Hello everyone! This is a companion piece/songfic inspired by the Jonas Brothers' song Critical. It chronicles all the plot's Cam's been involved in from Say It Ain't So (2) to Rusty Cage (2). I was literally reading Cam's page on .com as I wrote this for a summary of each episode, so I don't think I missed anything, however if you think I did please feel free to spot it out and prove me wrong. I do enjoy constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: I did re-watch episodes to write this fic and did take inspiration from scripted line's since I wanted this to be as close to cannon as possible, however if the dialogue does happen to sound similar/exactly the same to what's originally scripted the right to Degrassi and it's script is in no way affiliated with me. Oh, and the song as well.

P.S.S Since this is a companion piece, if you would just quickly visit/favorite/tell-your-friends-about Ignorance that'd be fabulous. Here's the link: s/9634142/1/Ignorance

Last and certainly not least, enjoy!

There's a storm coming up and I gotta prepare myself

'Cause this feeling's getting stronger every day

The first time he notices something isn't right is when he feels the tell-tale sign of tears prickling the back of his eyes. He excuses himself from class and hurries to the first bathroom he sees, and before he knows it he's crying – hyperventilating, too, and to make it even worse he's doing it in the girl's bathroom.

In the girl's bathroom, for Christ's sake.

And if that wasn't mortifying enough, the girl who embarrassed him in front of his team yesterday is staring at him like he's some type of crazy of stalker.

"No, I'm – I'm lost, I swear."

"You mean like yesterday?" She says, eyebrows raised like she can't believe he's giving her this bull. "Know what? I'm gonna go tell Simpson that the hockey team is housing a perverted stalker."

"No! No, please, please, please don't do that." She can't! If any of the guys on the team hear about this, they'll make his life a living hell. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday okay?" He pleads, because maybe if he explains the situation she'll see how miserable he is and forget this ever happened. "I was just trying to impress those guys, alright? I had to do it because they think I'm a huge loser."

"They're not wrong."

And just like that, he snaps. All the worries he's been holding in come rushing out of his mouth like a waterfall, and all too soon he's regretting it. What is he doing telling her his problems? Why the hell would she care? But he goes on anyway, because he's desperate for anyone to talk to and she's just the unfortunate victim. "How am I going to survive a whole season here? I have no friends to talk to, no family here with me; and my hockey team practically hates me! And I'm – I'm crying in the girl's bathroom!"

"Hey – hey. Relax." The girl hushes, rushing to his side before he starts to cry again. "Those guys are probably just jealous of you. In two years you're gonna be in the NHL making millions and they're not. Try not to take it personally."

"But –"

"High school sucks, kid." She rubs his back as she says this, trying to be as calming and soothing as she can. "Want my advice? Spend it with people who don't."

He makes his way to leave then, a small smile on his face.

They didn't know it then, but Bianca just helped save his life.

Something's creeping inside

Everything is about to change

"Who you texting, Saunders?"

Cam only has the time to look up from his screen before Mike is snatching the phone out his hands –

"Hey, give it back!"

"Who's Maya Matlin?" He shoots Cam a questioning glance, but before Campbell has the chance to say anything Owen cuts in.

"Hey, my brother hangs out with her. They're friends or something."

"Oh yeah?" Mike says, stretching his arm away from Cam while he struggles to get his phone back and the Coach yells at them to Quiet down back there! We still have twenty minutes! "Never heard of her; is she new or somethin'?"

"She's a freshman!" Cam grits out.

"She hangs out with that Tori girl…" Owen inputs.

"Wait, are you talking about that blond shrimp that was talking to you last night?" Luke suddenly pipes up, and Cam sends him a scathing glare that goes unnoticed.

"She's not a shrimp!"

"Yeah, sure dude," Luke rolls his eyes to emphasize his point. "Whatever you say."

"Wait," Mike says, suddenly dropping the phone into the empty space next to Cam. "I remember her now! I saw her pull down her jeans to show you her panties. How'd you manage that, Saunders?"

The whole bus erupts into a fit of laughter, one that only doubles in size when Luke yells out, "Dude, if you ever need help in that department, I know a few cheerleaders who'd show you way more than just their undies!"

Gotta face the fact

That I can't walk away

As the round of laughter continues, no one notices Cam brood in his seat. "Screw you guys."

