Title: Something New
Rating: PG-13 for themes and language
Characters: In this chapter: Marco, Dylan, Marco's parents, Carlos, Paige, Ellie, Sean, Tom
Pairings: Marco/Dylan, Spinner/Paige, Ellie/Sean, not sure of any others.
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Degrassi. If I did, this all woulda taken place right after Pride premiered. =D
Author's Note: I have THE greatest reviewers ever! I mean, seriously, I read all these WONDERFUL reviews and my gosh, it made me so happy! Therefore, I am writing this chapter as quickly as possible, just because you guys are all that great! This chapter should be fun. I can't wait to portray Tom as a jerk to Marco. More Ellie/Sean, too. :)
Okay, well, I've finished this chapter and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Please do not feel at all hesitant to give me criticism (But try to be constructive, please?) because God knows I need it. So, please review and all that good stuff. Thank you kindly!
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"Let me get this straight," Ellie said, raising her eyebrows at Marco. "Today you are going on a date -"
"It's not a date!" Marco protested, but she didn't listen to him. This one-sided argument seemed to happen way too often for his liking.
" - with your boyfriend - "
"He is not my boyfriend!"
" - and his ex-boyfriend?" Turning away from her locker, she stared at her best friend in disbelief. "That is just an equation for disaster."
"It's not so bad," he shrugged slightly, wishing Ellie could leave him with a positive outlook rather than the terrified feeling he'd already had.
"Not so bad?" she repeated, blinking. "Didn't you tell me Tom still wants Dylan?"
"Well… yeah. I mean, I think so. I -- I don't know." Staring at the ground, he sighed. Why did I agree to this? Something bad is going to happen. Something bad always happens. Wanting to change the subject to a lighter topic, he opened his mouth to speak but Paige, with Spinner tagging along, interrupted him.
"I heard about tonight!" she said, looking seriously at Marco. "And I know you're probably worrying, but don't. Dylan is totally into you." She smiled, seemingly satisfied with herself for helping out a friend.
"Really?" he asked, his face lighting up.
She nodded. "But, Tom is a charmer. Trust me. You just have to watch out for him."
"How?" Marco asked, feeling put down a bit.
"Well, if he starts talking about hockey, he'll go on about how great a player Dylan is and all that stuff. So, avoid that subject and cut him off ASAP," she instructed, and he listened intently. "And you should probably also stay off the topic of movies. He's a movie buff, and he knows all of Dyl's favorites, so he'll try to get Dylan to remember things."
"Okay," he said, bobbing his head up and down. "I can do that."
"Tom can be a real jerk when he wants to," Paige added. "Oh, there goes Hazel. I have got to talk to her about something. Have fun, Marco. And see you in class, Spin." She kissed her boyfriends' cheek before dashing off into the crowd. Ellie had also walked off at that point.
Almost uncomfortably, Spinner and Marco shared glances. "So, you're going out with Dylan tonight?" Spinner said slowly, as if he'd been somewhere else for the entire conversation. "And that guy Tom's going with you?"
"Yeah, Spin. So go ahead, throw your insults out right here. Get them all over with, because I don't want to hear them for the rest of the day," Marco spat, turning back to his locker and pulling out his algebra book.
Spinner, however, looked surprised. "I - I wasn't…"
"I mean, I'm worried enough that the only guy I really like is gonna get back together with a guy that I stand no chance against," he said angrily, talking more to himself than Spinner.
"Dude, calm down. Dylan likes you. A lot. Way more than that creep, Tom," Spinner told him.
Raising an eyebrow, Marco surveyed the other curiously, to see if he was telling the truth. "How - how do you know?" he asked, embarrassed to find his voice was cracking slightly.
"He only talks about you twenty-four/seven." Rolling his eyes slightly, he continued, "I mean, it's really annoying. But whatever. He likes you way more. Trust me."
A small smile forced itself onto Marco's lips. Was this really happening? Spinner was being nice? "Thanks," he said quietly.
"Whatever. I'm just doing what I do," Spinner said, a bit astonished by his own behavior as well.
"Has -" Marco started to say, but stopped. He couldn't find an easy way to inquire what he wanted, so he came out and said it. "Has he said anything… um, specifically, about me?" He looked hopefully to Spinner, who paused in consideration.
"I dunno. He just, likes you I guess." He was looking a little confused; a little weirded out by what he was saying. "He told Paige that it was like no one else he'd ever liked."
Smiling brightly, Marco nodded at the great news. It was time for class then, so they walked together, talking about things they hadn't talked about since before he came out.
-----
After school that day, Ellie practically flew to her house. She unlocked the door in a hurry, and burst through the front door. Her mother was sitting on the couch, drinking tea and laughing with another person… her father.
"Daddy!" she screeched, and he looked overjoyed to see his daughter. Standing up, he threw open his arms and she ran straight into them. "I missed you," she told him, squeezing him tightly.
"I missed you too, baby." Finally, they released each other and smiled. "Have you grown? I think you look taller," he observed, grinning.
"A bit," she shrugged, smiling widely.
"How are you?" he asked his only daughter.
"I'm great… now." She sat down in between her parents, talking for a long time. And never, in the past few months, had she been that happy.
A little while later, her doorbell rang. She stood quickly, "I'll answer it." When she pulled open the door, she was surprised to find Sean standing on her doorstep. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.
"Ellie?" her father called, from the other room. "Who is it?"
