Chapter 3

New Girl

Julia was sitting in a school bus full of mostly first- and second-year students. Not knowing anyone, she just opted to sit at the front of the large yellow vehicle to save herself the awkward song and dance of figuring out everyone's usual spot. No one ever sat on the first row unless you're the new senior dweeb that doesn't have a license or car to get you to your new school midway through the term. This was not how Julia planned for her last high school semester. Things only got worse when her dad and stepmom found out. Of course, her dad tried to discuss Julia's expulsion with her. However, ultimately he gave up. Just like always, it was all too much for him to handle, and he left the "parenting" to his wife.

Diane scoffed in disbelief as she read Julias' notification of expulsion due to: inadequate/ failing marks. She couldn't dare look at the letter again, let alone her biggest hater.

"You know—I always told your father this was a waste of money every semester, and it feels so good to be right," she gushed, "how do you even get a bad grade at an arts school." Her stepmom's eyes were gleaming with such disapproval that Julia couldn't help but snap back at her with ease.

"That's rich—coming from the woman who barely got her GED and can barely keep her job as a telemarketer," Julia taunted back, pointing at her bar cart full of booze.

"Unlike your loser mother, I tried to make something of myself," the frail woman spoke, pointing a finger directly at her stepdaughters face, "your mother is probably out there shooting up as we speak or dead in some ditch—"

"—don't you fucking talk about her like you know her! You don't know her!" The rage coursing through her veins caused her to stand up from the dining chair, the wooden legs skidding loudly against the floor. To be fair, she didn't know her biological mother either, but she never let anyone taint her imagination of the woman. Julia always pictured her to look just like her, just more pristine with a well-paying job and a lavish home somewhere...

"I didn't need to know her because this is all shit your father tells me," Diane informed her with a gloating smile, "like mother like daughter is how you'll end up." A hearty chuckle escaped her stepmom's lips.

Julia was shocked at the revelation about her father since he never talked about her mom. A lump in her throat was already forming, and she didn't want to cry in front of Diane. Grabbing her leather coat that was draped on the dining chair, she b-lined it straight for the door while she muttered, "bitch" for the frail blonde woman to hear.

"I knew you were a talentless little shit," she retaliated loudly as Julia slammed the apartment door on her way out.

She cringed at the memory, the threat of tears fighting to make their way to her eyes. Quickly, Julia brushed them away and focused on fixing her bangs as well as putting the rest of her hair in a ponytail. A sleek black bun was an everyday style for her hair at her old school. It looked put together, but most importantly, it kept her long raven hair out of her way when the petite girl danced. Exiting the school bus, she walked up to the daunting new stairs that led to the entrance of Degrassi Community School. Instantly memories filled her, and his name rang fresh in her mind: Eli.

After her stepmom got over the initial shock of Julia getting cut from her prestigious arts school, she expressed so much joy. Now that they didn't have to pay for her tuition anymore, Diane boasted about how much money they would save on sending her to public school. Most of her old school tuition used to be covered by financial aid and her scholarship, but the amount they still had to pay out of pocket was a lot for her blended family. Her father at least gave her the choice of picking the school she got to enroll in next. When she looked over the list, Degrassi was the one that stood out of the handful besides Lakehurst. It's not like she was hoping to see him again but thought it wouldn't be so bad to know one person at least.

Or maybe see him again…

During her week-long break trying to find a new school, she thought back to that night and concluded that maybe the dark-haired boy hadn't regarded it with as much fondness as she had. She did sort of lose her cool with him at the end of the night. He didn't even ask for her number either. The guy probably just saw her as some easy girl with issues he shouldn't go near again.

"You must be the senior transfer from Toronto Academy of Performing Arts," a girl said to her as Julia walked past the clear glass doors. She's tall, with long brunette hair and gorgeous light eyes. The way she's dressed screams she had money. Her old school was crawling with the same type of people.

"My name's Fionna. I'm senior class president here at Degrassi, and I'll be showing you the ropes," she stated matter-of-factly with a smile. It all sounded very well-rehearsed.

Julia sighed and gripped the leather strap to her book bag tighter, "Do we have to?" She wanted to fly under the radar as much as possible and end her senior year with no more drama in her life.

"Morning Fee! I got the final yearbook picture layout you have to sign off on," another girl said, prancing up to them. She had space buns with adorning chopsticks, small black square glasses framed her face, and she was dressed a little too whimsical for Julia's taste. The second girl handed the first girl a flash drive.

"Thanks, Imogen—I gotta look these over before lunch."

Imogen noticed Julia and scooted closer towards her. "The funeral was last week…," the odd girl commented, referring to her wardrobe. She couldn't tell if she was making a snide remark about the way Julia was dressed or if she was being serious. Imogen's tense and stern facial expression just confused Julia more, causing her to furrow her eyebrows at the strange girl. Fiona let out an audible cough to clear the uncomfortable tension starting to brew between the three.

