Sorry it took me a while to update. I had a few blocks and I've been working on my other fic. Thank you everyone for adding this to favorites, putting it one alert, etc. and I'd like the lovely SoManyWords for being the first to review this! Thank you SO much! This chapter is for you! Read, review, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi


Chapter Two

Despite the recent tragedy that had plagued their lives, Eli and Scout had tried to move on with their days after Julia's funeral. Over the summer, Scout would spend the days with his or Julia's parents while he went to work at the Toronto Turret. He dreamed of becoming a writer and he was even working on a novel, but he put it on the backburner since Julia's death.

He missed the support she always gave him when he tried to write it. He got blocks on it constantly and she always tried her best to help him overcome it.

"You'll get there, baby," she'll reassure him. "You always do."

Not long after hearing her words, he'll find his muse again and he'd write for hours on end.

That was their routine over the summer during the weekdays when Eli worked and it didn't really change once the school year started up again. Eli didn't have to be at work until nine o'clock, so he was there to help Scout get ready for her day and he always walked her to school. Ever since the accident, she had been terrified of stepping into cars, buses, and other vehicles. He figured this was just a phase and that she'll outgrow it once she learned to cope with her mother's death . . . at least that's what he hoped for.

The next morning, Eli's alarm clock went off at six o'clock sharp. Scout was still in his arms from the night before, but she didn't seem disturbed by the noise at all.

"Scout," he whispered to her once the alarm was silent. When she didn't stir, he gently put a hand on her arm. "Scout."

She hummed a little before opening her eyes.

"Time for school," he told her softly.

She groaned before closing her eyes again.

"Come on," he said lightly. "The sooner you get up and go, the sooner you can come home."

Since Scout enjoyed learning, it normally didn't take much convincing to get her out of bed. She opened her eyes back up and smiled tiredly at her father, who grinned back; he could never resist her smile.

"Go get dressed, okay?"

"Okay," she said before getting out of the bed and walking to her room with her hippo in her arms.

It was different without Julia around. Things seemed less pleasant. She always made the Mondays seem lighthearted, but she wasn't there, therefore it wasn't the same. Eli and Scout have been trying their best to keep up the positive spirits, but it was difficult since their beacon of happiness was absent.

Eli got showered and changed into jeans and a t-shirt; he would come back home and change for work after he left Scout at school. While he was in the bathroom, Scout was in her room, changing into the clothes she picked out to wear the night before. She changed into a white shirt and she wore a navy blue dress over it that reached her knees.

Afterwards, she attempted to make her bed. When her mother was alive, they made it together and they had fun while doing it. Scout was always sad that the bed never looked as good as it did when her mom helped her, but she tried her best. Once she set her hippo by the uneven pillow on unsmoothed blankets, she turned to the picture she had of her, Julia, and Eli when they went to the zoo one day.

"I tried, Mommy," she informed the picture.

She then pulled on her socks and Velcro shoes before going downstairs.

She held on to the rail as she went down the stairs that led her to the living room. She turned to an opening on the left and entered the kitchen. She saw Eli finishing a cup of coffee as she stepped inside.

She walked towards the breakfast table and sat there in a chair before Eli attempted to put Scout's hair up like Julia did. At first he thought he was never going to get the knack of it. The best he could do at first was put it up in a ponytail. However, thanks to his mother and mother-in-law's help, he was soon able to braid it. That morning, he plaited the hair and tied it at the end.

"There we go," he said once he was done. "So what do you want for breakfast?"

"Cereal, please," she said as she sat at the table. "And juice."

"Coming up," Eli noted.

He filled a bowl of cornflakes and milk before putting it in front of her. He put a cup on the table and poured her some orange juice.

"Thank you," she said after swallowing mouthful of cereal.

"You're very welcome," he said as he put the cap back on the jug.

He soon joined her at the table and they ate their breakfast in silence. They were once again reminded of life without Julia and how miserable it was. There was no joyful conversation, no laughs, nothing but quiet sadness.

Minutes later, Eli held Scout's blue jacket as she stuck her arms through the sleeves.

"Alright, did you brush your teeth?" he asked as they began to go through their daily checklist.

"Check," Scout nodded, turning around to face him.

"Do you have your homework?" he inquired as he zipped up her jacket.

"Check."

"Lunch?"

"Check," she nodded, holding up her purple lunchbox.

"And a smile?"

Scout then plastered a smile on her face.

"Alright then, let's get going."

He held his hand out to Scout, who took it and they walked out of the house.

Eli had to work until five, so he was unable to get Scout from school. One of her grandparents always picked her up and she spent two hours with them. This schedule was still new to the two of them and Scout still had to remind herself that her grandparents were picking her up from school instead of her mom.

Scout held onto Eli's hand the entire time as they walked fifteen minutes and didn't say a word. She was so used to Julia taking her to school that she hadn't really gotten use to Eli's company.

They were soon in front of a decent sized elementary school called Benet Elementary as many students began to file into the building along with a few teachers. Scout let go of her father's hand as he knelt down in front of her with a small smile on his face.

"You have a good day, okay?" Eli told her.

"Okeydokey," she agreed with a grin.

"Alright," he replied with a grin of his own.

He then pulled her into a hug and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, Daddy. I love you," she said before walking towards the school.