"It's, uh, Sean." She hesitated. "My boyfriend." Almost looking for permission, she stared at him. Thankfully, he nodded.
"Well, invite him in! We'll order pizza. He can stay for dinner." Her father was very eager to meet Sean.
"Is that okay?" she asked quietly, and again he nodded.
He followed her into the house, but she paused when she reached the room where her parents were. "Sean and I need to talk in private," she told them.
"Of course," her dad replied. "We'll be upstairs if you need us." As they walked by, he kissed her on the forehead. The room was left silent.
"So… that's your dad," Sean said finally. Ellie nodded. "He seems nice."
"He is."
"That's good." There was another awkward silence. "I've been thinking," he continued, after the longest pause. "I've been thinking a lot, actually, since the day you ran out on me at the Dot." She blushed, but before she could talk he held up his hand. "I don't know why you cut yourself. But it's harmful, Ellie. You're really hurting yourself. And if we're going to work, I need to know about these things. And… you've got to stop." He stopped, thinking how stupid he must have sounded but also how that was the first time he was sincere in a long while.
"I know Sean." And without another word, Ellie pulled up her sleeve. Almost all of the scars were healed. It was obvious she hadn't cut herself in a while. They both broke into smiles, and hugged tightly.
"But um, please don't mention it to anyone, okay?" she asked.
"I won't," he promised.
Holding hands, they went upstairs together. They sat down with her parents, talking and having a good time. Mr. Nash kept grilling his daughter's boyfriend, but not in a mean way. He asked nice questions.
"So, Sean is it?" He got a confirmation nod, and went on. "How did you and Ellie meet?"
The youngest two's eyes met, and they blushed. How was she supposed to tell her father that they became acquaintances in Saturday detention?
"We've been friends for a while," she said, smiling brightly.
"Great, that's great. You know, your mother and I met when we were your age…"
[Journal entry 8]
Ellie Nash
I have TERRIFIC news! Well, two things really! And right now, life couldn't be any better.
First things first: MY DAD IS HOME! You wouldn't believe how much I missed him. My dad is the greatest man in all of Canada; possibly the whole world. He's so nice and loving and my mom's madly in love with him. When he's around, she stays completely sober, and let's me do just about anything. She's a really decent mother when he's here.
Second, after I ran out on Sean a while ago when he discovered about my little "problem", I thought he would never talk to me again. Today however, he came over to my house. He was really concerned about me, but I proved I haven't cut in a long time. I'm pretty proud of myself, especially after he expressed how proud he was.
My dad really likes Sean. Which is weird, because my dad once told me, "I'll be waiting on the porch with a shotgun for the first boy you bring home." I assumed he wouldn't ever like any of my boyfriends. He was actually kind of hostile to Marco, too, but he got over that. I'm really glad they get along.
Well, my dad and I are going to watch a movie. I'll write again soon.
[/Journal]
-----
After the last class of the day let out, Marco rushed from his class. He stopped at his locker only long enough to hurriedly shove his books in and then hurried to the hallway where Dylan's locker was located. He was more nervous than ever, and his stomach wouldn't let him forget it.
He leaned against a locker, trying to calm himself as he waited for Dylan. Surrounded by his friends, Dylan finally exploded into the hallway. They were talking loudly and laughing. Finally, though, they spotted Marco.
"Aww, how cute. He's waiting for you, Dillie," joked Ty, and Dylan elbowed him in the ribs. Marco blushed slightly.
"Hey Marco," Dylan said, and his friends quickly echoed him.
"Hey," he returned, smiling.
"Well, you guys have fun on your little… escapade," Brad grinned, and they all but Dylan started to leave.
"Don't worry," Michael said, ruffling Marco's hair as he walked past him. "We hate Tom too."
"Get out of here," Dylan laughed, shaking his head. "See you tomorrow."
When they were gone, Marco and Dylan were the only ones left in the now-deserted hallway. Dylan turned to him. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yeah," he assured the other, flashing a toothy smile at him.
"Okay. Well, I've got to stop at home and pick some stuff up first. Are you ready to go?" Dylan tossed his curls out of his eyes, and Marco nodded. They left the building side-by-side.
"You know," Dylan said, when they were buckled into his car, "Tom's really not a bad guy. Despite what anyone said to you."
Won't make me stop hating him, Marco thought, but nonetheless nodded. "He can't be that bad if you liked him," he pointed out, cheeks red.
Grinning, Dylan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
When they reached his house, Marco saw an unfamiliar car in the driveway. "Whose car is that?" he asked curiously.
"It's my dad's."
Blinking, Marco suddenly realized he had never met either of Dylan's parents. "Oh," he answered quietly. They got out of the car and walked in the house.
Marco remembered what Dylan had said about his dad, and that made him somewhat anxious to meet him. To his dismay, Dylan's father was right in the path to his room. "Hello Dylan," his father greeted him.
"Hey Dad."
"Who's your friend?"
"This is Marco," Dylan replied, and Mr. Michalchuk coughed slightly and stared at Dylan.
"This is Marco?" he asked.
"Yeah…"
"Oh. I… see." Embarrassed, Marco looked to Dylan for help. Dylan, however, looked just as confused as he felt, and shrugged slightly.
"How old are you, Marco?" Mr. Michalchuk questioned.
"Um, I'm in Grade 10," he responded quietly.
"Oh. That's good. You're a bit, um… younger than I expected."
