Hi, so this is an alternative Degrassi Next Class Season 4 I have written, pre-release of the actual season 4! Think of each separated part as a scene! Each chapter will be an episode
SEASON 4, EPISODE 4: #Cancelled || Synopsis: Zig seeks therapy and makes breakthroughs about Maya. Rasha discovers more about Zoe's past. Esme violates another person's privacy in an attempt to find companionship.
Rasha gazed at Zoe from across the cafeteria. She still hadn't gotten an answer from either her or Grace about whatever 'summer school' situation existed, and now she was becoming too nervous to ask. She hadn't even talked to Zoe all day. Usually they caught up with one another between classes or in the classes they shared, but apparently Zoe was working on something big with Principal Simpson and had a pass to miss class. Downside of dating the most powerful girl in school, apparently. Zoe looked powerful. Super powerful. She was in the middle of another round of interviews for her replacement president, and had her best game face on.
There were so many things on Rasha's mind. Now, first and foremost, the summer school thing between Grace and Zoe that apparently made them close as can be... But she also wanted Zoe to finally open her eyes and realize that she wanted to be school president next year. She'd only been at Degrassi for less than a year, but her proximity to the entire student counsel fast tracked her education and social status. She was slightly insulted that Zoe had completely written her off, but she had to have hope that Zoe would open her eyes soon.
Rasha felt a finger tapping on her shoulder. Goldi and Winston had appeared behind her. "Still wanna sit at our table even though Madame President is occupied?" Winston asked, and Rasha nodded.
"Of course." She said, doing her best to snap out of her trance, or at least pretend to, and following her friends to their table.
Zig roamed the halls feeling aimless. He'd asked for a hall pass and disappeared over 20 minutes ago, but he just couldn't will himself to go back to class. Saad had recently been transferred in, and skulked in the back row as if he was waiting to pounce. It wasn't like Zig was able to pay attention anyway. His mind was on other things. How to deal with Esme, how to deal with his family, if he'd hear back from his university applications... And of course, Maya Matlin.
He didn't want to think about Maya. Not in the state they were in right now. They'd been through rough patches before, but this one was leaps and bounds above anything they'd ever gone through in the past. Maya had almost died. That was something that was hard to get past. And he didn't even know how he could. Or if he could. The sight of Maya passed out on the roof of the school was seared into his brain, after all. And every time the two passed in the hall the image flashed in his head.
"You okay?" An unfamiliar female voice called out to Zig. He was literally the only one not in class, so he knew the woman was talking to him. Whoever she was.
"Um, yeah." Zig said, coming back into full consciousness and realizing that he had tears streaming down his face. He had started crying thinking about Maya again. At this point it almost felt like a reflex. Maya equaled tears rolling down his cheeks. He needed help.
The woman reached her manicured hand out to shake Zig's. "I'm Mrs. Halliwell. The school therapist. If you want, I can get you out of the rest of this period and we can have a chat in my office. You look like you could make good use of a soft chair and a listening ear."
She just had one of those faces you could trust. She was older, but not too old. Maybe late thirties. Her hair was naturally curly, with tight ringlets pushed back on her head by a black cloth headband. She was pretty. Prettier than Zig had pictured any therapist to be. And she definitely had that therapist voice. The one you heard in movies. Calming and soft.
"I guess I could." Zig responded. The idea of getting out of seeing Saad and trying to focus on a class he was probably going to fail sounded absolutely ideal right now.
Esme checked her phone for the fifth time in the past minute. Miles had gone radio silence since she brought him home after his drug relapse, and Frankie hadn't gotten back to her either. The Hollingsworths were apparently horrible at communication. She'd seen Miles in the hallway tending to Tristan's needs, and Frankie was joint at the hip with Shay. Typical.
She shifted her weight on the toilet seat. Sure, skipping class to sit in the bathroom and check her phone obsessively wasn't the best decision this early in the semester, but she was skipping math. She figured she could miss the review on polynomials and it wouldn't be a dire situation. Plus, every once in a while when she was camped out in the bathroom she heard some dirt. Stuff she could use as leverage against others. The possibility of hearing top gossip was worth running the risk some random noticing her shoes and thinking she had IBS or something.
