A/N: Yet again, I don't own Degrassi, the characters, or the Dot, which
makes a lovely appearance. Thanks to those who reviewed, especially orange
crush3, who made me feel very special. And I wanted a beta so I can make
sure I don't mess with the actual show, like make Marco's hair... I dunno,
yellow. Oh god, that would be terrible... but the position is still open, for
that reason.
I picked up the cordless on my way through the foyer, and brought it up to my room. I closed the door and sat down on my bed, unfolding the note Pretty Girl—Paige. Unfolding the note Paige had given me. 555-6122. I dialled the number and waited. After three rings, someone picked up.
"Michalchuk house," said a boy's voice.
"Um, this is Ellie Nash. Is Paige there?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'll get her," the boy said. I heard him setting the phone down and yelling for someone. There was another click from what I guessed was an upstairs phone, and the phone the boy had been on hung up.
"Hello?" Pretty— Paige. Paige.
"Hi. It's Ellie Nash. The new girl?" I said. Paige took in a short breath.
"Sorry, I think you have the wrong number," she said, and the dial tone sounded in my ear. I stared at the phone.
"Hello?" I said. The dial tone kept going, one long continuous beep. I threw the phone down and flopped back on my bed. The phone rang. I rolled off my bed and snatched it up.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hi, Ellie. It's Deanna."
"Oh," I said. Deanna was my best friend from my old school. She laughed.
"You sound happy to hear me again. What's up? Have a bad day at school?" she asked. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against my knees.
"Nope. I just thought you were someone else," I said.
"Who?" she asked.
"Just a guy a met today. His name is Marco," I sighed. I'm such a liar. Deanna laughed, and I heard her switching the hands she was holding the phone in.
"Somebody's in love," she said.
"Yeah," I agreed. Oh. She meant with Marco.
"Is he cute?" Deanna asked, and she laughed. Why? Did I say something?
"Marco? Yeah. I sat next to him in English, and he let me sit with him at lunch. He's really cool," I said.
"So? Did you ask him out?" Deanna asked.
"No! I just met him," I said. I could see her rolling her eyes.
"Ellie, you're hopeless. So... did you meet anyone else? How's the school? Sorry, I forgot the name of it," she said.
"Degrassi Community School. And there's no one else," I said.
"Oh. Well, tell me if you meet anyone else," Deanna said.
"Okay. Listen... I've got to go. I'm meeting Marco at the park," I said. I hung up before she could say another word. I can't believe that the first time my best friend calls me, I lie to her about everything. The phone rang again.
"Eleanor! Who keeps calling?" my mom shouted from downstairs.
"Deanna!" I shouted back. She always liked Deanna. Deanna was normal. She wore jeans and bright t-shirts. She didn't wear eyeliner or plaid skirts or black or... well, she wasn't me, and Mom liked that.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hi. It's Paige," said a voice on the other end.
"Oh? I thought I had the wrong number," I said. I wasn't angry, even though she'd completely blown me off. I was embarrassed that I'd thought she'd want to talk to me. Ellie Nash. I knew the labels that went with that.
"Look, I'm sorry," Paige said.
"Why'd you do that? Did I do something wrong?" I asked.
"No, you were perfect!" Paige protested. I stopped breathing for a minute.
"So why'd you do it?" I asked again. There was a short pause.
"Hazel was here. And so was Ash, and Terri. They're not exactly like us, you know?" she said.
"Like us? You mean a self-absorbed princess and the socially unacceptable new girl? You're right. They aren't like us," I said. I grabbed a pen off my nightstand and started bending it. Paige sighed.
"I said I was sorry," she said.
"Prove it," I snapped.
"Okay. Do you know where the Dot is?" she asked.
"A better question might be do I know what the Dot is," I said.
"It's a restaurant. Not that far from school. Everybody goes there. Meet me there in like, five minutes," she said. The pen snapped and covered up to my elbows in ink.
"Make it ten," I said, and I hung up.
I scrubbed my arms for seven minutes, using every type of makeup remover, cleanser, and body scrub in my bathroom, by my skin was still gray. I settled for a pair of elbow length arm warmers and pulled my sleeves down over them anyways. My fingers still showed, but they barely had any ink on them. And I was running late.
I had no idea how to get to the Dot, and it still only took me four minutes to find it. Congratulations, Nash. Paige was sitting in a booth near the back with a bunch of people from school. She was sitting next to Hazel, but I didn't recognize most of the other people. Wait. Marco was sitting with them. Just my luck; I befriend someone who is friends with her, and she won't even talk to me. But she looked at me. The rest of them noticed, and all swivelled around to look at me. Marco grinned and waved me over. I looked back at Paige. She looked positively terrified. I shook my head at Marco and walked over to the counter to buy myself a latte. Marco, however, was apparently an insatiable little brat, and joined me at the counter.
"Come over and meet my friends," he said, taking hold of my elbow. I held my latte in my other hand in case he pulled me too hard. I paid four bucks for a cup the size of my fist. I think I got screwed.
"No. They're not my crowd," I said. Marco rolled his eyes and tugged me across the restaurant.
