AN: So I know these past few chapters have been super long but I wanted to get everyone's story set up before things really got rolling! Hope you enjoy! The next few chapters will be written by my co-author ISntSheLovely0007! Remember reviews keep us going;)
-X-
Spinner Mason sighed angrily seeing his ex-girlfriend and one of his best friends Paige Michalchuk sitting in her convertible BMW across the parking lot at the police station when he pulled in. What the hell was she doing here? He told her not to come! Ugh, why didn't she ever listen to him?! She was going to get him in trouble! She was trying to be incognito with dark sunglasses over her eyes and her hood pulled up, her convertible top still up in the early morning chill. But Spin wasn't fooled. He should have figured she'd show up.
He strolled over to her car and knocked on her window startling her. She'd been scribbling in that damn notebook of hers. She saw it was him and rolled down the window.
"Spinner..funny seeing you here." she acted innocent.
Spin rolled his eyes.
"Save it, Paige. You know I told you last night when you called not to come up here!"
Paige sighed and pulled off her sunglasses. She had dark smudges under her eyes and Spin could tell she probably hadn't slept much in the past few days. Typical. Ever since she freaked out at Banting and started having panic attacks and set her dorm on fire she had to drop out and come home. It hadn't been easy getting her to tell him the truth about everything and it was even harder trying to get her to work through her anxiety issues. But it was useless. Paige did what she wanted when she wanted. And right now, she wanted to get her book finished and published. She'd come home last year right around the time Mr. Simpson had been accused of murder and Paige had made it her personal mission to prove her favorite teacher's innocence. The only two people that Archie approved to see him in prison had been his best friend Joey Jeremiah and Paige Michalchuk. The three of them had been working on trying to prove that he was innocent. Spin knew Paige had ulterior motives and that it was more about her proving to her parents and everyone else around her that she was going to make it even without a college degree! Paige wanted to write a book about the murder and sell it to the highest bidder no matter who it hurt in the process. She'd interviewed everyone she could find and had been compiling research for months. She was halfway through but Spin knew with the new murders that happened last night it wouldn't be long before she swooped in like a vulture to get the scoop. Emma and her friends had refused to let her interview them and because of his position as police officer Spinner did too. She was forever angry at him for it, but it wasn't his fault! This was his job!
"Look, hun, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to get you in trouble, honest. I just...want to save him."
Spinner leaned down to her eye level.
"It isn't about saving Snake and you know it!"
Paige huffed and put her sunglasses back on.
"Well what harm would it be if I boosted my career in the process of saving him?" she grumbled, sick of Spin making her feel guilty about this.
He of all people should understand!
Spinner sighed.
"I don't want to fight with you. But you do need to leave. You know that." he reasoned with her.
"Other reporters are here! Look there's Ellie! She's been staking the place out six the news came on the police scanner."
Spinner saw where she pointed and noticed Ellie Nash standing with a group of reporters outside the police station. He should have figured she would show up. Ellie graduated with them only last year and had gotten a coveted spot on her university newspaper. She wasn't even technically a reporter, just a student. She shouldn't even be here. Jesus, christ! Spinner was going to waste his day having to wrangle his old high school friends instead of actually doing his job and trying to solve these murders.
"Neither one of you are actual reporters Paige." he reminded her.
She scoffed.
"Semantics!" she waved it off.
Spinner rolled his eyes.
"Just stay hidden and stay out of the way could you? I can't afford you getting me in trouble again! I just got this promotion!" Spinner whined.
Paige nodded and rolled her window back up dismissing him.
Spinner stood up and walked towards the building trying to avoid Ellie and failing miserably.
"Spinner!" She heard him yell and he stopped.
Ugh, today just wasn't his day!
"Ellie..hey.." he tried not to look as annoyed as he felt but knew she could tell anyways.
"How are you?" she asked sweetly.
"Look Ellie, let's not even pretend to make small talk. We both know why you're here."
Ellie dropped her sickly sweet smile and leaned closer to him, not wanting to tip off the real reporters that she was talking to a cop while they weren't paying attention. They would eat her alive.
"Fine by me. You want to tell me what's going on?" she asked.
Spinner rolled his eyes.
"You know I can't do that."
Ellie scoffed.
"I just saw you talking to Paige! You probably told her all about it! What do I have to sleep with you to get information?" Ellie taunted.
Spinner scowled.
"We aren't sleeping together. We haven't been together since high school, you know that. We're only friends. And I told her the same thing I'm going to tell you...leave." Spinner went to turn away.
