A/N: Do not own anything to do with Degrassi or its characters...etc... This is a different take on how Marco came to Degrassi and how he met Dylan.

A Fresh Start

Marco was sitting with his new friends at lunch. He was new to the school but found everyone to be very friendly. He listened to the easy banter that came with having friends for a long time. He hoped that this time he would be in this school to make friends like that. Marco had to switch schools after last year because everyone found out he is gay. Going to a private school and being the only gay kid did not fit together very well. His mom decided that going to a public school was the only choice for her son.

Marco had heard there were other gay kids in the school but had yet to meet any of them. If the rumors were true, they were all older boys. Marco had not disclosed to his new friends that he is gay, yet. He wanted to gauge what their reactions would be first. He had found a great friend in Ellie Nash. She was sweet, understanding and open minded. He also made friends with some of the more popular students. Paige is smart, pretty and loud. Spinner, her boyfriend, is rude and obnoxious but a good guy to have on your side. Jimmy is the basketball star with a heart of gold. Hazel, his girlfriend, is Paige's sidekick. Ashley is quiet and brooding; although he heard she used to rule the school with Paige. Craig is sensitive and insightful but made some bad choices. Terri is a model and very sweet. Lastly, Sean is an enigma. He tries to act tough but he has a really caring side that shows when he is with Ellie. Marco enjoyed watching his friends interact with one another.

Marco was to go to Paige's house after school today for a group project in Kwan's English class. He had not been to her house and was curious if it reflected Paige. He knew she had an older brother who was the hockey star of Degrassi and he was the power forward for a Junior A team. This much she had divulged to him over the weeks. From what he gathered by listening to everyone, he was going on to play for a top college team then possibly the pros. Marco was impressed by the information alone. He had been watching hockey for as long as he could remember and was always impressed by the skill and talent it took to perform. He could ice skate, just barely. Pick up a hockey stick and he was hopeless. Soccer was more of Marco's game. In fact, he already tried out for the team and made it. He was the youngest starter on the team according to Coach Armstrong. They did not have practice until after winter break so Marco had no idea who was on the team. Marco noticed that the conversation was turning toward the English assignment so he focused his attention to them. "What are we doing for this project?" Paige asked in general. The entire group was sitting here, so it seemed like a good time to ask. "I don't know. What about Shakespeare?" Marco asked. "Ugh. I hate Shakespeare." Spinner whined. "Spinner, you hate everything involving school. I don't think you are going to have a vote." Paige said. "Shakespeare could be interesting. Which play?" "I am not sure that we should pick just one play." Marco suggested. "I love the way you think. What about his dramas, like Hamlet?" Hazel asked. "Too dark." Marco said. "We don't want to overanalyze the project." Hazel nodded at that information. "I have the complete works of Shakespeare in my locker. I will bring it this afternoon and we can flip through it and decide." Marco said. "You keep a book of Shakespeare in your locker? That is bizarre." Spinner said. "Spin, to you even owning a book is bizarre." Marco joked. The table laughed and started to disperse. Paige put her hand on Marco's arm signaling she wanted him to stay. Spinner looked at her, waiting for her to stand. "I will catch up in a minute, honeybee. I want to talk to Marco real quick." Spinner nodded and walked away. "Yes, Paige. What can I do for you?" Marco asked. "I have been paying attention these last few weeks and I have a question for you. Based on my observations, I am going to guess that you are gay. Am I right?" Paige asked bluntly. "You are good. Yes I am. How did you know?" Marco asked. "Intuition. I see the way you watch guys when you think no one is paying attention. I notice you don't really give the girls the same attention. I thought that maybe I was hallucinating at first but then the pattern continued so I had to ask. I am glad I asked; now I won't go and do something stupid like try and set you up with a girl." Paige said with a big smile. Marco laughed, "Yeah that would have been embarrassing. I am not sure if I want everyone to know yet. This is something better left alone for now. I am not trying to hide who I am but I am not exactly ready to be open about it either. I hope you understand." "I won't say anything. I understand better than you think. Do your parents know?" Paige asked. "Yes. That is why I am here this year." Marco responded. Paige nodded her understanding, "Let's get to class. The bell is going to ring soon."

Paige had an idea. She loved to set people up and this was going to be the best set up yet. Dylan is a total catch and Marco is a babe. She wouldn't exactly set them up but she would toss them into each other's path a lot. She had the perfect idea to start it tonight. Paige smiled to herself as she took her seat in her next class.

