting texts with a marker.
Eli definitely knows something… and Clare doesn't want to think about the possibility of Eli being the one who… no. Eli couldn't have….
"I have a date!"
Jake and Clare look up from the pile of police reports laid in front of them, and Alli twirls around happily. She's wearing a bright pink dress and too much makeup, clear signs that Alli is already feeling better.
"Congratulations," smiles Jake. "Who's the lucky guy?"
"Well, he came by the coffee shop yesterday," says Alli happily. "His name is Dave Turner. He started flirting with me and… just asked me out."
"Oh," says Clare emotionlessly.
"Dave Turner?" asks Jake, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yeah," smiles Alli. "I know he's that girl's ex, before you guys go all moral on me. He needs to move on, you know?"
"I suppose," says Clare, giving Jake a nervous look. "Do you think this is a good idea, though? Maybe he still needs time to heal…"
"Ugh, can you guys be supportive?" protests Alli, pouting. "I know he dropped out, but he seemed happy when I talked to him, so please, let me enjoy this moment."
"Of course, Alli, we're just looking out for you," says Clare, and Jake nods eagerly. Alli continues to pout, and Clare wants to say something positive at the exact same time her phone starts ringing.
It's Eli.
Clare stands up and answers her phone, staying as far away from Jake as possible. "Hey," she says shyly.
"Hi," says Eli, and he sounds embarrassed. "Um, what's going on? Just wanted to make sure you didn't freak out about what happened… first meeting can be overwhelming. You seemed kind of quiet when I dropped you off... And you haven't replied to my texts."
"No, it's okay," says Clare reassuringly. "I've been a little busy, that's all." Alli is modeling her dress for Jake, making "sexy" faces, and Jake chuckles at the sight.
"Do you want to work on our essay? I'm five minutes away from your apartment…" Eli laughs and sighs nervously, and Clare can't help but smile. "Not that I'm being a stalker. I'm in the neighborhood."
"Um… can you hold on for a bit?" asks Clare.
"Sure."
Clare presses the mute button on her phone and walks over to Jake, who is still chuckling at Alli. "Jake, he's on his way. You need to leave."
"Who's on his way?" asks Alli curiously as Jake starts picking up his stuff.
"Eli, my English partner," mumbles Clare.
"Ugh, I don't want to see him," says Alli, grabbing her bag, which is next to the front door. "Seeing him reminds me of when I used to meet Drew at Walker Hall and… yeah, no thank you! I'll just drive around until it's time to meet Dave."
"Call me!" says Clare as Alli walks out the door. "And you need to leave!"
"God, okay, okay," grins Jake, holding his papers haphazardly in his arms. "Do I get a kiss?"
Clare stands on her toes and gives him a swift kiss, closing her eyes as she does. "Aw, that's it?" winks Jake.
"Yes, you need to go now!" says Clare anxiously, pushing him.
"Clare," says Jake seriously as Clare opens the door. "I just want you to know that I don't regret… um… what happened that night."
Jake looks sad as he starts shoving the papers in his messenger bag, and he bites his lower lip fretfully as he looks at Clare. She feels the now-familiar guilt creep in, and she thinks about the conversation she had with Holly J. Jake truly doesn't deserve this at all.
"Me neither," says Clare, trying to believe it. Jake grins, relieved, and looks down the hallway. Clare notices how his expression changes as he quickly turns back to look at her, and he looks immensely irritated.
"You need to give me that book!" Jake says furiously.
"Book?" asks Clare confusedly, but that's when she realizes why Jake is acting strange.
"What's going on in here?" asks Eli, and Clare notices that she's still holding her phone. She had Eli on mute the entire time.
"Eli, this is not what it-"
"Mind your own business, emo kid," spits Jake, towering over Eli.
"Wow, I'm terrified," smirks Eli derisively. "But really, Martin, what are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" retorts Jake. "I'm just here to pick up my book… which Clare has kept for ages!"
Jake is overacting a little, and Clare's heart is almost killing her with tension. Eli frowns at Jake, and then glances at Clare before turning his attention back to the other boy.
"Edwards is my English partner," says Eli coldly. "So, I would appreciate it if you left her alone so we can do some actual work. Don't you have some random girl to go make out with? Seems to be your specialty."
"Are you jealous because you only get to make out with corpses?" mocks Jake.
"Clever, very clever," yawns Eli. "But you're wasting the air I breathe. And you're bothering Clare. So…"
"How do you sleep at night, knowing what you did?" says Jake, moving closer to Eli. Clare decides to intervene and stands between them, pushing both of them away.
"Jake, just leave… please," pleads Clare, and Jake nods at her.
"Fine," says Jake defensively. "But if he ends up killing you, don't say I didn't warn you!" Jake storms away, his footsteps loud and irate, and Eli glares after him.
"Are you okay?" asks Eli, placing his hands on Clare's shoulders. "You had me on hold for so long that I… I'm glad I just drove here. He could have hurt you, he's such a jerk."
