Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi, Rise Up and Walk, or whomever wrote/sang it.
Hazel comes into Armstrong's class. Her hair isn't as nice as normal, her eyes are bloodshot, and you can smell smoke and alcohol on her.
"Miss Aden, how nice of you to join us," Mr. Armstrong says. "Do you have an absence excuse?"
"No, sorry," Hazel says.
"You haven't been here the past two weeks and you have no excuse?" Mr. Armstrong asks, eyes raised.
"Hospital, I, um, was in the hospital," Hazel lies.
"Of course," Mr. Armstrong says, skeptically. "You have a doctor's note, then?"
"No," Hazel says.
"Mmm," Mr. Armstrong says, "I'll talk to you after class."
Theme song
"Rise Up and Walk"
"You've almost got it," Spinner says. "One more time."
"No," Jimmy says, "I just must be meant not to walk."
"Jim, you were meant to walk," Spinner says.
"No, obviously," Jimmy persists.
"Look, I said I'd help you walk, and you are going to walk," Spinner says. "Are you going to give up?"
"Yes," Jimmy says.
"You are Jimmy Brooks, my best friend, or at least you were," Spinner says, "and the Jimmy Brooks I knew never gave up."
"First of all," Jimmy says, "I took drugs to get on the basketball team."
"That was one time," Spinner says.
"The Jimmy Brooks you knew, could walk, and hadn't been betrayed by his best friend," Jimmy says, looking Spinner in the eye.
"I thought you'd forgiven me for that," Spinner says.
"I thought I was going to get the use of my legs back," Jimmy states.
"I didn't know it would be like that," Spinner says.
"I didn't know my best friend would betray me," Jimmy says, then wheels away.
Scene change
"Miss Aden," Mr. Armstrong says, "would you care to explain your absence?"
"Well, I fell through a window and was placed in the hospital for a week and a half, but totally forgot a note."
"That's the truth?" Mr. Armstrong asks.
Hazel looks him in the eye, "Yes."
Mr. Armstrong still looks skeptical, "Look, you're an excellent student so I'll dismiss it for now if you complete your make-up work and get a note to me by tomorrow."
"Aright," Hazel says.
"I didn't know that you were in the hospital," Paige says.
Hazel shrugs.
"You should have told me," Paige says. "I wouldn't have accused you of cheating if I'd known."
Hazel looks over her shoulder and sees that Mr. Armstrong has gone, "I wasn't in the hospital."
"What?" Paige asks. "But you just told him you were!"
"So I stretched the truth a little," Hazel shrugs.
"A little?" Paige says. "Where were you?"
"Look," Hazel says, taking her friend to an empty space, "I've discovered something." She shows Paige the drugs.
"You're doing drugs?" Paige asks, incredulously.
"They're great," Hazel says. "They make you feel so free, so loose. You haven't relaxed in awhile, just take some."
"I'm not taking any, and you shouldn't either," Paige says.
"If you took some, you'd understand," Hazel says. "Just try some pot, c'mon. It's great."
"I'd get grounded, majorly," Paige says.
"Not if you don't get caught," Hazel says.
"I'd get caught, I always get caught," Paige says.
"You always do stupid things," Hazel says. "Dean, Matt, Spinner's car, your trial, this is just one more thing."
"That's low," Paige says. "Best friend's don't throw things in each other's faces."
"Best friends also listen to each other," Hazel says. "If you won't do this for me, maybe we shouldn't be friends."
Paige looks like she'd been slapped, but recollects herself, "Maybe not."
Scene change
"Hey, Spin told me that about your reconciliation," Marco says.
"There is no reconciliation," Jimmy corrects.
"Why?" Marco asks.
"I realize I'll never walk," Jimmy says, "and if I can never walk, I can also never forgive Spinner."
"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Marco asks.
"No, don't you see what he did to me?" Jimmy asks.
"Well, he didn't hold the gun up to you," Marco says.
"He might as well have," Jimmy says.
"You know he didn't want you to get shot," Marco says.
"How do you know?" Jimmy asks.
"He was helping you walk," Marco says. "What more proof do you need?"
"I was going to forgive him," Jimmy says, "but I ended up not walking anyway."
"You probably could walk if you wouldn't give up," Marco says.
"Why are you defending him?" Jimmy asks.
"Because I learned something," Marco says. "When my dad died, he died with a grudge. You can't hold grudges, life is too short. I thought you, of all people, would know that."
"I'm not going to die holding a grudge, Marco," Jimmy says.
