Chapter Ten - Kisses?

"Eliot Archibald you can't keep doing this" Claire Valentine yelled as she opened her window.
"It's been two weeks since you've let me in" He said and placed the boom box down.
"Because I need time to myself. Go be needy to Luke or something" she told him.

"I wanna hang out Valentine. You have time by yourself in Bio. Come on let me in!" He wines. He's been playing music of her favorites every night since the carnival.
"No! Go to sleep Eliot Archibald" She said and closed the window.

She blew out her candle and for continued playing Supernatural.
"Hey" She turned to see Eliot Archibald standing in her doorway.
"Oh god!" She screamed making her fall off her bed.

"Kai let me in. He said it was rude of you not to let me in" Eliot Archibald told her and she saw Kai smirking and walking into his room.
"Yeah I bet he did" Claire said and got up.

"What season are you on?" He asked staring at the screen.
"Demon Sam season" She answered.
"Ah" He nodded understanding.

He sat on the bed. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Watching it with you" He answered.
"Well you're probably not comfortable so go tell Kai to borrow some clothes" She told him.

He turned to her and she was looking the other way with her arms crossed. After he changed he came back and saw Claire already in the bed watching the show.

"Don't be weird and sit down" Claire mumbled and he sat up on the bed.
"This isn't a always thing. After Kai leaves no one can defend you" She joked.
"I don't know. Your mom loves me too" He went along.

Soon enough Eliot Archibald got more comfortable and laid down. Claire was slowly falling asleep holding her pillow facing Eliot Archibald.
"Night, C" She mumbled.
"C? Who's-" He questioned and he saw she was already fast asleep.

Sooner than later Eliot Archibald was asleep. Claire had her arms wrapped around his waist as if she thought she was holding her pillow. Eliot Archibald was holding onto Claire. Supernatural still playing on the TV. The two holding each other.

Claire woke up still holding onto Eliot Archibald. "What the? Oh my god!" She yelled and pushed him off the bed. "Sorry" she whispered.
"It's my fault I had it coming" He groaned as he got up.

"You spent the night? Oh my god you spent the night! I was holding onto you?" She tells him but mostly to herself. "Oh I won't hear the end of this" She said covering her face.
"No. No you won't. Morning Mrs. Valentine" Eliot Archibald said as Luna opened the door.

She looked at Claire then back at Eliot Archibald.
"Mom it's not what it looks like. Mom-" She tried to explain to her but instead she saw her mom smirking as she closed the door. 
"The buss is almost here. Go back to your house and change" She told him.

"You're not even going to question this?" He chuckled.
"Oh I am. In my head telling myself what the hell did I do. So if you could just please leave" She told him.

"See you at school" Eliot Archibald said quickly and gives a small kiss on Claire cheek before rushing off.

"Archibald-?" She was speechless. Claire decided to shake it off and get ready for school. As the buss arrived she quickly got to her seat next to Vereena.
"I need to tell you something-"
"No need. I saw him leave your house" She smirked.
"No! It's nothing like that! Gross" Claire told her best friend.

"Look Kai let him in and we started to hang out then we just fell asleep. Nothing else happened. I swear on that cursed picture we took in 8th grade" She explained.

Vereena eyes widened.
"So you're actually telling the truth? Wow".

"He also kissed me on the cheek before he left but no biggie" Claire mumbled.
"He kissed you!" Vereena whispered-yelled knowing she couldn't yell.
"On the cheek! He did it, I didn't do it back" She pointed out.

They heard the door open and saw Eliot Archibald go on the buss. He smiled at Claire and went to go to their spot.

"Excuse me" Vereena said moving to the other bench on the buss.
"Vereena!" Claire panicked.

Soon enough Eliot Archibald sat next to her and Claire just looked out the window.
"I know you want me to explain" He told her.
"Yeah, yeah I do" She finally turned to him and he saw a bright smile on his face. His eyes wrinkled. His cheeks a light pink going well with his skin town.

