Work Text:
During shop class, Liberty was working on a couch with Sean. The project was to build a piece of furniture from scratch, and so far they were almost done with the reclining portion. As he held the wooden pieces in place, she carefully screwed them in with an electric screwdriver. He then tested the reclining portion of the couch by slowly pulling it back and forth.
“Woah, this is coming along perfectly,” he remarked in pride, taking the safety goggles he was wearing off to get a better look at it, “Nice job, Lib.”
“Thanks, I guess maybe I have it in me to be a builder after all?” She replied with a bashful smile. “Not as much as you, though.”
Sean had more experience with building than she did, having helped his brother build some objects around their apartment when they were younger. Because of that, when it came to shop, he had always performed better in the class than the rest of their friend group. It was a sure sign that he would be an amazing mechanic too in the future if he got to open up his dream garage. “Well, you can’t be a successful mechanic if you don’t have a talent for building things,” he reminded her with a grin. They then looked over their couch together. The only task they really had left was to install the cushions. Everything else from the legs to the arms to the backrest was done. “But you’re a quick learner at least.”
“I had a great instructor,” she reasoned, and somehow his grin grew even wider at that. To her surprise, he put his gloved hand over her own, and rubbed it tenderly.
“You know, Liberty, I wish we could’ve hung out more when we were younger. You’re a really cool person and I should have recognized that a long time ago,” he declared sincerely. Liberty felt her tummy flutter at the compliment. “We’ve become good friends at least over time,” she assured him.
“Yeah. We have,” he agreed, and the way his blue-green eyes were staring into her hazel ones was intense.
Liberty felt her cheeks burn during their moment.
A few periods later in Anatomy, Liberty confessed what happened to Manny. Which she immediately came to regret.
“You like Sean?” Manny asked in excitement.
“Louder, Manny, I don’t think they can hear you all the way down in Texas,” she replied sarcastically.
“I mean, this is totally unexpected, how else am I supposed to react?” Her friend argued. “I’m fake dating his best friend Jay…”
“Which I still think is a ridiculous plot,” Liberty cut in dryly, only for her friend to continue as if she didn’t hear her.
“Best friends dating best friends, we could all go on double dates together! This could all go perfectly for you,” her friend finished before squealing.
“Or, we fall in love, he gets me pregnant, he sells drugs from his pharmacy to provide money for me and the baby, he overdoses on the drugs, we give the baby up for adoption, he dates another girl who’s actually raising her kid, and then he gets stabbed to death on my birthday party just before he gets to confess to me that he’s still in love with me,” she countered apprehensively.
“Let’s not think about all of that right now,” her friend suggested with a grimace. When Liberty pursed her lips in distaste, her friend put a hand on her shoulder.
“Beloved, what you and J.T. had was special, no doubt about it. But you have a right to move on from him if you’re ready to, especially since you guys weren’t even together when he died,” her friend said gently.
“How can I move on with someone who was disgusted the last time I crushed on him, Manny? I went all out with trying to impress him and not only did I make an ass out of myself, but he told me that I was about as edgy as a butter knife. There’s no point in trying to pursue him again,” she replied dejectedly, and the memory of that incident still brought her great embarrassment. Even though she got to date his friend Towerz their relationship ultimately didn’t last and Sean still didn’t go out of his way to interact with her.
“Maybe things will be different this time. Sean isn’t what he used to be like in grade nine…for the most part,” Manny argued, just as the bell rang for sixth period to begin.
When Sean came into class, he gave them both acknowledging nods with a smile on his face. Then their teacher, Mr. Ellis, came in right behind him. “I hope you all got familiar with the concept of dissections. Because we will be dissecting cow hearts today. Partner up with whoever you want,” he announced.
“Go partner up with Sean,” her friend urged, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“No way, if I’m gonna partner up with someone, it’s gonna be a guy I don’t have a crush on at the moment,” Liberty declared before going over to the table Damian Hayes was standing at. He looked surprised to see her.
“Liberty?” He asked in confusion.
“Yeah, you wanna work together?” She asked him. Even though he still seemed confused at the sight of her, he grinned.
