Clara came home emotionally exhausted and didn't care that the living room was dark and made no effort to turn on the light. She just tossed her purse and jacket on the couch then walked slowly to their room.

She just wanted to go to bed and wake up pretending everything was okay even though it wasn't.

Clara caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror. How could she be so stupid? Matt was no different than any other guy on campus.

How did she become "that girl" but then what was she supposed to expect from a charmer like him? "Nothing but a snake." She muttered.

Clara cracked the door and saw Amy asleep and breathing softly not wanting her to know she had been crying she wiped her eyes before entering the bedroom.

After putting on her pajamas she knelt and pulled out her special teddy bear her mum gave her as a kid from under her bed. Clara crawled under the covers she clutching her teddy bear and cried softly into its fur.

Meanwhile Matt sat on the couch staring at the floor not caring how late it was.

His heart was breaking and his throat was sore from shouting at Clara's cab but he didn't care he would've screamed he loved her until his vocal chords fell out if he had thought it would've made a difference but he had officially blown it; Clara was gone.

The door opening snapped him out of his thoughts; David walked in yawning.

"Blimey, I hate working late." He grumbled. He noticed Matt on the couch. "Hi, you're up late."

Matt shrugged.

"Okay." David replied looking at him strangely. "Have a nice time, then?" He said tossing his jacket on the chair.

Matt turned away and avoided his eyes. He didn't feel like talking. David folded his arms and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't answer. David glanced around for obvious signs of a date but didn't see anything. "Where's Clara?"

"She's gone." He muttered softly. "She's what?" David replied trying to hear him.

Matt glared at him. "She's gone! Clara's gone, zip eddy doo dah and she's never coming back!" He shouted. "Happy?" He snapped throwing his hands up.

"What happened?" David asked calmly.

"I don't want to talk about it." He mumbled trying to brush past him but David kept blocking him from leaving.

"Would you move?" Matt said annoyed.

David shook his head. "No, I want to know what happened."

Matt shot him a dirty look. "You can be a real pain in the ass, you know that?"

He shrugged. "Yeah just like you were when Addie died and you tried to get me to talk to you about it."

Matt's anger started cracking allowing the pain to peek through. "That's not fair." He replied softly turning his back away from him.

David shoved his hands in his pockets and came closer. "Well, call it grateful payback or the fact that I give a damn."

Defeated Matt plopped on the couch and David sat beside him and waited for him to speak.

Matt ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "It's my fault."

"What happened, then?" He asked.

Matt glanced at him. "You remember that meeting I had with Dean Oswald?"

David nodded.

"Well, he called me over and told me to stop seeing Clara until graduation because I was a distraction." He scoffed. "So like an ass I did right after she said she loved me."

David took a minute to process what Matt just told him. "So you actually listened to him and broke up with a girl that you love right after she told you she loved you, right?"

Matt nodded quietly.

He bit the corner of his lip and looked at Matt like he was an idiot. "Have you not grasped the rules of maintaining a relationship or did you forget that quickly?"

"Thanks for the support." Matt scowled getting from the couch.

David sighed. "I'm just saying that if you love Clara why did you let Oswald control you?"

He shook his head. "Because dad distracted mum from her dream and it ruined their marriage."

"Yeah so did a lot of other things. What's your point?" David remarked.

Matt lowered his eyes before looking back at him. "I didn't want to repeat their mistakes."

David sighed. "Well, judging from that slap mark I say you already accomplish that." He replied.

Matt rubbed his eyes. He knew David was right. Boy, did he hate it when he was right.

Matt nodded. "I'm really not very good at this, am I?" He sighed heavily. "But what can I do? She hates me."

He looked at David shaking his head and scoffed."I'm such an idiot." Matt then angrily pulled out the paper and threw it on the floor before stomping to the bedroom.

David took a quick glance to make sure he was gone then picked up the paper. "I think I'll save this for later." He said shoving it in his pocket then going to the bedroom to turn in for the night.

Clara was managing through the day the best she could but every now and then Matt tried to talk her or send a note both which ended up in a brush off or another scrap of paper in the trash.

Amy thought she was being harsh and should work it out with Matt but Clara was too hurt and tired of crying.

Clara walked quietly into the crowded lunchroom. David sitting back in his chair with his foot against the edge of the table eating fish sticks and reading a magazine. He spotted Clara walking by and smirked. "Hey, Clara!"

She paused and smiled slightly. "Hi!"

He set his magazine on the table. "How you've been?"

Clara shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

He nodded. "Yeah, I heard what happened. I'm really sorry."

Clara lowered her eyes picking at her book cover. "Yeah, well what can you do?"

David folded his arms. "Clara, have you ever heard that old saying? When you assume you make an ass out of you and me."

She looked at him strangely. "Yeah, why?"

Instead of responding he checked his watch. "Oh, I've got to get to class."

David started to leave when she grabbed his arm stopping him. "Wait, what did you mean?"

David reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper. "I think you should ask your dad." He said handing it to her.

She glanced at it then back at him puzzled.

He smiled. "See you around."

She watched him walk away before disappearing into the crowd.

Once he was gone she unrumpled the piece of paper and read it. She frowned.

"This is from dad asking Matt to see him yesterday afternoon." She muttered.

Clara gasped. He wouldn't. Her father wouldn't be that cruel, right?

Clara arched her eyebrow and shoved the paper in her purse. She was going to have a small chat with Dean Oswald tonight.

That night David was alone in the apartment studying while Matt was taking a walk to clear his mind.

Matt was a mess and it showed. David hoped his idea worked but wasn't sure, now.

He had been sitting on the floor propped against the couch and after an hour of studying. He decided to take a break and raid the fridge.

David stood slowly and stretched when the door knocked loudly and angrily. He rolled his eyes. Whoever was knocking definitely wasn't happy. He sighed and answered it. "Yeah?" He said.

A familiar short, heavy set white-haired man stood there scowling in disapproval had David turning pale.

It was the only person that could tear David down with no apologies and the only man he ever feared and fought against his whole life.

His father.

David's eyes widen in shock. "Dad!"

"Hello David." He replied sternly.