A/N: Sorry I updated so late. I've had an assload of homework this past
week and never got a chance to type this out. Hopefully, it'll be better
next week. I finally figured out my crap for crap computer and can use
spell check once again! But, speaking of spell check, if I do something
stupid (like misspell 'friendships' in the summary), tell me please. I'm
not that observant. It'll take me a while to realize, okay? On the 'notes',
I have no clue what's going on with new characters, or how their
personalities have changed and such, so I'm just going to write what I
know. Just think of it as a new kid going with her first impressions. they
will change over time, and more will be added, as well as the grade 9 kids,
so don't fret. Wow, this was a big ass A/N... hopefully, it won't be so
long next week....
Song o' the week: 'Jane Says' by Jane's Addiction... though not used in its entirety.
Dedication: Marpha (because now you're letting me steal your little brother's name), Kate and Hannanana again.
-Chapter 1: He Treats Me Like a Rag Doll -
Much to her dismay, Martha Del Rossi found herself chewing on her nails, a habit she had thought to be broken for a year. Her other hand was busy twirling and re-twirling one of her pigtails. Her feet were bouncing like crazy. It was impossible for her to sit still. Most people would think she was having a panic attack. And she was on the verge of having one.
Not that she wouldn't be surprised if the aged secretary couldn't find her file. With all that was going on, she couldn't expect her mother to remember everything. Though one would think that sending your daughter's school record to her temp school would be pretty much top priority. But she really wanted to get the show on the road, and get the introductions over with.
A bell sounded and the halls outside the office filled with the sounds of dozens of kids changing classes. She stifled a groan. She had missed first period. Even more work to catch up on. And right now she was supposed to meet Marco to see what classes they had together.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but we have no Martha Del Rossi here," the ancient woman croaked, her voice thin and reedy. She took a long sip from the coffee mug on her desk before continuing; "You can use our phone if you'd like to call someone..."
"Thank you, Ma'am." Martha forced a smile and tried her best to be polite as she moved around the desk to get access to the phone. She had dialed half of her aunts work number before she caught sight of a different folder on the desk, and perked up a bit.
"Ma'am? Could you check under Marco Del Rossi?" she asked hopefully.
The old woman looked a bit taken aback. "Excuse me, dear? Marco?"
"According to that..." -Martha pointed at the file- "...you file by the first three letters of the last name, then the first three letters of the first name, so as not to confuse relatives, right?" She didn't wait for a reply. "You must have seen 'DelMar' on my file and put it in my cousin Marco's. It's happened before, so... could you just check?" she finished awkwardly.
The secretary took a moment to take this in before slowly moving to the filing cabinets for the third time. After a minute, she pulled out a file, a small smile pressed on her face. "You were right, dear," she murmured. "It was stuck in Marco Del Rossi's file."
It took a few more minutes to make her a copy of her schedule and locker number, and the old woman took the time to write out a note explaining what had gone wrong. Martha thanked her quickly before running out the door, heading for the locker that her cousin had agreed to share. After putting the rest of her books away, and sped along to her English class. Ten minutes later, she admitted to being hopelessly lost and headed back to the office to be steered in the right direction.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Marco was beginning to get worried. He hadn't seen hide or hair of Martha all day. It was already half way through second period. He could understand if she had gotten lost, but she was supposed to be in this class, judging by how Ms. Kwan had called her name about six times, much to the confusion of everyone, who called out that his name was Marco, not Martha.
The sound of the door opening came as a welcome distraction to everyone. They all turned to look at the tall, brunet girl who entered the room, fumbling with books and a few slips of paper. She finally extracted a piece of yellow stationary and handed it to Ms. Kwan before standing awkwardly in front of the room. She shifted her weight, her combat boots making clunking sounds that seemed to echo in the silent room. She seemed out of place in her old, faded, baggy jeans and tight homemade shirt that simply said 'Jane Says.' One of her hands unconsciously started to twirl at the hair in one of her pigtails.
Ms. Kwan skimmed the note before smiling at the girl and announcing to the class, "This is Martha Del Rossi. She's transferring here temporarily from Chicago."
Martha gave a sheepish wave and a faint "Hello."
"Why don't you tell the class a bit about yourself," Ms. Kwan urged. "And try to mention, lets say, your favorite band and the last book you read."
