This is really just a build up chapter for what's going to happen in the next chapter or two. I haven't decided how I'm going to break it down yet. I know a lot of you want Paige to hurry up and be in the story. I had hoped to get some Paige time in this chapter, but decided to save her as I thought of a better use for her in the next one. So she will definitely be making her way into it in Chapter 7, but not as a main character. Like I said before. Alex still has some growing to do. There are still a few more big events I want to cover before I bring Paige in...but don't worry. It won't be to much longer. Just remember, some of the things that are going on now will be important later in the story.

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Chapter 6

The next two months floated by like a dream. November had brought Fall to come in full force. The air was crisp and chilly as the leaves changed colors and died. Fall was my favorite season. I loved seeing the colors of the leaves change. They would start to turn a dark shade of yellow, then orange, before going a light color of brown and finally fall off the tree. To most people Fall represented the time to prepare for the Winter Season. For me, Fall was about starting over new. Just like the trees that shed their leaves every year only to grow new ones in the spring. I had come across an old camera in the attic one weekend when Mr. Michalchuk had asked me to help clear some boxes. They were getting ready to hold their yearly yard sale. When he saw me with it he had told me he had bought that camera when Dylan was born.

"I wanted to capture every moment of him." Mr. Michalchuk had said. "When you have a child every moment is special and you want to save them all."

I could only look at him and smile. He could tell I didn't understand what it was like to feel that way, "One day, you'll know what I mean." He finished

I had focused my attention back on the camera. I wiped off some dust and started to fidget with it's buttons. I don't know why this camera had my attention so much. I hadn't noticed Mr. Michalchuk examining me with the camera. I had forgotten he was there until he spoke.

"You know, I don't really need that camera anymore." He began, "You can have it if you want. It will only cost you a hug." He grinned.

I couldn't help but smile. I got up and we shared a small hug before he pulled away, "Well then," He said as he grabbed the camera away from me. "Let's make sure this old thing still works. I think I have some old film for it in here." He reached down into the box and pulled out the camera case I had found the camera in. From inside the case he pulled out a small tube of film.

"Ah, here it is. Let's just put that in there." He fidgeted with the camera for a moment. "There!" He exclaimed.

"Now, let's just pull this back and..." click...click...click... "Well, everything seems to be in order." He finished before handing it to me.

"Thanks." I had said before taking the camera.

I had spent most of my free time since then taking pictures of whatever I thought held beauty. I mostly captured stills of leaves blowing in the wind. Sometimes I would get a snap of our next door neighbor, Mrs. Gilbertson's, Cheshire cat or random people out for a walk. Every time I took a picture I felt I was freezing time and stealing a moment that I could keep all to myself. I was still working full time at the mall and looking for a place. Every morning I looked through the classifieds for any apartment openings. Everything was either to expensive for me to afford or was according to Mrs. Michalchuk "In an dangerous area."

"We can't have you moving into filth." She had said when I had mentioned a small flat downtown. "No. No. Keep looking."

She never seemed to rush my moving out. Sometimes I even got the hint that she didn't really want me to move. They never acted like I was a bother. I felt more at home here that I had ever felt anywhere else. I couldn't disagree. I didn't want to leave either.

I knew Mrs. Michalchuk had spoke to Paige on the phone a few times since I had moved in and I was pretty sure Paige was fully aware of the situation. Though I didn't know how Paige felt about it. Mrs. Michalchuk never got into detail about their conversations and I would never ask.

"Oh, Paige is so stressed with midterms and papers." Mrs. Michalchuk would go on.

Sometimes I would wonder if Paige ever missed me? I'm sure she thought at about me. But did she miss me? I don't know why I even worried about it. I had gotten the idea of us getting back together out of my head back in the beginning of summer. So why couldn't I get over her? I hadn't even liked anyone since Paige. Despite the fact we weren't together, it still felt like I was being dishonest or being disloyal. I thought I had started to develop a crush on one of our regular customers, but I wasn't sure and it didn't feel I was ready to explore it.

