Confidence, Ellie had none, but exotic clothes and make-up are what
made her eye catching. That Thursday she was wearing a pair of low-rise
black jeans, a tight black tank top, black ankle boots and to top off her
image thick black eyeliner and a natural shade of lipstick. Her red hair
was pulled back and twisted down her back. Even if her outfit didn't show
it, Ellie felt like a total fool.
"Wow, you look awesome! I love that tank top!" said a girl from Ellie's homeroom named Victoria. Victoria style was similar to Ellie's just not so much black.
Victoria had on a pair of fishnet tights, a short black pleated skirt and a pink off the shoulder shirt.
"Good morning students, due to conflicting schedules homeroom will be forty minutes long cutting your regular classes short," came Liberty Van Zandt on the TV, "furthermore the Degrassi spirit squad is looking for a new member so show your spirit and try out! Ask Paige Michalchuk for more details..."
Liberty's voice droned on. Ellie looked around the room and noticed to Max was sitting right next to her typing on his computer. She looked over and caught a glimpse, it looked like an essay.
"What are you doing?" he asked minimizing the document and glaring at Ellie, but then his harsh look softened. But not by much.
"Can't a person look at a computer screen?" Ellie mumbled but then Victoria came to the rescue.
"What's the big deal, Harrison? It's not like your diary is it?" Victoria said laughing. Max scowled at her.
"Butt out kid," he said and turned to Ellie, "mind your own business, kid."
Ellie turned away in embarrassment. Kid. Called a kid by the coolest guy in school. How worse could things get.
"What's the deal with the shirt?" Max asked. Ellie opened her mouth to speak but saw Victoria was the one he had asked the question of.
"We used to live Harlem. You know, New York," Victoria said rolling her eyes and thickening her New York accent., "not that you would know any place outside of Manhattan or Canada."
Max rolled his eyes and stood up to leave his seat. Ellie turned towards Victoria with what she hoped was false happiness.
"He's so annoying," she said waiting for Victoria to agree.
"God, Ellie do you think I'm stupid?" said Victoria, "you obviously like him but let me warn you. Guys like Max are big trouble and you want to stay away."
Warnings from a girl who has her lip pierced? Ellie was about to say this when Mr. Simpson asked everyone to be quite and do some homework because he had a headache.
"Maybe I want trouble," she whispered but only loud enough for her to hear.
Ellie decided to skip lunch that day. She couldn't face Terri or Paige or Victoria or Max. She just wanted to be alone. She checked to make sure the coast was clear and hurried out the old Fire Door and to the back alley.
Ellie leaned against the wall and sighed a breath of relief. It may smell bad but she was alone. She looked down at her arm where there was only one, very faded scare left. Face burning she clasped her hands behind her back.
"You sick of school too, kid?" said a familiar voice from the end of the ally. It was Max.
"No...just want to avoid...people," she managed to say. What she really wanted to say was to avoid you.
"Wanna drink?" he asked holding out a brown paper bag. Something swished inside of it and it didn't take Ellie anytime to guess it was beer.
"No."
"Don't drink? Mommy and Daddy worried about you getting bad grades 'cause you're drunk," he said laughing.
"I live with my grandmother," Ellie said her tone going icy, "and I don't drink because otherwise I'll end up back in the mental house and just leave me alone!"
Ellie turned around and hurried back into school. She walked quickly down the halls not knowing where to go or what to say if she got caught. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know," said Max, "I know what it's like to be treated like a freak."
"Yeah, well I don't need sorry," Ellie said anger mounting. Old anger and new anger. Anger she had never felt before.
"That's what they all think," Max said quietly, "Today's Thursday. How 'bout tomorrow we get a bite to eat. I'll pick you up at 8."
"W...what..." Ellie stammered. She had just been a total bitch to Max and now he was asking her out.
"You, me, date, Friday," he said as if she was an idiot.
"O...okay. Sure," she said not quite grasping the idea that she was going on a date.
Max grabbed her and pulled Ellie into him. He kissed her on the lips for a minute and then let her go.
