The conflict and one-sided attraction between Mark Fitzgerald and Clare Edwards began in Season 10, and is often referred to as Flare (Fitz/Clare). Fitz was constantly trying to break up Clare and her boyfriend, Eli Goldsworthy, because he held a grudge against him and had a crush on her. He never stood a chance as he bullied her best friends, Eli and Adam Torres. The two parted ways on good terms, since Fitz found God, and became a born-again Christian. He agreed to stay out of her life if that is what she wished.
Contents
- 1 Conflict history
- 1.1 Overview
- 1.2 Season 10
- 2 Rival Relationship
- 3 Trivia
- 4 Gallery
Conflict history[]
Overview[]
This conflict was started when Fitz pulled the skull-shaped hood ornament off of Eli's car, one of her friends at the time. Fitz also bullied Adam who was also Clare's friend. Fitz then made Clare go out with him so he can stop bullying Eli. Clare talks with Fitz in the Hallway sees a switchblade in his locker, she then warns Eli to run, Fitz is later arrested. Later on in the season, Fitz reappeared in front of Eli and Clare, she drives off avoiding him, he then visits Degrassi to ask for forgiveness and that he is a changed man. Clare along with Adam spot Fitz working at the Dot, and the next day she is at her house then he came over and tried to get Clare to fall for him.
Season 10[]
In Try Honesty (1), Clare and Eli are seen walking out of class when Fitz suddenly slams Adam into a locker, asking him if he's figured out what he's looking at yet. Adam says that he's "still trying to process the smell," and Fitz prepares to break his nose, but Eli intervenes, taunting him about the way he looks and smells. The fight is broken up, and Eli tells both Adam and Clare that he refuses to be the victim to Fitz's bullying, but Clare thinks he should just ignore him. The next day, Eli meets up with Clare, and he says that ignoring Fitz would be unsatisfying, but Clare says that there's no point in getting violent. He says that's a matter of opinion, and Clare tells him that he can do what he wants, that he doesn't need to impress her. Eli asks her what makes her think he's trying to impress her, and she just smiles at him. He then says that he will try to smooth thing over and Clare, pleased, says that she knows that he's smart. Fitz then interrupts them, and Eli makes a snarky remark. Fitz then says that he doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, and Eli offers a truce if Fitz will only apologize for damaging his car. Fitz begins to apologize, but then kicks Eli in his personal area. Eli falls to the ground, and Clare tries to help him. Fitz says he "apologized" and leaves. Eli asks Clare if it's still a good idea to not to punch him, but Clare says it will only make things worse.
In Try Honesty (2), everything seems to be okay when Fitz gives Eli a light punch on the arm in the hallway, while he is talking to Clare. Clare seems pleased that Eli has made peace with Fitz, but he says that he's going to finish what Fitz started and walks away, leaving Clare confused. Clare turns around to Adam and says that someone needs to stop Eli if he's going to do something bad. Adam just states that she should stay out of it, because he has a big surprise in store for Fitz, and Then Clare walks away. Clare touches Eli's chin, noticing his split lip, and asks him what happened. He tells her that the police had to break up a fight, since Fitz had the name of a convicted arsonist on his fake ID, he was arrested. Clare, shocked by the fact Eli had Fitz arrested, begins to walkaway. Eli reassures her that when they clear out the mistaken identity, he'll be released. Still uncertain, Eli says that the worst that will happen to him is that he'll get busted for fake ID possession and that he might have to go to court. She says that he is going to be really mad, and Fitz walks up behind them. Clare walks behind Eli, and Fitz calmly says that Eli pulled a nice trick. Eli says that the ID was for novelty purposes only and that he hoped he had learned his lesson. Fitz says unfortunately for Eli, he's a slow learner and bumps Eli while walking away. Clare asks if the two are now at war, and Eli states he's right where he wants to be, in Fitz's head.
