Degrassi 101: The Palex Guide to Surviving High School
"Because sometimes, 12th grade will never get easy..."
Degrassi is not mine nor do I claim to own it.
A/N: Point of views will switch between Paige and Alex from chapter to chapter.
Enjoy!
This chapter takes place before Palex.
Lesson 1
~You Can Always Apply School to Real Life~
POV: Alex
Location: A hallway within Degrassi
"Hey, did ya study?"
I looked up and smirked at the red-head that stood before me. "Well, good morning to you too, Ellie Nash," I greeted as I turned to glue my eyes back onto my book.
But I could already tell that her observations weren't done stating themselves. "Ah, I see. Last-minute studying...Well, then it's a good thing our teacher isn't here yet." I heard her plopping down her back pack practically in the middle of the hallway and begin to sit down next to me. "Move over. I forgot my book."
I scoffed. "You want me to give you space and share my book with you?"
She just stared back expectantly, and giving in, I sighed and moved over. "Thank you."
Okay, let's see. "While this type of bee may possess the title of 'queen,' she does not, in fact, hold power over the entirety of the hive. Her main role as existing as the mother to the nest's colony of bees grants her particular services from her drones (See image 15.1 A), otherwise known as the male honey bees, with which she mates and reproduces daily as many times greater than her own bodyweight..." Uh..."Yay" to the "particular services," "Yikes" to the reproducing part.
Anyways, blah, blah, blah...Wait...Here's something interesting...
"As in most hives, few female bees are bred for sexual maturity during the same cycle. These newly-born females who bear the ability of reproduction are ones who have not yet mated with male honey bees, and as a result, have been given the name 'virgin queen bees (See image 15.6).'" Wow. Now this is the best part: "When surfaced, some virgin queen bees have a propensity to seek out other sexually-bred females who they consider as rivals and eliminate them on site, ensuring their intended places as leading queens." Huh. Now, why does this all sound so familiar?
"Soooo...What was last night's chapter about?" asked Ellie as she plastered on a nervous smile.
I rolled my eyes handing over my book. "Here...Yeah, all twenty-fives pages of that chapter."
I saw her eyes widened. Well, that's what you get when you don't study...like me, but then again I ain't too shabby on reading between the lines. "Seriously?"
"Yup...Well, what're you waiting for? It's almost 8...in the morning!"
"Why, thank you, Heather...I think," I heard a familiar voice echo throughout the halls, and my head jerked up to my right.
"Ugh, but Alex! You know what it's about," I heard Ellie on my left groan. "Reader's Digest version, pleeeaase?" But, my mind was purely focusing on the budding skirmish between a certain prissy blonde and the school's wannabe popular chick.
"Oh, of course, Paige! Everyone eventually has to get their fashion tastes right after so many tries..." I snorted at her comment. "Today just happens to be your lucky day!" said Heather Sinclair as she quickly gave Paige an up and down once-over.
She started walking away, but by the way Paige was fuming with Spinner right behind her looking amused, I could already tell that this fight was far from over.
"Alex!" Ellie yelled into my ear trying to get my attention.
I leaned over still staring at the bizarre yet entertaining oddity. "Ellie, why read about it when you can just watch?" I explained as I pointed towards Paige Michalchuk and Heather Sinclair. I could tell then that that had caught her attention since I heard her close the book and set it down on the floor.
"Um, excuse me?" responded Paige with her hands on her hips.
Heather turned around. "What? I said you looked nice today...Is there a problem?"
"Are you kidding me?" Paige slightly giggled in an offended manner. "Wow, Sinclair. Only you know how to cook up an insulting compliment. Irony must be on your long list of 'Things to Do to Make Me Look Popular.'"
"Oh, Paige!" I could hardly contain the smile that was breaking out on my face as I saw her walk up to Princess "Humility." "Paige, Paige, Paige, Paige, Paige...I already run this school..."
This time, Paige was the one to move closer. "Oh, do you, hon?"
I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Hey...uh, I don't get it..."
I shook my head and leaned over to Ellie. "Queen Bee," I said as I pointed towards Paige Michalchuk. Then my finger moved across to Heather Sinclair. "Virgin Queen Bee...Not an exact representation, but it's still pretty close."
"Wow. Heather's a virgin?" she whispered.
My eyes rolled around, and I noticeably sighed. "That's not what I meant..." I turned my head to look at her. "Maybe you should just read the book."
"Well, I don't know which trash bin you buy your clothes from, but this?" said Paige as she pointed her finger up and down in front of Heather. "This will never be able to compete with me. So just back off you—you...you mirror whore!"
And by then, plenty of people had stopped to watch the latest in teen bickering. "Oh, so now, I'm the whore? Me? I'm the whore?" Heather leaned in closer. "Just who are you trying to fool, Michalchuk?"
As if someone had literally come up to her and slapped her in the face, Paige held an expression of shock, hurt, and anger all in one little ball. It looked as if Degrassi's Queen Bee had lost the battle...or gave up, I wasn't sure which one. Heather walked away with a victorious smile, and I had the strongest urge to yell something just to wipe that look off her smug face and piss her off, but I suppressed it. Paige wasn't the only one whose skin Heather Sinclair's "comments" crawled under.
But whatever that comment had meant, it looked as if it hurt Paige deeply. Just what was Heather implying by that anyways? Meanwhile, whispers had erupted throughout the entire hallway. Some were staring in Paige's and the Furby's general direction as were me and Ellie. It was like a car accident on the freeway: it was hard not to look.
Spinner placed his hand on Paige's shoulder looking sympathetic, but she angrily tore it away from him. "No! No, Spinner. Don't think that you can just suddenly come to my rescue after you've had the chance!"
And she started walking quickly towards me and Ellie's direction. But I couldn't resist placing my 2 cents into the tip jar. "Well, looks like our little Queen Bee lost her fight. Does this mean that Heather Sinclair is the new head honcho?" I said loud enough for Paige, who was already walking in front of me, to hear. But the most bizarre thing happened. She stopped to look at me, her eyes brimming with water and the tip of her nose turning a slight shade of red. I had instantly regretted my words.
She turned back keeping her head down walking towards the restrooms with not a single insulting word uttered back at me. I knew then that Heather Sinclair had struck a chord.
"All right. Good morning class," said our Entomology teacher now taking out his keys to open the door to the classroom. "Ready for that Tuesday morning quiz that I know everyone must be so excited about right now?" A few groans were thrown out into the air. "Great! Me too!"
As Ellie grabbed her bag and stood up while everyone made their way into the classroom, I kind of just sat there feeling uneasy about what just happened. I mean, I knew me and Paige Michalchuk weren't exactly "BFFs," but, something made me want to reach out to her and tell her that Sinclair was a bitch. I'm not all that insensitive.
"You comin'?" I heard Ellie ask me.
"Oh, yeah," I responded, picking up my book and bag following her into class.
Then again, maybe Paige was just being a drama queen.
A/N (2): Think Dean.