Marco met up with Paige, Spinner, Hazel, Craig, and Ellie on the front steps. He had the book in his hand for their project. Paige said they would be walking the ten blocks to her house because Dylan was at practice and her mom needed the van. They started walking toward the Michalchuk house. It was a nice day considering it was August. There was a light breeze in the air making the sunny day seem cooler. Autumn was well on its way. They arrived at the house in about 20 minutes. Marco saw it was a beautiful Victorian style house complete with gingerbread trim. It was painted a lovely steel blue with deeper blue shutters. The front porch had a swing and two Cape Cod style chairs. It appeared to be a beautiful home. Paige let them in through the front door. The rest of the gang trooped down to the basement as she gave Marco and Ellie a tour of the house. She led them down to the basement after the grand tour. Marco looked around at their rec room with fascination. He could tell what screamed Paige in this room. From the couches, fashionable but comfy, to the pictures hanging randomly around the room. There was other more masculine touches here and there that Marco could only guess came from her brother. They settled in to the room and Marco flipped through his book. He gave short summaries of each play. The group decided that Marco's idea of using famous excerpts from each would be best. They liked the idea of creating something new out of something classic. They had been working for almost three hours before they realized the time. Craig, Ellie and Hazel said they had to go home. Paige looked at Marco, "Can you stay or do you have to go too?" "I can stay. There is no one home at my house right now. It doesn't matter when I get home." Marco said with a dejected look. Paige raised her eyebrows at Spinner and he shrugged. "We can order pizza, watch a movie and continue to work on the project. My parents aren't due home tonight either." Paige said. "Okay. I can go home in a little while then. It sounds better than sitting alone in an empty house." Marco said. "Great. I might even be able to talk Dylan into driving you home." Paige said grinning broadly. Spinner rolled his eyes and turned back to the project. "What kind of pizza do you like, Marco?" Paige asked. "As long it does not have anchovies I am fine." Marco said. "I am really a purist and like plain cheese." "Paige likes plain cheese too. She says it has fewer calories," said a deep voice from the stairs. Marco turned and got his first look at Paige's older brother. He was tall, blonde, built for sin, and gorgeous. Marco had to be careful not to drool. "Are we ordering pizza tonight?" Dylan asked Paige still looking at her new friend. "Yes. Mom and Dad had a conference in Toronto and have to stay over until morning." Paige informed her brother. "Okay. Order the pizza; I am going to take a shower. Did mom leave money?" "Yes she did. We will order 3 pizzas. One for you, one for Spin and one for us." Paige said pointing to Marco. "Ok. Who are you by the way?" Dylan asked still looking at Marco. "Dylan, don't be rude." Paige said. "Sorry if it sounded rude but you, dear sister, did not introduce him to me. He is new around here. I was wondering who he is, that is all." Dylan reprimanded. "Oh, sorry. Let me introduce Marco Del Rossi. Marco this is my brother Dylan." Paige said. Dylan held out his hand to Marco, Marco took it and felt an electric shock run up his arm. They shook hands a little longer than necessary, looking into each other's eyes, almost afraid to break the contact that seemed so strong. Paige said something and the boys broke their grasp and eye contact. Paige was smiling broadly at the two boys. Dylan gave his sister a confused look and headed for the stairs. Paige followed him up to order the pizzas. "Why are you grinning like a monkey hanging off a grape vine?" Dylan asked blocking her way to the phone. "I don't know what you are talking about." Paige answered still smiling, trying to get around him. Dylan played hockey; there is no way Paige was getting by him unless he let her. Dylan put his hands on his hips and stared her down. "Fine. I saw the way you looked at Marco. I think it is fantastic." Paige answered. "Why would it be fantastic?" Dylan questioned. "I will tell you later. Go take your shower. I am ordering and you always take long showers after practice." Paige said bossily. Dylan looked down at his little sister and moved slowly toward the stairs. She was up to something and it was bound to affect him in some way. He wished he knew what she was doing. It was nerve wracking when she was like this. His mind drifted back to the younger boy downstairs as he started to strip after turning on the shower. 