A/N: Senior year, Emma & Sean haven't seen each other since he left in Wasaga, and Emma has broken up with Peter. This is my first Degrassi fic, so feedback is appreciated.
Chapter One
"Greenpeace, you ready or what?"
Jay Hogart shook locks of soft brown out of the way of dark eyes, before resetting his black cap backwards onto his head. He leaned against his car outside the Nelson household at seven in the goddamned morning, watching a distressed blond carry luggage to the street with extreme difficulty. "You could be less of an ass and help, you know, what people with actual souls do," Emma breathed heavily, staggering under the weight of suitcases before giving up in pursuit of scolding the older boy. His mouth twitched in a half-smirk, watching her stumble over scattered luggage on the ground to reach and ultimately curse him into eternal damnation.
Or something.
He spared her a glance as she stood up to him, arms folded with a defiant stance. And in that one glance, he was able to register how the sun hit her golden head in the perfect light, how eyes of hers sparkled with scattered, flustered emotion, how much she had grown from that childish freshman he observed from afar. Jay paused and decided in a split second he could spare her a second glance, but this time he, unluckily, met her gaze. He blinked and looked away. Shit, eye contact.
"Are you even listening to me?" Her voice rang unceremoniously through his head in the middle of a lecture he'd heard before, a sharp contrast to the previous trance of observation he received when just looking at her. "You have to ask?" Jay responded in typical mocking tones, a boyish smile settling on his lips. Emma rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperating stare before taking it upon herself to open the trunk and throw all of her belongings inside, the heavy items slowing her pace significantly. He didn't bother to look at her but took a pack out of his jeans pocket and took out a cigarette. He raised the lighter and lit it, closing his eyes for a brief few seconds. Relaxation, at last. When the fumes reached Emma, she wrinkled her nose in disgust and looked over at him and was surprised to see his face relaxed. Calm, even. She stood, entranced, but snapped out of reverie once he opened his eyes and caught sight of her. Nelson, you have the worst timing. She cursed herself.
"Like what you see?" he grinned teasingly, a glitter reaching his eyes.
"Disgusted, actually; you're going to smell like smoke," Emma berated,"Even with windows open, the car ride will be unbearable."
It was his turn to roll his eyes as he flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his foot several times over. He restrained himself from doing it a second time as Emma winced at the sight of his actions. "Relax, I'm sure some Greenpeace like you will pick it up later this afternoon," Jay yawned in unconcern, simply brushing off the girl who looked practically murderous.
"Pick it up, what if a kid sees that?" She ordered, voice laced with blatant annoyance.
"And what if I don't?" He quirked in eyebrow in challenge.
"I'll force you into Manny's cheerleading uniform."
"Is that some sort of underpinning suggesting you want to touch me?"
"Just do it!"
"Fine, I'll save you from having a heart attack, Greenpeace. Chill," he murmured in tones of resentment, bending down to pick up the cigarette and toss it into the nearest trash can, while Emma was hauling her last suitcase into the trunk,"Besides, who's idea was it to visit Sean in Wasaga?" She didn't answer him, maybe because she was preoccupied with what was most likely the heaviest suitcase that just wouldn't fit. Feeling uncharacteristically generous, Jay held it opposite from Emma and lifted it carefully. "On three, okay?" he advised,"One, two, three!" With a great heave, the last of the suitcase fit just perfectly inside the trunk as Jay slammed it shut.
As he turned to question the monstrosity that was the weight of the last suitcase, Jay was greeted by a pale-faced Emma. She was swaying only slightly, but, alarmed nonetheless, he asked genuinely about her well-being. "I'll be damned if it matters, now let's go, I want to get there before dark," Emma snapped suddenly, taking a step forward but losing her balance as her knees buckled. "Whoa, whoa, I got you," Jay muttered softly as he caught her arms before she would have made an interesting confrontation with the sidewalk. Right hand supporting her side as she stood up weakly and slowly, left hand on her back. Despite the situation, Jay found it oddly intriguing that his hand fit perfectly in the small of her back; after shaking his head and discarding this piece of information to the depths of his mind, he moved two fingers to gently push her face up to directly look at him.
His face was more solemn and serious than she had ever seen it.
"Have you eaten lately?"
He knew the rumors.
"I can stand, now, you can get your hands off of me," Emma tried to push him off of her, but he just moved closer with the intent of an answer. A hand brushed against strands of gold, and Jay blinked, taken back at how soft her hair was. At this momentary lapse of concentration, she took her chance and moved away from him and entered the passenger's seat. His hand was still in the air, where it had once touched soft locks just seconds before.
What the hell is wrong with you today?
Swallowing, he exhaled and was again surprised by the shakiness of it. Jay shook his head once more as if to ward off unsettling thoughts as he too got into the car. And as his hands grasped the driving wheel, he couldn't help but the passing thoughts of how her hair felt much more soothing than the rough leather as he sped off into the rising sun.