"Oh yeah right. I heard about the book she's been writing. There's no way she's collected all that information about the case without your help." Ellie sneered.
"You know what, I'm done being nice!" Spinner leaned down closer to her to talk quietly.
Ellie was not only really short but also really tiny and Spinner loomed over her almost menacingly. She knew he would never hurt her, that he was a gentle person but it still scared her a little bit.
"You're just bitter because Simpson refused to see you for months when you tried contacting him."
Ellie opened her mouth to protest but Spinner cut her off.
"I've seen the visitor logs Ellie. You went there for months trying to see him. Once you heard about what happened you got the same idea Paige did and wanted to write a book and get yourself published before anyone else jumped on it. You knew he refused to talk to reporters so you thought maybe since he'd been your teacher that he would talk to you. But then you realized that Paige got to him first and he turned you out in the cold. That must really irk you huh? To know that Paige wasn't even going into the journalism field and now she'd scooped your story? It probably bugged you almost as much when you found out Sean came home from Wasaga and jumped right into Emma's bed without even calling you first." Spinner taunted cruelly.
Tears filled Ellie's eyes and she took a step back.
"Don't you ever, EVER, test my integrity again Ellie. You could get me fired for spreading rumors like that and I've done nothing but do my job. Don't you dare try to bring me down because you and Paige are in some kind of stupid turf war over who gets the story first. Newsflash, neither one of you are real reporters! And you're so focused on your own lives that you don't even care what happens to Simpson! Do you even think he's innocent? Do you even care about what this is doing to Emma or Joey or any of Spike's family?"
Spinner could tell by the way Ellie avoided eye contact that she didn't. It had probably all been some vendetta against Emma anyways. Ellie and Sean had been broken up for six months and Ellie had already gone away to college when Sean came back to Degrassi but Spinner knew she was still bitter over it. That girl held grudges like no other! Just ask Manny Santos. When Sean left, Ellie got really close with Craig who had gotten back together with Manny. Ellie spent most of their relationship trying to convince Craig that Manny was wrong for him. Eventually Craig left town and got a record deal, but still stayed with Manny while he toured. That pissed off Ellie to no end that even Craig leaving town for months hadn't ended their relationship. When Craig came back with a coke problem initially Ellie believed it was Manny with the problem. Manny soon dumped Craig and told Ellie what was going on. Ellie didn't believe her at first until she went to see Craig play and his nose started bleeding on stage. She found him later that night high and binging on more. She immediately called Joey who checked Craig into rehab. A month later Ellie started college and immersed herself into working at the college newspaper The Core. She'd been furious when she found out about Sean and had even tried calling him a few times. He never answered but sent her back a text telling her that he was home but that he was back with Emma and wasn't interested in seeing her.
"Just stay out of it!" Spinner huffed walking away from her and into the police station.
Ellie stood there shell shocked for a minute before sniffing away her tears and walking to her car.
Paige had seen the whole exchange from across the parking lot and couldn't help but smirk a little. She didn't know what Spinner said to Ellie but she could tell it upset her. Hah! That bitch had it coming anyways! As selfish as Paige was in the situation, she was mostly fueled by her desire to help out her favorite teacher. Archie was a good man. She truly did believe he was innocent. Ellie was just out looking for a vendetta and desperation looked good on no one. Least of all her. That's what happens when you come in between Sean and Emma. Paige had seen it happen since grade eight. The two of them were so obviously meant to be.
-X-
Emma had woken up completely content and feeling safe in Sean's arms that morning. It had been the first time all year she slept soundly through the whole night. Sean let her sleep in and got ready first and then made her breakfast while she got ready for school. Emma was touched. He was being so sweet to her and she had to admit with Caitlin out of the house she was less tense about him sleeping over. She did her hair and makeup nice and put on a nice outfit. Emma hadn't felt this refreshed in months! Sean helped her get her books in the car and drove them to school, holding her hand the entire time.
When they pulled into the parking lot they were confused. There were reporters everywhere! Some were interviewing students, others were harassing people for interviews. Sean could barely find a parking spot!
"What the hell?" he muttered to himself.
Emma shrugged her shoulders but he could feel her tense up beside him. This is what it was like last year when her mother was murdered. It was the hottest court case around for a while and Emma was harassed endlessly about doing interviews. She refused every single one no matter how much money they offered her and so did her friends. Even Peter who was a fame whore refused to comment. Emma had lost a lot of friends the year before when people she thought she could trust did interviews behind her back. It took her months to even speak to Liberty again after she spoke to Paige when she was going around asking all of them to be in her book. Emma had been livid.
