AN: Hello world! I'm back after my conspicuous lack of updating. This chapter goes out to alwaysjustme15, for being mega awesome and being the first reviewer of the last chapter, and hopelessRMTCx3 for sending me a super sweet message today and motivating me to finish this chapter. You both ROCK.

This is Clare's first day at Degrassi! Hope you like chapter six. Thanks for reading! :)

I wrapped a towel around my head, emerging from the bathroom after the quickest shower I had ever taken (spider count: 3). I felt dirty and gross because of my surroundings, an excellent first day at Degrassi impression, but I tried to keep up with a good attitude.

I rechecked my shirt, making sure the deep purple cotton was tucked in. If you added "dress code malfunction" to the list of things I was already worried about for the first day, I knew I'd have an aneurysm.

"Hey Mom," I said, stepping into the living room. To my surprise, Mom was already up and dressed, ready to drive me to school.

"Hey, Clare," Mom replied, diligently typing away on her laptop. "Want breakfast?"

"Of cour-" I started. What am I thinking? Maybe I just wasn't used to my new routine yet. I shook my head to clear it out.

"Hm? Is that a no?" Mom asked.

I contemplate saying no. Then again, it wouldn't help my first-day jitters to go throughout the morning with an empty stomach. I knew my limits.

"Do we have any fruit, or something? Oh wait, we don't even have a kitchen," I replied bitterly.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times," Mom sighed, exasperated. "Jerry usually had takeout when he was living here by himself, so a fridge, etc., wasn't necessary."

"Mom!" I laughed once, a harsh sound. "You never told me anything. I didn't even know about Jerry until yesterday!"

It's sort of the truth.

Mom looked defeated. "I'm trying to convince him to get a better place, but for now, we're here. There's a banana I got from the convenience store last ni- oh! I bought Lucky Charms!" She said excitedly. "I know they're your favorite."

These words nearly break my heart in two. "No, Mom," I whispered. "Those...those are Caroline's favorite. You know mine! You made it before we left!"

Mom stood from her place on the couch and sighed. "I'm sorry, Clare," she said, collecting her nearby belongings. "I'm just a bit frazzled. I got that new job, and with us just moving in... It's a bit much right now." She gave me a sympathetic smile and dusted off her pants. "Before I forget anything else, I should get to work."

I shifted from one foot to the next anxiously. "What about me? I have to go to school." For added emphasis, I gestured to my uniform.

"Clare, honey, I have to get to work. Can't you walk? I'm sure it's not that far." She hobbled my way and briefly kissed me goodbye.

"But Mom!" I said, whining now. "There's so much snow on the ground. I'll... I'll get hypothermia or something! And die!"

"Clare Diana, calm down and don't get attitude with me," Mom said sternly. "I know you can make it work. Love you," she added. She smiled quickly at me before leaving me alone.

After grabbing the banana, I trudged out of the house, discouraged. So much for a good attitude. As I walked down the front steps, I sighed to myself; so far it was Universe: 1, Clare 0. The fight between Mom and I reminded me of what was ahead: my parents' divorce. What if, after my parents got divorced, Mom and I wouldn't be the same? I knew that everything was changing, but that didn't mean I wanted it to. Everything was a cruel reminder; I desperately wished it were done without me having to fix it. I fished out my old iPod from my jacket pocket, willing the soft tunes to let me escape, when I ran into a body.

"Whoa," I oofed, stumbling a bit.

"Hey there," Eli said, chuckling.

My heart stopped. I looked at Eli and his thick rings and leather jacket and green eyes and nothing hurt. His eyes were shining and a soft smile was stuck on his bow shaped lips.

"Eli," I breathed. "I - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you."

Eli waved his hand in the air, much like the night before. "It's no problem. Listen, were you going to walk to school?" He gestured behind him and I notice the big hearse. "I could give you a lift."

