I would like to give a cyber cookie to Crazfilipina for being the first to guess what I am going to be using Spinner for! Congrats!

Chapter five of Strength to Make it Through

I have decided that I am going to tell Alli, Eli and Adam. Today. Before I lose my confidence and chicken out. They deserve to know and the longer I put it off, it is just going to make things worse. I've learned this form experience. Eli will get mad at me for hiding it from him while Alli will cry and then yell at me for not telling her sooner. Adam was the only one I wasn't sure about. He could either be angry at me or he could go the rout of sympathy. Either way, this was going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. Isn't that what addicts go through? Isn't it the first sign to getting clean? You have to admit that you are an addict. I have to admit that I am a cancer patient now.

I tried to brace myself for the moment I told them, brace myself for the anger, the pain, and the fear. Walking up the stairs to Degrassi, I pushed my shoulders back and jutted my chin out, trying to look brave on the outside, while terrified on the inside.

With a deep breath I pushed open the door to Degrassi and noticed that it was a mad house. People were yelling, pushing, running and some were even fighting. I pushed my way through most of the chaos until someone grabbed me from behind. I tried to yank out of the grip, but it tightened and then shoved me forward, into another person. The guy that I was shoved into turned around and looked ready to murder me. I gulped as he stepped towards me. The look in his eyes made me sure that he was going to kill me without hearing my explanation.

"Hey, back off," I heard a voice say from behind me just as an arm was slung over my shoulder. "It was an accident." Dallas told him firmly.

They guy before me looked Dallas up and down as if sizing him up for a fight. Something in Dallas' face must have gotten to the guy because he huffed and shoved people out of his way as he stormed off. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him go. "Thanks."

Dallas mumbled something under his breath about always causing fights before he tightened his arm around my shoulders and led me out of the angry mob of people. "What is going on?" I asked once we were safe and out of the way.

Dallas leaned against the wall and shoved his hands into his red hoodie, "Mixed reactions for Becky Bakers new protest."

"What is she protesting?" I wondered what could have possibly caused this kind of reaction for our student body. I had never seen anything like this, although I heard the story about how after J.T. York was killed by a Lakehurst guy and they released the news that they were combining Degrassi with Lakehurst, a bunch of Degrassi students stood up in a cheer tournament and yelled "Go home Lakehurst!" After that, there was a miner confrontation but it didn't last for very long…the principal broke it up. This was on a whole new level.

"She's protesting to get me kicked out of school," a voice said from behind me. I knew before I turned that it was Adam.

"What?" I asked it total shock.

Adam stood in front of me with his usual plaid shirt and baggy jeans. Drew stood beside him looking like he wanted to rip someone's head off. "Becky tried to get me to 'give up' being a guy and when it didn't work, she got mad and now here she is, petitioning to get me out of school."

"She can't do that!" I cried in outrage. After everything Adam had been through last year, he now had to deal with this! I felt tears enter my eyes and looked down. Becky was trying to make it worse. And I thought she was Christian! I thought in accusation.

"She just did," Dallas pointed out. I glared at him through my tears and he held up his hands in fake surrender. "Just saying."

Adam placed his hand on my arm in comfort. He wasn't the one who should be comforting me! I should be comforting him. "It's not right," I whispered.

"I know." Adam said.

I wiped my eyes and looked at him seriously, "You are not going anywhere."

Adam looked at me with sad eyes, "How do you know?"

I never thought it was possible for me to hate someone again, but in that moment, I knew that I hated Becky Baker for what she was putting Adam through. No one deserved to endure everything that he had been through. Anger and stubbornness consumed me, "I won't allow it."

All three boys looked taken aback by the anger in my voice, but I couldn't care less. I marched away from them and elbowed my way into the mob of angry people. It took me a moment to notice that someone had followed me and was helping clear a path to get through. By the color of the sleeves I knew it was Dallas and I heard Adam call my name. So they were all following me. Good.

I finally reached the booth Becky was hiding behind and lunged forward, only to be caught and thrown backwards into Dallas by strong arms. "Stay away from my sister."

