“That shirt that Heather Sinclair is wearing today is such a fashion don’t,” Paige said in between sips of her coffee to Alex as they strolled down the hall after another boring day in Chemistry.

“Oh come on it’s not that bad, minus the big orange flower on the shoulder,” Alex replied, trying not to laugh. “Okay it is that bad,” she began to giggle.

A girl was just walking down the hall, watching the ground, not where she was going; she had a lot on her mind at the moment; ran right into Paige, spilling her coffee all over her new white top, the one that cost her a quarter of her pay check to buy.

“Oh my goodness I’m so sorry,” she said, trying to pick up her books off the ground.

“Do you know how much this shirt cost, you klutz,” she called out. All she could think of how she was going to get this stain off.

“I said I was sorry,” she said apologetic.

“Well if you knew what was good for you, you would get lost, out of my sight,” a little annoyed that there was probably no chance of the stain coming out, meaning that she wasted a whole wad of cash.

Who did she think she was she thought. She snapped, “Oh you think just because you’re Paige Michelchuk you think that you can control people to do what you want, well I don’t think so.”

“I don’t think you should get on my bad side, cause as most people know I can be rather nasty,” she warned her.

“Well your bullying stops with me. Others may put up with you, but I won’t. I’ve dealt with things far worse than this. Your nothing but a no good little bitch.”

“Why you…” going into hurt her, to string her little neck.

Backing away, avoiding her attack, “You know nobody here actually likes you, they’re all just so nice to you because they’re scared of you.”

That just added to her anger, “Arr…”

This girl turned around on her toes, and just left Paige to think about what she had said.

*********************

As the girl walked into class, Craig said, “I saw how you treated Paige…”

“I don’t care if you think I was out of line; your friend totally deserved a taste of her own medicine,” believing he was just out to rage at her.

“I’m not here to get mad at you; I actually think that it was great to have someone actually stick up to her instead of letting them walk all over her.”

The bell rang, class was about to start. “Everyone, sit down,” Mrs. Peterson said as she walked into the room.

Craig walked to the back of the room, to his desk in the corner, his usual seat. He slouched back into his seat, ready to listen.

“We’re starting a new project today. You all will be paired up with a partner, my choice, and each group will be writing on things that occurred during world war two.”

As she named off each pair, Craig hoped that he would be paired off with Ellie. It would give him and excuse to go see her at her house, while she was home in bed, sick.

“Craig Manning and Kristy Peterson,” his eyes popped out, did he hear her right; he was supposed to get his girlfriend like always. “You two will write about the explosion that occurred in Halifax.”

Kristy just rolled her eyes at the very thought. It wasn’t like she wanted to be around someone that was friends with little Miss Queen of Degrassi. “Oh great,” she whispered to herself. “Oh this should be super, she said sarcastically.

*********************

“I couldn’t believe she had the nerve to talk to me in that manner,” Paige said, with anger written all over her face. She thought that the girl had some nerve to think that she had could speak to her with such disrespect.

“Well Paige she did apologize, and all you did was tear into her…” Alex began to say, not getting to finish.

“So you’re defending her,” looking at her like she was fanatical. She was not impressed that she was defending her; was she not her friend?

“No, I’m just saying that not everyone can take your attitude sometimes, believe me.” Did Paige not remember their rocky start of a friendship?

“Yeah, but we’re friends now.”

“After we got to know one another,” she tried to explain feeling like it was almost impossible to get through to her.”

“I still don’t think she should have said those cruel words.”

“Me either, but not everyone likes you, that’s just life.”

Rolling her eyes, “I guess, but if she starts up again I don’t think I will be able to be too nice.”

*********************

Kristy was packing up her homework, into her bag for the day, almost ready to head for the stairs when Craig approached her.

Leaning against the lockers, “Hey, I guess we should start our project, I really need to get a good grade on it.”

Turning around to face him, “No offence, but I prefer to work ALONE; I will work on my part, and you work on your part,” making sure he realized that she didn’t want anything to do with him, or anyone for that matter.

Why was she being difficult, he thought? “I really don’t see that working out too well.”

“Well let’s be honest you don’t want to be working with me any more than I want to work with you. I bet you wish she would have paired you up with that little girlfriend of yours,” sounding rather snotty.

He couldn’t argue with that that would be most people’s first reaction when it comes to working with their significant other. “So, but that truth of the matter is we did get partnered, so we should at least try to work together.” He had never met such an impossible person before, not even Liberty was this bad, and that’s really saying something.

“FINE,” giving in. “So where are we going to do this?” sighing.

“My house, I have to take care of my sister so that’s really our only choice.”

“Alright,” not looking too impressed, she rather not be going to his house, for many reasons, something she didn’t want to explain so she just agreed anyways.

*********************

Paige noticed Kristy walking with Craig, heading towards her, “Oh look who it is?” she says to one of her fellow cheerleaders that she was walking down the hall with.

“Paige why don’t you quit it,” Craig ranted, not wanting another scene like earlier.

“No…I won’t be mocked in front of the whole school and just leave it alone,” she said, growing closer to the pair, staring Kristy down the whole time, even though she was talking to Craig.

“Paige this is childish,” he said.

