401 – 402 Ghost in the Machine (I & II)

            Paige’s Storyline

Summer is coming to a close. Spinner’s work at The Dot has paid off and he has a new, used car from Joey’s dealership! Dylan is moving in to his university dorm, and brings Marco, Paige and Spinner along. Everyone has visions of dorm parties and freedom.

Unfortunately, Dean (the rapist) seems to be going to the same University as Dylan. Having to face her rapist and knowing the rape trial is coming up forces Paige to confront issues she thought had been put behind her. Dean tries his hardest to convince Paige to call off the trial, but she stays strong and is determined to end her pain once-and-for-all. When the trial finally arrives, the lack of evidence makes it into a case of he said / she said and it can’t be proven without doubt that Paige was actually raped. She is crushed, and now has to deal with being raped while the law says she wasn’t. Her emotions are going wild, and her relationship with Spin starts to erode.

Paige’s emotional breakdown leads her down a destructive path. First, she throws herself at Spinner in desperation, trying to become the whore that the court tried to make her out to be. Spinner stops her advances, which she sees as rejection. She steals Spinner’s car, goes to a party Dean had invited her to earlier, and decides to make him pay for his indiscretion. Before Paige can be stopped, she crashes Spinner’s car into Dean’s car, destroying both. Before the police arrive to punish Paige, Spin sends her off and takes the blame for the destruction himself, which lands him in jail for a few hours. Once Spinner is free, Paige apologizes and vows to pay him to repair his car.

Craig’s Storyline

            Craig’s 16^th birthday has arrived! His friendship with Ashley is improving and he has found a family in Joey and Angela. Caitlin sends him well-wishes from Thailand, where she is working. Things are going great, until Joey delivers Craig a present from his dead father. It seems that Mr. Manning left Craig $10,000. Craig is angry that his father is still trying to buy his love, even from the grave. He starts spending the money irresponsibly, including purchasing a multi-thousand dollar guitar.

Craig’s money-wasting infuriates Joey, whose used-car business is experiencing financial troubles and who might have to sell the house. After a horrible fight, Craig runs away and seeks safe haven at Sean’s apartment.  Things eventually clear up, and Craig promises to be more responsible. He is touched by the fact that Joey wanted to save his business mostly because he hoped to pass it on to Craig one day. Craig finally feels as though he is home.

         Note: In this episode, we find that Liberty and Towerz, Toby and Kendra and Emma and Chris have broken up.

403 King of Pain

            Marco has decided to run for Degrassi school president! It seems as though he is a shoo-in, until Alex joins the race. Marco’s family is proud of his efforts, and his dad even donates posters. Things aren’t perfect though, because Dylan is pressuring Marco to come out to his parents. Marco is not ready for that step, mostly because out his father’s overt homophobia. It seems as though he might not have a choice though, because Alex decides to make the election a choice between the “freak” and the “queer”, something she plans to announce at the school assembly. Not willing to hide the relationship any longer, Dylan breaks up with Marco. The night before the election, Marco comes out to his mother, but still can’t face his father. Alex eventually decides to take the higher road, making it a choice between the freak and the “pretty boy.” Once Dylan hears that Marco has come out to his mother, he decides to make amends and be more patient. Marco chooses Alex as his vice-president.

            In other events, Liberty is showing an interest in Chris and Chris seems to be reciprocating. Emma decides to do her best to stop the budding romance, but not because she still likes Chris. Emma fears what people will say if her ex goes out with someone as unpopular as Liberty; what would that make Emma if Chris would date them both? Liberty finds out, and declares that Emma is dead to her. Manny is also disappointed, and it looks as though their friendship is further deteriorating.

404 Mercy Street

            Rick is about to return to Degrassi, and Emma refuses to stand for it. She uses her growing popularity (she now spends a lot of time with Paige) to stage a protest against Rick. The protest starts with anti-violence yellow ribbons, but soon grows into brutal bullying when Rick starts at Degrassi despite the protest. Emma, Paige, Hazel, Spinner, Jimmy, Alex and Jay are at the core of the bullying. When things turn violent (especially at the hands of Jay) Emma starts to wonder whether the fight is fair (something Ellie pointed out). She eventually defends Rick.