'He has a unique look to him. I am guessing he is Italian, that olive skin, the dark hair and piercing eyes. I wonder if he felt the jolt that I felt when we shook hands. He must have, I could not look away from his gaze and he did not seem to want to turn away from mine.' Dylan thought while showering. He finished rinsing off and turned off the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror and shaved. When he was finished, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. At about 6'2" he was taller than most students at Degrassi; he had a hockey player's build, broad shoulders, defined arms, rock hard abs, powerful legs, and great balance. He wouldn't say he was great looking but he was obviously good enough to capture stares from the female population of Degrassi. He had his fair share of dates before announcing he is gay. He has had quite a few dates since then too. He thought once again of the boy downstairs. They were polar opposites. Dylan shook his head and stepped into the hall. He wasn't paying attention and ran directly into Marco. Marco put his hands on Dylan's pecs to keep from falling and Dylan grabbed Marco's biceps to steady him. When Marco regained his balance, Dylan let him go. Marco slowly removed his hands from Dylan's chest and started to blush. "Excuse me please. I didn't mean to run into you." Marco said. "My fault. I was not watching where I was going. I did not expect anyone to be up here." Dylan said smiling down at Marco. Marco's heart skipped a beat as he looked at Dylan. He was a magnificent man, all hard muscle and smooth skin. The fact that Dylan was in a towel had not escaped Marco's attention in the least. "I don't want to be rude but why are you up here?" Dylan asked leaning against the wall. "Paige and Spinner are fighting and she sent me to her room to get something. I can't remember what it is now. Oh, she wants her calendar and some paper that she left on her desk. I have no idea." Marco said shrugging. "It gets uncomfortable being in the room when they are fighting." Dylan said nodding. Marco was still trying not to let his gaze drift down to the towel but he could not seem to help it. Dylan noticed where his gaze kept drifting too and smiled, "I am making you uncomfortable." He said. "No, not really. It is not every day I am faced with a good looking guy in a towel." Marco said and immediately clamped a hand over his mouth in surprise. He turned bright red and looked as if he wanted to run. Dylan reached out and grabbed his arm before he could bolt. "Did I just say that out loud?" Marco asked wincing. "Yes. Most guys would not admit another guy is good looking. Especially when the good-looking guy in the towel happens to be openly gay. It has a tendency to make the other guy nervous." Dylan said laughing. Realization dawned on Marco like he got hit with a brick wall. Paige knew Dylan's routine; she was counting on Marco running into a nearly naked Dylan. "You are gay?" Marco asked. Dylan nodded, "Paige didn't tell you?" "No, she conveniently forgot to mention that. No wonder she asked...I am going to kill her." Marco muttered the last part more to himself. "I am lost...care to clue me in on why she needs to be murdered? If it is a good reason, I may help you hide the body." Dylan said teasingly. "I will tell you later. Right now I am going to get her stuff and keep a reign on my temper. Can we act like we never ran into each other?" Marco asked. "Sure. No problem. I will go get dressed now. I will see you downstairs in a few minutes." Dylan said heading for his room. Marco nodded and headed for Paige's room. Silently, he was seething for Paige setting him up like that. He did not mind seeing Dylan in a towel but it was sneaky and underhanded the way she went about it. Wait, Dylan is gay. This is good news, Marco thought to himself as he picked up Paige's stuff and walked back down the hall. He heard a drawer slam shut as he walked by Dylan's room. He could almost imagine the blonde standing naked in the middle of the room. 'This is definitely not an avenue of thought I need to explore right now' Marco thought as he shook his head and went down the stairs. He handed Paige the stuff she wanted and sat down on the couch. "Did you see Dylan when you were up there?" She asked. "No. I was not aware I was looking for him. Did you need something from him as well? If so, you forgot to mention it." Marco said. "I figured since you were gone so long that you probably ran into him. I figured you were talking." Paige said hopefully. "No sorry. My cell rang when I entered your room. I was talking to my mom. She worries when she is not home to take care of me." Marco said smoothly. Paige looked slightly miffed that her plan did not work. Marco was smiling inwardly because he totally foiled Paige's plan. She had planned on Marco running into Dylan in the hall. She was trying to get them together. The doorbell rang signaling the pizza had arrived. Paige opened the door and saw a very familiar face, Charles, Dylan's ex-boyfriend. "Hi Charles. When did you start delivering pizzas?" Paige asked handing over the money and taking the pizzas. She passed the pizzas to Marco and turned back to the door. She was hoping to get Charles out of there before Dylan made an appearance. "Few weeks ago. How is Dylan?" Charles asked. Paige stepped out on the porch and closed the front door behind her. "How do you think Dylan is? You romanced him for months and then you got him in your bed. You fucked him for...what...six weeks and then dropped him for some guy in your freshman English class. It has been three months since he has seen you. He is moving on with his life. Leave him alone. If we order another pizza from you, have someone else deliver it. I don't want to see Dylan suffer through that kind of pain ever again." Paige hissed at him. Dylan opened the front door and saw who Paige was talking to; he quickly closed the door again. "Good bye Charles." Paige said turning her back on the boy and walking inside the house. She shut the door quietly and looked at her brother. He was frozen in shock in the foyer. