[ Dear Ashley ]

[ Dear Ashley Chapter One Contains;
Ashley//Paige//Terri//Hazel//Spinner//Jimmy//Craig]

A/N: The first chapter! Hope you like it!

[x] Craig never cheated on Ashley
[x] Terri never liked Spinner
[x] Paige never liked Spinner

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Dear Ashley,

The concert starts at 8:00 right? Well mom said she could drive us both back to the school so we can perform. Ash this is so great! I've been told I have acting skills and tonight I show them off! I hope Dylan doesn't take longer than an hour to do his hair. Such a drama queen.

I chuckle at the note. I open my black and green folder and slip it into the right side of it. I sit it down right next to my leg. I swing my short streaked hair around and look at who I Paige give the signal that I got the note. Paige grins and taps her pencil once while she fidgets before she gives at least half attention to Ms. Kwan.

"One more time, the report on Romance in The Hills is due Tuesday, on my desk, in the morning, or I mark it late. Come on lets get it together! You are all in grade ten, you should know this by now," Ms. Kwan said coming closer and closer to the class as her tall heels tell me. I abnormally count the seconds between each step, one one thousand two one thousand - clop. Two seconds. Terri's hand seems to excel in the corner of my eye. Terri raises her hand as she readjusts her stance to a tall tree. Ms. Kwan eyes the hand that is ornamented with a couple inexpensive bracelets and a yellow hair band that clashes with the rest of Terri's outfit. Ms. Kwans head bobs and Terri's hand unhurriedly glides down sitting peacefully on the table.

"Ms. Kwan, this is one of the most beautiful love stories ever written! But when you explained the assignment you said we would write about what this reminded us of and such but what if you have had nothing but bad relationships?" Terri asks referring to Rick. Ms. Kwan walks towards Terri each heel clopping after two seconds. Terri doesn't seem intimidated.

"Terri, this is not grade nine anymore. You know what I expect of you. If you don't do this assignment you'll really get a bad grade," Ms. Kwan says. "If you have nothing but bad relationships that's you. If that's what it reminds you of do it"

"But it's way too personal for my report!" Terri says before Ms. Kwan starts to walk away. Ms. Kwan is in one of her moods today. Her eyes lay on only you, it seems.

"You brought it up Terri. Do it," Ms. Kwan demanded. Terri looks irritated. I look over at Paige. She is writing something down with her favorite bright pink pen. She in no way uses it. She looks up and smiles at something across the room. I follow her eyes to Spinner. Grinning through his blonde hair. Paige's go-nowhere-crush has been promoted to lets-test- this-crush. I know these things. They'll be hooking up before you can blink. The bell sounds off and everyone seems to be out of his or her skin. I assemble my things and stuff them untidily into my book bag. Paige seems to meet beside me. I grin at her. Spinner walks by and smiles at me and Paige. Paige seems to smile back.

"Is it love?" I tease. Paige looks at me and chuckles.

"No way. Spin and I, strictly friends," Paige explains. I don't take my eyes off of her for a second. Paige seems to know it is a simple crush. "Okay, okay. I like him. But just a little bit," Paige decides.

"Ha, I knew it," I proudly say.

"What I'm really in love with is this concert. Like, how good does it get? I get to perform my solo on the stage in front of lots of people. Ash, what if by some miracle someone came and asked me for a career in singing?" Paige asks. I chuckle.

"Paige, what if some ones mom came and asked you for a career in singing?" I grin. Paige looks at me wide-mouthed and attracted.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot all about that! Ash, do you think you could get Toby's mom to come and watch the show?" Paige asks. I was just joking about what she said but somehow I wanted Paige to be in the limelight.

"No Paige. Toby's mom is way too busy. Plus, she's way too far away to be able to make it to the concert tonight!" I tell her. Paige moans.

"I can dream can't I?" Paige says exaggerating her manicured nails. I nod and Paige walks off.

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"I got it! I got the part! Heather Sinclair is still sick and the concert is tonight! Runner up substitutes! That's me!" Manny grins as she throws her arms around Craig. He smiles back.

"Sexy and talented," Craig looks at her through his brown curls. Manny chuckles and pushes him against his locker. He grips onto her tiny waist as she fervently kisses Craig. She pulls away. She gazes into his bright green eyes. Craig bites his lip in pleasure.

