a/n: So first thanks for the reviews on the first episode ladies and gents I really appreciate all your support but there's something else I wanna say, now I was reading this other RileyxOc story (New Kid In School) and honestly I felt bad for the poor guy. He actually apologized for sucking at writing which is something that I find completely devastating, I mean some of the reviewers just destroyed the poor guy. If your reading this I want to say just hang in there, when I started "TMIIL" I was a pretty crappy writer myself, but I found a beta (even though she wasn't the best beta... no offense) and she helped me a little and I also looked at other people's writing and saw tiny things that could help make my writing better, you can even use me for inspiriation (don't go plagiarizing things though), just don't quit, and people it's okay to offer help but just saying "your writing sucks" isn't really nice, and I'm not preaching or anything I just wanted to say that, no one she have their hopes crushed like that.... now onto the new episode!

disclaimer: I own the Oc Carson O'Conor and his family, along with the plot. Everything else belongs to however the hell created Degrassi up in Canada. I love that country, I wanna go there again one day.

Promise

Episode 2.

It's a Love-to-Hate Thing

"Hello, hello Panthers and welcome to another great school day here at Degrassi High yeah! I've got a few quick morning announcements...."

I blocked the sound of Shep's voice out of my ears as I made my way through the crowded hallways of Degrassi to get prepared for my first class. After I'd dropped Katie off at her elementary school I headed straight over, although I still couldn't get that dream out of my head... probably because it wasn't just another bad dream, it was a reality. Lauren's reality.

I allowed a smile to form across my face as I brushed a loose strand of my black hair behind my ears. I didn't really have any reason to be upset anyways, I was far away from California, It was senior year, and everything was going great at this point in my life, there really wasn't a down side for me to dwell on so I shouldn't be upset... but deep down inside, I was.

"Well, well if it isn't Degrassi's soon-to-be Student Council President, what's up?" I smiled as Jane, my one and only bestest friend here at Degrassi suddenly walked up beside me, she was dolled up in her classic punk-like style. It was amazing how we were so opposite, yet I'd never been closer to anyone in my life, not even my old friends back in California.

"Jane, elections don't start until next month, and besides I may not even win. Mia said she was thinking of running also and with the whole model thing she's got going on she may have me beat," I replied with a chuckle as we arrived at the locker I shared with my current boyfriend Riley. I opened it and smiled as I glanced at the two different sections of it, my space which was on the tops shelf neat, and organized, and Riley's space at the bottom which was messy and a compete disaster.

Riley and I were like fire and ice, also complete opposites. He liked any kind of sport he could find, I hated mostly all sports, he was a big strong jock, I was the tiny preppy boy. In a way we sort of balanced each other out, I made sure he stayed on the right track, he made sure I let loose everyone once-in-a-while so I didn't explode from all my stress. It was like we were made for each other no matter how cheezy that sounds.

"Ya got me there. So first game of the season today, you excited?" Jane asked as I grabbed the things I needed for my first period class from the locker and put everything else away.

"Of course! Even though I still don't really understand everything about football cheering on my best friend and my boyfriend sounds like a blast!" I exclaimed as I slung my book-bag over my shoulder and Jane and I headed back down the hallway navigating our way through the crowd of students towards our first class which we thankfully shared again this year.

"Speaking of, where is Riley anyways?"

I looked around for any sign of my boyfriend but he was nowhere to be found, and classes started any minute. "I... I dunno. I guess he overslept or something, I should probably call him..." I began as I reached into my book-bag to pull out my cellphone.

"Yo guys!" Jane and I glanced to the up to the banister above our heads and I smiled as I saw Auden begin to run down the steel steps towards the ground floor.

Auden and I had formed a really great friendship over the course of last year when he moved here, much like me. We even had a romance for a split second and I truly did care for Auden more than just a friend, but what I had with Riley was just stronger. I'll always love Auden, especially since he was so understanding when I explained to him that I had to choose Riley, I just couldn't love him in the way he wanted me to, it wouldn't be fair. Still, we were great friends and that's all that mattered. Right?

"Hey Auden," Jane greeted as he joined our group and we continued towards our first destination, Auden's first period wasn't to far from our's so we usually walked together every morning.

"Hiya!" I chimed with a smile as he stepped into the middle and wrapped his arms around us.

