The Flame of Degrassi High: A Short Story

I walk down the hall, turning back once to give my now ex-girlfriend Caitlin a reproachful glare before continuing towards my locker. She dumped me. And it's for that Claude guy, I know it. As I walk on, I feel as though my heart should be heavy with pain. Fear. Loathing. Something. But instead, I find myself void of emotion. Almost relieved. I shrug and keep walking down the hall towards my locker. Who can explain the heart, right?

"Hey Joe!"

A familiar voice calls my name just as I've reached my locker, and I turn my head and smile at the face staring back.

"Snake! Ya tall beast, what's up man?"

Snake leans against the locker next to mine casually. It would be a seductive sort of pose that the chicks would really go for if it wasn't for the fact that it was Snake. He's just too awkward. But maybe the girls go for that. He digs his hands in his pockets in a nervous sort of gesture and bares a wide grin.

"Michelle agreed to go out with me tonight." He says in a shy and nervous sort of voice. Ah, Snake. Timid as always.

"Way to go buddy, that's awesome! Tell me how it goes!"

He smiles. "I really like her, Joey! Maybe I can actually get a girl friend…"

I nod as he continues on along the same train of thought. Snake was always worried about getting a girlfriend whereas I had just been set free by mine. Well, I guess he doesn't know that yet.

Snake finishes his thought—one that I wasn't really paying attention to—then excuses himself to head to class. As he walks away, I find my eyes lingering on him. Snake is a nice guy. Real nice. He deserves the best girl out there. I wish I had his height. Maybe then I'd be better with the ladies.

I hear a sound from behind me and turn around to see yet another familiar face. Wheels grins his crooked grin as he approaches his locker.

"So ya hear about Snake? Good for him, eh? 'Bout time he got a girl."

"Hah, for sure. You know Snake. Always looking for a girl."

Wheels nods his head then turns to face the lock on his locker. His face darkens a bit as he fiddles with the lock.

"Stupid thing. I can never get it open" he grumbles.

I take the lock from his hand and tug on it a few times myself. His hand lingers on mine for a moment, and I feel my hand begin to tingle. This causes my hand to quiver, and I jump back a tiny bit. Wheels raises an eyebrow then chuckles a bit. He shakes his head then takes the lock back from my hand.

"Look at this guy, trying to help and he can't even keep his hand on the lock!" He smiles down at me and pulls on his lock again, opening his locker. I can feel my face reddening from embarrassment. What was that? Why did I just jump back? And why did that small touch evoke more emotion than my entire relationship with Caitlin had?

"Look, I've gotta get to class, but I'll see you after school right? Video games and pizza?"

Our eyes lock and I feel my heart begin to race. Then I realize I'm gawking at him like an idiot.

"Uhh, yeah Wheels! Sounds great! See ya then!"

Wheels shakes his head a little and walks past me towards his class. My eyes follow him as he strides away. Something about his walk just oozes confidence. I kind of like it.

Before entering his class, he turns and stares at me. My eyes study his face from afar, and I feel a smile form on my face. He reveals the same crooked grin that he'd shown earlier before he enters his classroom.

At this point, I grab my books, close my locker, and head towards my own class. My heart feels aflutter with the thought of new possibilities as opposed to hurt by the rejection I'd received from Caitlin. I find myself thinking about the way he stared at me over and over, and I almost begin to skip to class. With a grin on my face, I begin to whistle "Everybody Wants Something" as I reach my class. It's going to be okay from now on. That much I'm sure of.