"Don't mind Imogen—lemme show you around Degrassi," Fiona started again, trying to reign in the conversation, "we don't usually get transfers this late in the semester, you know—"

Julia stopped her in her tracks. "—You guys already sound busy enough as it is. I don't want to take up any more of your time." It was a lie. She just wanted to be left alone and get through the day by herself. "I'm a smart girl. I'm sure I can find my way around."

The well-dressed teen bit down on her bottom lip, taking her a second too long to make up her mind. "Fine! Here's your schedule with all your classes for the remainder of the semester, and if you ever need anything, you can find me in the student council office," she told her sternly, pointing in a general direction. Julia nodded her head in agreement.

Fiona walked away first, followed by Imogen. "Bye new girl! See you around!" She yelled, waving from midway down the hall. Julia's face warmed as some other students turned to look at her, which prompted the girl dressed in all black to keep moving in search of her first class. She wandered a bit and ended up finding her locker first, trying the combination on the paper the class president gave her. It took her a couple of tries, but she eventually got it. Suddenly, a wave of frustration washed over her. Julia wanted so badly to scream but opted for shoving her head in her locker instead.

"You seem like you need a boost," someone spoke, startling Julia. She almost hit her head to turn to see who it was. Peeking her head out of her locker, a short girl with long dirty blonde hair stood next to Julia. Everything about her vibe screamed burn-out. The sweat pants and disheveled look were the biggest giveaways.

"I don't have any money, so whatever you're selling, I'm not buying," Julia told her flatly. She figured the stranger was alluding to selling drugs. It wasn't like she was against doing drugs, but the only thing she ever tried was weed once out of a bong from her shady older stepbrother a year ago. That's as far as her drug experimenting went. Julia still longed to numb the world around her, and the only way she knew to do that was through sex, drugs, or alcohol. The only issue is that most of those things cost money and that she didn't have a lot left lying around.

"Don't worry, I'll spot you...just bring good vibes and energy," the dirty blonde-haired girl said as she handed her a flyer and winked. "My name's Talia, by the way, goth chick."

Just as Julia began to scan the flyer, Talia immediately walked away. "Yeah, and my name's Julia, by the way," she called after her, a little frustrated, "—not goth-chick!" That garnished her a few onlookers to take note of her again, but she ignored them this time. Instead, she drew her eyes back to the contents of the flyer. It was a secret party happening later tonight. At the center of the paper was a phone number she had to contact to get the address.

Whipping out her phone, she quickly plugged in the string of numbers and texted it: Addy? Julia didn't expect to get a response right away, so she proceeded to stuff the flyer into her school messenger bag and walked to her first class instead.

For the most part, all her classes were pretty manageable. Her schedule was precisely what she imagined a "regular" high school would be like from what she's seen on tv and in movies. However, during her fourth period, Math, she was unlucky enough to have her teacher call on her.

"So I guess we have a new student joining us midway through the semester, and that is Julia Stone. Welcome to Degrassi, " Mr. Armstrong spoke. Julia curtly nodded her head in acknowledgment but sank into her seat. The girl sitting next to her, with a similar hairstyle to Julia, gave her a pitying look.

When the bell rang, the student sitting next to her finally spoke up. "I'm Katie Matlin by the way. If you ever want to hang out, you can find me in the cafeteria for lunch." Julia got a good look at the girl with piercing light eyes, black hair, a nose piercing, and a tough exterior that said: don't mess with me. Julia found her endearing.

"Thanks for the offer but I think I'll try and find the dance room during lunch. I heard Degrassi might have one—"

Katie scoffed. "You're going to be waiting a long time. Degrassi doesn't have a dance class, let alone a dance room—unless you count the power squad," she explained, "but they practice in the gym."

Julia's face fell at the news, but she didn't know why. It's not like she ever wanted to pursue dance again after her last school. But maybe if she just saw the class, then it could scratch that itch and possibly hook her back in…

"Didn't take you for the dance type."

Julia chuckled as she finished packing her stuff up, and the two black-haired girls walked in sync out of the math class.

"I'm not," Julia lied. At least she didn't want to be known for that anymore. Degrassi was a fresh start and a way to let that part of her finally die. Katie's face was slightly puzzled but rapidly changed as a tall, lanky boy dressed in flannel approached them in the hall.

"Hey, do you have those videos I asked for?" the teen asked in a sour tone, "—deadline for the yearbook was yesterday, and I for sure gotta get them in by today."

Julia thought he was cute in a skinny lumberjack kind of way. Does Degrassi just produce cute guys?

"Umm..." Katie struggled as she reached into her backpack and began rummaging for something.

If Julia were blind, she would still see the clear history and broken affection between the two by the awkward vibe they were giving off. "Hey, I'm Julia," she grimaced, trying to buy Katie some time, "I just transferred here."

It sort of worked. Katie kept searching while the boy in front of her didn't seem as ticked. "I'm Jake. Welcome to Degrassi, I guess—hope you like it here."

"Aha!" Katie pulled out her flash drive and handed it to him, a smile flashing

"Well, it was nice meeting you." He faked politeness at Julia. "Thanks…," he muttered at Katie before walking away.

