DISCLAIMER: I do not own Degrassi. If I did, I'd be married to Auburey Graham right now, or something. The only characters are mine are Sean's cousin and .. anyone else I make up.



chapter one: movin' on up.

Summer. The only time of the year where you could just kick back, relax, and enjoy no school, no homework, no teachers - and no drama. That's how the three months of total freedom were saw in the eyes of sixteen year old Sean Cameron. Grade 9 had been .. complete and utter hell, as Sean once put it. The D in DHS might as well had stood for drama, because Sean had his share of it, for his first year (which should have been his second) of high school.

Sometimes he regret making friends with Jay and his crew. That way he wouldn't have almost flunked, again, stolen from his ex's step-father, along with almost getting arrested not once, not twice, but three times through out the year. His drinking problem had gotten a tad worse since he partied every chance he was given with Jay and the crew, and to Sean's dismay, he and his brother, Tracker, had drifted apart. They argued more than ever, which ended in Sean getting the trailor to himself, which was a good thing, in his opinon. Even had lost to many people this year; his brother, his girlfriend ..

Emma. Emma Nelson. The self-proclaimed enviornmentalist, feminist, and 'prude princess', as Manuella Santos had called her. Sean and Emma had been on again, off again, and then back on again for the past three years. And when grade nine had come around, it started off rocky, as Emma wanted him to help her find her birth father. "I have shop class," he had told her, and to his dismay, she gave him that pissed, angry yet hurt look he was so use to, and shrugged it off.

That's where it started to go down hill.

They had gotten into a fight, because he was angry at her for not spending time with him. It felt kind of selfish, yes, considering what she was going through. Losing her best friend to the peer pressure of high school, her step-father being diagnosed with cancer, and baby-sitting her new born baby brother. Sean didn't see himself ever having time with her anymore, and they had argued, and when Emma had tried to aplogized, he acted like an ass and shuned her. Spat on her. Gave her dirty looks every chance he got.

She deserved it, in his eyes, especially now that she was with Chris, the guy who refered to Sean as "Slim Shady", which made Sean dislike him even more. It was bad enough he had to put up with him being with Emma - smiling at her, laughing with her, touching her .. it made him feel sick. It made him feel alone, unwanted.

He didn't need her anymore. Really.

The only thing that Sean had going for him lately was Ellie Nash. She understood him, and he her. They had similar backgrounds -- Ellie hated her mother just as much as Sean hated his parents. They were both unpopular for being different, which seemed to bring them closer, and Sean hadn't felt that way with Emma. With Emma, all he did was try not and screw up, not to look bad. He felt comfortable with Ellie. Which was why he was glad he sat through that Saturday dention from hell with her, Toby Issacs, his former "friend", Jimmy Brooks and Hazel Aden. It all seemed to be worth it -- if he hadn't broken up with Emma, hung out with Jay, got in trouble and sent to dention, he wouldn't be with Ellie. It was worth it.

Wasn't it?

A few weeks after Tracker had left, he had gotten a call from his mother. From what he could understand of her drunk babbling, he was apparently supposed to expect a phone call from his aunt, on his mother's side. He had asked his mother what about, but only gotten a rather loud, drunken giggle in response, and something Sean had determined was "I don't know, bye." Confused, he had hung up, thinking nothing of it.

But, for once, his mother had been right about something, and in the middle of watching TV one night, his phone rang. His Aunt Cordelia was on the other line, cheerful as ever, and he sometimes wondered how she and his mother were related. She asked him how he was, what Tracker was up too, if he was still dating that Emma girl .. and he had told he was fine, Tracker is still a lazy-ass, and that he and Emma had broken up, and that he was now with a girl named Ellie. After chit-chatting with her for a while, he raised an eyebrow, finally asking the question he had been wondering since his drunk mother had called; "What did you want to ask me?"

"Well, you know you're my favorite nephew.." was the response, and Sean could tell he was in for it now. When someone said he was his favorite anything, he knew he was pretty much screwed, and there was nothing he could do about it. He took a deep breathe, ready to face the worse, and listened to his aunt's voice on the other end.

Apparently his uncle and her had seperated, because he had hit her, which Sean had suspected for a long time. She had gotten a ton of money from him, and instead of having joint custody of his cousin, Veronica, that the judge was allowing her to move anywhere she wanted with her amount of money, as long as she had someone in the family living with her. Veronica conviently had chosen to move to Toronto from Wasaga Beach, and since Tracker was nowhere to be found, she wanted to live with Sean. "Only if you want too, though. There's no pressure."

Yeah, right. Like he could say no.

So he had agreed, and his Aunt was pleased, and told him about the house Veronica had purchased. It sounded great compared to Sean's damp and dark trailor, and when he asked her where it was in Toronto, he wished he never did. "Degrassi Street," his aunt said, and he felt a huge lump in his throat. The house was apparently across the street from the Nelson-Simpson residence, and to Sean's dismay, Emma wouldn't be moving any time soon. And so, reluctantly, he began to pack, along with Ellie's help, to move to Degrassi St., and prepared for his cousin Ronnie's arrival.

He was excited to see her. Especially since the last time they had seen each other, they had left it off on the wrong foot, and Sean felt bad for what he put her through. Ronnie had a boyfriend, Carter, who was a complete jackass, and Sean hated him with a passion. He remembered hearing him call Ronnie an "easy whore" to some of his friends, and laughing, and Sean had snapped, right there and then, in the middle of the hall way.

