Degrassi: The 3rd Generation

[Janine Hogart]

The T o r o n t o Zoo
Extra E n t e r t a i n m e n t
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Whoever said that big kids can't go to the zoo must've been crazy! The Toronto Zoo is filled with hundreds of species of animals for your viewing pleasure. Any day spent at the zoo is a good day.

[Spencer Avery]

Spencer had tied a blindfold around Lexie's eyes for the car ride over, just so she had no clue where they were going. If Lexie didn't trust her, then he'd end up injured, or maybe seeming like he was going to take her to an abandoned warehouse and rape her. But instead, he was taking her to the zoo. Just so they could watch the evening feeding of the penguins, something they'd done when they'd first met. It was sappy and sentimental, but it was okay. He'd planned this date when he was thinking of asking her out on her birthday. Hell, he half wished he could sneak away and call Becky, just to get her blessing or something and still do that. Ask Lexie out by the sound of the penguins at sunset. But he couldn't. That was a conversation best done face to face, not over the phone.

He finally parked at the zoo and turned the car off. He climbed out of the car, and then walked around to the other side of the car. He opened the door and helped her out. "Ready to see part one of the date? Its a little cheesy and cliche." He grinned and waited for her answer. When she agreed, he slipped the blindfold off from over her eyes. He turned her to face the zoo sign and looked at his watch. "Fifteen minutes before they feed the penguins."

[Lexie Calleway]

Lexie would be lieing if she said she knew where the hell Spencer was taking her, but the whole time she was giggling and trying to see something through the dark blindfold. When he first put it on her she had cracked a joke, saying, "Oh, kinky much?" Yeah, the car ride to wherever had been fun, but when she felt Spencer park her heart began to race a little. She really wanted to know where they were, dammit! She waited for him to open her room when she heard his click shut, though the whole time her hand was resting on the handle, just wanting so bad to jump out of the car.

"Ready to see part one of our date? It's a little cheesy and clichè." She giggled a little, shaking her head, "Duh! Your killing me here!" When the blindfolds were removed from her face, she was still facing his car, and she made a confused face before she was turned around to see the zoo, and she smiled, bring her hands to her mouth. She looked at Spencer, he eyes gleaming, "Awe." She looked at him, smiling, and then threw her arms over his neck in a close hug.

[Spencer Avery]

The smile reached all the way to her eyes and there was a glimmer of the old Lexie Calleway in there. Which made every part of him light on fire with happiness. He loved both versions of Lexie, but he had to admit he was a little more fond of Lexie 1.0, the original. But he couldn't ever deny that Lexie 2.0 was still the kind of girl he'd want to be with. Because it was Lexie. He felt her wrap her arms around him and held her tight for a second. "C'mon, you forced me to watch them feed the penguins last year. And well, now you get to be forced to watch them ingest fish parts." He smiled. He didn't mind the whole penguins thing honestly. He still had a picture of them watching it, just kept in a box by his bed, with all of his pictures. He wasn't the scrapbook kind, but he did have shoeboxes of pictures. Damn the secret passion of photography.

He finally pulled away from the hug and laced their fingers together, just so they could make it into the mall. He had a few more things planned, but they weren't time dependant. Seeing her reaction to this part of the date told him that he had to do the last part. He had to do the plans that he'd made for the last portion of the date, and give her the last present. The zoo and dinner wasn't enough, because the last part was actually meaningful. I just hope it doesn't hurt her more.

Hand in hand they started to walk towards the entrance to the zoo.

[Lexie Calleway]

She looked at him, wrinkling her nose a bit, "Ewh, don't say it like that. It makes it less cute." But none the less, she smiled over at him before happily lacing her fingers with his. Se liked her time with Spencer, he made her happy. And that was all she really wanted anymore, was for someone and something to keep her spirits high. And Spencer provided that for her. After all, only Lexie could forget her own birthday. Walking into the zoo, Lexie could tell something was on Spencer's mind, but he looked as if he was trying not to show it, so Lexie pretended not to notice. And even though she smiled as she looked on at the animals, it was still a thought in the back of her head, What's bugging him?

Lexie knew already by heart where the penguin cages were. She had been facinated with penguins since she was a little girl, and she used to force all her nannies to take her there just to see them play around for 15 minutes. It was just so...beautiful. And it was even more amazing that day she had gone with Spencer to watch it just a year ago. Times where different then, for one, she was sporting her adolecent blonde hair, and now here she was with shorter, dark brown hair, yet she felt completely content. Or she thought she did. She was sure she was starting to move on wiht her life. Life after Mason. But was it so bad that in order to move on he had to die? She looked down for a moment before looking back her, her face lighting up again when she saw a penguin. Mason was out of her mind, at least for now.

[Spencer Avery]

Spencer watched Lexie's every movement, delighting each time her eyes lit up at the animals along the path to the penguins. He'd always liked penguins, but not as much as Lexie had. And the fact that he was getting to go with her again to watch them feed the penguins being fed wasn't enough. The fact of the matter was everyone knew when feeding time was. Very few actually got to feed the penguins. After a lot of sweet talking to the zoo officials, he'd made it so Lexie could actually feed the penguins. "Maybe that's not the gross part, but what about feeding the penguins? You wouldn't be too disgusted doing that would you?" He was acting like he was just curious as they walked towards the penguins.

