Tell Me what's the Use of Holding On?

"Alex, wait. Tell me what's going on." Jay tried to calm her down with Gianni watching in amazement. He had never seen anyone fall apart, not like this.

"I ... have ... to ... go. Let me go." Alex begged, diving for the door again.

"Not until you put on some clothes." Jay whispered, hugging Alex tightly and rocking back and forth with her. "Hand me the rest of the clothes will you?" He looked at Gianni, putting his plans to kill him on hold.

"I need to see her. Let me go before I hurt you." Alex threatened as the two guys managed to get her top and pants on, making her look semi-normal.

"Okay. Let's go." Jay hoisted Alex up, but seeing that she didn't have the energy to walk, he scooped her up gently.

Gianni made a path so that the two could walk through the party crowd. "Wait, I'm coming with you." Gianni called after Jay as soon as he had put Alex into the car.

"Like hell you are. You are a sick little shit, and delusional if you think I'll let you anywhere near her again."

"Jay, come on." Alex muttered. "Let's just go."

"Please tell me that she's okay." Alex exclaimed hysterically to the first officer she saw. "Tell me!"

"Lexi, he doesn't even know who you're talking about." Jay tried to calm her down in vain. "We're here on behalf of Jisela Nunez."

"Oh yes." The officer nodded, looking at a file.

"And?" Alex wondered anxiously.

"We found her body--"

"God! No! She's … gone?"

"Actually, she's at the hospital, but she was beaten up pretty bad." The officer continued.

"Then why'd you call me over here like that?" Alex took Jay's hand and jerked him towards the exit. "We have to go to the hospital. I have to see her."

"Lexi, we don't even know which--"

"Toronto Memorial!" The cop yelled after the duo with Alex nearly throwing Jay into the car and cranking it up herself.

"You drive too slowly." She rationed. "I have to see her."

"If you're looking for an apology, I'm fresh out of those." Manny began, bracing herself for the worse. She knew that the press had gotten their hands on her story, her Craig drama, and that tape with that sick little freshman dude was probably floating around too.

"I'm not. I owe you one for putting you in that situation."

"Come again?"

"The way I invaded your relationship and everything I did … it was all wrong." Craig explained.

"I take it that you read the paper..." Manny stated nervously deciding that being completely honest was the best thing.

"And, I saw the video." Craig nodded as Manny covered her mouth in shock.

"It leaked on the internet? God, my parents are going to be so mortified."

"Manny, that's not what I'm here to talk about ... I mean, not directly." Craig revealed.

"Then what are you here for?" She asked, worried.

"Maybe you two should go outside and talk!" Emma yelled over the music, intervening, as the crowd paved a way for the two, but their alone time was cut short.

"You're taking out the trash Craig. It's about time!" Ashley yelled and it was obvious that she was more than a little tipsy.

"Ashley, don't make a scene." Craig begged.

"Why? History is repeating itself and everyone should know that Manny is trying to steal you from me again." She rationalized. "But it won't work this time."

"We're talking Ash. What's your problem?"

"MY PROBLEM??? It's you." Ashley put her finger up against Manny's forehead, giving it a slight push. "You're a piece of shit and I want you out of my life."

"Ash, you're looking really stupid right now. Just calm down. I'll talk to you when you're sober." Manny offered, looking to Craig for help.

"No, I will not stop." Ashley spat back, her voice now drawing out and making it seem as if she had a speech problem. "You're a dumb slut."

"Don't say that to me." Manny ordered.

"Okay." Ashley smiled. "She's a dumb slut Craig." She chuckled as she watched Manny start to get angry. "You know it. The entire world knows it."

"And you're pathetic." Emma stepped in. "I used to have respect for you Ashley. We all did, but now … you're just sad. Craig cheated on you because he didn't want you. He still doesn't want you and tearing down Manny because you're jealous won't change that. So just quit before you make yourself look even more stupid."

Ashley opened her mouth as if to reply, but quickly closed it. She picked up the nearest cup of alcohol and chugged it down instead.

"Wow Em." Manny hugged her best friend triumphed. "See the old Emma Nelson is still there. You just can't be afraid of her." She whispered as Emma nodded.

"Manny, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't get a chance…" Craig's voice trailed off as Manny looked to Emma for approval.

"Go ahead. I have business to handle too." She responded, referring to Jay.

"I thought you said all that you could possibly say back there." Manny started playing with her hands.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Truthfully Craig … I'm over it. I guess I'll have to deal with it for the rest of my life, with that tape and everything, but I don't ever want to be in the position where I let someone else get the upper hand and make me feel like I'm nothing."

"I promise not to do that."

