Chapter Five: Oh I Wish Things Could've Happened So Differently

"I can't believe that it's almost time for you to leave already." Manny pouted, wrapping her arms around Kiowi's waist, burying her face into his chest. It wasn't like she was scared of being left in Los Angles, but just the thought of having to work with Craig and be around him was … weird. And when he had hugged her, it wasn't what she expected. She didn't hate him anymore, but it was almost like … she understood him. "I'm going to miss you." Manny whispered, focusing her thoughts back on her perfect boyfriend.

"I know, but it's just for a little while. We'll be on winter break soon and then I'll spend it here with you." He offered.

"You'd miss spending Christmas with your family to be here with me?" She wondered, looking up suddenly.

"Don't seem so surprised. You know you mean a lot to me Manny." Kiowi smiled cupping her face and kissing her slowly. "Besides, I couldn't spend three weeks locked up in the house with my family." Manny smiled.

"I know what you mean." She held onto him a little longer before they caught a cab a back to the hotel.

"Ellie." Gianni breathed slowly, as he saw her sad face standing outside the door as if she had been waiting for him. "I didn't expect you to be here."

"Is there something going on?" She wondered, barely looking at him because she was still embarrassed about what had happened.

"You tell me. I came over meet your parents, things go a little wrong, and you freak out on me." Gianni answered, trying to detract all the attention away from him and focus it on her.

"And you didn't call." Ellie pouted.

"You acted like you didn't want me in your life ever again, like I had done something really horrible to you.' Gianni protested.

"Well … I don't know what's been going on with you either. First you pretend like you care, and then whenever I tried to call you I got your machine, and you're just … is there something going on?" Ellie wondered again.

"Like what?" Gianni continued walking further and further away from where he and Alex had been moments earlier, hoping that she wasn't going to do something crazy like she always did..

"Why were you in … with Alex …" Ellie spat out, happy that everything was out in the open.

As Gianni paused, Alex took this as her cue to jump in. "Because he's sleeping with me. See doom and gloom, you're not enough to fill his appetite." She declared, staring Ellie down. This girl was everything she hated, but everything Ellie wished she had.

"Alex, cut it out and go somewhere, will you?" Gianni brushed her off, more concerned about Ellie's feelings than Alex. Alex was a tough girl, cold as ice sometimes and he knew that she could handle it better than Ellie.

"No. What else is going on Alex?" Ellie asked, looking back at Gianni. "Is it true?"

"Every weekend, after he hangs out with you, he kicks it with me. We've been … together for a year now. What about you doom and gloom?" Alex smiled. She knew she was pushing Ellie over the edge, and was getting some kinda weird kick out of it.

"Come on Alex. Go somewhere." Gianni shoved her gently as she stumbled, hitting the lockers. She held her right side, hoping that no one noticed her labored breathing.

"Don't hit her." Ellie chimed in. "Have you been hanging out with her? Is any of this true?"

Defeated, Gianni finally gave in. "Yeah. I have been sleeping with Alex." When he saw Ellie's pained face he added, "But it's not like it meant anything. Ellie I want to be with you."

"That's funny. I remember you saying something like that to me once." Alex interrupted.

"Alex, with you and me it was only about the sex. Get over it." Gianni turned his attention back to Ellie who was running away.

"But you weren't complaining." Alex whispered to herself, suddenly feeling cheap. Although Jay was into Emma now, he'd never make her feel like a five cent whore.

"Now look what you've done." Gianni started to go after Ellie, but deemed it useless, at least at school. "Why are you always such a bitch?" He asked Alex, who punched him in the jaw in response.

"The same reason you are." Alex spat on Gianni, walking back to her car. She didn't need this. She knew she wasn't worth much in anyone's eyes, but she was better than this.

"If you want this audition, you're going to have to give more than that." Manny's agent informed her. But the truth was that she didn't know if she could handle this … pretending that she wanted Craig and not actually wanting him. Somehow she had gotten herself into this situation and, of course, he was one of the judges.

"I'm doing the best I can." Manny sighed, taking a sip of her water. All the girls here were awesome, and she was sure they didn't have a torn past with the lead singer of the group they would be dancing for.

"Well you're best isn't good enough. I know you have more in you than that Manny and you need to show them what you have." Jessica explained as Manny nodded, distractedly. "Look, do you want this or not? You're the one that wants the career in the performing arts."

"I've gotta go." Manny answered, rushing onto the floor. She knew she looked the part. With her low rise jeans and midriff-baring jacket, she was probably one of the most clothed girls there, but the cutest. Definitely the cutest.

"I think we're going to have to send you to an all girl's school." Ms. Aden informed her daughter as her father sat down on the couch quietly. He never said a word. Hazel's mother always did all the talking.