"Okay..." Martha was a bit weirded out by the outline for her introduction. "Like she said, my name's Martha Del Rossi, but you can all call me Marpha." A small murmur of laughter ran through the room. Martha got a confidence boost. "I used to live here, but I don't remember any of you. I like to paint and write stories about Harry Potter. I'm thinking of joining the Spirit Squad because, like in Bring It On, there's no gymnastics team and that's the only sport I can do. My favorite band at the moment is Rooney, and the last book I've read was Frost, Volume 8, which none of you have heard of before because it was written by my friend Kate and printed with what we used for the newspaper at my old school." She smiled at the class. "Oh, and I'm Marco's cousin." she added as an afterthought, resisting the urge to wave at him.
Ms. Kwan smiled at Martha again. "Welcome to Degrassi, Martha. Take the seat over there behind Paige."
Martha perked up a bit. It was a name she recognized. But she had no clue who her childhood friend was in the room. She looked to Ms. Kwan for help, who pointed to an empty seat in the back, behind a blond girl who looked a bit shocked.
Martha slid into her seat before poking Paige in the back and muttering "You're pokish." Paige turned around and smirked at the girl she hadn't seen since grade four, poking her back.
"How've you been?" Paige asked softly. "I haven't heard from you in forever."
"I've been going through some hard times," Martha worded carefully. "But life's been good so far."
"I have a ton to talk to you about. You wouldn't believe what happened last..."
"Paige, I'm glad you want welcome Martha, but please do it on your own time." Ms. Kwan interrupted before turning to Martha. "You'll be paired up with Craig for this project."
"I thought I was supposed to do it alone," the boy sitting next to her piped up.
"That was before we had an even number of students, Mr. Manning. But keep in mind, the next time you're late, you won't be so lucky."
Craig settled back in his seat before glancing over at Martha, and mumbling out of the corner of his mouth, "I'm done with Sergio."
It took a few seconds for her to catch on before mumbling back "He treats me like a rag doll." With that, she cracked open a small notebook, and, with a few notes to Paige, began to make a list of the guys in her class:
Jimmy Brooks appearance: I can see how some people can say he's cute. He's smiled only once so far, but it's definitely his best feature. Has expensive taste; everything from his backpack to his socks to his sweatshirt are brand names I've only seen in rap videos. personality: Hard to tell. He seems bored, and keeps on talking the Spinner (see below). availability: He keeps staring at Ashley, but no definite signs of having a girlfriend. verdict: Maybe. I'd have to get to know him more before I can make a final verdict.
Gavin 'Spinner' Mason appearance: He's cute, I'll give him that. Has really cool hair. But he dresses like he's trying to be a gangsta who shops in a thrift store. Plus, he smelled kind of bad when I walked by him... personality: Immature. Keeps cracking jokes to Jimmy (see above). Seems the type of guy who would laugh if someone said 'thingy' the wrong way. availability: He doesn't seem to be the type of guy who'd have a girlfriend, but, according to Paige, he's hers. verdict :Most likely not.
Craig Manning appearance: Cute and indie. Has a small Jew-fro, but it works for him, which I usually can't stand, but it makes him look even more indie, like that guy from the Strokes. Has a cute little scar on his right cheek... wait, scars aren't supposed to be cute, are they? personality: Laid back. Despite that I sit next to him, I can't tell the inner workings of his mind. Must be an artist... availability: Has a picture of him and Ashley in his binder, so I'm guessing taken. verdict: I could see him and Marco together, but the girlfriend thing makes him an unlikely choice.
Marco Del Rossi appearance: Cute, as always. He's grown his hair out since the last school picture he sent me. I can readily admit that if I weren't related to him, I'd date him. personality: Funny, charming, charismatic, and, if he really wants to be, a bit flamboyant... that's never hurt anybody, has it? availability: Single. Duh. That's why I'm taking notes. verdict: I'm sure he'd love to date himself, but no.
She was interrupted by the third bell of the day, signaling morning break. She quickly stuffed her notebook into her bag before catching up with Paige, who re-acquainted her with Ashley and Terri, and introduced her to Hazel and Ellie. She signaled to Marco that she'd meet him outside at lunch, and then went to catch up on the last five years.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"Spinner does not try to be gangsta."
"He's wearing an old Sean John sweatshirt and it looks like he tried to make his shoes Air Force Ones." Martha leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. "That's gangsta enough."
