Author's note: Yay, an update! I do apologize for the prolonged absences, but I'm a very busy person. I had Friday off from school and I had time to write this chapter. I don't even like this chapter that much, I think, but I do at the same time. Does anyone even read these author's notes? If you do, please add the word "Hippo" to your review/comment.
You'll notice that, even though I said that Sav and Holly J together never happened for this story, I still made Degrassi have all its fancy new rules in place. So no, it's not partly because Holly J stripped for Sav. Blame it all on Fitz, Eli, Alli, Drew, Bianca, and possibly Owen.
On with the show!
I never thought that I'd be saying this, but thank God it's Monday.
Yesterday was rather uneventful, and jam-packed with potent boredom. Fi had a lunch and shopping date with Anya, and was gone most of the day, leaving Mom and I alone yet again. Mom was mad because her "Family bonding time" plans had been cancelled, and hardly spoke a word that day. I spent most of the time holed up in my room and wishing that it was tomorrow already.
Fiona had kindly informed me that HJ and I had two out of four classes together: block one Physics and block three Calculus. And lunch, too. I debated between surprising her at her locker in the morning or waiting and giving her a mini heart attack from my sudden arrival in class. I decided to go with the first option, mostly because if I chose the latter she might get the impression that I was ignoring her. And then I realized I was over-analyzing the whole situation.
The strangest thing occurred to me in the middle of Saturday night. The bed I was sleeping in smelled of sweet flowers and vanilla. It was intoxicating, and so familiar. It took me a while to realize just what that smell was, and when I did, I felt very stupid. It smelled like Holly J. had she slept here, in this condo and in this bed, before? I asked Fiona the next morning. She looked at me strangely, but said yes, she had, when they'd had sleepovers and also (Fiona looked slightly uncomfortable) when my sister was very drunk.
At last, the widely dreaded but long-anticipated-for-me Monday arrived. My mom dropped Fi and I off at school (I loved thinking of Degrassi like that) with a drawn-out, tearful goodbye, as she was returning to New York that day, and leaving before we were out of school. As she left, I felt a now-familiar wave of excitement wash over me. Fiona looked like she was eager for Holly J and I to be reunited as well. We climbed the front steps quickly. Everything felt so normal, so right; I was in awe. Fi patted my head and departed with a swift "Good luck!". I swear she actually hid and watched the whole thing in secret.
It took some time to get through the metal detector and bag search. Fiona ad told me why Degrassi had instigated the rules. I was surprised that easygoing Simpson had cracked down so hard because of a few idiots. It was a prison here. I was used to wearing uniforms by now, but the rules were ridiculous and insane. This was high school!
As I walked the halls, people greeted me enthusiastically, with an air of friendly familiarity. Chantay wanted me to do an interview for the Anti-Grapevine about how Degrassi had changed since I'd left right there, but I told her –very politely- that I had other, more important engagements at the moment.
"Ah," she said knowingly, and rather smugly, with a subtle gleam in her eyes. "See ya." She said before walking away and leaving me to wonder if there would be pictures of a certain happy couple on her blog tomorrow.
Finally, I saw her. She was facing her locker, her back turned towards me. Her strawberry blonde hair fell elegantly down the back of her blue polo. It was longer than I remembered, longer than I thought it would be. Even in the generic polo and khaki pants she looked so beautiful, but I did miss the floral dresses I so loved on her. She looked very tiny compared to all the people surrounding her (who I hardly saw) –the school had banned high heels as part of the new dress code (I guess you could use them as a weapon… but really?)- and yet her simple presence seemed big and imposing somehow. Some things never change.
I wish I could put into words the feelings coursing through me, surrounding me, engulfing me, but I can't truly describe it. Intense joy.. overwhelming eagerness… strong, aching love, suppressed for so long.
Very slowly, my hand shaking a little, I reached out and touched her shoulder. This hardly felt real, more like a sweet dream. I never wanted to wake up. She turned, her expression alert, but she looked tired at the same time. Instantly, she froze and gasped quietly.
"Declan?" she whispered, disbelieving.
"Holly J," I murmured gently, my tone warm.
"Oh, my God…" she said. She looked absolutely shocked but very, very happy. I simply looked at her beautiful, familiar face for a moment, then picked her up and spun her around before kissing her passionately, an almost exact repeat of a moment we'd shared much earlier in our relationship.
She now looked as though she could cry out of sheer happiness. I felt the same way. I held her tightly to me, reveling in the warmth of her body and the rightness of the way she fit against me. Her arms were wrapped securely around my waist, her head against my shoulder. We stood like that for a blissful, immeasurable moment before she suddenly jerked away.
I looked at her, confused. "No public displays of affection- one of Simpson's new rules." She explained with a sad smile. Damn. I want to hold onto her and never let go. "So… you're really back? For good?" she asked apprehensively, touching my blue polo.
"Until we go to Yale together next year." I told her. Then, the bell rang for first block.
"Walk me to class?" she asked. I took her offered arm and we walked together to the physics room. "Bye." She said, rather sadly, and stretched up for a kiss.
"I thought you said no PDA?" I teased. She made a face at me, her eyes warm, her face glowing. She didn't look so tired anymore. "Anyway, it's not goodbye until we part ways, and I have this class too. And lunch, and calculus."
"Oh." She said, and smiled. I couldn't help but smile back, gently squeezing her small, warm, perfect hand.
Even changed, with a strict dress code and ridiculous rules, home is a beautiful place to be. Home is love, home is family, home is absolutely where I belong.
A/N: Anndd, cut! Yes, this is the end. Please review. Your comments help me to be a better writer… and to update more. Check out my other stories, and feel free to send me ideas to write about! Thank you so much for reading. You've been an inspiration.
Also, I officially can't stand Chantay. She's petty and boring and stuck up. Ugh.