"We've got to go upstairs, Dad," Dylan said loudly, ushering Marco forward. "Sorry," he apologized, lowering his voice when they were out of earshot. "He's like that a lot."
"It's okay," Marco said, looking at the ground. "I mean, I am pretty young…"
"Nah," Dylan said dismissively. "He just tries to find something wrong with every guy that steps foot in this house." Suddenly, he laughed. "Before he knew Ty was straight, he told him he looked unhealthily skinny. In the nicest way possible, of course, but still."
Laughing along with him, Marco followed the older one into his room. He smiled at the familiar bedroom, and waited patiently as Dylan stuffed a few things into a bag. "So," Marco began daringly, "what's Tom like?"
"Tom's…" Dylan said, and then stopped thoughtfully. He gave up the bag and sat on his bed, staring off into space. Marco regretted asking the question. "Well, Tom's a really nice guy. I met him from a friend. He's the same age as me. Uh, well, you'll get to meet him. And I'm sure you'll like him."
I doubt that, Marco thought silently.
Shaking his head slightly to get out of his reverie, Dylan finished what he was doing and gave Marco the once-over. "Ready?"
"Yep."
"Great, let's go."
They left the house in a hurry, careful to dodge Dylan's father, and got into his car with no mishaps. Feeling very much like his stomach was competing in a tumbling contest, Marco tried to calm himself down on the drive by staring placidly out the window. At the first red light, Dylan shifted in the driver's seat and stared hard at the trembling boy beside him. He had no idea what was wrong, but it couldn't have been good.
"Are you - are you gonna be okay?" Dylan asked slowly, placing his hand gently on Marco's leg.
He automatically jumped at the sudden contact between the two, and watched in shame as Dylan quickly drew his hand back up to the steering wheel. "I'm fine," he tried to assure him, forcing the fakest of all smiles. "Just a little nervous, I guess."
"Nervous?" Dylan repeated, in almost a laughing tone. "Why?"
"You know, uh, just… meeting Tom…" And hopefully not losing you to him…
"You're nervous to meet Tom?" Dylan said, raising an eyebrow and chuckling. Shrugging slightly, Marco tried his best to regain his composure and continued staring out the window.
"There's nothing to be worried about," he declared.
"Yeah, I know."
When they arrived at the diner, the first thing Marco saw was Tom, perfect hair and all, inside through the glass windows, and he frowned intensely. As rude as it was, he was hoping he'd have to cancel for some emergency.
"Oh look, there he is," Dylan said, and motioned for the other to follow him into the restaurant.
Tom beamed up brightly as Dylan came towards him, and the two embraced faintly. Marco tried not to look jealous.
"Tom, you remember Marco?"
The attractive young man glanced over Marco, and curtly nodded. "Of course." He was standing at a table with two seats on each side, and Dylan was obviously conflicted about where to sit. Marco and Tom had already sat down opposite of each other, and the blonde glanced nervously in between the both of them.
"You know, it really has been too long," Tom said, pulling out the chair beside him before Marco got the chance. Sitting down in the seat, Dylan gave an apologetic look to Marco, who felt a bit insulted.
"Yeah, it has," Dylan agreed with a smile.
"You're still playing hockey, right?" Tom asked, with a grin. Marco's forced smile automatically twisted into a frown, remembering what Paige warned him.
"Well, yeah. Of course. In fact, I -"
"Oh look, there's the waiter," Marco interrupted, and Dylan closed his mouth as the waiter approached their table. They ordered drinks, and then he left.
"I've got to go to the bathroom," Dylan said, standing. "You guys can go ahead and get… acquainted." He smiled briefly at the two, sensing the tension, and departed.
There was awkwardness right away. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Finally, Tom took a sip of his drink and then stared at Marco, daring him to look away. "You must've heard about my past with Dylan," he began, trying to intimidate the younger boy.
"Yeah, a little."
"Do you know how close Dylan and I were?" He smirked slightly.
Extremely uncomfortable, Marco looked at Tom and nodded. "Pretty close?"
"Unbelievably close," he corrected him. "You might as well give up now."
Marco could barely believe his ears. "W-what?" He knew, of course, that Tom still had feelings for Dylan, but he didn't think he'd be so forward.
"Just give up. I mean, you're what? Twelve years old?" He laughed, and Marco glared at him loathingly. "You're shorter than my Grade Six sister. And, hey, I think you guys are wearing the same shirt, too." He dropped his eyes to his shirt. He knew it was a little bit girly, but that was his style. Dylan had never complained. "Dylan wanted me, buddy," Tom continued, in his meanest voice possible. "And by the end of tonight, he's going to want me again. And he'll forget all about you."
At that moment, Dylan rejoined the table. Completely backed off, Marco stared at the table. He knew Tom was right. Sitting back in his seat, Dylan glanced around the table. Tom smiled at him sweetly. Marco, however, avoided all eye contact.
"Look," Tom said, after Dylan had sat down. "The waiter only left us two menus." Slyly, he slid one menu across the table to Marco. "I guess we'll have to share," Tom said, shrugging like it was the only option, to Dylan. He opened the flap, and leaned as close as he could to him. His body burning with jealously, Marco continued gazing fixedly at the list of meals. He'd suddenly lost his appetite.
Becoming aware of the little space between them, Dylan inched away from Tom slightly. "So, Marco. Know what you're going to eat?"
"No, I… I don't know. Any recommendations?"