Julia knew there were more juicy details, but she didn't want to pry. The last time she tried that, she ended up yelling at a strange boy in the middle of the night at a lonesome park.

"I spy with my little eyes a new girl at Degrassi!" Imogen announced as she pranced into the student council room, where some of her classmates were already hanging out. That included Eli and Mo playing the Fatal Intertia battle royale game. The dark-haired boy faintly acknowledged her presence. He was too busy trying to stay alive in the video game to truly listen to his eccentric friend.

"Yeah, I think I just met her in the hallway with Katie. She's pretty hot," Jake added as he walked in.

"Don't start with this shit bro! I know you're not over Katie," Mo exclaimed as Eli tried to mess up his controller. His skilled opponent currently had the upper hand on him in the game. "I don't care if this girl looks like Megan Fox herself—plus, what weirdo decides to change schools this late in the semester?" Mo commented in disapproval.

"I don't know, but Jake's right. She is pretty cute," Imogen stated, adjusting her glasses.

"—What are we talking about?" Fiona waltzed into the now packed room, causing Imogen to let out a small yelp.

Eli laughed and gave up on his controller, realizing his fate. He was not going to beat Mo. The boy dressed in all black got up from where he was sitting and walked over to one of the student computers to finish the yearbook video. "Um…I think Jake and Imogen were drooling over the new transfer or something," he informed Fiona, a smirk displayed on his face.

"Was not!" Imogen disputed.

Fiona kindly ignored her girlfriend's sweet protests. "Yeah, her name is Julia Stone. She's a senior also."

Eli usually wouldn't care for new student gossip, except the name rang bells in his mind instantly. A flash of a gorgeous naked girl with raven hair entered his mind. It was a weird coincidence that he met and slept with a girl named Julia only just a week ago, and now Fiona was announcing Degrassi's new transfer student with the same first name. Since that night, he kept thinking back to her and the intimate moment they shared. Eli wanted so badly to ask for her number at the end of the night. However, after recent events at Degrassi and struggling with his bipolar episodes, he advised himself against it.

His therapist would've been proud of his choice to let her go, but Eli regretted it immediately after she left. He only knew her first name and where she lived. But it's not like he would park outside her apartment complex like a stalker and wait till he saw her. That would freak anyone out.

"Someone needs to introduce the girl to some different palettes. Hello—It's not like a little color is going to kill you!" Fiona added as she looked over some documents.

Jake scoffed. "Yeah—she's like the female version of Eli!"

Eli was more preoccupied with remembering more of her without clothes than with them on, but he noted she was dressed in all black that evening when he first met her. Without thinking, he got up from his chair, startling everyone in the room with his abrupt action. "Um—don't mind me! I skipped breakfast this morning, and I heard they're serving chili in the cafeteria today—I'll be right back," he said lamely.

He jogged out of the student council room, not knowing where to start his search for Julia first. His heart raced at the thought of getting to talk to her again. He kept fantasizing about what he would get to say to her or do if he got the chance. That's when the memories of later that night stopped him dead in his tracks. Combing his dark locks out of his face, he remembered how they had only just met, and the two were already treating each other like shit. The screaming match and words they tossed at each other mixed with the dark events haunting his nightmares led him to believe maybe it wasn't a good idea for them to see each other after all.

Julia sat with Katie through lunch to focus on more Degrassi info. As she nodded along and politely responded to her, she kept reminding herself to scan the cafeteria for a certain dark-haired boy. She was not successful.

Maybe he doesn't even go here.

Eventually, Katie's best friend Marisol joined them, and Julia was introduced to the girl dressed in a Degrassi cheerleader's outfit. The raven-haired girl didn't mind Marisol's forceful personality, having dealt with many people like her in her past. It was only until the cheerleader started looking into more information about Julia that she found Katie's friend annoying. Since meeting Katie, she hadn't tried to inquire once about Julia, and that's something she enjoyed about her math classmate.

"So, were you kicked out from your last school or something?" The nosey girl blurted out.

Katie kicked her friend under the table and gave her an obvious "what are you doing" face. Marisol just responded with an audible, "ouch!"

"Creative differences actually," Julia joked, chuckling sourly. She knew all too well her response was only something she'd begrudgingly understand, taking another bite of the cafeteria chili. The answer didn't seem to satisfy either girl sitting in front of Julia, but they didn't push her on the subject any further.

After school, she wasted no time and made her way to the buses again but not without trying to spot him one last time. Scanning the sea of students getting on buses, making their way to the parking lot, or walking home, she didn't see the cute boy she'd been reminiscing about since that night anywhere. Julia didn't even know what she would say if she saw him.

"Do you remember me? I really liked hanging out with you…."

Or

"Sorry for being a bitch to you…."

Or

"Great sex, let's try that again sometimes…."

She cringed visibly at her last thought. The raven-haired girl placed her headphones over her ears while she loaded onto the bus and listened to Tchaikovsky for the millionth time while instinctively going over choreography in her mind. At that moment, her phone buzzed. An address was sent to her via text message from an unknown number, letting her know she at least had something to do later.