Marco looked back at her notes. "And he is mature... Sure, he plays stupid pranks and called me Marcia for the better part of last year..." Martha burst out laughing, and Marco glared at her before continuing, "But he's really smart and funny, and got over laughing at 'thingy' in grade 7."
"You seem awfully defensive." Martha noted, grinning cheekily. "Sounds like you might have a crush on him."
Marco tried not to blush. "I do not!" He said a bit too loudly. "I just want you to have your facts straight..."
"Chill, okay? I'm just wondering. You have to have a crush on somebody, though, and you're going to have to tell me what you think of people before I start to play the Match Game."
Marco's blush deepened. "You're not actually going to set me up with people from school, are you?"
"Of course I am! Who else do you think I can set you up with? Every guy in town goes here." Marco stared at his feet and mumbled something incoherent. Martha sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm going to make sure they would actually want to go out with a guy before even mentioning you."
Before he could answer, Craig walked up and sat himself down next to Marco. Marco slammed the notebook shut and practically threw it at Martha, who rolled her eyes at his jumpiness before putting it back in her bag. Craig looked curiously at both of them. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Just comparing schedules." Martha began to twirl a pigtail for the thirtieth time that day.
Craig nodded. "Cool. So... do you want to go discuss our English project?"
"Sure." Martha stood and turned to her cousin. "See you in Media Immersions."
"Yeah." Marco squeaked before walking in the direction of the basketball courts, where Jimmy and Spinner were playing.
"So, what exactly is this project? I wasn't exactly paying attention in class." Martha asked as they began to walk around the campus, heading for the soccer fields.
"We're supposed to do something on Slaughterhouse Five." Craig shrugged. "Anything. Write a summery, talk about our feelings, do artwork for it... I have no clue what to do..."
Martha resisted the urge to laugh. "I now have proof that every high school gets a manual of projects to assign kids. I had to do that last year."
"Really? What did you do."
"A song. Me and my friend Kate just wrote about how the author reminded us of Douglas Adams, and put it to the tune of this song her brother wrote. We got an A. If you want, we can just use that again."
"Sounds good to me." Craig smiled at her. "This has been the easiest project I've ever had to do."
"Hold on a second. You're still going to have to sing." Martha pointed out.
Craig stopped short. "Why do I have to sing? You sing, I'll play the song!"
"I have the worst voice in the history of the world." Martha rolled her eyes again. "And it's a lot simpler to remember the lyrics then one of Sammy's insane songs."
They stared each other down for a few moments, trying to mentally wear down the other's resistance. Finally, Martha sighed. "I'll play it for you, then we can decide who does what, okay?"
"Sounds good to me." They stood there awkwardly for a few more moments before Craig tried to fill the silence. "So, how do you like Degrassi?"
"It's okay." They started walking again. "It's better then where I used to live, that's for sure. Though it's going to be a little hard getting used to things."
"Don't worry about that. I was new here last year, and it was really easy to make friends and stuff..."
"No, that's not what I mean." Martha stopped again, bitting her lip, trying to find the words. "It's just... going to be hard getting back into the swing of a 'normal' life." She took a few seconds before continuing. "My step-dad just went to jail. For the last five years, he's been... there's no light way to put this... he's been beating both my mom and me."
Craig shifted uncomfortably. "I know what you mean... My dad did the same..."
"Somehow, I highly doubt it..." Martha winced at how uncaring she sounded. "That is, unless he starved you half to death and touched your chest every chance he got."
"Yeah, well, at least he's still alive. My father died." Craig snapped. He winced too and looked away, regretting allowing what was left of his bitterness to creep into the conversation.
"I'm so sorry." She bit her lip again. "I mean, I'm sure he was a heartless bastard and all, my dad was, but I would never wish him dead." She stepped back into his line of vision. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, I've talked about it enough." He turned back to her in smiled. "It's just still a little hard to deal with sometimes."
Martha nodded in understanding. "Anyway, It's great living with Marco." They started to walk again. "I finally have someone to talk to that I can trust won't blab it to everyone he's ever met. I once told Kate that I liked this guy, Steve, and the next day, everyone thought that we had dated, slept together, and were planning on getting married." Craig laughed and Martha couldn't help but smile. "And what's even better is that he trusts me. We talked almost every night before I moved. I was the first person he went to when he decided he was gay."
