I've written many fanfics before but this is my first published one so be honest with me. I love criticism! Oh, and Degrassi owns everything except for the character Skye and her background story….oh and I kinda changed the story a little bit. Enjoy!
My name is Skye Killigan and I am best friends with the school bully. Yeah, sure, laugh it up but I'm telling the truth. If you had told me on my first day of school that by the end of the year, I was going to be best friends with the school bully, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, sitting at our usual spot, waiting for him to show up. It's not like he's my friend because I do stuff like drink and smoke or stuff like that. We talk. He gets who I am as a person and I understand that he is worth more in life than he realizes. I bet most of you don't know that he is a straight A student. But you wouldn't see that from the outside, would you. Of course not because most grown-ups write him off as a criminal or a hoodlum. All they see is his outer layers. I see deeper than that. My mom says it's a gift that I have. Speaking of my dear old mother, She's all I got at home. My dad died when I was three. He was in the navy and…well you figure out the rest. My mom dated over the years but never married. I think it's because she feels like she would be cheating on daddy-o. She's been seeing this guy for a while. His name is Bruno. Weird name, I know but he's not all that bad. Kind of goofy looking and he has a bald spot. He does magic for a living, and I mean he is legit, none of that, "pull a rabbit out of a hat" crap. He says his greatest goal in life is to please others. I think that's something we have in common. He's even taught me a couple of his tricks but I can't tell you what they are. I was sworn to secrecy.
I started Degrassi Community School as a junior. I instantly made friends with a bunch of people. I've been taking dance and gymnastics for a couple of years now so my mom suggested I try out for the Power Squad. Turns out, I really like being on the Power Squad. Who knew! All of my Power Squad friends are great but just a tiny bit shallow. In the locker rooms, all I hear is "Oh my lip-gloss is running out!" or "I'm going to ask so-and-so to the dance!" I mean, does anyone care about me as a person? That's when I met Mark. First time I spoke to him, he asked me if I had a light. I don't smoke so I said no. He started to walk away but something inside me wanted to keep talking to him. I don't know what made me follow him but I did. We started talking and one thing led to another and now I feel like I can tell him anything. I know he feels the same way too. I can just feel it.
So we don't hang out at school because we both have reputations to uphold. He is the school bully and I'm on the Power Squad. If people see us together, they would flip their lids. Not that it's any of their business. I can be a friend to whomever I want. Most people don't even look twice at Mark. I hear what the other girls on the Power Squad say about him when we're supposed to be practicing our cheers and it hurts deep inside but I have to pretend like I don't care. In school, we are two completely different people but once we meet up at the park everyday, it's like our minds have somehow synced and we're on the same page. He's also very thoughtful. He doesn't smoke or drink around me, which I find is very gentleman-like. Yeah, that's it. He's quite the gentleman, believe it or not. I bet you also didn't know that he played the guitar. Yeah, he's played me a couple of song before and he is really good, even though he doesn't think so. I keep telling him that he needs to audition for Next Teen Star but he just shakes his head. "If I do make it on Next Teen Star, I'll be playing for them, not me. I like playing for Me." he would tell me, strumming a lovely chord progression as I hummed along.
As the days got colder, we moved our "usual spot" from the park to a museum down the street. We'd meet up by the Scream painting. He figured that was appropriate because that's what he felt like doing all the time, screaming. I asked him why he doesn't and he told me that nobody would hear him. "I'd hear you." I said and he chuckled to himself, lost in thought. "You'd be the only one, Skye" he said. "I doubt that." I tried to reassure him but he shook his head in disagreement. "Not even Bee would hear." And as soon as I heard him say that, I know that I was truly the only one who gets him. We would walk along in silence, taking in the paintings and pictures and sculptures but the silence was never awkward. It was relaxed and I loved it.
Today, though, he was late and I wasn't sure why. He was usually here by four and it was already four thirty. I was going to be late to Chantay's house. The whole Power Squad was meeting up at her house to get ready for the Night In Vegas dance tonight. I finally saw him come in but there was something different about the way he was walking. He was holding his left hand close to his body and he looked angry. "Sorry I'm late." he said, trying to calm down, as he got closer. "What happened?" I asked, gesturing to his obviously broken hand. "I got in a fight after school." "With who?" "Eli" I rolled my eyes. I should have known. Mark and Eli have been going at it for months. They really disliked each other and I wasn't sure why. I think it had something to do with Clare Edwards but I was hoping not. "Can I take a look at it?" I gently took his hand in mine. His was cold from being outside. "Wow, that looks bad." I noticed there were bruises everywhere and he had a small cut on his lip. "It's fine" he took his hand back a little too quickly, wincing in pain. "Well I can't stay for long. I'm going over to Chantay's to get ready for the dance tonight." He nodded in agreement and said "I'll see you tonight?" "I hope." I replied as I headed back down the stairs, towards the front of the museum.
