-1 I do not own Degrassi Junior High or Degrassi High. Neither do I own any of the original characters or storylines from the shows. They all belong to the original writers and producers of the show. This is just a fan story written for other fans of the show.

'School's Out Forever'

Chapter One

Caitlin

She wasn't going to deny it had been hard seeing him again, it had. Just a few short months ago, she had been willing to sacrifice an awful lot for Joey Jeremiah. But then she found out he had been cheating on her the entire summer with Tessa Campinelli. That had been the end of their brief engagement and relationship.

He had asked her to go out after Simon and Alexa's wedding reception had wound up.

'You want to go on to a club and go dancing?', he had asked her.

'I don't think that's such a good idea Joey', she had told him. 'I'm leaving town again tomorrow lunchtime and I'm going to visit Lucy in the morning before I go. I think I'm just going to go home and sleep.'

'Okay Caitlin. Say hi to Lucy for me. It was nice to see you again.'

'You too Joey. So how is school now the old Degrassi building has reopened?'

'It's not the same, no Snake, no wheels, no you. Everyone seems to have moved on but me, except of course I'm sure Wheels would rather be in school than prison, but then again its his own fault he is there. I write to him sometimes. But hey, at least I can finally graduate this coming summer.'

'And then what?'

'Who knows? I know I'm not cut out for university though. I've often thought about starting my own business. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what comes along. I can always deliver pizzas for my uncle again.'

Caitlin gave him a look like she always did, as if to say you know your better than that Joey Jeremiah.

'I'm just kidding Caitlin. I just don't really know what to do okay. We can't all have our careers all planned out like you.'

They had reached the streetcar stop where they would go there separate ways then.

'Bye Joey.'

She had climbed on to the streetcar quickly then. She hadn't even looked back to wave. She knew it would be a mistake, not to mention too painful. He had broken her heart and for a time she had really hated him, but she had moved on now. She had a new life and new friends at university. She had grown up a lot in the past few months just like she had told Joey. She was really enjoying her journalism degree and definitely wanted to be an environmental journalist. She had all this new and exciting stuff going on in her life.

And yet deep down, she knew her heart hadn't really moved on, probably never could move on from Joey. They said it was hard to get over your first love. Although she never mentioned Joey to her new friends up at Carlton, she wasn't sure she was ever going to get over him totally. But she also knew, if she was going to make a success of her life, she was going to have to find a way to forget him.

Back home, the house was quiet. Her Mum had gone out on a date that evening. It still felt strange, both her parents dating different people after their quite recent divorce, but at least both her parents were happier again now. She was thinking, maybe right now, her parents had a bit more of a social life than she did. Unlike a lot of her fellow students, Caitlin wasn't one that liked to party all the time. She preferred the peace and quiet of the library where she could go and get on with her work. She often worked on her essays late in to the night at the library. It was too noisy in the halls of residence to concentrate sometimes.

Caitlin finished packing her bag for the morning, as she was headed straight back to Carlton after visiting Lucy at the rehab centre.

In what was now her old room, Caitlin glanced over at what had once been one of her favourite pictures, she and Joey at the last dance they had gone to together, before the old Degrassi High building had had to be shut down for a year for modernisation.

That was the picture she had come home and thrown hard at the wall after she had found out he was cheating on her. The frame had shattered in to small pieces, but the photo had still been in tact. She had bought a new frame for it now. The picture didn't make her feel angry anymore, it was just another fond high school memory, from long before he had cheated on her with Tessa. She tucked it away in the drawer that contained all her other photo's and yearbooks from Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. One day she hoped she would be able to look at that photo, as just another treasured high school memory, without feeling heartbroken, like she did now.

Caitlin went to bed that night thinking about the good times she and Joey had had over the years. The were really some happy, fun memories there, she couldn't deny it. She slept well that night and the next thing she knew the sound of her alarm was waking her up.

Caitlin got ready to go and visit Lucy. Lucy was making good progress and was able to walk with a cane, a little further each day. They said she would be home by Christmas and able to take up her place at Carlton the following fall. When Caitlin arrived, Bronco was there by Lucy's side as he was every weekend.

'Hey guys', Caitlin greeted them.

'Hey Caitlin. Listen Lucy, I got to go , I promised my parents I would cook Sunday lunch for them today.'

'I wish I could be there with you. I always loved going to eat at your parents house.'

'You can soon Lucy. Just keep remembering what the doctors said. Keep going as well as you are and your be home by Christmas. I'll be back early evening for an hour or so okay.'

Bronco kissed his girlfriend on the cheek and left Lucy and Caitlin to catch up.

'Caitlin, its great to see you. So come on , tell me all about Carlton. I'm dying to know all I'm missing out on.'

'Oh Lucy, I really wish you were there with me and we could be roommates like we planned. I miss you so much and living in residence isn't much fun. I'm in a corridor full of party animals. But apart from that its great, I'm so glad I went away, I love Carlton and I know your going to love it too.'

'Caitlin, that's exactly what keeps me going in here, the fact that I'll be there too in less than a year , able to take up my place at last. When I have bad days, I just think of all I have to look forward too and that's what makes me keep going, wanting to progress more. I can walk all the way to the end of the corridor and back now. But what I really want to know is and don't tell Bronco I asked you this. Are there any hot looking guys around the campus? Purely to look at but not touch of course.'

'I haven't really taken much notice Lucy. I've been so busy with my courses. I saw Joey again at Alexa and Simon's wedding reception last night. We danced together. I'm not over him yet and I'm not sure I ever will be. But I think I've forgiven him for what he did now. We've both grown up a lot since the summer and he is genuinely sorry.'

'Generally sorry you found out more like.'

'No Lucy, he really was sincere.'

'Caitlin, listen to me. You are on a campus of thousands of guys and I bet most of them are far better for you than Joey Jeremiah ever was. I bet you've been asked out on dates by some of them.'

'A couple', Caitlin admitted.

'And did you ever take them up on their offer?'

'Once. But all through dinner, all I could think of was Joey and what we had and how he ruined it all. I know its pathetic.'

'Caitlin, its high time you really did get over for him once and for all. You and Joey, it was just a high school romance and one that ended badly. You can't let what you and Joey once had and the way he cheated on you interfere with the rest of your life.'

'Thanks Lucy. I know your right. I just needed you to say it to me I think.'

When Caitlin arrived back at the university campus much later that evening, she bumped in to Brian, a guy she knew well from her political science class.

'Hey there Caitlin. I didn't see you around this weekend. I looked out for you in the library.'

'I went home to Toronto, some friends of mine got married.'

'Oh I see. So what are you up to after classes tomorrow?'

'I guess I'll just go to the library as usual.'

'How about giving the library a miss for once and coming to the movies with me?'

Caitlin thought for a few seconds, hearing Lucy's voice in her head, telling her it was time to move on .

'Sure I'd like that', Caitlin smiled at him.

Lucy was right. Deep down she knew Joey would always be in her heart and there was a part of her that would never get over him. But for now, she had to get on with her life.