"This is everything you need to know about next week's fight, anything else, just ask. You're welcome to go with us when we leave or meet us there later in the evening," Dante said the next day as he tore of a sheet of paper from the notebook Clarissa had given him.

"Eh, you don't want to go with us, it's boring and the guy's changing room will stink," Darcy said from he was sprawled out on her sofa, a magazine open and forgotten on his chest as he tilted his head back to watch them.

"Well if you stayed out of the changing rooms, they'd smell better," Dante replied calmly and Darcy glared at him.

"Rude di-" she started right before violet came wobbling out of Clarissa's room in a pair of her high heels, clinging to the wall for support and Darcy's bad language stalled to a halt in his throat.

Clarissa glanced passed Dante and laughed slightly at the sight of Violet trying and failing to walk in her six inch heels as Darcy sat bolt upright, staring over the back of the sofa.

"Lettie, those aren't yours! You can't just take stuff in someone else's house without asking permission," he snapped, jumping to his feet as Clarissa held up a hand.

"It's ok," she said quickly, "if it's my stuff, I don't mind. Though I'm not sure you should be trying heels that high for your first time."

"They're really shiny, I just wanted to try them," Violet said, somewhat indignantly at her dad and he glared at her. She just glared back and stepped out of them. "I don't think I'll wear shoes like these," she announced.

"Not few a few years, I hope," Clarissa said, walking over to her and picking up the shoes, taking them back inside before pulling out a small two inch wedged and setting them before her. "That's more your height," she said as she [assed and Violet grin, slipping her tiny feet in and instantly sliding forwards before she clumped her way around the room.

"You spoil her," Darcy said and Clarissa smiled, going into the kitchen to make tea and juice.

Her phone rang as she was pulling down cups and Dante handed it over to her - though not before he glanced at the caller ID and his expression darkened.

It was Brett, which explained Dante's unimpressed downturn of mouth.

"Hi Brett," she said, waving Dante away as she pulled out teabags.

"Hey, I wanted to see if you'd like to go you for dinner tonight."

"Sure, what time?"

"Eight o'clock."

"Alright."

"The usual spot, I'll meet you there."

"Sure. Oh actually, while I have you, about the charity event this Thursday, I won't be able to join you."

"Huh?"

"Jack Casey's event on Thursday, I know you'll be invited but I won't be able to go with you."

"Oh that, doesn't matter, I wasn't going to invite you anyway so it's fine."

Clarissa raised an eyebrow at the kettle finished boiling. "You weren't? Why?" she asked slowly, lifting the kettle.

"I didn't want to," Brett replied like it was no big deal. "Anyway, I need to go so-"

"Hang on a moment," Clarissa said, the kettle coming down so hard on the counter is made everyone including the cat jump and look around at her. She didn't notice but her tone made Brett pause, the hard commanding edge wasn't something he was used to.

"What?" he asked, an edge to his own voice.

"Why are you not inviting me?"

"I said I didn't want to."

"That is not an explanation. Who are you going with?"

"What's with the third degree, Class? You never cared before."

"I did care but I didn't want to bother you. However, compared to when we first started dating you don't invite me to as many of these things anymore. Why?"

"Jeez, the hell, I don't have time for this, Clarissa, I'm at work."

"I don't care. I'm asking you a simple question and you're stalling. If you care so much you shouldn't be making personal calls during work hour, so I'm asking again, why?"

"It gets boring taking the same person to every event, that's all."

Clarissa's jaw locked. She slowly straightened up, taking a step back to lean against the counter behind her, settling a hand on her hip. "There are people who have attended these types of events with the same partner for over half century," she said slowly.

"Well yeah... but they're married."

"We're expected to get married, should I rush my future to get myself an invitation?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Clarissa, I'll invite you next time if you're going to get hysterical?"

"Do I sound hysterical to you?" Clarissa asked, her voice so calm it actually sent a shiver through the room. Violet made to go to her but Darcy caught her, pressing a finger to his lips when she looked at him.

"You sound like you're whining about not getting attention."

"Is that so."

"Yeah."

"Well excuse me then," she said, "Who are you attending with? Another girl?"

"Now you're being suspicious?!"

"Actually I asked out of curiousity. I don't mind you attending with another girl, so long as you're not lying about."

Brett fell quiet.

"So?"

"No, I'm attending with the guys."

"Alright then."

"What? You don't believe me?" brett asked and she could pratcially see him bristling like a defensive cat.

"I didn't say that, I said alright."

"Well you sound sceptical."

"I'm not."

"Well you sound it!"

"Yes, you said."

"Do you seriously not trust me?"

"Should I? You don't trust me."

"Well I'm not the one pawing someone else all the time."

"Uh-huh."

"... What the hell, Clarissa?! At least sound like you give a damn!"

Clarissa remained quiet for a while, just listening to the silence on the other end of the phone, knowing Brett was getting himself more and more wound up but her apparent lack of interest.

"I don't really know you anymore, do I?"

