"Can't believe I made it this far..." Ellie Nash though to herself, as she walked towards the front steps of Degrassi Community School. She stopped right infront of the steps, and took a quick look around. So many people...giggling, hugging, happy to see each other after two months away from school. Watching everyone hugging, laughing, comparing tans, always made Ellie feel depressed. It was the end of the summer, and another 10 months of school would be starting once again.
Besides this effect, everyone had seemed to fogotten the shooting. The effect seemed to have worn off everybody, and the sadness lifted away.
"...Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen, oh we're still so young, deperate for attention..." she sang under her breath. Her dyed black hair hung just past her shoulders and she dawned a black H.I.M tank, black boy shorts, and black hightop converse. Who was this girl? None other than Roxi Nash. She had just moved in with her cousin Ellie in Ontario after getting kicked out of her parent's home in Pennsylvania. She eyed the people excitedly sharing stories and comparing tans. "Here we go," she muttered.
Ellie turned around. "Roxi!" She shouted, and ran over to her. "So, you ready for your first day?"
"Let's just get the torture over with," Roxi said. "I hate being the new freak in town."
"You're not the only freak. Look at me." Ellie said, and gestured at her clothing. it consisted of black boots, a black pleaded skirt, black fishnet stockings, black arm socks, a black and red shirt, and a small black sweatshirt. She looked back up, and brushed a curl out of her hair.
Roxi shrugged and smiled. "Yes, but you have friends here, I don't," she pointed out.
Ellie looked at her like she was insane. "Then what am I?"
"Just some bitch I'm related to," Roxi joked.
"Gee, thanks" Ellie said in a sarcastic tone. "So, anyway, what's your first class?"
"English with Miss Quann," Roxi replied, not at all excited. "At least that'll be an escape...seeing how I love reading and writing. What you got?"
"Math," Ellie said, uninterested. "I have English after that."
"Cooliez," Roxi said, feeling someone watching her. She looked over to see a boy with longish hair looking at her. She turned back to Ellie. "Who's that?" she asked.
Ellie turned to look at who she was talking about. "That's Craig."
"Does he usually stare at people?" Roxi asked.
"Not really." Ellie said, cocking her head to the side.
Roxi frowned. "Okies then," she said slowly as the first period bell rang. "Shall we dive into the depths of Hell?"
"Sure. Whatever." Ellie said, rolling her eyes as she started towards the doors.
"What?" Roxi asked innocently. "Did I really say something to deserve that attitude?"
"Like I do?" Roxi scoffed. "My old school sucked ass and I don't expect this school to be much better..."
"So then. We both don't wanna go to school." Ellie said.
Roxi turned into Miss Quann's room. "See ya," she said as she walked in and took a seat in the back.
"Yeah..." Ellie said, and walked slowly towards the math room. She sat down next to Craig, in the far back. "So, why were you staring at Roxi before? You got the hots for my cousin?"
"Who?" He asked her.
"She's my cousin. That girl I was with this morning." Ellie said, slowly.
"Oh, her..." Craig said, and as he realized who Ellie was talking about, a smile creeped up on his face.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
A blonde girl, in her senior year about, was sitting in the back of Ms. Quann's classroom. She looked, and she saw another girl walk in the classroom. "Okay..." She said. The girl didn't seem to be a person she'd usually talk to. She looked new, too.
Roxi flipped to a page in the back of her notebook and began doodling and writing a new poem.
Paige Michalchuk watched as the girl opened her notebook and started drawing. She thought for a moment. Maybe she should take a chance and talk to the girl. She got up, and sat next to her.
"If only you could notice me, if only you would care..." Roxi wrote in her notebook.
Paige decided to start the conversation. "What are you writing about?" She asked.
"Depression...suicide...my usual," Roxi said, looking over at Paige. She was surprised to see a prep talking to her.
"Oh, wow." Paige said, blinking. "You usually write?"
"Yeah, when I'm bored or am struck with inspiration," Roxi replied. She didn't care if she freaked people out, she was just herself and there was nothing she could or would do about it.
"Cool. I can barely write anything. I'm suprised I'm passing this class at all." Paige said. The girl seemed nice enough.
