A/N- Thanks for the reviews and compliments on my writing guys ( Ashley Pine and HighOnBrokenWings)! I appreciate it! Want to get an update or two in for the holidays. Enjoy! There is a hint in this one.

Claire treated the next day as though nothing ever happened, mainly because she forgot. The only reason she remembered was because of the shiny eyes and ornate speech Emily directed her way in the girl's locker room before class.

"I doth hope Sir Austin proclaimeth his adoration to you this day." Emily clasped her hands together dramatically.

"You're going to make me despise gym even more, aren't you?" Claire stuffed her jeans into her bag and closed shut her assigned locker. She didn't think that was possible, she hating gym beyond what she already did.

"Come now...you doth protest too much."

"Did you stay up all night learning and reciting Shakespeare so you can torture me?" She placed her hair clasp between her lips, "Because it's working," she spoke clumsily around it until her short hair was up into a ponytail and all fly-aways were clasped down.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. And I'd do it ten times over if it meant helping my bestie's love life." Emily strode along with the mildly annoyed girl into the empty gymnasium. The bell had not rung yet to signal the start of the period. That day was badminton (for no apparent reason). Although the game didn't require any athletic skill, Claire decided to stretch for it anyway. It would've given her something to do instead of continue the silly conversation Emily was pursuing, but it didn't work. She caught Emily standing there looking like a lost puppy, and she caved in. Claire had a heart, despite her rough exterior.

"Soooo let's just assume Austin did mean what he said and meant who he said it to," Claire offered, grimacing mid-stretch," ...what makes you think I will in any way reciprocate his feelings, which, by the way, he has no feelings towards me. But whatever."

Emily strained as she stretched herself. "Claire, you really aren't that good at hypethetical. You always insert your opinions and 'facts'."

"Facts! So you agree I'm right."

"What? No!" Her friend yelled out, "I'm just saying...I don't know, you confuse me." Her face tinted in aggravation, almost matching her fiery hair. "All I know is give Austin a chance."

"That is, if he even wants one to begin with." Claire couldn't help joking (yet not), she knowing it would annoy the already exasperated girl. Emily gave up in despair but tried to contain herself, showing her pointer finger.

"I am angry with you and don't want to talk to you right now. Bye." She proclaimed before stalking away, choosing the most remote corner of the gym to sulk. Claire was used to this, but felt bad anyway. She groaned in defeat.

"Emily, come back!" She called out, filling the gymnasium with bouncing echos. She sat down in her place for the start of class, the bell ringing simultaneously . "I miss you! You're so far away!" She reached out a hand to Emily theatrically, who rolled her eyes.

"Good."

Well, Claire tried, she thought with residual remorse. But nothing was to be done since kids were trickling into the room, and she wouldn't be caught dead acting loud and strange. Call her a conformist, but she wasn't ashamed to admit she actually cared what people thought of her. Not in an excessively self-conscious way, just in a "normal high-school teenager" way.

After his rigorous morning greeting, Coach Ted Donovan split the class into teams of three for the Badminton tournament. Naturally he made it seem that the group who beat the rest would win the world, but then again, he was Ridgemont's girl's soccer coach. He treated every activity as if he was training up the next generation of Olympians. Claire admired his optimism, despite her class acting completely crippled when challenged with anything above a leisurely stroll. Badminton was sure to be right up their alley.

Emily ended up being on her team, but didn't say much for the first fifteen minutes of the class. In between rotating teams, Emily finally gave Claire the time of day by nudging her.

"Look who we have next." Her lips barely moved, alerting Claire, who was picking at her racket. Claire nearly asked "who" in all sincerity, but needn't to once it became clear who was up against them next. And it didn't interest her one bit. Even if she tried, she couldn't muster up any concern for the "Ace."

Both teams stood around for a split moment (like one or two seconds) until Donovan was all over them, forcing athleticism. "This is a competition, kids! Not a staring contest. You can do that in Calculus." That got them going, just so he'd stop yelling.

"You can serve first." Austin said and tossed over the shuttlecock in a normal fashion to Claire. She 'okay'd, in a normal fashion as well, to show manners. There was a moderate chance Emily was hyperventilating in her thoughts during the whole exchange.

The match carried on uneventfully, and dare Claire say, "normally." She hit the birdie, and then Frederick passed it back. Emily caught it, it barely passing the net, before Austin hit it casually. Then before Nina, a mousy girl few inches shorter than Claire, missed it, Claire saved it and smacked it back over the net. Richie, one of Austin's baseball teammates and friends, hit it way over everyone's heads, and ruined the nice, smooth game. The other team won still, and everyone moved on, and Claire made sure not to look at Emily smiling sinisterly.

"So did you see it?" Emily whispered to Claire as they were putting their rackets away in the utility closet after class.

Claire huffed hard. "No." She just knew Emily would hallucinate and see visions of romance.

"Well I did. He was staring at you the whole time."

"Bull, Emily. I was there and noticed nothing."

"Shhh...you're loud, and he might hear."

Claire rolled her eyes and guided Emily out of the huddle of bodies as rackets and shuttlecocks were being thrown in. She repeated herself in a harsh whisper. "Bull, Emily. I was there and noticed noth-"

"How did you not notice, huh? Were you staring at him to make sure?" Emily asked, grinning.

"No," Claire explained slowly, "I used my powers of perception and periphery." She continued plainly, "Besides, I was watching everyone hit birdies around." Claire said, shuffling towards the exit. "Yeah, I saw him hit a few times. Big deal."

"So you did stare at him. Ha! I knew it."

Claire breathed hard. "I give up. It's like you're not listening to me."

"I mean, I stared at him too, just to make sure he was staring at you. Which wasn't all that bad." She sighed.

At the door of the gym, everyone pushed through, Claire closer to the rear of the group. She was about to answer Emily back when she was accidentally intercepted at the door by Austin, both in each other's way.

"You first." He said quickly, but respectfully; with as much absentminded respect as any teen can muster when in a hurry but not wanting to be rude.

Claire gave a half-nod and a thanks and slipped through the door, Emily on her heels. She was about to continue her and her friend's bickering when that same male voice rang out.

"Nice job today. I enjoyed the challenge," He said, looking over at her briefly before his cell phone caught his attention.

Those were the Ace's parting words to her, and with a hint of a smile along with it, before jogging past her and down the hallway.

Great, Claire thought. She would never hear the end of this one.