"I love you," Craig whispers. Manny makes a noise of bliss and whispers back.

"I love you too, Craig," as she goes in for an additional kiss, Craig's head turns to see the interrupting Spinner. Manny and Craig are staring at him now almost in anger. Manny looks back at Craig and brushes his hair away from his glowing eyes so he can see her smile. As she starts to back away she hurries up and gives Craig a quick kiss on the cheek before swaggering away.

"Wow," Spinner chuckles. Craig looks almost relieved as he starts to open up his locker. Spinner looks confused. "What was the occasion?" Spinner asked.

"She has a duet with Chris," Craig says. Spinner chuckles.

"Awesome! You mean that hip-hop duet? Manny is going to rock with Chris!" Spinner says in excitement. Craig looks at him a bit bemused. "I mean, talented-wise not getting-hooked-up-wise," Spinner gets into details. Craig starts to go through his locker again. Craig lets out a long sigh of dissatisfaction it seems. Spinner becomes mystified. "Dude, what is wrong with you? Your life is, envied," Spinner says.

"I know, I know. Spin, Manny is great! She's just everything that makes a guy, like me, into a man," Craig grins. Spinner nods his head. "Well what if that same girl becomes this clingy romantic chick who wants to be with you 24/7?" Craig asks. Spinner shakes his head. "Well, that's how she is getting. I mean, I want to be with her but man, she wants to control my life. She acts like I'm with every girl in the school"

"Suck it up, Craig. I mean, you did dump Ashley for her," Spinner shrugs. Craig shuts his locker and leans against it whirling his head towards Spinner.

"It was a good decision, right?" Craig asks. Spinner chuckles.

"Probably for other guys," Spinner grins. Craig sighs.

"No, she still isn't with anyone. I'm over her man; I mean she was no fun. Manny was the little excitement I needed," Craig nods in a smile. Spinner shrugs again.

"As long as you're over her"

"Spin, I am"

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"Terri, hey, wait up!" I call over to Terri as she carries her plate with her. I swiftly walk alongside Terri as we come within reach of an empty lunch table. Terri slams her tray down and with annoyance sits down while I carefully put down my tray and sit down one leg at a time. "Terri, you okay?" I guardedly ask. Terri narrows her eyes at me.

"I'm fine. Never better," Terri says looking down at her food once more.

"Terri, you're lying, remember, I know, your eye twitches," I remind her in a jokingly way. Terri doesn't seem amused.

"Ash, why am I so unattractive. Everyone says god makes you a certain way but why did he make me so ugly? So undesirable? I hate life!" Terri stomps off. She throws her tray out on the way and pushes through one of Degrassi's couples. They complain and then knot their hands collectively and walk off to a table bursting of blondes. I let out a sigh and pick up my tray. I find myself sitting between Paige and Jimmy. Across from Hazel and Spinner.

"How's Terri?" Paige asks staring at her manicured nails in admiration.

"Not good. I was talking to her and then she told me some stuff about not being the most gorgeous girl in the world," I explain. Everyone watches me go on. "What's wrong with her? She thinks she's so ugly. I think it has something to do with Ms. Kwan's assignment. Terri hasn't been acting like this for awhile," I add on. Hazel looks interested.

"She's always been complaining about that. She is just insecure, it's not a big deal," Paige shrugs.

"It is when Terri is unhappy. She still isn't over Rick. Even though she should be," Hazel says.

"Don't even mention his name," Jimmy says heatedly.

"Well what can we do? She'll have to get over it by herself," Paige finalizes the discussion. "Anyways-"

"I'm going to go find Terri," Hazel says standing up. Everyone watches her walk away.

"There goes Hero," Spinner says.

"Spinner, she's a friend," I simply say.

"She's a mother," Spinner chuckles. I awkwardly chuckle a bit too. Paige looks a little offended.

"Hello, immaturity! Spin, stop being an idiot, you're rubbing off on Ashley," Paige jokes. My smile still proceeds. Spinner looks over at me, and as Paige and Jimmy eat, me and Spinner jokingly although surreptitiously send smiles back and forth.