IMOGEN
The morning of the Alumni Gala came like a forgotten alarm set in the early hours of the morning.
Imogen knew the date; she'd had it on the calendar for weeks. But with Fiona's shocking return to Toronto, her mind wasn't occupied with her Gala showcase, but instead a headstrong ex. The hours that could have been used to create finishing projects were spent internet stalking that ex and finding out she's starting her own business.
Imogen couldn't help but feel jealous, more than proud of Fiona. Even though she always knew her ex-girlfriend would accomplish big things after Degrassi, with her overcoming addiction and graduating as valedictorian. Imogen thought she'd have her own business or at least a decent job by now. Instead, she photographed her friends and family for some cash and sold a few paintings to an art gallery, but that wasn't enough to support herself. Her boyfriend was the one paying most of the bills as a bartender and the lead singer of his band. Still, Imogen wanted to feel empowered and work a dream job. Meanwhile, she was stuck, hours before the Gala, with unedited photos that needed to be printed on canvases that wouldn't be ready till a minimum of one day.
With disparity and panic streaming through her veins, Imogen scrambled around her apartment looking for something to present at the Gala. She'd promised to have an art piece to auction off as well, but she'd sold most of her best work to a few art galleries around Toronto. Imogen scrounged for something to bring to the event. She flipped through sketchbooks and clicked through a hard drive for photographs but nothing satisfied her to showcase at the gala.
"Shit, I'm fucked!" Imogen screamed out, sitting at the small desk in the bedroom with her laptop.
She slammed it shut, ripping her glasses off and rubbing her eyes intensely. Blood boiled inside and her ear steamed and grew hot. Her breathing hitched and she huffed out her nose aggressively.
"Babe? Are you okay in there?"
The sound of her boyfriend's voice calmed Imogen's intense agitated feeling and she perked up, putting her glasses back on.
"I am screwed Lucas, I am so screwed," Imogen admitted as he stood behind her and slung an arm around her neck.
Lucas kissed the top of Imogen's head, smiling into it. "Calm down babe."
He let out a chuckle.
"I can't calm down!" Imogen squirmed out of his hold and paced around the tiny bedroom. "I have to be ready for the gala in two hours and I have nothing to show for."
Lucas shifted, relaxing his posture. "Why don't you bring that portrait you did of me?" He suggested.
Imogen's eyes lit up and she grinned. "Oh my gosh, Lucas you are genius! I forgot about that piece."
Imogen lunged into her boyfriend's chest, thrusting arms around his neck and planting a deep kiss on his rough, plump lips.
"Mhmm," he mumbled against her lips, his hands wandering around Imogen's waist. "You should procrastinate more often."
He displayed a sexy smirk across his face when their lips briefly parted.
"Shut up," Imogen teased before stealing another kiss from Lucas. "We better get showered and ready."
Imogen pulled away, sauntering to the dresser with a fresh bra and underwear.
"Can I join you?" Lucas asked with a gleam in his eye, following his girlfriend's every step.
"Okay, but this is a look not touch kind of shower okay?" Imogen gathered her clothes.
"Fine," Lucas said, with a mock eye roll and smirking as he made his way to the bathroom.
"Oh, yeah, by the way," Lucas said, as Imogen turned on the water and undressed. "The nursing home called about your dad yesterday morning. He was asking for you."
Imogen went to unbutton her jeans but froze at the zipper. Her brows were scrunched, and her mouth a straight line.
"Yesterday morning? And you didn't tell me till today?"
It was evident by the way her usual chipper voice turned sour and riddled with frustration that she was upset.
"Sorry babe. It slipped my mind." Lucas stripped off his t-shirt, seemingly unbothered by the issue.
Imogen's appearance stayed stuck with brows furrowed, and lips tightly pressed together.
"The fact that you're treating this as if this is no big deal is pissing me off. You know how bad my dad's been lately and how important the time I spend with him is to me!"
Imogen aggressively swiped Lucas's shirt that had been tossed to the floor then flung it at her boyfriend.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Lucas scrunched his eyebrows far down to his eyes.
