Can't Believe it

"Where the hell have you been?" Alex asked Gianni, as he came into view of the Centre, a part of her neighborhood. "I almost left." She pushed Gianni up against the side of the building, brushing his face lightly.

"I had business to take care of." He hugged her tightly replacing all thoughts of Ellie with Alex. Sometimes when things got too real with Ellie, he needed a down ass chick like Alex to help remind him what life was all about. Fun.

"It was Ellie wasn't it?" Gianni looked away as Alex began to get more and more angry. "I'm really sick and tired of having to share you with her. Why do you stay with her when she's nothing but an old lady. Miss Doom and Gloom." She continued to argue.

"Let's not talk about Ellie." Gianni kissed Alex forcefully. When their lips parted, she gave him as slight smile, handing over a plastic bag filled with the marijuana she'd stolen from her brother for him. "Thanks." Gianni whispered, following Alex into the Centre, folding his hands into her pockets.

"Where you going?" He wondered as she stopped suddenly.

"I've been waiting for you." She responded, and he knew exactly what she wanted, to get wasted and forget about her abusive dad … all before having mad, passionate sex with him.

"How was school today?" Hazel sat down as close to Jimmy as she could get.

"If you're asking if I'm following through on going to a different school, then no. I'm staying at Degrassi." Jimmy admitted.

"Awesome. I think your doctor called about your physical therapy session." Hazel informed him, taking on every house chore that needed to be done. "And I picked up the work you missed from Kwan. I know how she doesn't like to accept late work." She continued, ignoring Jimmy's protests.

"You don't have to do this." He informed her.

"Yes I do." Hazel whispered. This was how every conversation they had lately started. But Hazel knew that she had to do things around the house to make her forget about everything … like how her relationship with Jimmy was completely deteriorating. It's kind of weird that she always thought that they'd be together and with their first real test, everything began to fall apart.

Ding dong! Ding … dong!

"I guess I'm getting it." Hazel forced herself to smile, holding Jimmy's hand for a little while before making it to the door. Without checking to see who it was, Hazel opened the door, thinking it was Marco or someone.

"Hazel Ameena Aden." Her mother scolded as Hazel stopped in her tracks frozen. She didn't think that it would catch up to her this soon.

"Wow. Is this for me?" Manny wondered as Kiowi handed her a small box. She shook it. It was definitely jewelry. "You shouldn't have." She opened the box abruptly as her mother placed three plates onto the table.

"Manny. Have you no manners?"

"Mom, we're just celebrating my good news." Manny squealed in delight as Kiowi fastened a delicate diamond necklace around her neck. "You should follow his example." She smiled.

"No. If this deal works, you will be paying for me to live luxuriously." Her mother smiled. "After all I did bare you for"

"Nine and a half months. I know mom." Manny kissed Kiowi appreciatively, partially because she wanted to thank him and partially because she knew that it would please her mother to think she had taken part in something positive in Manny's life. In actuality, she was one of the ones who had added the most drama. "I'm so psyched about this!" She yelled, so ready to leave Canada and take a few days off to go to LA.

"Yeah, while you're vacationing, I'll be taking finals." Kiowi complained.

"But you'll ace all of them. I know you will." Manny kissed him again, standing up and grabbing her jacket without even eating a bite of her food. Her mom knew that she didn't eat pig.

"Ahh!" Manny ran up to Gianni as soon as she saw him, jumping onto his back, while still screaming.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to L.A." She explained in a sing-songy voice, ready to start jumping up and down with excitement.

"LA?" You and that kid are getting hitched?" Gianni joked as Manny rolled her eyes.

"No. I am so totally going auditions for a couple of music videos and if I'm lucky … I'll get to be in one of Usher's!" Manny screamed, hugging Gianni happily.

"Wow. That's really cool." He responded, not even exhibiting a tenth of her excitement.

"That was real convincing." Manny replied, following Gianni's gaze, which was now on Ellie. "What happened this time?"

"We called it quits." He answered, sneaking to the back of the building and pulling out a cigarette.

"Gross." Manny pulled it out of his mouth before he could smoke it. "I thought Ellie adored you. Why would she break it up?"

"Her mother had an outburst and apparently … she's an alcoholic. Ellie didn't want me to know and was really pissed off when I found out." He answered.

"So, what?"

"What do you mean what?" Gianni answered, losing sight of Ellie.

"So what did you do?" She wondered.

"I went to the Centre with Alex." Gianni explained.

"You did not!" Manny's eyes grew wide as he nodded. "You idiot." She hit him upside the head. "Everyone knows that you always go after the girl even if she claims that's she doesn't want to see you." Manny shook her head. "So instead of going to console her and make her feel like she mattered, you went to hang out with Alex so that you'd get a head?"

"It wasn't even like that." Gianni looked away, blushing. "It was just sex."

"Dude, you are hella stupid." Manny laughed to herself. "All I can say is that you better find yourself another girl because Ellie won't be coming around any time soon."

"Alright." Gianni stood closer to Manny. "So are you available?" He joked whispering in her ear.

"Eww. I'd have more fun trying to kiss myself." Manny pushed him away as Gianni put her in a headlock and they walked back into the building.

"Hazel Aden." Her mother threatened again as Hazel opened the door, knowing that she was trapped.

"Hi mom." Hazel hugged her mother tightly, as they repeated the normal Muslim greeting to one another.

"What are you doing here?" She instantly demanded as soon as she was in the house.

Hazel took a deep breath, sighing and then finally getting up the courage to say what she wanted. "I knew that Jimmy's parents couldn't be there for him so I told him that I'd move in."

"What made you think that you could make such an adult decision?" Ms. Aden questioned, barely looking over at Jimmy.

"I had no other choice. No one else was going to take care of him and I had to mom. Please understand." Hazel pleaded.

"What I don't understand is how you can so easily throw out everything your father and I have taught you for some American boy. Hazel, I know he is your friend and he's in trouble, but this is not your place." She argued back.

"It is because he's my boyfriend." Both women stood in silence as Ms. Aden walked over to Jimmy, ready to give him a pieces of her mind. "But nothing's happened. We haven't done anything mom."

"You've lied to me, run away, and deceived everyone. That's more than nothing." Ms. Aden took Hazel by the arm. "We're leaving."

"But I"

"And I don't want you to see him again." Ms. Aden dragged Hazel out of the house, crushing all the thoughts Hazel had had of her and Jimmy working it out, until he could walk again.

(A/N: Thanks and review! –NL)