"What do you want with me? Why did you come back?" She sighed looking up at him openly.

"I want to be with you, if you're not back with Kiowi."

"Whoa. You obviously haven't been around. Kiowi is so over." Manny laughed to herself. "And about me and you … It sounded good to be once upon a time, a very close time, but … you know we can't do that Craig. We've given it enough chances and you've continuously ruined things."

"Don't make me beg Manny because I will." Craig threatened. "I've never had so much bad history with someone and still wanted them in my life. I couldn't imagine--"

"Being friends? Me either and maybe that's the problem. You've never really respected me or thought of me as more than just a physical materialization of all your desires."

"Then if we're not friends and we're not together, then what are we?"

"I may regret this but …." Manny took his hands in hers. "Give me some time. I need to do things on my own before I even consider us again."

"Well at least go back on tour with me. Whatever you want to do—background dancing, a duet, whatever you want." Craig pledged, kissing her hands softly. "I'm not over you Manny. Don't forget that. I may never be." He finished, pressing his lips to her forehead lovingly.

As Manny watched him walk away disappointed. That was the hardest thing she had to do in a while. But she needed to find her own way first and fix herself. How could she be in a functional relationship if she was a mess herself?

And Craig had hurt her so much. Seeing him again, as in being with him, would be like a reopening the wounds that she could feel throbbing now. It did hurt. Manny couldn't lie. It was worst than she thought it could be and now she was outside on the grass, crying her eyes out and wondering if Gianni was just as ready to leave as she was.

Jimmy didn't want to wait until Valentine's Day. It wasn't possible. Instead, he had taken a half day off from school, ordered an online plane ticket, and traveled thousands of miles just to see her.

Now that he was at this all-girls prep school, Jimmy looked at the directions on the piece of paper that he got from some random person at the airport. Hazel was in 398C, and had been gone for over a month now.

That was a long time, especially for high school romances, however it wasn't long enough for Jimmy's feelings for her to change. He had a big surprise for Hazel. Well, actually two. That last kiss that she gave him was so filled with love and everything that they wouldn't get to say to each other because her parents had torn them away. What they didn't know was that Jimmy was getting the last laugh.

His mind started racing, thinking about what he would start off with first … showing her how much progress he had done with the walking thing or the ring? Jimmy only imagine it. She was probably miserable here and seeing him would reassure Hazel that he was still waiting for her.

Jimmy continued forward, hearing the Temptations' "My Girl" in his mind and was pleased when he noticed Hazel walking amongst the countless girls in the courtyard. He paused to watch her. She looked so surprisingly … happy. Surrounded by four other girls, Hazel looked like this was the place where she belonged, like Degrassi never happened, and like he never happened.

Opening the ring box, Jimmy thought about how much trouble he had gone through to get here and how much he really, truly loved her. Yet, he did not love Haze enough to do this to her, rain on her parade. If only she hadn't looked so damn happy.

"Mom." Alex gasped, opening the hospital room door violently. She rushed over to her mom's side, thrilled to see that she was at least breathing. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" She shook her head, sighing while her eyes ran up and down her mom's frail-looking body. "That bastard."

"You think it was your dad?"

"If you can call him that …" Her mind started racing back to a few months ago when she had stolen some weed from her dad and brother. That's when she started it, but it hadn't been how she stopped it. She used recreationally and this was probably their way of thanking her. "I'm so sorry mom." She whispered.

"Lexi, if there's anything I can do." Jay began, genuinely sorry to see a Ms. Nunez who looked like she'd been hit by a truck. She was usually such a fun person to be around with and this was so bizarre.

"Yeah." Alex sighed. "Can you just … go? I think I need some time with her alone."

"How will you get back?"

"I'm spending the night here. She needs me." Alex stroked her mom's hair, as though her compassion and love for Jisela would magically change something. She clutched her mom's hand, reciting every and any prayer that she had remembered, which was difficult considering that Alex had erased a lot of her Catholic past from her mind.

"Things will be better I promise. I will find out who did this to you--"

" Alexandria." Alex turned her back to the voice, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What are you doing here Carlo?" She faced her father.

"Oh. Tears. How very … sweet of you."

"Why'd you do it?"

"This was actually not my doing. Dante is learning fast." He grinned. "And you've been a bad girl. Stealing from your own blood."

"I was borrowing it, just having a little fun. Maybe if you acted like a normal father for a second, I wouldn't have to get high to block out the reality." Alex explained.

"Don't get dramatic on me. I want my money Alexandria. I don't care if you have to walk the streets like your no good whore of a mother. Two weeks." Carlo answered coldly. "Why don't you get out of here? Get!"

