-1Degrassi: The Third Generation
By: Ithurtssogood
Episode. 8
"The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"
Part One
Named After The Song by Asia.
"Mama! Where's coat?" Kelly Hogart called down the hall. She stood at the end of the hallways with her arms folded across her chest. She waited until the door at the end of the hallway opened and her mother, Alex Nuñez, groggily stumbled out of her bedroom.
"What Kelly?" Alex questioned, scratching her long dark hair. She walked into the kitchen and poured her a cup of steaming coffee. Kelly followed after her.
"Where's my coat? You know, the faux fur one that Grandma got me for Christmas last year?" Kelly said, sitting at the small table in the middle of the room. It was 15th December and the temperatures were falling dramatically.
"In the front hall closet," Alex said, taking a quick sip from her mug. "It's probably in the back if the closet." Kelly nodded and headed for the closet, she sighed when she found the big brown coat. Slipping her arms inside the sleeves, she skipped into her room and snatched up her backpack.
"I'm off, Mother dear." Kelly giggled, she pecked her mother on the cheek and walked down the main hall. Just when the front door shut, the phone began to ring. Alex looked puzzled, Who'd be calling so early in the morning? She thought.
The dark haired woman checked the caller ID of the phone hanging on the wall: Restricted, it read. Alex hesitated, but eventually answered the call.
"Hello?" She asked.
The voice that responded shocked her. It was a voice she hadn't heard in about nine years. And it definitely wasn't the voice she wanted to hear this early in the morning…or ever again.
"Hey babe."
"Jay, don't call me that. What the hell do you want? How'd you get my number?"
"Calm down, calm down. I just wanted to tell you I'm gonna be stopping by later. Alright, see you tonight."
Before Alex could protest, the dial tone blared in her ear.
xxx
"Hey Mom, do you want breakfast?" Mariana Aoyama called from outside her mother's room. She opened the door just a little and shivered a little. All the curtains had been closed so there was no light at all, yet the windows were still open. Mariana rushed in and shut every single window, her mother, was nothing but a lump under piles of blankets.
"Mom? Are you hungry?" Mariana whispered. A muffled 'no' sounded from under the blankets. Mariana hung her head and began to leave, "After I eat, I'll be gone to school." No reply. She closed the door softly behind her and padded down the stairs.
Takeo Aoyama, her father, died in a plane crash on his way to a meeting in Texas. Mariana never got to know her father for he died before she was born. Ever since then, Manuela Santos, her mother, had been spiralling into a dark pit of depression. At first, Manuela was a normal grieving widow, but she soon stopped going places and preferred staying in her room. Only time she ever left was for work.
Mariana feared that her mother's depression would only worsen for tomorrow is the anniversary of her father's death. Mariana sighed and entered the kitchen, she didn't know how to make anything other than cereal so she poured herself a bowl of Apple Jacks.
Whenever the anniversary comes around, Manny seems to dive deeper into that pit and Mariana has to stand and watch, helplessly. Mariana took a spoonful of the cinnamon flavoured cereal into her mouth and crunched loudly. It only took a few spoonfuls for her to finish and she quickly washed the bowl.
"Mom, I'm gone," Mariana called, slinging her bag onto her shoulder. She waited at the foot of the staircase for a response. One never came. "I love you…" She said softly. Mariana closed the door quietly behind her and stepped into the freezing December air.
xxx
"Aah! What the hell Nicole?" Kylie Isaacs screamed as she fell to the floor. She looked up from the ground at an almost unrecognizable Nicole Stone, her eyes blackened with layers of eyeliner and an armful of rubber black bracelets on each arm. A red rubber ball rolled around Kylie's body.
"Oops, I didn't mean to throw it that hard." Nicole said sarcastically. She rolled her blue-green eyes and went to join the game again. Kelly and Mariana sat in the corner, filling their nails.
"Ugh, I hate third period." Kelly moaned, working on her right hand's index finger.
"I know! Of course we have to play dodgeball today." Mariana moaned, her hand filing her nail at lightning speed. A rubber ball went flying in their direction and the two screamed and ducked their heads. The ball ricocheted off of the wall and slammed into a girl with glasses. Mariana and Kelly erupted into a fit of giggles.
