Author's note: Remember, in this fic Emma and Sean don't really know one another. They've had classes together, but have kind of steered clear of each other. This chapter is VERY long. I apologize, but I wanted to get both main character's introduced. It was important since the storyline doesn't follow the show's. Oh, and by the way, REVIEWS are very welcome!
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Degrassi: The Next Generation. The show and characters belong to the writers and producers, not me!
Tension
Chapter One
SLAM!
Pain wracked his body as he crashed into the solid sheet metal garage door, face forward. The man behind him kept a tight hand on his shoulder, his fingers tightening to a bruising grip. The other was pressing a cold, cylindrical pistol roughly to his neck, biting into his skin, constantly reminding him that one wrong move could end his life.
"Cameron, right?" the man growled in his ear. Sean barely inclined his head in a nod, staring straight at the wall insolently. "I heard 'bout you. Been a little messenger boy, haven't you?"
Sean didn't answer. He glanced toward Jay, his best friend, laying unconscious nearly six feet away.
"What kind of information have you been carrying?" he demanded.
Sean didn't reply. He didn't really know; how could he answer?
"Oh, we got a quiet one here, eh?" the man continued. "Look, kid, since you're so good at delivering messages, I got one you can take home to your boss."
Suddenly, the man doubled his pressure on Sean, pressing his already aching body even further into the cold metal. He bit down on his bottom lip, barely surpressing the urge to groan. "You tell him to keep his business in Montreal; he has none in Toronto. This territory's already taken, and he has no right to send his people here."
Sean felt the man yank back on Sean's shoulder. Losing his balance, he allowed the man to shove him to the ground. He glanced up at the man, eyeing the gun that was still trained on his face. "You tell him if he takes the Monceardo bid, he's finished."
With one last kick aimed precisely at Sean's ribs, the man slowly backed away, calling his friends and exiting the alleyway. Sean finally released his breath, rubbing a hand over his sore ribs and collecting his thoughts. He'd figured the assholes wouldn't inflict too much damage when they'd grabbed he and Jay and pulled them into the alleyway. They were there to prove a point; to intimidate them into delivering a message. Still, you never know with those types; some of them were a little trigger happy, and Sean felt relieved that he'd been lucky once again.
Pushing himself up, he stood and hurried to Jay, who lay motionless on the ground, a nasty bruise forming on his face already. Sean shook him gently, muttering for his buddy to wake the hell up. Finally, jay regained consciousness, blinking his slightly unfocused eyes and looking confused.
"What the fuck was that?" Jay asked, irritably, gingerly touching the side of his head.
Sean smirked. "That was you going out like a light when one of those guys tapped you on the head," he replied.
Jay snickered indignantly. "Bullshit, Cameron! The dick took a Mac Light to my face! I'm lucky he didn't harm my charming good looks."
Sean chuckled. "Damn. I was hopin' he'd have knocked some sense into you, but you're still as delusional as ever."
"Oh, ha ha," Jay replied, slowly climbing to his feet, still feeling a little unsteady..
Sean quickly sobered. "Time to pay your favorite uncle a little visit," he commented, grabbing Jay's car keys. "Let's go, I'm driving."
X
After a fifteen minute freeway ride, Sean found himself slipping into an elevator at a parking garage in the heart of downtown Toronto. As the doors slid closed behind he and Jay, Sean pressed the Penthouse floor, and Jay casually leaned against the back wall.
"Holy shit," Jay commented. "We have a game plan here, Cameron?"
Sean shrugged. "Not really. I'm just here to deliver a message; one from them and one from us."
Seconds later, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a huge set of oak double doors declaring "Penthouse Suite" in fancy lettering. Sean and Jay exited the elevator, and the doors immediately opened. An elderly woman in a maid's uniform stood behind it, beckoning the young men inside.
"Oh, you two… It's late. You should be at home," she scolded, closing the doors behind them.
Jay grinned charmingly. "But Mrs. Green, we just wanted to have some of your famous chocolate chip cookies!"
She shook her head, pinning him with a skeptical stare. "I was born at night, Mr. Jay, but it wasn't last night."
Sean laughed, and Jay glared at him. "You boys head back to his study," Mrs. Green ordered. She smiled fondly at the them, shaking her head. "I'll pack you both some cookies to take home with you."
"Thanks, Mrs. Green," they replied together, already having started through the lavish living room. They quickly arrived at the study, and Sean knocked on the door.
A deep voice sounded inside. "Come in."
Sean reached forward and turned the knob, entering the room. The walls were lined with books in mahogany cases, coordinating perfectly with the plush burgundy carpet. The fireplace was alight, the dancing flames inside casting a pleasant orange glow over the large, comfortable room. A massive mahogany desk was centered before a large, curtained window, offering a spectacular view of the city below. Seated at his desk, with his back to the rest of the world, was Johnny Hogart, uncle of Jay.