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. She listened to his beating heart and the sharp intakes of breath. She knew he had to be hurting again at just setting eyes on his ex. She had no idea how to help him. She sighed when Dylan hugged her back. The siblings kept their embrace for a minute until Paige felt Dylan relax. "Thanks sis. I did not know how I would feel if I ever saw him again...now I know. I don't like this feeling." Dylan said placing a kiss on the top of her blonde hair. "I was trying to get him out of here before you saw him." Paige said turning her head to look at her brother. "I know you were and I thank you again. You are pretty great sometimes Paige. I wanted you to know that before you did something to make me forget." Dylan said tucking her under his arm. They started walking toward the dining room together. "I will always be here for you Dyl. You are my older brother and I love you. I never want to see you hurt like you were a few months ago. It scared me to see you like that." Paige said honestly. Dylan and Paige entered the dining room and looked amazed that Spinner had not started eating. "You waited for us Spin? What is the occasion?" Dylan asked. "The threat of bodily harm." Marco answered. "That takes too much effort. I threaten to kiss him and it normally works." Dylan said with a laugh. "Dylan, it only works for you because you chased him around the yard that one day threatening to kiss him." Paige said. "He did something he was not supposed to and that was the punishment. I was only trying to enforce the punishment; it's not like I actually want to kiss Spinner. Sorry but you are so not my type." Dylan said looking at Spinner. Spinner grunted and opened his pizza box. Dylan sat across from Spinner and opened his box as well. Marco sat next to Dylan since it was the only chair left after Paige took the one next to Spinner. Dylan looked over and smiled slightly at the younger teen. Marco smiled back and then looked over at Paige who was watching very closely. Dinner went by without many incidents. Paige kept throwing concerned looks at her brother, which was making Marco concerned as well. Dylan seemed like a nice guy and he was in a good mood earlier. He wondered what had happened between the hall and the table that had Dylan silently brooding beside him. Everyone finished eating and helped in the clean up process. Paige grabbed Spinner and dragged him out of the kitchen; she was still trying to get Marco and Dylan alone. In the kitchen seemed as good a place as any in her mind. Marco looked up and noticed he was in the kitchen with a still brooding Dylan alone. Paige was up to her tricks again. 'May as well talk to this blonde god standing before me' he thought. "You okay?" Marco asked breaking the silence. Dylan jumped at the sound of his voice. It sounded much louder to him than it actually was, but considering he was lost in memories of times better left in the past, it was not that surprising. Dylan closed his eyes and sighed as he turned to face the shorter boy. "I am not sure." Dylan replied in stark honesty that threw Marco for a loop. He saw the pain-stricken expression that graced Dylan's beautiful face and wanted to find a way to make it go away and stay away. 'Where the hell did that come from? I normally could care less but for some reason I prefer a laughing and joking Dylan to the one I am facing now.' Marco thought before saying, "Care to talk about it?" Just then Spinner yelled that they wanted to start the movie. Dylan had wanted to say yes to the invitation to talk but sighed instead and walked out of the room. Marco silently cursed Spinner as he said, "Guess not" to the empty kitchen. He walked into the TV room and gauged where to sit. It was either in front of Paige and Spin on the floor or on the love seat with Dylan. Dylan looked at him as he was debating where to sit and said, "You can sit with me, I don't bite." "Yes you do." Spinner said seriously. "Ok but not hard. You can even bite me back." Dylan suggested. Marco laughed, "I warn you now, I do bite." This caused a smile to grace Dylan's features again. As Marco sat down in a sotto voce, "When I bite, it only causes pleasure." Dylan looked shocked at this information. Marco looked a little shocked that he said it out loud, granted only Dylan could hear him. Spinner hit play on the DVD remote and for the first time Dylan and Marco saw what they were going to be watching, Resident Evil. Dylan settled in for the mild horror film and Marco sat tensed next to him. Marco hates horror films of any kind and he feared he was about to make a fool of himself in front of the guy who was quickly becoming a crush. Dylan sensed Marco's unease and put his hand on his shoulder. The younger boy almost came out of his seat. Dylan smiled brightly; "You hate horror movies don't you?" Dylan leaned over and whispered in his ear. Marco reveled in the feeling of Dylan's warm breath against his ear and neck; "Yes" was all he managed to whisper back. Marco was trying to hide his growing interest in the older boy, mainly because he did not want to give Paige the satisfaction. "Well, if you relax a little when something jumps on the screen you won't go through the ceiling. It helps to remember it is all fake." Dylan whispered in his ear again. Marco nodded and tried to relax his tense muscles. Marco tried to zone out and not pay attention to the movie. It seemed to work for a while but then his thoughts started to drift into dangerous territory. Mainly the territory Marco had recently categorized as All Things Dylan. He realized that he had flirted shamelessly but never said that he is gay. 