"Girls, get up and play!" A deep voice ordered. Both girls rolled their eyes and stood up, their gym teacher, Ms. Hammersmith, strolled up to them. The girls tried to suppress their laughter. Every time they saw their miniscule gym teacher, they couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, sir!" Kelly and Mariana giggled. Ms. Hammersmith rolled her eyes and directed the girls back into the game.
"So how's your mom?" Kelly questioned as the two began to walk around the gym, completely avoiding the game of flying rubber balls. Mariana hung her head, Kelly was the only one who knew how Manny got around the anniversary of Takeo's death.
"The same, she's dug herself under her blankets now and won't come out." Mariana said softly. Not many people knew that Mariana had a soft side except for Kelly, she knew her mother was a subject that actually brought out feelings in the ice princess Mariana.
Kelly bit her bottom lip and looked away, "So you're not going to ask me?" Mariana looked up confused and then remembered. A few years ago, when Kelly learned about Mariana's father's death anniversary, Mariana asked her about her father. Kelly, of course, had no clue what to say. Her father had been out of her life since she was nine. Ever since then, it had been a sort of tradition for Kelly to ask about Manny around Takeo's anniversary and then for Mariana to ask about Jay.
"So, any news about your dad?"
Kelly shook her head, "Nope. Same as always. Good 'ole dad loves to stay hidden." Mariana noticed a tear form in the corner of Kelly's grey eyes. Mariana smiled and patted the top of Kelly's head, mussing her caramel tresses. Kelly wiped the tear from her eye and giggled. The two friends embraced.
"GIRLS! HEADS UP!"
Kelly and Mariana wheeled around just in time to see two balls flying for them.
Then…darkness.
xxx
Eve Mason sat her tray down on the table in the corner and waited for her friends to come. Nicole was the first to enter the cafeteria and ran quickly to her table with Eve. Nicole sat down and smoothed out her black skirt. She and Eve began to chat about nothing until Stephanie and Josh arrived. They both sat down next to Nicole.
"Nicole, what's up with her?" Stephanie questioned, pointing off in the distance. Nicole turned in her seat and spotted Kylie staring directly at her. Nicole rolled her eyes and grabbed a French fry off of the tray.
"I'm not talking to her anymore."
"Really?" Josh said, leaning over the table.
"Yeah, why's that so hard to believe? Sometimes…friends just go their separate ways."
xxx
Mariana sighed as she stared at the clock, a big ice pad lay across her forehead. The second hand seem to move in slow motion as her seventh period Science teacher, Mr. Flaherty, droned on about density and mass.
Her slanted chocolate eyes watched as the red second hand edged closer to the 12...then it finally made it and the bell sounded. 2:30! Finally! The students leapt up from their desks, ignoring Mr. Flaherty who was trying to remind them about the homework. Mariana grabbed her bag, skipped out of the room, and waited for Kelly. She instantly spotted her, with an ice pad on her forehead too.
"You still have a headache from gym?" Kelly asked, approaching Mariana. Mariana just nodded.
"Ugh, thank God it's Friday!" Mariana squealed.
"What're you doing this weekend?" Kelly asked as the two descended the stairs to the first floor. A girl blazed by them, screaming about having to wear her sports bra because someone stole her bra from her gym locker, into her cell phone. Kelly and Mariana giggled and continued towards the front entrance. Students draped across the steps and others skateboarded home.
"I kind of want to see Clown Academy: The Graduates II…" Mariana said, her heels clicking on the steps as they went down.
"Didn't the first Graduates come out like a month ago?"
"No, two months, dear." Mariana said, poking her friend on the forehead playfully. "But then again…Mom…" An uncomfortable silence settled among the two friends as they stood staring off into the distance.
Then a baby blue classic looking car pulled up, Alex Nuñez, sat in the driver's seat.
"See ya later, 'Mari!" Kelly called blowing Mariana a kiss and skipping over to the car. Alex beeped the horn and drove off as Mariana began to walk home.
xxx
"What do you want for dinner?" Alex questioned her daughter as she entered the kitchen. Kelly sighed and threw her jacket onto the sofa.
"I'm not sure, Mama. What do we have?" Kelly said, plopping down on the sofa and flicking on the TV. She scanned through the channels for something interesting to watch and stopped on TRL. The new Madonna video played with her rolling around on the floor. Kelly rolled her eyes at the fit old woman writhing on her TV screen.
"How about chicken? Want some chicken?" Alex said, her head inside the refrigerator.
