A/N I know this is like really late, but I just watched Degrassi for the first time and fell in love with Paige and Alex even though they weren't the best couple. So I wanted to write something suspenseful and make their relationship what I hoped it would be in the show. This takes place their senior year, but it's before the shooting. It's as if the whole debate and shooting are happening their senior year. Bare with me, I know this is a little weird of a setup, but I wanted to write it so here's chapter 1! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Who would do such a thing? I mean I don't like him, but that was just so wrong." Paige Michalchuk whispers to Alex Nuñez, her girlfriend, as they sit on the front steps of Degrassi.

"I don't know." Alex says looking in the opposite direction. Paige grabs her hand from behind their backpacks and lightly rubs her thumb back and forth over the top of Alex's hand.

"Are you okay hun?" Paige asks Alex, who is still looking in the opposite direction.

"What? Yea. I'm fine." She replies turning back towards her beautiful hazel eyed girlfriend. Alex flashes a small smile and immediately turns away again. "Oh, look!" Jimmy Brooks, Hazel Aden and Marco Del Rossi were walking up to the steps.

"Wasn't that just awful?" Paige says letting go of Alex's hand and jumping up to hug Hazel, her best friend.

"I know! It was so so so childish!" Hazel exclaims looking at Jimmy, her boyfriend.

"It makes me sick. He was just trying to become a better person and do his own thing. You know?" Jimmy said angrily as he sat down next to Alex on the steps. Alex still did not say a word and turned her head to look at her all black converse.

"I know we didn't like the guy, but that wasn't okay." Marco joined in. Alex jumped off the step and started heading for the doors.

"Hun, where are you going?" Paige asked. Alex stopped and turned back toward the group.

"I need a minute." She muttered and forced her way through the crowd of Degrassi students. Swinging open the doors and walking away from all the talk.

….

Alex stood at the sink in the girls bathroom staring at the water dripping from the faucet. She cupped her hands and filled them with water, throwing it on to her face. "Breathe, Alex. It'll be fine." She whispers to herself as she begins to pace back and forth across the bathroom floor. "Paiges probably going to be mad when she finds out it was you, but it'll work out like it always does." She stops pacing stares at her reflection in the mirror and takes a big sigh. She turns and pushes the door open into the hallway. It's quiet. "Everyone must be in class already." Alex thought. She walked passed the lockers, hers then Paige's, smiling at the thought of her beautiful blonde haired, hazel eyed girlfriend. She still couldn't believe that Paige and her had started a relationship. They were so different, but when they danced together that first night and then kissed later on it was like they had been together for years.

POP!

Alex jumped backwards against the lockers. Her breathing started getting heavier. The sound was all too familiar to her. A gunshot. It was a gunshot inside the halls of Degrassi. Alex peaked around the corner, her breathing was erratic.

"NO!" She screamed jumping out from behind the corner. Rick Murray was standing pointing a gun at Jimmy, who was on the ground bleeding. Rick's body still covered in yellow paint and feathers from the prank at the Whack-Your-Brain finals. The prank Alex had set up for Spinner and Jay. "Stop!" Rick turned around pointing the gun at Alex now. He had a crazy look in his eyes. He began to walk toward Alex. She put her hands up and started slowly backing away. "Rick. Stop please." Alex pleaded.

"Why? What else do I have to lose?" Rick laughed and continued aiming the gun at Alex. "I know you did it. Jimmy asked you to set it up and you did." Alex's breathing was worse now. She placed her hand on her chest to feel her heart. It felt like it was going to rip through her chest.

"Look, Rick. It was a stupid prank. Jimmy wasn't even in on it. I'm so sorry it even happened. I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to be good and nice and I'm sorry." You could hear the fear in her voice. The shakiness and heavy breathing in between each word. Rick looked at her and sighed. He slowly started to lower the gun. His hand was shaking. Alex let out a big sigh, tears rolling off her cheeks.

"What was that?" Rick said gripping the gun tighter and looking around. It was sirens. Police sirens.

"Thank god." Alex thought to herself. Rick turned back to Alex raising the gun at her once more. "What are you doing?" Alex said tears coming out faster her voice shaking even more.

"If you run, I shoot." He said as he took a few steps closer. He grabbed Alex by her arm and pointed the gun at her head. "Let's go."