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Chapter Ten
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Dylan Michalchuk wasn't much of a morning person on Monday. He had spent most of his weekend in his room or training, during which he was thinking deeply about an important subject. He became distracted and stupefied when he was driving with his baby sister to school. By the time they had arrived at the Degrassi Community School, she was screeching at him.
"My god, Dylan! What the hell is wrong with you? You nearly killed someone, you ran a stop sign, and almost crashed into the car in front of us!"
He banged his fist on the steering wheel, making her jump. "I don't know!" Dylan calmed down enough to carry on, "...I've been thinking a lot about what you said about Marco and I."
"What did I say?"
He ran his fingers through his hair. "About being...in love with him. I mean, I don't know if I am. I care about him, I really do-"
"Then you love him," Paige said shortly.
"It's not that simple. I don't even know if he thinks of me like that. Love is a strong word."
She said exasperated, "Ask any of his friends. I know that he likes you in the mushy love way."
"I just can't take your word for it."
"Exactly. Go ask him." He frowned at her. She raised up her hands. "I'm being serious! Just ask him." Dylan looked away uneasy. "This is too creepy. I have never seen you nervous before, or so much." She tried to reassure him. "Pull him aside, or, take him out on another date and casually bring up the subject. I am telling you... that boy is crazy for you. Just as crazy as you are for him."
He smiled, "Thanks," and ruffled her long blonde hair. She stared angrily. "Don't do that." Dylan turned off the engine and they stepped out of the convertible to walk into their school. Around the same moment, Marco had disembarked into the school and met up with Ellie, who had walked alone. She was snapping her rubber bands again.
He gently took her arm and murmured, "What's been stressing you out now?" Ellie jiggled her arm out of his grasp.
"I'm fine."
Marco noticed the sharp edge in her voice. He had been told by her that she had been cutting and was willing to help her get through it.
"I'm being honest, Ell... you haven't been cutting, have you?"
She mumbled under her breath and they were stopped in the hallway by a tall figure. Mr. Raditch looked at her. "Miss Nash, would you please step into my office." It was a statement, not a question.
Ellie asked, pulling her books stiffly against her chest, "What did I do?"
"I believe someone saw you start last week's food fight. Let's go."
She groaned, giving Marco a quick glance before following him. He watched after them, knowing that Raditch would have caught her sooner or later, and felt guilty that she was the only one getting in trouble. Media Immersion, Science, and Lunch passed on and he was on his way to Raditch's office to free Ellie... when he passed his locker hallway and noticed something was peculiar.
His locker door was open.
Bemused, Marco looked around and saw that the several people who were in the hallway was too busy talking and looking through their own lockers. No one looked suspicious. He went to his locker and figured he had left it open. Before Marco could close it, his eyes spotted a black permanent marker on the floor beside his feet. He picked it up and examined it.
This was too weird... why would there be a marker at his locker...?
His heart was skipping. He was dreading to look at the front of his locker.
Slowly, Marco closed the locker door.
The marker dropped right out of his hands and Marco backed away bit by bit, murmuring, "No. . .no. . .no. . . ."
Written in bold letters was: We'll Kill you Faggot.
Marco bumped into the person behind him and spun around to Jay and his girlfriend Alex. The troublemaker smirked, yelling the younger boy, "Gonna get ya!" Marco's pulse was in his throat. The return of deja vu. A phrase from his dreams once again appearing into reality. Completely frightened, Marco ran for his life and heard cackling laughter behind him. He could just see those dark figures behind him, reaching for him... Overwhelmed, blackness captured him.
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Ellie Nash left the principal's office, grumbling about two weeks detention. She reached into her book bag on the way out. As she made her way down the hall, something caught her eye. A foot stuck out on the floor just visible behind an open classroom door-frame. She made her way to the entrance of the no longer used classroom and nearly screamed.
Her best friend laid lifeless near the door.
Ellie went to his side and felt his neck. A pulse. But definitely unconscious. She looked out into the hall and saw Spinner strutting down the opposite way. Ellie shrieked, "Spinner, help!"
He looked around wildly then saw her, his usual grin spread on his face, "Hey, what-?" He stopped short of seeing Marco and accused, "...Wh-What did you do to him?"
"I found him like this, you moron! What do we do!"
Spinner put a hand to his head quickly. "Uh, uh, isn't Dylan's locker nearby? I-I'll go get him!"
She felt like kissing the boy.
"Oh, thank you! Hurry, please!" He sprinted away and Ellie called to her best friend fearfully, not moving him in fear of injuring him somehow.
After minutes that seemed like hours, Spinner came sprinting back, following Dylan. The senior bent over, and after a few seconds of checking him out, said, "I think he just passed out, but I think we should get him to the nurse." Ellie and Spinner picked up their things as Dylan carefully took Marco into his arms, carrying him down the hall to the nurse's office. After waiting, the nurse gave everyone the news that he was fine and went to call his parents. Dylan set off to where Marco laid resting and took his smaller hand, stroking it quietly. His blue eyes watched him considerately as time passed.
Ellie surveyed them from her chair and saw Marco's eyes open. She got up to get the nurse and the blond smiled down at him, "Hey Marco."
The younger boy whispered befuddled, "Where am I?"
"Nurse's office. Ellie found you passed out in a classroom."
The darker boy murmured weakly, "Ell..."
