Searching For Perfection

Written by: Sister-Cousin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Degrassi: TNG. I wish I did but I don't. Cries I do own the plot and new character Monique introduced in my FF though so it's going to be good. That's guaranteed! Oh great at least I hope so!

Plot: Liberty's style and attitude changes over the summer and she becomes popular and hangs out with the 'in' crowd. JT develops a crush on the new Liberty, but did I mention he is dating Manny?

Chapter One

Liberty is in her cousin's bedroom waiting for her to get ready for school. Her cousin, Monique is getting ready for school her first year at Degrassi Community High School. Both girls are entering the 10th grade. She recently moved in with the Van Zandt's two months ago. Liberty is pacing back and forth.

Monique: (shouts) Stop it, Lib. You're making me nervous.

Liberty: (laughs nervously) Oh please you nervous. You look fantastic and I don't. I'm so scared of what people will think of me. I mean what do I say? What do I do?

Monique: Um I have a tip for you... be yourself? You look great. You look hot. How couldn't you? I helped you, by giving you a whole new look!

Liberty: Yeah and I appreciate it.

Liberty smiled and looked at herself in the mirror. It was true she looked great, almost like a whole different person. She had gotten contacts, lost a lot of weight over the summer and got a lot of fashion tips from her hip cousin.

Miranda (Liberty's mom): (walks into Monique's room) Oh hi girls. You look adorable.

Liberty: Thanks mom, I think.

Miranda: We need to go. I'll be down in the car. Don't forget your lunches, which are on the kitchen counter.

Monique: Thanks, auntie. We'll be down in five!

Miranda: All right. (Monique grins, and then grabs her backpack. Liberty does the same.)

Liberty and Monique step into the kitchen and Liberty grabs her homemade paper bag style lunch by... her mom. Monique snatches the bag out of Liberty's hands and throws it in the trash bin along with hers.

Liberty: (shouts) Hey why the heck did you do that?

Monique: (raises an eyebrow) You're not serious. Nobody cool in 10th grade takes a homemade lunch made by their mommy.

Liberty: But you can't just throw it away!

Monique: You want to be popular this year, don't you?

Liberty: Yeah but---

Monique: No buts cuz! You gotta to do this right, but don't worry I'll handle it. Just leave it to your fantastic, hip cousin. I got you completely covered.

Liberty: (sarcastically says) Why thanks! That is very thoughtful of you!

Monique: Why you're welcome. It's what you're loved ones do for you. Come on we don't want to be late.

Monique and Liberty ran into the car and sat in the back. Liberty looked out the window while Monique finished doing her make-up. She was the girly-girl type. The car stopped.

Miranda: We're here darlings! Have a great first day of the 10th grade.

Monique: We will auntie, Miranda.

Liberty: I love you mom!

Miranda: And I love you two girls!

Monique: Bye!

Liberty and Monique rushed out of the car and walked up to the steps of Degrassi Community High School. Liberty felt like all eyes were on her and truth was they were especially most of the boy's attention was on her. She could have fooled most of her fellow students. Most of them didn't even recognize her.

Liberty: (looks around) Whoa, why is everybody looking at me?

Monique: (shakes her head) What's up with all these clueless questions you've been asking'? Don't you know anything? Man, get some self-esteem.

Liberty: I do have self-esteem, but this is strange. It's new for me. I'm usually known as your typical smart, dorky girl, not the hot, popular chick.

Monique: You're not anymore. So do you recognize anyone? (Looks around)

Liberty sees Towerz, her ex-boyfriend in the distance. He sees her and they exchange smiles. She waves at him and there is Monique witnessing all of this.

Monique: (grins) Ooh, I didn't know you had a boyfriend so what's his name?

Liberty: Had is the key word. His name is Towerz.

Monique: Towerz? Are you serious? (Liberty nods) Oh well that's um...interesting.

Liberty: Yeah so we went out last year, but I broke up with him during the last week of 9th grade. Now that you know can we move on?

Monique: (frowns) I'm sorry Lib, but hold up! Tell me exactly what happened.

Liberty: You want to know every little detail, don't you? (Hesitates to continue) ... I guess we grew apart and were just too... different, but we did have chemistry at first or maybe it was just... lust. I'm not so sure.

Monique: Oh babe that's so sad, but don't dwell over it. Think of it as this way you're single and free. You can have any guy your little heart desires.

Liberty: I don't know if... I'm ready to move on. He was my first real boyfriend and I don't want to rush into anything.

Monique: Awe that's sweet, but you need to move on, okay! So is there any other guy that you have your eye on? (winks)

Liberty: Well there is this one guy, but ever since I checked he's taken. I have no chance with him anyways. He's tried to make that very clear many times in the past.

Monique: Oh don't give up. Look at you Lib, you're a whole new person. You've matured and changed over the summer for the better. You gotta have confidence like me. And about this girlfriend of his nothing is wrong with a little competition.

Liberty: (raises an eyebrow) What do you mean by that?

Monique: Aye, don't you know anything about relationships?

Liberty: (chuckles unsurely) Yeah of course I do. I was just making sure.

Monique: Whatever so does this boy that you're crushing on have a name?

Liberty: Yeah his name is---

Just then Nadia, and Kendra come running up to Liberty and Monique. Liberty was relieved because she didn't really feel like explaining who JT was.

Nadia: (shouts) Hey Liberty.

Kendra: Woah you look so different!

Liberty: Is that a bad thing?

Nadia and Kendra look at one another and say in unison: No!

(Monique coughs)

Liberty: Oh I can't believe I almost forgot. Nadia, Kendra this is my cousin, Monique. She moved in with me two months ago. She's really nice.

Kendra: Hey Monica!

Nadia: Hello, so what grade are you in?

Monique: I'm in 10th grade. Hey I would love to chitchat with you guys because you seem really cool, but Liberty promised to show me around the school.

Liberty: (has an confused look) Um I did?

Monique: Don't be silly of course you did! It was nice meeting you girls. Come on Liberty. (She grabs Liberty by the arm and begins to walk away)

Then Kendra and Nadia wave good-bye to Liberty and Monique.

Kendra: Man, that was strange.

Nadia: Yeah she hurried off pretty quickly. Do you think---

Kendra: No she couldn't have just blown us off.

They both look at one another in disbelief. Inside of the school Liberty pushed Monique's arm away from her.

Liberty: What was that about?

Monique: What? Oh that. Hey I was just trying to help you out.

Liberty: But those were my friends.

Monique: They are your friends, but nothing's wrong with making some new more popular friends. Maybe you can get invited to some cool parties and get a few guys phone numbers. Come on what do you say?

Liberty: (blushes) That sounds okay. Actually it sounds like a lot of fun. We better get to class though.

Monique: All right!

Liberty and Monique walked to their homeroom together. Their homeroom teacher's name was Ms. White and she was new to the school. Toby and JT were sitting together in the back of the classroom.

JT: Whoa do you see the hotties that just entered the room?

Toby: (turns around) Yeah they are hot! Wait is that---

They both turned to each other and shout: Liberty!?!

Liberty: Did someone say my name? (She looked at JT and Toby) Oh hello Toby... JT I didn't see you there?

JT: What happened to you?

Liberty: Oh but whatever do you mean? Oh you're talking about my new image, huh? (JT nodded) Well I changed, that's all! Do you like?

Monique: (giggles) Come on Liberty let's go sit down over there.

Liberty: Okay. See ya later JT and Toby!

Monique: Oh my God you were flirting! So I take it that JT guy is your crush. Am I right or am I right?

Liberty: Oh I don't know. It's only the beginning of the year.