I ran home as fast as I could to get my dress. "Whoa, hold up there. Where's the fire?" Bruno stopped me as I ran through the kitchen. "Sorry Bruno. I'm late. I'm suppose to be over at a friends house, getting ready for the dance tonight." I said, taking the stairs two at a time. A few minutes later, I was running back down the stairs dress in hand. "Have a good time tonight!" Bruno yelled after me as I dashed out the door. Thankfully, Chantay's house wasn't that far from mine and I ended up making it only a few minutes late. "Where have you been?" Chantay asked, pulling me into the living room. It smelled like acetone and hairspray. "Where do you want to start first, makeup or hair?" Chantay gestured to the various tables set up in the living room. For the next couple of hours, I was primped and preened, trying to get ready as fast as I could. Finally six o clock rolled around and we all piled into two cars and headed towards Degrassi.
The gym was almost unrecognizable. There were gambling tables everywhere and the whole place looked like a Vegas casino. I immediately saw Mark standing off in a corner with Bianca. He saw me come in and we locked eyes for a split second but I knew the rules. No knowledge of each other's existence in a public place. That's what sucked the most about being best friends with the school bully. I wasn't allowed to talk to him or even look at him during school hours, which this dance would count as school hours. He knew the rules too, which is why he looked away. Now I would be lying if I said that didn't hurt but if anyone found out how close we were, our high school lives would be ruined. I brushed it off and headed out to the dance floor. All my Power Squad friends had hit the tables, leaving me to dance with a few of my guy friends. Every once in a while, I'd glance over at Mark, just to see what he was doing. I knew I shouldn't have. Someone could have seen me but I hated not being able to be myself around him at school. He and Eli were near the punch bowl and I was praying to God that there wasn't going to be a fight soon. Clare was asking them something and it seemed like they were getting along. I guess I spoke too soon because Mark then threw up all over the floor. I could hear the murmurs of disgust as he ran out of the gym as fast as he could. Making sure no one saw me, I followed Mark, at a safe distance, out into the hallway. I found him standing in front of his locker, taking off his jacket. "We're at school, you shouldn't be here." he said, hanging his jacket on the hook. "I don't care. I needed to know if you were alright." I asked. A million thoughts were running through my head What if someone saw you follow him, you big idiot! You need to get back to the dance…NOW! I shook away the thought immediately. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, taking something out of his locker. It was a knife! "Mark, please don't do anything you might regret later." I whimpered, glancing at the sharp knife in his hand. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine" he slammed his locker shut and went roaming the hallways.
I rushed back to the dance but I couldn't stop thinking about Mark. I knew his background of violence and that's what worried me the most. I was worried that he would get in some sort of trouble with the police and they were going to take him away from me. I couldn't have that. I needed Mark more that I thought and for him to be taken away…I couldn't even begin to imagine. Word must have gotten back to Principal Simpson about Mark's knife because the police showed up within minutes and he announced that the school was in lockdown. I panicked. What if something happened to Mark? I needed to know if he was ok so I very carefully snuck out of the gym and started roaming the halls. "SHUT UP, BITCH!" I heard coming from the hall near the front of the school. It was Mark. I started walking towards the sound of his voice. Turning a corner, I saw Mark, his back to me, knife in hand, Clare near the lockers, whimpering and Eli, tears stinging his eyes. Eli saw me, which made Mark turn around. Eli acted in the moment. He swiftly took Marks hand that had the knife and, turning it around, plunged it into Marks side. Tears started to roll down my cheek as I watched Mark's body crumple to the floor. My scream seemed to echo through the halls, for the police were there in record time. I leaned up against the lockers for support, trying to remember how to breathe. It was no use. Mark was dying right before my eyes. I couldn't do anything about it now. They called an ambulance, which was on its way. This isn't happening! This isn't happening! I watched as they loaded Mark on a stretcher and wheeled him outside. They handcuffed Eli and stuffed him in one of the many cop cars out front. I followed them all outside, where a big crowd was forming, mainly students from the dance. Mark's eyes were barely open but they searched the crowd, finally resting on my tear stained ones. His head moved a little, indicating that he wanted to talk to me. I slowly walked over to where the EMS people were hooking him up to tubes and sticking needles in his arm. "Mark." I managed to choke out before I was overcome with sobs. "I love you, Skye." He said and I felt my heart stop. "I love you too." I said and squeezed his hand before the paramedic people pushed me out of the way so they could lift Mark into the ambulance. Turning around, I noticed about three-dozen pairs of eyes on me. I quickly wiped away the tears and pushed past everyone. That night, I cried myself to sleep over Mark Fitzgerald.