            JT’s and Manny’s relationship is getting less and less romantic. Manny starts to find JT’s behavior as incredibly juvenile. When JT sees Craig naked in the locker room, he starts to wonder if he can “measure up”. With Danny’s help, JT seeks some “enhancement.” It doesn’t work because Manny finally admits that Craig does have something JT doesn’t: maturity. The relationship is over.

405 Anywhere I Lay My Head

            Ellie is spending more and more time at Sean’s apartment, mostly because her mother’s alcoholism is getting unbearable. Mrs. Nash even goes so far as to show up drunk at Parents’ Night. Sean desperately wants to help Ellie, and asks her to move in with him. Ellie refuses – she can’t leave her mother home alone while her father is off at war – until Mrs. Nash almost burns down the house. Ellie moves in with Sean but lies to her mother, telling her that she is staying at Ashley’s house until repairs are made to the scorched Nash home. Mrs. Nash discovers the lie when she arrives a Sean’s apartment during a house-warming party. Ellie has to go back home, but finally breaks down, and confesses that Mrs. Nash’s alcoholism is driving her to cut. While her mother goes to rehab, Ellie moves in with Sean . . . for good. She even brings along a ferret (Ferret Bueller).

            Paige is sick, leaving Manny to organize a Spirit Squad carwash. She convinces Spinner to get Downtown Sasquatch to play their first real gig since the talent show. Things start to heat up between Manny and Spinner, culminating in a wet and steamy embrace that Craig catches on film.

            Note: Downtown Sasquatch: Craig (singer), Jimmy (guitar), Marco (bass), Spinner (drums), Ashley (keyboard).

406 Islands in the Stream

            Paige gets fired from The Dot, still nowhere near paying off her debt to Spinner. She applies for a job at the movie theatre, even consenting to work with Alex, a girl she is still not particularly fond of. Paige swallows her pride, takes the job, and even puts up with Spinner’s constant put-downs. Paige’s friends start to question her relationship with Spinner, especially when a picture from the carwash emerges – featuring Spin and Manny. Things come to a head when Craig and Spinner get into a fight at the movie theatre; the fight is about Manny. Paige is fired for allowing her friends to be so reckless, but Alex gets her the job back, improving their emerging friendship. Paige can no longer allow Spinner to take advantage of her and breaks up with him.

            Toby and Rick are paired up in a class project, and start to become friends. They start making bets about who can get the most kisses, something Toby easily wins. Jay is none-too-pleased that Toby is friends with Rick, and makes that clear to Toby. It also emerges that Toby still likes Emma, and so does Rick.

407 – 408 Time Stands Still (I & II)

            Inconsequential plot events first: Joey is continuing to experience money problems, and decides that he has to sell the house. Craig calls up Joey’s ex-girlfriend Sydney to help them out (she is a Real Estate agent). Caitlin is back in town, but Joey decides not to share his money problems with her. Craig tells Caitlin that the house is being sold, and Caitlin decides to buy the house for Joey, and indeed the rest of the Jeremiah family (herself included). After initial hesitation, Joey accepts Caitlin’s gesture.

            The real story: Rick is being consistently bullied and repeatedly approaches Mr. Raditch, hoping the school will stop the bullying. Mr. Raditch continuously ignores Rick’s pleas. Rick, Toby, Emma and Jimmy are participating in a Wack-Your-Brain trivia competition that will be televised. Jimmy starts to see that Rick has improved. It seems as though Rick is finally getting real friends. Jay and Spinner (with some help from Alex) decide to make Rick pay for hurting Terri; they will dump paint and feathers on him at the end of the competition. The Degrassi team wins the competition, and as Rick goes to receive the first-place award, paint and feathers quickly cover him. He is mortified, and consumed by anger. He goes to the restroom, where he finds Jay and Spinner. As Rick tries to recover, he overhears Jay and Spinner (deliberately) blaming the incident on Jimmy. Rick gets even angrier, feeling betrayed by a supposed friend. Rick goes home . . . where he gets a gun.

            Rick returns to Degrassi, having hidden the gun. He decides to take out his anger on his Wack-Your-Brain teammates one-by-one. Jimmy is first, getting shot directly in the spine. When Rick goes to shoot Emma, Sean steps in. Sean tries to convince Rick to drop the gun, but when that fails, he grabs Rick and attempts to wrest the gun from his hand. In the tussle, the gun goes off, shooting Rick, who dies.