The male school nurse entered, shooing both Ellie and Dylan out. Spinner appeared beside them, looking grave, "Dude, you guys have to see this." They followed him to Marco's locker who had a crowd of onlookers staring at the words uneasily. The police were surrounding it, keeping students back and teachers were beginning to take charge as the police did their business.
Ellie shook her head. "No wander Marco got so upset. This is horrible. Spinner, did you report this to Raditch?"
"Yeah, he couldn't believe it either."
She looked over to Dylan, who was clenching his fists and silently fuming. Ellie looked at Spinner, who was frowning deeply at the words on the locker. She sighed, saying nothing.
After resting for a few hours, Marco was soon feeling better enough to walk around the house. He heard the doorbell rang. He called, "I'll get it," and answered the front door. Standing on the doorstep was two police officers, a pudgier looking man and the blonde woman who had helped Marco when he was first attacked.
She smiled at her, shaking his hand, "Marco Del Rossi?"
He nodded, as his mother appeared beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder protectively, "Can we help you?"
"Hello, I am Officer Jennings and this is my assistant Officer Salmon. May we come inside?"
Marco's mom let them in and offered refreshments. They politely asked for water. Offer Jennings said aloud, "I am one of the police officers that is working on your son's case. We came to inform you that we have caught the people responsible for both attacks and the locker vandalizing. They were all apprehended this afternoon and confessed under prosecution. They were former seniors at Degrassi Community School two years ago and had managed to find a passageway in and out of the school. They confessed to this as well."
Mrs. Del Rossi burst into happy tears and hugged Marco tightly. He was numb. Those creeps were caught... it was over! The realization hit him and he smiled.
"Ma, I need to go make a phone call."
"Of course, darling. I will handle this."
With a new burst of energy, Marco rushed to the nearest telephone and dialed up Ellie.
"Hello?"
"Ell, it's me."
"Marco! Oh my god, how are you? How are you feeling? Everyone has been talking about you all day!'
"I'm great. I have some news."
"Good or bad?"
"The best! The guys who wrote on my locker and got me in the park where caught. The police just got here to tell us."
"That is so great! Oh, we have to celebrate! Can you meet me at the Dot in five?"
"Yeah, I'll see you there."
He was about to leave the house but decided to call one other person.
"Michalchuks."
"Is Dylan there?"
"This is he."
"Hey, it's Marco."
"Marco, hey. Are you alright? What's going on?"
"I'm going over to the Dot with Ellie for a celebration. The police caught the guys."
"Really? Marco, that's great!"
"Yeah.. .did you want to come meet me there?"
"Sure. See you there."
"Ciao."
Marco shook his head grinning and told his Ma where he was going. He grabbed his jacket, sprinting out of the house. This was excellent. No longer he had to look over his shoulder in fear. No longer did he have to have horrible nightmares about those people coming to get him. Life just had a drastic change. Marco rushed to the Dot Grill in no time and saw Ellie sitting in a table by the windows. He walked in and she had ran from her chair, nearly knocking it over in the process, grinning from ear to ear. "I hope you don't mind that I brought Sean with me," she said.
As if on cue, the Grade 9 appeared beside her. He nodded his head towards Marco in a greeting. Marco was a bit uncomfortable around him especially since Sean had left his ring of friends for gang-bangers. As if the other boy was reading his mind, Sean spoke up, "No need to be nervous around me. I saw what Jay did. That wasn't cool, man. I'm sorry."
El"Sean got into a fight with him because he saw Jay acting like a moron." She touched the cut lip on his face gently and he smiled at her warmly, wrapping his arms around her thin shoulders affectionately. Marco smiled inwardly. They did make a cute couple. Sean kept Ellie from being depressed. Ellie kept Sean's emotions under control and brought out his good qualities.
Just before everyone could go sit down, the entrance of the Dot Grill was thrown open and Dylan Michalchuk raced in, looking around promptly. His blue eyes met Marco's dark brown and the senior boy hurried over, taking the younger boy into his arms, and spinning around blissfully. Marco felt his lips press against his own and that carelessness ecstasy covered him immediately. His boyfriend seemed very happy to see him and pulled away, watching him with smiling eyes. Marco snapped out of a trance-like state and found that Ellie, Sean, and mostly everyone in the Dot was watching them.
He flushed, turning to his best friend.
"I...um, hope you don't mind that I brought Dylan here."
Ellie held back her laughter.
"No, not at all. Actually, I think Sean and I might go catch a movie. We'll leave you two alone. So, I'll see you in school?"
Sean gave her an adorable confused look and she tugged his arm, leading him out and waving back at Marco before leaving.
Dylan got his attention back by saying quietly, embarrassed, "I'm sorry for embarrassing you." Marco shook his head, worry shining in his eyes.
"No, no, you didn't embarrass me!"
The blond began chuckling, mostly out of relief, and laced his large fingers through the smaller. "Wanna go for a walk?" Marco nodded gratefully and they walked down some streets.
"So, did they really catch the creeps?"
"Yep. You have no idea how happy or how thankful I am. This has to be the best day of my life!" Dylan gave him a smile and Marco looked down, "Well...the best day had to be when I met you."
The older boy cooed, "Awww, that's so sweet of you Marco." The younger boy blushed, and pushed him playfully.
Their walk continued for a little while before Dylan asked, "There's that formal dance coming up. Did...you want to go with me?"
The darker boy stopped walking, biting his lower lip a moment before saying, "Yes."