"See you tomorrow," he said before disappearing.
Ellie floated back into the cafeteria. Victoria was wrong. Max wasn't trouble, he was sweet and understanding. Ellie was on top of the world.
"Wow, you look awesome! I love that tank top!" said a girl from Ellie's homeroom named Victoria. Victoria style was similar to Ellie's just not so much black.
Victoria had on a pair of fishnet tights, a short black pleated skirt and a pink off the shoulder shirt.
"Good morning students, due to conflicting schedules homeroom will be forty minutes long cutting your regular classes short," came Liberty Van Zandt on the TV, "furthermore the Degrassi spirit squad is looking for a new member so show your spirit and try out! Ask Paige Michalchuk for more details..."
Liberty's voice droned on. Ellie looked around the room and noticed to Max was sitting right next to her typing on his computer. She looked over and caught a glimpse, it looked like an essay.
"What are you doing?" he asked minimizing the document and glaring at Ellie, but then his harsh look softened. But not by much.
"Can't a person look at a computer screen?" Ellie mumbled but then Victoria came to the rescue.
"What's the big deal, Harrison? It's not like your diary is it?" Victoria said laughing. Max scowled at her.
"Butt out kid," he said and turned to Ellie, "mind your own business, kid."
Ellie turned away in embarrassment. Kid. Called a kid by the coolest guy in school. How worse could things get.
"What's the deal with the shirt?" Max asked. Ellie opened her mouth to speak but saw Victoria was the one he had asked the question of.
"We used to live Harlem. You know, New York," Victoria said rolling her eyes and thickening her New York accent., "not that you would know any place outside of Manhattan or Canada."
Max rolled his eyes and stood up to leave his seat. Ellie turned towards Victoria with what she hoped was false happiness.
"He's so annoying," she said waiting for Victoria to agree.
"God, Ellie do you think I'm stupid?" said Victoria, "you obviously like him but let me warn you. Guys like Max are big trouble and you want to stay away."
Warnings from a girl who has her lip pierced? Ellie was about to say this when Mr. Simpson asked everyone to be quite and do some homework because he had a headache.
"Maybe I want trouble," she whispered but only loud enough for her to hear.
Ellie decided to skip lunch that day. She couldn't face Terri or Paige or Victoria or Max. She just wanted to be alone. She checked to make sure the coast was clear and hurried out the old Fire Door and to the back alley.
Ellie leaned against the wall and sighed a breath of relief. It may smell bad but she was alone. She looked down at her arm where there was only one, very faded scare left. Face burning she clasped her hands behind her back.
"You sick of school too, kid?" said a familiar voice from the end of the ally. It was Max.
"No...just want to avoid...people," she managed to say. What she really wanted to say was to avoid you.
"Wanna drink?" he asked holding out a brown paper bag. Something swished inside of it and it didn't take Ellie anytime to guess it was beer.
"No."
"Don't drink? Mommy and Daddy worried about you getting bad grades 'cause you're drunk," he said laughing.
"I live with my grandmother," Ellie said her tone going icy, "and I don't drink because otherwise I'll end up back in the mental house and just leave me alone!"
Ellie turned around and hurried back into school. She walked quickly down the halls not knowing where to go or what to say if she got caught. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know," said Max, "I know what it's like to be treated like a freak."
"Yeah, well I don't need sorry," Ellie said anger mounting. Old anger and new anger. Anger she had never felt before.
"That's what they all think," Max said quietly, "Today's Thursday. How 'bout tomorrow we get a bite to eat. I'll pick you up at 8."
"W...what..." Ellie stammered. She had just been a total bitch to Max and now he was asking her out.
"You, me, date, Friday," he said as if she was an idiot.
"O...okay. Sure," she said not quite grasping the idea that she was going on a date.
Max grabbed her and pulled Ellie into him. He kissed her on the lips for a minute and then let her go.
"See you tomorrow," he said before disappearing.
Ellie floated back into the cafeteria. Victoria was wrong. Max wasn't trouble, he was sweet and understanding. Ellie was on top of the world.