Silent, Heather Sinclair drifted through the halls at Degrassi. Everyone knew her but not really. Behind her placid Mona Lisa smile hid a brain that raced at a 1000mph, all the neurons firing at once, such a rich inner life.

She knew everything about everyone, she could deduce the state of their life by spending one class period with them. All of them, the main kids, she knew she was on their periphery. Marginalized and ostrasized, eyes blinking slow, she no longer cared.

Jimmy Brooks was a spoiled rich kid, unappreciative of what he had and insensitive to what others didn't have. She'd heard him making fun of Spinner's old clothes and second hand gadgets.

Spinner Mason was judgemental and a bully. He tried to make people bend to his will.

Ashley Kerwin was moody and self pitying. She reveled in her negative view of herself and those around her.

Paige Micalchuk was entitled and self centered and had to be the red hot center of everything no matter what the cost to anybody.

Craig Manning was an abused child. She could see it in his sad looks when he thought no one was looking, in the way he hid in that leather jacket, security blanket, and the way he hid behind his camera lens. Abused kids were always hiding one way or another.

Sean Cameron was a powder keg, a short fuse ready to explode. He hated himself but thought he hated the world.

Liberty Van Sant kept a tight leash on her inner wild child. Behind the black glasses and good grades was a crazy confidence and no fear, a willingness to do anything.

J.T. York was brilliant but quirky, funny and sloppy, and used to never getting what he really wanted.

Rick was angry and violent and abusive because he was abused, too, like Craig. But Rick wasn't as likable or endearing or as vulnerable as Craig was. Craig could get people to care about him and want to help him. Rick alienated people, caused them to want to bully and torture and humiliate him. Maybe the difference was Craig did things that were cries for help. Craig ran away, tried to get hit by a train, went off his medication and rambled to whoever would listen, pressured manic speech. Rick didn't ask for help, Rick kept it all inside until it came out by beating his girlfriend or shooting someone at school. Rick went past the point of no return, and no one was willing to bring him back.

Ellie Nash. Ellie Nash was true to herself and everyone around her. Ellie lead people to their truth, made them confront their masks and smokescreens. Brutally honest and she didn't care if you liked her because she liked herself. She was all she needed, and if you wanted to play head games or toy with her feelings she had no use for you.

Marco DelRossi was a people pleaser. He kept secrets from himself, denied reality, pretended that things were how he wanted them to be. The reality of situations always came through to him but he fought it, denied it. Marco was okay once he incorporated a truth, but it was a painful process for him.

Emma Nelson was a crusador. She believed in her right to a voice that was heard. She believed the world could be better. She believed that others, if shown the facts, would come to care as much as she did. She was wrong about that. Many of the others were too worried, too wrapped up in their shattered lives to care about whales or rain forests or G.M. foods. Sean mourned his broken family, felt abandoned by his parents and embarrassed by his low socio economic status. He was frightened by his impulsiveness and anger. Craig has rarely been able to focus on outside causes because he's been fucked up for a long time. He was 11 when his mother died and his father became abusive. He'd been hit when she was alive but not beaten like after. That abusive home life consumed him, pretending he was fine took all his energy. Then he was with Joey but still damaged. His father died and that wasn't an understandable grief for him like his mother's death. He had loved her. He missed her. His dad? He loved him, he hated him, he feared him, he wanted to please him. How was he supposed to feel when he died? Then Manny and the abortion. He felt like a piece of himself died when Manny, when she…

Hazel Aden. Second fiddle to Paige's shining star. Hazel liked to go along with the crowd, liked having Paige think for her. But Hazel was like a spy, like an undercover cop, using subterfuge and psychology to manipulate Paige for other people and for herself.

Silent, Heather Sinclair drifted along from class to class, bell to bell, period to period, observing everything with her third eye. Unknown to everyone she knew all about them. Knew the viscera of their souls, glistening and red and exposed.