"I'd like some chicken." A booming voice said. Kelly sat up in the sofa at the unrecognizable voice, however, Alex, in the kitchen froze. Kelly crunched up her brows in confusion and hopped off of the sofa. She strolled into the front hallway and stopped dead in her tracks.
"What are you doing here…?" Kelly asked, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes. Standing in the doorway of their apartment, was her father, Jay Hogart.
"What do you mean, honey? Didn't you miss me?" Jay asked, dropping the bag he had in his hand and embracing his daughter. Kelly kept her arms to her side as her father squeezed her. Tears freely streamed down her rosy cheeks.
Alex stepped into the hall, "Jay, get the hell out."
"Why, dear? I'm home! Just like you wanted!" Jay said, letting go of Kelly and approaching Alex with his arms outstretched. Alex took a step back.
"Yeah, Jay! Nine years ago! You left us! We don't need you anymore!" Alex roared. She thrust her finger toward the open door, directing Jay out of her apartment.
"Don't say that, baby." Jay said, finally wrapping his arms around Alex. She pushed and wriggled free from his grasp.
"Don't ever call me that…now get the hell out, or I'll call the cops."
"I'm not leaving, Alex."
"Get out!"
Kelly stood watching the scene before her. She had never felt such a rush of different emotions. At first, she felt so glad to see her father, then she felt angry that he wished to show up now, and now she's feeling terrified at the scary scene unfolding before her eyes.
"I'm not leaving!"
"Go!" Alex screeched, her face burning red. She charged towards Jay, attempting to push him out but he smacked her across the face and sent her tumbling onto the ground. Kelly gasped as her mother smashed into the wall and rolled into a ball.
"Don't you dare try to touch me," Jay spat. "And you," Jay screamed, pointing to Kelly. "Close that door and bring my things to the bedroom. Alex, get up and start cooking."
Kelly, shaking in fear, slammed the door shut and locked every lock. With trembling hands, she carried her father's bag into the bedroom. Alex, however, had a harder time doing what she was told. She clutched the wall and attempted to bring herself to her feet, but every time, she just fell back down. Jay smacked her again and barked his orders.
Tears flowing from her eyes, Alex finally brought herself to her feet and went into the kitchen to start cooking. Smiling to himself, Jay walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa.
"Ah, home sweet home."
xxx
Mariana woke up Saturday morning to the sound of her mother sobbing in the next room. Today was the day. Exactly fourteen years ago when Takeo Aoyama died in a fiery plane crash.
She pulled herself out of bed and out of her room. The sound of crying only grew louder as she strolled down the corridor to her mother's bedroom. Mariana opened the door and stepped inside. She finally got to see her mother's face for the first time in days.
Manny Santos looked absolutely terrible. Her cheeks were flaming red, and her puffy eyes were the same colour as tears fell from them. Her nose was also red and dripping and her usually gorgeous dark mane was tangled and knotted.
"Good morning, Mom." Mariana said softly, climbing onto the bed with Manny.
"'Mari…" Manny sobbed, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "You have Takeo's eyes…and his nose." Manny said, kissing the bridge of her daughter's nose. This had been the first time Manny had talked to her daughter in weeks.
"Are you going to work today?" Mariana asked, embracing her mother back.
"No. I just can't." Manny sniffled.
"Mom, you can't keep missing work like this."
"I-It's just too hard! I can't continue on like this!"
"Don't say that, Mom!" Mariana shouted. Tears were now forming in her eyes, but for completely different reasons than her mother's tears.
"I-I just can't go today, okay? Now go and have fun with your friends." Manny said, letting go of her daughter and laying back onto her pillow. Mariana stared at her mother for a moment.
"I'm not going anywhere today."
"Then just leave me! Leave my room, 'Mari! I can't look at you…your eyes…his eyes…!"
The tears poured from Mariana's eyes like a fountain. She leapt off of the bed and out of her mother's room. She didn't know how long she could take living like this. Everything's just getting out of control.
"I-I love you, Mom." Mariana said to her mother in the doorway. Manny groaned in shifted in bed.
No reply.
Note: I loved writing this episode and I hope you like it too! Look out for Part Two soon! If you think Kelly and Mariana's lives suck now, just wait until the next episode! Do you think that was a short episode? I don't know, it just seems short to me…Oh well!
Only ten episodes left to go!