'He probably doesn't think I am gay, just overly friendly. Well, he might have a suspicion because of the biting comment. Oh I am so dead. He is sitting so close to me that I can smell his after-shave and shampoo. He smells so good. It is beyond distracting. At least, I have managed not to embarrass myself by screaming like a girl about the movie. Wow! I have managed to daydream for the entire movie...here come the credits.' Marco thought. He brought himself around to the present again as Spinner hit stop on the DVD player. "See, when you relaxed you did just fine." Dylan said with a small smile. "Yeah. Thanks for the tip." Marco replied. Paige was watching the two boys with interest. "Paige, do you have to take Spinner home?" Dylan asked. "Yes. I am getting ready to do that now. I do need Marco to stay for a little while longer. We need to talk and he is the only Shakespeare expert that I know." Paige said quickly trying to get out of taking Marco home as well. "Can Marco stay longer would be the better question. He may have to go home." Dylan said looking at her. She was up to something involving Marco and it did not bode well for either of them. Marco leaning back into the couch, "You know Marco is in the room and can speak for himself." The sarcasm hit Paige as funny and Dylan looked at him curiously. "I can stay for a little while longer, but Paige make it quick taking honeybee home. I do need to get some sleep tonight." Marco said giving Paige an 'I know what you are up to and you will be killed soon for it' look. "Dylan, do you mind keeping Marco company while I take Spin home?" Paige asked sweetly. "I don't mind but only because you were nice earlier and as Marco said hurry up. I have homework too." Dylan replied gruffly. It wasn't that didn't like Marco, he seemed like a nice guy but it was the fact that Dylan had managed to develop a crush on the younger boy. This would not be a problem but Dylan was not sure if Marco was gay or not and that caused a big problem. Paige and Spinner left the house after Spin grunted his good nights to the other two boys.

"So, Paige has left us alone together again. Ever get the feeling that she is up to something?" Dylan asked. "Almost every hour of every day." Marco replied with a tense grin. Dylan chuckled a little, "How long have you known Paige?" "Almost three weeks now, why?" Marco questioned. "You have her pegged very well for knowing her for such a short amount of time." Dylan said. "Yeah, well I had a friend just like her in my old school. She was easy to spot as a meddler." Marco stated. "Enough about my nosy sister, what should we talk about?" Dylan inquired. "Did you want to talk about what was wrong earlier?" Marco asked hesitantly. "Sure. I was thinking that now is a good time to take up that debilitating drug habit I have always wanted." Dylan said dryly. "Okay. Let me know how that works for you." Marco said lightly. Dylan laughed, "Oh you are priceless. Most people would look at me like I had lost my mind and you turn it into a joke." "I heard the underlying sarcasm. What is really wrong? I know something either happened when you were alone in your room or that it had to do with the pizza guy that Paige seemed to know. I am guessing it is the guy because I don't see what you could do to yourself to make you act like you were acting." Marco said in a rush. "You are observant, aren't you?" Dylan asked looking at him with curiosity. "Well, you were light-hearted and teasing in the hall and then you went all stony silent during dinner. It just seemed to be a drastic change." Marco explained. "Why can't I tell Paige I ran into you in the hall? And why does she think it is fantastic that we met?" Dylan questioned. "Those two questions definitely go together. She set me up to run into you in the hall. She knows your routine and wanted me to see you nearly naked...I guess. As far as her thinking it is fantastic we met, she is a schemer and she is planning something. I know what it is but I am afraid you won't like it." Marco said gently. "I must have played hockey one too many times without a helmet because I don't understand why she wanted you to see me nearly naked..." Dylan said trailing off. "You are too gorgeous to be this stupid. I am gay, Dylan and Paige knows it. She figured it out and confronted me after lunch today." Marco said in exasperation. "And clarity sets in...she is trying to set us up." Dylan said. "Well, DUH comes to mind." Marco said sarcastically. "No need to be rude. I am just a little slower than you. You had an advantage, you knew you were gay and I am gay. I didn't know about you. Cut me some slack on this." Dylan said defensively. "Ok, I am sorry. I just thought with the comments I have made that you might have figured it out." Marco said. "Well, I was confused about that but I thought maybe you were just friendly and didn't care that I was gay. I have a few friends who still joke like that with me." Dylan said lamely. 