Roxi smiled slightly. "I couldn't imagine that..." she said, shaking her head. "I've always loved to write."
"That's a really good quality to have." Paige said. "I'm more of...hm...the spirit squad type."
"Spirit squad?"Roxi asked. "You mean cheerleading?"
"Yeah, but we call it spirit squad." Paige said. "It's the same exact thing, though. Jumping around, being loud, pom-poms, yatta yatta."
Roxi smirked. "Yeah, I know the drill," she said. "I was a cheerleader in the end of 6th and beginning of 7th grade, but I dropped out. I only cheered at one basketball game and no football games."
"Really? You were a cheerleader? Interesting..." Paige said, drifting off for a moment. Since Manny Santos had been kicked off the squad, they were missing a person. But this girl seemed extremely unlikely to even have the thought of joining the squad.
"I know, I don't look the part. To be honest, I kinda miss the stunts...they were pretty sick. We didn't do wimpy thigh stands...we did the real stuff," Roxi said.
"So do we." Paige said, then thought very hard for a moment. "You ever think of trying out for our spirit squad? I mean, you could try. I don't know if you'd want to, though. No offense..."
Paige was trying as hard as she could not to say something mean. But she couldn't help but sound a bit like it. That was just...Paige.
Roxi shrugged. "I'll think about it...I'm amazed you don't have some kind of rules against unnatural hair colors," she said. "My middle school didn't let anyone have a color that someone couldn't be born with, black included in that rule. I'd be screwed. The high school was the same, but then my parentals moved me to a new school last year and now I'm here."
"Interesting." Paige said, not understanding a word the girl had just said. "So anyway, what's your name? I'm Paige. Paige Michalchuk."
"Roxi Nash," she said, offering her hand with painted black nails
Paige shook her hand. "Nash? Are you related to Ellie Nash, by chance?"
Roxi nodded. "Yeah, she's my cousin...why?"
"Just wondering." Paige said. She thought Roxi looked familiar.
"'Kay," Roxi replied, returning to her notebook. A few minutes later the bell rang. She slipped her notebook into her black messenger bag and headed towards the exit.
Paige got up, and smiled. Roxi wasn't at all what she had expected.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Ellie and Craig walked out of the math room at the same time. Ellie spotted Roxi. "Roxi!" She shouted throught the crowd of students.
Roxi hurried over. "Hey, how was math?" she asked, smirking slightly.
"Good, good." Ellie said. "How was your first class?"
"Not bad...I got asked to try out for the spirit squad..." Roxi said.
"Really? By who?" Ellie asked, curious.
"Paige Michalchuk," Roxi said.
"Wha...wait, Paige asked you? Paige talked to you?" Ellie said, a bit shocked.
"Yeah...I know, it's weird for a prep to talk to me..." Roxi replied, laughing slightly.
"Paige never talks to anyone like us. That is completely weird." Ellie said, looking at Craig. Then it dawned on her. She smirked. "Oh, Roxi, this is my friend Craig. Craig, this is my cousin, Roxi."
"Hey," Roxi said, offering her hand.
"Hey. I saw you earlier with Ellie." Craig said, shaking Roxi's hand.
Roxi smiled. "Yeah, I'm usually with her a lot...she's probably sick of me," she said, looking over at Ellie.
"Yeah. I'm totally sick of you. Go away." Ellie said, jokingly, "Just kidding. I'm totally not sick of you."
"Fine bitch! Just leave me and my notebook alone!" Roxi laughed.
"Relax, Roxi. I ain't leaving you alone." Ellie said. "Not in your, er, 'time of need'." She smirked.
Roxi gave her a look and pointed her finger at her. "I know where you sleep," she warned.
"Oh dear god she's stalking me." Ellie joked.
Craig quietly laughed at the two.
"Who would wanna stalk a freak like you?" Roxi retorted.
"I wouldn't be talking!" Ellie laughed.
"Oh shut up!" Roxi laughed.
"I'd rather not," Ellie said, "I like talking."
Roxi turned to Craig. "I feel bad for you..." she said, shaking her head slightly. "You've had to deal with this more often than me."
"Nah. Don't feel bad," Craig said, smiling slightly, "You get used to it. It takes a while, but you eventually do get used to it."