This is critical

I am feeling helpless

So hysterical, and this can't be healthy

I can't eat or sleep

When you're not with me

Baby, you're the air I breathe

This is critical, yeah

So stuck on you

Used to have everything figured out, but it's different now

When you came, you saw, you conquered my heart

"Can I tell you a secret?"

He has no idea why he's telling Maya all of this. Seriously, that story about his brother? He hasn't thought about that in years. That memory was back when hockey was just a game to him.

Now it's just another thing he has to be good at.

Maybe it's because she's so easy to talk to; and more than that, there's just something about her – something so gentle and understanding. Whatever it is, Cam just adds it to the growing list of things he likes about her. "Tonight's the most fun I've had in a while."

Maya's stops giggling for a second to look at him expectedly. "Actually, I have a secret too…" When he nods for her to go ahead, she breaks out into an apologetic smile. "I don't really like hockey."

Cam looks at her then, wondering if this girl knows how special she really is.

"Me neither."

It's your laugh and your smile

Wanna stay for a little while

I don't wanna go

I just want you in my arms

The moment is perfect, so of course Cam has to ruin it by chickening out of their kiss.

He knows they should have kissed, too. Their faces were inches apart and Maya was already leaning in, eyes closing for the inevitable, only the inevitable never happened because he chickened out like a loser!

Katie finds them moments after they step out of the photo booth, glaring at him and suggesting (very coldly) that they should leave now. The whole car ride home no one speaks, and to fill the silence Katie turns on the radio. It isn't until they're a block away from the home he's staying in that someone finally says something.

"Do I turn left or right?"

"Oh. Oh, that's alright." He says, already reaching for the door-handle so he can get out of there. "My house is just down the street. I'll walk."

"I'll walk you home."

Both sets of eyes, one pair brown and the other blue, turn to look at Maya as she's already stepping out of the vehicle.

"Maya, I don't –"

"Don't care, Katie. Cam, let's go."

Cam doesn't know what to think as he gets out of the car, seeing Katie's stink eye along the way. All he knows is that after being rejected in the photo booth like that, Maya must be pissed, and he should really listen to her before he screws things up even more. They pass a few houses before he points to a large town-house and mutters, "That's me."

They walk up the drive way together and all the while Cam's thinking of what he's going to say to her, and then they're in front of his door and she gives him a quick hug and says, "I had a good time." into his chest, and moves to pull away –

But he doesn't let her. No, he just hugs her tighter, so tight he thinks he's suffocating her, but he doesn't care just as long as he doesn't see her go.

"Um, Cam…"

"I like you."

They're both surprised by his confession, Cam more so of the two, but he keeps going with it anyway and soon finds himself talking straight from his heart. "I really like you, Maya. I wasn't kidding when I said this has been the best night I've ever had since I first got here. I'm sorry for what happened in the photo booth; I'm just romantically-retarded like that." She giggles at this. "I want to take things slow – as slow as possible – because I want this – us – whatever we have, to last. Okay?"

She's quiet for a few minutes, and a panic starts to seize his heart as he realizes that he's ruined everything. "I'm –"

"Okay." He looks down and all he sees is Maya's blinding smile, so brilliant and beautiful it makes time stop. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

He doesn't remember giving her a reply, or saying good bye, or even seeing her leave. The last thing he remembers as he drifts off to sleep is her amazing smile and the thought that he's lucky to be alive.

This is critical,

I am feeling helpless.

So hysterical, and this can't be healthy.

I can't eat or sleep

when you're not with me.

Baby, you're the air I breathe.

This is critical, yeah.

So stuck on you.

What the hell am I doing? What the hell was I thinking? Cam repeats these thoughts in his head over and over again, trying to find whatever logical reason there is for skipping practice. Coach is bad enough, but the guys are the one's that'll really give it to him. Then Luke and Owen's voice comes back to him and he scowls. Screw them. He knows he's been out of the zone these least couple of games; he doesn't need them to remind him.

But still, should he really be doing this? There hasn't been a day in his life when he hasn't missed 5 minutes of practice, much less an entire hour of it. And after calling his Mom and telling her everything, the thought of betraying her like this doesn't sit well with him.

But then he opens the doors to Little Miss Steaks and every rational thought he has is thrown out the window.

"Room for one more?"

