Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out by now, I don't own Degrassi.

Holly J sat outside The Dot with Anya, just finishing up lunch. They hadn't seen each other in a few weeks and needed to do a lot of catching up, Anya gushing over how wonderful Dr. Chris was. Of course, Holly J listened attentively but all this lovey-dovey talk was making her a little irritated. Dr. Chris seemed nice enough and everything, but with everything concerning Declan and Eli, she just didn't want to hear it. Holly J's cell phone vibrated in her purse and she dug it out, checking the name.

Eli.

They hadn't spoken in four days, not that she was counting or anything. She just assumed that he got busy and forgot about hanging out. She apologized to Anya as she opened her phone.

"Hey, what's up?" she greeted lightly.

"…Can you come over?" Eli asked with a soft, raspy voice.

"What?"

"I really… I really need to talk to someone right now…" It sounded like he was tired, almost like he had been crying.

"Well, I'm out right now. I can meet up with you somewhere…"

"No," he interrupted. Holly J was starting to get scared. "Please, just come over."

"Right now?" she asked. She didn't want to be rude and leave Anya, but she got the feeling that something big had happened. "Hello?" The line had gone dead. He hung up on her. Holly J blinked and shook her head, putting her phone back in her purse.

"What was that all about?" Anya asked.

"It's… it's nothing. My friend is just having some sort of crisis and needs someone to talk to. Knowing him, this is all because his car wouldn't start or something stupid. Look, I have to go," Holly J explained as she stood from the table. She knew that it had to be something more since he sounded terrified on the phone, but Anya just wouldn't understand if she told the truth. None of Holly J's friends would understand.

"Overreacting much? Who is he?" Holly J hesitated a little, knowing the reaction was not going to be good.

"Um, Eli Goldsworthy?" Anya looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"The kid whose locker spills out everywhere?"

"Yeah."

"Doesn't he drive a hearse? I heard he named it Morty."

"I know…"

"Holly J… This is a little weird…"

"Look, you're dating a 25 year old so you have no room to talk," Holly J spat out, getting annoyed and very impatient, "And we're not dating. He's just helping me through some things and we're talking. That's it." Anya just looked at her and sighed.

"Okay. Go 'talk'."

"And Morty is a lot nicer than it looks," she said as she walked away from the table.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Holly J knocked harshly on the door, tapping her foot to keep herself from pacing. She was really worried about Eli and only hoped that his pet goldfish died or something along those lines. She didn't really know if, emotionally, she could handle anything more than that. She knocked again, a little louder this time and the heavy brown door opened to a bleary-eyed, slightly heavy-set, aging rocker. Holly J blinked as she took a small step back. This was Eli's dad?

"Well? You woke me up. This better be good," he gruffly said as he leaned on the door frame. Holly J shook herself out of it, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is Eli here? He asked me to come over," she asked with a slight bite to her voice.

"You're friends with Eli?"

"I suppose I am. Is he up in his room?"

"Yeah, he's been up there since yesterday. Won't talk to no one, except you, I guess." Since yesterday? This definitely went way beyond a dead goldfish.

"Well, may I come in and talk with him?" She was getting impatient.

"Clarebear, Video Game Kid… Princess," and the man just shook his head, walking away and leaving the door wide open.

Holly J stepped through the threshold and closed the door behind her, taking a survey of the hallway. It was dark for midday, but the guy did say he had been sleeping, so light wasn't really necessary. The walls were decorated with a few family pictures, the usual baby ones scattered amongst the posters for various bands and festivals. It was in complete contrast to any other house she had been in, but that's Eli. Holly J climbed the stairs, following the hallway down until she came across a door with a skull hanging on the front and a padlock loosely hanging from the frame. This had to be Eli's room. Holly J knocked softly.

"Go away, Bullfrog," came his muffled voice. She could only guess that "Bullfrog" was his dad.

"It's Holly J…" she answered, opening the door just enough so that she could slip inside.

The room was even darker than the hallway, the only light coming from a small window next to the bed. The walls were plastered with posters for what looked like to be every band that had ever played Toronto; every surface a home to some nick-knack or other. Eli was stretched out underneath the black comforter, facing the opposite wall. Holly J took a few small steps into the room, tiptoeing over various articles of clothing, looking for a desk chair or any other place that she could sit. She found nothing so she approached the bed, sitting on the edge behind him. He didn't acknowledge her existence and even in the darkness, she could tell that he hadn't slept; his hair messed up from tossing and turning all night. Holly J placed a light touch on his bare arm, just letting him know that she was there like he asked her to be. After a moment, he rolled over to face her, the blanket falling away slightly, revealing his bare, toned chest. Holly J averted her eyes, not really knowing if it was okay to look.

"Stop trying to be modest. I'm still partially clothed," he deadpanned, noticing how her cheeks blushed slightly. Holly J just rolled her eyes and met his gaze.

"What happened?" she tried lightly. There had to be some reason he needed her there right now, and it wasn't like this was a booty call. Eli closed his eyes at her words. His head was still spinning from every fleeting thought of the day before.

"When you and Declan broke up, how did it happen?" he asked.

"I told you, he was trying to buy my love, so we ended it," she responded, slightly confused at the question itself.

"No, what were the words used? Where? Who actually said 'We should break up," he insisted. Holly J took a breath, trying her best to remember that day. They were in a taxi, on their way to the airport. Declan had embarrassed her in front of her friends and her mother's words were still in her mind.

"We were going to the airport for the Yale trip, and I just kind of had a realization that Declan was doing everything he could to make me a part of his plans, but wasn't giving my plans any consideration. And I just knew that I needed some time to figure myself out, away from him. So, I took off the necklace he gave me the night before, handed it to him, and said 'Maybe we should go on break…'"

"See, that, right there," Eli interrupted as he sat up, "You and Declan were on a break. You were not broken up."

"What? Yes, we were, Eli. What does this matter anyway?"

"Did Declan know that it was a break up? Or, when he came back for the theater awards did he think that you two were going to kiss and make up?" Eli accused. He was so frustrated with how girls used a "break" as the ending point of a relationship, rather than just ending it on one fell swoop.

"I don't know. I suppose he did. I told you, he tried to get me back and after some poor decisions, he told Fiona that we were officially back together," Holly J spat out. She didn't know why she was being put on trial here.

"Poor decisions? Like what, not just saying, 'Declan, we aren't together. We broke up over a month ago,"

"What is your problem, Eli? Declan pushed things too far after I told him no and that I didn't want things to go as far as they ended up," her voice getting louder the more she tried to explain.

"But, still, Declan didn't know that you guys were officially over until a month after you ended it, in your mind," Eli challenged.

"Well, it's not like we can just call him up and ask him, can we?" Holly J yelled as she stood from the bed. She knew that she didn't handle the break up in the best way, and that it was confusing for everyone, but she didn't need Eli picking apart her every word, making her feel even worse about it all. Holly J bent down and picked up her purse from his floor, shouldering it and stepping away from the bed, towards the door.

"Wait…" Eli's voice came, small and hollow.

A/N: A cliffhanger! Well, sort of. Reviews are always appreciated. Sorry this chapter is a day late but if you had the week I had, you would understand. I want to thank ToastMania for being such a faithful reader, Steff for always letting me know that she wants more, and Lyssa for being my therapist most days. Please review! Thanks again for reading!