Ellie turned to Craig. She punched him in the arm.
"See? That didn't even hurt!" Craig said, laughing. Ellie gave him a look, then started giggling.
"Hey, what period do y'all have lunch?" Roxi asked suddenly.
"Um, fifth." Ellie said, "Why?"
"Sameness," Roxi said. "I was just curious by the way..."
"Maybe we could hang." Craig suggested.
Roxi shrugged. "Sounds cool with me..."
"Yeah." Ellie said.
"I better get going or I'll be late for art," Roxi said.
"Okay, bye!" Ellie said.
"Later!" Roxi said, walking away. "Nice meeting you, Craig!"
"You too!" Craig said.
Ellie and Craig both walked to their classes.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Roxi got in line for lunch, and noticed Paige ahead of her. "Hey," she said.
Paige turned around. She notice it was Roxi, and smiled. "Hey!" Paige said, as nice as she could. She had to get this girl to like her so she'd join the spirit squad.
"I hate to break it to ya, but your friendly voice sounds a tad on the forced side, no offense," Roxi said.
"Oh, sorry." Paige said. 'Dammit. Caught.' She thought to herself.
Ellie and Craig walked into the lunchroom. Craig was the one who spotted Roxi, and walked right to her. "Hey!" He said happily.
"iHola!" Roxi said, smiling. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just extremely tired." Ellie said. "I dunno about Craig here, though."
"Oh, I'm tired..." Craig said.
"After sleeping in 'til noon almost everyday, getting up at six is quite a shocker to my system," Roxi laughed, taking a quick glance at Paige.
Paige just looked at her. How dare Craig and Ellie intrude on her conversation with Roxi.
"Aha. It's always been like that with me." Ellie said.
"Is something wrong?" Roxi asked Paige, noticing her look.
Paige blinked once. "No, everything's fine. Don't worry about it." She said, and turned around and walked to her usual table.
Roxi raised her eyebrows, but said nothing more. "So, where ya wanna sit?" she asked, paying for her lunch and turning to look at Ellie and Craig.
"I dunno." Ellie said, "How about outside?"
"Dude, you guys can sit outside? Wow, my school was seriously lamer than I thought," Roxi laughed.
"Your school sucked." Ellie said. "Remember when I went there? I almost got kicked out not even halfway through my first day."
Roxi laughed. "That's becuase you told the assistant principal to 'shut the fuck up,' remember?"
"Yeah. That guy was pissing me off bad." Ellie snorted. "I was ready to kick his ass."
"What was going on?" Craig asked.
"Don't remember that detail, you'll have to ask El that," she replied.
"He kept saying shit to me, like 'Don't do that!', 'That's not right!', and so on and so on. Until I finally got so pissed off I just went all up in his face and said 'Shut the fuck up!'" Ellie said.
Roxi sat down at a table and started to eat her lunch.
Craig looked at Ellie like she had five heads. "Okay." He said, and sat down. Ellie did the same.
Roxi laughed at Craig's expression. "That's how I see her, too," she joked.
"Shut up." Ellie said. She did not have a lunch with her. So she just sat staring at the table.
"El...you need to eat something," Roxi said seriously. "Here, have my cookie."
"No, I'm fine, I'm not hungry," Ellie replied.
"I'm onto you," Roxi said quietly.
"Ellie, you okay?" Craig asked.
"I'm fine, okay?" Ellie snapped at him.
"Ellie, what's up? And don't give me that shit about being fine!" Roxi snapped back.
"Nothing, seriously. I'm just tired is all." Ellie said.
Craig looked at her for a moment. "You're lying."
"No, I'm not." Ellie said.
"Ellie, don't make me beat it out of you," Roxi threatened. "'Cause you know I will..."
"There's nothing wrong!" Ellie snapped at her. "I'm fine!"
"Goddamnit, Ellie! I know you better than to believe you!" Roxi growled menacingly.
"Yeah? Well fuck off!" Ellie screamed at her, and ran off.
Craig sat there shocked. Ellie had never acted like this, ever. Since he had first met her, he had never seen her get so pissed.
Roxi sighed. "I'll get it out of her later," she muttered, watching her cousin run away.