Not even ten minutes in the restaurant and he's already regretting his decision – he can't sing! – but not really, not after Maya flashes her that adorable smile of hers and goads him into sing-talking, and then actual singing, and then he's playing the air guitar and having a blast because who cares if he looks stupid? He can do anything! And when he's with Maya and her friends, there's no pressure to be perfect, no need for him to be the golden boy. They expect nothing from him and he appreciates that more than they'll ever know.

What he doesn't appreciate is the person who was recording his stupidity, because if it weren't for them he wouldn't have gotten caught. He wouldn't have had to go through an hour of punishment inflicted from his team; and yes, he knows he deserved it, but everyone needs a break some time and yesterday he needed one more than ever before.

He eventually gets over it of course, because he's been so down on himself lately that he's starting to think he's getting depressed. Of course, that's just crazy because –

Well, after his breakdown in the club room maybe he's the crazy one.

Cam may be a lot of things, but he is not stupid. He knows that being transfixed by that cut wasn't healthy. The shock of hurting himself was surprising, of course, but then surprise turned into wonder, and then – and then –

And then he was curious. If a little milk could get him out of practice, what would a slice to his hand do?

No no no no no.

He could never! Could he? No, of course not! What kind of sicko did that to himself?

"Not Campbell Saunders." That was for damn sure.

…Or maybe he had spoken too soon, because as soon as he sees the press and Mike's knowing grin he starts to have a panic attack. The press? Was he fucking crazy? Mike knows about Cam's thing with the news – especially after the way he refused to do a simple interview with the school newspaper weeks before. So if he knows, then why go through all the trouble?

To get back me?

Of course! That has to be it. Skating him till he almost passed out from exhaustion wasn't enough, so now, to get even, Mike invited the press. Cam remembers what Mike earlier and a chill runs down his spine.

"Sometimes a rookie has to be taught a lesson before he actually gets it."

Cam looks for the nearest thing he can hurt himself with and, grabbing his skates, gets ready to cut himself. The question is, where? Another cut on his hand will make Maya suspicious, and a cut on his leg would be useless. Maybe he needs to cut his neck? Yeah, maybe that's what he needs to do – that way he won't have to deal with his jerk-off teammates, he won't have deal with this aching homesickness he doesn't know he can snap out of, and he won't have to play hockey ever again because he'll be –

Holy shit – is he even listening to himself?

He runs out of the club room before anyone can stop him, fighting off the press, fighting off his demons, fighting off the tears that threaten to fall as he runs back home.

Why? Why can't I just be happy?

The next day he has a anxiety attack after thinking about the two-hour practice the guys are currently in while he's at home watching TV.

He has his answer.

Used to run and hide

Used to back out of love

But I can't escape this time

Oh no

"This isn't what I meant when I said you needed a break!"

"This was an accident."

"Swear?"

"Of course I do!" It's the first time he's ever lied straight to her face, and hopefully he'll never have to do it again. "Geez, Maya. I'm not some loser who hurts himself on purpose!"

She calms down, if only for a second, and he takes that chance to get her used to the idea. Leading her into a seat, he says, "Besides, I can't exactly continue my winning streak with broken arm, right? But I can hang out with you guys more now. That's just as good, right?"

"That depends…" She mutters, looking at him straight in the eyes. "Will you be happy now?"

"I have no reason not be." Not when I'm with you.

"But what happens when you're arm gets better and you go back to playing hockey?"

He's thought about that too, and if he's being honest he knows that he'll have to train twice as hard as everyone else if he wants to be as good as he is now when he starts back up again. If he starts back up again.

But for once, he doesn't care about hockey. For once he's letting himself do what he wants to do.

"I'm happy, Maya. With you. Isn't that what matters?"

She looks at him with those eyes again, and this time when she leans in for a kiss he doesn't chicken out. He'll never chicken out again.

When they pull away from each other Maya gives a relieved sigh. "I'm just so happy you're okay."

"I'm fine, Maya. I'm great." As long as I'm with you.

This is critical

I am feeling helpless

So hysterical, this can't be healthy

I can't eat or sleep

when you're not with me

You're the air I breathe

This is critical, yeah

Baby it's so critical, (critical)

it's so critical, yeah

I don't like it

It's so critical, (critical)

it's so critical, yeah

So stuck on you

Phew! I worked on that the entire day. If you enjoyed, please review. If you didn't, please review. All reviews are welcomed and much appreciated! ;) ;)