"The grilled chicken's great," Tom suggested before Dylan had the chance to. He suddenly grinned, and put his hand on Dylan's arm. "Remember our first date here?" Marco watched the hand, hardly able to swallow.
"Yeah," Dylan laughed. "It was a disaster." Ha, Marco thought, somewhat satisfied.
"Well, it turned out great in the end." Tom gave a small wink to Dylan, who laughed again and nodded. Thankfully, though, he moved his arm and Tom's hand recoiled back.
They continued to make small talk and ordered their food. Seldom speaking, Marco kept to himself for most of the meal. Dylan sensed something was wrong, but Tom kept talking and leaving him with no opportunity to find out what.
When they finished eating, and Marco finished picking at his grilled chicken, Dylan glanced at his watch. "Well, the film festival starts soon. So, we'll meet you there?" he asked his friend, and Tom nodded.
"You guys go ahead," Tom said sweetly. "I'll pay."
Grinning, Dylan said happily, "Thanks, man."
"No problemo."
When Tom stood up, Marco narrowed his eyes at the third menu, which he'd been sitting on. One of his little schemes to get closer to Dylan, undoubtedly.
Dylan left the restaurant, and Marco gloomily followed him. Once inside and buckled up, Dylan looked hard at Marco. "What?" Marco said uncertainly, not looking him in the eye.
"What's wrong?" he asked, deeply concerned. "You like, clammed up the entire meal. Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no. You didn't do anything. It's just, uh, Tom…"
"He's a nice guy, right?" Dylan broke in, and Marco shook off what he had to say.
"Right. He's… nice."
[Journal entry 8]
Marco del Rossi
Tom is a jerk. Tom is a jerk. Tom is a jerk.
Well, I guess you can tell, I do not like Tom at all. He puts on this fake, little sweet act whenever Dylan's around. But when Dylan left to go to the bathroom, I saw the real Tom. He's a mean, inconsiderate, conceited creep! He told me I might as well just back off, that Dylan was HIS. Ha, that's not what Dylan was probably thinking when he kissed me!
Yeah, I'd purposely left out the kiss of my journal a few days ago. But it happened - in the hallway, he kissed me! It was the best kiss I'd ever gotten. And man is he a good kisser.
We're going to go to this independent film festival next. Tom's going to try something, I know it. But there's nothing I can do. Maybe Tom was right. I am too young. Short. Feminine. I just don't know anymore.
I guess I'll find out later tonight. Ciao.
[/Journal]
Finally, they arrived at the film festival. Tom's car pulled in right after Dylan's, and the three of them headed indoors. A bunch of shorter, student-made movies were playing inside, and Tom led them to three seats towards the back. Dylan sat in between the other two.
Scoffing slightly, Marco smiled inwardly. If Tom knew Dylan so well, then he should know Dylan hated sitting in the back.
It didn't take long for the first film to start. It was about a girl entering high school and struggling to join one of the cliques, but not fitting in with any. They all enjoyed it. About halfway into the third movie, Marco saw what he'd been dreading. Tom's hand slithered over the seat and right next to Dylan's. He carefully lifted his hand, and put it over Dylan's.
Hurriedly, Dylan bent down and used both hands to tie his shoes. Marco was so relieved, though he still wasn't sure if Dylan liked Tom or not.
Looking somewhat rejected, Tom returned his hands to his own seat. After a little while, though, he tried to make a move again. This time, however, he was much more direct.
"Dylan," he whispered, who in return snapped out of his movie-trance and looked at Tom. "I didn't get the chance to tell you this," he continued in a hushed voice, and Marco strained his ears to listen, "but I missed you. A lot. I mean, I know we both agreed it was best to break up, but now, especially now, after seeing you again, I - I want you back."
Dylan bit his lip and was about to say something, but Tom cut him off with a kiss. Gaping, Marco watched in horror as their lips connected.
To his satisfaction, though, Dylan roughly pushed Tom away. "Tom, I - I can't. I'm… I'm with Marco." He side glanced the younger boy, as if for permission and received a smile.
"You're with Marco," the now stony-faced Tom said in a soft voice. "Right." He stood up. "I should go." He paused, expecting Dylan to stop him. To change his mind. But he didn't. Tom turned, and strode out of the building.
Neither of them really knew what to say. Finally, Dylan asked, "Want to leave?" Marco nodded. They stood together, and walked out.
"I'm sorry," Dylan said genuinely when they made it to the sunny outdoors.
"It wasn't your fault," Marco offered.
"Yeah, it was. I was pretty sure he still liked me. I just didn't think he'd do… that."
"You didn't kiss him back," Marco said, looking into his deep blue eyes.
"I didn't want to." Shaking his head vigorously, he looked Marco over, up and down. "There's only one guy I want to kiss right now."
Cheeks turning bright red, Marco grinned slightly and played dumb. "Oh yeah? Who could that be?"
Without another word, Dylan leaned towards Marco and they shared their second, passionate kiss. This one was a bit longer than the first one, and a little more intense. They both loved every second of it, and when they pulled away, they were both beaming widely.
"So, you want to go somewhere? The night's still young," Dylan proposed, and Marco nodded. They got into Dylan's car, and drove off into the night.
And, from somewhere in the parking lot, a young Italian man followed the car. The car in which his little brother was seated in.
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Ooh, drama. So, anyway, please review! I'd love to hear what you think. And hey, I got this chapter up pretty quickly, no? So, you have to review. :-P
Next chapter will be 100% intense!
