He steps off the bus taking a deep breath. Pausing, he looks around at the town he'd left a year before. The little restaurant he's spent countless hours at, and even got expelled from (That didn't last very long. He was back in there one week later), stands directly in front of him. His grip on the envelope in his hand grows tighter as he skims the restaurant through the window, looking for any familiar face. If all goes according to plan, Sean Cameron is back for good.

There's a sharp pain in his back. Turning quickly, he sees a line of people trying to pile out of the bus. "You going to move or just stand there like a cripple?" Why did the man have to use that word? Jay had called while Sean was with his parents one day, telling him about Jimmy being in a wheelchair, possibly for the rest of his life.

"I'm moving, sorry," he said, stepping quickly to the side, but still looking into the restaurant. This is impossible. How could nobody be in there? There's always somebody from the group in there. Maybe it's for the best. Unless he was sure he was staying, he didn't want many people knowing about his presence, anyway.

He slowly starts walking in the direction he had planned to go in days before, talking lightly to himself as his pace grows faster. "She has to be there. Where else would she be?" He walks down the street not recognizing a soul. The last time he was here he couldn't take a step without someone calling out his name. The silence is comforting.

He stares, stopping dead in his tracks, and not believing he's here again. It seems like just yesterday she was in his arms. "She has to be here," he reminds himself, taking a few steps forward. After all, everyone knows Emma Nelson practically lives in the Ravine.

As he makes his way through the ravine, his heart breaks more with every step. Garbage lines each trail into the woods. She must have not been around lately, after all. He hears some leaves crunching. Wanting to turn away, he brings himself to approach the clearing where two people are having the same fun that he once had in this place with her—the day he broke her heart.

Suddenly realizing how Kendra must have felt that day, he turns to leave. Until he hears, "Ouch, Peter. You're on my hair." He stops, recognizing the voice right away. No. This is not possible. He did not come all this way to find Emma with another guy. He turns back around slowly, seeing what he feared to be. Indeed, it was Emma, now back to a full make-out session with some blond boy Sean had never seen before. Taking notice that he obviously is not needed, he turns and walks in the opposite direction, out of the ravine.

* * * * *

He sits silently in the Dot, thinking of what to do next. In all of the different ways he had imagined this trip going, he'd never imagined her having a boyfriend. Of course it was possible, but it was something her had been hoping he wouldn't even have to think about. It seemed he was wrong there. The bell above the doors rings, and he ducks as the one he should be coming back to walks into the Dot. Finally a familiar face. He quickly holds the large manila folder still in his hand in front of his face, disguising himself.

Ellie Nash goes straight up to the counter. "Can I have a coffee?"

The man behind the counter responded in a bored voice. "With cream and sugar?" Thinking fast, Sean pulls out his cell phone, making a large change to his plan for his return.

"No, black. That's just fine." Her phone starts ringing, which she pulls out immediately. "Hello?"

He freezes for a moment, talking without thinking. "Ellie. It's Sean."

Eyes widening slightly, she gives a small half laugh. "Sean Cameron. I've barely heard from you in a year." Well, at least she knew what Sean he was talking about. "What's going on?"

"Why don't you look down the bar and find out?" He can feel her eyes fall on his as he removes the folder from his face and looks at her. She looks exactly the same as when he left her, but a lot better at the same time. They both hang up their phones as he stands as approaches her, both smiling. Without thinking, he reached over and hugged her.

"Hey, stranger," she said, coming out of the tight embrace. He didn't notice the awkwardness and anger behind her voice.

"Aw, you look amazing. I can't even believe it's you." He knew it was the wrong thing to say as he finished saying but, but it was too late now. Her awkward look and matching silence says enough. "Sorry. Erm—that came out wrong."

"Yeah, you always were a wizard with the compliments." The sarcasm in her voice instantly reminds him why he went to the blond for. No. She's with that Peter guy. "You look good, too, by the way. So, what brings you to Toronto?"

He has to think of a quick lie. "I'm meeting with banks for a loan. I'm opening up my own shop—customizing bikes." He holds up the envelope as if it had something to do with the banks his lie just explained.

She lets out another half laugh, looking from the envelope in his hand back to his eyes. "Wow, look at you, Mr. Future Entrepreneur."

