Chapter One: Old Friends Reunited

~*Craig*~

"Anyway, so I was thinking, this weekend we could go to the mall because they're having a sale on stilettos and you know I need to get some more stilettos, I mean, I'm only 5'3 and....Craig? Are you listening to me? Craig!"

I pulled my head out of my locker and stared at my girlfriend Manny. We had been dating only a few weeks, but we'd been doing this crazy mating dance for awhile now. We'd almost get together, then at the last second, something would happen to prevent that. Finally, fate had given us a second chance.

Unfortunately, I had ended up hurting someone I care about in the process. I had been dating Ashley for quite awhile when Manny and I crossed paths again, and at Christmas I ultimately had to choose between them. In the end, I wound up choosing Manny.

I can't say I regret it, because I don't. Manny is sweet, funny, and beautiful. She's what my friend Spinner calls "a bangin' Latina chick", with long curly brown hair, big chocolate brown eyes, and a great, curvy body. She was drop dead gorgeous, and it amazed me sometimes that she even saw anything in me at all.

"Manny, it's not that I'm not listening, it's just I don't care about stilettos." I replied.

"Craig! I have to be taller!" Manny replied indignantly.

I smiled and smoothed Manny's hair back.

"No, you don't. I like you the way you are. Shortness and all." I replied, smiling at her.

"Thanks." Manny replied. "Well, I have to get to class...I'll see you later?"

"You bet." I replied.

"Bye." Manny smiled at me and walked off down the hall to her class, passing my friends Jimmy and Spinner on her way.

"I'm telling you, she's hot." Jimmy said to Spinner.

"Brutally hot." Spinner replied.

"Who are you guys talking about?" I asked.

"New girl." Jimmy said. "I saw her in the office when I came in this morning, and man, she is fine..."

"I think she's from BC, but I also heard she was from the States." Spinner replied.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?" Jimmy replied. "Oh yeah, and uh....I got first dibs."

I laughed. "You can't call 'dibs' on a girl, it doesn't work that way."

"Thank you." Spinner said, smirking at Jimmy.

"And what about Paige, Spin?" I asked.

Spinner sighed. "Paige is acting really weird lately...I don't know what's wrong with her. But I'm sure there's something so right with the new girl, and I'm sure I'll find out first."

"Man, whatever. We'll see who gets there first." Jimmy replied.

"You got it." Spinner replied.

Jimmy and Spinner walked their separate ways down the hall, leaving me there by myself. I rolled his eyes and slammed my locker door shut as the bell rang.

~*Jimmy*~

"Alright class, we have a new student with us today. This is Bianca Taylor, and she's from the United States." Mrs. Kwan announced, gesturing to the new student. I gave Spinner a challenging look, and he sent one right back at me.

Spinner and I have been friends for a long time, but our friendship has a much different dynamic than most friendships do. Spinner and I are both heavy competitors. No matter what it involves, we usually compete over it. Sports, dancing, school, girls. Especially girls.

As the class stared at Bianca, she stared at her desk nervously. I lowered my head a little to get at her level so I could get her attention. Sure enough, her eyes drifted over to me and I smiled at her. She smiled lightly and looked back down. I took this time to examine the new girl. She was quite cute, I surmised, with long red hair that hung almost down to her waist, big green eyes, and fair skin. She was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a silvery-gray top. She seemed nice, but also very, very shy. But that was alright, I would try to break past that.

As class let out, I bravely made my way over to Bianca.

"Hi." I said.

"Hi." She replied shyly.

"I'm Jimmy Brooks." I said.

"Bianca Taylor. Nice to meet you." She responded.

"So what brings you to Degrassi?" I asked.

"Um, my dad was transferred here." Bianca replied.

"That's cool. So, what part of the states are you from?"

"California. But I'm originally from BC."

"Oh, cool. So, I was wondering if..."

"Yes?" Bianca asked.

"You wanna sit with me at lunch?" I asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I mean, I don't know anybody, so....."

"So you can hang with me and my friends. It'll be great."

"Okay, sounds great."

"Alright, let's go." I said.

Bianca followed me down the hall to the cafeteria, and as we walked, we were intercepted by none other than Spinner. Surprise, suprise

"Jimmy! My man! How you doing? Great shirt." Spinner said.

"Spin, what do you want?"

"I just wanna spend time with my best friend, is that too much to ask???" Spinner replied. Spinner turned to Bianca and pretended to acknowledge her. "Why Jimmy, who's your friend?"

I rolled my eyes. Spinner's commitment to using the Chuck Woollery approach around females was unfailing. "You are unbelievable. Bianca, Spinner. Spinner, Bianca."

"Gavin Mason, at your service. But you can call me Spinner. Everybody does." Spinner replied, shaking her hand.

Bianca smiled. "Bianca Taylor. And you can call me Bianca. Everybody does." She replied.

"So where are you kids headed?"

I rolled my eyes at Spinner's behavior. "Well Spinner, like everyone else in this crazy school, us kids are headed to the cafeteria for lunch." I replied sarcastically.

"Mind if I join you? Cool, thanks." Spinner replied.

I rolled my eyes as Bianca giggled at Spinner's antics. The three of us walked down the hall into the cafeteria, finding a table. Bianca sat down and took her lunch out. I scanned the cafeteria for my friends and my eyes landed on Craig and Manny as they were walking in. I saw Ashley and Manny give each other dirty looks as they passed by, and I smirked. Ash still wasn't over Craig dumping her for Manny.

The web we weave at Degrassi is quite a tangled one, you see. Once upon a time, Ashley was my girlfriend. Until one unfortunate night when her parents were out of town. Ashley's younger stepbrother, Toby, had a brilliant idea to invite a bunch of people over to the house, and one of them, his best friend JT, happened to pop in with an Ecstasy pill. Sean, who happened to be at the party, and whom I absolutely detest, had this brilliant (and when I say brilliant, I do mean it in a sarcastic way) idea to switch the pill with aspirin, and left it in Ashley's safekeeping. Well, since Ashley was all broken up about her good girl "image", she takes the pill. Completely and utterly stoned, she hooks up with Sean. Remember that part about me detesting him? That's where that came into play. I show up at the party, at Ash humiliates me and then dumps me in front of everyone! And next year, after summer break? Makes me think we have a shot, then makes a date with Sean.

But I'm not bitter. No, not anymore. Or at least I try not to be. Anyway, even though it's kind of cruel, I can't help but laugh at Ashley's situation. I guess she finally realizes how it feels when the tables are turned.

Craig and Manny made their way over to our table, and I nodded my head to acknowledge them.

"Craig, Manny, I want you to meet someone, this is Bianca Taylor. Bianca, this is Craig Manning and Manny Santos."

Craig looked like he'd just been clotheslined. "Bianca?"

Bianca had the exact same surprised look on her face. "Craig?"

"Yeah, that's what I said." I replied.

Bianca and Craig were staring at each other like they'd seen a ghost, when all at once they both blurted out at the same time,

"What are you doing here???"