She checked her phone once more. Still nada. She felt like a goddamn idiot, putting her eggs in any Hollingsworth basket again. Losing Miles was so hard for her. It took months for her to get over him, and then he threw every minute of their relationship - every secret - in her face in the middle of class when he declared everyone left her. Which was true, but it didn't need to be public information.
"Mom, I'm not talking about the stupid video anymore!" A familiar voice entered the bathroom in a huff. Lola Pacini. And the video had to be her iconic, impressive declaration of her abortion last semester. Esme was honestly proud of the little pipsqueak. Of course, Lola got away with it because she was a cute little blue-haired innocent girl. If a girl like Esme were to announce to the entire world that she didn't wanna be pregnant anymore... It'd be over. Social suicide. And that was why she'd kept the abortion she'd had after a drunken night with Zig a few months back to herself.
Esme pulled her feet up in order to collect the most data possible. Some people checked under the stalls before divulging top secret info, and although Lola didn't seem like the brightest lightbulb, might as well. After all, nobody knew who Lola's baby daddy was. This would be primo. "It doesn't matter whose it was. I'm not dating anyone. I'm not having sex with anyone. It was a one time mistake with...a guy." Come on, Lola. Spill. There was a long silence. Apparently, little Lola's mom was giving her a piece of her mind.
Esme could've sworn she'd heard somewhere that Lola had major issues because of her mom leaving, so although she was still interested in knowing the gossip, she felt for the girl a little bit. Growing up without a mom was tough as hell. It was almost better that her own mother had no chance of returning, as messed up as the thought of it was.
"It was just one of my friend's brothers." Lola said. "He was going through a hard time and we hooked up. It was my first time, and it was a dumb mistake. I don't see why this is any of your business."
Holy. Crap. Miles Hollingsworth was Lola's baby daddy. Esme knew it. She totally knew the two of them hooked up, but Miles kept swearing it didn't happen. Her instincts were always right. Always.
An idea lit up Esme's brain, one so bright and obnoxious she couldn't ignore. She knew how she was going to hook those Hollingsworths in. She unlocked her phone and started a text to Frankie, stating that the two had to talk. It was urgent.
Rasha finally caught Zoe and brought her in for a kiss. "There you are." She said. "I was starting to think I'd never get a chance to talk to you."
"I'm here." Zoe responded absentmindedly.
"It seems like you're really caught up in all of this president stuff... I thought we agreed we weren't gonna stress over all of these interviews and everything." Rasha said, her voice shaking a little. The last thing she wanted was to start a fight, and although she knew Zoe felt the same, it just seemed risky to poke the bear when Zoe was already so stressed. All she wanted to do was grab Zoe by the shoulders, kiss her hard, and tell her that she wanted to be the president next year. But of course, her slightly timid nature and the fact that her relationship with Zoe was still new kept that urge at bay.
Zoe sighed in response. "I know that's what I promised... I just can't get this off my mind. I want to find a president. There's so much to do, and I just can't leave it up to a gamble."
"What if... the answer was right in front of you?" Rasha went ahead and put the idea out there, shutting her eyes tight in preparation for the possible rejection. The idea of Zoe telling her she wasn't good enough for the job made her heart ache in advance.
She opened her eyes after a few seconds of no response, and when her eyes opened, there was a smiling Zoe. "You're a genius. Why didn't I think of that? Why were you sitting on that idea?!"
Rasha's heart swelled. All it took was asking, and she got what she wanted. It was all about confidence. Something she was learning quickly with Zoe as a model.
Zig sighed. "So it all started in grade 9."
"Maya?" Mrs. Halliwell asked, more confirming than actually asking. Zig had already prefaced a lot of the information, but she'd asked for him to go as in depth as possible, which was what he was attempting now.
He nodded. "I met her on the first day. She was the first girl I met, actually. At Degrassi, I mean. Not...ever." He shook his head, feeling like he was stating the obvious. "She helped me get back together with my ex, Tori. But there was something there from day one. Minute one. The way she looked at me... She was so innocent, and her smile was so big. And I didn't deserve her. Or Tori, if I'm being honest. I was... a real piece of crap in grade 9. So insecure in what other people thought, so worried about people finding out that I was poor." He said.