"Ready for another great day?" He asked flashing us a bright smile showing of his pearly white perfect teeth. Truly, Auden was drop-dead gorgeous in my opinion, I would never say that to his face because it would cause even more problems, but he really was beautiful.

"Have you been reading The Shep's cue cards?" Jane joked and each of just began laughing.

"Yo O'Connor!" I smiled as I quickly turned around to the sound of the familiar voice.

Standing at the other end of the hall dressed in his football jersey, and faded jeans was the most amazing boy in the world who I had the privilege of calling my boyfriend. He'd come a long way with dealing with the whole gay thing, his parents were still a hurdle neither one of us were ready to jump over but we'd get there soon enough.

"Catch!" He ordered as he tossed the the tiny brown football across the hall and surprisingly enough I was able to catch it.

I smiled and waved the ball in the air before tossing it to the side as he ran forward and picked me up into a hug placing a soft kiss on my lips. I could still remember every kiss that Riley and I had shared, they were too amazing to forget. Finally he placed me back down onto my feet and gave me one more kiss before he wrapped his arms around my shoulders pulling me close to him and I turned back around to Jane who just stood there smirking alone, Auden must have left. No surprise there, whenever Riley and I were together he always mysteriously disappeared.

"You two should really get a room," she laughed as Riley waved at her.

"Maybe we will," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh I don't think so, nobody is getting a room around here until I am out of high school and an official Banting freshman, kay?"

"Banting? Aiming for the stars there aren't you Carson?"

"Well you gotta aim big to be big Janey, and that's exactly what I plan on doing I mean Banting is like the Harvard of the North, I have to get in there. Now we'd better get to class before the bell or Simpson is gonna make us reboot as the computers after class, so I'll see ya later babe?" I asked as Riley released me.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys at lunch." He replied waving as he ran off back down the opposite side of the hall towards his first class as well.

I turned back to Jane who raised her hands up and turned to walk away into Simpson's class. "Your boyfriend dude,"

"Yeah, he is." I responded softly with a tiny smile before following her inside the classroom just once the bell rang.

"Okay, I'm putting five buck on this food being lethal," Jane spoke as she looked at her tray of... mystery meat in disgust. The only reason it's called 'mystery meat' is because no one can tell if it's even meat or not, it looked soupy sort of.

I responded with a nod as I plucked around my salad, I had gone with the safe choice, or at least I thought it was, but still it didn't look any more appetizing. The lettuce was sort of brown, and ranch dressing was sort of liquidy. I still wasn't even sure if it even was ranch dressing.

"This is really disgusting," I said with a sigh as I pushed the tray away and glanced around the crowded cafeteria for any sign of Riley or Auden. Neither of them were anywhere to be found.

"Oh lookie, it's the All Canadian Rejects!"

I rolled my eyes as that annoying voice filled my ears, this I really didn't need right now.

"What the hell do you want Derek?" I demanded as the short curly blonde approached our table also in his football jersey and jeans with that smug grin on his face, if people got medals for being the best consistent asshole he'd take the gold every time.

"What's the matter Carson, you aren't happy to see me?" He teased as he unfortunately sat down at the seat placed at the head of the table.

"Derek, I'm sure that your own mother is never happy to see you. Now again, what the hell do you want?"

"I'm looking for your little boyfriend, Shep wanted me to tell him that there was a meeting in the locker room for all the teammates after lunch,"

"Derek, I'm on the team. Why didn't you tell me?" Jane asked shooting him a glare which Derek completely ignored.

"Well you know now don't you. Now where's Starvros?" Derek responded turning his attention back to me.

"Well if I knew I'd tell you,"

"Aren't you two attached at the di--"

"Okay, enough! Look Riley isn't here and I don't know where he is so would you please go before you say something that I promise you will regret, or would you like a repeat of what happened last year?" I asked with a smirk thinking back to when I kicked Derek's ass on my first day here a year ago. A few tricks I still kept from the old days.

Derek didn't respond but he simply snarled at me before pushing the chair back and storming away from our table which is the only time I like to see Derek, leaving. Jane and I high fived before beginning another conversation about third period Chemistry this year.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. Had something to take care of in Armstrong's class,"

Jane and I stopped our conversation as we watched Auden walk over to the table and sat down, removing his black leather jacket and placing it on the back of his chair. I think my almost drooled when I saw his muscles flexing through his fitted t-shirt. I quickly snapped my jaw closed when he noticed me staring and smirked.

