Some Dusty Things

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Degrassi or the Degrassi characters.

The arena was jam-packed with people, noise and the pure feeling of electricity. The Merrymont Trojan's had been having an unbelievable season when it came to basketball. They were undefeated and it was all thanks to their star player Wes Brooks. He'd come from a long line of success when it came to basketball. His dad had been his high school basketball star up until his "incident", his grandpa had been pretty talented at ball, too, and he had heard that his great grandpa wasn't half bad, either.

Jimmy Brooks sat by the Trojan's team bench and watched with wild eyes as his son glided across the court towards the net. He could carry the team if he had to.

"Your sons a damn talent, Brooks." A man behind him on the bleachers, patted his back and told Jimmy with an impressed grin.

"Yeah." Jimmy couldn't take much credit for it. He and Wes played a lot of ball just in the driveway since Wes was old enough to hold a ball but, Jimmy never drove Wes the way his dad had forced him. Still, Jimmy was proud and the whole stadium could tell.

"Yeah, with your son and mine on the team this year, the Trojan's are sure to win, eh?" An eeiry sort of voice spoke over the excitement to Jimmy and all at once, he was distracted. He glanced behind him and as plain as the day is long, Jay Hogart was sitting on the bleacher's next to the man, wearing the same Chesire Cat grin he had in high school and his ball cap backwards. "It's been awhile, Brooks, how you been?" Jay leaned foreward and chuckled.

Both Jimmy and Jay were older now, Jay had changed for better but, Jimmy still had no desire to converse with him. With sour eyes, Jimmy just turned around and tried to focus back on the game.

Jay couldn't believe it. They were adults now, how could he not put high school behind them? With a large inward sigh, Jay jumped the bar and took a seat on the bench next to one of the players and Jimmy.

"Hey," Jimmy snapped, he was watching the game with fury in his eyes but talking directly at Jay. "The bench is for players."

"What have you been doing with your life lately?" Jay completely ignored Jimmy and moved on. "I hear you've been practing law, what firm?"

"Steinbach and Deloitte." Jimmy grumbled.

"Fancy." Jay commented, mildly impressed. "I'm still busting my ass working on cars at the autobody shop, thanks for asking." Jay had changed but, he was still a cheeky bastard.

"I'm not surprised." Jimmy rolled his eyes partially and shook his head. After a moment, he finally slid his eye contact up at Jay. "Why are you even here?" Jimmy had been coming to the Trojan basketball games since Wes was on the Junior Varisty team, two years ago and he'd never had a run in with Jay Hogart before.

"There's a jersey with the name Hogart on the back of it on the court, isn't there?" He leaned back to make himself comfortable and nodded out at the court. Jimmy scanned his eyes around and sure enough, the cinnamon haired kid tossing the ball to Wes had Hogart written across his jersey.

"Jesse's your son?"

"One hundred percent." Jay smiled over at Jimmy. "I never thought I, of all people, would have a cheerleader but, you see the one second to the left," Jay nodded over at the cluster of cheerleader's all dolled up in their red and black uniforms. "She's doing a diaognal."

Jimmy didn't know why but, he was actually interested to see who Jay's kids were. He wanted to double check they were nothing like their dad was in high school. Jimmy spotted the girl he was talking about and realized he'd met her before.

"Tristan?"

"You know her?"

"Last year, their was a party after one of the games at our place, most of the cheerleaders were there."

"Yeah, I don't endorse the cheerleading, that's all her mom but, she's crazy about it. I won't stand in her way."

"I know what you mean. I never told Wes that he had to be great at basketball or that he even had to do it. I was trying to sell him on the idea of art school but, the games his life." Jimmy didn't even realize how he'd wheeled closer to Jay and the two men were really talking. They were talking about something they had in common: An unconditional love for their kids.

"Sorry, I'm late!" The sound of heels clicking against the slick gym floor, Ashley rushed her way over and bent down to give her husband a kiss on the lips. "I couldn't reschedule my three o'clock, what have I missed?" Ashley took a seat next to Jimmy and waited for him to fill her in with how many points Wes had scored and how badly the other team was being creamed. She wore a smile from ear to ear.

"Jay and I were just talking about how all our kids are really involved in the game." Jimmy chuckled.

"Jay?" Ashley leaned foreward and stared with a look of uncertainty plainly written on her face. "What are you doing here?" She asked with no hint of warmth in her voice.

Before, Jay could answer, Jimmy chimmed in.

"His sons on the team, his daughter's on the squad." He kept his wife up to speed.

"How nice." Ashley didn't like the idea of her husband befriending Jay Hogart. Not after all the history there.

Jay could feel the ice from Ashley and usually he'd love to provoke anybody but, not tonight. He was trying to put his life back on the right road. He stood up with a stretch in his arms and patted Jimmy on the shoulder.

"I'll see you around." He let him know. Jimmy just nodded up at him in agreement. "Nice to see you again, Ashley."

She just squinted her eyes at him and faked a smile without trying to make it look sincere.

He climbed back over the railing and took his previous seat behind Jimmy and the team.

"Hey Jim?" Jay called back out after the buzzer was called for the first half.

Jimmy turned around, Ashley followed suit.

Jay didn't even bother to take notice to her, this was something between he and Jimmy and nobody else. It was something he felt he had to do.

"I'm sorry." Jay left it at that and with a comforting expression on his face and the knowledge of what he meant, Jimmy just nodded.