FicWad

Sitting in class I glance over at Claire. She's still mad about the whole, Fitz with a knife thing as well as my dating of Brianna behind her back. None the less I'm glad to be back…home was getting stuffy.

Mrs. Doss walks in, looking at me, "Mr. Goldsworthy the new dress code is not mortician, that's detention. You know the rules."

"Actually, no I don't. I missed last week, suspension," I answer knowing that if I was on friendly terms with Claire she would have laughed at this.

"That's a fair defense," Mrs. Doss answers, pointing at me, "but this is your only warning."

Grinning I jump over a few desks to get to the other side of the room to where Claire sits, "Dodged the bullet there."

"Really," Claire questions, "because I thought the only thing you could dodge was knives."

The knife mention makes images of that night flash before me, metal, tears, a hand on my cheek, her screams and the ruby red blood falling to the floor like rain drops out of the sky.

"Really?" I reply back, words a bit harsher than I meant for them to be. "Three weeks and I'm still in the doghouse?"

"You did cheat on me, and fight back when I told you to stop."

"But those days are over."

"Up until Brianna comes back."

My gaze drops to the floor, she's gone. Bri, my best friend in the world is gone. Pulled away to Kansas by her mother, "She's not coming back, Claire."

"Well…eight, nine ten; now you're forgiven," Claire laughs, giving me a smile.

I smile back, "Thank you, and I'll make it up to you tonight –" I pull two tickets out of my blazer pocket – "on our first official date."

Claire's perfect blue eyes grow bright, "You got Chuck Palmic tickets?"

I laugh in reply, happy that I'm back in her good graces, "He's reading an unpublished fight excerpt tonight."

Claire's face falls, "I've got theatre awards tonight, and both my parents are coming."

"Ahhh, they're not fighting anymore?" I question hoping for the best, expecting the worse.

"Oh, they're still fighting," answers Claire looking upset. "Fighting may just be the new normal."

"But the talk doesn't start till eight. Do you think the parent remediation will be done by then?"

Claire grabs the extra ticket from my hand smiling at it, "Yup."

I'm going on a date with Claire. Oh, Claire she makes me happy, not the Brianna happy but she makes me feel warm inside. I sound like such a girl. After the bell rings I find Adam in the hall, waving at him.

"What's up dude? You're all smiles," Adam says, thumbs flying over the keys of his cell phone.

"I have a date with Claire tonight. Who are you texting?" I reply.

"Brianna, you know she's coming back, right?"

I swallow. Bri…back? What am I going to do? You don't just get over a girl like Brianna. You don't forget what happened between us. This isn't good.

"No, she didn't tell me that."

"She'll be back in about two months. Eli, you still like her, don't you?"

"When stuff like what happened between Bri and I happens you can't really ever get over that person," I answer.

"What exactly happened between you two?" Adam questions, shutting his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

"Never mind," I answer before quickly walking away.

She's really coming back. Underneath the fear of what we'll face, happiness swells. I love Claire and I'm with her now. Bri is my best friend. That is how things are staying; that's how they have to stay for everyone to be at least content. No, lies…no one will be content but one can hope, right?