"But I didn't jump on it. I crushed on her from afar while I was dating Tori, and eventually... it wasn't enough. She started dating this guy, and I could just feel the jealousy bubbling up and making me want to explode every time I was near either of them. And I had to pretend to be happy. Tori was so happy for them. I think it's because she knew how I felt about Maya. She'd be blind not to see it."
Mrs. Halliwell held her hand up, as to ask Zig to pause. "And who is this guy? Does he still go to Degrassi?"
It felt a little personal, honestly, for her to ask. And he didn't quite get why she'd think it was relevant. Of course, if she only knew how prevalent Cam was, and how important he truly was in the Zig and Maya saga... She was right to ask. She just had no idea.
"Not anymore. He died." He stopped for a moment to collect himself and hold back tears. This was something he had held back from talking about to the best of his ability. And he'd done pretty well, since he couldn't remember the last time he'd said Cam's name. "He killed himself."
Mrs. Halliwell's cool as a cucumber face twisted into sudden shock. "Suicide." She said. "Continue."
"I was so into Maya, and eventually... I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take watching the two of them kissing and being so...happy." He furrowed his brows, his brain suddenly reliving every second of watching Campbell and Maya kiss. Every smile that wasn't because of him. Every time she pushed him away. "I thought Maya would be happier if she was with me. So I basically bullied them out of a relationship. I seduced Maya, I attacked Cam... All while dating Tori. I really screwed it up with Tori. And I never really apologized."
Mrs. Halliwell opened her mouth, likely to ask if Tori was still attending Degrassi, and if apologizing was a possibility. "It's not possible. She moved away, and she blocked me on everything. I checked." He bit his lower lip, trying not to break down. "I guess I kinda deserved that. She was too good for me, and I screwed it up."
"I thought it was the right thing to do. I know now it wasn't, but hindsight and all, right? Cam was so messed up, and I was a stupid fifteen year old who thought I knew everything. I thought I was saving Maya, when really... I was the one who screwed everything up. Everything went so fast, it makes my head spin even now. And then all of a sudden, I was so angry. I risked everything, even Tori, for a girl who wouldn't give up on Campbell. I was so hard on Cam, when nothing was his fault... And then he was just gone. Erased from the earth. Wiped from existence. Dead, hanging in the greenhouse. How messed up is that?"
Esme hadn't received a text back from Frankie or Miles yet, so it was time to take matters into her own hands. If they weren't going to text back, she was going to find one of them, whichever one of them she saw first, and make it happen. Whatever it takes, right?
She stomped through the halls, scanning the faces of her fellow students for a Hollingsworth. First, she spotted Hunter. Not the Hollingsworth she was looking for, and honestly, not a Hollingsworth she ever wanted to talk to. Misogynistic gamer geek? No thanks. She had to pass.
Next, she noticed Lola. Also not a Hollingsworth, but she couldn't resist the urge to tease Lola a little bit. She wasn't going to show her cards, of course, she had a long game in mind. But a little provocation couldn't hurt.
"Hi, Lo. Can I call you Lo?" She started. "How's the post-baby bod? You look fantastic. Good thing. Some people are a damn mess after an abortion, but not you. You're a little ray of sunshine. As always." Esme put on a fake grin. Mind games were her favorite. And Degrassians were always so easy.
"I'm sorry?" Lola put on her sassiest tone. Esme liked how much of a firecracker Lola was. It almost made her want to befriend little girl blue. Almost. But it'd never work. She was far too much drama, and far too high up her own ass for Esme's tastes. Esme tended to prefer a friend who was more...susceptible to change. Open to suggestion. Submissive, even. That was part of the reason she had her eyes set on Frankie Hollingsworth.
Before Lola could start in on insulting Esme on whatever petty flaws she was about to point out, Frankie approached. "Hey, Esme. Hey Lola." She addressed the two of them, and Esme painted a smile on her features. "What are we talking about?"
Esme looked to Lola, shooting her daggers with her eyes. "I was just talking to Lolabear here about the wonders of birth control. Nothing too exciting. I've been texting you, Franks. Did you check your phone?"