I looked beyond him, towards the direction of the school. Cool December wind brushed my hair from my face, the curls whipping erratically. The gray overcast sky, reflecting in the sidewalk, promises snow, and soon.

I nodded. "Yeah... I could use a ride, I guess." I looked back to Eli and he smiled at me.

"Cool." He twirled his keychain around a finger. "Get in the hearse, Clare."

"Do you command people to get in your hearse all the time, Eli?" I smiled, climbing into the front seat. He laughed before getting in to my left.

"Oh, definitely," he replied, still smiling. He quickly exited the driveway and soon we were on the road to school. We drive quietly for a moment; he's looking toward the road and my gaze is on him. I licked my lips, trying to find something to say.

"So, uh, I see you're wearing a red shirt," I said quickly. Curse my bad small talk skills! Duh he's wearing a red shirt, Clare, you're so stupid...

"Yeah," Eli said nonchalantly. "Part of the uniform system, you know? All grade elevens wear red." I fleetingly remember Mom talking about the uniforms last night when she brought mine home, but I don't think I was listening.

"I see," I nodded, sounding more ridiculous by the second. Why did Eli have such a strong effect on me? It wasn't long before I saw the school approaching; maybe it was closer than I thought. I silently cursed myself for not taking advantage of the witty banter opportunity.

"So... will this become a regular thing?" I asked, turning to him shyly. Eli smirked, drumming his fingers on the wheel before pulling into a parking space. He turned off the car and faced me, eyes glinting.

"I'll let you know."

I smiled over at him and got out of the car. I walked into the school, into the office. It was cramped and smelled like mothballs and an unidentifiable smell, making breathing something I didn't plan on continuing. I waited for a bit before I fidgeted in my chair. I scratched my knee, though it didn't itch. I counted the miniature dots on the ceiling with a bad paint job. So far, I was at 239. I sighed loudly, my mood wavering from impatient to bored to concerned.

Finally, I cleared my throat. "Excuse me," I said, waving my hand in the direction of the secretary. "I'm Clare Edwards; one of the transfer students? I'll be out of your hair as soon as I get a schedule."

The secretary paused from typing diligently at her computer at the front desk and nodded, head bobbing. "Hon, why didn't you say anything earlier?" She swiveled around in her spinney chair to a filing cabinet and pulled out a Manila folder labeled with my name. I stood and walked over to her.

"Easy as that," she smiled. She opened the folder and fussed for a bit before finding what she needed. "Here you are," she said, handing my schedule over. The secretary, whose nametag read Tabitha, gave one last nod to me before turning back to her computer screen.

"Uh, thanks," I mumbled, turning away. Why did I have to wait so long? Why couldn't I speak up? I'm so nervous and I'll probably be late and –

"Hon," Tabitha said. I turned back and she had a soft, motherly look on her face. "Welcome to Degrassi."

I let out a breath. (It really did smell odd in the office. I hoped it wasn't Tabitha).

"Thank you," I said again. I opened the door to a whole new world.

Degrassi is a big school.

I couldn't tell if was my height picking on me again or what, but I felt like I was transported into a world of giants when walking into the school. Big guys with blue shirts paraded around me and I was jumbled, lost in a sea of red shirts not too far along. I must clearly have directional problems because I accidentally walked into a class of grade nines; I walked out spluttering and looking at my schedule like a maniac.

I was beginning to think I was entirely hopeless as I was running through different deserted hallways, but thankfully, I saw a fellow purple-shirted guy digging in his locker and jogged over to him.

"Hey," I said, huffing and puffing like an animal. "I'm running all over the place. Could you tell me where room 217 is? I'm already super late, and it's my first day here so I'm pretty sure I could use a friend."

The boy shut his locked and looked over to me, cradling his books. "Yeah, totally. You said 217, right? We have homeroom together; just follow me." To my dismay, he started off jogging in the direction I had just come from. I huffed some more and tried to keep up with him.

