stars in your eyes

septendecim

Claire wasn't exactly sure where she and Harry stood with each other after what was said. She just knew she could move on from feeling the pure and constant shit she'd been feeling for the better part of a month. Harry's reassurance that he still loved her calmed her more than she would ever care to admit. Yet, she still went home feeling sad and confused that night.

He told her he was going to fight for her. But she was still unsure of when the supposed battle would take place. She hated not knowing. She just wanted to scream in her brother's face that he was the biggest asshole on the planet and that she and Harry didn't care what he thought – that they were going to be together. And if he didn't like it, then he could fuck off. But Claire was afraid of Harry going with what Jasper wanted once again, disregarding their relationship altogether. Once bitten, twice shy – so they say.

...

Claire watched as Harry walked into school the next morning as she stood by her locker. She felt okay. It was a big contrast to what she felt before when she would see his face at school. His eyes caught hers and a smile turned up his lips. Claire couldn't help but smile back at him as he walked toward his own locker.

"What was that?" rowan asked, startling Claire out of her revelry.

"What was what?" Claire asked, looking over at her friend.

"You and Harry. What was that?" She asked again.

"I don't know," Claire said with a shrug.

"You were smiling at each other," she pointed out.

"Yeah," Claire said, opening up her locker.

"Oh my god," Rowan said, dropping her jaw.

"What?" Claire asked, giving her an odd look.

"You two are seeing each other again, aren't you? Behind Jasper's back?" She asked.

"No," Claire said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, right. You can tell me,"Rowan assured her.

"We're not," Claire said evenly.

"Claire, do you really think I would tell anyone?" Rowan asked with her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Claire said bluntly.

"You're my best friend, claire. I wouldn't do that to you," she said.

"I know," Claire said, sending her a sneaky smile.

"So..." She said.

"So, nothing. We aren't seeing each other,"Claire told her.

"So tell me what happened to make you smile at each other," Rowan said, really demanding the details.

"I don't know. We talked. He told me he still wants to give Jasper a little bit of time and then he told me he would fight for me if Jasper didn't like it,"Claire explained, and she couldn't help the smile tugging up her lips.

"You know what, claire?" Rowan said.

"What?" Claire asked.

"He should have been fighting all along," she pointed out.

"I know," Claire said, letting her face fall.

She knew it, yet she didn't have it in her to hold it against him anymore. All she wanted was to have him back. Everything she went through, she bottled up and now she was waiting it out. She was waiting to have him again. She just hoped she wasn't waiting on something that would never come.

...

Damien and Claire worked so diligently on their presentation that they were almost done with half a week to spare. Claire was super excited about that fact. They both had their little role to play in the presentation – specific things to talk about, and they were pretty confident they were going to do pretty well. Claire still hated the whole concept of speaking in front of people, but Damien was a natural. A project like this never even phased him.