The statement out of left field threw Brett some completely his anger vanished. "Huh?"

Clarissa glanced at clock on the wall then straightened and clicked the kettle back on to reboil. "I don't think I'll join you for dinner tonight."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not coming for dinner tonight."

"Why?!"

"I don't want to."

"So what? I told you to come!"

"So?"

"So? So what?"

"I have guests over, Brett, I'm hanging up."

"Don't you dare! I'm not finished talking to you!"

"No? I'm finished for today."

"What's with your attitude lately?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm the same as always, it's you who changed!"

"Did I?"

"Yeah! You're like... you're like what you were when we first met."

Clarissa's hand stilled ont the kettle handle at that and she stood there for a moment, looking down the cups lined neatly in front of her. "Well," she mutterd, "I didn't think the way I was back then was all that bad."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. Now, I'm hanging up."

"Clarissa! We are talking! Hang up and I'll tell you father."

Clarissa's entire body tensed at the threat. She slowly set a hand on the kitchen counter to steady herself, taking a slow breath to control herself, closing her eyes.

She took another breath, hen opened her eyes again.

"Alright," she said, her voice low, "tell him."

"What?"

"Run to Daddy and tell. See what he thinks of you as a man, running to him to fix your problems like a child. I'm sure he'll be so impressed."

"Why you little-"

Clarissa hung up.

Her phone instantly blared to life again and she clicked it off behind finally making drinks.

She glanced up.

Dante, Darcy and Violet were all looking at her.

"Sorry about that," she said, smiling.

"Sorry... we probably should have left," Dante said, as if the idea had only just occurred to him.

Clarissa shook her head. "Nah, it's fine, I don't mind. Though, if you don't mind, could you not tell Damien, brett just winds him up."

Darcy laughed slightly, breaking the tention in the air as Clarissa handed out drinks. "Yeah, don't worry, that's for you to tell him."

Clarissa smiled then looked down as Violet tugged on her top. "Yes, love?" she asked.

"Are you marrying that man on the phone?" she asked and Clarissa's smile wavered slightly. "Well," she said slowly, "people want me to."

"Does that mean you're not marrying Uncle Day?" she said and Clarissa almost dropped her as the guys stared at Violet.

"Lettie!" Darcy cried, "Don't ask her that!"

"Why?"

"She's dating someone, you can't just ask questions like that."

"No," Clarissa said and Violet looked at her, "No, while I'm dating Brett, I can't marry Damien." She smiled at Violet as she took a seat. "Damien might not even want to marry me."

"Why?"

Clarissa aughed at the question as Darcy shot her an apologetic look. "He may not like me that way."

"Isn't he your best friend?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we'd marry."

"Does that mean I won't marry Teddy? Cause he's my best friend."

"Teddy? The bear?" Clarissa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Teddy Garderner, he goes to my school."

"Who the heck is Teddy Graderner?" Darcy asked, sitting bolt upright and Violet turned to him, realsing a deluge of information about the new boy who'd joined last week a nd how she'd been the first to make friends with him and while she caught her dad up on the latest pre-school gossip, Dante took a seat by Clarissa.

"I haven't seen you handle a conversation with Brett like that before," he said, his voice low to not interrupt Violet.

Clarissa glanced at him then took a sip of her tea. "Would you believe I used to be the type of girl who never let anyone push her around?"

"Nope," Dante said bluntly and took a sip of his own tea.

Clarissa laughed slightly. "Me neither and I was that girl." She settled her chin on her knuckles, watching Violet describe Teddy's first day. "Did you know I used to be heavily in sports?"

Dante looked at her. "You were?"

"Not to the same extent as Damien of course, but I used to."

"What did you do?"

"I was captain of my collage's basketball team and a member of the football team."

Dante looked around in shock and Clarissa smiled, knowing what he looked like without having to look.

"I continued when I started university... and then I started going out with Brett."

"What happened?"

"... He told me a girl should stay in perfect shape but it wasn't attractive for a girl to be involved with male sports."

Dante just stared at her and Clarissa frowned slightly, lost in her own thoughts.

"I wonder why I thought he was right at the time?" she muttered, almost to herself, "What was the point in giving up the stuff I liked to please a guy?"

"Maybe there was a point at the time."

Clarissa looked at Dante as he leant back in his seat. "But I'm not sure that point is relivent anymore... might be a good idea to take a hard look at what's relevant to you now."

Clarissa smiled slightly. "You might be right."

"I usually am. Have yo told Damien you were sporty?"

"Nah, didn't even think to mention it, it's been so long. It's like a completely forgot until now... I forgot what it felt like to be a captain... it's a shame, I had to drift away from my own boyfriend in order to remember myself."

"Well, as we all know, some people are nothing but a drug and it's only when you stop taking that drug and detox that we remember what it felt like to feel good."

Clarissa smiled at that and straightened up. "That's a pretty good way to put it."

~~~~~

Next Up: In a few hours

Art/Music By: Into The Wild by LP