"So is she hot?"

I was sitting in my room with my step brother Rocky. Now that I was living in Toronto, he only lived across town and we were spending a lot more time together.

I was attempting to do my homework and he was sitting on the floor tossing a football up in the air.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, glancing up from my Trigonometry book.

"The girl you've been hopelessly thinking about." He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not thinking about anyone." I said a little too quickly.

"Kid, I've known you your whole life. You've been on the same math problem for a half hour and you keep staring off into space with that puppy dog look in your eyes. So who is she?"

I rolled my eyes, knowing it would be a waste of time to lie to him. "Her name's Ivy."

"And is she?"

"Is she what?"

"Hot, Dylan, is she hot? God, it's like talking to a brick wall."

"Oh uh…" I paused, unsure of what to say. She was hot, but she was also my captain's girl. I shrugged. "She's alright."

"Alright? Surely she's more than alright to have caught Dylan Saunders's eye." Rocky chuckled.

"Just drop it, okay. I don't want to talk about it." I grumbled, looking back down at my homework.

"Fine, fine." Rocky was silent for a whole 2 minutes.

"Ivy Saunders." He said. "I like it."

"Rocky…" I groaned.

"So why don't you ask her out?" he asked.

"Well…" I sighed. "She doesn't exactly know I'm alive."

"That's not that bad. You can change that."

"And she's dating Parker, my hockey captain." I added.

"Oh, tough break kid." Rocky said. He put the football down next to him and stood up. "But you know, high school relationships don't last forever. They'll probably break up sooner rather than later. What I would do," he sat down next to me "is get to know her. Become her friend, so then when the end comes for her and her current boo you'll be her shoulder to cry on. Then you're her man in no time. It's genius really."

"Yeah and what happens when Parker finds out I'm dating his ex?" I asked him.

Rocky shrugged. "He'll be pissed at first, but he'll get over it eventually. And if not you just beat him around a bit."

I shook my head and laughed. "You're crazy."

"I like to think of it as innovative." He replied.

And that was it. The conversation was over. But I still couldn't get that girl off my mind. Her long hair, and that beautiful smile. Maybe Rocky's advice wasn't so crazy. I mean it was either that or sitting around doing nothing.

I shook my head, now I was being crazy.

A week later I was sitting in band class with a guitar in my hands.

Our assignment was to find a partner and write a song together.

I, of course, paired up with Maisie and we decided that she would sing while I played acoustic guitar.

And that was all we had so far.

We found an empty classroom to "practice" in but just ended up talking the whole time.

"You look tired." She said.

I shrugged. "Early morning hockey practice, nothing I can't handle."

"You must like hockey a lot…"

I didn't answer her.

"You do like it, don't you? Or is it one of those things where your parents are forcing you to do it?" she asked.

Why did she always have to be so nosy?

"It's not that I don't like it…" I started. It was a hard question to answer. I had been asking myself the same thing for years. "I just wish that it didn't take up so much of my time ya know? My parents have always told me that I have the option to quit, but I don't know… I'm good at it and I guess I shouldn't waste that talent." I sighed. "If my parents are forcing me to do anything, it's this."

"Music?"

"Yeah, my mom secretly signed me up for it." I told her.

"But you're good at this too, and Novak seems to like you." She informed me as if it were the greatest compliment in the world.

"It's just not exactly my thing." I said.

Then the bell rang.

"We better get back to the band room and get our stuff." Maisie said, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.

When we got back all of the other students had cleared out, leaving only our books and Mr. Novak.

"How's the songwriting going?" He asked us when we walked in.

Maisie and I glanced at each other briefly and then back at him.

"Fine." I said at the same time Maisie said "Good."

"Good, I'm expecting a killer song from you two next week." He smiled.

Maisie nodded and went out the door, and I tried to follow.

"Saunders." Novak stopped me. "Come here a minute."

I slowly walked over to his desk.

"Look I know you don't want to be here," he said. "But a little effort wouldn't kill you. You have talent; natural, raw talent, and I'd hate to see you waste that. I know your mother feels the same way, that's why, I bet, she signed you up for this class."

"How do you know my mom?" I asked him.

"We went to high school together." He said. "But that's beside the point. Just give me some effort here and there. You'll thank me later."

I shrugged. "I'll try I guess, but no promises."

"That's all I ask."

I started to leave when suddenly a question jumped into my mind. I turned around at the door.

"You said you went to high school with my mom… My dad, my real one, he was only a year ahead of her. Did you know him? Campbell Saunders?" I asked.

A dark look met Novak's eyes then. Something cloudy and strange. But it only lasted for a second.

He shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I didn't."

In the hall, I had to sprint if I was going to make it to my next class on time. I was almost there when suddenly a door flung open in front of me. It happened too fast for me to react and so my face met wood with a thud.

And then I fell, landing on my back.

It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened, and by then it was too late. The person who had hit me saw me.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry, I didn't see you!" She said.

It was none other than Ivy Asher. She was carrying a tall stack of cardboard boxes that she could barely see over.

"It's fine." I heard my voice say. I rubbed my nose to make sure it wasn't bleeding, thankfully I was fine.

I stood up slowly. "Do you need some help there?"

She smiled. "If it's not too much trouble."

I took two of the boxes, leaving her with the lightest one.

"It's the new Power Squad uniforms. The other girls were supposed to come help carry them to the gym but you see how that worked out." She sighed and we started walking.

When we got to the gym and got everything put away she smiled at me.

"I'm Ivy, Ivy Asher."
"Dylan Saunders." I said.

"Thank you so much for your help, and sorry about the door…" She said.

"It's no problem." I mumbled.

I had no clue what to say. The most beautiful girl in the world was standing in front of me.

"Hey since you already missed most of 6th period anyway do you want to skip out on the rest of the day and head to the Dot. Let me buy you an apology scone?" She flashed me another beautiful smile.

"Sure." I answered, probably too quickly. "That sounds great."

A few days later I was headed to hockey practice. I was smiling down at my phone at the text Ivy had just sent me.

Our trip to the Dot had proven to be a success and she had even given me her number.

It was a start!

I had almost forgotten who she was dating… almost.

When I got down to the locker room Billy Parker was waiting for me.

"Hey Saunders." He sneered.

"Oh, uh hey Parker."

"Me and you need to have a little chat." He said, pulling me over to the corner of the room. "I heard you've been getting friendly with my girl Ivy? Is that true?"

"I… I… uhh" I started.

"Well consider this your warning, stay away from my girl or else I will make your life at Degrassi a living hell? Got it?"

I nodded and he walked away like nothing had happened.

Right then my phone vibrated with another text.

What had I gotten myself into?

AN: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait! And sorry if this seems like a filler chapter. What to look forward to: Dylan will be finding out about his Dad soon (how Cam died) and he's not going to take it very well! Thanks for reading.