            As school officials and the police become aware of the events, students are locked in their classrooms, mostly unaware of the tragedy. The news breaks to Degrassi students and the public. Hazel learns that her boyfriend has been rushed to the hospital. Reporters and parents converge on Degrassi. Once Rick is confirmed dead, parents are allowed to collect their children. From this point the tragedy is viewed largely from the eyes of Toby (and family) and Emma (and family). Kate Kerwin tries to sooth her step-son. Mr. Raditch wants Mr. Simpson to search Rick’s computer for warning signs – something that disgusts Archie, since there were numerous warning signs that were ignored; he is not impressed by hindsight attempts to protect the Degrassi administration.

            Degrassi’s innocence is destroyed and things will never be the same.

409 Back in Black

            Degrassi is trying to recover from the shooting, and has instituted daily group therapy, grief counseling, and discussions. Sean has become a hero for stopping Rick, but he is having trouble facing his emotions. After seeing a news story featuring his estranged parents, Sean decides to go back to Wasaga Beach. He convinces Jay, Ellie and Emma to accompany him. After a very hostile confrontation with his parents, the group goes to the beach where they find Tyler, the boy Sean deafened in one ear four years prior. When Ellie tries to get Sean to express his emotions, Sean takes off on a Skee-Doo, and almost drowns himself. Luckily, Tyler saves him and it seems the past is forgiven. Speaking of forgiving the past, Sean finally apologizes to Emma for all that he put her though in the past, and they are finally real friends again. Sean goes back to see his parents one last time, but realizes that, for the first time, home is where he needs to be. Jay, Ellie and Emma reluctantly leave Sean at Wasaga Beach.

410 Neutron Dance

            Remember how Downtown Sasquatch won the Battle of the Bands last year? Well, their prize – free recording time and a copy of that recording – is about to expire. Unfortunately, Sasquatch (Craig, Marco and Spinner, with the addition of Ashley) are nowhere near ready to record. Not only that, but there is a lot of tension in the band over the inclusion of Ashley, especially since Marco and Spinner never officially agreed to it. Marco and Spinner decide to issue Craig an ultimatum – Ashley goes, or they go. Craig can’t make that choice, especially since some past emotions are starting to resurface. Everyone seems to notice the renewed chemistry between Ashley and Craig (even Jimmy, still recovering at a rehabilitation centre), except for Craig and Ashley. Craig finally decides that he can’t ask Ashley to leave, so Marco and Spinner decide to provide their own additions to the band; Marco is now playing the accordion, Spinner has a whistle, and Manny is now on tambourine. When they arrive at the recording studio, Craig decides he can’t sacrifice his recording dreams, and asks Ashley to leave. Before even one take of “Turns to Dust” is finished, Craig realizes that the point of everything: the band, the song, the competition, the recording . . . Everything has always been about Ashley. He runs out of the recording studio and lets Ashley know that it’s always been her. The Craig and Ashley saga re-commences.

            Hazel has been taking school-offered yoga classes, taught by the young teacher’s assistant Mr. Matt Oleander. When Hazel suggests that Paige should join her, Paige declines . . . until she sees Mr. Oleander. At yoga classes, Paige and Mr. Oleander are exchanging conversation and . . . . . .flirtation? Alex sees the flirtation when Mr. O shows up at the cinema and encourages Paige to go for it. Paige and Hazel use fake IDs to get into the bar Mr. Oleander is going to be at. When Paige finds Mr. O, she starts to flirt, until Mr. O’s girlfriend Charlie embarrasses her AND gets her (and Hazel) kicked out of the bar.

411 Voices Carry 1

            Craig and Ashley are back together and they are both really happy about it . . .  and seem to be the only ones who actually feel that way. Ashley’s mom hates him for breaking Ashley’s heart, Marco and Spinner are unhappy that she broke up the band (and they have an embarrassingly bad version of “Turns to Dust” to show for it). . . it seems like no one wants to see them together. Ashley’s mom is mad enough that she refuses to let Craig go to Ashley's father's wedding rehearsal or the wedding itself. Craig’s having trouble sleeping and is acting up in class and generally just acting weird. Everything is piling up, and starts to cause stress with Ashley. He steals Joey’s credit card and rents a hotel room for the night, to give Ashley and him the chance to have some time alone. He's decorated the hotel room in roses and petals. Ashley is touched, and they both make the conscious decision to take the next step in their relationship by making love, Craig having come well-prepared with a full package of condoms.