Rating: PG-13 for themes and language
Characters: In this chapter: Marco, Dylan, Marco's parents, Carlos, Paige, Ellie, Sean, Tom
Pairings: Marco/Dylan, Spinner/Paige, Ellie/Sean, not sure of any others.
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Degrassi. If I did, this all woulda taken place right after Pride premiered. =D
Author's Note: I have THE greatest reviewers ever! I mean, seriously, I read all these WONDERFUL reviews and my gosh, it made me so happy! Therefore, I am writing this chapter as quickly as possible, just because you guys are all that great! This chapter should be fun. I can't wait to portray Tom as a jerk to Marco. More Ellie/Sean, too. :)
Okay, well, I've finished this chapter and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Please do not feel at all hesitant to give me criticism (But try to be constructive, please?) because God knows I need it. So, please review and all that good stuff. Thank you kindly!
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"Let me get this straight," Ellie said, raising her eyebrows at Marco. "Today you are going on a date -"
"It's not a date!" Marco protested, but she didn't listen to him. This one-sided argument seemed to happen way too often for his liking.
" - with your boyfriend - "
"He is not my boyfriend!"
" - and his ex-boyfriend?" Turning away from her locker, she stared at her best friend in disbelief. "That is just an equation for disaster."
"It's not so bad," he shrugged slightly, wishing Ellie could leave him with a positive outlook rather than the terrified feeling he'd already had.
"Not so bad?" she repeated, blinking. "Didn't you tell me Tom still wants Dylan?"
"Well… yeah. I mean, I think so. I -- I don't know." Staring at the ground, he sighed. Why did I agree to this? Something bad is going to happen. Something bad always happens. Wanting to change the subject to a lighter topic, he opened his mouth to speak but Paige, with Spinner tagging along, interrupted him.
"I heard about tonight!" she said, looking seriously at Marco. "And I know you're probably worrying, but don't. Dylan is totally into you." She smiled, seemingly satisfied with herself for helping out a friend.
"Really?" he asked, his face lighting up.
She nodded. "But, Tom is a charmer. Trust me. You just have to watch out for him."
"How?" Marco asked, feeling put down a bit.
"Well, if he starts talking about hockey, he'll go on about how great a player Dylan is and all that stuff. So, avoid that subject and cut him off ASAP," she instructed, and he listened intently. "And you should probably also stay off the topic of movies. He's a movie buff, and he knows all of Dyl's favorites, so he'll try to get Dylan to remember things."
"Okay," he said, bobbing his head up and down. "I can do that."
"Tom can be a real jerk when he wants to," Paige added. "Oh, there goes Hazel. I have got to talk to her about something. Have fun, Marco. And see you in class, Spin." She kissed her boyfriends' cheek before dashing off into the crowd. Ellie had also walked off at that point.
Almost uncomfortably, Spinner and Marco shared glances. "So, you're going out with Dylan tonight?" Spinner said slowly, as if he'd been somewhere else for the entire conversation. "And that guy Tom's going with you?"
"Yeah, Spin. So go ahead, throw your insults out right here. Get them all over with, because I don't want to hear them for the rest of the day," Marco spat, turning back to his locker and pulling out his algebra book.
Spinner, however, looked surprised. "I - I wasn't…"
"I mean, I'm worried enough that the only guy I really like is gonna get back together with a guy that I stand no chance against," he said angrily, talking more to himself than Spinner.
"Dude, calm down. Dylan likes you. A lot. Way more than that creep, Tom," Spinner told him.
Raising an eyebrow, Marco surveyed the other curiously, to see if he was telling the truth. "How - how do you know?" he asked, embarrassed to find his voice was cracking slightly.
"He only talks about you twenty-four/seven." Rolling his eyes slightly, he continued, "I mean, it's really annoying. But whatever. He likes you way more. Trust me."
A small smile forced itself onto Marco's lips. Was this really happening? Spinner was being nice? "Thanks," he said quietly.
"Whatever. I'm just doing what I do," Spinner said, a bit astonished by his own behavior as well.
"Has -" Marco started to say, but stopped. He couldn't find an easy way to inquire what he wanted, so he came out and said it. "Has he said anything… um, specifically, about me?" He looked hopefully to Spinner, who paused in consideration.
"I dunno. He just, likes you I guess." He was looking a little confused; a little weirded out by what he was saying. "He told Paige that it was like no one else he'd ever liked."
Smiling brightly, Marco nodded at the great news. It was time for class then, so they walked together, talking about things they hadn't talked about since before he came out.
-----
After school that day, Ellie practically flew to her house. She unlocked the door in a hurry, and burst through the front door. Her mother was sitting on the couch, drinking tea and laughing with another person… her father.
"Daddy!" she screeched, and he looked overjoyed to see his daughter. Standing up, he threw open his arms and she ran straight into them. "I missed you," she told him, squeezing him tightly.
"I missed you too, baby." Finally, they released each other and smiled. "Have you grown? I think you look taller," he observed, grinning.
"A bit," she shrugged, smiling widely.
"How are you?" he asked his only daughter.
"I'm great… now." She sat down in between her parents, talking for a long time. And never, in the past few months, had she been that happy.
A little while later, her doorbell rang. She stood quickly, "I'll answer it." When she pulled open the door, she was surprised to find Sean standing on her doorstep. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.
"Ellie?" her father called, from the other room. "Who is it?"