In My Body Is A Cage (1), Clare bumps into Adam who has tampons and drops them on the floor. When she helps him pick them up she asks him why he has them. Fitz and Owen walks by and Adam says "Ew, Clare, pick up your stuff, that's nasty." Clare goes along with it. Adam then over hears Clare telling Eli about the situation. Adam comes over and tell them both that he is FTM, female to male transgender. Fitz later discovers this and bullies him along with Owen Milligan and Bianca DeSousa.
In Purple Pills (1), Clare is seen waiting for Eli at The Dot when Adam comes in, and starts accusing Eli for bailing on guys night. In a later scene, Clare is sitting with Eli in the lunchroom while they watch Adam sit down at Fitz's table instead of theirs.
In Purple Pills (2), Clare was seen with Eli telling Adam his plan of fighting with Fitz was stupid. Mean while Alli and other Grade 10 students were writing an important exam, Clare is seen lighting a stink bomb and rolling it into the gym, causing the smoke alarm to set off and the school to evacuate, which gives Eli and Adam time to run away and thus stops the fight between the boys and Fitz.
In All Falls Down (1), Eli, protecting Clare, buts the blame of the stink bomb on Fitz, stating to Mr. Simpson that he heard Fitz bragging about it. Later, as Eli is just about to kiss Clare, Fitz interrupts angrily saying he had just been in Simpson's office for an hour. Eli replies by saying "Me and my loose lips" to which Fitz puts Eli in a headlock, only stopping when a teacher sees. Clare is upset with the violence, and says "Can't you two just kiss and make-up?" to which Eli replies that the only way to keep a bully away is to make them scared. Later, when Clare is buying two tickets to the Vegas Night dance, Fitz makes a stupid comment, and then Clare tells him she set off the stink bomb, and that she'll take the blame with Simpson if he'll leave Adam and Eli alone. Fitz declines, which
makes Clare tell him she'll do anything as long as it that doesn't involve breaking a commandment. Fitz says he'll leave
Adam and Eli alone if, Clare goes to the dance with him, stating "Fitzy needs a date!" Clare hastily agrees. Later, when Clare is nervous about telling Eli the news, Adam does it for her, explaining "Better to just RIP the bandaid off!" then leaves them to talk. Eli is kind of mad, but goes along with it. When going outside, he spots Fitz, and storms through the doors, approaching him and saying "Big man Fitz, using Clare to get back at me." Fitz retaliates with "Ya, I guess she wants a boyfriend who wears less makeup than she does." Eli threatens "If you hurt her-." "You'll do what?" Fitz interrupts. When Eli has no comeback, Fitz responds "Yeah, that's what I thought." Then,
as he's leaving, he says "Don't worry, when we have sex, I'll be gentle," smirking. Eli glares at him. A few hours before the dance, Eli stops by Clare's house where she's getting ready with Alli and Jenna. Since they were talking about how crazy Clare's life is with the Eli and Fitz situation, when Jenna answers the door, she says "Speak of the devil." Eli brings Clare outside where he tries to give her drugs to put in Fitz's drink that will make him puke. She refuses. Eli asks "Who's side are you on!?" and she replies "I don't know- but I'm definitely not on the side of someone who tries to poison people."
In All Falls Down (2), Fitz is seen speaking with Clare at his locker. Clare confronts him about what he said to Eli. Fitz explains that although he is attracted to Clare, he would never try to have sex with her unless she reciprocated the act. Fitz and Clare enter Vegas Night with the rest of their conversation continuing on Fitz's anger with Eli. Clare originally planned for the two of them to speak, ending with Eli giving Fitz a full apology. Eli is seen by the drinks when Clare approaches followed by Fitz. Clare asks Eli to apologize, which he does, only to have Fitz sarcastically go on to say that he wasn't "feeling" his words. Clare comes to Eli's defense going on to say that an apology was all Fitz wanted and the two proceed to smooth things over with a few drinks. Eli hands Fitz the cup with a smirk on his face. Clare notices this and asks Fitz and Eli to switch drinks (presumably wondering whether Eli would go on with his plan to poison Fitz). Fitz takes the drink and begins throwing up almost immediately. He runs out of the room with Clare glaring at Eli. Eli goes on to mutter that it was her call to switch the drinks. Clare goes to see an angry Fitz at his locker. As Clare apologizes for Eli's actions, Fitz takes a knife from his locker. Clare sees this and immediately ends the conversation going on to find Eli. She finds him outside in the hallways and tells him to run, stating the fact that
Fitz has a knife. Fitz enters the scene with his knife out walking towards the couple. Clare tells him to stop to which Fitz replies, 'Shut up, bitch," Fitz continues to glower at Eli making threats. Clare backs away as Fitz continues to bear down on Eli. He strikes the knife at Eli and Eli drops to the floor with a laughing Fitz nearly crying at the situation. He missed all his vitals and stuck the knife in the wall. Eli looks up at the knife and Fitz laughs at him, telling him his urine stains would come out with bleach. The police (already called) enter and arrest Fitz. Fitz is later seen being shoved into a cop car.