With all seriousness in his tome, he's now looking her straight in the eyes. "I've done some growing up."

"Me too. It's actually kinda' built into the whole 'getting older' thing." Again with the sarcasm.

"I'm serious. I'm not the guy you used to know. A lot have things have changed, I know what I want. And I'm gonna' get it." Well… some of it.

"Mm. The guy that bailed on me with an apartment I couldn't afford." So that's what all the sarcasm is about.

Confusion enters his voice. "That was a year ago."

"So?" She practically cuts him off. "There an expired date on being pissed? Sean, I'm still mad at you."

"And I'm still sorry." He sighs. "Look, after the shooting, I--I needed to go home. I—there was some stuff I needed to think about." His nerves are growing. How could she try to make him feel guilty about needing to go home? Did she really expect him to be able to handle that school everyday? Then again, Emma did.

"Yeah well, I needed stuff, too. And now, I need to get to school." He hadn't even realized it was a weekday. How early had he arrived?

She starts to walk away, but he stops her quickly. "Just here me out." To his surprise, she stops and looks at him, wondering what he's going to say. "It's been a year since we broke up and a lot of things have changed. But not how I feel about you." You know you can't lie, Sean. Stop it before you hurt both of you. He continues, ignoring his own advice. "Alright? I still care about you, Ellie."

He almost has to force himself to lean in and try to steal a kiss from her, which she accepts at first, before realizing what's happening and pushing off. "Woah, Sean. When you moved to Wasaga, I moved on. I'm sorry."

The memory of seeing Emma earlier races back into his head. Did Ellie find someone else, too? "Boyfriend?"

"No. But I do like someone. A lot." There's a slight sadness in her voice.

He raises his head, only slightly hurt. It seems as though this city doesn't want him back at all. "Who?" Again, he knew it was wrong before it even came out, but he couldn't take it back.

Another half laugh before she gives the answer he was expecting. "That's none of your business. Not anymore." More awkwardness takes control and she takes the opportunity to leave. "Good luck with the bank lone. Bye."

She's out the door before he can even get "bye" out of his mouth. He slowly looks down at the envelope, removing the paper from inside. He stares at the collage of him and all of his friends from Degrassi for a moment before tearing it up, letting the pieces fall to the grounded. It would be best for everyone if he would just go back to Wasaga Beach, never to return again.

Not wanting to be in this town any longer, he rushes out of the Dot to check the bus schedule, finding out when the next bus will be coming.

He hears the shoes clicking on the cement and stopping only feet away, but he doesn't look over. He's not looking anywhere—just listening. He's waiting to hear the shoes walk off, not wanting him around. "Sean?"

The sound of his name flowing off her lips instantly erases the scene from the ravine from his memory, replacing it with a reminder of why he really returned. He looks over towards her thin frame, and his heart melts at the sight of her surprised, smiling face. "Emma. Hey."

She glances around, searching for an answer. "What are you doing here?"

He sighs and points at the bus schedule. "I was actually getting ready to leave."

She looks upset, but turns around to see the red head still struggling to escape him. The blond silently turns back, looking fully sympathetic. "Didn't go too well with Ellie?" He shrugs his shoulders like he's done so many times before, but it was more than enough of an answer for her. "Listen, Sean. In Wasaga, you apologized." He looks back over, remember when the connection was rekindled on the beach. "I thought I should, too."

Complete seriousness takes control of his face again. She doesn't have to apologize to him. He glances back at the bus schedule before looking back at her. "The next bus isn't until 1:30." Their eyes meet, both pairs showing their nerves. "If you want to meet me during your lunch period, we could maybe catch up."

Guilt fills her eyes as the scene in the ravine re-enters his mind. How could he have forgotten about that? Her eyes are wide now as she takes a large step back. "I—" She takes another step back. "I'm sorta' seeing someone." With that, she finishes her rotation and runs off towards the school. Sean is left heartbroken for the third time that morning.

The rest of the morning is a blur to him. He basically just sulks around scolding himself for almost every decision he ever made in his life. After torturing his stomach for an hour, he gives in and enters the Dot for a late lunch. "Just a turkey sandwich, please." He waits for the waiter to be almost finished before adding, "Could I actually get a little more mayonnaise on that?" When the waiter goes to follow his instructions, he says a quiet "thanks."