“Sure,” he accepted while looking her up and down in interest. Manny narrowed her eyes and she could tell she didn’t approve of the act. Damian was her ex-boyfriend.
Sean, for whatever reason, didn’t look happy at the sight of them together either.
After the period ended, Liberty was heading out of class when Damian walked up to her. “We did good work today together,” he said.
“We did,” she agreed.
“It’s seriously a relief whenever I get to work with someone as smart as I am,” he complimented, “Usually whenever I have to partner up with someone, I’m usually doing most of the work.”
“Tell me about it,” she grumbled. Because of her smarts, her friends and other classmates often wanted to pair up with her on assignments just so they could get an easy A by having her take the lead on everything. And then they would still consider her a nuisance afterwards…. “Everyone hates a know-it-all until they want them to do their assignments for them or copy off their tests.”
“That’s why us geniuses gotta stick together,” he reasoned with a grin. “Though, the other geniuses I’ve worked with haven’t been as good looking as you.”
The remark caught her off guard. “Really?” She asked.
“Definitely not,” he reaffirmed, “What are you doing after school today?”
“Probably go to The Dot. I love their apple pie,” she answered.
“Maybe I should come by too. I have some assignments in my other classes that I could use a partner with,” he suggested.
“Sure, any company is good company,” she accepted eagerly.
He smirked at her before walking away from her, and it took quite a bit for Liberty to drop her smile.
Damian Hayes was smooth, intelligent, charismatic, and most importantly handsome. All of the qualities that made the perfect guy for her.
At the end of the school day, Liberty was getting stuff out of her locker. While she was doing so, Sean walked up to her. “Hey, Lib,” he greeted, “You’re gonna be at the basketball game tomorrow right?”
When Sean came back at the beginning of their senior year, he got involved with sports again to give himself something to do after school. First he played on the soccer team, and now he was playing on the basketball team. Just like in middle school, he was one of the best athletes in the department and he even helped her brother and his friend Derek get better at playing sports. The three of them regularly played together whenever Sean was over at her house.
“Yeah, Danny would freak out on me if I didn’t show up. Both of our parents are handling separate court cases this weekend,” she answered. Manny came from around the corner. When she saw the two of them together, she slowly walked behind Sean with a mischievous look on her face.
“Tomorrow’s a pretty huge game for us. We’ve been doing so good in the playoffs so far and we just need this one last game to compete for the championship,” he revealed, and then his demeanor got a little more bashful before he said the next part, “If you’re there, it’ll be a serious morale booster for me, and if we win, I want to celebrate with you. Dinner at Little Miss Steaks will be on me.”
Manny began to teasingly make kissy faces at them. Liberty tried to ignore her. “You want to take me out to dinner? Of all people?” She asked in disbelief. He shrugged.
“Why not? I mean, Toby is gonna be recording one of his podcast episodes so he won’t be able to come. And Jay will be busy too. Which leaves my other best friend: you,” he offered. When Manny continued to make a kissy face, she glowered at her, and that caused Sean to turn around in confusion to see what she was glowering at. Manny immediately dropped the kissy face. “Hi Sean,” she greeted cheerfully.
He looked back and forth between them. “Am I out of the loop on something?” He asked them with a raised eyebrow.
“Not at all,” Liberty dismissed, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to go afterwards, Sean. My parents enacted a strict curfew on me after my pregnancy last year.”
“Well if you can, I’ll be happy to pick you up and then drive you back home afterwards,” he assured her. He then slapped her arm affectionately. “I’ll see you tomorrow, eh?”
“Yeah,” she replied, and he gave her a kind smile before walking away from her. That was when Manny finally decided to speak.
“That’s a date in all but name,” her friend told her in amusement.
“It wasn’t, Manny,” Liberty denied, “And even if it was, I wouldn’t want to treat it as such. Not when I have other options.”
“Like who?” Her friend questioned.
“Damian,” she answered confidently. Her friend scoffed.
“Damian? My ex-boyfriend?”
“Isn’t Sean, Emma’s?” Liberty pointed out.
Later that evening, Liberty was having a nice conversation with Damian at The Dot. “No way, I was the only person in class who’s seen Ran,” she remarked in delight.