She stopped short with a gasp, eyes wide, hands over her mouth. Craig continued to walk a few steps before her words sunk in. He whirled around to face her. "What?!"
"I didn't say anything." Martha's voice was high pitched and frantic. "Oh god, I didn't mean to say anything. I mean, I know, sometimes I babble, but I'm usually really good about secrets and stuff. You probably hate him now and are never going to talk to him again. Oh god, please don't hate him. And don't let him know that you know, or that I told you, because he'd never trust me again." She grabbed his hands, her eyes wide as she babbled. "Please don't hate him. And don't let on that you know and please, please, don't let this affect your friendship with him. I know it's a lot to ask of you but please, I'm begging you..."
"Martha!" Craig put his hands on her shoulders, forcing eye contact. "Relax. It's okay. Just a bit of a shock, that's all. I'm not going to hate him just because of something little like that."
She took a deep breath. "You're fine with this?" she asked in total disbelief.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Craig smiled. "I know gay people. I mean... Okay, so I don't know any gay people personally, but... I watch Will & Grace..."
She smiled. "I get it. But still, don't let on that you know. He's not ready to come out yet..."
"I understand completely." He let go of her shoulders as the lunch bell rang. "Why don't you come over my house after school. Play me that song."
"Sounds good to me." Martha began to walk back towards the school. "I'll meet you outside the front entrance, okay?" He nodded. "See ya latter, Craig."
"See ya," he paused and smiled, "Marpha."
She gave him a last smile before walking into the building.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Just a random question for everyone. I know it's weird, but my friend and I have been debating it for awhile and even our mothers aren't sure... Is Marco Italian or Hispanic? It looks like he could be both (depending on the lighting) and it's hard to tell by the last name... If anyone knows, I'll owe you forever... Oh, and I'm sorry again for being late, but please, if you're looking forward to an update, e-mail me, or it might be two weeks again...
And now:
The two people that e-mailed me: I'm sorry, but I lost your reviews,
so I can't really comment on it... sorry!
Justin the Green Llama: I know exactly how you feel! I saw no Marco
fics and randomly decided to write one myself. Sometimes you have to
take initiatives, right? Pink Hair: I'm glad you like it so far! I hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Stacy's Mom: I know this has nothing to do with your review, but are
you a FOW fan? I've liked them ever since Utopia Parkway came out, and
it's kind of rare to find someone who's heard of them before your
namesake... Just wondering! Bren Eldrid Bera: That is freaky... ^.^; sorry I didn't review sooner. Hope you enjoyed this!
Song o' the week: 'Jane Says' by Jane's Addiction... though not used in its entirety.
Dedication: Marpha (because now you're letting me steal your little brother's name), Kate and Hannanana again.
-Chapter 1: He Treats Me Like a Rag Doll -
Much to her dismay, Martha Del Rossi found herself chewing on her nails, a habit she had thought to be broken for a year. Her other hand was busy twirling and re-twirling one of her pigtails. Her feet were bouncing like crazy. It was impossible for her to sit still. Most people would think she was having a panic attack. And she was on the verge of having one.
Not that she wouldn't be surprised if the aged secretary couldn't find her file. With all that was going on, she couldn't expect her mother to remember everything. Though one would think that sending your daughter's school record to her temp school would be pretty much top priority. But she really wanted to get the show on the road, and get the introductions over with.
A bell sounded and the halls outside the office filled with the sounds of dozens of kids changing classes. She stifled a groan. She had missed first period. Even more work to catch up on. And right now she was supposed to meet Marco to see what classes they had together.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but we have no Martha Del Rossi here," the ancient woman croaked, her voice thin and reedy. She took a long sip from the coffee mug on her desk before continuing; "You can use our phone if you'd like to call someone..."
"Thank you, Ma'am." Martha forced a smile and tried her best to be polite as she moved around the desk to get access to the phone. She had dialed half of her aunts work number before she caught sight of a different folder on the desk, and perked up a bit.
"Ma'am? Could you check under Marco Del Rossi?" she asked hopefully.
The old woman looked a bit taken aback. "Excuse me, dear? Marco?"
"According to that..." -Martha pointed at the file- "...you file by the first three letters of the last name, then the first three letters of the first name, so as not to confuse relatives, right?" She didn't wait for a reply. "You must have seen 'DelMar' on my file and put it in my cousin Marco's. It's happened before, so... could you just check?" she finished awkwardly.