"I am showering alone," Imogen stated.
"You're that pissed at me? Because I forgot to tell you something?"
Lucas apprehensively pulled his shirt back on, trying to speak over the running water from the tub.
"I have to get ready for the gala." Imogen ignored his comments.
"You know I wasn't purposefully trying to hurt you," Lucas said as he opened the door to leave.
Imogen turned her back on him. "I don't give a shit," she spat before he finally left.
FIONA
Eli and Clare were due to pick up Fiona any minute for the Degrassi Alumni Gala fundraiser, yet the New Yorker was stuck in front of a mirror, perfecting her eye makeup and getting the right lipstick color to match her outfit. She couldn't decide whether to keep her hair wavy or have it straight. Her usual style was curled and cascaded off her shoulders, but she'd lately grown to have it smooth and plain. She'd spent the morning trying on outfit after outfit, mixing and matching pieces, but none satisfied the fashionista.
This was a gala, a fancy dinner gala, where everyone dressed in blacks and whites and drank champagne in glass flutes and mingled with fellow students old and new. Although Fiona wouldn't be partaking in the champagne for obvious reasons, she still wanted to participate in holding fancy glasses and walking around like she owned the place. This arrival at the gala would also be the first time Fiona had seen the majority of her graduating class and everyone expected high things from Miss Coyne, so she needed—she wanted, to make a grand entrance.
Fiona settled on a silky black dress that cut mid-thigh, with thin straps and a matching blazer coat. She slipped into her white, strappy heels, rolling a suitcase that contained her display for the auction out of the apartments to where Eli and Clare had parked to pick her up.
"Who's ready for some Degrassi fun?" beamed an overly enthusiastic Eli as he clapped his hands together.
Fiona let out a little laugh as she buckled in. "Someone's had one too many energy drinks," she observed.
"Wouldn't be good to mix with his meds," Clare explained. She turned to look at Eli from the passenger seat, curling the corners of her mouth upwards.
"He's just really excited about this gala. He heard they're serving lobster and hasn't shut up about it since."
Clare let out a giggle.
Fiona settled into the back seat of Goldsworthy's car, suitcase tucked beside her.
"Or you just really want to show off that short film you've been working on eh?" Fiona smirked.
"That too." Eli grinned, facing the steering wheel and he started the engine.
"Let's get our Degrassi on!" he said as they pulled onto the road.
…
They pulled into the familiar parking lot, already full and jammed packed with cars and the group could just barely hear the chatter of the staff, current students, and alumni. The nerves that were nonexistent for Fiona before, crept up on her like a sudden chill and her heart pulsed against her dress. With sweaty palms, Fiona lugged out the suitcase, following Eli and Clare up the steps to the infamous Degrassi Community School. It still looked pretty similar to when she'd attended, but there was a brand new updated school logo, fit for the modern, evolving times.
The halls were nostalgic and bittersweet as she could remember and visually picture moments that had happened in specific areas. Oddly, all the memories Fiona could remember had to do with Imogen. The lockers where they would kiss between classes. The bench where Imogen gave Fiona that robot puppy for protection when she'd experienced the intruder and, the hallway where the girls stood, for their last kiss and their final goodbye.
Fiona swallowed a lump in her throat as she walked by the hallway, the memories are vivid and all too painful. She thought, after moving to Rome and following her dreams, she and Imogen would still keep in contact. Their breakup wasn't hostile, but still hurt Fiona and I guess she hoped they could still be friends. Fiona tried shaking away the memories and focused on her showcase and the importance of this event: to raise money for future students of Degrassi Community School.
The main event was held in the gymnasium where there were many round tables and chairs set up with tablecloths colored in Degrassi blue. Drinks had been already poured and tended to and groups of alumni, faculty, and parents made spots in various places in the gym where they reunited and mingled, with the conversations about past work, current jobs, proposals, babies, and family.