"I'm fine, Eli," says Clare. "He just wanted his book back."
"Okay," says Eli, not sounding convinced. He gently cups her face and smiles, although Clare can still see the anger in his eyes. "Want to work on that essay?"
"Sure," says Clare, grabbing Eli's hand and leading him in.
xxxxxxxx
"You used to wear glasses."
"Stop smirking!"
"You looked cute."
Clare takes the picture away from Eli's hands, and he's still going through Clare's photo albums with the utmost interest. They worked on their essay for a couple hours, but Eli got bored and decided to raid Clare's room, finding her albums right away. "You're pretty good at this," smiles Eli.
"It's a hobby," shrugs Clare.
"Do you still take pictures?" asks Eli, grabbing another album that Clare labeled as "nature."
"No," admits Clare, running her hands over her comforter. It's nice, sitting on her bed with Eli next to her and talking about things that they both enjoy. She doesn't want to think about Acuity for now, not when that society will mean the end of… this thing that she is sharing with Eli.
"Why not? I mean, you're obviously a writer but… these are good," says Eli, sounding impressed. "They really are."
"I stopped taking them after my parents got divorced," says Clare sadly. "They got me a Polaroid camera the year before their split, and I felt like it was a bribe. Sounds stupid, doesn't it?"
"No, sounds fair enough," agrees Eli. "But you shouldn't let that get in the way of what you want to do."
Eli leans in, kissing her gently, and Clare smiles against his lips. "Thank you," she mutters.
"You're welcome," says Eli. "Anyway… We need to discuss your induction into Acuity."
Great, he had to bring that up.
"Okay," says Clare, feigning interest. "Do I have to drink blood?"
"No," chuckles Eli. "But you do have to get a tattoo. It's a requirement."
"A tattoo is something permanent," says Clare critically.
"So is being a member of Acuity," says Eli, and his tone is cold.
"I still don't know what you guys do," says Clare stubbornly, and Eli looks away. He stares at the wall for a couple minutes and then he stands up, walking over to the forgotten box that Clare's dad sent.
"Is this the camera?" asks Eli, pulling out the artifact from the box.
"Yes," says Clare grimly, disappointed at Eli. He keeps avoiding questions about Acuity even though he invited her to join. It seems unfair.
Eli takes a picture and the flash almost blinds Clare, and she can't believe that the camera still works. Eli waits for the photo to fully develop and he shows it to Clare.
"Your eyes were closed," says Eli, almost laughing.
"I wasn't ready!" complains Clare, and Eli takes another picture. "Stop it!"
Eli is laughing as Clare gets out of bed and struggles to get the camera from him, unsuccessfully. Eli steals a kiss from her, and her arms fall limp in defeat as they move around the bedroom, kissing passionately while bumping into the few furniture items Clare has in the tiny space.
They stop kissing, their gasps audible, and Eli holds up the camera. "Smile," he says, pressing his temple against hers, and Clare looks at the lens. The flash blinds her momentarily, causing Eli to take advantage of this as he starts kissing her again.
Clare hears the flash go off again, and a sudden thud tells her that Eli dropped the camera, but she could care less. Eli's arms wrap tightly around her, pushing her against the wall as they make out intensely, their moans subdued.
"Let's…" breathes Eli, pulling away just long enough to speak. "Let's go to your bed."
Clare runs her fingers through Eli's hair, and they land on her bed, barely able to breathe. Eli's hand quickly slides under shirt, searching and touching, and she sees nothing but red. "I'm falling for you," whispers Eli into her ear.
Eli's lips trail all the way from Clare's ear to her mouth and then to her forehead, and his eyes gaze into hers.
"I…" Clare knows she feels the same way, and she wants to tell him. She wants to tell him that she really, really likes him, but that she doesn't trust him completely. Clare wants him to tell her what happened to Sadie… Clare wants the truth.
She wants the truth before she can tell him what's really going on.
Clare's phone interrupts the moment and Eli moves to the side, placing his hands on his chest as Clare looks for her phone. She finally finds it on the floor and answers, trying to regain her breath.
"Alli?" asks Clare. "What's up?"
Alli starts sobbing on the other line and Clare holds on to the phone, dreading everything. Her best friend can't stop sobbing but Clare waits, staring at Eli lying on her bed as her emotions start to spiral out of control.
"Alli, what happened?" whispers Clare, accidentally hitting the speaker button, and Eli sits up.
"Cl-Clare, I'm a-at t-the hospital," cries Alli.
"Oh my God, why?" asks Clare hysterically as Eli comes rushing to her side, concern on his face.
"Th-they shot him."
"What?"
"They shot Dave. He's dead, Clare! He's dead!"
Clare drops the phone and looks at Eli, whose face is a mixture of green and yellow, and she covers her mouth with her hand, the nausea overpowering her. She remembers Adam's words from weeks ago at the library and she feels exceptionally sick.
"Dave is a threat to us, and you know it."
They killed him. Acuity killed him.
Dave Turner is dead.