Carter was the guy who Sean had made half deaf.

The reason he was in Toronto, attending Degrassi, going through all the drama of his life, was because he was defending his favorite, innocent cousin.

Sean sat on the steps of his new house in his new neighboorhood, headphones blaring on his head, dressed in his regular attire -- a grey hoodie, wifebeater, and baggy jeans. He stared blankly at Emma's house across the street. When Emma had found out Sean was moving in the neighboorhood, he had heard an earful of complants from Mr. Simpson, of all people. He shrugged it off and thought nothing of it, and just as his ex's step-father being protective of his step-daughter. Ellie nearly cried from laughing when he had told her, which made him feel better about it. 'Atleast someone else thought Emma was being a total bitch,' he thought to himself.

He stood up, streching slightly as he continued to stare at the house across the street. He suddenly heard voices, one he recongized as Emma's, and the other he soon realized was Liberty Van Zandt's, and he groaned. Liberty had developed a crush on him, as her attempt to get over JT Yorke, and it made Sean completly sick to his stomach. He quickly pulled his hood over his now longer, surfer like blonde hair, starting towards the other way as he could feel Emma's angry eyes on his back.

As soon as he felt out of Emma's vision, he glanced towards her, and then rolled his eyes. 'It's better this way, Cameron. You have Ellie, Ronnie's coming here, and it's all good.', he reassured himself, and continued to walk down the street. He cursed at himself for even thinking about Emma, and also telling Ellie she could go ahead and go to some concert with Ashley Kerwin, and that he didn't need her to give him a ride to the airport. He groaned as he reached the basketball court at the local park, and leaned against the old, rusted fence. His eyebrows were raised slightly as he saw four figures playing basketball, and then realized who they were. Craig Manning, Spinner Mason, Marco del Rossi, and Jimmy Brooks. His former group of "friends."

He hadn't talked to Craig since he started hanging out with Jay, and a part of him felt bad for that. Craig had always been there for him, ever since they met, Sean was in grade eight, and Craig grade nine. But, he didn't see it as a one-sided friendship, and realized Craig had been busy himself, with the Ashley/Manny love triangle he had going on all year long. He didn't even know what was going on with that, but he could see why Craig wanted to be with both of them, considering he had a thing for Ashley once upon a time. And although he never wanted to admit it, Manny did look good all of a sudden, and had gone from an innocent little girl to a mature, sexy young woman. Craig was a lucky, lucky guy that either girls hadn't punished him as much as he deserved.

Spinner, even though he was a complete dumbass, was a good friend, Sean had to admit. Even though he babbled on about Paige way to much and followed her around like a lost puppy, Spin was an all right guy. He never knew why he and Spinner had stopped talking, and he assumed it was because Jimmy was his best friend, and would shun Spinner if he was caught talking to him.

Marco, Sean knew, didn't like him. He and Marco use to be friends, but ever since Ellie had came into Sean's life, Marco seemed angry at him. Why, he couldn't figure out, since Ellie had told him that Marco was beyond happy with Dylan. Sean had come to the conclusion that he was just being protective of Ellie, his best friend, and former "girlfriend", and Sean had to get use to that. He didn't want too, exactly, but he had too, if he didn't want to be chewed out by Ellie.

And then there was Jimmy. The two had never gotten along in the first place, especially after Sean's little make-out session with Ashley when she took E. The two had gotten into a ton of fist fights, over Ashley, and basketball, and it seemed like they would never get along. Spinner finally convinced Jimmy to suck it up and invite Sean to a party he was having, and the two seemed like they could get over their differences, but Sean had made it worse by stealing Jimmy's parent's liquior. He and Jimmy hadn't talked since.

Shrugging, realizing he still had to find a ride, Sean pushed himself off the fence, and started to walk away. It's not like any of them were to talk to him, anyway.

"Hey, Sean!"

Or not. Sean's bushy eyebrows were raised as he turned around to see Craig making his way towards him, Marco not so far behind. Spinner and Jimmy were still playing ball, and Jimmy shot Sean a dirty look every chance he got.

"What up, man." Sean said, grinning as Craig and himself exchanged a hug/handshake. He then looked to Marco, nodding upwards, "Hey, Marco."

"Hi." Marco replied dryly. Sean couldn't help but roll his eyes, and looked back over to Craig.

"You wanna stick around and play some two on two? Marco keeps saying he needs to go cause he has a date, and I'm sure you n' I can take on Spin's lazy ass and Jimmy." Craig said, a cocky grin on his face as he got the finger from Jimmy in response.

"You wish, Manning!" Spinner had called out, making his way over to the three now. Jimmy followed, still giving Sean a look. "Hey, Sean."

"Hey, Spin." Sean said, nodding some, "But nah, I'd love to kick your guys' asses, but I gotta pick up my cousin Ronnie up at the airport and I need to get a ride."

"We can give you one," Spinner blurted out, and was elbowed by Jimmy, "What! Damn, did Paige teach you that? Anyway. Jimbo here has his new escalade, and we can get your cousin, and he can play three-on-three with us instead, so Marco can stick around a while longer."

"It's fine, man, I can just wal.."

"Chicken?" Jimmy interupted, a sly, yet cocky grin on his face. Sean glared at him, and Craig cleared his throat, sensing the sudden tension.

"Well! Let's get going, we don't want to miss your cousin's flight." He said, pushing Sean towards Jimmy's escalade, the other three following.

'This is gonna be a long ass car ride,' Sean thought to himself, making a face.