"Guys, this is Ellie Nash. She's new," he announced to the table. There were two other in the booth besides Hazel and Paige; both boys. There was a chorus of 'hi Ellie'.
"This is Jimmy Brooks," Marco said, pointing to the black boy. Jimmy nodded to me and murmured a 'what's up'.
"This is Spinner Mason, but you don't want to know him," Marco said, nodding to the other boy. Spinner looked offended.
"Hey!" he said.
"Ignore him, he speaks without saying anything. This is Hazel Aden," Marco said. Hazel smiled at me and waved. Marco nodded to Paige.
"And this is Paige Michalchuk," he said.
"Nice to meet you," she said, more to her glass of soda than to me.
"She's normally not this weird. So, Ellie. Want to sit down?" Marco asked, resuming his seat next to Spinner. I shook my head.
"I've got to get home," I said.
"Aw, come on, El. At least stay while you finish your latte," he said. I set the full cup down on the table.
"I've got to go, Marco," I said firmly, and I whirled around and left. Along the back of the building, there was an alley. I had no idea where I was going, but it was certainly away from there. I was halfway through the alley when I heard someone call my name. Heard her call my name.
"Ellie, wait!" I turned around. And she was Pretty Girl again. As soon as we were alone, she was Pretty Girl, not Paige. As soon as we were alone, she was perfect.
"I can't believe you," I managed to make myself say. "That's the second time you've screwed me over in half an hour! I don't want to—"
"I do," Pretty Girl said. Want to what? I wanted to ask. I wonder if she could hear my heart beating too.
"I don't know what you—"
"Please give me one more chance, Ellie. Just one. And if I screw it up this time, I'll leave you alone," she said.
"Would you stop interrupting me? I'm not going to give you another chance! You've already had it!" I said angrily, and I spun around and started to walk. She touched my arm to try to stop me.
"Please, don't walk away from me, Ellie, I want to—"
"Talk? Meet up? We've already tried that, Paige, and you always seem to find a reason to blow me off," I snapped. She grabbed my hand and pulled me back around to face her. Only thing is, she must thought she wouldn't be able to, because she kept walking. And in one second, I found myself pressed up against Pretty Girl, and, in my attempt to yank my hand away, I had dragged her arm back, almost around me. Had I been shorter, our noses would have been touching. My entire body caught fire, and I could feel her breath against my neck, and her hand had fallen into mine, and I couldn't breathe, and my knees turned into water, and I staggered back before I fell into something I'd never be able to drag myself out of.
"Ellie," Paige whispered.
"I have to go," I said, and I stumbled back a few more steps.
"Ellie, wait," Paige said. But I was already running. I was running, but I couldn't seem to leave her.
A/N: Okay, I lied. It wasn't longer. I think it was shorter... but this just seemed like a good place to end, so I did. Please review. You know you want to.
I picked up the cordless on my way through the foyer, and brought it up to my room. I closed the door and sat down on my bed, unfolding the note Pretty Girl—Paige. Unfolding the note Paige had given me. 555-6122. I dialled the number and waited. After three rings, someone picked up.
"Michalchuk house," said a boy's voice.
"Um, this is Ellie Nash. Is Paige there?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'll get her," the boy said. I heard him setting the phone down and yelling for someone. There was another click from what I guessed was an upstairs phone, and the phone the boy had been on hung up.
"Hello?" Pretty— Paige. Paige.
"Hi. It's Ellie Nash. The new girl?" I said. Paige took in a short breath.
"Sorry, I think you have the wrong number," she said, and the dial tone sounded in my ear. I stared at the phone.
"Hello?" I said. The dial tone kept going, one long continuous beep. I threw the phone down and flopped back on my bed. The phone rang. I rolled off my bed and snatched it up.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hi, Ellie. It's Deanna."
"Oh," I said. Deanna was my best friend from my old school. She laughed.
"You sound happy to hear me again. What's up? Have a bad day at school?" she asked. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against my knees.
"Nope. I just thought you were someone else," I said.
"Who?" she asked.
"Just a guy a met today. His name is Marco," I sighed. I'm such a liar. Deanna laughed, and I heard her switching the hands she was holding the phone in.
"Somebody's in love," she said.
"Yeah," I agreed. Oh. She meant with Marco.
"Is he cute?" Deanna asked, and she laughed. Why? Did I say something?
"Marco? Yeah. I sat next to him in English, and he let me sit with him at lunch. He's really cool," I said.
"So? Did you ask him out?" Deanna asked.
"No! I just met him," I said. I could see her rolling her eyes.
"Ellie, you're hopeless. So... did you meet anyone else? How's the school? Sorry, I forgot the name of it," she said.
"Degrassi Community School. And there's no one else," I said.
"Oh. Well, tell me if you meet anyone else," Deanna said.
"Okay. Listen... I've got to go. I'm meeting Marco at the park," I said. I hung up before she could say another word. I can't believe that the first time my best friend calls me, I lie to her about everything. The phone rang again.
"Eleanor! Who keeps calling?" my mom shouted from downstairs.
"Deanna!" I shouted back. She always liked Deanna. Deanna was normal. She wore jeans and bright t-shirts. She didn't wear eyeliner or plaid skirts or black or... well, she wasn't me, and Mom liked that.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hi. It's Paige," said a voice on the other end.
