Exams had passed as quickly as they had come. The endless amount of studying seemed to benefit most students as many were confident emerging from the gym. History, English, and Media proved to be the easiest out of the bunch. Chemistry and Trigonometry, no matter which way you studied, were leaving students baffled by the time the two hours were up. However, the talk of tests was nothing more then a mere memory as it was Friday and the 'A Night in Vegas' dance was only a few hours away.

"So Clare," Alli began applying a shimmery pink gloss to her lip. "Is Eli a good kisser?"

Clare almost choked on her own spit at the abrupt question from Alli. "We're not talking about this," she said and walked to the full length mirror in the corner of her room. She was wearing a light blue dress that was unusually tight for her taste. It fell just above her knees and the dress draped around her shoulders. In case she was showing too much cleavage, Clare had wrapped a fluffy dark blue boa around her neck like a tie. Alli had approved incredibly of the dress because it brought out her pale blue eyes, showed her supposed curves, and enhanced her skin tone. To be honest, the only thing Clare cared about at the moment was if Eli thought she looked okay, or even more than that.

"Please Clare, I have to know the details," Alli said with a pout.

"I don't ask you about how Drew kisses, do I?" Clare retorted. She fluffed the tips of her hair so they curled perfectly.

"You don't have to because you can tell he's amazing." Alli put emphasis on the word amazing as she spoke. She sighed pleasingly and stood up doing a twirl for Clare. Her dress was a lot different from Clare's. It was hot pink and as puffy as could be on the bottom half. It was clear cut across her chest giving her the illusion of slightly larger breasts. She had a light pink boa wrapped around her shoulders. "How do I look?"

Clare's eyes widened. "That's not exactly something your parents would approve of." It was obvious how strict and precise Alli's parents were when it came to dressing.

"Perfect," Alli said, a grin enveloping her face. She joined Clare in the mirror and admired herself for a few brief moments. Drew is going to love this, Alli thought. "I don't think my parents would consider your outfit as a choice for me either." Alli tugged the boa off of Clare's dress.

Clare clutched her hands over her chest and bent down to pick up the boa that was lying in a ball on the floor. She positioned it back around her neck.

"Oh please, Clare," Alli said rolling her eyes. "I have the same things you do. Besides I'm sure Eli would like the view," Alli teased.

Clare's cheeks flushed to a deep color of scarlet. "You're not going to drop conversations about Eli, are you?"

"Nope, not until you give me details. You guys are finally official after getting past the whole dead ex girlfriend thing. If he's kissing you a certain way you can tell if he's over her for good."

Clare's eyes dodged Alli's gaze. She hasn't told Alli about Alex being Julia. Frankly, no one knew about the whole thing except for her, Eli, and Adam.

Alli caught her wandering eyes. "Oh no," she huffed. "It's bad isn't it?"

"What, no, quite the opposite," Clare objected immediately. "It's just that-"her voice trailed off. "His ex isn't really dead."

Alli's mouth fell open as she waited for Clare to explain.

"Well you see, the new girl Alex, came to Degrassi as a hidden Julia. She cornered Eli in a hallway and kissed him. Eli left, but all he could do was think about her so he came to visit me and I thought he was breaking up with me. That obviously wasn't true. Then, Alex or Julia or whatever her name is now, came to school wearing a dress that she had worn to celebrate her six months with Eli. Quite pissed off, Eli basically told her she had to move on and he hasn't seen or heard from her since." Clare inhaled a large breath as she had finished rambling. She hoped Alli had caught everything she had just said.

"Well-"Alli was flabbergasted. "When did you get caught in the middle of a love triangle?"

Clare shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm hoping Julia finally got the message. I don't need any more drama especially when Eli and I are finally a couple."

Alli agreed. "It was already a stressful week, but now we get to unwind and relax at a school dance before break. Can life get anymore perfect?"

Clare cracked a smile. "If Eli kisses me again then it will."

"So you're saying he's good?"

"No, I'm saying he's amazing. He just knows how to move his lips and… other things. It never could even compare to K.C."

Alli squealed happily and pulled Clare into a spine breaking hug. "AHHHHH, Clare!"

Clare pulled away before Alli could squeeze any harder against her back. "Calm down Alli," she said chuckling. "Eli, Drew, and Adam should be here any minute. We should finish getting ready."

Alli's face was still imprinted with her wide grin from the news of Eli being a fantastic kisser. She obeyed Clare but not before saying, "I have a feeling tonight will be something to remember."

-Torres Household –

"Wow for once Elijah Goldsworthy isn't wearing all black," Adam laughed as he glanced at Eli through his bathroom mirror. He had just finished binding his chest and was now slipping on his white button down shirt.

