Author Note: Be warned. The first part of this chapter is gonna have a lot of fluff. A Jlaire moment. I can't help but write about these two. They're just so adorable together!
I curl up in Jim's arms, sobbing softly but producing heavy tears on his shirt. I feel Jim's grip grow tighter around me and stroke my hair. "Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Please don't cry, Claire. Shhh!" I hear him say softly.
I shake my head, weeping uncontrollably. The room fills with the sound of me crying. I can listen to the shouting from outside, making my cries worse. Even though I've heard threats from Mom about school, grades, and who I hung out with, hearing what the elders of the Family said is so much worse. It was shaming to me, my friends, my mom, and the boy to who I loved and devoted my heart. After a few minutes have passed, I start feeling lightheaded and exhausted.
"NotEnrique, can you please leave Claire and me alone for a while?" I hear Jim say.
"Of course! Just be good to my sister." I hear NotEnrique says clearly.
"I will!"
I hear NotEnrique leave the room from the balcony window. I feel one of Jim's arms under my legs, and the other presses against my back, sweeping me up bridal-style. Jim used to do this when we traveled to New Jersey. I never saw him do it because I was asleep, but he would tell me I would collapse, beyond exhausted during the journey. Jim would pick me up and carry me until he got me somewhere safe to sleep. That was when he was a half-troll and could lift 300 lbs with ease. He could undoubtedly carry me bridal-style or on his back. As a human, I remember Jim surprising me a month ago by sneaking up from behind and easily scooping me up bridal-style. I laughed, and we kissed each other. It was so romantic.
Jim walks towards the bed and gently sets me down. I sit up, and Jim sits down and looks at me, but I look down at my lap. "I'm so sorry for what my family said to you. I knew this would happen, and they would never have said that if you were a Latino," I say quietly, trying to hold back more tears.
"Shhh! Don't, Claire. Don't apologize for their actions. You did nothing wrong." Jim replies softly.
He grabs my chin and lifts my head to look into his beautiful sapphire eyes. "How dare they say that to such a kind, caring, compassionate, respectful, and honorable person like you." I cry.
Jim doesn't reply but wraps his arms around me, and I do the same, and we lean back on the bed. I lay my head on Jim's chest, and he spoons me. I find Jim's hand and intertwine our fingers together. We stay in silence. I listen to the calm beating of Jim's heart, making me feel safe.
"Claire." I hear him say.
"Yes!" I reply, looking up at my boyfriend.
"Do you think I'm worthy for you?" He asks with concern.
My heart nearly stops hearing him asking me that. I roll over, lean my chest against Jim's and look at him sincerely, cupping his cheek. "Oh god, yes, Jim! Of course, I do. I can't ask for another wonderful boyfriend than you. You're protective, mature, understanding, caring, patient, compassionate, and faithful to me. I love you with all my heart, and no one, not family or anyone, can change that. You mean so much to me." I declare seriously.
Jim's eyes widen, but he presses a hand on mine and smiles, pulling me closer. "Thank you, Claire, but this is your family." He sighs hurtfully.
I shake my head. "I don't care. I love you, and nothing else matters. My life was boring until I met you. You make my world feel alive. Just give my family some time; if they don't understand, I'm no longer seeing them. They need to accept my decisions and what and who I want in my life. I won't leave you." I protest. "I'd date you for a hundred lifetimes, Jim Lake."
There's a long pause for a few moments until Jim sighs. "Alright." He agrees, and we sit up. I set my hands on Jim's chest and sit on his lap, looking into his eyes. "I'm staying with you, and I'll do whatever it takes to get your family to accept me," And lean our heads together. "For you."
I smile and feel joyful tears come to my eyes. "Thank you," I whisper. I close my eyes, lean in, and press my lips to his. Jim returns the kiss, and I feel his arms wrap around my waist. We part our lips, and our kiss becomes deeper. Butterflies scatter in my stomach. We break but return to our lips, each kiss becoming more passionate. I wrap my arms around Jim's neck, my fingers tangled in his hair. I feel Jim start to tug on my shirt and pull me closer. I begin to feel my body become hot. I moan to tell Jim I'm enjoying this.
A knock at the door interrupts our make-out session. I break away from Jim, and we get off each other. I run over to the door and place a hand on the knob. I turn to Jim, who looks worried, and his hair is messy. I hold a finger to my lips and turn back to the door. "Who is it?" I call out, trying to keep in my fear.
"Claire, it's Darci. Me, Mary, Toby, Douxie, and everyone want to make sure you are okay and know what's going on." Darci calls back.
I blow a sigh of relief but still feel unsure. "Are any of my family with you?"
"No! They're still fighting downstairs." Darci answers clearly, but I hesitate. I can hear the muffled fighting, making me tremble.
"Please let us in, Claire. We're worried about you." Douxie says calmly.