"So, what'd I miss besides Carson admiring my body?" He joked.

"I was not admiring! I just... really like your shirt," I defended myself, even though it was a complete lie.

"Yeah sure... oh they're serving soup?" Auden asked looking in Jane's tray.

"Nope." She responded with a disgusted look as she glanced back down at the slop on her tray before she got up to go and throw it away leaving Auden and myself alone.

I knew I would regret this but, whatever. "Have you seen Riley? He said he'd meet us here but I haven't seen him."

Auden's smile instantly dropped as soon as that name came from my mouth, he nodded breaking our eye contact as he pretended to become interested in something else across the cafeteria. I sighed heavily before folding my arms across my upper torso but I didn't say anything, I would just be like every other conversation we had about his problem with Riley, he'd deny it, and then try to change the subject or run off to do something else.

I was suddenly startled as Auden threw me a wave and quickly scooped up his things before he rushed out of the cafeteria leaving me alone flabbergasted as to what the hell his problem was. I began to get up to go after him and demand for him to tell me before my vision suddenly went black by two hands covering my eyes and then I realized exactly why he left.

"Guess who."

"Hmm... Ashton Kutcher?" I replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, you wish," Riley laughed as he took the empty seat down beside me. "Why'd Galloway leave so suddenly?" I could tell he didn't really care, but at least he was trying unlike Auden.

"I dunno," Okay so that was a lie, but Riley and I both knew why he left. "Hey Derek was looking for you, something about football."

"Yeah I saw him out in the hall, where's Jane?"

"Well she went to go throw her tray of crap away but I'm guessing she pit-stopped at the bathroom on her way back, so it's just the two of us," I replied with a playful smirk.

"Oh, sounds good," he replied as he leaned in to kiss me.

"Whoa! You two seriously need to get a room!" I mentally cursed Peter and Mia as they walked over to our table hand in hand and sat down in front of us.

"Oh leave them alone, I think it's cute," Mia giggled as she flipped her curly black hair over her shoulders and sat down. Since she got that modeling gig her outfits had become outrageously gorgeous, and expensive I bet.

"So we've been told. What's up?" I asked as I gently pushed Riley away from some space.

"Nothing just came to hang with the peeps, where's Jane?" Peter asked looking around for my dark-haired best friend.

"She went to the bathroom, she should be back any minute," I responded returning to plucking at my salad with my plastic fork.

"Pete you coming to the game today?"

"Yeah man, I gotta come support my lady... and you and Jane of course,"

"Yeah it's gonna be totally amazing, the power squad has this brand new cheer that I've just been dying to try out in public, it's really cool with flips and great choreography," Mia spoke with a bright bubbly smile.

"Oh, we're talking about cheers? I should have stayed in the bathroom," Jane joked once she returned to the table. "I miss Spin, he was the only one to save me from this chit-chat, where'd Auden go?"

I quickly shot her a look and she gave me a silent 'ah' motion before popping the top to her Pepsi and began to drink. Everyone at the table continued to make random small talk before the bell ran for us to go back to class. Jane and I said goodbye to everyone else as we headed towards Chemistry together.

"So, Auden's still holding that grudge with Riley?" Jane asked once we were alone in the hallways together.

"Yes, and I don't know what to do. When I told him he was so sweet and understanding, now he can't stand to be around me when I'm with Riley, Jane help me!" I pleaded as I rested my head on Jane's shoulder while we still kept moving.

"Maybe you should try sitting them both down and talking to them," Jane offered.

"I would but neither of them will stay in the same room long enough to say two words to each other... not even one word, maybe a nod sometimes but that's as far as it's gotten,"

"Then it sounds like you really have a problem. I'm glad Spin and I don't have problems like that," Jane responded with a proud smirk.

I rolled my eyes and playfully shoved her inside the classroom and we walked back to the fourth row of long black desk and took our seats in the third row on the right. The test tubes, and all that other science stuff was already set up but I didn't pay it much attention as I began thinking about Riley and Auden. I was going to get them to stop fighting if it killed me....

And it just might.