“So Paige, you seem to be in a better mood,” Marco asked, referring to the mood she had been earlier at school. She seemed like she had a total change of attitude.

“I am. I talked with JT; I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to be known as a school bitch anymore. I actually want people to respect me, to like me like you guys do.”

Looking at her, knowing there was something else, he knew Paige too well, “What aren’t you telling us?” That smile on the face didn’t come from some revelation.

“Okay fine,” she laughed. “JT told me he loves me,” said with cheerfulness in her voice.

“Aww…how sweet,” he replied.

“Guys lets get back in focus here,” Alex said, tapping her pen against her notebook. She actually wanted to pass this test.

“We must have done something awful in our past lives to deserve this hell,” Marco complained as they sat at the Dot that night, studying for a major test; a test that was worth 15 percent of their grade.

“Oh just wait until university; according to Dylan, it only gets harder. He said the classes are tougher, and so are the teachers,” Paige said.

Sounding resentful, as if he was still resentful about the way he was treated; how it ended, “Dylan? How is the demon child anyway?”

“Question…who’s still bitter over last year? Answer…Marco Del Rossi,” Alex replied. She thought he would have gotten over it by now.

“Stop,” wanting her to shut up, not wanting to hear it. “I am so over that guy. I’ve already forgotten who we’re talking about,” trying to deny what he had been thinking about him lately, more than he should be.

“Great. So then let’s talk about your lovesick shadow, Josh,” Alex mocked,
right as she said that Josh himself strolled through the door.

“Guys can you be nice? You know we’ve been sort of dating,” he whispered not wanting him to hear them.

“Emphasis on the sorta, I mean you guys haven’t even been on a real date yet,” Paige reminded him, she found that rather strange, by now he had been out with Dylan, and even shared their first kiss.

Josh spotted them and walked over to them, “Hey you guys.” Noticing the expressions on their face, “Wow it looks like an explosion went off in here.” He didn’t seem to realize that they had been just talking about him.

“Yeah, well studying for this test is murder, but you are welcome to join the carnage if you dare,” smiling his way.

“Sounds good to me, how about I buy a round of caffeine,” he offered.

“That’s sweet,” Paige smiled. She glanced over her friends, out the window, “My ride just showed up.”

“Who, JT?” he teased. She was unable to look at him, to answer him. He noticed this quite quickly, he decided that he look for himself. His eyes popped the moment he laid eyes on the driver, “He’s in town?! Paige why didn’t you tell me?”

“Hey Marco,” Dylan said as he walked into the Dot, acting like last year hadn’t happened, as if they were still friends.

“Hey… uh what are you doing here?”

“May I?” getting ready to pull out the seat beside him.

“Uh actually this seat’s saved for someone,” he snared.

Josh walks back to the table, with three coffees in hand.

He says fast, “Meet my boyfriend Josh…Josh meet my ex, Dylan. He was he was just leaving,” said rather rudely, staring Dylan down the whole time.

“Later Marco,” Dylan said, acting as if Marco’s attitude hadn’t fazed him, even though deep down inside it hurt.

Marco just wanted to throw his textbook at his head, for acting like nothing had gone down with them; as if last year hadn’t happened at all. Did he really think that he could still be friends with him?

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

Craig sat in the library; he had been there since 7:50am, waiting for Kristy to show up, just like she had suggested. It was now 8:20am, five minutes before the warning bell would go. He didn’t understand where she could be.

He had better things to do than be here, but he showed, why not her? He would wait no more. He was mad, and in a dire need of a dose of coffee if he was going to make it through the rest of the school day.

“Hey Craig,” Ellie called out as she noticed him coming out of the library.

“Hey,” sounding not that thrilled to see her. He hadn’t meant to take his anger out on her though, he was just frustrated.

She noticed his tone of voice, wondering if it was she that he was mad at or something else, “What’s wrong?”

He knew that this wasn’t her fault, and that he should assure of that, “I’m sorry.” He was glad to see her back at school, looking better than the last time he saw her. “My partner never showed this morning, meaning I got out of bed real early for nothing.”

“Well I know how I can make you feel better, get your mind on something else,” drawing close, raising a brow.

“Oh do you,” sounding intrigued, raising his left brow.

She shook her head, bringing him into her embrace, “Yeah.” She leaned up and kissed his lips softly.

“I think that can be arranged,” leaning slightly down to meet her lips again.

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

Kristy woke-up with a killer headache, making her feel like she could heave at any moment. She glanced over at her clock to notice it said that it was 8:45am. She leaped out of the bed she shared with her boyfriend, and scrambled around her room for suitable clothing to wear.