            After they’ve made love, Ashley is feeling a bit over-emotional and Craig does his best to make her feel okay. Ashley loves him so much that she refuses to keep him away from the wedding and rehearsal. When she brings Craig to the rehearsal (at a gay bar!), Ms. Kerwin isn’t very happy and voices her concerns to Ashley. Ashley doesn’t understand how her mother can forgive their father for dumping her for a man, but can’t forgive Craig. Ashley is firm in her belief that her love for Craig couldn’t be more perfect, until Craig mysteriously runs off. He runs to his house and before he returns to the rehearsal, he starts to act really weird. When he arrives back at the rehearsal, he brings out his mother’s ring, and proposes to Ashley! She immediately says no and he runs off. Ashley can’t figure out what happened, but then starts to second guess her response; after all, she does love Craig. Meanwhile, Craig is in the midst of a nervous breakdown, completely destroying the hotel room.

Side-story: Liberty has adapted her own version of Dracula from scratch, and JT is directing. They are both very excited, but get their hopes dashed when Mr. Raditch doesn’t think such a violent play is appropriate in light of the school shooting. He demands that JT and Liberty write a musical version of Degrassi. In their attempt to create the play Raditch wants to see, JT and Liberty start to bond and end up coming up with the perfect music – a rebellious song about “Radishes”.

Note: Jimmy is still in rehab, and it becomes apparent that he is starting to get really frustrated being stuck there.

412 Voices Carry 2

            Craig is still at the hotel after his nervous breakdown, and the place is completely trashed. When the phone rings, he hesitates, but answers it. Ashley is on the other line and lets him know she thought about it and . . . she accepts his proposal! Craig, after shouting “woooo” in an utterly hilarious way, immediately calls Marco and they meet up so Craig can buy a really nice suit for Mr. Kerwin’s wedding, with Joey’s credit card. When the suit is bought and they both meet up with Dylan, Craig makes a very energetic proclamation of support for gay weddings. When Craig returns to the hotel to get dressed, he sees that the hotel staff have discovered the damage he did, and leaves before he is noticed. Craig goes to Jimmy’s rehabilitation center to get dressed and share his good news with Jimmy, but Jimmy isn’t quite sure getting married at 16 is the most sane idea.  Craig really doesn’t care, and goes to the wedding. Everything seems to be going great, with Ashley and Craig back together, Mr. Kerwin finally marrying his boyfriend . . . until Craig decides to announce the engagement to all the guests. Ashley’s family is shocked, and Ashley is livid. She demands that he goes, but Craig resists, and demands acceptance from Ashley’s family. Next thing you know, Craig has caused an even bigger scene, making Ashley even more mad, but also terribly heartbroken. Craig runs off, crushed and full of anxious energy.

            Meanwhile, Joey can’t find his credit card, and realizes that Craig stole it. Snake and Spike are helping redecorate the Jeremiah house, and Snake inquires about Craig’s mental stability. Joey disregards Snake’s concerns, until the hotel staff arrives at the Jeremiah house to demand $4000 in damages. Joey goes on a hunt to find Craig, which leads him to the Kerwin wedding just as Craig arrives home. Caitlin tells Craig how mad Joey is, and Craig gives her $3000 to try to pay for the damages, and doesn’t understand the money doesn’t make up for what he did. Joey wants Ashley to tell him where Craig is, but she doesn’t know. She is adamant that Craig’s actions aren’t normal. Joey starts to understand that something is wrong with his son. When Joey arrives back home, Craig is there, and they get into a violent altercation. Things are out of control, until Ashley arrives and breaks the fight up. It is clear that Craig needs help.

            Craig is placed into a mental hospital (temporarily) because he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and chemical imbalance of the brain. Craig wants Ashley to know he would understand if she left, but Ashley is adamant that she is going to stay. Craig and Ashley seem to be together for the long haul.

            Side-story: JT and Liberty give the cast copies of their song “Radishes,” but they refuse to sing it. When Mr. Raditch arrives to see rehearsal, only JT and Liberty are left. They offer to perform what they have for Mr. Raditch. JT doesn’t want him or Liberty to get in trouble, and tries to sing a musical about Degrassi, but Liberty won’t stand for it. She thinks that singing a cheesy musical won’t help the school deal with the shooting, and sings the radish song. JT and Liberty both end up in detention. Liberty and JT bond in detention, largely because JT is impressed she would stand up to Mr. Raditch. Liberty gets courageous, and kisses JT, who then kisses her back. It seems JT and Liberty are the newest Degrassi couple.