Frankie responded innocently, not even noticing the strife between the two girls in front of her. This girl really was innocent. And a little dumb. "Nah, I got it taken away during gym. Armstrong can be such a dictator about phones. Fifth warning means I don't get my phone back until the end of the day. First world problems, I know. Sorry if you thought I was ignoring you! I had a lot of fun with you the other day when..." Frankie paused. She was so considerate to not expose her brother's relapse. "When we ran into one another. We should hang out some time."
Esme was stunned. She was hoping that Frankie would pursue things, but she figured it might've taken more convincing. Turned out, she'd have her new friend sooner than later. Now all she had to do was tell her Lola's dirty little secret, and she'd have Frankie opened up and ready to be molded like clay.
Rasha climbed onto Zoe's lap in the student council office. "Finally, some time alone with Miss President."
"And a moment alone with my successor." Zoe said, leaning in and placing a kiss gently on Rasha's lips. "Finally. I can't wait to show you the ins and outs of Degrassi. You'd be surprised what secrets lie in these hallowed halls."
"Spooky." Rasha teased, bringing her finger to tap Zoe's button nose. "And what kind of secrets would those be?" She asked boldly, hoping that Zoe would reveal whatever happened between her and Grace, and maybe whatever other secrets she held. All Rasha knew about Zoe's past is that a lot of people didn't like her, and now they did. She was curious when this change occurred, and how. She wanted to know more about the girl she was falling for.
Zoe seemed to tense up at the mention of her own secrets, which didn't exactly strike Rasha with a warm and cozy comforting feeling. If her girlfriend was hiding something big, she felt like she needed to know. The last thing she needed in her life was more drama and more secrets. She'd just escaped tragedy in Syria, and although high school drama paled in comparison, she was still sick of feeling bad.
"I'm kidding." Rasha said, suddenly losing all of the confidence she felt she'd built up earlier. There was something big Zoe was keeping from her. There had to be. She climbed off of Zoe's lap and walked to the doors of the office, unable to look at Zoe due to her nerves.
Zoe's voice was full of concern. "What's wrong?" She asked, getting up from where she was sitting and placing her hand on her shoulder. "You've been off all day. I know I disappeared this morning during our sexy oomfchat session, but it wasn't intentional, I promise. Your videos were... Very sexy. So sexy in fact that I ended up getting caught enjoying them by Grace." Zoe's face was coated with a natural blush all of a sudden, which was both adorable and slightly unnerving to Rasha.
"Grace caught you?" Rasha was trying to put the puzzle pieces together to the best of her ability. "That must've been why she avoided me all morning. God, that's embarrassing."
For a moment, she felt like everything was solved. Grace found out about Zoe and Rasha sending sexy photos back and forth. That must've been why both girls were acting a bit off that morning. But then... what Winston said popped into her head. About summer school. And Grace. And Zoe. And Rasha couldn't resist herself. After all, every other topic had gone swimmingly between the two, why would asking a simple question about Grace and Zoe's history hurt anything? How bad could it possibly be?
"And...is there any reason why Grace might feel...more inclined to be awkward about something like that, than, say... Another friend?" Rasha gritted her teeth together. She had to take the more confident route. It seemed to be working today, and maybe that was the relationship Zoe wanted. The person Zoe wanted to be with. The strong, confident version of Rasha.
But it seemed this question was something big to Zoe. Clearly.
"Grace and I..." Zoe started. "She was the first girl I fell for. We were acquaintances, and then we got closer during summer school. I fell for her, I kissed her, I forced her into a relationship, and then I had sex with her crush and filmed it."
Clearly, a few pieces of the story were missing. And the tone in Zoe's voice felt like she'd rather die than continue to tell the story.
Rasha swallowed her pride and curiosity. As much as she wanted to ask a million questions about the parts Zoe left out, and question if she should be jealous... She knew for the sake of Zoe's emotions, she couldn't. There was no way that she could keep asking these questions. It'd be selfish and unfair.
"It's over, right? You don't have feelings for Grace?" She asked, trying to put the least amount of stress on Zoe. Apparently assertive Rasha was fading away, because with every single word, she felt herself feeling less and less confident.
Zoe nodded wordlessly, and Rasha pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug. She wanted to know more about Zoe. Of course she did. But the shaking in Zoe's voice told her that there were a lot of traumatic things in her past. Rasha pretended she didn't see the self harm scars on Zoe's body, but of course she noticed them. There was nothing she could do without prying and forcing Zoe to release her demons. She figured when it was time, it would be time. And that time would come. Eventually.
