Author's Note: This fic is set two months after "We Built This City". Though the degrassi graduates aren't the main focus, some are featured in the fic.
Summary: As Ellie moves into her new place, her recent departure from Marco begins to weigh heavily in her day to day life. Which makes it even harder to find suitable roommates as well as a new besty. But all hope isn't lost when two people from her past make a surprising return, she may get her perfect roommates and a little more in return...
"I can't believe this is your place," Jimmy repeated for the millionth time after entering and re-entering the apartment. "It's huge. How are you paying for it?" he said, setting the box in his lap on the carpet.
"Well, those other two bedrooms aren't back there to take up space. I guess I'll have to start looking for roommates pretty soon." Ellie said. "Until then, my mom's offering half the rent and… I'll just have to get a job."
"Damn, your mom's income must be huge to offer half," came Spinner. Ellie smirked. She agreed; the place was huge and… expensive. Sometimes she even wondered how she got a hold of the place.
"Well, what about Marco? He's not moving into this stellar apartment as your second roommate?" Jimmy asked.
"Uh, well…" the mention of Marco's name nearly brought her to tears in an instant. She'd forgotten about him all day. "We'd both considered it, but stuff got brought up and…I guess we're taking a break from each other." As much as she tried to hide it, the sadness could still be heard in her voice. The reminder of their "little" talk no more than a week ago, settled the fire that rose when she set foot in her new place. Things just suddenly didn't feel the same without her buddy there. She loved both Jimmy and Spinner, but they weren't Marco.
His denied response to them moving in together played over and over again in her head ever since. True, she thought they needed time apart, but she didn't want to go through with the "separation".
He was her best friend. Who would she turn to now?
"Oh, so he didn't even wanna help you move?" Spinner asked, sitting on the kitchen counter next to Ellie.
"He wanted to, but Eric invited him to meet some relatives in Montreal. They'll be back in a couple of days."
"Huh. Well if yah need a roommate, I'm here."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, I'm a great guy to live with. Check references."
"Your mom?" Jimmy murmured. Spinner shot a glance in his direction.
"No offense Spin, but you pretty much made our old place your personal hangout. I've seen how you live."
"Well, that was different. Yah know, cause you guys were usually cleaning up my messes. Here, I may actually clean… possibly "
"Not helping at all with my decision." Ellie giggled.
"Uh, what is this?" came Paige. Three boxes, stacked high in a pyramid form, were held tightly in her arms as she nearly stumbled into the apartment. "You're sitting around chatting and I'm doing all the work? And the three of you dare call me lazy?"
"Here, I'll get those." Spinner hopped down from the counter and made his way to save the damsel in the distress. He stacked two of the boxes in the far corner of the living room with the others.
"Thank you," the blonde cut her eyes to Ellie as she handed the remaining box to Spinner.
"Sorry," Ellie shrugged. "But you didn't show me much pity when I helped you move. Where's Griffin?"
"He went for pizza,"
"Yes. Food." Spinner cheered.
"Great I'm starving," Jimmy said, rubbing his hands together. "There anymore boxes?" he turned to Paige.
"Nope, that was the last of it."
"Sweet, then all we have to do is lay back and chill until the food gets here." Spinner insisted.
"Finally," Paige sighed. "My feet are…" she paused and began to look questionably around the apartment. "Um, Hun. Your place, it's lacking furniture."
"Yeah, I know."
"So?"
"So, me and my mom are heading to IKEA on Wednesday."
"So where do we chill?" Spinner, of course.
"Oh there's plenty of room on the floor."
…
After having a good laugh with friends, chatting, sharing pizza and listening to Spinner's horrible jokes, the gang had called it a night. It was around nine when they all decided to head out. Spinner and Jimmy were the first to leave, wishing Ellie luck and how much fun they had that night. Spinner went on to say something about a house warming party when she got the place together. He didn't mind if he was left out of the apartment arranging, but he wanted to be first on the invite list for the party.
Paige and Griffin left shortly after. Their supposed, hidden kisses and little glances they made throughout night suggested why they were quick to get back to Paige' place. They waved goodbye, Paige wished her good luck as well; adding on a "Hun" at the end of her sentence. Griffin and Ellie did their secret handshake; it was a little thing they came up with one day out of boredom. But unfortunately, they both remembered it. He wished her luck, and he and Paige were out. "Why don't we have a handshake?" Paige said as Ellie closed the door after them. She shook her head and laughed. "Paige, Paige, Paige," she whispered to herself.
Despite the fact that she was truly alone now, Ellie was happy; because now she got the chance to do something she wanted do all evening. She scurried over to the stack of boxes in the living room. She pushed them aside until she reached the box she was searching for. It was labeled Personal. She pulled the box away from the others and tore it open. She shuffled through the contents and found it. The picture she had taken with Marco back when they started their freshman year at the university. It was the only more recent picture they had taken together, neither were really fond of cameras, but Marco thought it to be a good idea at the time. He didn't want her to feel lonely in the dorm, despite the fact that peppy Amberly would be there at all hours checking up on her; so the picture would always remind her of him. And 'til this day, it still does.
She wished he came today, she wished he moved in, she wished they wouldn't grow apart like he predicted… but it would happen. This was usually how everything started with the growing apart. He'd have a place to go; she'd have a place to go; pretty soon they' both be going in different places. It scared the crap out of her.
Ellie held the picture frame close to her, hoping it would fill the void that Marco emptied. As much as she wanted it to, the picture wasn't going to cut it.
What would fill that void?
Who would?
…
I shouldn't be here, I know I shouldn't be here. But I'm back and I'm not going anywhere, not for a long time. I can't go there, I'm not ready to die for my country… I wanna be here with friends. People I love, people who actually care about me. This is the only place I can go where I feel at home. Know one can take that away. Know one.
Sean Cameron set foot off the metro bus. "I'm back home."