“Oh you need someone to defend you,” she began to mock her. “Wouldn’t his girlfriend like to know after only being gone for a day, her boyfriend’s already after another…not that it should really surprise anyone.”

“Does hurting others make you feel better? Do you feel that insecure about yourself that you have to make others feel inferior to you,” Kristy roared.

Getting right into her face, pointing at her, “I’ve had about enough of you,” she was bringing up her hand, Kristy froze, and winced the moment she saw her hand coming towards her, across her face.

Craig recognized something in her face, as he stared at her, not moving; he wasn’t sure what it was though. Craig tore Paige away from her. He wasn’t going to let this go any further. Fighting only made him think of his dad, or when he had attacked Joey.

“Paige I really thought you were better than this,” thinking she would know better after the whole Rick situation. “Come on Kristy, let’s go,” guiding her gently by the small of her back, she seemed to be still in shock.

*********************

They sat in his room; her at his desk, at the computer, and him on a chair next to her. They were actually getting along. He actually thought that this wasn’t as bad as he originally thought it would be.

“Thanks again for helping out.”

“No problem, Paige really went too far this time; which totally surprised me since what occurred with our friend last year.”

“That’s the thing, she doesn’t think because she thinks everyone worships her.”

“Enough of her, back to our project,” he really didn’t want to be talking about her; it only dampened the mood in here, bringing tension.

“Good idea. So how would we like to present this?”

“What’s the easiest?” not wanting it too take a long time, and a lot of effort.

“Oh so that’s how you want to do it. Well I guess if we did a poster, maybe with some pictures and facts on it.”

“Sounds good, I think Joey’s got some poster board downstairs that we can use. I’ll go down and get it.”

“Okay,” she smiled.

She looked around his room, and saw pictures of him, his friends, something she thought was his band, and beside his bed his precious Ellie. She was envious of this perfect life he seemed to have, wishing hers seemed more glamorous, less lonely. This really had been the first time she had been to another’s house. She didn’t have friends at Degrassi. She had spent most of her year in the library trying to hide away from everyone, and so far she had done a great job of it.

A tear slid down her face just thinking about it, wishing that she could have the kind of life that Craig had.

*********************

Paige sat on JT’s doorstep, waiting for him to come home, thinking about what had happened today. She was upset about the whole scene, but especially about the words said.

“Hey sweetie,” JT said as he got out of his car in his driveway. He noticed the tears that were running down her cheeks. Sitting down beside her, “What’s the matter?” He wasn’t aware of the last scene at school; he hadn’t gotten much time to talk with her after lunch since he had to leave early for a dentist appointment.

Leaning her head against his shoulder, “Do you think I’m shallow, that I’m a bully?”

“Oh Hun, you still upset about morning?” putting his arm around her. He knew that she could be harsh, but he also knew that it was just a front for school; she wasn’t like that if you got to really know her; when she lets you in.

“I had another encounter with her, this time I hit her across the face. I really lost it; I mean Craig had to pull me off. What if she’s right, I mean I say cruel things about people, now start fights. What if I’m partly to blame for the shooting,” she began to cry harder.

He couldn’t believe how upset she was. “Sweetie, yes you aren’t always nice to others, but Rick made the choice to bring the gun into our school, to shoot it. It wasn’t your fault.”

“But I treated him horribly, what if I’ve caused someone else to feel that way. I don’t want to be a bully,” she didn’t want to be like Rick, and how he had treated Terri.

“You can change that, you can change how you treat others,” he smiled, “and show them the Paige I’ve come to know.”

“I don’t even know why you stay with me if I’m this cruel,” she wouldn’t if it had been the other way around.

“Oh hunny, to people you care about you show us a soft side, a side that is so kind and loving. How could I not want to be with that girl…I love you.”

Leaving her head against his forehead, “I love you too!”

*********************

Kristy had really got into this project trying to get the big stuff out of the way; it made it less for them to do later on. She hadn’t really been paying attention to the time; when she noticed the clock on the computer it read 7:45pm, her eyes popped. All she could think was no…no; she began to panic, jumping up from her seat, “Oh my goodness!”

“What?” wondering why she was panicking.

“I have to go,” grabbing her books, and stuffing them in her backpack.

“What, why?” he didn’t understand. “We’re close to being finishing the notes, so we can start the rough draft tomorrow.”

“I was supposed to be home at 6pm,” she was supposed to be making dinner, yet again; one of her many responsibilities expected of her.

“Well why don’t you just call and explain the situation, I’m sure your parents will understand,” not knowing anything about her life, she had yet to reveal that she was no longer under their care.

Backing up, putting her bag over her shoulder, “I can’t.” He just doesn’t understand, she thought, and she wasn’t about to tell him anything, he’d never understand She knew that after this was done he would act just like before.

“But we need to finish this,” he pleaded, not thinking that it was that big of deal. He was late all the time, most of the time Joey wasn’t too upset especially if it had to do with school work.

“We’ll meet in the morning, before school. I’m sure we’ll get sometime in class to do it too,” she assured him.

Before he could rebuttal, she was running down the stairs and out the door.

Craig just watched from the top of the stairs, wondering why she was in such a rush. Did he do something to offend her?