"OH, COME ON!" ❁ DEGRASSI: NEXT GEN.

Time Stands Still ☼

"Really? I thought it was because of last year." Baby whispered to herself

"So?" Rick asked, ignoring the whisper he heard the girl behind him speak

"So, you came back to Degrassi to show you've changed, right? So work with Jimmy on the team. He's helping Baby with science, maybe she can put in a good word." Emma suggested

"Maybe." Baby said, avoiding all eye contact with Rick

"Think they want to know who I am?" He asked, pointing to his vandalized locker, "They want to torture me."

"We need you on the team, so you need to do something." Emma finished, removing the signs before leading Baby down the hall, again.

☼ ☼ ☼

"WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT RICK?" Baby asked Jimmy, as the two worked on science after his brain quiz practice

"Uh, I don't know. I thought he was a jerk, but today he showed me he might be trying." Jimmy sighed, doodling on his textbook

"I don't think doodling in your textbook is going to help me learn science." Baby laughed at the boy

"Sorry, Baby. I'm just a little distracted." He admitted, before shutting the notebook

"Scared about tomorrow?" She asked, knowing the brain competition was tomorrow

"Yeah." Jimmy nodded in confirmation

"How about this? I quiz you for the competition, and then you can just tutor me after you guys win?" Baby offered, smiling at the older boy

"That would be amazing. Thank you, Baby." He grinned, before taking out a giant stack of note cards. The Roberts girl laughed, knowing they were going to be there for a long time.

The next day, Baby sat in the audience with Manny, watching the two schools compete for the prize. Degrassi was trailing by one point, until Rick tied it up at the end for a lightning round.

Rick stepped up to answer the question for the round, and everything seemed to be going well.
He easily won the challenge, and stood in the middle of the stage basking in his win, when all of a sudden he was soaked in yellow paint and feathers falling from the ceiling.

Baby sat there in shock, while the kids in the audience began to laugh at him.

The teachers quickly dismissed the students for lunch, trying to kill the situation before it got any worse for the boy.

Baby sat at a table discussing what had just occurred with Toby and Emma, while Daniel and JT sat besides them, playing some kind of game, "They can't air the quiz show, Toby." Emma complained

"Yes, they can. They just cut before the paint pours on Rick." Toby insisted

"Which is now officially my new favorite image." JT said, making Baby kick his foot

"You know what? You wouldn't think it was so funny if it happened to you." Toby argued

"I would." Daniel laughed

"What's Rick doing back at school?" Baby asked the group, noticing the boy walking towards the entrance, still covered in the paint and feathers

"We should go talk to him." Toby suggested, getting up to follow the boy, while JT and Daniel continued to laugh

☼ ☼ ☼

WITH EXTRA TIME LEFT IN LUNCH, and a free period next, Baby left her table of friend to go look for Jimmy. He still owed the girl tutoring time after she helped him last night.