"Are you working a full day today, Alex?" Mrs. Michalchuk said one morning at breakfast.

"Uh, no. Only half. I'll be home in the afternoon. Was there something you needed done?" I asked. By this time I was almost completely comfortable around both Mr. and Mrs. Michalchuk.

"No sweetie." She said, but then paused as she seemed to have had an afterthought, "Well, if you want to start dinner. That would be great." She finished.

"Yea, no problem. I'll cook you up something real good." I smirked.

Mr. Michalchuk chuckled from behind his newspaper. "I'll be sure to put the fire department on speed dial." He said.

"Hey!" I joked back. "I'm not that bad at cooking!"

"Of course not." He peeked from behind the paper.

Mrs. Michalchuk just shook her head.

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I had always been indifferent about work. I never wanted to go, but money was always a good thing and I wanted to make lots of that. I knew with the Christmas season fast approaching this would be one of the last days I would only be working a half day. This was the time of year the malls became overcrowded with busy shoppers trying to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. I had just finished a transaction with a customer and was putting some cloths back on the rack when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey." I heard. I turned around to see Ellie standing in front of me.

"Hey." I replied in what I thought was a friendly voice than what I usually spoke in.

She bobbed up and down a little as to suggest a hug: I gave in.

"I heard you were working here and I have been meaning to come over and see how you are." Ellie said.

I couldn't help but smile. "I've been doing good." It was the first time in a while I had been able to say that honestly. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm good. It's good to see you."

"Yea you too." I could tell after that, conversation was beginning to drag. I was getting the feeling we were about to wrap up this little chit chat. I was wrong.

"So are you still living at home?" Ellie started, "Or have you moved out like you said you wanted to?"

"No, I moved out a few months ago." I said.

"That's cool. Were do you live now? I'll have to come check out this new place of yours sometime."

I almost laughed at the thought of saying it. I had never really thought about how funny it would sound. "I live at Paige's house." The words sounded foreign to me,

"What?" Was her instant response.

"They let me move in with them a few months ago." I told her.

"Really?" She said in disbelief.

"Yep."

"Are you and Paige...?"

"No."

"So you're just..."

"Yep." At every word she said I wanted to talk about this subject less and less.

Ellie finally shrugged and shook her head, "Okay then. Whatever works."

"It's better than it sounds. The are pretty cool people. I like them." I replied.

Ellie looked away for a second as if to take it all in. Then she turned to look at me again.

"You know, we should have lunch sometime." Ellie said.

"Yea, that would be good."

"Maybe Saturday at the Dot?" Ellie suggested.

"Yea, that would be perfect. Say noonish?" I added.

"Perfect," She smiled. "I'll see you then."

I don't know why but that conversation with Ellie had really brightened my day. It had been months since I'd really spoken to anyone outside the Michalchuks. I had been so busy working and taking pictures I had almost forgotten there was a world outside of that. I had never thought anything special of Ellie, but she was a really good friend. It made me wish I had been a little nicer to her in High School. Sometimes I wish I had been nicer in High School period. No going back now.

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When I got off work I headed straight home. When I got there I went immediately up to my room. I grabbed my camera and went back outside. The sky was nicely organized over the sky so that you could see the rays of sun falling to earth. They were falling down onto the tree in our front yard. I don't know why but I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Well except for Paige of course. I took a few different shots of it, from a few different angles. I wanted to capture this image and keep it with me forever. When I thought I had enough shots of the tree, I went back inside to start the dinner I had promised to cook for Mrs. Michalchuk. As I was chopping the onions I remembered what Mr. Michalchuk had said this morning.

"I'm not going to burn anything." I thought chuckling to myself.

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I thought it was about time Alex started interacting with some other people besides the Michalchuks. There will be at least one other character from Degrassi in the next chapter. Maybe more. I already pretty much know what's going to happen in the next chapter. I'm just working the details out now. I might have to break it into two chapter depending on how long it is. I should have chapter 7 and maybe 8 (depending on how it goes) up tonight or tomorrow.