Eli joined Adam in the bathroom as he played with the positioning of his bangs. "Thanks, Adam." Eli instead of his usual black blazer was wearing a red one that snuggled his shoulders making them look broader and more masculine. His button down was black unlike Adam's. He had to keep at least one part of his style the same.

Adam placed a black beanie on the top of his head after putting on his black tux jacket.

"Still not taking off the beanie, eh?" Eli asked.

Adam shook his head. "Not a chance, Eli." Truth was Adam thought the beanie had hid his somewhat girlish hair.

"Move out of the way, ladies," Drew shouted as he proceeded into the bathroom. It was getting very crowded in the small space. He sprayed a heavy load of axe onto himself.

"What the hell, bro?" Adam asked in between coughs.

"I have to smell good for Alli," Drew replied simply.

"I think she'll want to stand ten feet back if you smell like that," Eli said heading outside of the bathroom and taking in a whiff of axe free air.

Drew ignored Eli's comment and adjusted his shirt. "Alright, I think I'm ready. You guys set?"

Both Adam and Eli nodded and followed Drew down the stairs. Morty was waiting outside of the Torres house perfectly shined for the occasion.

"We're picking up our girlfriends in a death mobile?" Drew was quite dumbfounded at the idea.

"It's a hearse and since neither of you can drive then yes, we are."

Drew couldn't argue and Adam laughed at Drew's displeasure. Both climbed into Morty, squeezing into the front and waited for Eli to start the car.

-Julia's House-

Since Wednesday, Julia had refused to leave her home. Even though she knew she had to take exams, she had forced her mom to lie and say she was severely ill. Well, that partially wasn't a lie. Her mind had shut down on her. She couldn't feel anything, but pain, numbness, the longing for Eli to be present with her. She had seen the look in his eyes before he dropped the bomb.

"I understand completely, Julia, but I've moved on and you have to do the same. My heart is not committed to you anymore."

Those words had replayed in Julia's head like a broken record. She couldn't shut them away or push them to the back of her mind. They were imprinted in her head and in her heart which made it so difficult to dispose of them. How did her world fall apart so quickly? How could she not do anything to stop it?

She had trashed her room. Her curtains were on the floor with the rod dangling from atop of the window frame. Her clothes lined the floor as she had torn each and every one from their hangers. She had smashed her mirror and her small little trinkets that were on her dresser. Julia still hadn't bothered to clean up any of it. She was sitting, pressed up against the side of her bed surrounded by the mess she had made.

Her eyes wandered towards her cut up knuckles. Dried up fragments of blood had rested upon them. It amazed Julia how effortlessly the glass had cut through her skin. When she had punched the mirror, it felt so good. It was almost enlightening to feel something other then a bottomless pit of self pity. She had seen nothing, heard nothing, and felt nothing that was able to pull her out of this depression. She was sleeping, but yet she was awake and unresponsive aside from the pain that had encased her knuckles. Julia had craved for more since then, but found it to be completely irrelevant since it had not brought Eli any closer to her. It just enraged her temper and drew blood from her veins.

'A Night in Vegas' was tonight. Julia knew that much and she could just picture Eli getting ready to go. He was probably wearing some kind of suit that made him look even more perfect than he already was. Then she thought of Clare, his date, the person who was preventing Eli from being with her. It boiled her blood. It filled Julia with a wrath that took her body in its mercy.

She knew she had to follow this impulse that was replacing the blood that ran through her and act. Julia rose from her spot against her bed and maneuvered her way around her bedroom. She picked up a white t- shirt and a pair of tight jeans. This was not about how she looked for the dance, but how her message was going to be perceived.

Julia changed her clothes quickly and applied eyeliner while looking through her fractured mirror. She colored in the top of her eye and below all the way down to the beginning of where her bags started. Pleased with her freakish appearance, she had one final touch to add to her wardrobe. She took her nearest crimson red lipstick and drew an X across her white shirt. In the light, the lipstick could have been passed off as blood.

"Hey mom," Julia started, her voice echoing off the walls of her room. "I'm going to the dance after all." No one was home to hear her, but just the satisfaction of saying that had made Julia fill up with joy. Her parents would never let her out in the state of wardrobe she was in, but it wasn't their decision. It was hers and she knew this was the only way to turn off the voice inside her head. It was egging her on, telling her that Eli wasn't meant to be Clare's boyfriend.

She let out a maniacal laugh. She had never felt so wicked, so evil before, but this was the end of playing games. Julia was going for what she wanted no matter what the price was.