CHAPTER TWO

Okay, now time for a completely new chapter, one that wasn't in my original version at all. Now admittedly, this is just kind of a filler, but I love writing Marco/Ellie friendship interaction and saw this as a good opportunity to include some. So here it is. I don't own Degrassi, and remember to think back to last season when you read this (the whole story, not just this chapter), or it won't make any sense. Enjoy!

Seriously, for someone who was all for "rising against," she had no spine.

None. Whatsoever.

As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the stiff boning in this little corset-type thingamabob she had dug out from the back of her closet (leftovers from her gothic phase, call her nostalgic if you will), she would probably flop right over and sag down from the waist like a dead jellyfish. Yeah, that's right, just melt down into a big slimy puddle of goop on the attractively rugged faux concrete floor of the trendy boutique she had somehow been forcibly dragged into. That certainly would give the over processed blondes behind the counter something to really sneer at.

Not, of course, that they weren't already shooting her dirty looks from their prestigious perches on fashionably uncomfortable stools (because they were), but the whole getting jellyfish goop all over the ground they (might) have to clean would only give them a legitimate reason to do so.

Pretty sure dead jellyfish weren't allowed to attend Christmas parties. They drip goo on the coffee table, and that simply could not be tolerated. Who wants to celebrate the holdiays with jellyfish goo on their gingerbread? And besides, wasn't she supposed to be getting out of going to Marco's thing anyway?

Ding, ding ding! Precisely! That would be the correct answer indeed! Lovely, so cue the music, shine the lights, hand her a great big fat check and send her away to someplace that didn't go all psycho for Christmas...if there was such a glorious location.

Ahh, if only. But wait...

If not going to the party was at the top of her Christmas list, then try explaining why she, the official holiday jellyfish/liar extraordinaire, was stuck smack dab in the middle of such a snobby little overpriced store in the first place, shopping with the boy of all seasons for an appropriately festive outfit right now.

Oh yeah, because she had no spine!

"You think silver is too flashy?" Marco inquired of her, brow furrowed and lips pursed as he pulled an expensive-looking metallic shirt from a sale rack at the back of the store and held it up against himself. She grunted grudgingly in return, she wasn't in the mood. Her demeanor didn't seem to phase him though, he was used to her moods, because this was his Ellie after all. "Sorry Elle, what was that you said?" he asked again pleasantly.

She rolled her eyes immaturely up to the ceiling and whined in a tone of utter exasperation, "I said, I think you're the one who's too flashy" with the just slightest evidence of a pout, hands curled into tight fists at her sides.

"Tut, tut Elle Belle," he chided, "that's no way to spread the holiday cheer! But luckily I know just the thing to put some spirit in your step! (Uh, yeah, she doubted that.) You'll feel oh-so much better once we find you a drop dead gorgeous number to wear to my party! Some thing that shows off that lovely little physique you've been hiding from Craig beneath all those layers!"

Ellie felt her cheeks burn instantly at the mention of his name (but why, damnit!), and instinctively shot a nervous glance over her shoulder in the direction of the aforementioned sales girls. It was irrational, of course, but she half-expected to see their little pink manicured fingers zealously tapping out Manny's phone number in order to divulge the interesting tidbit they had just overheard, or at least whispering feverishly amongst themselves at the news.

'Are you serious? That dowdy little redhead over there? The one with horrible top on and entirely too little make-up? Ha, she couldn't possibly think she had a chance with THE Craig Manning, could she? Oh, she did! How sad. Let's all laugh at her!'

Luckily though, only one of them (let's call her Bambi, or Brandi, or goodgodwomanyouactuallypaidmoneytobethatshadeoforange...or Sarah, whatever you prefer) seemed to notice Ellie had even spoken, and her only response was to arch an eyebrow disdainfully in the redhead's direction when the two girls made eye contact. Ellie felt her jaw tense, but quickly looked away and pretended to busy herself at the rack.

"Shut up Marco." She said through clenched teeth, wishing desperately that she hadn't let his comment affect her so visibly. "I'm not hiding anything from Craig, clothing or otherwise, anymore than I am hiding anything from you! (oh, if he only knew...) You two are my friends. That's it. And besides, I've already told you I can't go."

"Mmmm, you don't say, do you? Oh my Elle, you know, that flush on your cheeks really compliments your eyes." The glare she then shot him was supposed to be withering, but he only seemed to flourish under its wrath, his lips twitching upward and his eyes brightening. "Now, what was that you said about liking Craig the same as me? Because as I seem to remember it, you happened to have a little bit of a crush on me way back when, didn't you my dear?"

"Whatever Marco." She replied tiredly, but her friend took no notice.

"Now we all know you had a thing for me, and I know you have a thing for Craig, so now all we have to do is open up our beloved lead singer's eyes to the beautiful girl standing right in front of him!"

Marco tended to be way too damn cheerful at times. Luckily, Ellie had never experienced an overabundance of the stuff herself.

"Too bad he already has a beautiful girl right in front of him. And her name just happens to be Manny Santos, Marco, if you hadn't forgotten that little bit of information."

"Manny, oh phhh." Marco said dismissively, waving the mention of the girl away with a flick of his wrist and quickly moving on. "Now this! Wow Elle, Craig would definitely notice that you are a girl if you slipped your sexy self into this!" he cried a bit too loudly for Ellie's liking, holding a dress with a plunging neckline up for Ellie's inspection.

"No!" she cried, and her exclamation came out a bit harsher than she had intended as she snatched the dress from Marco's grasp, drawing yet another stare of disapproval from the blondes at the counter. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Ellie shot them back a look of her own, and blondes number one and two quickly averted their eyes. Sighing deeply, she replaced the dress (which Marco knew good and well she would never wear) and turned to face the boy.

"I'm not wearing that dress. I am not wearing any dress. I am-"

"No dress? Hmm, naked could work. Yes ma'am, we could certainly get his attention if we went with the naked thing."

"Seriously Marco shut up! I am not wearing any dress because I am not going!" she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly and continued to stare at him. Why the hell was he being so stubborn about her attendance? He knew this wasn't her thing!

"Yes you are." He said simply, not offering up any information and regarding her levelly.

"No, I am not. I told you, I can't."

"Yes you can."

"Marco..."

"Ellie, you are forgetting that I love you, and I know you better than anyone, and I know when you're lying. (Ha, that's what you think mister!) Now, I know you don't have anything better to do this weekend than come to my party, and you are just making up excuses because you don't want to have to deal with everyone outside of school. Well suck it up! Because I am telling you, it's going to be a lot of fun and you will regret spending the evening holed up in your room in you don't come."

"Yeah right. Marco. Now I'm telling you, I won't regret it, and I'm not going."

His smirk was unbearable. Why had she ever had a crush on this kid?

"Yes. You are."

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