"It's, uh, Sean." She hesitated. "My boyfriend." Almost looking for permission, she stared at him. Thankfully, he nodded.
"Well, invite him in! We'll order pizza. He can stay for dinner." Her father was very eager to meet Sean.
"Is that okay?" she asked quietly, and again he nodded.
He followed her into the house, but she paused when she reached the room where her parents were. "Sean and I need to talk in private," she told them.
"Of course," her dad replied. "We'll be upstairs if you need us." As they walked by, he kissed her on the forehead. The room was left silent.
"So… that's your dad," Sean said finally. Ellie nodded. "He seems nice."
"He is."
"That's good." There was another awkward silence. "I've been thinking," he continued, after the longest pause. "I've been thinking a lot, actually, since the day you ran out on me at the Dot." She blushed, but before she could talk he held up his hand. "I don't know why you cut yourself. But it's harmful, Ellie. You're really hurting yourself. And if we're going to work, I need to know about these things. And… you've got to stop." He stopped, thinking how stupid he must have sounded but also how that was the first time he was sincere in a long while.
"I know Sean." And without another word, Ellie pulled up her sleeve. Almost all of the scars were healed. It was obvious she hadn't cut herself in a while. They both broke into smiles, and hugged tightly.
"But um, please don't mention it to anyone, okay?" she asked.
"I won't," he promised.
Holding hands, they went upstairs together. They sat down with her parents, talking and having a good time. Mr. Nash kept grilling his daughter's boyfriend, but not in a mean way. He asked nice questions.
"So, Sean is it?" He got a confirmation nod, and went on. "How did you and Ellie meet?"
The youngest two's eyes met, and they blushed. How was she supposed to tell her father that they became acquaintances in Saturday detention?
"We've been friends for a while," she said, smiling brightly.
"Great, that's great. You know, your mother and I met when we were your age…"
[Journal entry 8]
Ellie Nash
I have TERRIFIC news! Well, two things really! And right now, life couldn't be any better.
First things first: MY DAD IS HOME! You wouldn't believe how much I missed him. My dad is the greatest man in all of Canada; possibly the whole world. He's so nice and loving and my mom's madly in love with him. When he's around, she stays completely sober, and let's me do just about anything. She's a really decent mother when he's here.
Second, after I ran out on Sean a while ago when he discovered about my little "problem", I thought he would never talk to me again. Today however, he came over to my house. He was really concerned about me, but I proved I haven't cut in a long time. I'm pretty proud of myself, especially after he expressed how proud he was.
My dad really likes Sean. Which is weird, because my dad once told me, "I'll be waiting on the porch with a shotgun for the first boy you bring home." I assumed he wouldn't ever like any of my boyfriends. He was actually kind of hostile to Marco, too, but he got over that. I'm really glad they get along.
Well, my dad and I are going to watch a movie. I'll write again soon.
[/Journal]
-----
After the last class of the day let out, Marco rushed from his class. He stopped at his locker only long enough to hurriedly shove his books in and then hurried to the hallway where Dylan's locker was located. He was more nervous than ever, and his stomach wouldn't let him forget it.
He leaned against a locker, trying to calm himself as he waited for Dylan. Surrounded by his friends, Dylan finally exploded into the hallway. They were talking loudly and laughing. Finally, though, they spotted Marco.
"Aww, how cute. He's waiting for you, Dillie," joked Ty, and Dylan elbowed him in the ribs. Marco blushed slightly.
"Hey Marco," Dylan said, and his friends quickly echoed him.
"Hey," he returned, smiling.
"Well, you guys have fun on your little… escapade," Brad grinned, and they all but Dylan started to leave.
"Don't worry," Michael said, ruffling Marco's hair as he walked past him. "We hate Tom too."
"Get out of here," Dylan laughed, shaking his head. "See you tomorrow."
When they were gone, Marco and Dylan were the only ones left in the now-deserted hallway. Dylan turned to him. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yeah," he assured the other, flashing a toothy smile at him.
"Okay. Well, I've got to stop at home and pick some stuff up first. Are you ready to go?" Dylan tossed his curls out of his eyes, and Marco nodded. They left the building side-by-side.
"You know," Dylan said, when they were buckled into his car, "Tom's really not a bad guy. Despite what anyone said to you."
Won't make me stop hating him, Marco thought, but nonetheless nodded. "He can't be that bad if you liked him," he pointed out, cheeks red.
Grinning, Dylan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
When they reached his house, Marco saw an unfamiliar car in the driveway. "Whose car is that?" he asked curiously.
"It's my dad's."
Blinking, Marco suddenly realized he had never met either of Dylan's parents. "Oh," he answered quietly. They got out of the car and walked in the house.
Marco remembered what Dylan had said about his dad, and that made him somewhat anxious to meet him. To his dismay, Dylan's father was right in the path to his room. "Hello Dylan," his father greeted him.
"Hey Dad."
"Who's your friend?"
"This is Marco," Dylan replied, and Mr. Michalchuk coughed slightly and stared at Dylan.
"This is Marco?" he asked.
"Yeah…"
"Oh. I… see." Embarrassed, Marco looked to Dylan for help. Dylan, however, looked just as confused as he felt, and shrugged slightly.
"How old are you, Marco?" Mr. Michalchuk questioned.
"Um, I'm in Grade 10," he responded quietly.
"Oh. That's good. You're a bit, um… younger than I expected."
