I don't own Degrassi


Riley was sitting on the front steps to the school when he saw Lea driving Johnny's car in, he smiled a little. He watched Lea step out wearing hot pink pants, which made him laugh a little. Zane handed her her bag, that's when he noticed people staring at Lea, it took a moment to register that Lea wasn't wearing her signature leather jacket over her white tank top.

Her arms were bare for the world to see. Scars and all. Riley made his decision then before standing up.

"Lea...I-"

"Riley, look. I was abused as a child, my scars are hotter gossip then you being gay. You be you, and I'll be me. Just don't expect me to wear tank tops everyday." Lea smiled and he hugged her tight, "Can't breathe."

"Lea! Oh my god!" Clare walked up, tears in her eyes. "Who did this to you?"

"Someone who deserves-"

"Bruce!" Bruce stopped talking and shrugged innocently. "I'm not quite ready to tell you the whole story, but they don't hurt nearly as often anymore. Don't cry!" Lea hugged Clare close.

"Well that idea backfired..." Zane said looking at Clare's face.

"Idea?" Eli asked looking confused.

Lea looked to Riley and was about to make up something but he opened his mouth first, "I'm gay. She didn't want me to be the one in the spotlight."

"Oh, well that's very noble of you." Eli said with a smile.

"Just don't do that to Clare again?" a feminine boy added. "I'm Adam."

"Lea, that's Bruce. This is Zane and the one with the poodle hair is Riley." Lea said smiling when Riley rolled his eyes.

"That is a lot of names to remember." Adam said.

"Try coming to a family reunion..." Zane said with a dramatic sigh, Adam and Eli laughed. They said their goodbye's and walked in the building.

"Ready?" Lea asked Riley who shook his head and went back to sitting on the step. "Riley look at me, don't you want to be able to hold Zane's hand? Or hug him?" Riley nodded. "Did I take my jacket off for nothing?"

"Wait, what?"

"I did this on purpose, so you wouldn't have to deal with drama. I can handle it. What I can't do is be friends with someone who lies to them self." Lea offered Riley her hand and he smiled getting up and grabbing his bag. He offered Zane his hand, who took it with a small smile. "So what class is first?"

"We've got Algebra." Riley said when they reached the doors.

"This is why I hate being a new student," Lea pulled out her schedule. "Ugh, physics. I need my book."

"I've got History, meet you at Lea's locker after." Bruce said as he walked away.

"If I remember where it is." Lea muttered causing Zane and Riley to turned one way and then shook her head and looked at her map. "So confused..."

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Bianca exclaimed when she saw Lea's arms. "Disgusting!"

"What happened, catch your reflection?" Lea asked looking slightly concerned. Zane tried to hold back laughing and turned into Riley's shoulder. "Well boys, looks like global warming is real and I found the cause. Use enough hair spray this morning? It's like a force field."

"Lets go find you locker Lea.." Riley said through laughter.

"My children won't know what penguins are thanks to her!" Lea said dramatically as she walked next to Riley. "Told you I'd be more talk then you."

"Hey Ril-Riley! Oh my god!" Anya said excitedly she hugged Riley. "You two are back on? Like officially?"

"Yes." Riley said as he rubbed his thumb on the back of Zane's hand.

"That's so cute! I'm so happy for you. Oh sorry didn't see you there-I'm Anya, a friend of Riley's." She held out her hand which Lea looked at and then looked at Riley, before taking a step back.

"Anya don't freak out okay?" Riley asked, she nodded and he guided Lea forward a step. Anya was speechless for a second.

"Did you-"

"No, I didn't do it myself. They are defensive." Lea explained quietly. Anya nodded. "And no they don't hurt, not often anyway."

"Want me to spread it around?"

"Excuse me?"

"That your scars are from defending yourself. I can try and take the spotlight off of Riley if you want."

"That was kind of the plan in the first place. New girl, dating old bad boy has gross-ouch! Did you really have to flick my ear Zane?" Lea asked.

"Stop down grading yourself. Remember what Johnny said?" Zane said looking at her seriously. "The only thing he'd ever change?"

"Is my last name.." Lea muttered and Riley gripped her shoulder with his free hand. Anya waved and went to a group of girls, Riley and Zane brought her to her locker, having trouble grabbing the lock to turn the numbers. "Damn it..."

"I got it," Riley opened her locker for her and Lea smiled, grabbing her physics book.

"Meet back here after class?" Lea said and they both nodded. Lea walked to her physics class, her heels clicking on the floor as she walked away from the boys. And as promised all eyes were on her. Zane and Riley walked to Algebra together.

When they got their everyone was paired off and doing work.

"And why are you two late?"

"We had to help my cousin find her locker, then she couldn't open it." Zane said simply, being that Zane was never late the teacher let it slide.