"Would you stop with that smile" Claire told him trying to hide her own.

"I'm not sorry. For kissing you before i left" He told her.
"Well you should be. It caused me to... panic" She pouted.

"I'll do it again too" he teased.
"Stop. You're being weird" she said slightly pushing him.
"You love it" he said pulling her close.
"Eliot Archibald stop" she said tensing up. Her cheeks glowing red. He just chuckled pulling her more close.

"So he kissed you on the cheek? And you don't kiss back?" Spencer asked me.
"No because i'm me" Claire told him.
There was no game today. Scott got sick and he was the one who had the cards.

"Yeah and I'm me, i don't regret it" He said and smiled at Claire.
"Would you stop with that. You're being more weird than usual" Claire told him.

"Did she tell you I also spent the night? Well yeah, I did. We cuddled and everything" Eliot Archibald teased even more.

"No, no. You can't do that. I thought that was my pillow" She pointed out.
"But aren't you glad it was me" He asked her.

"No".
"Yes".
Claire and Spencer answered.

"Look, I don't know what kind of dream you had but please get it out of your mind. That was a mistake" Claire told him causing his proud smile to drop.
"Yeah. No, yeah you're right. I'm going to go sit with my friends. It's been a while" Eliot Archibald said and went back to the original table.

"Claire" Spencer whispered to her.
"What?" She turned to him. "What did I do wrong?"
"You basically said letting him in... your house was a mistake. That meant it was a mistake to actually you know... let him in" Spencer explained to her.

"What? No it wasn't. Doesn't he know that?" She asked him.

"He believes that. But he wants to hear that from you" He told her.
"You know I can't do that" she told him. "And why is that?" He asked.
"It's scary, Spence" She told him.

"Claire look what you and him have accomplished. We are all proud of you for letting him in. Don't deny it either. You seem to be more calm around him. It may not seem it but you are" He explained to her.
"I can... try". The bell rang and they left off for lunch.

"He's not gonna show up. I don't blame him" Claire said as they sat at the table.
"So, what are you going to do about that?" Vereena asked her.
"What? Oh, no i'm not going to ask him now" She shook her head.

"Claire Valentine" Vereena said.
"Vereena no. I won't do it. I let him in okay? But i won't do it at lunch. After School I will" She told him.
"After school?" She asked.
"I'll do it" She told her.

It was last period and Claire was nervous. Her leg shaking. She kept playing scenarios in her head of how things will go. The bell rang causing her to snap back into reality. She quickly grabbed her stuff heading out the door. As she walked out the school looking for Eliot Archibald.

"Girls are always right, Eliot. It's the law. Save yourself the trouble and apologize" Luke said as he took another hit of his cigarette.
"Dude what have i told you about smoking that i front of me" Eliot Archibald said taking it from his hands and smashing it on the floor.

"Take my advice or don't. I can't force you to do anything. Are you coming or what?" He ask getting to his side of the car.

Claire spotted the boy and walked up to him.  Luke smiled at the too.
"I should get going" his best friend said as he started the car.

"Eliot Archibald. Wow, i had this whole speech of what i was going to say to you when I saw you" She chuckled. "Um, I just wanted to say that I... um" She kept stuttering.
"Claire-"

"No. No. Let me do this" She told him.
"I'm sorry, Eliot Archibald. For um, saying it was a mistake. I guess i was just scared of admitting that, that was one of the best sleep i've had since... well forever. It wasn't a mistake" she shook her head. "It wasn't a mistake for letting you in" She told him.

Those last three words kept playing in his head.
"I don't regret it. But trust me Eliot Archibald. It's scary" She told him.
"It's okay, Claire" Eliot Archibald told her as he gently grabbed her shoulders. "I already knew you were being you. But thank you, I needed to hear that" He smiled at her.
"Just come here before I say no" Claire said opening her arms. Eliot Archibald smile for even more wide and they embraced each other.