We approached the classroom just in time; the late bell rang loud and long right after we entered. Unfortunately, all eyes were on us.

Great first impression.

"Nice of you to join us," the teacher remarked. "Take your seats." I flushed deeply, taking the next to last seat directly in the middle of the pile of classmates. The boy who helped me sat net to me. After cautiously glancing toward the teacher taking roll call more times than necessary, I whispered to the guy.

"Thanks for helping me," I murmured, still red. "I must have passed this class a thousand times..."

"No problem," he smiled. I grinned at him.

"I'm Clare," I whispered. I stuck out my hand and he grasped it, warm and smooth and strong. He flipped his brown bangs away from his eyes and looked bashful.

"Adam."

After Homeroom with Adam, who was sweet and really funny, trying and failing multiple times to sneak a comic book, I ventured out into Degrassi's halls yet again to stumble to my next class. After the uneventful science class, I try to trek down my third period. This time, I didn't have Adam to help me along, so I ended up being late again.

I walked into the computer room, cheeks red. The teacher, a pretty Asian in a cute flowery blouse smiled at me from over her glasses.

"You must be our new student… Clare, right?" She checked her attendance list and nodded to herself.

"Yeah, I am," I said dumbly, catching my breath.

"Where did you transfer from?" She asked lightly, gesturing for me to sit down.

"Bardell," I said, finding a seat in the middle. There's a sudden, loud laugh and someone yells, "Bardell SUCKS!" I fight the blush that sprouted on my face and turned around to comment.

And I froze.

"Delilah?" I whispered.

Her long, light brown hair was sleek and lied over her shoulder. It reminded me of Caroline, and I can only imagine my grimacing face. Her eyes are glittering and brown and on her face is one of the snarkiest looks I've ever seen. She's wearing dangly red earrings and she scoffed at my lack thereof.

"Clare," she simpered.

"You… you go here?" I said softly, the shock apparent on my face.

"Three years running," she replied. She pinched her red shirt in her fingers, laughing again.

"I always thought you were a senior," I said. She shook her head, her face twisted in a grimace.

"I can't believe you followed me all the way from dance class," she scoffed.

My heart hammered in my chest and I opened my mouth to say something back, but Ms. Oh, as I read on her nameplate, began to talk about the latest assignment.

I've known Delilah for months. Months. How did I not know the truth all this time? Was it because I automatically thought she was superior that she had to be a senior?

I crave for her attention, yet recoil from it. There's an undesirable need to please her; I yearn for her approval but never get it. Why should I want to make her happy, when all she ever does is hurt me? She's better than me and I know it. I can only wish to be half as good as she is. I forgive her with ease because she is the best, and I don't want to become higher on her enemy list.

I tried to listen to Ms. Oh for the rest of the hour, but my mind was too cluttered with thoughts. What if other students responded to my transfer in a similar way? I'd never live it down.

I stayed silent for the rest of the class.

Just a class later and it's lunch time. What used to be my escape is now taunting and looming over me. What food is appropriate to eat? What if I slip up and sit with the wrong people? What if I actually slip?

The more pressing question running through my head: When did I lose my self confidence?

I scurried through the lunch line, grateful that the day is half over, when I overheard a conversation that tore me to pieces.

"You blew me off that night," Eli's voice said nearby. His voice is low, tight, and there's a hint of hurt in it. "I waited for nearly an hour and a half."

Delilah's voice is condescending. "Something else came up, all right? Drop it."

"I won't," Eli responded. "What's your deal?"

"Nothing." I looked over to see her shake her head. "There was a problem and I had to solve it."

"Good try at being elusive," said Eli. He scowled at her and pushed his tray along.

"You know I'd rather be with you," Delilah purred. She snaked an arm around him and pulled him close to her in a sneaky embrace. "Kiss me."

He complied, and I stare in shock. Someone tried to push me along in the line, but I leave my tray as I run out, too overwhelmed to stay any long.

What a hell of a first day.