413 Bark at the Moon

            Manny and Spinner (. . . and Chester?): Spinner and Manny have been dating for a while now. Spinner wants to make things official, but Manny is more interested in having fun . . .especially when she meets new student Chester. Craig is back from the mental hospital, and wants to deal with his issues, Manny included. Craig apologizes to Manny, telling her that she was his biggest mistake and he wishes he could go back in time and change what happened. Those aren’t the words Manny wants to hear, because she really cared for Craig. Manny starts to avoid Spinner in order to avoid commitment, and it seems as though she might not be entirely over Craig.

            When Paige flakes on the Spirit Squad (as usual), Manny and Marco are put in charge of organizing an event to increase school spirit. With Chester’s help (and a lot of flirtation) they decide to organize a dance where couples are paired up through computers. In return for his suggestion, Chester wants to reserve a dance with Manny. Manny shares the event idea with Spinner, and expects him to attend. Unfortunately, Spinner can’t get the night off from work. The two fight, because Manny can’t understand how Spinner can commit to her if he can’t commit to a dance.

When the night of the dance arrives, Manny is paired with Danny, but wanted to be paired with Chester, and Marco thinks she should be paired up with Spinner. Marco tells Manny to move on from Craig and accept Spinner into her life. Spinner gets out of work and goes to the dance to convince Manny that he really wants her to be his girlfriend, but she still isn’t convinced. After Chester flakes out on Manny (apparently he is embarrassed by her dancing) Manny realizes that she needs to find Spinner. When she finds him, she admits that Craig really hurt her, and she’ll only date Spinner if he promises to never break her heart. He promises to never hurt her. Spinner and Manny are now Degrassi’s newest couple.

            Paige: Paige decides to talk to Mr. Matt Oleander to clear up what happened at the bar (see Neutron Dance). Mr. O. tells her that he though her actions were gutsy, and the he has broken up with his girlfriend, “not because of us, not that there is an us” (although it is pretty obvious there is something going on between the two). Paige tries to talk Mr. O into dating her, pointing out that the age difference is not that much larger than the one between Dylan and Marco. Mr. O points out that Dylan isn’t Marco’s teacher. Paige refuses to accept no for an answer, especially since there is a lot of chemistry between the two.

            When Paige arrives at the dance, she is paired with Mr. Oleander. Marco set it up that way as a favor to Paige, but Mr. O is not happy. He storms off, and Paige quickly follows. Paige confronts Matt, and demands to know if he likes her or not. They start to embrace . . . until Manny comes in, at which point Matt freaks out and takes off. Paige chases Matt (again) and they share a steamy kiss. They decide to date, but only off school grounds, and they have to sneak around until end of term.

            Side-story: After 18 years as principal of Degrassi, Mr. Raditch has been assigned to another school, likely due to controversy after the school shooting. Ms. Hatzilakos is the new principal. For 18 years of service, Raditch sure didn’t get much of a farewell.

414 - 415 Secret (I & II)

            Emma’s story: Emma has been distancing herself from basically everyone since the school shooting, and people are starting to become concerned. She is feeling drawn to Jay, and when he offers to take her home one day, she accepts. They strike up a bit of a friendship, and Jay invites her to the ravine, a popular hangout for Jay’s group. Emma hesitates, but sneaks out of the house to meet Jay at the ravine. When she gets there and Jay invites her to join him in a parked van, she finds out what people really do at the ravine: perform oral sex for bracelets. Jay gives Emma a bracelet, but she refuses to perform oral sex. The next day, Emma shows her bracelet off to Amy, someone who has also been collecting numerous bracelets. Jay confronts Emma about not “deserving” the bracelet, and that night Emma sneaks out to the ravine again to earn her bracelet.

