Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi. 'Nuff said.

Author's Note: My apologies for the delay! School has been keeping me very busy, and will probably continue to do so for the next few weeks, but I'm going to try my best to update as quickly as possible.

Thank you for being so patient!

On a side note… OH MY GOD. THE PROMO! FITZ! AHH! I was so excited when I saw that! But UGH… I do not want to wait until February. Le sigh.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy!

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Broken Glass
Blame Game I

X

When Monday reared its head, Fitz found himself - and it came as no surprise - in Simpson's office, slouched in a chair and only half-tuning into what Simpson was saying.

Class hadn't started yet. He had taken the city bus and arrived long before anyone else, with the exception of the faculty and maybe student council. His mom had insisted that he at least try to make a good impression on his first day back, and what better way than to actually be on time for once? Reluctantly, he had complied and forced himself to get up at the crack of dawn in order to catch his ride, but he hoped that she didn't expect him to make a habit out of it. Now that he was back at Degrassi, he had a reputation to maintain, and being "punctual" wouldn't exactly help.

On the other hand, neither would the lame-ass uniform he was now being forced to wear. The red polo and khaki pants had been sent to him in the mail, already paid for by - he guessed - the school board, since there was no way in hell that his mom could've afforded it. Not with all the bills she was trying to pay off. He vaguely recalled Clare mentioning the new dress code during one of their tutoring sessions a while back, but it'd somehow slipped his mind.

"… understood?"

Fitz glanced up. Simpson stared at him expectantly.

"Yeah, whatever." He muttered, shrugging carelessly.

Simpson pinned his brows together, clearly not amused.

"You should be thankful, you know." He said sternly. "To both your mother and Clare. It's because of their persistence and dedication that you've been allowed to continue your education here." He clasped his hands together and straightened his posture, his expression serious. There was no trace of the laidback, former Media Immersions teacher. "Also, don't think that just because you're back that you can slack off again. I expect you to keep your grades up, Mark -"

"Fitz," the teen corrected.

"- Fitz," Simpson amended with a nod. "To make sure that your grades don't slip, Clare will remain as your tutor for the remainder of the year. You'll also be seeing Ms. Sauvé once a week."

"What for?" Fitz snapped.

"Degrassi won't tolerate anymore violence. If you have a problem, then talk to Ms. Sauvé, but do not handle it with your fists and expect to get away with it." Simpson said.

Fitz promptly scoffed, and Simpson regarded him coldly.

"I mean it, Fitz. One more incident - even the slightest altercation - and you're gone. Clear?"

"Crystal." Fitz muttered, just as the bell rang. "Can I go now?"

Simpson nodded, dismissing him with a wave. Without another word, Fitz stood up and grabbed his backpack, swung it lazily over his shoulder and made his way out of the office and into the busy halls.

"Isn't that…?"

"What's he doing here?"

"I heard he brought a knife to Vegas Night. That's why…"

"I thought he was in jail!"

"Wasn't he expelled?"

"Doesn't look that way…"

"He should've been. It's his fault we -"

"Shut up, he'll hear you!"

Almost instantly, frantic whispers broke out around him. People stopped and stared - some in shock, some in disbelief, and some in fear. One kid, a scrawny sophomore with glasses (a total geek who Fitz would have no problem stuffing into a locker) had nearly pissed his pants when he'd crossed paths with the bully. Normally, Fitz would've laughed, but stopped when he noticed the other reactions he was getting.

Glares, disgusted looks, accusing stares, and eyes filled with pure, unbridled hatred.

And he was at the receiving end of every one of them.

oOo

'Ugh!'

On the other side of the school, Clare Edwards groaned loudly and stared at her reflection in the mirror, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up. Makeup had done little to hide the bags underneath them, and with her bed-head, she practically looked dead on her feet. If that wasn't enough, even though she could barely keep her eyes open, her mind was in chaos; a cacophony of jumbled thoughts and unanswered questions that had kept her up for the better part of three nights.

Was it possible?

Had Fitz really liked her for that long?

'No.' Clare shook her head. It had to be a coincidence. There was just no way - she didn't even know Fitz existed until his feud with Eli. Had they crossed paths before?

Clare racked her brain, trying to remember if she had seen Fitz at all during her freshman year, but drew a blank. So much had happened - the Shep, being caught with a vibrator in class, Robot Wars, her first boyfriend, Alli's STD scare, Jenna stealing KC away, and the entire incident with Declan Coyne that she would much rather pretend never happened - that most other things seemed trivial.

