The Suffering
Disclaimer: Still don't own Degrassi. The title of this chapter is another Coheed & Cambria song. Hmm… I should really pick a new band, but they happen to be what I listen to all the time, especially when I write.
A/N: Much love to everyone who reviewed and added me to their favorites. I heart you all! However, shame on everyone who added my stuff to favorites/alerts and didn't comment. I love that you guys like my stuff, but come on, it only takes a minute to write a quick "it was good" or "it sucked" so do it, it makes me happy!
For everyone being like "do they know is Marco gay?" No, they didn't. Sorry if I wasn't clear about that. They were suggesting he take Ellie to the dance, but he changed the subject to avoid having to talk about it, you get it? But that doesn't really matter since the rest of this story takes place after they've graduated. Sorry for all of you people that were expecting to see more scenes with the three amigos. The beginning was just showing the back story, but there will be flashbacks.
Ah, and I also have no idea when JT died… it was sometime during first semester, right? If not, it is now.
This is a sorta long chapter, so if you hate reading long things, you can really just read the ending.
Chapter I: 2113
October 19, 2007
The Del Rossi/Michalchuk/Nash Household
On the television, a man was talking to his children. A laugh track rolled on in the background. Marco rolled his eyes and snuggled closer into his boyfriend Dylan's chest. Dylan, whose arm had already been around Marco, gave him a light squeeze and smiled down at him. Marco looked up and returned the smiled. Their roommate, Ellie, who was sitting on the recliner adjacent to the couch they were on cleared her throat loudly and smirked at them. Marco glanced over at Ellie and gave her an innocent smile before Dylan leaned in and kissed him. Ellie rolled her eyes at her two friends and stood up to give them some alone time when the TV program was suddenly cut short, being replaced by the familiar theme of the Toronto News.
"Good evening, everyone," a woman began, "Elizabeth Foster here bringing you a breaking news story at 9:13 PM. Somewhere along the 2600 block of Grove Street in southern Toronto, a fatal stabbing has recently taken place within the past half hour. The victim was a teenage boy, but for privacy reasons, currently no other information can be released. There is more on this story to come tonight on the ten o'clock news, but for now, it's back to your scheduled programming."
Ellie grew pale at the sudden news and slumped back into the recliner. Marco sat up and rushed over to his friend. Dylan stayed in his position on the couch, but looked ready to get up at a moment's notice. Marco was now kneeling in front of Ellie who was laying back on the recliner staring blankly at nothing.
"El, what is it, what's wrong?" He said in a comforting tone.
"That block she mentioned," she replied in a hoarse tone. "Emma lives there."
"They said it was a boy, El, not a girl. Mr. Simpson is too old and her brother is too young."
"No, no they were having a party at her house today. I overheard Jay and Spinner talking about it yesterday when I was at the Dot."
"Ok…." Marco said slowly, trying to figure things out. "Since when would you be worried if Jay or Spin got stabbed or stabbed someone?"
"Sean was supposed to be going… you know him and Emma…" she sighed.
Marco nodded in understanding. "I get you now, you're always gonna worry about that boy even if it is a little bit. I'm sure he's fine. That could be anyone, we don't know what happened."
"Yeah," Dylan spoke up suddenly. "Let's just wait for the news later and see what really happened."
Ellie sat up in the recliner and curled herself into a ball. She figured they were right, and there was no reason for her to be worrying over something she didn't know about. Marco returned to the couch but sat there feeling tense. Dylan wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder again, but didn't make any moves on him. The room was silent save for the TV, which had resumed the cheesy sitcom. They continued to sit there in silence for another three minutes before a frantic knocking on the door scared them. Ellie let out a scream and curled up tighter. Marco clung to Dylan who glanced at the door warily. The knocking continued.
Dylan stood up, nearly pulling Marco up with him. Marco leaned on the arm of the couch watching Dylan and hoping there wasn't a knife toting psycho on the other end of the door. He shook his head, thinking he was being crazy. The block Emma lived on was at least thirty minutes walking distance from their house. There was no way a killer could run that fast. Not to mention the news story had just been five minutes ago, though Elizabeth Foster had said the stabbing had been a half hour ago, meaning someone could have ran to their house that fast. Marco stood up and shook his head again, trying to clear his mind. He moved towards the door, ready to protect Dylan.
Cautiously, Dylan opened the door and then broke into a smile. He started laughing and moved out of the doorway, allowing the knocker to come inside. It was none other than Alex. She was clearly a little tipsy and visibly shaken. Marco walked up to his old friend and gave her a hug. He led her over to the couch and took a seat next to her. Ellie looked over at Alex but kept the blank expression on her face.
"Alex, weren't you watching TV or listening to the radio? Someone just got stabbed near Emma's house and you're walking around all drunk banging on peoples doors?" Mario said his tone half serious and half joking.
Alex shook her head dismissively. "No, you don't… understand… I was there. Jay drove me. Lakehurst bastards… he's dead." She mumbled. Whether she was too drunk or too scared to string a sentence together, they were unsure.
"Who," Ellie sat up. "Was it Sean? Alex, what happened?"
