Chapter Seven - Rick Montgomery

It's been a week. Eliot Archibald hasn't bothered Claire Valentine. He didn't show up at the room for lunch, didn't bother playing Uno with them. Didn't scream lyrics at her window.

"And your just fine with that? Eliot finally giving up?" Spencer asked.
Vereena was absent and the twins were sitting with Claire.
"Yeah. I am. I'm used to that. So" she shrugged.

"You don't miss him yelling out your window, or always smiling at you?" Scott asked.
"No. I don't. I knew it wasn't going to last long. I mean come on, you guys were having hope but I knew it wasn't going to last long" She told them.
Although, she did miss when he screamed out her window. She just didn't want to admit it.

The bell rang causing them to rush off to their classes. As the school day passed it was eventually time to leave. Claire was leaving her last period when she saw Eliot Archibald walking with Luke to his car.

"Don't chase after him. Don't make yourself look desperate"

She quickly looked away and walked off. When she looked away Eliot Archibald found himself staring at her. "Come on, give me a sign that you care" he thought.

"Go after her, Eliot" Luke said nodding his head towards the girl.
"I want to, trust me i do. But I just need a sign. I need to know she cares too" He told him.
"I don't know if your blind Eliot. But before this conversation happened she was staring at us" Luke told her.

He turned only to see Claire Valentine already down the street. "You really care about you, don't you?" Luke asked him.
"Yeah, yeah i do. But, I need to know if Claire does too" He said still staring in the same direction Claire Valentine goes.

"The same flowers as last month?" Lana asked her.
"As always" Claire sighed. She got out the Marigolds.

"Thanks" Claire hands her the 10 and the 5.
"See you next month Claire" Lana said as she walked out the door. The hospital was just down the street from the small flower shop. As she made it to her destination she took a deep breath and walked in.

"Hey Claire" The nurse said as she signed in.
"Hey lex" She gave her a smile. She took the flowers and went to the Kids floor. As she walked out of the elevator she went to the first room she saw.

"Claire, hey" Dr. Garcia said as she stepped out the room.
"Hey, can i give them one?" She asked.

"It's the end of the month already? Wow, well i'll be in the next room so take your time" She said and walked off to the next room.

Claire took out a Marigold. "Hey. What's your name?" She asked the kid.
"Jenny" she whispered. "Hey Jenny" She whispered back.
"Is that one for me?" She smiled.
"Yes it is. A beautiful girl needs to have a beautiful flower right?" She gave her the flower.

"But i'm not " she pouted.
"That is not true. You have those gorgeous eyes, and that smile. I wish i had one like that" Claire told her.
"Thank you" She gave Claire a bright smile.

"It's my pleasure" Claire said with a small chuckle.
She went in the next room and she saw a boy: around the age of ten. Painting his nails. She smiled at him. "Hey Evan" She smiled at him.
"Claire!" He said with a bright smile.

"I come with a gift" She said walking in. She pulled out another flower handing it to him.
"Did you like this color?" He said showering her his hand.
"Isn't this the same color of purple Harry had?" she asked.
"yes it is" He chuckled.

"How's chemo?" She asked.
"Been better. I have gotten more sleep. The blanket you gave me helps" he told her.
"Glad it does. I should give these out. It was nice seeing you again" She gave him a small smile and walked out the room.

Room to room she was giving kids flowers. She does every month. On the 25th to be exact. She was down her last flower and she seen a family in one of the rooms. The mom holding the baby. She didn't want to disturb.
"Hey, can you give this last flower to them when they come out" She told one of the nurses.

Eliot Archibald stood outside of the hospital. He saw Claire come in here after he went to go buy flowers for his mom. He buys his mom flowers every now and then.
"No, no i shouldn't. She's gonna think i'm stalking her something" He told himself and went home.

"thank god you came before it started raining" Kai said as he walked downstairs. She chuckled.
"Yeah. The last thing i want to do is get sick. Look i need to do homework. It won't take long. I'll be back" She said went up to her room. She opened her curtains and smiled at the rain hitting her window.

She sat on her bed and started to write down her bio homework.
"Hey Alexa, play Crybaby by The Neighborhood ".
As the song started to play she continued doing her homework. As she was continued doing her homework she got a notification.

V
Look out
your window

Claire gave a confused look to her phone. She got up and she saw Eliot Archibald in the rain soaking wet holding a boom box.
"Where the hell did he get a boom box from?" She muttered to herself. She opened the window so she can hear the music.

"Baby, I am a wreck when I'm without you
I need you here to stay
I broke all my bones that day I found you
Crying at the lake
Was it something I said to make you feel like you're a burden, oh
And if I could take it all back
I swear that I would pull you from the tide"

"Rick Montgomery" She said with a smile.
"I need you Claire Valentine. Give me a sign that you're in this too" He said looking up at her.
"Archibald. There's that annual carnival coming next week" She said with no hesitation. He started chuckling. He finally got the answer.