Zig slumped in the chair provided in Mrs. Halliwell's office. He now understood why many therapists had couches to lie down on. He'd been talking for what felt like hours - though he knew it couldn't have been more than a half an hour.
"There has been a lot of trauma in your life, Zig. From your family living in a rough neighborhood to the experience of Campbell's death to your experiences with the gang... I understand why you've experienced problems in relationships. And I mean familial, romantic, and platonic relationships, not just Maya." Mrs. Halliwell said. "I think that once you learn to accept the experiences you've had and learn from them... You can really begin to heal. Acceptance and a lot of therapy, of course."
Zig furrowed his brow. He wasn't quite comprehending. If he was picking up what she was putting down, as soon as he learned to accept the crap that happened to him and learn the life lessons or whatever... He could start being normal again. Start having normal friends, mend fences with his family, and maybe even...get back with Maya.
The thought of finally having everything back after the past few years of being so confused and so hurt all the time felt like an unattainable dream. Suddenly being told that it was attainable made life seem bearable for the first time in a long time. Even in this past year when he was with Esme, he felt like he was just filling a gap with anything he could. Drinking every weekend, having sex in weird places with Esme, and just seeking any thrill he could access.
"I'd love to continue to talk, but unfortunately my little hall pass only works for so long. I'd have to see you outside of school or maybe hook you up with a colleague of mine to see outside of school. Your group home should cover the costs." She said. "Most group homes should encourage their kids to go to weekly or bi-weekly therapy. I'm surprised your mentor has never mentioned it."
Zig already felt better. Of course, any emotional state was better than crying in the hallway, so pretty much anything could've made his mood better. But this felt like a breakthrough. A real breakthrough. He felt like he could do almost anything at this point. But his goal? Mending things with Maya. Whatever that meant.
Esme sat cross-legged on Frankie's bedroom floor. "So, truth or dare?" She asked. It was her default when she wanted to get to know anyone.
"Truth." Frankie said. Of course she did. Esme held back from rolling her eyes. She would reform this girl if it was the last thing she did. It was her newfound mission to have one less clenched up bitch at Degrassi.
"What's one thing you wish you knew?" Esme asked. It was almost going to be too easy to get Frankie right where she wanted her. She knew the next words that would be coming out of Frankie's mouth... Three, two, one...
"I wish I knew who Lola got pregnant by. It's been eating at me. I mean, I know it doesn't really matter, and it's none of my business. But she's one of my best friends. And she got pregnant. She lost her virginity and got pregnant within a matter of weeks and then acted like it was no big deal. I mean, I'd go crazy if all of that happened to me. I still can't get over Jonah after all..."
Esme knew that Frankie liked to ramble, but it was overwhelming. The amount of crap coming out of Frankie's mouth was plain overwhelming. And it almost distracted her from the fact that Frankie played right into her hand. Almost. But she hadn't forgotten the mission she was on. Make Frankie her new best friend. Her new favorite person, as it were. Mold her into the perfect troublemaker. She knew that Zig was slipping away, and if he wanted to slip away... Maybe she'd just move on to someone new.
"What if I told you I knew?" She asked, her tone dripping with manipulation. She couldn't help it. But Frankie was naive enough to fall for it, since her eyes were full of curiosity.
"You know? How? She's my best friend and even I don't know. And she's one of the biggest blabbermouths I know."
Esme started pulling at her braid subconsciously. It was something she did when she was a little bit nervous. She knew this would go well. Frankie was an easy target. But taking a risk like this was always big.
"I overheard her talking to her mom on the phone. I didn't mean to hear, but I heard, and it's just been stuck in my head. It's pretty messed up, actually. I don't know if I feel comfortable sharing such a big secret." Esme said.
Frankie's tone turned into a begging one. It was as if a puppy was transformed into a human being. She was the perfect personification. It was almost too easy. "Please, please tell me. I won't tell a soul."
Esme pretended to consider it for a moment. "Fine. Let's just say you know him very well. Very well." She watched as Frankie squirmed, clearly thinking it over in her head, probably going over the options. And then it was clear that the answer hit her.