The secretary took a moment to take this in before slowly moving to the filing cabinets for the third time. After a minute, she pulled out a file, a small smile pressed on her face. "You were right, dear," she murmured. "It was stuck in Marco Del Rossi's file."
It took a few more minutes to make her a copy of her schedule and locker number, and the old woman took the time to write out a note explaining what had gone wrong. Martha thanked her quickly before running out the door, heading for the locker that her cousin had agreed to share. After putting the rest of her books away, and sped along to her English class. Ten minutes later, she admitted to being hopelessly lost and headed back to the office to be steered in the right direction.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Marco was beginning to get worried. He hadn't seen hide or hair of Martha all day. It was already half way through second period. He could understand if she had gotten lost, but she was supposed to be in this class, judging by how Ms. Kwan had called her name about six times, much to the confusion of everyone, who called out that his name was Marco, not Martha.
The sound of the door opening came as a welcome distraction to everyone. They all turned to look at the tall, brunet girl who entered the room, fumbling with books and a few slips of paper. She finally extracted a piece of yellow stationary and handed it to Ms. Kwan before standing awkwardly in front of the room. She shifted her weight, her combat boots making clunking sounds that seemed to echo in the silent room. She seemed out of place in her old, faded, baggy jeans and tight homemade shirt that simply said 'Jane Says.' One of her hands unconsciously started to twirl at the hair in one of her pigtails.
Ms. Kwan skimmed the note before smiling at the girl and announcing to the class, "This is Martha Del Rossi. She's transferring here temporarily from Chicago."
Martha gave a sheepish wave and a faint "Hello."
"Why don't you tell the class a bit about yourself," Ms. Kwan urged. "And try to mention, lets say, your favorite band and the last book you read."
"Okay..." Martha was a bit weirded out by the outline for her introduction. "Like she said, my name's Martha Del Rossi, but you can all call me Marpha." A small murmur of laughter ran through the room. Martha got a confidence boost. "I used to live here, but I don't remember any of you. I like to paint and write stories about Harry Potter. I'm thinking of joining the Spirit Squad because, like in Bring It On, there's no gymnastics team and that's the only sport I can do. My favorite band at the moment is Rooney, and the last book I've read was Frost, Volume 8, which none of you have heard of before because it was written by my friend Kate and printed with what we used for the newspaper at my old school." She smiled at the class. "Oh, and I'm Marco's cousin." she added as an afterthought, resisting the urge to wave at him.
Ms. Kwan smiled at Martha again. "Welcome to Degrassi, Martha. Take the seat over there behind Paige."
Martha perked up a bit. It was a name she recognized. But she had no clue who her childhood friend was in the room. She looked to Ms. Kwan for help, who pointed to an empty seat in the back, behind a blond girl who looked a bit shocked.
Martha slid into her seat before poking Paige in the back and muttering "You're pokish." Paige turned around and smirked at the girl she hadn't seen since grade four, poking her back.
"How've you been?" Paige asked softly. "I haven't heard from you in forever."
"I've been going through some hard times," Martha worded carefully. "But life's been good so far."
"I have a ton to talk to you about. You wouldn't believe what happened last..."
"Paige, I'm glad you want welcome Martha, but please do it on your own time." Ms. Kwan interrupted before turning to Martha. "You'll be paired up with Craig for this project."
"I thought I was supposed to do it alone," the boy sitting next to her piped up.
"That was before we had an even number of students, Mr. Manning. But keep in mind, the next time you're late, you won't be so lucky."
Craig settled back in his seat before glancing over at Martha, and mumbling out of the corner of his mouth, "I'm done with Sergio."
It took a few seconds for her to catch on before mumbling back "He treats me like a rag doll." With that, she cracked open a small notebook, and, with a few notes to Paige, began to make a list of the guys in her class:
Jimmy Brooks appearance: I can see how some people can say he's cute. He's smiled only once so far, but it's definitely his best feature. Has expensive taste; everything from his backpack to his socks to his sweatshirt are brand names I've only seen in rap videos. personality: Hard to tell. He seems bored, and keeps on talking the Spinner (see below). availability: He keeps staring at Ashley, but no definite signs of having a girlfriend. verdict: Maybe. I'd have to get to know him more before I can make a final verdict.