She crawled around on the ground, on her hands and knees to grab her blue zip-up sweater from underneath her bed. She went to rise from the floor when she hit her shoulder against the corner of the nightstand. She ousts out in pain;

something caught her gaze in the mirror to see the black and blue bruise that lied on the surface of the skin; there wasn’t just the one on her shoulder, but a few more on her arms left by the grip he had had on her last night.

Tears were brought to her eyes just thinking of last night. Her boyfriend had really freaked out the moment she walked through the door. Not only was he not impressed that she had been late, he also didn’t like the fact that she had been at another guy’s house. But of course after his rage he said he was sorry and that he really loved her and it wouldn’t happen again, and like always she believed him. When it came down to it all, he was the only thing she had left in the world.

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

“I thought I wasn’t even going to get through that, I’ll be lucky if I even passed that exam,” Ellie replied. “I mean it was hard to study when I was home sick in bed.”

“Well I opt that tonight we go have some fun,” Paige suggested.  

 “Nice. There’s this place called ‘The Other Team’ we could go to. It’s a gay club so you girls don’t have to worry about getting hit on.”

“Great, cause than Jimmy won’t have a reason to get jealous,” Alex said.

“Yeah I know what you mean,” Ellie laughed, knowing Craig was the same way when it came to other guys.

“So are you going to ask Josh to come with?” Paige wondered, thinking that this may be the perfect time to have their first date if he was really into him like he told everyone.

“I don’t know. Do I really want to be his first serious boyfriend?” having doubts about this. “I mean I’m going to be heading to university in the fall and…”

“And Dylan’s back in town for reading break. He’s single, has been for a while and he knows he screwed up.”

“Paige when I say Dylan broke my heart, I mean that he took it, and ripped it to shreds,” wanting to get off the subject of him. Why couldn’t he just stay away?

“Okay. All I’m saying, if you’re so ready to move on, then why aren’t you doing it?” If he was so over him, then why couldn’t he move forward with Josh, she thought. He was just lying to himself, and she was starting to see right through it.

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

Craig saw Kristy placing her books away in her locker and decided to confront her. He wanted to know why he had wasted his time, if she didn’t seem to care herself.

“Hey Kristy, where were you?” sounding a little smutty.

Turns around, having a hard time looking him the eye, “I’m sorry…I slept in…I had a rough night,” more ways than anyone could ever know.

He saw something in her face, the same look he had seen the day before. He just couldn’t get his mind around why it seemed so familiar. “Well we’re going to really have to work hard in class if we want to get it done before Friday.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Her eyes were a little shifty, trying to find a way to get away, “I got to go though, see you in class,” walking or more like sauntering away.

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

Marco walked into the Dot; he had a free period, so he felt like getting some coffee, some good coffee. He glanced over in the corner, only to see him. He wouldn’t stay here, he was leaving.

Dylan just strolled right over before he was able to get out of the door. “Are you ever going to talk to me again, or can I expect this every time I come to town.”

Glaring at him, “Like I said 9 months ago, we’re through! Over! So stop sending me stupid little e-mails!”

“I thought that we could be friends, I mean that’s where it all started,” he pleaded.

“Right,” he said sarcastically.

“You don’t get it. I’m home because of you. I still love you Marco,” moving closer, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Slapping his hand away, “Do I have to paint you a picture, is that the only way I can get through to you?” he yelled. “I want you to stop harassing me…to stop thinking about me. I want you to let me be, to let me get on with my life.” He rushed out of the Dot, away from him.

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

“It’s funny how you can see someone everyday, but really know anything about them,” Craig said, talking to Kristy as they worked on their project.

“That’s because you and those friends of yours don’t really care to know,” she spat out.

“That’s not fair you don’t even know me, and yet you’re judging me,” thinking that it wasn’t fair how she thought she had him all figured out, but she only seen what she wanted to see of him.

“I may not know you, and you may not be like Paige, but you still don’t take the time or care to get to know anyone who isn’t apart of that clique of yours,” taking her pain from the night before out on him. If he had just let her do it on her own than she wouldn’t have come home late, and he wouldn’t have beat her.

He only asked so little of her; to clean the house, make the meals, and be on time. But once in a while she found a way to screw that up in one way or the other.

“I have friends that aren’t part of that crowd, or the clique as you call it,” sounding rather snotty.

“Like who?” not believing him. She hadn’t seen him with any other.

“Emma Nelson,” a family friend that he had known for years, even before Degrassi.

“That’s funny because I’ve never seen you talk to her at school. And just like that, once we’re finishing this project you’ll act like you don’t know me either.”

Trying to defend himself, “That’s not true.”

“We’ll see,” she said rolling her eyes. Why did it matter though, she thought, why did she care so much about this; was it because she wanted friends here, a life outside her relationship with Nick.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the bell rang; class was over. 