The next thing Sean knows, the man who was standing next to him has been pushed out of the way and a familiar voice fills his ears. "Well, if it isn't Degrassi's favorite runaway."

Surprised, Sean looks over, instantaneously remembering that Jay had told him about his expulsion. "Jay, man. What's up?" He reaches up and the old best friends hug.

Pulling away, Jay replies "I heard you were back in town."

Duh. I'm here, aren't I? "Yeah, word travels." But how did it get to him so quickly? Both of the people he'd ran into were on their way to school. "I'm not hanging around, though. Trying to keep it on the DL."

A sly smile grows on Jay's face—one Sean's grown overly accustomed to. "Boy, you know you can't hide from me." Sean smiles. I can hide some stuff from you. He shakes that thought away. "So what's up? You chasing some sweet Wasaga tail?"

"Trying to keep out of trouble, actually."

"Come on, Mr. Modesty. Rumor has it you're opening up a bike shop." He must have run into Ellie on her way to the school. He hadn't told Emma about the Bike shop, not that it really existed, anyway. He gives a fake smile, as if it were true. "Nice. Turn your back on your friends, skip town, still everything turns out just peachy for you." He seems angry as he speaks.

"Dude, it wasn't an easy decision, alright." He's not going to be put down. He's been putting himself down enough recently.

"Man, you chickened out. You—you bailed on everyone when things got too scary."

"Give me a break." What else could he say?

Jay's definitely angry. "What about me, huh? Since you left Spinner's Christian'd out, all my friends are drug dealers, whose names I don't even know, good luck getting Alex back."

"What? And all that is supposed to be my fault?"

"What about the mod shop that we planned to open up one day, huh? What about what you promised? Not only me, but that sweet little redhead you left behind."

Sean quiets his voice at this point, ready to tell hid biggest lie of the day. "Why the hell do you think I came back."

Jay's sly grin returns as his voice rises. "Ah, now we're getting somewhere."

Sean continues with his hushed tone. "There is no mod shop, alright? It was just an excuse to come here and see Ellie." Another lie. "And if you think everything's peachy in Wasaga, think again."

"So move back. We'll hang out, get our rage on, maybe those two honeys will give us another shot." With that, he pulls the color of his shirt down, revealing the "Alex" tattoo he got in Wasaga the day he decided to stay.

Flashback

The car is zooming down the road, the girls in back, guys in front. Jay spots a tattoo parlor, and pulls over to the curb. "Get out. We're getting tattoo's."

Sean can't help but laugh. "No way, man. I thought we were going back to my—"

"We'll go to the lunchbox after. I've wanted to do this for years."

Sean sighs, but walks out of the car. "I can't believe you're making me do this."

In a parlor, they are skimming the different shapes when the artist walks over. "You two eighteen?"

"Would we be here if we weren't?" Jay has become a very impressive liar over the years. "So we each want our girlfriends' names." He smiles at Sean. "Him first."

Sean nods as he's instructed to sit in the chair. "Remember these must stay covered for twenty-four hours once finished or they could grow infected." Sean's eyes widen. That would mean nobody would see it until—"So, what's her name?"

Sean sighs, still not believing he actually let Jay talk him into this. "Ellie. E-L-L-I-E." Without another word, the artist takes his black dye and begins his work. Sean's E is in places when another artist enters the parlor. Without speaking, Jay leaves Sean's side and walks into another room. As the artist reaches up to start the L, Sean pulls away, making sure the door separating his room from Jay's is completely closed. "Wait." With the conversation on the beach fresh in his mine, Sean sighs once more. "Change of plans."

End Flashback

Sean stares at Alex's name not Jay's slightly hairy chest, feeling guilty about not being honest with him. Jay reaches over and starts to pulls down Sean's shirt, too. "Still got yours?"

Sean catches his hand just before he uncovered more than the same E he's seen that day. "Still got it."

Jay lets out a chuckle. "Well, at least no one can mistake Ellie for a guy's name."

Unable to respond to that, Sean simply nods. "Look, my bus is leaving in ten minutes."

"Alls I know, as long as you've got that tattoo, you won't be gone for long." With that he stands and walks out of the Dot. When he knows it's safe, Sean stands and pulls his collar down, staring at "Emma" written on his chest. Jay might just be right…