"Let It Die"

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: So these are related one-shots detailing the fallout from Drew and Adam's rivalry. They are not in chronological order.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

-oOo-

"Gotta Tell You"

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He felt like himself in his own clothes. It was just fabric, but it helped to calm him down. Tonight had been bad and he wasn't sure if it would get any better. He took a deep breath as he entered the house. In the living room he saw his parents and Drew. They looked angry and Drew looked guilty. Grams was nowhere in sight.

"Adam! Where were you?" His mother rushed toward him. He could hear a mixture of anger, frustration, and concern in her voice. He wasn't sure how to react so he shrugged.

"We were worried," his stepfather told him.

Adam slightly relaxed. "I'm fine. Where's Grams?"

"She's at her hotel," she responded. Audra hesitated. She knew Adam was wondering what happened after he left, but right now she needed to get to the bottom of the disgusting behavior her sons displayed tonight. "What happened tonight?" she demanded.

Adam glared at Drew. "Didn't he tell you?" he said in a clipped tone.

"Stop it," Audra said not liking his tone. "We want to hear what you have to say."

Adam sighed.

After talking with Clare he had calmed down a lot. He agreed with her that he should diffuse arguments with his brother instead of egging him on. For his part, Drew seemed collected and mostly stared at the floor. Adam wasn't much of a gambler, but he would bet that Drew got chewed out by their parents tonight. The thought made him happy, but it wasn't enough to quell his anger with how this evening turned out.

"There's a girl we both like," Adam started. His mother crossed her arms. "She chose me and every since Drew's been acting like a little bitch!"

"Adam!" both his parents yelled.

"We don't use that kind of language in this house," his mother scolded.

"Well, you asked," Adam retorted.

"I can't believe the two of you are fighting over a girl," Mr. Torres spoke up, clearly disappointed. "You are brothers."

"This is not how we planned to tell Grams about Adam," his wife reiterated. "Both of you, head to your rooms. We're going to talk."

Adam's anger subsided once he reached his room. Right now his mind focused on the dinner and Grams... What did she think? Did she hate him now?

Moment later the door flew open and his mother entered the room. She walked over to his computer chair and took a seat. She looked scary, but he figured there was no time like the present to state the obvious.

"Are you mad at me?"

Audra looked at her son and raised an eyebrow. Of course she was mad, but her anger wasn't concentrated on Adam. She wasn't happy that he and Drew were fighting, but with the events of tonight she was much more upset with Drew.

"Dinner was a disaster," she said sideswiping his inquiry. Adam nodded. "We explained things to Grams after you left."

Adam was dying to know more, but at the same time he wasn't sure if knowing more would hurt him. His mother grabbed his hand and he looked up.

"She doesn't understand Adam. She's going to need more time," Audra began. "But she wants you to know that she loves you no matter what."

Adam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"She's going to always love you, Adam. We all are," his mother assured him.

He smiled. "Not so sure about Drew," he quipped.

His mother slightly frowned. "Is it true you're fighting over a girl?"

Adam was caught off guard with her question. Hadn't she heard they're arguing tonight? He recognized that part of her wanted another explanation for their conflict. He wished he could give her one, but it was too late to come up with a different story.

"Yes," Adam told her. "Well, it's not much of a fight anymore. Drew is bitter and vindictive."

"You need to fix things," Audra told him. It wasn't a suggestion; it was a demand.

"How? He's the one who won't let things go!"

Audra looked at him for a long moment. "Who is this girl?" She sounded like trouble.

"Her name's Fiona."

"Is what Drew implied true?" she asked.

Adam looked away. "Yeah, we just started dating."

He never told his mother about girls he liked. She didn't know of any crushes. It was only recently that she learned he dated his best friend in the eighth grade. He wasn't planning on telling her about Fiona. He saw how she interfered with Alli and all of Drew's other girlfriends. It seemed like a hassle it was best to avoid. Now he didn't have a choice.

His mother took a deep breath. She was uneasy about this news. She knew he wouldn't wake up one day and decide to be Gracie again, but the thought of him dating made things feel so final. Just when she thought she had come to terms with his transition, something new would tear open the wound.

After a long moment she spoke. "Let me see your phone."

"What?" Adam asked confused.

"I saw you texting on that and then Drew got upset. Let me see," she repeated.

"Mom, that's not fair. What does my phone have to do with anything?" She stared him down. Adam sighed and handed her his phone.

"What's the last message you got?" she asked.

Adam was annoyed. This was so unnecessary. Drew got mad because he was a jealous jerk. "It's in the inbox," he told her.

Audra frowned when she read this message. "Is this right?" she asked him as she showed him the phone.

Adam cracked a small smile, "Yeah." In a way he was happy that she saw Fiona's text. It was so benign that it only proved Drew was being an ass. He looked up at his mom triumphantly, only to see her with a pensive expression.

"Does she know about you, Adam?"

He frowned. "Of course! The whole school does, remember?" he said with edge in his voice. He was annoyed at the implication that the only way a girl would choose him over Drew was if he misled her.

Audra pursed her lips. "Are you sure?" she pressed. She didn't want a repeat of past incidences.

Adam rolled his eyes. "If she didn't know I'm pretty sure she figured it out the day Drew told her I was on my period," he quipped. He was still angry about that. It was yet another time when Drew fought dirty.

"He did what?" Audra yelled.

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A/N: Yeah, I haven't update this fic since "Umbrella" aired :-x However, last night I discovered this 'lost' chapter and filled in the gaps. Hope you enjoyed this one!