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

Marco walks in the door with Josh, when he notices Dylan dancing with some guys that he didn’t seem to know.

“Hey Tim I’m gonna be right back, okay?” Marco said.

“Okay. I’ll get us something to drink,” he suggested.

Marco walks over to Dylan, “What are you doing here? Did Paige put you up to this?” it had her name written all over it, especially since it was her idea to come here.

“No I did,” he admitted, he thought maybe this was the only way he could get him to talk to him.

“I’m out of here,” he said walking off.

Grabbing hold of his arm, “Just hear me out! I miss you…us. You’re cute, you’re smart, and I made a huge mistake thinking that I needed to explore because everything I want was right here.”

“You’re right about that, you made the mistake coming here. I’m with Josh now. He’s my boyfriend,” he hollered. Dylan was being impossible, why couldn’t he just leave him alone. He was doing fine before he came back.

Josh walked over with drinks in hand, yet again. But felt like he was invading, “Um sorry for interrupting, but…”

Marco grabbed Josh’s face and kissed him. Josh stood there and smiled while Dylan face just boiled with rage. Marco just smiled with delight that he had got to Dylan, that he had hurt him.

“What the hell is your problem? What do you want?” Dylan hollered.

“I want to know why you hurt me! How you…how you could just hurt me like that Dylan!” he roared.

“I…I don’t know, but I’ve apologized and I’ve tried to make things better. So I’m not gonna keep beating myself up just because you’re stuck.”

“Oh I’m not stuck!”

“Keep telling yourself that. You can date Josh, and play it safe. You can even date a bunch of guys. That doesn’t change the fact that everything comes down to you and me.” Softly saying, “Everything.”


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

As the boys were walking to the bus stop, “Dylan’s crazy. I mean because you know, we’re good for each other, right?” Josh asked, suddenly feeling unsure. 

“Josh you’re great actually perfect, and I’m…hey look I’m really proud that you were able to stand up to your father, to tell him that you were gay.”

“Well it’s all because of you and I’m thinking that you know you’re not going to be here next year, but…”

“Josh,” he tried to stop him from going any further.

“I can visit…”

“Josh!” he shouted yet again. “I…I wanted to believe that I was able to move forward. You and I, we had something there, but I still…”

“Marco I get how difficult this can be for you, and I know Dylan use to mean a lot to you.”

“That’s exactly the point Josh, he still does.” He hated to see the look that came upon his face, to know that he had hurt a boy that thought the world of him.

Back away in discussed, “So you never cared for me?”

“No…no… no it wasn’t like that. I’m really sorry.” He tried to put his hand out to him, but he moved further back.

“Go back to your stupid, lying, cheating ex, because you know what Marco? You are perfect for him,” he sneered right before running down the street.

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

Craig still was livid at her comment she had made yesterday. They hadn’t said one word to each other since. He glanced over at her, and could no longer keep it in, “You know what, you’re one to talk. You go on talking about me and my friends, but you’re a scared little girl who seems to hide away from people, from the world.”

He had her figured out, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. “You know nothing about my life,” she roared, making all the people in library stare their way, at her.

“You’re right, just like you know nothing about me.”

Getting up from her seat, and began to walk away, but made sure she got the last word in, “You can take your perfect world, and just shove it,” she hollered.

Where does she get off to think that his life was great, he thought. He chased after her, “My life is far from perfect,” he snarled.

“Well I beg to differ,” she stated, thinking if he only knew the half of what she put up with.

He finally caught up with her, grabbing a hold of her, “You…” he cut himself off when he noticed something as her sweater fell a little off her shoulder, “What’s that?” even though he knew oh too very well.

Noticing what he was staring at, she pulled it back up, “Nothing, I just hit it on my nightstand,” which was true, it just wasn’t the cause of the bruise.

“No, that doesn’t make a mark like that,” he knew from experience. “I…”

“You know nothing,” tarring away, “just leave me the hell alone,” running down the hall.

Craig stood there astonished at what he had just learned, unsure what he should do; should he say something or was she telling the truth; though he doubted that.

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

Marco walked out the front doors of Degrassi to see Dylan stand there, leaning against his car. He must be waiting for Paige, he thought. He decided that he should go talk with him. He said the first thing that came to mind, “If you ever hurt me again I…”

“I won’t. Hey even dumb asses grow up at some point. I’m a slob, and yes I’m reckless, I’m really your exact opposite, but you mean everything to me Marco and I want another chance, a chance to prove how much I love you.”

Marco just pulled him into a kiss; it was something that he had been missing forever. Now that he had him back he was going to make sure that it worked this time.