Fiona, Clare, and Eli made their entrance into the gym dressed to the nines—Eli in a classy vest and white button-up underneath, Clare in a modest white dress with black polka dots, and Fiona in her slightly more revealing, but still appropriate black dress. They instantly caught the eye of Fiona's best friend Holly J Sinclair.
"Hey, you guys made it!" a beaming Holly J said, her beautiful red hair swept to one side over a shoulder wearing her fancy black dress and heels. She embraced Fiona in a warm hug and acknowledged the married couple with a friendly smile and hellos and "How's the baby?"
After Holly J graduated from Yale, she pursued a successful career in marketing, working for a prominent advertising agency. She eventually started her boutique marketing firm that focused on helping small businesses establish their brands. In her personal life, Holly J maintained her close friendships with Anya McPherson and Chantay Black and even reconnected with Declan, with whom she had an on-and-off relationship before finally getting married in a beautiful ceremony.
Holly J was the one Fiona kept in contact the most, besides Eli, and Holly J graciously helped Fiona with her clothing brand endeavor thanks to her study in business at Yale. Holly J knew about Fiona's move back to Toronto.
With the advice from Holly J and Fiona's hard work and eye for design, soon she'd be launching her very own brand of clothes.
"We're so excited to see your work!" Holly J said, gently grabbing Fiona's bare shoulders, a grin worth miles wide.
Fiona squealed and shared in her excitement with the redhead, her tiny jumps clanking her heels on the wood floor. (Meanwhile, Eli and Clare already ventured off in conversation with Drew Torres, Bianca DeSousa, Jenna Middleton, Connor DeLauries, and KC Guthrie)
Fiona spun around in joy with Holly J, their hands clasped together, arms swaying side to side. There was light mood music playing in the background, so they followed the beat.
"Where are you all setting up your display?" Holly J asked.
"The main foyer I believe."
"Can't wait!" Holly J chirped.
"I'm gonna get a drink," Fiona said. "Do you want anything?" Fiona asked Holly J.
"I'm alright thanks," she replied. "I think I'm going to go catch up with Mr. Simpson."
Fiona nodded, then went to the drink area to get herself a nonalcoholic bubbly drink. As she poured, the anticipation of seeing Imogen again made her hands shake.
Dammit, why was her heart pounding so much?
"Come on Fiona," she said to herself. "No distractions…no distractions…no distract—"
Suddenly it was like the room was silenced and vacant of people. A feeling, an aura, made Fiona's head turn and there Imogen appeared, swiftly, confident, and glowing with radiance.
Imogen's hair was up in a messy bun with loose strands dangling on the sides. She stood a few feet from the gymnasium doors. Her 5" 3" stature is covered in a gorgeous white dress with a long black coat. Her makeup was light, but elegant with dark lipstick, highlights on her cheeks, and mascara on the lashes. She held a small clutch between her delicate fingers and her new style of round glasses framed her face nicely.
Fiona swallowed the desert that was her throat and her heart raced as she took in Imogen's stunning appearance. Imogen's presence seemed to light up the room, and Fiona couldn't help but admire her from afar. She tugged the bottom of her dress nervously, and adjusted her blazer, suddenly feeling self-conscious in comparison. Imogen's gaze swept across the room, her eyes landing on Fiona for a second, before turning her head away in the opposite direction.
Embarrassed by getting caught staring at her ex-girlfriend, Fiona quickly turned her attention to Drew, Bianca, Eli, and Clare nearby the bleachers, hoping to divert her thoughts. She joined in on their conversation— Drew was telling the story of how he and Bianca ended up working at the same company while Fiona pretended to be engrossed, her mind was still on Imogen.
She snuck another peek at her ex, who was now conversing with women about her height, with blond-ish hair and dark red lipstick. They exchanged a tender hug and warm smiles, then the blond-ish one planted a kiss on Imogen's cheek.
So she doesn't have a boyfriend? Or maybe they're polyamorous? No, that did not seem like Imogen at all.
Either way, boyfriend or new girlfriend, jealousy hit Fiona like a nasty car collision.