Gavin 'Spinner' Mason appearance: He's cute, I'll give him that. Has really cool hair. But he dresses like he's trying to be a gangsta who shops in a thrift store. Plus, he smelled kind of bad when I walked by him... personality: Immature. Keeps cracking jokes to Jimmy (see above). Seems the type of guy who would laugh if someone said 'thingy' the wrong way. availability: He doesn't seem to be the type of guy who'd have a girlfriend, but, according to Paige, he's hers. verdict :Most likely not.
Craig Manning appearance: Cute and indie. Has a small Jew-fro, but it works for him, which I usually can't stand, but it makes him look even more indie, like that guy from the Strokes. Has a cute little scar on his right cheek... wait, scars aren't supposed to be cute, are they? personality: Laid back. Despite that I sit next to him, I can't tell the inner workings of his mind. Must be an artist... availability: Has a picture of him and Ashley in his binder, so I'm guessing taken. verdict: I could see him and Marco together, but the girlfriend thing makes him an unlikely choice.
Marco Del Rossi appearance: Cute, as always. He's grown his hair out since the last school picture he sent me. I can readily admit that if I weren't related to him, I'd date him. personality: Funny, charming, charismatic, and, if he really wants to be, a bit flamboyant... that's never hurt anybody, has it? availability: Single. Duh. That's why I'm taking notes. verdict: I'm sure he'd love to date himself, but no.
She was interrupted by the third bell of the day, signaling morning break. She quickly stuffed her notebook into her bag before catching up with Paige, who re-acquainted her with Ashley and Terri, and introduced her to Hazel and Ellie. She signaled to Marco that she'd meet him outside at lunch, and then went to catch up on the last five years.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"Spinner does not try to be gangsta."
"He's wearing an old Sean John sweatshirt and it looks like he tried to make his shoes Air Force Ones." Martha leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. "That's gangsta enough."
Marco looked back at her notes. "And he is mature... Sure, he plays stupid pranks and called me Marcia for the better part of last year..." Martha burst out laughing, and Marco glared at her before continuing, "But he's really smart and funny, and got over laughing at 'thingy' in grade 7."
"You seem awfully defensive." Martha noted, grinning cheekily. "Sounds like you might have a crush on him."
Marco tried not to blush. "I do not!" He said a bit too loudly. "I just want you to have your facts straight..."
"Chill, okay? I'm just wondering. You have to have a crush on somebody, though, and you're going to have to tell me what you think of people before I start to play the Match Game."
Marco's blush deepened. "You're not actually going to set me up with people from school, are you?"
"Of course I am! Who else do you think I can set you up with? Every guy in town goes here." Marco stared at his feet and mumbled something incoherent. Martha sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm going to make sure they would actually want to go out with a guy before even mentioning you."
Before he could answer, Craig walked up and sat himself down next to Marco. Marco slammed the notebook shut and practically threw it at Martha, who rolled her eyes at his jumpiness before putting it back in her bag. Craig looked curiously at both of them. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Just comparing schedules." Martha began to twirl a pigtail for the thirtieth time that day.
Craig nodded. "Cool. So... do you want to go discuss our English project?"
"Sure." Martha stood and turned to her cousin. "See you in Media Immersions."
"Yeah." Marco squeaked before walking in the direction of the basketball courts, where Jimmy and Spinner were playing.
"So, what exactly is this project? I wasn't exactly paying attention in class." Martha asked as they began to walk around the campus, heading for the soccer fields.
"We're supposed to do something on Slaughterhouse Five." Craig shrugged. "Anything. Write a summery, talk about our feelings, do artwork for it... I have no clue what to do..."
Martha resisted the urge to laugh. "I now have proof that every high school gets a manual of projects to assign kids. I had to do that last year."
"Really? What did you do."
"A song. Me and my friend Kate just wrote about how the author reminded us of Douglas Adams, and put it to the tune of this song her brother wrote. We got an A. If you want, we can just use that again."
"Sounds good to me." Craig smiled at her. "This has been the easiest project I've ever had to do."
"Hold on a second. You're still going to have to sing." Martha pointed out.
Craig stopped short. "Why do I have to sing? You sing, I'll play the song!"
"I have the worst voice in the history of the world." Martha rolled her eyes again. "And it's a lot simpler to remember the lyrics then one of Sammy's insane songs."