Tall and muscular with broad shoulders, Johnny was probably nearing fifty, but his expensive suits and good looks kept him appearing much younger. His hair was dark, worn short and slicked back, complimenting his golden skin tone and cunning dark eyes. Heavy brows and a deeply creased forehead added a hint of wisdom to his appearance, but never age. His ever present five o'clock shadow shaded his face, giving him a sense of rugged, careless handsomeness, and his flawless, boyish grin charmed most of the women he met. Sitting behind that desk, Sean thought he looked like a perfect, distinguished businessman. (Think George Clooney, Ocean's 11 era)
Jay closed the door, Johnny settled back in his leather chair, surveying the young men carefully. His eyes lingered on the nasty bruise forming on Jay's face. "What can I do for you boys?"
Sean began, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans. "A couple guys grabbed us back in the West End."
Johnny raised a bow. "What happened?"
"Not much. Jay got hit in the head, I got threatened at gunpoint," Sean recited, unconcerned. Sadly, this wasn't new business. "They wanted us to bring you a message."
Johnny nodded for him to continue. "I'm listening."
"Stay out of Toronto, it's taken," Sean listed. "And if you take the Monceardo bid, you're finished," he completed, bored. A small smirk crossed his face as Johnny grinned.
"Good. We're making them nervous," Johnny commented.
"Yeah, well, I'd be kind of nervous, too, if someone was about to take a $5 million job from me," Jay piped in from across the room, where he was surveying pictures.
"Neither of you are hurt, right?" Johnny confirmed.
"Nope, we're alright," Jay said, dropping into a chair and gesturing for Sean to sit next to him. "But we want to discuss something."
Johnny looked amused. "Really now?"
Sean took his seat slowly, locking his green eyes on the older man's. "Look, Johnny, we wanna know what's up here. Our lives are being threatened, and all we're doing is delivering envelopes and packages, looking up some police records, telling you who's who and who's nobody. They think we're in on something; why can't we be?"
Johnny pursed his lips. Choosing his words carefully, he began. "That isn't all you've been doing. You've been feeling out my crew; seeing who's trustworthy, who's not."
"Yeah, 'cause that's important," Jay mumbled. "We've hung out with a bunch of criminals a couple of times, that's nothing."
Johnny raised his eyebrow again. "Bullshit, Jay," he said bluntly. "I trust you two. You're family. Cameron, don't look at me like that, you're as good as. You two make one hell of a team, and you know it. You've been able to pick out who is loyal, who is capable of pulling off the real shit, and who shouldn't be anywhere around me. You don't think that's important?"
Jay shrugged.
Johnny continued. "Well, I think it is. You two have single handedly chosen my crew for the biggest assignment I've ever orchestrated in this city."
Jay's gaze shot up. "The Monceardo job?"
Sean's mouth fell open. "Seriously?"
Johnny nodded. "Yep. You've collected the research, gotten to know the guys. I think you're ready to help me out."
Jay furrowed his brow. "What, you want us to help jack cars?"
Johnny sighed. "No, Jay, you're not getting me. When I told you two I had a place for you up here, I didn't mean as regular criminals. I'm not gonna jeopardize family by allowing you two to be caught up in petty crime. You're both smart; you're management status."
Jay blinked. "Like, you?"
Johnny smirked. "I've been thinking it's time to promote you from messengers to my personal assistants."
Sean broke into a grin, and Jay laughed in disbelief. "Seriously, though? We're not even nineteen yet…"
"Seriously," Johnny confirmed. "You've worked with me for five years already. Why not? Granted, a few rules apply."
Jay groaned. "Always, with the rules."
"Naturally, the standard secrecy clause remains," Johnny stated, pinning them both with a serious, threatening look. "You must keep your grades up; that means attending class," he continued, ignoring their groans. "Hey, we don't need any teachers or truancy officers nosing around here, alright?"
They both nodded reluctantly, and he began again. "Which brings me to my next rule; staying out of trouble. No bar fights, school fights, street fights, street races, drugs, etc, and especially no stealing."
Jay sighed. "Man, you're taking away everything good in my life."
Sean laughed. "Yeah, that's a lot to ask."
Johnny glared at them both. "I thought the $30,000 a year I was going to pay you each, plus bonuses and a new apartment in one of my buildings, would be enough to convince you to follow my requests."
Sean's eyes about popped out of his head. "Sold. We'll do it."
"Yeah, when do we start, boss man?" Jay asked excitedly.
"Now. Go get your cookies from Mrs. Green and go home. Get up in the morning, go to school, and meet me here at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon," Johnny ordered. "I'll arrange for your apartment and first paychecks to be taken care of tomorrow morning."
The two young men rose from their seats, both shaking hands with Johnny and profusely thanking him. As they walked out of the study, Johnny called after them. "Oh, and we really need to buy you two some new clothes. I don't want my assistants looking like street punks."
X
"Mmm… Emma," Peter moaned, breaking their kiss and pulling back. "What is it?"
She sighed, removing his hand from her thigh and pushing his roaming lips away. "Peter. We're in the parking lot of our high school. I don't want everyone thinking we're just a couple horn dogs that screw all the time," she explained bluntly.