            Shortly after Emma begins to take regular trips to the ravine, the administrators of Degrassi uncover an STD outbreak: gonorrhea. A number of girls have come down with severe sore throats, and much of it is traced back to Jay, and those who participated in activities with him at the ravine. The Degrassi staff encourages all who might have been involved to get tested for STDs. When Emma comes down with a sore throat, she thinks she might have gonorrhea as well. Rumours spread, and during Dracula rehearsals, the lead actor refuses to kiss Emma during a scene, for fear of getting the STD. Emma knows she has to get tested, and asks her mother to take her to the doctor. Snake knows what that might mean, and can’t believe his own (step) daughter might have done such a thing. It seems the school shooting is still causing serious problems.

            Craig’s story: Craig is adjusting to living with bipolar disorder. Ashley is trying to be the most supportive girlfriend she can be, and suggests that Craig goes to a mental health support group. Craig is starting to feel as though all Ashley wants to talk about is his mental illness, doesn’t want anyone to know about his disorder, and gets really frustrated when he finds out that Ashley has suggested the same support group that Ellie goes to. Things get a bit tense, but Ellie bonds with Craig and diffuses the situation. Craig decides to talk to Ashley and explain that he understands that Ashley is showing that she cares, but he wants her to let him be her boyfriend, not the crazy guy she has to save all the time. Craig is back to normal . . . or as normal as possible.

            Jimmy’s Story: Jimmy is making some great strides in his recovery. The doctors think it’s time that Jimmy leaves rehab and goes back home, but Jimmy’s father isn’t so sure. Jimmy has his heart set upon living a normal life, even if it means one in a wheelchair. When Jimmy’s dad decides not to let him come home, Jimmy enlists the help of Craig and Marco. Craig and Marco sneak Jimmy out of rehab and into the Kid Elrick concert. When Jimmy’s dad finds out, they fight, but Jimmy’s dad finally realizes that he needs to let his son live a real life.

416 Eye of the Tiger

            Jimmy is finally going back to school! Everyone is eager to give him a warm welcome back. Spinner is eager to reclaim his friendship with Jimmy, and wants to get rid of some of his guilt, and therefore does more than anyone to make Jimmy’s return positive. Degrassi even names the basketball trophy after Jimmy. Spinner’s guilt eventually gets the best of him, he breaks down, and admits to Jimmy that he gave Rick the impression that Jimmy was behind the paint and feathers incident. Jimmy’s and Spinner’s friendship is destroyed. Spinner still feels guilty though, and tells Principal Hatzilakos the truth about the Wack-Your-Brain incident. Principal Hatzilakos expels Spinner and Jay.

JT’s and Liberty’s relationship is starting to heat up, and Danny isn’t quite so sure he wants his sister dating his best friend. Danny isn’t spending as much time with JT as he used to, and he also thinks that Liberty is too good for JT. They fight, and whilst Liberty and JT are cuddling in the Van Zandt hot tub, Danny decides not to cover up for them. When Mr. Van Zandt comes home, he catches Liberty and JT, and refuses to let the two date.

417 Queen of Hearts

            Alex, Ellie, Craig, Marco and Jimmy have begun playing cards in the basement of Degrassi. Now that Ellie is living alone (albeit with Ferret Bueller), she is starting to have trouble paying the rent. She meets with her mother once a week to collect rent money, but Ellie wants to prove she can do things on her own. Unfortunately, Ellie doesn’t have enough money. Alex and Ellie decide that the two are good enough at cards that they should start playing for money. The two invite Dylan’s hockey team over to gamble and things seem to be going well. Ellie and Alex are bonding, and Ellie wants Alex to move in with her. The game comes down to the wire, and Ellie bets all of her rent money. In the end, she doesn’t trust Alex enough not to lose the money. Alex does win the game (and thus the rent), but is hurt that Ellie doesn’t trust her. Alex convinces Ellie that she’s not mature enough to live on her own, and Ellie ends up moving back in with her mother, who is now sober.

            Meanwhile, Paige and Matt (Mr. O) are still hiding their relationship, but Paige is starting to get suspicious that Matt is hiding something more. Paige gets frustrated that she never goes over the Matt’s apartment, and when Matt stops answering his phone, Paige starts to panic. She goes over to Matt’s apartment, and forces her way in. She finds out that the only thing Matt has been hiding is the shame of being so poor he can’t even afford to patch the leak in his ceiling. Paige is relieved that Matt isn’t cheating, doesn’t care about the money, and is touched that Matt was do eager to impress her.

