Degrassi: Bitter Love

Episode 18

[theme song]

                 A confident rapping alerted that someone was at the door but Alli was lost in her despair that she found it most difficult to respond to it. She was curled up in bed and it was obvious she had been crying. She had begged her parents to let her stay home because she found it too hard to face another day of school with a sunshine smile on her face.

The knocking persisted which aggravated her mood. She took up a pillow and pulled it around her head to block out the noise. She didn't care who it was or why they were there, she just wanted them to go away. She wanted it all to go away.

The knocking transformed into ringing and Alli buried her head further until it finally subsided. She pulled her head out again with much relief but her moment was short-lived when she heard knocking again but this time it was on her bedroom door.

"It's Emma," the voice called out, "I explained to your parents that it was urgent I speak with you. They assured me that you might be so ill you wouldn't be able to make it downstairs to answer the doorbell so they allowed me to come in when I noticed you couldn't."

There was a pause and Emma continued, "I kept on knocking and ringing because I know you're not really ill after all. In fact, I thought you would be expecting me." Her voice seemed panicky but sincere, concerned but serious.

"I received your message yesterday evening and I asked your friends for your address because it was evident you weren't coming school today. A lot of the girls found it strange seeing me on a Thursday, the day after the meet."

Another pregnant pause intensified the situation at hand, "Anyways, I chose to come here because I honestly thought you were expecting me to talk but if you changed your mind, I could always come..."

The door to the bedroom opened and a teary-eyed Alli stared into the frightened eyes of Emma. They stood there for a while, not sure what to do or say.

"Hi," Emma finally managed.

"That call was a mistake," Alli rectified.

"No." Emma felt like reaching out but she felt she should stay her ground. 

"I made it up," lied Alli.

"Those girls hurt you and you've been keeping it a secret all this time. Maybe it's time to really talk about it." 

Her motherly spirit evoked fears in Alli and she showed her anger and distrust, "I'm sorry for wasting your time but..." She started crying and Emma felt herself dash towards the girl. She was hugging her and letting her know things were going to be alright.

"I didn't mean to make them jealous, y'know," Alli revealed, "After rehab for that stupid cigarette they found, my parents thought I deserved a reward. I didn't do anything, it was Malaika. I guess she hated me so much because when I returned the entire school was against me."

"The new shoes and the new bag I got from my parents fuelled them even more I suppose but it was the way she was talking to me and how no one paid attention to it," mumbled Alli. Emma eased her over to the bed to sit her down.

"That was the moment I truly felt alone." She couldn't bring herself to look at Emma but she was beginning to understand how good it felt to let someone know the truth. 

"Soon everyone was calling me names and then no one invited me to Holdsworth High where they went to socialize with the cute guys from the school nearby. I had no friends and the only one I thought I had..." Alli couldn't contain her tears. Emma was beginning to cry herself, "...the one friend I thought I had was the one who cut me."