When they got there, he saw his hook-up. An old friend from Bardell, Jerry. He'd been at the zoo for a few years now and when Spencer told Jerry about Lexie, and everything she'd gone through, plus the plans that he was originally going to ask her to be his girlfriend that day, he was happy to help make it so. So maybe Spencer didn't have to do a lot of sweet talking. He just had to talk to Jerry, and Jerry talked to the higher-ups on his behalf. And if Jerry happened to mention that Lexie had cancer, well that was his own perogative. Spencer didn't tell him to actually tell that part.

He gave a wave to Jerry and then tugged Lexie's hand, trying to distract her from the waddling penguins. "C'mon, there's someone I want you to meet. Your key to the penguin house, and the keeper of the fish, my old pal Jerry." He grinned and took his brunette best friend over to meet the guy that was just a year older than him. He looked over at Lexie with a devious look in his eyes. "Jerry is going to let you feed the penguins... well let us but I thought it'd be kind of cool if you fed them and I just watched... and took pictures." Okay, so he may have been a guy, but the thought of touching dead fish didn't do anything positive to his insides. Plus, though he'd never admit it, he had a mild fear of animals. He didn't mind looking at them, but actually messing with them was another story all together.

[Lexie Calleway]

Lexie looked at him, her face lighting up, "Your kidding, right?" She looked at the penguins before looking at him again, "I get to feed them?!" She smiled, listening to his story of how he managed to get his way so that she could feed them, and she grinned, looking up at him, "That's so sweet." She followed him as he lead her to the penguin keeper Jerry, and she waited patiently as his and Spencer talked about stuff and got the fish out. Lexie laughed a little at Spencer, noticing how he didn't seem too fond of the idea of feeding the penguins. She didn't mind, it was not fish for her to throw at the cute little critters.

When Jerry came back with a bucket of fish, she looked at him as he placed the bucket down. She smiled, waiting for the time to throw out the fish, and when it was, she just grinned, putting on the glow Jerry provided before picking up a piece and flinging it out.

[Spencer Avery]

The sparkle in her eyes when she heard she got to feed the penguins was worth it, worth everything he'd gone through to get this to happen. It was worth all the nights of tears laying in his arms, worth every little thing they'd gone through in the last few months. It was like the old Lexie was shining through her eyes, though it was a more tame version. Happy at the simple things of feeding penguins instead of the simple things like sleeping around. At the thought of Lexie turning back into the girl that slept around, his gut turned. He felt almost physically ill at the thought of someone else ever touching his Lexie, especially ever again. So that's the jealousy thing people talk about... I don't like it.

He watched as she put on the glove and tossed out a fish, snapping a picture of her holding the fish and then the fish flying in the air. His camera had amazing shutter speed, something he was very glad of when it came to capturing the moment. He watched for a second and then put his camera down in a safe spot. He grabbed a glove and walked over to stand next to Lexie. With his face looking seriously grossed out, he reached into the bucket and pulled out a fish. Its not a fish... its just... kibbles'n'bits for Penguins... He looked at Lexie and gave a squeamish smile, throwing the fish in. "I figured you'd want to see the severely grossed out face."

[Lexie Calleway]

Lexie felt completely carefree at this point. She was feeding penguins, getting presents, and spending the birthday she forgot about with the boy who'd made her summer easier to get through. Of course, there was still the thought in the back of her mind about Becky. Even if he said that she had nothing to worry about, it ment that she would have something to worry about, because people never said that unless there was a reason to. Which ment he still liked Becky. And even the though of him kissing her made her stomach churn. Yeah, she definately didn't like the idea of anyone else getting their hands on Spencer. But it wasn't like she controlled what he did, he was ninteen years old after all. She decided to let the issure go, at least for now.

Lexie looked at Spencer and laughed as he threw the fish with a grossed out expression on his face. She shook her head and laughed. She smiled at him though, placing a kiss on his cheek, "Surprisingly, you can remain cute even when you look like your about to puke. This is a problem." She cocked her head to the side, smiling at him. After throwing some more fish, Lexie was finally down to the last couple of them. She picked up one, looking over at Spencer as he stood back. "Can you throw one more? For me," she said, pouting out his bottom lip playfully. Even if she was messing around, that the look would work any day. Spencer would do anything for her, so she had no idea why the hell she was asking anyways. It was good though, to have someone to rely on. Spencer was her rock.

[Spencer Avery]

He snapped pictures of her throwing the fish, after he wiped his hands off on the towel his friend offered of course. He couldn't believe that he'd touched a dead fish. It was so gross. But Lexie looked absolutely ecstatic throwing fish and watching the penguins dive after them. It looked like a dream come true for her. It was the perfect moment and he'd caught most of it on film. Still frames of a more serious looking, brunette Lexie laughing and smiling like the blonde Lexie always did. Being the perfect girl that he'd fallen for at the beginning of his time at Degrassi and the girl that he kept falling for every time he laid eyes on her. Sure, she'd changed and he'd had a few problems dealing with her changing, but seeing her like this, smiling and laughing, proved to him that he was being dumb ever having problems changing. She's growing up Spence. She had a sobering experience and now she's turning into an adult.

He heard her request that he throw another fish and gave a totally squeamish face. But he still reached into the bucket and pulled out one of the gross fish. He laughed and then smiled over at Lexie. "Only if we throw it together." He smiled and looked over at his friend. "Take a picture of this dude, because no one at Bardell would ever believe that I touched some smelly ass fish."