They stared each other down for a few moments, trying to mentally wear down the other's resistance. Finally, Martha sighed. "I'll play it for you, then we can decide who does what, okay?"
"Sounds good to me." They stood there awkwardly for a few more moments before Craig tried to fill the silence. "So, how do you like Degrassi?"
"It's okay." They started walking again. "It's better then where I used to live, that's for sure. Though it's going to be a little hard getting used to things."
"Don't worry about that. I was new here last year, and it was really easy to make friends and stuff..."
"No, that's not what I mean." Martha stopped again, bitting her lip, trying to find the words. "It's just... going to be hard getting back into the swing of a 'normal' life." She took a few seconds before continuing. "My step-dad just went to jail. For the last five years, he's been... there's no light way to put this... he's been beating both my mom and me."
Craig shifted uncomfortably. "I know what you mean... My dad did the same..."
"Somehow, I highly doubt it..." Martha winced at how uncaring she sounded. "That is, unless he starved you half to death and touched your chest every chance he got."
"Yeah, well, at least he's still alive. My father died." Craig snapped. He winced too and looked away, regretting allowing what was left of his bitterness to creep into the conversation.
"I'm so sorry." She bit her lip again. "I mean, I'm sure he was a heartless bastard and all, my dad was, but I would never wish him dead." She stepped back into his line of vision. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, I've talked about it enough." He turned back to her in smiled. "It's just still a little hard to deal with sometimes."
Martha nodded in understanding. "Anyway, It's great living with Marco." They started to walk again. "I finally have someone to talk to that I can trust won't blab it to everyone he's ever met. I once told Kate that I liked this guy, Steve, and the next day, everyone thought that we had dated, slept together, and were planning on getting married." Craig laughed and Martha couldn't help but smile. "And what's even better is that he trusts me. We talked almost every night before I moved. I was the first person he went to when he decided he was gay."
She stopped short with a gasp, eyes wide, hands over her mouth. Craig continued to walk a few steps before her words sunk in. He whirled around to face her. "What?!"
"I didn't say anything." Martha's voice was high pitched and frantic. "Oh god, I didn't mean to say anything. I mean, I know, sometimes I babble, but I'm usually really good about secrets and stuff. You probably hate him now and are never going to talk to him again. Oh god, please don't hate him. And don't let him know that you know, or that I told you, because he'd never trust me again." She grabbed his hands, her eyes wide as she babbled. "Please don't hate him. And don't let on that you know and please, please, don't let this affect your friendship with him. I know it's a lot to ask of you but please, I'm begging you..."
"Martha!" Craig put his hands on her shoulders, forcing eye contact. "Relax. It's okay. Just a bit of a shock, that's all. I'm not going to hate him just because of something little like that."
She took a deep breath. "You're fine with this?" she asked in total disbelief.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Craig smiled. "I know gay people. I mean... Okay, so I don't know any gay people personally, but... I watch Will & Grace..."
She smiled. "I get it. But still, don't let on that you know. He's not ready to come out yet..."
"I understand completely." He let go of her shoulders as the lunch bell rang. "Why don't you come over my house after school. Play me that song."
"Sounds good to me." Martha began to walk back towards the school. "I'll meet you outside the front entrance, okay?" He nodded. "See ya latter, Craig."
"See ya," he paused and smiled, "Marpha."
She gave him a last smile before walking into the building.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Just a random question for everyone. I know it's weird, but my friend and I have been debating it for awhile and even our mothers aren't sure... Is Marco Italian or Hispanic? It looks like he could be both (depending on the lighting) and it's hard to tell by the last name... If anyone knows, I'll owe you forever... Oh, and I'm sorry again for being late, but please, if you're looking forward to an update, e-mail me, or it might be two weeks again...
And now:
The two people that e-mailed me: I'm sorry, but I lost your reviews,
so I can't really comment on it... sorry!
Justin the Green Llama: I know exactly how you feel! I saw no Marco
fics and randomly decided to write one myself. Sometimes you have to
take initiatives, right? Pink Hair: I'm glad you like it so far! I hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Stacy's Mom: I know this has nothing to do with your review, but are
you a FOW fan? I've liked them ever since Utopia Parkway came out, and
it's kind of rare to find someone who's heard of them before your
namesake... Just wondering! Bren Eldrid Bera: That is freaky... ^.^; sorry I didn't review sooner. Hope you enjoyed this!