Chapter 3
She wasn't about to admit to Alex just how nervous she really was. She could barely admit it to herself. Her reputation was at stake here, the reputation she'd fought tooth and nail to preserve during her stead at Degrassi. It had withstood a great deal; she wasn't sure it could survive this, though.
All night long she'd fretted over this. Could she really stand to become a social outcast half-way through her senior year? Would Hazel still talk to her? What if she lost the Spirit Squad?
Even though Paige held a look of determination in her eyes, Alex could tell she was scared just by the fierce grip of her hand. It was starting to hurt now, but instead of telling Paige to loosen up, she squeezed back harder. And admittedly, she felt her own stomach doing flip-flops as they walked through the doors.
She knew what they were thinking. She'd been one of them just a year ago, giving the queers shit for reasons she no longer understood. She knew what to expect – the words…and the violence. But all that she could handle.
Alex knew Paige could handle it too. She knew how to hold her own. The only thing she feared was that she would choose not to handle it, that she would step away from her at the first hateful utterance. You can do this, Paige, she mentally willed, I know you too well. You know you're better than them. Show them you don't care. Break them. Threaten them. Destroy them. Just don't abandon me in this.
As they walked through the halls, the crowd of students opening to make room for them, whispering all the while, Paige realized she had nothing to fear in herself. She'd never let anyone bring her down; there was something inside herself that didn't even allow for that. It was as though the harder things got, the more determined she was to stand tall.
After watching Alex make a few kids run off with just a glance, she realized another thing: they were the most powerful couple at Degrassi now. Her popularity and Alex's ability to strike fear in the hearts of her enemies did not bode well for those who wished to oppose them. They really were a force to be reckoned with.
All eyes were upon them (except for Marco's, whose eyes were fixed on his physics text) when they walked into homeroom. No sooner had they taken their seats than Alex pulled Paige's chair next to hers and kissed her good on the lips for all to see. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," she whispered into her ear.
The whispering of their classmates increased and was punctuated by audible phrases. Marco looked up, confused, before leaning over to Paige. "Did I just miss your first PDA?"
"Second. Aren't you supposed to be stressing over the test?"
"And miss you two embarking on this fascinating adventure of love?"
Paige rolled her eyes and Alex looked at him as though he were crazy.
"Alright, alright," he relented. "Back to vectors."
The bell rang as Mr. Simpson hurried into the classroom, looking overwhelmed and exhausted. Paige began to check her email as he called roll, but soon interrupted him.
"Yes, Paige?" he sighed.
"Mr. Simpson, could you please remind everyone that sending hate mail through dmail is a violation of school code and warrants suspension?"
He sighed again and rubbed his eyes. It was far too early in the morning for this, he thought. "Did I miss something?"
"They're gay!" called out a boy from the back of the class.
"Hey!" called out Simpson. "Watch your language or take a trip to the office."
Paige turned to the face the boy, declaring confidently to him and to all her other classmates that she was not gay.
"Me either," said Alex.
"I am!" perked up Marco. "Are you sure those messages aren't for me?" he asked Paige.
"Can we please focus? Paige, if you've received hate mail, you may go report it now."
"I got some too," said Alex.
"Alright, you're both excused. And class, could we please practice tolerance and understanding? And refrain from…" His voice trailed off as Alex took Paige's hand, smirking at him as they walked past. "…name calling…."
Today was going to be a long, long day.