"Why are you blowing this out of proportion mom? I haven't done anything. It's not wrong for me to want to support Jimmy. He's in a wheelchair!" Hazel exclaimed, her voice rising with each subsequent sentence.

"That's not what this is about. We didn't know where you were Hazel. You can't run off like this because you have some little school girl crush on this Brooks guy. It's more than that Hazel. We have a reputation to maintain." Ms. Aden continued.

"Is that what you think dad?"

"I think your mother has the right intentions. Maybe Degrassi Community School isn't the place for you anymore. With that shooting, I've become more and more concerned about your safety." He declared in his usual low voice.

"Come on." Hazel looked back and forth between her parents. "You both know that that's not the real reason. You hate Jimmy because he's not Muslim. And I'm sorry that you can't see what a perfect match he is for me, but you guys can't just ship me off and hope that time will lessen my feelings for him. It won't." Hazel promised them, suddenly more sure of anything than she had been in a long time. "I love him." She took a deep breath in, smiling to herself. "Nothing will change that."

"Then going to that all-girl's school in Maine won't be a problem." Mr. Aden stood up, reaching for the phone. Hazel had hoped that her confidence in her relationship with Jimmy would make them change their minds, but instead, it seemed to backfire.

"Hey Manny." Craig rushed to catch up with her. All of the other girls that had auditioned had left, but she had lingered for some reason.

"Hey." She tried not to look like she was defeated. Manny had lost that audition and she knew it.

"You were awesome today. The guys and I have to deliberate, but I think you're in." He offered, picking up her bag generously.

"Thanks, but I think you're the only one who probably wants me there." She nodded as Craig rushed to open the door for her.

"No. They think you're hott. I can tell." He smiled.

"And how many hott girls were there at the audition. I'm prepared to take rejection Craig. Just let me fail on my own. No hand-outs."

"So, where are you going?" He asked.

"To bask in the fact that I just failed miserably." Manny joked.

"Seriously? Why don't you come and hang out with me?" Craig wondered, correcting himself when Manny looked at him sharply. "Us. The guys and me. That won't hurt, will it?"

"The other girls will hate me." She whispered, truly not having any other plans for the night.

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"Damn it!" Alex yelled to herself, realizing that she was out of cigarettes. "How did that happen?" She asked herself, noting that she hadn't really been aware of things like that when she was with Gianni. "The jackass."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were losing your mind." Jay walked towards his ex-girlfriend, letting go of Emma's hand and telling her that he was going to talk to Alex for a while.

"So, you're here to rub it in, to tell me that you got the better relationship. I guess I should congratulate you." Alex rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Yeah?" She looked at him confused, because he looked like he was expecting something.

"I'm waiting for my congratulations."

"Yeah right. You have some cigarettes?" She wondered, pulling out her favorite lighter. It was a deep red with black xs and os all over.

"Naw. I quit." Jay smiled as Alex shook her head.

"You didn't. Miss goody-good got to you?" She questioned as he nodded.

"But she's not so good anymore." Alex's smile faded at the statement as Jay finally looked at her, really looked at her realizing that something was wrong. "Your father hit you?"

"How did you know?" Alex lifted up her shirt, exposing a highly bruised midriff. Laughing to herself she added, "Beats the face."

"When are you going to do something about that?" Jay asked, suddenly becoming so concerned with Alex. She hated that. Concern. What kind of emotion was that … something like pity … ugh.

"I'll take care of it when I'm eighteen. That won't be too long now, or have you forgotten?" Alex started playing with her lighter, imagining that her nicotine craving was being satisfied at the moment.

"And Gianni?"

"What are you, Oprah?" Alex shrugged, looking down and trying not to cry but her eyes started tearing up anyway. Jay held her for a while before she started talking again. "He was an asshole, like you said. At least the sex was good." She tried get herself to smile.

"Oh." Jay let go sudden, noticing that this wasn't his place anymore. Pushing back thoughts from his mind that he and Alex had never been physically intimate, he started walking towards the building.

"Call me sometime." Alex demanded to Jay, who was caught off guard. "I- I mean just to hang. I'll keep my hands off. You're goody-good's now. I know that." Reluctantly, Alex watched him walk away. Deep down, she knew that the chances of Jay actually calling her were slim to none. She also knew that anyone else was completely and utterly incapable of understanding the massive shit she was going through. "Those are the breaks." She told herself, walking back into the school building. It was better for her to be here than at home. Once her brother found out what she did … he'd be waiting to kick her ass too.

(A/N: What do you think? I finally got this story going again, after losing what it is I set out to do. I like the fact that I'm writing about more than one character, but let me know who you want/think should have more air time. I really appreciate all of the comments I've gotten so far. If any of you guys have likes/dislikes about this chapter or any other ones, tell me. –NL)