"So you're going to forgive Spinner?" Marco asks.
Jimmy groans, "I suppose."
Scene change
The students are in class, Hazel taps Paige on the shoulder
"Hey," Hazel says.
An annoyed Paige turns around, "What?"
"Look, after this class, I'm blowing school off for the rest of the day," Hazel says. "I know a place where we can really get stoned. It's a lot of fun, wanna come?"
"Hazel, no," Paige says. "I don't want to hang out with your addict friends. You shouldn't even be doing this."
"Whatever, mom," Hazel says. "Anyway, I'm not an addict, I can stop anytime I want to."
"Then stop now," Paige challenges.
"I said anytime I want to, and right now I don't want to," Hazel retorts.
"Whatever," Paige mutters, then goes back to her work.
A few minutes later, Simpson turns on the television, "Ms. Hatzilakos has an announcement to make that she didn't want to make during morning announcements."
Everyone turns toward the TV, and Ms. Hatzilakos comes on the screen. "As you all know, about a year ago a shooting occurred in the halls of Degrassi. I like to think nothing like that would ever happen again, but I cannot just assume that. Which is why I'm issuing a school-wide locker check. You all are to remain in your classes until an announcement comes over the loud speaker, then you are free to go."
Hazel's eyes are wide with fear. Paige is smirking.
About half an hour has gone by, and Hazel is nervously biting her fingers.
"Could Hazel Aden please come to the office for a moment?" a voice says over the loudspeaker.
Hazel nervously stands up and goes out the door. She's in the principal's office. "You, uh, wanted to see me?"
"These were found in your locker," Ms. Hatzilakos says, holding up a bag of drugs.
"I don't know where those came from," Hazel lies.
"You don't?" Ms. Hatzilakos says.
"Well, actually, I think they may be Paige's," she lies.
Ms. Hatzilakos raises her eyebrows and looks into Hazel's red eyes, "Really now? Why were they in your locker?"
"Because, um, well,-" Hazel starts.
"Right," Ms. Hatzilakos cuts her off. She asks for Paige to come to the office.
A few moments later, Paige arrives in the office, "What's going on?"
"Hazel says these are yours," Ms. Hatzilakos says, holding up the drugs. "Is that true?"
"No!" Paige shouts. "They're Hazel's! She's trying to get me to take them!"
"Both of you are going to go with the police for drug testing," Ms. Hatzilakos says. "I'm going to call your parents and confiscate these."
Scene change
"Hey, Spin," Jimmy called.
Spinner turns around, "If you want to tell me even more about how much you hate me, I'm not interested."
"I wanted to forgive you," Jimmy says. "And ask you to help me walk."
"Thanks," Spinner says.
"So, are you going to help me or what?" Jimmy says.
"Okay," Spinner says. "Now, just like we tried. Take a deep breath." Jimmy does as instructed. "Point out your legs." Jimmy does so. "Grasp the arms of your chair, and push yourself out." Jimmy tries but just ends up falling back down.
"I can't do it!" Jimmy screamed.
"Try one more time," Spinner says.
Jimmy sighs, but tries and succeeds. He's standing in the middle of the hall.
"Aright!" Spinner cheers.
Jimmy grabs a shelf and walks a little, then is tired. He sits back in his chair, smiling.
"We'll try more later," Spinner says.
"Thanks," Jimmy says.
Scene change
Paige and Hazel are sitting in chairs at the police station waiting for their results.
"Paige Lynn," Mr. Michaelchuck says, "I didn't want to believe it, but here you are!"
"Dad! I didn't do anything!" Paige insists.
A police officer comes over, "Miss Michaelchuck, you're clean and free to go. We found a great number of drugs in your system, however, Miss Aden. You are going to stay in a cell until your parents get you."
"Forget about me being your maid of honor!" Hazel yells as she's being locked in.
"Forget about me asking you!" Paige yells back.
"I'll ask later," Mr. Michaelchuck says. "For now, I'm bringing you home. Sorry I didn't believe you."
"It's fine," Paige says.
Scene change
It's the next day. Jimmy's wheeled up to school by Spinner. They roll down the halls. A few people whisper at the sight of them being friends. Spinner rolled Jimmy to the middle of the hall. Jimmy stood up and walked to his locker with a little difficulty. People stopped doing what they were doing and watched Jimmy in amazement.
Paige runs over and hugs Jimmy, soon accompanied by all their friends. "Hon, I'm so happy for you!" Paige screams.
A/N Wow, I lied. I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this up! Anyway, please review.