Chapter 2: Fast Times at Ridgemont High
I stepped into Degrassi and searched for my locker. "1243," I whisper to myself. As I come across it, my phone rings. "Jude! How are you? Yeah? Shut up. Really?" I jabber into the phone while doing my locker combination. "Jude. You'll never guess where I am. Toronto. Seriously! Yeah, I know, I stole you and Ewan's dream of leaving Hollywood and going back to being normal. Yeah. Love you too. Later." I hang up my phone and put my bag in my locker.
"So are you really her?" A tall blond says, coming up next to me.
"Pardon?" I say, turning toward her.
"My friends and I- we saw you walk in and we were wondering if you were Katerina Johnson."
I decided I might as well tell her the truth. "No. I get that a lot though." Okay, maybe not. "I'm Leigh."
"Emma." She gestures to the- I can't help but saying it- plastic-looking girls across the hallway and they come over. "Guys? This is Leigh. Leigh, this is Manny, Hazel, and Paige." Emma says, gesturing to them as she said their name. I smile slightly.
"It's nice to meet you guys."
"So Leigh, what homeroom are you in?" Hazel said.
I look at my schedule and say, "Kwan."
"Great, so am I! Let's go, the bell's about to ring." Hazel skips away with me.
I played with the diamond and sapphire ring Ewan McGregor and Jude Law had given me for my 15th birthday. God I miss them, I think, taking a seat in between Hazel and a dark-haired girl.
"That's a pretty ring," The dark-haired girl says. "I'm Ashley." She says.
"Leigh." I look at the paper in front of her. "What's that?" It says, 'Craig- You'll never know how much I hate you.'
"An angry letter to my ex-boyfriend."
"What? Ashley, I thought you and Craig were cool." Hazel says, intervening.
"Who's Craig?"
"We're not! He and I tried to be friends, but it just didn't work out."
"Who's Craig?"
"Are you serious, Ash? That is so sad."
"Serious as a heart attack."
"Who in the hell is Craig?!" I say loudly, and half the class stares at me.
"Craig is Ashley's ex-boyfriend. They broke up when Craig cheated on Ashley with a grade 10 named Manny." The curly-haired boy behind me said.
"Thank you. And who are you?"
"The names Spinner. You know you look a lot like-"
"Katerina Johnson? Yes, thank you, but I'm far from her. I'm Leigh."
Mrs. Kwan steps into the room and introduces herself and does roll call. Right before she calls my name, a tall boy with dark brown hair comes running in.
"Sorry, Mrs. Kwan. I'm just getting used to waking up early, and Joey's car wouldn't start, and-"
Mrs. Kwan stops him and tells him to take a seat. "Leigh Valentine?"
"Here."
"Valentine? As in the holiday?" Spinner says.
"Yes. What's it to ya?"
"Nothing. That's cute."
I glared at him and the looked at the boy next to him- the boy who came in late. "Who's your friend, Spinner?"
Spinner pats him on the back and remarks, "This here is my main man Craig Manning. Craig here is the super-stud of grade 11, after nailing not one, not two, but seven girls this summer!"
Ashley, Hazel, and my's mouths all fall open.
"What?"
"All that on top of Manny. God I wish I could score like you. Leigh, are you single? Craig here's looking."
"What are you saying?"
"Well, you and Craig look like you would get along- I'm not saying you're easy or anything."
"What the hell, Spinner? Just jumping to conclusions? That's damn wrong. If you knew me at all you wouldn't be assuming that. Good god, you are so arrogant. You make snap judgments; I'll make one about you. You are a poseur sleazeball with a dirty sense of humor." I continue yelling at him, and my argument slowly slips into French, one of the many languages I learned in Hollywood.
"Calm down, Leigh. I've never heard someone cuss Spinner out like that." Ashley says, patting me on the back.
"Sorry, it comes naturally."
"Spinner, apologize." Craig says, nudging him.
Spinner's mouth is wide open with shock. "I- I'm sorry. I never thought you'd react like that. And Thank you, for putting me in my place, I guess. You are the new coolest girl in grade 11." I blush lightly and turn back around.