418 Modern Love

            Paige and Matt are finding it harder and harder to hide their relationship. First, they almost get caught by Mr. Simpson whilst they are cuddling in the park. Manny suspects there is something going on, and when she confronts Paige, she admits it. Manny then makes the mistake of talking about the relationship to Hazel, who didn’t know anything was going on. Hazel and Paige fight, and Paige confronts Manny in the hallway. Manny is sick of Paige taking all of the credit for Manny’s Spirit Squad work, and their disagreement becomes an all-out catfight that only ends when Principal Hatzilakos and Mr. O step in . . . but not before Manny calls Mr. O a pedophile.

            Principal Hatzilakos demands to meet with Mr. O and Paige to confront the rumors of their relationship. When Paige tells her side of the story, Hatzilakos explains that Mr. O had said Paige was actually stalking him. Paige is incredibly hurt and confronts Matt at his apartment. Matt explains that he had to lie in order to keep his job, and didn’t mean a thing he said. When Paige realizes the gravity of the situation (Mr. O could lose his student teaching job, and even get kicked out of school), she agree to go along with Matt’s statement to Hatzilakos. The next day, Paige, Matt, Hatzilakos, Mr. Simpson and Mr. O’s advisor all meet in the Degrassi office. Paige starts to explain that she took things too far and was indeed stalking Mr. Oleander. Mr. Simpson refuses to accept her explanation (he’s been getting increasingly suspicious of Matt and Paige), and explains that she will lose her entire year if she has to switch classes (in order to follow the rules of staying away from Mr. O). Paige refuses to relent, and is willing to lose her year. Before any decision can be made, Matt steps in and admits that he and Paige have been dating. Paige’s year is saved, but what will happen to Matt?

            Matt’s school decides that he can no longer student teach at Degrassi. Additionally, he is kicked out of the teaching program at school. His only consolation is that his is allowed to stay at University. And he gets to keep seeing Paige. Paige is touched that he gave up his dream for her, and Matt is touched that Paige was willing to give up her year for him. Both are happy that they no longer have to hide their relationship.

Emma is trying her best to deal with the fallout since getting gonorrhea and the school finding out she’s been performing oral sex in the ravine. She and Manny are bonding again (since they both seem to be outcasts).  Emma, Manny, and two other girls at Degrassi decide to have a girls’ night out so they can forget about all the guy problems in their life. When the other girls realize that Chester (and his brothers) live next door, only Emma can forget about boys. When the boys soak the girls with water guns, a prank war starts. From water fights to tampons stuck to trees . . . things get a little crazy. Chester and Emma finally declare a truce when Emma gets caught (by the police) in the middle of a prank.

419 Moonlight Desires

            In the flurry of activities that have been happening at Degrassi to get over the school shooting, Marco organizes a blood drive. The blood drive planning has Marco thinking about plans of another kind . . .  graduating early and moving in with Dylan. His plans run into their first problem when the blood drive refuses to take Marco’s blood, entirely because he is gay. (Side-note: It emerges that Dylan and Marco have had sex, but Marco can’t give blood because he is gay, regardless of whether he has had sex.) Marco approaches Caitlin about doing a story that exposes such discrimination, and Caitlin agrees. When Marco’s story airs, it seems most of it has been cut out, which makes both Caitlin and Marco angry. Caitlin offers Marco the chance to travel to Africa during the summer to study the AIDS epidemic there, and Marco accepts.

            Marco and Craig go to a party at Dylan’s dorm, and Marco catches Dylan cheating on him. Marco is crushed and goes to Craig for support. Craig does his best to cheer his friend up. When Dylan finds Marco, Marco does the first thing he can think of: he kisses Craig! Craig is more shocked than anything, and demands that Marco go sort things out with Dylan. Dylan and Marco talk, and Dylan explains that although he still loves Marco, he want to see other people. Marco is (justifiably) unhappy, and refuses to accept the situation. Marco and Dylan break-up.        

Jay and Spinner are getting increasingly bored and frustrated about being forbidden from going to school. They decide to break into Degrassi in the middle of the night. They toilet paper the school gym, stack up all the school’s chairs in the hallway, dump the yearbooks . . . Spinner even puts lighter fluid on the yearbooks in the hopes of burning down the school. Jay steps in to stop him, realizing that Spinner is going through the horrible pain of losing his friends. When Spinner admits that he wants his friends back, Jay convinces him that setting the school on fire is no way to gain them back. The two go about cleaning up the mess they made.