Sean finally found a spot and he and Emma got out of the car. He took her hand and led a reluctant Emma towards the school.
"It's ok, Em. I got you."
Emma gave him a sad smile and went along. Hadn't this just happened last year? Ugh! What was going on?
"Emma!" Manny and Jane came running up beside them.
Manny pulled her into a hug with Sean still not letting go of her hand.
"What the hell is going on?" Sean asked knowing Manny to be the biggest gossip queen in the school.
If anyone knew, it would be her.
"You don't know?" Manny's eyes were wide with shock.
Sean gave her an annoyed look.
"Right obviously or you wouldn't have asked." Manny laughed awkwardly.
Jane rolled her eyes.
"Bianca Desousa and Drew Torres were murdered last night!" Jane cut in.
Sean's eyes went wide. Wait...who were they again? It didn't really matter..another murder at Degrassi!
"What? Bianca Desousa...she sits next to me in study hall!" Emma murmured.
"Um not anymore she doesn't!" Jane said.
Manny hit her arm.
"What? She doesn't!" Jane reasoned.
"Cool it!" Manny huffed noticing Emma's discomfort.
"Do they know who did it?" Sean asked.
"No they're fucking clueless! The cops are interviewing everyone today!" Manny chimed in.
"Lucas and Spin were saying this is the worst crime they've seen in years...even worse than.." Manny hit her arm and cut her off.
Jane realized what she was going to say and her eyes widened.
"Well..it's...bad." she finished lamely.
Her older brother was on the police force. He was Spinner's partner. Lucas still lived at home so she always heard all the gossip going on. Spin was usually in an out, currently living in their basement until he could find a place. He and Lucas were never home enough to pay the high rent prices anyways. Jane's dad had left years before and her mom liked having two young men around the house to help her out with stuff. Jane was hardly ever home either now that it was her senior year. She was in a ton of activities and always out with her friends.
"How?" Emma asked.
Sean tensed up beside her knowing what she was asking.
"How what?" Manny didn't understand.
Jane rolled her eyes.
"How were they murdered?" Emma said quietly.
JT came up beside them joining in the conversation. Peter and Darcy by his side.
"They were gutted, ripped open from end to end." JT said menacingly.
"Oh gross!" Darcy swatted his arm.
Peter had his arm around her shoulders and laughed at her expression.
"H-how do you gut someone?" Emma asked quietly, rhetorically.
Sean knew she meant how could someone actually be evil enough to kill but their friends were obviously being idiots today.
"You take a knife and rip them from sternum to sternum." Jay crept up behind Manny and said evilly.
Manny shrieked and hit him from behind.
"Hey did they really put her liver in the mailbox? Cause I heard they put her liver in the mailbox next to her spleen and her pancreas!" JT said in a cartoonish voice.
Emma leaned into Sean's chest trying to hide her tears.
"Stop being an asshole!" Jane hit JT's arm hard.
"Yeah man, liver alone!" Peter joked lamely, and he was the only one laughing.
He held up his hand for JT to high five him and JT just stared at him.
Emma rushed off in tears and Sean gave them all a look that said he'd kill them if he could.
"Cool it!" he warned before running after her.
Manny rolled her eyes and followed, pulling Jane along with her. Jay of course trailed Manny, per usual and JT wasn't long after them.
"What? Liver? Leave her..it was a joke!" Peter called following.
Darcy rolled her eyes. Why did she date this guy again?
-X-
Before Emma could make it inside the school she felt someone grab her arm. She spun around and looked into the face of Ellie Nash.
"Hello Emma." Ellie said cooley her green eyes almost cat like observing her.
Emma crossed her arms over her chest and sucked in the tears that threatened to fall.
"What do you want Ellie?" Emma wasn't in the mood for games.
"I was hoping for an interview."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"Look I've told you before and I'll tell you again, I don't do interviews." Emma turned to leave.
"But I can give you what the others won't!" Ellie called.
Emma turned back around.
"And what exactly is that?" she bittered.
"Paige wants to prove Simpson's innocence. All the other reporters don't know any of you. I could give you the opportunity to tell your side of the story. I can convince the rest of the world the doubts it, that Simpson really is guilty."
Emma scoffed.
"That's what you think I want?" She couldn't help it, a tear rolled down her cheek.
Emma heard Sean calling her name and it wasn't long before he came up behind her.