"Not Sean…" she replied. "Sean was… I don't know. The Lakehurst kids… Jay threw them out… they… they killed… JT is gone."
Yet another silence filled the room. They all absorbed what Alex had just said. JT Yorke was gone. Dylan looked thoughtful. He remembered his sister Paige telling him about how the girls paid her to go on a date with JT, and how she felt horrible when they revealed this right in front of him. Dylan also remembered her saying how she may have had a small crush on the boy at the time. He knew she was going to be crushed when she heard the news.
Marco had memories of JT, but none of them were really that personal. Sure, they had talked a few times here and there, but nothing more than that. From what he knew though, JT had been a good kid and he didn't deserve whatever happened to him. Ellie too had memories, and unlike Marco, hers were somewhat personal. She remembered one time, when she still hung out with Ash, when the two girls played a game of Monopoly with Toby and JT. She had landed on one of JT's properties and had to pay him for it. She remembered him joking around with her using a mobster type voice when he demanded the money. She smiled fondly at this memory and wondered why someone as good as JT had to go.
Alex sat there feeling completely numb. She kept replaying the night over in her head. Of course, she couldn't remember anything. She remembered going in with Jay helping him bring in the beer. They had drunk a few cans at her house with Chad and her mother and had shown up with a slight buzz. She couldn't remember much else aside from a stunning blonde that she didn't know dancing with her. The blonde reminded her so much of… No, she wasn't going to sit there thinking of the girl who had controlled her thoughts ever since a winter day back in grade nine. She tried to focus her thoughts again on the party, but they kept drifting back to the blonde.
"Paige," Alex mumbled, not realizing what she was doing.
"What?" Ellie looked at her friend in surprise.
"I'm sure she means we should call her," Marco said quickly. "You know, since she did know JT and everything."
Dylan nodded. "Yeah, you guys stay in here, I'll go call her." He left the three in the living room and headed for the kitchen to call his sister.
Alex sat there with a dazed look on her face. Ellie looked at her and then to Marco with a question in her eyes. Seeing his friends look, Marco shook his head. Alex's feelings for Paige were something that only the two of them- and Paige- knew about, and he planned to keep it that way. The ten o'clock news came on and, of course, the opening story was on JT's murder.
"Good evening, everyone; this is Elizabeth Foster here bringing you tonight's ten o'clock news. Our opening story is on the stabbing of a young teenager."
The news shifted from the anchor to a shot outside of Emma's house. JT's car could be seen and under the streetlamp the blood could be seen on the car door. Police tape was surrounding the area and the street was empty aside from a few police officers.
"School rivalry took a deadly turn tonight when Degrassi Community School's JT Yorke, a senior, was stabbed upon leaving his friend's house on the 2600 block of Grove Street in southern Toronto. It is unknown who his attacker was, but many close friends and other Degrassi students are pointing fingers towards Lakehurst High School, on the north side of Toronto, due to an earlier altercation involving Lakehurst students and Yorke. A student who chooses to remain anonymous has stepped forward to provide the police with a lead on who the attacker may have been. Coming to us now from the scene of the crime is Chief of Police Patrick Davidson. Go ahead, chief."
"Good evening to you, Elizabeth. Well, what we have here, of course, is a case of manslaughter. Now, normally my boys and I would blame this on another crazy drunk or a mugging, but the leads and the back stories we have heard have indeed lead us to look towards Lakehurst High. As you have said, we did receive a lead on who the attackers may have been and we getting sketches of the suspects made as we speak. I can't say anymore for now, but we will of course alert you if anything new comes up."
The news shifted back to Elizabeth, who was shifting through papers on her desk. She looked up at the camera with a sad look in her eyes.
"So far, what you just heard is all we have right now. If you, or anyone you know, may have news on the murder, you are encouraged to call your local police department with news. Now in other news-"
The TV was cut off by Marco, who was holding the remote. Ellie's expression finally changed from blank to one that was harder to read. It was a mix of sorrow and anger. Now it was Alex's turn to look blank. Her mind was so full with thoughts of JT, Paige and everything in between. Marco gave his friend a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. A very tired looking Dylan came back into the living room and sat down on the other side of Marco.
"Alex, you're a mess, stay here tonight?" Marco asked.
Alex, who was too tired to speak, nodded in reply and rested her head on Marco's shoulder. She was already starting to drift into sleep.
"I just got done talking to Paige," Dylan sighed. "She's coming down here first thing tomorrow for the funeral and everything. I guess she'll be in the guest room."
Marco looked at Alex and noticed she was already asleep. "Someone's going to be in for a surprise tomorrow morning…" He shook his head.
A/N: Was it good? Bad? Oh, and if you caught how the song title tied into the story, extra cool points for you! Because, unless I'm wrong, 21:13 is equal to 9:13 PM, the time the news update came on. Anyways, I know this chapter was a little long and boring (if you skimmed it, you sure didn't miss much), but the next one will be good. And yeah, I know the dates and stuff are messed up, and I have no idea if Sean and Ellie were even talking around the time JT died (I don't think they were... whatever). So you know the deal, review and tell me how good/bad it was and you get rewarded with another chapter!