“I feel like it’s one of those movies everyone needs to see at least once. Akita Kurosawa is a brilliant filmmaker,” he replied, “Have you seen Rashomon yet?”
“Of course I have, another great movie of his,” she answered confidently. She then chuckled. “I can’t believe how much we have in common. Not even Toby appreciates foreign cinema like I do.”
“Maybe it’s a good sign that we should keep getting to know each other better,” he declared, “We have so much in common that I’m starting to think you might be the girl I’ve been looking for all along.”
“You didn’t think so at my birthday party,” she reminded him bluntly.
“And that was a mistake because me and Manny ultimately ended up being nothing,” he admitted sheepishly, “But I never thought you were unattractive. I mean, you’re a perfect combination of intelligent and sexy with those green eyes of yours….”
“Hazel,” she corrected, despite how flattered she was by the compliment. “I don’t know, Damian. You’re an attractive guy but there’s another guy I might be interested in…”
“Don’t tell me it’s Sean Cameron,” he started to complain, “The guy is nothing but dumb muscle and a criminal record.”
“He’s my friend and we’ve known each other since grade seven. We have history together,” she argued, not liking the remark, “He may be rough around the edges but he’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, sure. Hasn’t he also been dating your friend Emma on and off since grade seven too?” He argued back, “Let me put things in perspective for you: would you rather bring home a guy who has a full ride scholarship to the same elite university you’re going to to your parents…or the guy who’s future is probably gonna be someone your dad is trying to send back to jail?”
Liberty felt conflicted at the question.
The next morning was the basketball game and Liberty had taken a bus all the way to Cypress Creek High School, whose team Degrassi was playing against. She was surprised to see that the school was able to afford a Jumbotron in the gym. “Wow, this is the kind of funding Degrassi needs,” she mused out loud to herself as she picked out a place to sit in the bleachers.
“It’ll make it even more entertaining that we’re about to beat their asses in their home court,” she heard Danny boast to her. When she turned around, her little brother was laughing with his friend Derek at the idea, the both of them in the Panthers uniform.
“You guys have been doing great this whole season so far. I hope this isn’t going to be the game where you end up being wrong,” she warned him. Then by the entrance to the locker room, she saw Sean in his uniform drinking from a bottle of Gatorade. He already looked hard and determined to win.
With his biceps and muscles on full display, she couldn’t help but bite down on her bottom lip in desire. He had the body of an athlete more than anyone else on the team, and he always looked real good in the uniform. “Eww, can’t you keep your eyes off your boyfriend for one second?” Her brother commented in disgust.
“He’s not my boyfriend, idiot,” she denied with a scowl. He scoffed.
“Oh please, who are you guys trying to fool at this point?” He teased, making her roll her eyes. Then she saw Damian by the corner talking with some of his friends from Lakehurst. When he saw her, he gave her a charming smile and a nice wave. She smiled back. Her brother looked back and forth between them in confusion.
“Wait, are you and that Damian guy a thing instead?” He asked.
“No, Daniel,” she affirmed.
“I hope not, sis. It would be weird if you got with the guy who was friends with the bastard who murdered J.T., no offense. Who’s also just a tool in general,” her brother said, shaking his head. Then he and Derek left to meet up with the other Panthers to do warm ups before the game.
Liberty was left alone in her thoughts, and now she was feeling more conflicted than she did last night.
During the first half of the game, the Panthers were unfortunately losing. They only had nine points compared to the rival team’s twenty points. The only highlight of the game so far for the Degrassi side was the performance from the Spirit Squad. After they were done giving an epic cheer routine, Manny went over to her.
“Okay, the Panthers definitely need to get their shit together because I’m not losing this twenty dollar bet with Jay,” her friend grumbled with her arms folded.
“Maybe they can turn things around?” Liberty suggested in hope.
“We will,” Sean remarked as he walked right up to her, “But first, Lib, you and I need to talk.”
“What’s there to talk about, Sean?” She asked in disbelief.
“You and Damian, whatever it is you’re trying to do with him, I don’t like it,” he answered sharply.
“I didn’t know I needed your approval to interact with other guys,” she replied in distaste.