"Oh? I thought I had the wrong number," I said. I wasn't angry, even though she'd completely blown me off. I was embarrassed that I'd thought she'd want to talk to me. Ellie Nash. I knew the labels that went with that.
"Look, I'm sorry," Paige said.
"Why'd you do that? Did I do something wrong?" I asked.
"No, you were perfect!" Paige protested. I stopped breathing for a minute.
"So why'd you do it?" I asked again. There was a short pause.
"Hazel was here. And so was Ash, and Terri. They're not exactly like us, you know?" she said.
"Like us? You mean a self-absorbed princess and the socially unacceptable new girl? You're right. They aren't like us," I said. I grabbed a pen off my nightstand and started bending it. Paige sighed.
"I said I was sorry," she said.
"Prove it," I snapped.
"Okay. Do you know where the Dot is?" she asked.
"A better question might be do I know what the Dot is," I said.
"It's a restaurant. Not that far from school. Everybody goes there. Meet me there in like, five minutes," she said. The pen snapped and covered up to my elbows in ink.
"Make it ten," I said, and I hung up.
I scrubbed my arms for seven minutes, using every type of makeup remover, cleanser, and body scrub in my bathroom, by my skin was still gray. I settled for a pair of elbow length arm warmers and pulled my sleeves down over them anyways. My fingers still showed, but they barely had any ink on them. And I was running late.
I had no idea how to get to the Dot, and it still only took me four minutes to find it. Congratulations, Nash. Paige was sitting in a booth near the back with a bunch of people from school. She was sitting next to Hazel, but I didn't recognize most of the other people. Wait. Marco was sitting with them. Just my luck; I befriend someone who is friends with her, and she won't even talk to me. But she looked at me. The rest of them noticed, and all swivelled around to look at me. Marco grinned and waved me over. I looked back at Paige. She looked positively terrified. I shook my head at Marco and walked over to the counter to buy myself a latte. Marco, however, was apparently an insatiable little brat, and joined me at the counter.
"Come over and meet my friends," he said, taking hold of my elbow. I held my latte in my other hand in case he pulled me too hard. I paid four bucks for a cup the size of my fist. I think I got screwed.
"No. They're not my crowd," I said. Marco rolled his eyes and tugged me across the restaurant.
"Guys, this is Ellie Nash. She's new," he announced to the table. There were two other in the booth besides Hazel and Paige; both boys. There was a chorus of 'hi Ellie'.
"This is Jimmy Brooks," Marco said, pointing to the black boy. Jimmy nodded to me and murmured a 'what's up'.
"This is Spinner Mason, but you don't want to know him," Marco said, nodding to the other boy. Spinner looked offended.
"Hey!" he said.
"Ignore him, he speaks without saying anything. This is Hazel Aden," Marco said. Hazel smiled at me and waved. Marco nodded to Paige.
"And this is Paige Michalchuk," he said.
"Nice to meet you," she said, more to her glass of soda than to me.
"She's normally not this weird. So, Ellie. Want to sit down?" Marco asked, resuming his seat next to Spinner. I shook my head.
"I've got to get home," I said.
"Aw, come on, El. At least stay while you finish your latte," he said. I set the full cup down on the table.
"I've got to go, Marco," I said firmly, and I whirled around and left. Along the back of the building, there was an alley. I had no idea where I was going, but it was certainly away from there. I was halfway through the alley when I heard someone call my name. Heard her call my name.
"Ellie, wait!" I turned around. And she was Pretty Girl again. As soon as we were alone, she was Pretty Girl, not Paige. As soon as we were alone, she was perfect.
"I can't believe you," I managed to make myself say. "That's the second time you've screwed me over in half an hour! I don't want to—"
"I do," Pretty Girl said. Want to what? I wanted to ask. I wonder if she could hear my heart beating too.
"I don't know what you—"
"Please give me one more chance, Ellie. Just one. And if I screw it up this time, I'll leave you alone," she said.
"Would you stop interrupting me? I'm not going to give you another chance! You've already had it!" I said angrily, and I spun around and started to walk. She touched my arm to try to stop me.
"Please, don't walk away from me, Ellie, I want to—"
"Talk? Meet up? We've already tried that, Paige, and you always seem to find a reason to blow me off," I snapped. She grabbed my hand and pulled me back around to face her. Only thing is, she must thought she wouldn't be able to, because she kept walking. And in one second, I found myself pressed up against Pretty Girl, and, in my attempt to yank my hand away, I had dragged her arm back, almost around me. Had I been shorter, our noses would have been touching. My entire body caught fire, and I could feel her breath against my neck, and her hand had fallen into mine, and I couldn't breathe, and my knees turned into water, and I staggered back before I fell into something I'd never be able to drag myself out of.
"Ellie," Paige whispered.
"I have to go," I said, and I stumbled back a few more steps.
"Ellie, wait," Paige said. But I was already running. I was running, but I couldn't seem to leave her.
A/N: Okay, I lied. It wasn't longer. I think it was shorter... but this just seemed like a good place to end, so I did. Please review. You know you want to.
