Life is Hell

Chapter Seventeen - Team Clachel

"Clare Price" Rachel said when she saw me sitting on the steps of Blackwell Academy with my head in a book. I usually don't read, but this was an English assignment due yesterday and I really didn't want to get a bad grade. "Rachel Amber" I said without looking up, which was a mistake since she took the book from me, causing me to look up anyways. "Not hanging out with Chloe today?" I asked her. "Chloe has to run some errands" Rachel replied and I was afraid to know what exactly that meant, although I think deep down I already knew.

"Some crazy shit that went down the other day at my place" Rachel said, sitting down next to me. "Your father's bomb? That's more than just crazy shit!" I replied. This was the first time I was actually thinking about what this would mean for Rachel "How is the situation at home?" "My mom looks like she killed my favorite pet, while my dad is his usual cold self and seems to pretend like nothing happened" She replied. "That sucks!" "Yeah, guess that explains why Chloe and I postponed our trip. I can't leave town like this, not when everything here is falling apart" She said. "If you want to, I can ask Frank more about that woman. What did Chloe say her name was?" "Sera" Rachel replied, avoiding to look at me.

"I can't even imagine what you must be going through" I said. "Yeah, well, neither can I. My mom is not my mom, my dad is the same bastard he has always been, just that I have no idea if he's actually my dad or if he has been lying about that too and my real mother is some drug head. So much about the perfect life of Rachel Amber" She said. "I'll help you" I said.

"Why would you do that?" She asked. "Because somehow I'm your friend" I told her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked. "I have absolutely no idea, but I'm going to ask Frank about her, then text you" "Thank you" Rachel said and got up. "What are sorta friends for?" I said and watched her walk off. "Doing homework as late as possible, really Clare? Really?" Warren asked, sitting down next to me. "They were due yesterday" I told him, closing the book. "Tell me, how did I survive school without you or any contact to any humans for two years?" I asked him. "I have absolutely no idea, but I'm glad the old Clare is back" He said and I sighed. The old Clare...

"The old Clare is dead" I said to him "This her remains and they are lost on the road to the new Clare" I said. "Wow, didn't think you were such a poet" Warren said and I pushed him playfully. "Be serious" I whined. "Okay, where is this new version of Clare Price you are looking for?" He asked. "Life would be so much easier if I knew that, but what I can say... Life is not hell anymore, but if I don't get better soon, it's on the best way to go back to being hell" I said and he put an arm around me. "Look who's talking about having a bad life. You can have it all Clare" He said and I smiled to the ground. It was cute of him trying to cheer me up, but he didn't succeed.

"You're dating Nathan Prescott, you are friends with Rachel Amber, you didn't get kicked out of Blackwell yet, although your grades aren't the best, you have an awesome best friend that would do anything for you" Warren said and I smiled at him, but a part of that smile was fake. "Be serious Einstein, my life is still bad! My father is still dead and even if the hole in my heart is healing, it's still there! I still have an eating disorder, I'm still suffering from depression, I'm still suffering from panic attacks, my mom doesn't care how I am just that I'm alive and is always busy with Dickhead Madsen, Chloe still gives a shit about me and there is so much more that you don't know about. Yeah, my life is perfect" I said.

"Clare, come on! I'm trying to cheer you up" Warren said. "Well, you aren't doing a good job at it" I told him. "Figured" He said, staring into the emptiness with me. "Don't be angry at me, but I need to go. I'll text you later" I said, jumped up and ran towards the parking lot, hoping Frank would be there. Lucky me, the RV was standing in the parking lot.

I hurried over to it, hoping no one was able to see me sneaking inside of it. "Frank" I called, hearing a groan from the bedroom. I walked over there and opened the door. "Frankie" I said. He was still sleeping. Really? "Frank!" I said and jumped onto the bed, causing him to wake up "What the fuck?!" He asked, sitting up. "Good, you're awake. I need information" I said. "About what?" He asked. "Sera" I replied. "How do you even know that name? Besides, no! I'm giving you private information about my clients" He said. "Frank, you're a drug dealer, not a doctor or anything like that. Please just tell me about her. It's life or death here" I said, hoping to convince him like that.

"Don't really believe you, but what do you want to know? I'm not up to fighting with you this early in the morning" He said. "It's about 10 AM" I said, but hey, each their own. "What do you want to know about her?" Frank asked. "Everything!" "Okay fine, she showed up a few weeks, almost about two months ago. She has been causing a shitload of trouble" He said. "Trouble how?" I asked. "You probably don't want to know. It's better if you don't! After all this is a dangerous business I'm in Clare" He said, trying to avoid anymore questions. "Frank, come on! It's really important you tell me everything you know about that lady" I said.

"Why is it so important to you?" He asked.

Shit! I didn't expect him to ask me why I want to know. Should I tell him or shouldn't I? After all it's not my business, it's Rachel's. But on the other hand, if I tell him, maybe he will tell me more about her and that is what Rachel wants, right? God damn it!

So I told Frank half of the stories. I told him that she is presumably the mother of one of my friends. "Oh shit, that sucks!" He replied, feeling uncomfortable. "Come on Frankie, there must be more that you aren't telling me!" I said. "Because if you would know it, it could threaten your life and I'm not going to risk that" He said and I think I got the answer I needed from Frank. "Thank you anyways. I'll see you around?" I asked as I climbed out of the bed. "How about dinner later?" He asked. "Two Whales?" I asked and he agreed.

I climbed out off the RV and back to the school building, being just in time for the next class. Afterwards I immediately went to the drama lab and entered, looking for Rachel. "Clare, hey, what a surprise" Nathan said and briefly kissed me. "Hey Nate, have you seen Rachel?" I asked him. "She's changing I think" He said and pointed to the door in the back. "Thanks" I said, kissed his cheek and let go of him. "You're just going to go inside?" He asked confused. "I'm a straight girl, nothing scandalous about it" I said and entered the room "Rachel?" I asked. "I'm here" She replied from behind a room divider "I talked to Frank" I said and got closer, but made sure to stay behind it. Even if I was a straight girl, it would have still been rude.

"What did he say?" She asked and appeared in front of me, fully dressed. "Nothing new actually, just that she is trouble and we already knew that. But apparently she is more trouble than we thought. So much trouble Frank refused to tell me anything, because he's scared for my safety" I told her. "Shit, I thought he could tell us something" Rachel said and sat down. "I tried, I really did. He just cares too much about me" I said. "That's nothing bad Clare. It's great to have someone that cares about you, especially the way Frank cares" Rachel said. "I guess so" I replied. "We'll find another way Clare" Rachel said. Wait! Why was she cheering me up? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

"I think Nathan is waiting for me" I said. "Are you sure?" Rachel asked and I nod "I know Nathan. Call me and we'll figure something out" I said and left the backstage area to find that I was right. Nathan was sitting on the stage. "You know you didn't have to wait, right?" I asked him. "I know, but I wanted to" He replied and got up, putting his arm around me "What are your plans for later?" He asked. "All planned out" I told him. "But we can spend the afternoon together. Maybe the beach or something like that? I mean it's summer after all" I said. "Okay, beach it is. The beach and studying" He said.

"How come you make something as fun as the beach the complete opposite?" I asked as we left the drama lab.