"Next time-"

"I'm not leaving her alone, especially when people were making fun of her for the scars left from abuse. That you can just forget." The teacher pulled Zane out of the classroom.

When he came back in the teacher looked slightly nauseous, Zane sat next to Riley and smiled.

"What did you tell him?"

"Calm down its all part of the plan." Zane whisper calmly to Riley who felt like he was going to rip his hair out. Zane put his hand on Riley's arm and smiled. The rest of the class went off without a hitch as did most of the day, when lunch time came around Bruce, Lea and Zane were sitting at a table with Clare, Eli and Adam. Riley walked over with his lunch and sat down in the free seat next to Zane and across from Lea. A few moments of eating and talking went by when someone walked up to the table.

"I can't believe I have ballroom today, this is gonna be terrible!"

"Why? Dancing is so fun I'm kind of looking forward to it." Lea said simply. Bruce got up to get a soda.

"Wait, you're in recreation?" Eli said confused.

"One of the classes that I couldn't take in summer school, I'm lucky I only have this year left." Lea explained, Riley was holding Zane's hand and smiled.

"Hey ugly." Owen said, standing behind Bianca.

"I'd acknowledge who was speaking but there seems to be a mass of hair in the way." Lea said rolling her eyes.

"We just wanted to know what possessed you to ever think it was okay to show those." Bianca said simply.

"I think she's pretty." Bruce said from behind the three, Owen and Fitz looked shaken.

"You didn't tell us she hung out with Bruce the Moose!"

"Did she tell you that Lea's boyfriend is Johnny Dimarco?" Zane asked.

"Or that my bench press is one fifty? So here's the deal. You leave us alone or you will find out exactly why the court put me on house arrest. Are you getting the picture?" Bianca stood strong, though Owen and Fitz were scared. "Listen little girl there is a new chief here now and it would be in your best interest to try to stay on my good side."

Bruce and Lea looked at each other, "Scatter morons!" He shouted before handing Lea a soda. They sat down next to each other and she smiled at Riley and Zane.

"That was epic." Adam said.

"But chief?" Eli asked slightly confused.

"I'm like eighty percent Algonquin." Lea smiled putting some hair behind her ear, revealing piercings.

"Is there anything that isn't completely bad ass about you? Next you're going to be telling me you have tattoos and play guitar." Eli said causing Zane and Bruce to laugh.

"Guilty?" Lea said blushing, Bruce laughed.

"You have tattoos?" Riley said confused.

"You saw me in a string bikini Riley!" Lea said, but Riley honestly couldn't remember. Lea laughed and he blushed. "You dog you! Were you checking Zane out the entire time?"

"Can we change the subject?" Riley said simply trying to hide his blush.

"Oh guys, I heard that we're getting a project in English, want to team up?" Clare asked.

"Sure." Eli said. Lea nodded before stealing a fry from Bruce.

"Hey Adam." It was the kid from Lea's first day here. Lea stood up and looked directly at the boy.

"Lea, that's my brother." Adam said putting a hand on her arm. "Whats up Drew?"

"I thought his name was Luke?"

"He does kinda look like a Luke..." Eli mused, Clare nodded in agreement.

"My name is Drew. Okay? Drew. Not Luke." Handing Adam a five, "You forgot you lunch money at home."

"Bye Luke!" Bruce called causing Lea too bust out laughing.

"You guys Drew is going to kill me." Adam said trying not to laugh.

"Luke won't hurt you, don't worry about that." Riley said before kissing Zane on the cheek. "I have to go talk to my teacher...get an extension on a essay."

Zane and Lea waved while Bruce nodded. They watched him walk and noticed as Owen and Fitz got up to go after him. "Ambush..." Lea grabbed her bag and drink and jumped up, going after Riley. She jumped on Riley's back. "I figured I should explain to the teacher about my arms." She said simply before hopping down and walking beside him. He took her books from her when they started walking. "What are you-"

"I have to be nice to my boyfriend's favorite girl." Lea smiled as she walked next to him down the hall.

"Ambush behind us." Lea said in a low voice, Riley rose his eyebrows in response.

"Would it be weird if I asked Johnny for help with English? He's always reading."

"No, I'm sure he'd be flattered." Lea smiled, and took her phone out when it buzzed, sending Johnny back a text. "Johnny says hi. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Riley said before he was pushed to the ground. Lea knelt down to make sure he was okay before putting her bag down and turning to the boys.

"Just stay down." Lea was silently fuming, she saw Bruce and Zane coming down the hall. "Why did you do that?"

"Cause he's a pansy." Owen said before kicking Riley. "Gay little thing couldn't hurt me."

Lea punched Owen in the face and before Bruce and Zane could get to her she was thrown against a locker hitting her head.