"Em.." he broke off realizing she was talking to Ellie.
"Sean." Ellie said cordially.
He hadn't actually seen her since he broke up with her in Wasaga. Every time she'd tried to confront Emma for an interview, Emma had either been alone or Ellie had called or emailed. She hadn't ever had the balls to confront her while Sean was around. Sean figured she was still bitter over their breakup.
"What do you want Ellie?" Sean didn't even try to play nice.
Ellie laughed bitterly.
"Wow such angry words. You used to have such nice things to say to me Sean."
Sean rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Why don't you quit harassing my girlfriend? Em, let's go." He grabbed her hand and they went to walk away.
"Oh that's right. This is the same girl that you used to call a cold hearted bitch with a stick up her ass behind her back!" Ellie called after them.
Emma froze and so did Sean.
Ellie smiled. Good she hoped this caused a huge fight between them later!
"That's right Emma, Sean used to have PLENTY of things to say about you! Mostly about how you were a prude stuck up little tease that would rather die a lonely old spinster before letting someone into her pants. Why do you think Sean jumped on the first slut he found when you guys broke up? Maybe he even fucked your whore of a mother while he was at it! Broke her in a little bit before that sleaze Matt Oleander came knocking!"
Sean was shocked! Ellie had never been a mean hearted person! What the hell! He turned around to tell her off when Emma released his hand and walked towards Ellie. Ellie just looked at her smugly waiting for Emma to burst into tears. But instead Emma did something completely unexpected. She punched Ellie across the face and Ellie fell to the ground. Some of the reporters noticed the commotion and made their way over. Manny and Jane and Jay pushed through the crowd and saw what had happened.
"Go to hell." Emma spat before stalking off.
Sean looked over at Manny. She could tell what he was asking with his eyes.
"We're on it!" Manny yelled dragging Jane wit her to go after Emma.
Jay looked at Sean.
"Man…"
"Go after them. Make sure she's ok." Sean knew he could trust Jay to do that.
Jay nodded and ran to catch up with the girls without another word. Sean knew what he was doing. Who was Jay to question that?
Sean bent down to help Ellie up. To the reporters observing it looked like he was checking the bruise on her cheek but in reality he wanted to get her close so that what he had to say wouldn't be overheard.
"Sean, thanks…"
Sean cut her off.
"Save it. I only wanted to tell you one thing without anyone else overhearing. Look I know our breakup sucked and I'm sorry you got hurt. But that was almost two years ago Ellie! Right after I had a gun pointed at me and I accidentally killed a guy. No scratch that...I did kill him in self defense. And I want you to know something...I've killed to protect Emma and I'd do it again. Stay the hell away from her or I'll make damn sure you'll never be able to hurt her again." Sean growled.
Ellie raised her eyebrows.
"Are you threatening me?"
Sean nodded.
"You bet your ass I am."
Ellie scoffed.
"What you're going to kill me if I make her cry again? Give me a break Sean." she rolled her eyes at him.
"Oh I'm not going to kill you. I'm not crazy. But you forget, Spinner's a good friend. And he's a cop. And I know about your little addiction to alcohol."
Ellie's eyes widened. How the hell did Sean know about that? She'd been so damn careful.
"Yeah that's right. I know all about how you go out every single night and drink before you drive yourself home and sleep for a few hours and drink in the morning to get going. I know the signs of alcoholism Ellie I lived with it for years."
Ellie rolled her eyes trying to stay tough.
"It's not illegal to drink Sean."
Sean grabbed her arm roughly.
"But it is illegal to drink and drive. And from the smell of the rum on your breath I'd say you've done it already once today. Did you even go to bed when you got home from the bar or just pop in a breath mint and get dressed for work?"
Ellie mouth hung open.
"Stay away from her." Sean warned once more before letting go of her arm and stalking into the school.
Ellie looked around to make sure no one heard. No one was even paying attention to them anymore. Ellie breathed into her hand and sniffed trying to see if Sean was right about the alcohol smell. She didn't smell anything but popped some gum into her mouth just in case. She felt her cool metal flask inside her purse and instantly felt calmer. She ran to her car to take a hit off of it. Just a small sip to calm her nerves and get her through, that's all. She didn't have an addiction….she didn't!
Paige once again saw the entire thing from across the parking lot! Way to go Emma! She'd been waiting for Ellie to unravel for months and it looked like it was finally happening. With that bitch out of the way, Paige could get things done much easier.
-X-
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