Complicated

If you don't mind me saying, I'm totally rocking up the fan fiction dot net world.  I have two Radio Free Roscoe stories up (Complicated & A Travis Lily Story), this little Degrassi one and a co-written Harry Potter story (Finding My Way Back). Go me. So let's hope this fic is just as successful as my last two, Be Mine and Invincible. I'm crossing my fingers!

Summary: Takes place after Against All Odds. Emma & Chris are heating things up since he and Milanda broke up while Sean finds himself unusually jealous. Craig knows he has to stop seeing Manny but how is she going to take that? Blackmail, anyone? And is Jimmy going to finally find a girl? Hmmm…

"I am not a slut. You are going to regret that, Emma Nelson." Manny Santos said harshly to her ex-best friend.

"Oh really? What are you going to do? I don't have a boyfriend you can hook up with." Emma knew that was cruel to say but Manny crossed the line. "You know what, I don't want to talk to you anymore." Emma continued, turning away. Manny opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't find the words.  Tears formed behind her eyes.

"Hurry up, Miss Nelson." Miss Kwan said. "I already started class."

"Sorry Miss Kwan." Emma muttered, taking her seat.

"Do you know where Miss Santos is, Emma?" Miss Kwan asked, obviously irritated.

"No." Emma said without looking up. "No idea." Miss Kwan shrugged. In the background you could see Chris, wondering what was wrong.

Throughout the entire class, Manny never showed. When the bell rang, Emma quickly gathered her books. Before she could leave, Chris appeared in front of her.

"Hey Emma." He said. She looked up at him, buckling her backpack.

"Hi Chris." She sighed. "Um, look, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry-" He began to laugh.

"Don't apologize anymore, Emma." He said.

"But-" She protested.

"Nah, listen. I'm the one who should be sorry. Milanda and I were fighting and you were there…and…"

"I was being totally manipulative. I didn't mean to." Their eyes connected for a minute and then Chris nodded.

"You're not mad?" He asked.

"Of course not." She reassured him, walking towards the door.

"Hey, why don't you sit with us today at lunch?" He asked, since that's where they were both headed. She hardly even had to consider.

"I'd love to."

Meanwhile…

Manny stood in front of the mirror in the girls' bathroom. Now with her conscience Emma gone, she could do whatever she wanted. And what she wanted was to hang out with Paige and Hazel and make Craig her boyfriend. Not Ash's. She applied a little more eyeliner, added glitter and put an extra coat of 'Fiery Red' lip-gloss on. She pulled her capri's down a tad and moved the straps of her tank towards her shoulder, revealing just a hint of her lacy bra. 'Perfect.' She said to herself and smiled in the mirror. 'This begins my last step of transformation.'  Just then Paige walked into the bathroom.

"Hey sex kitten!" She said, almost in shock. "You look great!"

"Why thank you." Manny said and fluttered her eyelids to her reflection.

"Lunch?" Paige asked while applying a little more of her own lip-gloss.

"You bet." Manny replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

In the Lunchroom…

   While Emma was cozy up in the corner with Chris and his gang, Manny was in the center of the cafeteria with Paige, Hazel, Spinner, Jimmy, and a few other people.

            "Dude, Jimmy, would you stop staring at her?"

            "What are you talking about, Spin?" Jimmy turned to look at Spinner, who was holding hands with Paige.

"Ellie." Spinner said, pointing to the girl clad in a plaid pleated skirt, big black boots, a blank tank and dark denim jacket.

"Ellie?" Paige said, turning to Jimmy. "You have the hots for Ellie?"

"No." Jimmy said. "Didn't you see her at the beach? She was a total drag." He said, returning to his lunch. Paige and Spinner exchanged glances. And they couldn't help but notice his gaze slowly returning back to Ellie, who went to the other part of the cafeteria with Ashley and Craig.

"So. Are you guys up for that Linkin Park concert Friday?" She asked the couple.

"Linkin Park? How'd you get tickets?" Craig said, picking at something brown and chunky on his plate.

"I bought them like, last year." She replied, smiling. "Going?" Ash looked up.

"I can't. We're visiting some of Toby's relatives." She said regretfully.

"C'mon! My mom will never let me go if someone doesn't go with me. And they're a really good band!"

"I'd want to go. But I missed curfew by a half hour over the weekend." Craig immediately regretted saying that. What if Ash found out where he was? But Ashley didn't catch on. She just laughed. Craig breathed out, relieved. He needed to end this Manny thing soon.