Hello, lovelies. As promised, I posted this chapter. Anywho, this chapter is leading into some pretty dramatic stuff which will come up in chapter six. Drama is, once again, what Degrassi is all about, is it not?

Six-

Once Ellie was away from the dot—away from the people she tries so desperately to avoid—and in the safety of her own house, she takes this time to finally sit down and relax, lukewarm latte at hand. At first she thought Spinner had given it to her that way, but just as she was tempted to run back and yell at him some more she realized she hadn't taken a sip of it until she was home, and it was moderately cold outside. She set the disgusting but caffeine enriched beverage on the coffee table in the living room, then began heading to her bedroom when Paige stopped her, coming out of the kitchen. Ellie reversed her steps and paced back to face her.

"What are you doing home so early?" Paige asked, moving her flaxen hair to one side of her relatively broad shoulders.

"Not all dates end in the back of someone's car Paigey—that's just yours." Ellie responded, trying her best to stare witheringly. Game, set, match. Point: Ellie. 'That'll teach you to pry.' She thought to herself.

"I thought it wasn't a date." Paige replied skeptically and staring at her pestiferously. She was now evening the score since she caused Ellie severe hesitance.

Since Ellie found herself suddenly off-guard, when she tried to make a quick come-back she was a loss of words. She sighed and when she gathered up her speech she sustained, as always, with her vexatious derision. "Yes, you're right Paige. Pardon my blunder. We are as I said, just friends."

"You can say that time and time again but who are you kidding? The only person you're fooling is yourself.

Ellie smirked and remained to be sarcastic. "Oh my, Paige that was so deep. You are just so…emotive." Ellie laughed, but when Paige stared her down she continued to speak. "If you must no, the dot got a little… crowded." She admitted sheepishly, recognizing defeat.

"Hmm—Emma?" Paige asked, her voice getting more pleasant now that there little squabble was at an end.

"Yep—and don't forget little Miss Manny." Ellie replied, smiling and putting on an amusing fake rupture full of cheerfulness. "God I hate her."

"Please, Hun. She's got nothing on you." Paige hated Manny as well—ever since high school. If anyone could hold a grudge better then Ellie, it was none other then Paige Michalchuk. It a miracle her and Ellie ever became friends.

"Yeah well, it's beside the point. Anyways, I better get ready for my mothers. It's not like I'm going to put on a dress or anything but she sometimes get's annoyed by my "grunginess", I think is the word she used." And with that, she was up the stairs and headed for her bedroom.

After about ten minutes of Ellie skimming through some clothing in her closet, she finally made a decision. She pulled out a knee length, fairly plain skirt and a Carmen striped blouse with a belt over it, just above her waste. She then took out her hair band and let her red ringlets fall to her shoulders. After looking at the clock, and learning it was only five o'clock, she became uninterested in waiting. 'She won't mind if I come early. I'll just remember to call first.'

As she hopped down the step with her cell phone at hand, she dialed her mother's number rapidly. It rang once—twice—three times…

"Hello?" She answered.

"Mom" Ellie said at once. "I was thinking about coming over a little early, you don't mind do you?"

"No of course not Eleanor, what time are you coming by?"

"I was thinking like—now." Ellie replied.

"Oh, well okay. That's fine."

When Ellie arrived at her mother's house she ran up the front door and was about to open it when—she hesitated. 'Do I knock?' She asked herself. 'Technically this isn't my house anymore—do people usually knock when entering their former home?' She had clearly not visited much since she moved out. She bit her lip and knocked regardless to her insecurities, just to be polite.

Her mother took a small while to get to the door, but when she did she had a look of confusion. "You don't have to knock, Elle." Ellie nodded and walked in. This was new information to her and she noted it. "You look lovely Eleanor. You're just so—grown up. You got out of that whole thick eyeliner and black fishnet stage, huh?"

Ellie smiled. Her mother was so much more pleasant when sober. "Yeah, I guess so." Her mother gestured for her to sit down and she obliged. "So, how have you been?"

"Good" The woman said hesitantly. "I mean—being out of rehab is good… work has been good, I've just been—"She took a long pause searching for words.

"Can I buy a vowel?" Ellie asked sarcastically. "Or possibly a synonym for the word good?"

Mrs. Nash chuckled lightly, then moved a strand of Ellie's hair behind her ear. "Lonesome." She said softly. "I've missed you a lot."

"Yeah I know—I've missed you too." Ellie replied, feeling a little guilty about not coming over more often. "Let's make this a regular thing okay? Saturday dinners?"

"I would love that. So much, Elle." With that, Mrs. Nash took a seat on a chair across from Ellie. She smiled and her hands folded in her lap. The two enjoyed the silence for a while.

"So mom…It seems you've been doing pretty really well these days." Ellie said, cutting into the quiet. "You know—with not drinking? You just seem so happy. I'm actually surprised you've been let out of rehab this early. I'm—proud of you."

Mrs. Nash hesitated, her smile faltering as if she were searching for words. "It means so much that you would say so, Ellie. I've been trying—god knows I've been trying, and I have finally been able to keep it up. I just—was so disappointing to you before Ellie."

"You aren't anymore, and that's what counts. I'm sorry I haven't called as often as I should."

"It's okay Elle, I know you're busy."

"It's not a very good excuse though—I should have called. You're like a whole new person and I wish I could have gotten to know this new you a while ago."

"I didn't really give you very many reasons to trust me. But you can now."

"I know I can. Thank you so much mom." Ellie felt a single tear roll down her cheek, but quickly turned. She wiped it away, not exactly knowing where it came from and began to speak again. "Thanks for doing this for—well, for us."

I'm aware that chapter was pretty short, but then next one is longer, honest. I've actually already written it, but I'm going to wait a little bit before I post it. In the meantime... Review! There are some pretty awesome people who got it right and there names are… Greg Styles, hudsygurl, S.L. Gunn, ScreamsInTheDark, Brooks's-Babey, Dahlia Faith Black,XALLOWspuffyBuFf, breathe-in3, rocklesson86, carrebear14, tribalranger, emo.kid1992 and MAGRADY03! It means so much to me that you have commented on my work!

And also, kudos to emo.kid1992 for being the first person to answer my trivia correctly, followed by MAGRADY03 and XALLOWspuffyBuFf.

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Okay, I suck at rhyming. I do believe, however, that the effort was cute enough to earn a review, don't you? So please do so and I will be forever grateful…Well probably not forever grateful, because I'm thinking I wont look back on this when I'm sixty—but you know what I mean. The appreciativeness of it all will linger a while.