He sighed irritably, biting the inside of his lip in frustration. Emma had been very… cold lately. She cancelled their dates frequently because of family engagements, never striving for alone time with him, and often breaking their make out sessions or too intimate kisses quickly and with weak excuses. He didn't understand why she was pulling away. It wasn't as if they hadn't been physical before…
"Okay, then, whatever," Peter shrugged, popping a kiss on her cheek and chalking it up to Emma's self-consciousness. "Ready to go inside?"
She nodded. "Sure," she replied, preoccupied. He sighed, taking her hand and beginning the stroll inside with his spacing girlfriend.
Emma silently scolded herself. She didn't know what was the matter with her; Peter was only being a good boyfriend and trying to show his affection. It didn't used to bother her, when they first started going out a year ago. She felt special, like he really cared about her and wanted her to know it. Now, however, he just seemed like a horny teenage guy that couldn't keep his paws off her.
She supposed she began feeling this way about five months into their relationship. He got boring. He lost his sweet, eager to please attitude, and it became painfully obvious they didn't have much to talk about. There wasn't much to Peter, to be honest. Just Daddy's money, cars, film making, and Emma. She guessed the butterflies left, and the passion in their relationship quickly followed.
She tried to liven it up with sex a few months ago, but that backfired. He expected that they be attached at the lip, hip, or some other parts all the time now, and she wasn't into it. In fact, physically, Emma was very unsatisfied with their relationship. She guessed they just didn't have much chemistry, and it affected their sex life immensely… at least, she hoped that was the problem. Everyone always made such a big deal out of sex, and so far she hadn't been that impressed.
"Emma? Emma?"
Snapping back to reality, she automatically answered, "Yeah, Peter?"
Frustrated, he rolled his eyes. "We're a your locker. I gotta go to class, I'll see you in third period."
Smiling apologetically, she accepted his quick kiss. "Okay, bye."
"I love you," he prompted expectantly.
"You, too," she replied, distractedly working on her locker combination.
Sighing, Peter left, allowing Emma to concentrate. Manny bounced up seconds later, giggling. "What was that all about?" her best friend asked, amused.
"What was what all about, Manny?" Emma returned, finally popping the red locker door open. Reaching for her Media Immersion book, she continued. "He was dropping me off at my locker."
"Yeah, and you both seemed totally miserable," Manny commented, reaching past Emma for a notebook. "Well, he seemed miserable; you seemed preoccupied."
"I guess I was," Emma shrugged. "I was thinking."
"That's never good," Manny teased, closing their locker and leaning against it. "I really think you need to break up with him, Emma."
The blonde's eyebrow raised comically. "Really, now? What happened to you being Peter Stone's biggest fan?"
Manny laughed sarcastically. "I was only his biggest fan when he made you happy, Em. It's pretty obvious you aren't anymore."
"Says who?" Emma protested weakly.
"You, every time I see you with him. You're eyes scream, 'please, get him away from me!'" Manny mocked in a high pitched voice.
"Manny… I just don't know anymore. I'm always so bored with him," Emma revealed, sighing.
Manny nodded. "How's the sex?"
Emma's eyes widened, and she turned a little pink. "Manny!"
"What? It's a valid question!" Manny defended.
Emma sighed, exasperated. "It's okay," she shrugged.
"Ha, I knew it!" Manny exclaimed. "You're all wrong for each other."
"Huh?" Emma asked, not following.
"Sweetie, you're two teenagers. You should be ruled by lust and passion; people that are ruled by lust and passion don't have 'okay' sex," Manny reasoned wisely. "They have super hot, super awesome sex. Trust me."
"Yeah, well, you'd know," Emma joked lowly. Manny gasped and smacked her arm.
A low, gravelly chuckle sounded from the locker next to Emma, calling her attention to her left. Sean Cameron, resident Degrassi bad boy, was pulling a book from the locker, pretending to mind his own business. His green eyes glanced over, locking on her chocolate brown gaze, and he smirked.
Emma felt a strange feeling of excitement rise in her stomach, but pushed it down. Still, she couldn't help the grin that appeared on her lips. She was intrigued; she didn't know much about Mr. Cameron, and she very rarely saw him. He usually skipped the first two classes, and that was on the days he actually showed up to school at all.
"So, are we late to first period, or are you actually on time for once?" Emma teased him.
His smirk turned into a grin, which he attempted to hide by pursing his lips and ducking into his locker. Seconds later, he emerged, shut the door, and faced her. With a very Zen expression on his face, he replied, "Well, I heard a couple pretty girls were gonna be talking bout their sex lives, and I just couldn't bring myself to miss it."
Emma flushed a little. "Well, I'm glad you got what you came for, then."
He smiled. "Yeah. And she's right, by the way."
"What?" Emma asked, confused.
"You should dump him," Sean clarified. "You should be having wild, crazy hot sex… with someone who knows what he's doing," he explained, boring his eyes into hers. Smirking again, he held her gaze as he headed for class.
"Wow…" Manny breathed. "Now you two? You would have wild, crazy hot sex… Talk about sexual tension!"
Feeling a little flushed, Emma waved her hand in front of her face. "Shut up, Manny. We're gonna be late."
"I still say it's sexual tension," Manny repeated, shaking her head and following her friend to class.