"No. I think I'll stay." Alex challenged her father, her eyes begging him to try and hit her. She then sat on Jisela's bed once Alex was sure that he would keep his hands to himself. "I wouldn't want her not to wake up tomorrow morning."

"I'd never kill my own wife." Alex shrugged. They were only married by law. The two had been separated since she became a teen and with the separation came the in and out boyfriends. Alex couldn't blame her mom for her infidelity. Carlo would never let her divorce her even though he had never been faithful to Jisela, hence Alex's stepbrother Dante. As long as she stayed there to keep her eye on Jisela, nothing bad would happen to her ever again.

"Yo, there's no crying in baseball!" Gianni yelled in an over-the-top New York accent to a crying Manny.

"I was just thinking about you." Manny sniffed, not caring how red her eyes looked. "You and me've got ESP."

"Yeah. Ready to get out of here?" He wondered as Manny's eyebrows rose once she got a full view of his battered face.

"Did a truck fall on your face?"

"More like some loser's fists." Gianni shrugged. "Got caught in a tight situation. I had to get out of here for a while to do some thinking, but came back to get you."

"How thoughtful." She rolled her eyes playfully, reaching for his hand to help her stand up. "These shoes are impossible. I've been trying to get up for at least an hour."

"Why are you crying?"

"You're crossing the 'best buddies' line." Manny shrugged. "Craig asked me to go with him and be with him."

"That's not what you wanted?" Gianni wondered.

"It is, desperately."

"But?"

"Not right now. I have to be able to trust him. I can't give it to him easily like I used to do. Otherwise he'll never appreciate what we'd have or me for that matter." She spewed. "So tell me the truth about this." Manny poked one of the bruises on his face. "Nice."

"Let's make it through the crowd first." Gianni answered, clasping Manny's hand as they pushed through the dancing drunks. Manny could feel Craig watching her, so she tried not to look in his direction.

"See you later Em." Manny called to her friend who was among those watching her leave. Drama never ceased to exist in her life. "Now spill. Please tell me something, anything to get my mind off Craig."

"Ellie doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"Shocker." Manny laughed poking Gianni in the stomach. "So…"

"I met up with Alex. Things were getting good too, you know. She knows what she's doing." Gianni chuckled. "And she's a wide as--"

"Okay. Eww. I asked for details not a porno description." Manny shuttered.

"So anyway me and her are like totally getting it on and it's getting good. Then she tells me to hide. I'm thinking it's some new kinky shit or something because she knocks me to the ground and BAM in walks Jay."

"Awkward."

"He was mad as a motherfucker and starts pounding the shit out me. Alex is yelling like crazy running around naked and trying to stop the whole thing. Dude gets a few good blows on me and before I know it, Alex is screaming like crazy. She and Jay rush out of the place leaving me there."

"Wow. That's some story." Manny rested her head back onto the car seat.

"And?"

"You totally made it up Gi. Alex would never sleep with you and Jay … you could kick his ass easily."

"Manny, I may exaggerate about some things, but this is no lie."

"Come on … did you really like sleeping with Alex Nunez? Yuck!" She joked as he shook his head. "Can you say man in the flesh?"

"Jealous much?"

"You wish hussy." Manny kidded back. "I don't get intimate with poochy guys." She poked at his beer belly giggling playfully.

"This is perfection." He lifted up his shirt, revealing perfectly sculpted abs and sucking in the gut she had been joking about earlier. Such a typical insecure guy move. "Here. Feel it. Tell me this isn't flawless." He took her hand, placing it across his chest and abs.

"All right. You've got me on that one." Manny laughed. "I guess I'll have to Clorox my hand to get the scent of you and Nunez together off. That's so gross Gi." She whined still grinning. Gianni was hella fun, which was why they were inseparable.

Jay Hogart picked up the phone book. Hatzilakos, the only one of its kind listed in the book. It didn't matter that it was nearly 5am or that Alex would hate him for this. She just had to hear this.

"Maybe I speak with Ms. Hatzilakos?"

"Speaking?" A groggy female voice wondered.

"Jay Hogart."

"Mr. Hogart--"

"Alex is innocent. I beat up that kid because he hurt her. I should be the one suspended…" He began spilling the entire story, and with every true word he uttered, the idea of him graduating from Degrassi Community School disappeared.

It was fine. University was Alex's dream and he had to get her there at all costs. A spoiled wealthy brat like him would be just fine. Jay would just take that high school equivalent test he had been putting off for a while. Alex didn't know about it, but she didn't need to. This was the best present he could give to her—a future—something money couldn't buy.

(A/N: So maybe 2007 wasn't my year, I've still got stories to complete. R&R –NL)