“You don’t, but hanging out with another guy at the booth you and I usually sit at in The Dot is not okay,” he argued, “That’s our booth.”
“Seriously, Sean?” She argued back, finding the statement childish. “It’s just a booth, Sean.”
“It’s not,” he insisted, “And you randomly picking him to be your lab buddy over me yesterday was also weird. Is he your new boytoy now or some shit?”
“What’s it to you if he is? You don’t own me, Sean, so you’re not gonna treat me like some slut off the street just because you’re not the only guy in my orbit!” She exclaimed.
“Uh, I’m gonna get some nachos and A-B-C myself out of this conversation, the both of you two are cuckoo bananas,” Manny told them before leaving, a hard grimace on her face.
“I’ll get a hot dog,” Liberty said next grumpily as she wanted this conversation to be over too. Before she could leave next, he suddenly grabbed her arm.
“Lib, wait, I’m sorry,” he apologized, and she decided to stay. “I don’t like the idea of you and Damian together…because I want you to be my girl instead,” he confessed.
“What?” She asked in shock. He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile on his face.
“I’ve been interested in you for like a whole month at this point. That’s why I want to take you out to dinner after the game,” he explained.
Her tummy fluttered in excitement. For a moment, she was truly too stunned to speak. “I’ve been interested in you again for probably the same length of time,” she confessed next, “But I thought it was a fool’s effort. You know, considering the last time I was interested in you….”
“Liberty, we both changed so much since that incident, especially me. I’m not that immature little boy anymore,” he reasoned, “I was too much of a dick to see it back then, but I see it now. You’re one of a kind. Smart, confident, sweet, funny, and beyond beautiful. You’re a whole package I don’t want to lose. Give me a chance?”
Despite her earlier hesitation, she knew what her heart wanted, especially since he was begging for her. “Liberty Van Zandt doesn’t usually like to take chances…but she has good feelings about this one,” she declared with a grin.
He grinned back, and then he grabbed her waist before pulling her into a kiss. She felt her toes curl in delight at how deep and passionate it was. She threw her arms around his neck. She heard people cheer around them and she assumed it was for nothing. But just as the kiss was about to get even more intense, he had to pull away. “I have a game to win,” he declared.
“You do,” she agreed. He smirked at her before going back to his team in the locker. “Woo!” She heard him exclaim in joy. She was still smiling as she watched him leave.
It was only when she looked over to the Jumbotron and saw herself on the big screen did she see that her and Sean’s kiss was just shown to the entire crowd. “It looks like one of the Panthers has a new mate,” an announcer quipped.
Liberty was now hot with both excitement and a little embarrassment….
“You guys won!” Liberty exclaimed to Sean in happiness after the game was over and the Panthers won twenty-eight to twenty-four. She then laughed as he gleefully picked her up and spun her around.
“What was the other option? Lose in front of my girlfriend? Not a chance,” he bragged before grabbing her hips again. “Now c’mere…”
They shared some more kisses. The way he smacked his lips against hers, all feral and hot, drove her wild in a way no other guy did. She ran her fingers through his sweat, damp golden brown curls. “These sweet lips of yours are better than any win,” he declared huskily, making her grin.
Then Damian came by. “I guess you made your choice,” he commented bitterly, eyeing them together in distaste.
“I’m sorry, Damian,” she replied in remorse, “You’re a great guy and I’m sure there’s another girl out there who’s a perfect match for you.”
“I’m sure. Your friend Emma is still single, right?” He asked.
“Correct,” she confirmed.
“Good, blondes have more fun,” he snarked, chuckling to himself before leaving them alone. Sean glared at the back of him.
“What a prick,” he said irritably.
“He was genuinely interested in me. He told me last night that I’m a perfect combination of intelligent and sexy,” she informed him.
“Well, he’s not wrong on that one,” he mused with a shrug. She smirked as she grabbed the front of his jersey.
“I haven’t known him as long as I’ve known you. And as much as I like a good guy, bad boys have more fun,” she boasted. When he smirked back, she pulled him into a kiss this time.
When they had their first date later that night, Liberty had no regrets about her choice.