After I regained my balance I looked up and noticed that it was Luke standing before me and my anger escalated. I shoved him back and when Luke stepped forward to shove me again, Dallas pushed me behind him and took my place.

"Let her through," Dallas demanded.

"I don't think so." Luke spat at him.

Dallas laughed, "I wasn't asking." With that, Dallas grabbed Luke by his shirt collar and tossed him to the side like he was nothing. It was impressive.

Becky Baker stood behind her booth looking like a scared, wounded animal. If I had it my way and there was no booth between us that is exactly what she would be.

I gasped at the way my thoughts went. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the negative thoughts. That wasn't me, I don't think like that. I shook my head trying to clear it. I couldn't go back to that place, not again.

"Becky," I yelled over all the noise. "What are you doing?" I finally reached the desk and noticed that she kept fidgeting with her dress. So she was nervous, that was a good sign.

Once she took a look at Adam, her spine stiffened and she tilted her chin up, "I'm ridding this school of sin." Crazy girl just said what? "And I'm starting with Adam," she tilted her head and smiled. "I mean, Gracie."

"This isn't right! Who do you think you are? You are not God, Becky! You do not get to decide whether or not Adam should leave Degrassi. It doesn't matter how many signatures you get, Adam is not leaving Degrassi."

Becky shook her head, "You don't understand."

I laughed harshly, "Oh, I understand. You are too stuck in your ways to except that people are allowed to be different. If you really go by the Bible, then you are committing a sin right now. You are wearing two different types of fabrics." I crossed my arms and watched as Becky grew flustered. I take it that it is not an everyday occurrence that someone uses the Bible against Becky. This made me feel viciously happy.

"You are supposed to be Christian!" She accused.

"I am more Christian than you will ever be," I spat at her. "Unlike you, I can forgive. Unlike you, I can accept people who are different from me. Unlike you, I know when I am doing something wrong." I waved my arms around, "What you just caused here is not something to be proud of."

"I didn't want this!" Becky cried, trying to defend what she had done.

"This is what you get when you try to get someone kicked out of school, someone that basically everyone likes. Have you seen Adam's Twitter following?" I heard grumbles behind me, they all sounded like they were agreeing with me so I continued my lecture, "You, Becky, can't kick someone out of school!"

"No, that is my job." Principal Simpson said as he pushed through the students. "And this protest is over." Right then, police officers entered the hallway and started separating the students and telling them that it was time to go to class. Before long, it was just a handful of students in the hallway.

"Becky, go and wait for me in my office." Mr. Simpson sighed as he approached Officer Turner. I stood back with Dallas and Adam to give them privacy. I looked around and wondered where Drew ran off to.

I walked up to Mr. Simpson as soon as Officer Turner left. "This isn't right."

Mr. Simpson rolled his eyes. "Don't you think I know that? I have a lot to deal with at the moment, Clare. If you want to talk about this, come to my office at lunch." He turned away and began to walk but then stopped and looked at me, "Do you remember when you stood up against The Shep?" At my nod he continued, "Maybe…if you did something like that again…the students would listen to you more than they will listen to Becky." With that he stalked down the hallway, muttering about parents.

"Clare?" Eli asked from behind me. I spun around in shock and saw him standing with Alli next to Adam, Drew and Dallas. They were accompanied by Bianca who was standing with her arms crossed next to Drew, Katie and Jake who were snuggled next to each other, along with Maya and the other niners; Owen stood behind them. Just as I was about to say something, Fiona walked in with Imogen and Mo and Marisol.

"That was crazy." Marisol said once she joined us. "Please tell me we have a plan to stop her from taking over the school."

"Clare," Eli said again, gaining everyone's attention. "What was Principal Simpson talking about?"

Alli smirked and walked towards me, "Oh," She threw her arm around my shoulder. "We're just gonna take down the Bakers once and for all. Clare Edwards style."

I know a lot of you are probably getting angry that Clare hasn't told everyone that she is sick yet. But the time wasn't right. Maybe she will tell Eli and Alli in the next chapter. I'm not sure…

Review please!