"We've got to go upstairs, Dad," Dylan said loudly, ushering Marco forward. "Sorry," he apologized, lowering his voice when they were out of earshot. "He's like that a lot."
"It's okay," Marco said, looking at the ground. "I mean, I am pretty young…"
"Nah," Dylan said dismissively. "He just tries to find something wrong with every guy that steps foot in this house." Suddenly, he laughed. "Before he knew Ty was straight, he told him he looked unhealthily skinny. In the nicest way possible, of course, but still."
Laughing along with him, Marco followed the older one into his room. He smiled at the familiar bedroom, and waited patiently as Dylan stuffed a few things into a bag. "So," Marco began daringly, "what's Tom like?"
"Tom's…" Dylan said, and then stopped thoughtfully. He gave up the bag and sat on his bed, staring off into space. Marco regretted asking the question. "Well, Tom's a really nice guy. I met him from a friend. He's the same age as me. Uh, well, you'll get to meet him. And I'm sure you'll like him."
I doubt that, Marco thought silently.
Shaking his head slightly to get out of his reverie, Dylan finished what he was doing and gave Marco the once-over. "Ready?"
"Yep."
"Great, let's go."
They left the house in a hurry, careful to dodge Dylan's father, and got into his car with no mishaps. Feeling very much like his stomach was competing in a tumbling contest, Marco tried to calm himself down on the drive by staring placidly out the window. At the first red light, Dylan shifted in the driver's seat and stared hard at the trembling boy beside him. He had no idea what was wrong, but it couldn't have been good.
"Are you - are you gonna be okay?" Dylan asked slowly, placing his hand gently on Marco's leg.
He automatically jumped at the sudden contact between the two, and watched in shame as Dylan quickly drew his hand back up to the steering wheel. "I'm fine," he tried to assure him, forcing the fakest of all smiles. "Just a little nervous, I guess."
"Nervous?" Dylan repeated, in almost a laughing tone. "Why?"
"You know, uh, just… meeting Tom…" And hopefully not losing you to him…
"You're nervous to meet Tom?" Dylan said, raising an eyebrow and chuckling. Shrugging slightly, Marco tried his best to regain his composure and continued staring out the window.
"There's nothing to be worried about," he declared.
"Yeah, I know."
When they arrived at the diner, the first thing Marco saw was Tom, perfect hair and all, inside through the glass windows, and he frowned intensely. As rude as it was, he was hoping he'd have to cancel for some emergency.
"Oh look, there he is," Dylan said, and motioned for the other to follow him into the restaurant.
Tom beamed up brightly as Dylan came towards him, and the two embraced faintly. Marco tried not to look jealous.
"Tom, you remember Marco?"
The attractive young man glanced over Marco, and curtly nodded. "Of course." He was standing at a table with two seats on each side, and Dylan was obviously conflicted about where to sit. Marco and Tom had already sat down opposite of each other, and the blonde glanced nervously in between the both of them.
"You know, it really has been too long," Tom said, pulling out the chair beside him before Marco got the chance. Sitting down in the seat, Dylan gave an apologetic look to Marco, who felt a bit insulted.
"Yeah, it has," Dylan agreed with a smile.
"You're still playing hockey, right?" Tom asked, with a grin. Marco's forced smile automatically twisted into a frown, remembering what Paige warned him.
"Well, yeah. Of course. In fact, I -"
"Oh look, there's the waiter," Marco interrupted, and Dylan closed his mouth as the waiter approached their table. They ordered drinks, and then he left.
"I've got to go to the bathroom," Dylan said, standing. "You guys can go ahead and get… acquainted." He smiled briefly at the two, sensing the tension, and departed.
There was awkwardness right away. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Finally, Tom took a sip of his drink and then stared at Marco, daring him to look away. "You must've heard about my past with Dylan," he began, trying to intimidate the younger boy.
"Yeah, a little."
"Do you know how close Dylan and I were?" He smirked slightly.
Extremely uncomfortable, Marco looked at Tom and nodded. "Pretty close?"
"Unbelievably close," he corrected him. "You might as well give up now."
Marco could barely believe his ears. "W-what?" He knew, of course, that Tom still had feelings for Dylan, but he didn't think he'd be so forward.
"Just give up. I mean, you're what? Twelve years old?" He laughed, and Marco glared at him loathingly. "You're shorter than my Grade Six sister. And, hey, I think you guys are wearing the same shirt, too." He dropped his eyes to his shirt. He knew it was a little bit girly, but that was his style. Dylan had never complained. "Dylan wanted me, buddy," Tom continued, in his meanest voice possible. "And by the end of tonight, he's going to want me again. And he'll forget all about you."
At that moment, Dylan rejoined the table. Completely backed off, Marco stared at the table. He knew Tom was right. Sitting back in his seat, Dylan glanced around the table. Tom smiled at him sweetly. Marco, however, avoided all eye contact.
"Look," Tom said, after Dylan had sat down. "The waiter only left us two menus." Slyly, he slid one menu across the table to Marco. "I guess we'll have to share," Tom said, shrugging like it was the only option, to Dylan. He opened the flap, and leaned as close as he could to him. His body burning with jealously, Marco continued gazing fixedly at the list of meals. He'd suddenly lost his appetite.
Becoming aware of the little space between them, Dylan inched away from Tom slightly. "So, Marco. Know what you're going to eat?"
"No, I… I don't know. Any recommendations?"