I take a deep breath, unlock and quickly open the door. My friends, including Archie and Nari, smile kindly at me. "Get in quickly." I hiss and gesture to them to come in. They all walk in; I look around to see no one before shutting the door and locking it again. I turn around to see Jim still on the bed, fixing his hair, and all my friends standing in different parts of the room.
"Did we interrupt anything Jimmy-Jam?" Mary asks flirtatiously, raising her eyebrow, smirking, and crossing her arms.
"Please don't call me that." Jim groans, rolling his eyes. "No, you didn't. Claire and I were just talking about what happened." He half-lies. I walk over to the bed and sit next to Jim. We look at each other, and I blush as Jim smirks. We were starting to get hot and heavy in our kisses.
"What's going on? What were your aunt and uncle yelling about? We couldn't understand them." Darci asks worryingly, thankfully changing the subject.
"Yeah. What is the "Head of the Family"? And what did your Mom mean about the "status of a Firstborn"?" Aja asks.
I sigh and lower my head to look at the floor. I take a moment, take a deep breath and look back at my friends. "I explained this a bit to Darci, Steve, Mary, Toby, and Jim in History class for our Family History projects. In some families, the Head of the Family is by blood, gender, or how the person proves themselves to the family. Since the beginning, the Head of my Family has been determined by what we call the "First Borns-"
"It's like a monarchy where the first child is chosen to become the next Head of the Family, right?" Aja interrupts me, but I nod my head.
"Yes, and it doesn't matter the age, gender, or who the child is. All that matters is they lead and protect the Family like a king, queen, or something like that." I answer her. "On October 21, mostly when the Firstborn is sixteen or seventeen, our family has a ceremony. It's steeped in tradition but considered a high honor in our family." I take off my necklace and raise it. "Their mother or father, who has this necklace and is a Firstborn themselves, passes down the necklace to their first child, placing it around their neck in front of the whole family," I explain.
"Why do they do that?" Krel asks curiously.
"It's supposed to stand for the solidarity of passing power from the parent to offspring or something like that," I answer, rolling my eyes.
All of my friends nod their heads. "But why the 21st? That's about a week away." Zoe says.
I sigh and put the necklace back on. "It's called the Day of Placing. However, my parents and I call it the Day of Mourning. They call it that because someone dies. But I call it that because a child is ripped from her mother. Everyone in my family has been told this story since we were little. In the 11th century, a baby girl, Veronica, was born on October 18th, my birthday. Veronica's mother gave her baby daughter up three days after her birth to escape persecution. Veronica's mother was a noblewoman and gave Veronica to her most trusted friend and lady to keep her safe. That night, she was killed by three knights, but in peace for knowing her daughter was safe. She gave Veronica the necklace I'm wearing now as a parting gift. She gave them the necklace when Veronica had her child, and they became seventeen. And so it became a tradition from then on."
"Awww! That's so sad. She gave her daughter up to protect her and died doing that." Mary says softly.
"Yes, and that's why some of my family members are so upset. Our family is steeped in tradition and honor. The Firstborn represents one generation of the Family. They must be perfect in everything they do and be obedient but believe in what is good for the family's future. No one cares about you as a person. They just care for you as an object." I pause and sniff, feeling my chest tighten and tears forming in my eyes again. "What my mom said back there was all true, and my family wants me to drop my dreams and live with them. In their eyes, my mom abandoned them and wanted me to become the next Head of the Family. I don't want that." I whine, and everyone gasps. "I want to stay with you guys, go to college, marry someone I choose, and become what I want, not stay here and lose that." I close my eyes and start crying again.
I feel Jim's hand on my back and lean on his shoulder. "Shhh, shhh! It's ok, Claire. Shhh!"
The room stays silent, except for my sobbing and echoing. After a few minutes, I calm down, but tears stream down my cheeks. I feel Jim's fingers brushing the water from my face. I take a deep breath and open my eyes to see my friends again. "You guys are my friends. The Guardians are my family. Arcadia is my home." I say quietly.
"And we won't let anything bad happen to you. We are here to support you." I hear Jim say sweetly and kiss me on the head.
All of my friends agree in unison, and I straighten up. I close my eyes, letting my last tears come out, and smile. Douxie walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder. "Claire, we are all here for you and will help you whenever needed. You are not alone." He says calmly, reminding me of his promise three weeks ago.
I get up, and we hug. "Thank you, Douxie!" I reply softly, feeling comfort in his arms for a few moments. I embrace Mary, Darci, Aja, Toby, Archie, Nari, and Zoe, telling me everything will be fine. NotEnrique joins us soon and gives me a big hug. "Thank you, everyone!"
We hear a knock at the door that makes us jump. "Who is it?" I call out and rush towards the door.
"Claire! It's Diego!" I hear Diego's enthusiastic voice through the wood. "I have terrific news for you! Open the door!"
Author Note: I had to redo this chapter at least three times. I wanted to add and place in passages. But I'm saving and placing them somewhere else in the story. Please review!