There's a moment of silence as the scalding eyes are locked, disbelief edged on their faces.

"I can't believe this!" Ashley says, turning from him. "I told them to make sure the winner wasn't from Degrassi!"

"She's not! We moved away!"

"You did?" Ashley questioned, taken aback.

"You'd know that if you hadn't skipped out of Degrassi in grade 11!"

"I told everyone I was going to London! Not to mention I had a career to start!"

"Which involves shunning the rest of the world you know?"

"Right, and you were just Mister Highschool at that time. You weren't even at Ellie's wedding! And here I had heard that you and Jimmy had somehow mended things between yourselves!"

"They didn't have our address!"

"Why? Did she just forget or did you skip out of Degrassi as well?"

"Don't be such a --"

"DAD!" Julia exclaimed, jumping between the two. They paused, studying one another then looking back down at Julia, who couldn't look more confused. "What the heck is going on?"

"Julie, this is Ashley Kerwin," he said and Ashley rolled her eyes, "Someone I used to know."

Julia criss-crossed her eyebrows in knitted confusion, "Then why are you being so mean? I mean, when you saw Jimmy and those other people you weren't ... like this."

"You saw Jimmy? How was Ellie? Did you see her?" Ashley said, hungry for news about her best friend, and turning to Gavin with a curious look rather than her previous angry one.

"You should know, since you've already said you're so informed. You did go to their wedding, afterall," he responded sarcastically, and Julia slapped his arm. Gavin took a deep breath, "She's fine," he continued, "They have twins."

Ashley was about to respond when the head of her stage manager popped in, "Sorry to break up your get-together, but you're needed backstage."

Ashley looked back at the two in the room then forward to the woman in the doorway, telling Julia goodbye and adding a bitter goodbye to Gavin, who returned it in the same tone.

- -

"Who was that?" The lady hissed excitedly to Ashley as they made their way to the stage.

"Just that girl's dad," she said with a sigh.

The stage manager smiled, "He's really cute!"

- -

Meanwhile, in the dressing room, Julia was pacing in circles back and forth.

"You?" She questioned her father in half-disbelief, "You know AK?"

"I did."

"Oh that's a load of crap," she said, and he looked taken aback by her words, "I mean, how do you know someone in the past tense?"

"Oh," he said, "Trust me. It's possible."

"Fine," she said, exasperated, "Let's go watch the concert." And Gavin followed her to the side stage to watch Ashley perform.

- -

"You spin, spin, spin me / into dizzy circles of insanity / and you cling, cling, cling to her / as I stumble through the water / the hard times just bring you down / you hold on to her, I frown / you may not know it / but you're watching me drown. Yeah, you're watching me drown."

Gavin always knew Ashley was a very good performer - she had played piano since she was eight - but as she sang her heart out with it on stage, he had a newfound respect for her performing abilities. No longer was she a brooding goth, singing about darkness but rather more light-hearted, less doe-eyed, and more relatable to teens. He could see clearly why she sold - plus the fact she had an amazing voice.

As the last note of the final song was struck, the crowd was up to a roar. Ashley was beaming, dripping in exhausted sweat. She passed backstage, the managers clapping and congradulating her. One dipped her in a low hug and she smiled. Her blazer had been taken off in the middle of the concert so she was wearing a navy-blue wifebeater and the jeans, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. She and Julia chatted amicably til they reached the dressing room.

"Well, this is where I stop," she said, "But I'm so wired!"

"Well, do you want to go get some icecream with us?" Gavin asked her and she studied him quizically before nodding in response, then explaining she had to change. The door shut behind her and Julia turned to her father, a smirk on her face.

"You like her!" She whispered.

"I do not! This isAshley Kerwin," he responded sensibly.

"Right, that excuse would have passed when you all were in highschool but now she's a big celebrity."

Gavin rolled his eyes and Ashley reappeared from the dressing room, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt with her hair fastened into a ponytail.

"Let's go!" She said, and the trio made their way to the Mason's car.