"Bye, Scout. I love you too."

()()

Art time was a part of the day that Scout thoroughly enjoyed. She loved it when her teacher gave them instructions as to what they draw, paint, or color. Today, her teacher told the class to draw and color a picture of something fun they enjoy doing with their family.

She thought for a second before finally deciding on something her, Julia, and Eli did together. A few times, they would go to the beach. However, unlike most people, they rarely went to the beach on sunny days. It was crowded so they went when the sun was behind the clouds and sometimes when it rained.

Scout began coloring in the water in her picture when she saw two boys coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. Their names were Tyler Board and Mikey Davis and they were two of her least favorite people. Tyler was skinny, had blonde hair and hazel eyes while Mikey was a bit on the heavier side and had matching brown colored hairs and irises.

Not wishing to get involved with the boys, Scout tried to keep her focus on the tip of the crayon that was transforming the paper from beige to dark blue.

"Hey, Pouty Scouty," they chanted mockingly. It was a tease the two of them always did and Scout didn't like it at all.

A few of the students teased Scout for one reason or another. One reason was her choice of clothing. She wore dark dresses while the other girls wore bright colored t-shirts. They also made fun of her artwork. She didn't draw rainbows, trees, and flowers. She drew people, places, and memories. For a six-year-old, they were extremely detailed and she took her time so the image on the paper could become the way it was in her head.

What the students teased her about the most was the way she saw the world. She had an active imagination and she wasn't afraid to show it until Julia died. Afterwards, she dedicated it to her art. She remembered last year that these same boys began picking on her after she told her teacher a story of an orange squirrel and a blue rabbit. They called her stupid for thinking such things and they never stopped since, not even when they came into first grade and began noticing her less than inventive behavior.

Her parents and teachers always taught her that if you ignore bullies, they'll go away. Usually when she put this into practice, it didn't work but some days it did. She hoped that today would be one of those days.

"Why are you so sad today?" Mikey asked.

Scout continued to block them out as she continued to color.

"What's that?" Tyler asked, pointing to the gray on her picture.

"The sky," she accidentally answered.

"The sky is not gray," Mikey told her as if she was stupid.

"It is when it's rainy."

"No, one goes to the beach when it rains."

"Yes, they do!" she retorted.

"No, they don't!"

"My parents and I used to go to the beach when it rained."

"Your parents are stupid!" the Tyler stated.

"Are not!" she nearly shouted; she hated it when anyone said anything bad about her parents.

"Yes, they are!"

"Leave me alone," she snapped at them, tears beginning to sting her eyes.

"Pouty Scouty, Pouty Scouty," they began singing.

"What's going on here?" the teacher with short, curly brown hair, pink lips, and blue eyes asked as she walked towards the trio.

"Nothing, Miss Edwards," the two boys said quickly, stopping their song when she came towards them.

Not believing them the slightest, the teacher knelt down so she was by the young Goldsworthy girl. She put her arm on the table so she could stay balanced as she talked gently to the saddened and offended Scout.

"What happened, Scout?" she asked.

Scout looked at her picture as she spoke.

"They were making fun of my picture and my parents because we used to go to the beach when it rained," she muttered. "And they called me 'Pouty Scouty'."

Miss Edwards was able to hear what Scout said and she felt sympathy for her. She had put up with this juvenile bullying ever since the school year started again and it pained her to someone so young be tormented that way. She turned her head to the two boys.

"Mikey. Tyler. What is our rule in this classroom?"

"Treat others the way you want to be treated," they recited.

"Exactly," she nodded. "And would you like it if someone made fun of your pictures or your family?"

The boys shook their heads.

"And you wouldn't like it if someone called you mean names, would you?"

They shook their heads again.

"We won't do it anymore," Tyler promised. He knew he was lying, but he didn't want to get into trouble with Miss Edwards.

"Good. Now apologize to Scout."

"We're sorry, Scout," the two boys chorused.

"It's okay," she said, also knowing that this was going to happen again.

"Okay, now you two get back to work on your pictures," she told the boys.

They went back to their table on the other side of the room before sitting down and color their pictures again. Once she was certain the boys were going to remain there, the teacher turned back to her other student.

"Are you alright, Scout?" she asked kindly.

She simply nodded before continuing to color her picture.

"What's your picture of?"

"Me, my daddy, and my mommy at the beach," Scout answered.

"Is this something you and them do often?"

"We used to."

"You don't go much anymore?"

Scout shook her head. No one in the school was aware that she was living a life without a mother and she didn't want to bring it up. Eli was going to inform the principal that Scout's mother was dead, but she begged him not to because she didn't want anyone talking to her about it. Eli reluctantly agreed, but it took hours of tears and convincing on Scout's part.

"Well, it's really pretty. Good job," Miss Edwards congratulated before leaving her alone to see to the other students.

Scout couldn't help but grin. She really liked Miss Edwards. She was always helpful, sweet, a great teacher, and she never yelled. Usually, Scout was shy to show her art to anyone other than Eli (and Julia when she was around), but it was different with Miss Edwards and she took pride in work every time she complimented it.

Even though she was out of earshot, that didn't stop Scout from saying two words to her teacher:

"Thank you."


Eli and Clare have never met in this fic. Good or bad? Tell me in reviews!