However, before she could contemplate any further, the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end. Clare could feel someone behind her, and turning on her heel, was mildly surprised to find Adam standing there looking none-too-pleased. In fact, he looked downright furious.

She frowned.

"Adam?" She greeted cautiously. "Is… something wrong?"

"You could say that." He bit out. After running a hand through his hair, he went on. "I just saw Fitz."

Clare blinked, her lips parting in shock - not because she hadn't known, but because she hadn't expected Fitz to return so soon. She hadn't prepared herself for what she was going to say or do, or how she was going to act or anything, and after what Abby had told her… it only made things that much more difficult.

"O-oh."

"You don't seem all that surprised."

Adam's tone was bitter and laced with suspicion, leaving Clare feeling very unsettled. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves.

"H-He's back? Really?" She stammered, laughing nervously.

It was too late, though.

Adam's face twisted into a dark scowl. "Don't play stupid with me, Clare! You knew he was coming back, didn't you?" It was a good thing that the halls were nearly empty; had they been crowded, someone could've easily overheard Adam. "Why the hell didn't you say something?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Clare said, feigning ignorance as she turned away and rummaged through her locker for her Biology textbook.

"Stop lying to me, Clare!" Adam all but shouted, the hurt evident in his voice. "Is it true you've been tutoring him?"

Clare bit her lip, and hesitated a moment before asking in a quivering voice, "Where did you hear that?"

"My mom!" Adam cried incredulously. "So is it true? It is, isn't it? That's what you've been doing after school - why you've been too busy to hang out with Eli and me!" He sounded betrayed, and Clare felt a pang in her chest as he went on, growing more and more accusatory. "What the hell, Clare! Why would you help that bastard? He almost stabbed Eli -"

"He was never really going to!" Clare hissed before she could stop herself, whipping around to pin Adam with a cold glare.

Adam reeled back in disbelief, staring at her like she'd just revealed herself to be the Anti-Christ.

"Is that what he told you?" He spat, unable to even utter Fitz's name. He shook his head and grimaced. "I can't believe you're actually defending that asshole after all the shit he's put us through!"

"I'm not defending him!" Clare snapped. "I'm just saying that -"

Before she could finish her sentence, another voice cut in.

"Whoa, what'd I miss?"

Eli stood a few feet away, a perplexed expression etched across his face as he took in the sight in front of him. Clare pursed her lips together and looked away guiltily, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Adam's knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists and held his tongue. Eli quirked a brow, confused gaze darting back and forth between his best friend and his girlfriend.

After what seemed like an eternity, Clare broke the tense silence that had fallen on them, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Fitz is back."

The second bell echoed loudly throughout the school; any lingering students sped off to class, leaving only the trio of misfits behind. Clare knew she wasn't going to make it to Biology in time, but that hardly seemed to matter as she waited for Eli's reaction with bated breath. She saw the color drain from his face until he resembled a ghost; for a split second, he appeared catatonic, but it was a state short-lived.

In the blink of an eye, the entire atmosphere seemed to change. Clare watched in horror as Eli's face became red with anger; his eyes darkened and she could see the veins protruding from his neck. His entire body shook with uncontrollable rage and his breathing grew shallow and heavy. Then an angry cry ripped from the back of his throat - making Clare nearly jump out of her skin - and he slammed his fist into a nearby locker, leaving a sizable dent in its wake.

Without a word, he stormed off.

She didn't know where to, and neither she or Adam followed him to find out. They knew it was better to let Eli be alone for a while, at least until he cooled down.

After about a minute, Clare peered over at Adam.

"Are you going to tell him?" She asked softly. "About… me?"

Adam narrowed his eyes.

"You've already dug your grave. Whether or not you decide to sleep in it is up to you." He said cryptically.

Then he walked away, leaving Clare standing alone in the deserted hallway.

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Okay, so… I've decided to split this chapter into two parts. The next chapter is going to deal more with Fitz and how he's welcomed back… or rather, how he's not. Also, Bianca and Owen will make their debut in the second half as well.

Anyway, I'd like to apologize for the delayed update, but school's been keeping me super busy. My updates probably won't be very frequent for the next couple of weeks, either, so I apologize in advance for that. I will try though.

This chapter feels kind of "meh" to me. I re-wrote it a few times, but I'm not particularly satisfied with it. I blame the stress from school for that, though.

… I feel like I'm forgetting to say something.

Anyway, thank you so much for being patient! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Please REVIEW and tell me what you think!