Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi, but I wish I did!!!! LOL

Dirty Laundry

CHAPTER ONE: ELLIE AND TOBY SITTING IN A TREE

Ellie sighed dramatically. She looked down at her scarred arms and wanted to pick a spare scab.

She did'nt know what was wrong with her. She seemingly had everything. A boyfriend that loved her, friends to die for. But she felt a certain lacking. Some hole her new love, Toby Isaacs, couldn't fill.

Toby was nice and cute and everything she wanted in a boyf but something seemed to be missing and Ellie didn't know what it was! She looked around for her compass because she felt so sad even though she should be happy!

No! I will not let them win! Ellie thought with inner strength, and she snapped a rubber band on her wrist. Ellie knew they were out to get her. But she didn't know how to exploit their fiendish plot!

Ellie looked off into the stars. She sighed dreamily and wished Toby was here to hold her in his strong arms and make all the wickedness go away She knew she was in love but she didn't know how to tell him that he was the one for her, always. Or so she thought! But Ellie didn't want to scare him off so she said nothing, so much nothing it hurt her insides. But it was what she had to do because that was how that love-thing worked for her. She was afraid afraid to be herself because what if she scared him off?

Ellie stood up and brushed her hair. "It's so filthy," she whispered but it was too late for her to shower so she separated it into two and braided the chunks of hair.

"Hey are you ok El?" Ashley asked as they walked to school, the sun beating down on her black-clothed back.

"Yeah I'm ok….so…where's Toby?"

"Ew! Ellie I so cannot believe you're into my step-monster!"

Ellie looked at her friend as they walked she couldn't believe Ashely could be so callous she couldn't see it was love, true love and Ellie hated that she couldn't tell her friend just how much her boyf meant to her because he was Ashley's step-brother.

"Let's change the subject. How's Cra—uh…craters. How are the craters doing these days?" Ellie said, covering up her near-fatal mistake of almost saying Craig's name.

Ashley was none the wiser. "Well there haven't been any crater attacks recently and…hey…were you about to say the name of You Know Who?"

"What," Ellie asked "What, who is that? What?"

"Oh sorry" Ashley said "just silly old me jumping to conclusions!"

The rest of the walk Ellie drowned out her friends voice, she was too busy thinking about love—love and something she never thought of before in her entire life! Marriage!

Ellie smiled secretly to herself.

But then it happened!!

Ellie ran smack right into a very dashing gentleman. She fell backwards with the weight of an elephant in her skull, the headache was so strong! The sun blinded her and she closed her eyes, snapping the rubber bands frantically.

"Oh no! Are you ok???"

Ellie opened her eyes a crack and looked up into the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever met. Her face reddened.

"Hi Jimmy" she whispered.