The Second Time: It's the second Adam has had a secret admirer and he refuses to get his hopes up. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to know how serious Becky Baker is when it comes to writing love letters. Beckdam/Eclare/Fimogen fic.

The Second Time (1/3)

It was sticking out of his shoe locker.

All packaged in an envelope with a neat, little crimson bow, begging him to open of it. Which of course, he wasn't really looking forward to doing on account of the last time he had had a secret admirer it ended in shambles - despite how nice Tristan had been about it.

Nevertheless, his curiosity had already gotten the better of him and so, he proceeded to snatch the article from his shoe locker and run back to the cafeteria to tell Eli and Clare.

–––

"A love letter?" Eli said, grinning from ear to ear. Adam could practically feel his body about to move on its own accord, reach over the table and slap him. "Ish someone in lo-ove you?" He playfully mimicked the voice he had made whenever he teased about Adam's potential relationships.

"Shut up, you doof." Adam replied, though it didn't help that he was rapidly turning the same shade of red as his eleventh grade former uniform. Trying his best to appear less…red, Adam took his seat at the table next to Clare.

Eli looked up. "So, what does it say?"

"Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books. But love from love, toward school with heavy looks." By the time he had finished reading it, he was sure he was about to pass out from blushing. He didn't quite understand it, but he assumed the fact that the word 'love' had been thrown in there so many times was a place to start. "Shakespeare, I guess."

His friend just nodded. "Must be a fan of the play."

"Who sent it?" Clare asked, always so nosy. Eli tapped her nose as some sort of silent pun between the two.

"Don't know." Taking a big bite into his sandwich, Adam thought better than to get his hopes up.

"Ooh, a secret paramour? A secret admirer, perhaps? " That was Imogen. She was here since Eli thought it was best that his best friends all ate together at lunch from now on. Naturally, that meant Fiona (yes, ex-girlfriend, Fiona) would be here too. And every day after.

For Adam, it was a little more than awkward.

"Listen guys, let's try not to make a big deal out of this. The last time I let myself fall for this – it was Tristan. And while he was really nice about it, I just don't want to get my hopes up again just in case I'm doomed from the start." He returned to his sandwich.

"Love will doom you anyway." Fiona said, squeezing Imogen's hand. Eli did the same with Clare and Adam rolled his eyes. When did everyone start pairing off?

"You don't know, Adam. It might not be a niner this time." Despite her best intentions, Clare somehow managed to always say the exact wrong thing. It took a toll on his appetite.

Eli wrapped his arm around his new girlfriend happily. "I don't know, Clare. Love letters are kind of juvenile, aren't they?"

"Is that why you practically wrote me a novel last night?" She kissed his lips, much to Adam's gagging.

"Okay, done with lunch." The Torres boy dropped his sandwich on the tray.

"Me too." That was Fiona.

"Three." And that was Imogen.

At that moment, Becky Baker happened to be making her rounds. "It would be much appreciated if you saved things like that for a private hour, Elijah. Even better, if you practiced abstinence like me and Jenna."

At the other end of the table, Adam heard Fiona stifle a scoff. The blonde raised her eyebrows, still having no idea how ironic that statement was. Before they could point this out to her though, Becky had already plopped her tray down beside his, and subsequently taken the empty seat beside his. Awkwardly, Jenna Middleton followed suit, scooting next to the louder Baker twin.

"Why are you sitting here?" Eli asked almost immediately, slamming a fist against the table. He turned to the others. "Actually, more importantly, why are we letting her sit here?"

Alli and Clare, who were sitting opposite each other shrugged. "We like Jenna." Jenna mouthed her quiet 'thank you.' Becky, on the other hand, just proceeded to stare at the boy next to her.

Unsure what to do, the younger Torres just stared back, which unfortunately seemed to do nothing but spur her on. If anything, her stare intensified.

"What's that?" The Baker girl asked brightly, looking at the envelope in his hands with an odd sort of grin. Eli stepped in before he could actually form an answer with his mouth.

"Intruding on other people's business, Baker?" Eli sneered so fiercely it actually made Adam stop to think about what happened when the writers met. It was just, far too intense.

"Oh, it's just a stupid letter from my secret admirer." Adam replied, ignoring Eli's comment.

Her thin lips trembling a little, Becky's blue eyes widened. "Oh, I don't think it's stupid."

"Oh, no it's definitely stupid." He replied, certain that this was just another elaborate prank. By now, he had virtually given up on a high school love life. "Like Eli said, it's juvenile."

"Hmph! For your information, I'm sure I-whoever wasted their time writing a love letter to impress you certainly doesn't consider it juvenile. Boys, really..." Surprisingly, the Baker girl huffed, picking up her tray rather indignantly. She let out a tired breath and tapped on Jenna's shoulder impatiently. "Let's go, Jenna."

"Um." The other blonde girl said, her eyes meeting awkwardly with Clare and Alli's until Becky tugged at her shoulder again. "Right, right."

Adam returned his gaze to the table. "What the hell was that?"

Much to his surprise, Imogen let out a snort, covering her mouth soon after to suppress the giggles. Fiona elbowed her girlfriend and Clare just pretended to eat her sandwich, though in actuality, she was fooling no one. Alli stared out into space with an open mouth and Eli Goldsworthy looked as if someone had just stolen his play. For a second time that day.

"Was that-?" Eli asked, a little dazed.

"It would appear so, Mr. Director." Imogen agreed.

"What?" Adam asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "What, was what?"

"She-ow." Eli rubbed the hand Clare had just slapped into the table. "What was that for?"

"I know you hate her, but you can't just tell him." Clare replied.

"I think hating her is reason enough to tell him that-ouch."

Adam assumed that it was Alli who had kicked his shin under the table. "A girl's secrets must not be shared, however obvious they may be to everyone else." The statement garnered her more puzzled looks than even Imogen usually received.

"Obvious, who's being obvious?" Adam insisted.

"Arghhh…" Eli cried, clutching his kneecap, a gesture that made Adam wonder what it was Imogen had done to him. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"I know. I just wanted to try it." The bespectacled girl stated plainly.

This, as it would soon be made clear, would prove to be only the second most ridiculous thing Adam Torres would hear before the day was over.

(tbc.)

A/N: After reading Goldy's hilarious HP fic, Ron's Admirer, I wanted to write a Degrassi story based on a character suddenly having a secret admirer. And who better than Adam, considering he's had more expertise in that field than anyone else?