Disclaimer: did you read chapters 1-3? yeah, i didn't own degrassi then, and that didn't change.
i kind of like this chapter. it's the longest chapter yet (to make up for the wait i gave you all) so yay. i'm sick tonight so i can't go anywhere so i'll most likely finish most of chapter 5 tonight so chapter 5 will be uploaded soon! i know everything that's going to happen. :). oh and i felt really bad about making clare so OOC in previous chapters, so tell me if you think this chapter has all of the characters.. well.. in character. haha. enjoy and please keep reviewing!
Eli walked in the doors of Degrassi, an unwelcoming grimace painted upon his face. He slammed the door shut behind him, almost smacking a Grade 9 in the face. There were deep, maroon bags under his jade green eyes, suggesting that he hadn't slept in years. His hair was unusually wavy and sticking out in numerous directions.
A tall, brunette boy approached Eli. He was wearing a grey, hooded sweatshirt and baggy, dark jeans. His skin was a light tone. His chocolate brown eyes had a mischievous gleam in them, yet the left one had a dark, purple bruise around it. I wondered where the bruise my have been from. After just watching this boy for a second, my stomach starting burning like a wildfire. I looked down sadly at the bump in my stomach, clutching it softly while continuing to watch Eli and this boy. At the sight of this boy, Eli rolled his eyes and began walking in a different direction. The boy laughed at this, and jogged after him.
"Aw is Emo Boy having a bad hair day?" The brunette boy teased.
Eli turned around to face his classmate. "Fitz, I'd appreciate it if you would just shut the fuck up for once," Eli said, turning around again to walk away.
The boy named Fitz pushed Eli's back, causing Eli to fall over. I know realized the bruise was from a fight, since he seemed like the type to get in fights. "What did you just say to me, little goth fag?"
Eli stayed there, lying on the ground for a few seconds before returning to his feet slowly. A threatening smile came across his face as he looked up to the taller boy as if he was a bug who he could squash easily. "I said, fight me. On the roof. Lunch hour." Eli raised an eyebrow, suggesting that he thought Fitz would be too afraid.
"Your funeral," Fitz shrugged and walked away.
Eli stood there, grinning like a complete idiot. Fitz was very tall and had a heavy build to him. He was extremely muscular, yet somehow surprisingly attractive in a rugged sort of way. Was he seriously going to fight Fitz?
Instead of following around Eli all day, I decided to accompany Fitz while he went on with his day. As I followed him around school, I came to the conclusion that Fitz was nothing more than I expected him to be; a disorganized, unintelligent jerk. While watching him, the burning in my stomach continued to flame. He did the normal of what a typical high school bully did on a daily basis. That consisted of talking back to teachers, eating, and well-bullying.
However, I found it peculiar of his craving for attention. He constantly started fights with teachers-unnecessary fights at that. He not only started them, he continued to keep them going even after the disagreements had clearly ended.
"Mr. Fitzgerald," Ms. Dawes said, gazing at her clipboard which contained a sheet of paper that tallied each students' homework points. "Your homework average is at an all time low. You really need to start completing your assignments."
"I did it, but I forgot it at home." Fitz said.
"Mr. Fitzgerald, please don't lie to me." Ms. Dawes said, disappointedly.
"What makes you so sure I am lying?" Fitz asked defensively.
The English teacher sighed. "If this was the first time you claimed that you left it at your house, I would believe you. However, you continue to tell the same lie each day. If you really were the devoted student you say that you are, your plunging average would concern you. But, it's clear that it has no effect on you. And besides, you are bound to remember your English homework at least one day."
By now I knew that his teacher had one and he should have just given up, for it was obvious to everyone that she had hit the nail right on the head.
"Bitch." Fitz said, as if he was challenging her.
Instead of yelling him or writing him a detention slip as I expected her to do, instead she just sighed again and walked back to her desk. The bell rang, signaling that the class was over. Students abandoned their desks in a hurry to socialize by their lockers.
"Mr. Fitzgerald, would you please come to my desk?" She asked, not looking up from her papers.
Fitz walked slowly to her desk, standing there and not saying anything for a few seconds. She continued to read the paper in front of her carefully, while Fitz rolled his eyes.
"You know, I hate it when you call me Mr. Fitzgerald." He said. She looked up from her papers at him with a tired face.
"And I hate it when you call me a bitch." She said. Touché. Fitz stood there awkwardly again for a few seconds, waiting for her to break the silence.
"Is there a reason you've been acting out in class this year? Last year you were such a nice, good student. What happened?" She finally asked. I was surprised. Fitz? A good student? I had known of him for roughly a school day, yet the thought of him being good was mind blowing.
"Haven't you heard?" Fitz asked. "I'm maniac."
"Bringing a knife to a school dance doesn't make you a maniac, Mr. Fitzgerald. Using it does. But you didn't use it, did you?" Ms. Dawes said. He had brought a knife to a school dance?
"No," Fitz said through his teeth. "But I might as well have." He blinked back a tear. Ms. Dawes sat up from her chair.
"What do you mean?" She asked, worriedly.
"You don't know me. You don't know what I've done." He turned away quickly and rushed out the door, heading straight to the boys restroom before finally releasing one, small tear. He wiped it away quickly before anyone could barge in and see it. Fitz was a bully. And bullies don't cry.
Eli stared at the board behind the teacher in front of him. He stared so hard I thought that his eyes would burn a hole right through it. His mood had clearly not changed since this morning. He was simply a mess. If anyone knows Eli the best, it's me. And I knew Clare was the cause of his emotional instability. I knew he didn't hate her. He longed for her.