In Jesus, Etc. (1), Clare and Eli run into Fitz. Then later Fitz approaches Clare while she is on her laptop outside on the picnic benches. Fitz said to Clare that he's sorry and when he was in jail God found him. He quickly runs when Eli's hearse drives up. She then tells him that she talked to Fitz. Eli shouts that Clare should stay away from Fitz because it is dangerous. Then at The Dot Clare and Adam are talking and they notice Fitz is working at The Dot. Then later Adam is seen leaving The dot when Clare walks up to Fitz and
asks why he needed to talk to her and that he should keep a distance from her and Eli. Then Fitz says that he said he was messed up before he went to jail. That God showed him the way. Eli then drives up to The Dot to see them talking. He angrily walks up, breaks the conversation and shoves Fitz and says, "Back off, I'm serious!" Then Fitz says, "I'm sorry Eli for everything, for the knife, everything." Eli then hesitates and says whatever. Eli then says, "Let's go Clare. Are you coming?" She hesitates and says yes and they leave.
In Jesus, Etc. (2), Clare receives several emails, consisting of Bible verses, prayers, and concern over Eli, that were sent early in the morning, leaving Clare troubled. She confronts Fitz at The Dot, and he asks about the emails and her relationship with Eli. She snaps they are doing fine, and that it isn't any of his business. Fitz explains that he was just looking out for a friend and sent the emails while he was bored at an Internet cafe, saying he couldn't sleep. Clare continues to question him, but he doesn't answer, as they are not friends. Later, during a thunderstorm, Fitz shows up injured on Clare's doorstep, pitifully saying he has nowhere else to go. After being let in, he tells her he fell off his bike, showing huge bruises across his torso when taking off his hoodie for her to dry. Merely saying he got the bruises falling off his bike, Fitz asks
if he can stay till the storm is over. Once the storm ends, Clare confronts him about what really happened, and Fitz reveals that his stepbrother, Steve, hates him, and the hatred has only got worse since he has been out of juvie. He is determined to save Steve, but he refuses to listen and eventually beat Fitz up. Before he leaves with his now-dry hoodie, Fitz tells Clare that in juvie, he always relied on a part of his mind to make it through - Clare. Clare asks if his change is fake and he retorts that none of this is an act - it's all real. He admits he has feelings for her. She rejects his feelings, saying she loves Eli, and Eli loves her. Fitz snarls that Eli doesn't love anything, and he is messed up. Clare defends Eli, but Fitz claims that the two of them have a spiritual connection. Before he is about to leave, Eli appears at the door, and Fitz tries to make peace with Eli. However, Eli has nothing to say to him, and runs out, leaving a furious Clare, who hands him the phone and says to call Father Greg to pick him up. He is last seen leaving Clare's house with Father Greg.
Rival Relationship[]
Trivia[]
- Fitz had an unrequited crush on Clare, but bullied her boyfriend, Eli Goldsworthy, best friend, Adam Torres, and friend Connor DeLaurier
- They went on a date, but never got together due to the date being a requirement of Clare by Fitz so that he would have a truce with Eli.