"The grilled chicken's great," Tom suggested before Dylan had the chance to. He suddenly grinned, and put his hand on Dylan's arm. "Remember our first date here?" Marco watched the hand, hardly able to swallow.
"Yeah," Dylan laughed. "It was a disaster." Ha, Marco thought, somewhat satisfied.
"Well, it turned out great in the end." Tom gave a small wink to Dylan, who laughed again and nodded. Thankfully, though, he moved his arm and Tom's hand recoiled back.
They continued to make small talk and ordered their food. Seldom speaking, Marco kept to himself for most of the meal. Dylan sensed something was wrong, but Tom kept talking and leaving him with no opportunity to find out what.
When they finished eating, and Marco finished picking at his grilled chicken, Dylan glanced at his watch. "Well, the film festival starts soon. So, we'll meet you there?" he asked his friend, and Tom nodded.
"You guys go ahead," Tom said sweetly. "I'll pay."
Grinning, Dylan said happily, "Thanks, man."
"No problemo."
When Tom stood up, Marco narrowed his eyes at the third menu, which he'd been sitting on. One of his little schemes to get closer to Dylan, undoubtedly.
Dylan left the restaurant, and Marco gloomily followed him. Once inside and buckled up, Dylan looked hard at Marco. "What?" Marco said uncertainly, not looking him in the eye.
"What's wrong?" he asked, deeply concerned. "You like, clammed up the entire meal. Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no. You didn't do anything. It's just, uh, Tom…"
"He's a nice guy, right?" Dylan broke in, and Marco shook off what he had to say.
"Right. He's… nice."
[Journal entry 8]
Marco del Rossi
Tom is a jerk. Tom is a jerk. Tom is a jerk.
Well, I guess you can tell, I do not like Tom at all. He puts on this fake, little sweet act whenever Dylan's around. But when Dylan left to go to the bathroom, I saw the real Tom. He's a mean, inconsiderate, conceited creep! He told me I might as well just back off, that Dylan was HIS. Ha, that's not what Dylan was probably thinking when he kissed me!
Yeah, I'd purposely left out the kiss of my journal a few days ago. But it happened - in the hallway, he kissed me! It was the best kiss I'd ever gotten. And man is he a good kisser.
We're going to go to this independent film festival next. Tom's going to try something, I know it. But there's nothing I can do. Maybe Tom was right. I am too young. Short. Feminine. I just don't know anymore.
I guess I'll find out later tonight. Ciao.
[/Journal]
Finally, they arrived at the film festival. Tom's car pulled in right after Dylan's, and the three of them headed indoors. A bunch of shorter, student-made movies were playing inside, and Tom led them to three seats towards the back. Dylan sat in between the other two.
Scoffing slightly, Marco smiled inwardly. If Tom knew Dylan so well, then he should know Dylan hated sitting in the back.
It didn't take long for the first film to start. It was about a girl entering high school and struggling to join one of the cliques, but not fitting in with any. They all enjoyed it. About halfway into the third movie, Marco saw what he'd been dreading. Tom's hand slithered over the seat and right next to Dylan's. He carefully lifted his hand, and put it over Dylan's.
Hurriedly, Dylan bent down and used both hands to tie his shoes. Marco was so relieved, though he still wasn't sure if Dylan liked Tom or not.
Looking somewhat rejected, Tom returned his hands to his own seat. After a little while, though, he tried to make a move again. This time, however, he was much more direct.
"Dylan," he whispered, who in return snapped out of his movie-trance and looked at Tom. "I didn't get the chance to tell you this," he continued in a hushed voice, and Marco strained his ears to listen, "but I missed you. A lot. I mean, I know we both agreed it was best to break up, but now, especially now, after seeing you again, I - I want you back."
Dylan bit his lip and was about to say something, but Tom cut him off with a kiss. Gaping, Marco watched in horror as their lips connected.
To his satisfaction, though, Dylan roughly pushed Tom away. "Tom, I - I can't. I'm… I'm with Marco." He side glanced the younger boy, as if for permission and received a smile.
"You're with Marco," the now stony-faced Tom said in a soft voice. "Right." He stood up. "I should go." He paused, expecting Dylan to stop him. To change his mind. But he didn't. Tom turned, and strode out of the building.
Neither of them really knew what to say. Finally, Dylan asked, "Want to leave?" Marco nodded. They stood together, and walked out.
"I'm sorry," Dylan said genuinely when they made it to the sunny outdoors.
"It wasn't your fault," Marco offered.
"Yeah, it was. I was pretty sure he still liked me. I just didn't think he'd do… that."
"You didn't kiss him back," Marco said, looking into his deep blue eyes.
"I didn't want to." Shaking his head vigorously, he looked Marco over, up and down. "There's only one guy I want to kiss right now."
Cheeks turning bright red, Marco grinned slightly and played dumb. "Oh yeah? Who could that be?"
Without another word, Dylan leaned towards Marco and they shared their second, passionate kiss. This one was a bit longer than the first one, and a little more intense. They both loved every second of it, and when they pulled away, they were both beaming widely.
"So, you want to go somewhere? The night's still young," Dylan proposed, and Marco nodded. They got into Dylan's car, and drove off into the night.
And, from somewhere in the parking lot, a young Italian man followed the car. The car in which his little brother was seated in.
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Ooh, drama. So, anyway, please review! I'd love to hear what you think. And hey, I got this chapter up pretty quickly, no? So, you have to review. :-P
Next chapter will be 100% intense!