Eli's phone buzzed in his pocket, and when his teacher turned his back to the class to write on the board, he flipped it open and read the text.
Ask your teacher to go to the nurse and meet me by the JT Yorke Memorial. ~Clare
I saw his lifeless eyes open widely. He shut his phone and raised his hand.
"Mr. Armstrong, I'm not feeling well. May I go to the nurse please?" The teacher nodded and pointed to the door. Eli got up smoothly and walked to it slowly while clutching his stomach, acting as if he was sick. After exiting the door, he sprinted towards the JT Yorke Memorial and sat on the bench beside it.
I looked at the picture of JT. He was an attractive boy with features very similar to Eli's. I felt a pang of jealousy towards JT. His entire school had obviously appreciated him, for he had his own memorial. The people at Pearson High School definitely felt badly when I died, but it was obvious that they hadn't really cared. They made no special memorial for me.
I heard a friendly voice behind me say, "Hi there." The voice belonged to a male, so it was definitely not Clare's. Eli didn't look up and acted as if he didn't heard the voice. I turned around to see who it was.
I was definitely surprised of who I saw as soon as I turned around. There stood a slightly transparent JT. He was wearing a white sleeved shirt, light jeans, and a goofy grin on his face. This was finally my chance to speak to somebody else.
I opened my mouth ready to say something, but the words didn't come out. I let out a small giggle remembering the days in my life when this unwanted trait often occurred.
"You alright there?" JT asked in that same friendly voice, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," I managed to choke out. "I've just never seen another…" My voice trailed off as I tried to think of the word that described what I was now.
"Ghost?" He finished for me.
"Yeah." I looked down at my fingers which were fiddling with each other.
"Well, it's not totally common around here," He said. "The only other ghost I've ever seen is this wacko named Rick." He shuddered. "Not so fun talking to him."
"Why aren't you invisible?" I asked.
"Why aren't you invisible?"
"I am," I said.
"No," JT began explaining. "Ghosts can't see themselves. They can see other ghosts though."
Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching. There stood a timid Clare with an extremely apologetic look on her face. Her usually curly hair was wavy and out of place, and she had no make-up on her face. She began to talk.
"Eli," She said. "I am so, so sorry about all those things I said about Julia." Eli got up from the bench and walked over to her.
"Let's just keep things in the past," He said, only inches away from Clare. "In the past." He cupped his hands around her face and pulled her in slowly, kissing her passionately. I winced. Does that mean he wants to keep me in the past?
"Ex-boyfriend?" JT asked me suddenly. I jumped a little. I had forgotten he was there.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"The look on your face says it all." He noticed sadly. He began digging around in the pocket of his jeans before taking out his wallet. He retrieved a picture and handed it to me. "This is Liberty. I loved her all my life and didn't even know it. As soon as I realized it, I got murdered. I lost my chance. She was even the mother of my baby."
I looked at the picture. Liberty had long, straight brown hair and dark skin. Her lips were big, as were her gorgeous hazel eyes which were hidden underneath a pair of dark glasses. She was wearing a blue Degrassi t-shirt with jean shorts, next to a joyous JT who had his arm around her. They were both smiling ear to ear and were obviously content to the highest level.
"I'm sorry." I said, handing back the picture.
"It's fine," He said, studying it again before putting it back into his wallet. He obviously loved Liberty very much. "Everything happens for a reason." He flashed me a large smile.
We stood there for a moment. I decided to break the silence. "That's Eli," I said, pointing to Eli who was now fully making out with a blissful Clare. "He was my boyfriend, my only friend, and the father of my unborn baby." I was now holding back tears.
JT looked at my stomach, his eyes widening. "I am so sorry." He said, walking closer to me.
Then, it happened. JT gave me the only physical contact I had received in years. He put both his arms around my waist, and held me close. I put my arms around his shoulders, while he continued to give me a friendly hug. He was hugging me. Suddenly, my stone cold body got filled with warmth. The only word I could ever use to describe hugging someone as a ghost was amazing.
JT released his arms from my sides, still looking at me sadly.
"Thank you, JT." I said.
"Anytime, mysterious ghost who's name I don't know." He smiled at me again.
I laughed for the first time in a very, very long time. "I'm Julia." I said.
Clare walked through the entrance of the cafeteria and sat down at a table, ready to be accompanied by her boyfriend. As she waited, she looked around. There was not a soul to be seen in the cafeteria besides her own.
"Where is everybody?" She wondered aloud. She got up from the table and walked back out into the hall aimlessly, before seeing some tall boy with long, light brown hair running to the back door of Degrassi.
"KC," She called after the boy. He stopped and looked at her. "Where is everybody?" She asked.
"On the roof," The boy said excitedly. "There's a fight going on!" He exclaimed before pulling open the door and running out of it. Clare's mouth dropped open and she began to run after the boy. The two climbed a ladder leaned up against the side of the school hastily. I followed them.
On the top of the school, stood about 30 people crowded together, screaming. Clare had a horrified expression on her face as she pushed through many students in an effort to get to the source of all the fighting. She knew as well as I did that the two opponents were Fitz and Eli.
As soon as Clare and I made it to the front of the crowd, her suspicious were confirmed. There was Eli, being beaten senselessly by Fitz. Fitz punched him once. Fitz punched him twice. Fitz punched him four times more until Eli began to bleed all over the place.
"FITZ," Clare yelled desperately. "STOP!" Fitz looked up from Eli for a second to see who was calling his name. In this one second, Eli quickly got up and punched Fitz in the face. Hard. The pale bully took a step back, holding his face in his hands, before he tripped and fell off the roof of the school.
review! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo. haha.