'That makes me sound like a fool' Dylan thought while watching Marco shake his head. "You are hopeless, you know that right? So, what's up with the pizza guy?" Marco asked. "I thought you would forget if I changed the subject." Dylan said. "Diversion tactics rarely work on me. If you want me to forget something, it is going to take more than a few questions." Marco said with a teasing grin. "Should I take notes?" Dylan asked. "No, I am not going to give those secrets away. Answer the question, Dylan." Marco stated firmly. "Fine, I used to date him. I thought he loved me, he didn't, and he got what he wanted from me and then dropped me for someone in his college English class. He hurt me. End of story." Dylan said ruefully. "So he was your first?" Marco questioned. "My first what? First love...yes. First partner...no that was another and very different mistake. First heart break...yes." Dylan replied honestly. "More info than I expected but ok. How did you feel seeing him again?" Marco asked gently. "Like I wanted to hug him, hit him, and hurt him at once...then came the overwhelming need to crawl back into bed and bury myself in the covers. That was where I spent most of my time when he first broke up with me. I never left my room. I did not care about anything." Dylan explained with an edge to his voice. "Are you over him now or did seeing him put you back to square one?" Marco prodded. "I am over him. It still hurts and I assume it will continue to hurt. That is not something you get over easily." Dylan said painfully. "What don't you get over easily?" Marco continued to question. He was trying to get the whole story out of him; maybe it would make him feel better. He did not know what else to do but keep him talking. "I walked in on him with the other guy in bed just an hour after I had left it. I had forgotten my wallet on his dresser and needed to get it. They were in the middle of having sex. He did not even stop when he saw me. He continued to pound into this guy while smiling at me. I was crushed. That is a pain I will never forget." Dylan said. "Ouch. I have no idea what to say to that. I am sorry seems so trite." Marco said putting his hand on Dylan's thigh. "Any guy, who can do that to me, does not deserve me." Dylan said firmly while looking at Marco's hand on his thigh. Marco noticed where his gaze was directed and blushed. He started to remove his hand but was stopped when Dylan put his hand over Marco's. "God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man." Marco said without thinking. Dylan looked at him and smiled, "Shakespeare...The Merchant of Venice." Marco smiled back and nodded. The two boys sat in the silent living room staring at each other, Marco sliding his hand on Dylan's thigh absentmindedly. Neither was uncomfortable with the silence so they let it continue. The sound of the door opening echoed through the room causing Marco to jump from his position on the love seat. He shot to the other couch and sat down. "So, you are the hockey star of Degrassi from what I hear, right?" Marco said trying to start a random conversation with Dylan. Luckily he caught on and kept it going, "Yes but I play other sports as well. Hockey just happens to be what I am best at." Dylan said. "I can barely ice skate. I love to watch hockey, in an I-wish-I-could-do-that kind of thing. Soccer is more my game." Marco explained looking over Dylan's shoulder at Paige, who was watching the scene with disgust. Paige had been hoping that leaving them alone this long they would have been a little more intimate with each other. Her brother really needed to get a move on. Marco is a hot guy and would be snatched up pretty soon. Well, once the gay population at Degrassi found out about him...she wanted Dylan to have the first shot though. Not only because he is her brother but also because he is the cutest out of Degrassi's gay guys.

"Marco, want to finish the assignment now?" Paige asked. "No. We are far from being finished and I refuse to do all the work." Marco replied. "Can I talk to you a second please?" Paige asked. "Sure, what about?" Marco asked, daring her to come up with something good. "Kwan's class." Paige answered. "What is it?" Marco asked showing little patience and not being tricked into going somewhere alone with her. He wanted to see her sweat it out. "What did you quote the other day when she asked for a little known quote? The one about meeting and loving or something like that." Paige improvised quickly. "No sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy." Marco recited with a dreamy expression. Paige sighed, "Yes that is it. Where is it from?" "As You Like It by Shakespeare. It was rumored that he originally wrote it for a male lover." Dylan responded absently watching Marco carefully. He had such a grace about him that made reciting Shakespeare seem like it was expected of him and not a cheesy pick up attempt. Dylan felt himself falling for this boy and it was scary.

Please review...it makes me happy. Let me know if I should continue this...or should I just let it die. If I get at least 7 reviews I will update.