They were casual acquaintances but didn't realize they were both crusaders, broken and connected by tragic pasts. friendship
I do not own any Degrassi characters! If I did, Sean would be back right now!
Roses and Ashes
Emma strolled down the sidewalk, heading to the Dot after yet another tiresome therapy meeting. Manny had offered to meet her, but she kindly told her she wanted to be alone. Emma was always drained after the sessions; she'd been going for months and didn't have anything new to tell. She'd already relived and relived Jordan , the shooting, the eating disorder, and even Sean. It was frustrating to constantly talk about them, especially about Sean, who had not written her a letter in several weeks.
Emma was pulled out of her thoughts by Spinner, and she quickly ordered a strawberry milkshake, her personal favorite.
Spinner grinned, "Can't a guy get some originality over here? These counter girls all want the same thing!"
Emma glanced down the counter and saw a familiar head of long brown hair. She and Darcy had hung out years ago but were mostly friends through Manny. They shared some classes but never really talked alone together.
By instinct rather than thought, Emma scooted a few chairs down to take the seat next to Darcy. They smiled at each other shyly, each awkward and slightly unsure of what to say.
"Hey Emma. What've you been up to lately?" Darcy asked.
"Nothing much," Emma replied. She paused, unsure whether to give more detail. "I just had a therapy session."
"Really?" Darcy said. She was somehow relieved; at least someone else at Degrassi had some problems besides her. She felt more relaxed and also curious.
"Yeah really," Emma laughed good-naturedly. "A whole hour of bearing my soul, telling her the exact same things I told her last week!"
Darcy smiled, "I know; annoying, isn't it?"
"You're probably used to it; you all talk a lot in Friendship Club, right?" Emma replied.
Darcy paused. She was torn between telling Emma the truth or letting her believe that she was perfectly healthy and fine in Friendship Club. She huffed irritably and smiled sheepishly after Emma gave her a confused look. "Sorry, it's just… I do the therapy thing too."
Emma nodded, "Well, just remember what they tell us, 'we're not getting help, we're getting better!'" She laughed Ms. Sauve's bittersweet catchphrase. She noticed Darcy squirm uncomfortably and turned serious, "Seriously though, it's okay. My dad, uh, Mr. Simpson… he mentioned you've been going through some hard times. I know what you're going though-"
"He told you! He said he'd keep it a secret! And you do not know what I'm going through!" Darcy stated indignantly. She felt hurt by her teacher's betrayal and upset that it would forever change how Emma viewed her.
"Darcy! He didn't tell me what happened; he just said you've had some bad things happen to you. Honestly, I didn't even know you were in therapy" Emma said earnestly; unconsciously, she really wanted Darcy to trust her. Both girls paused as Spinner brought them their strawberry milkshakes.
Darcy softened after hearing Emma's apology and remembered her therapy assignment for the week. "Hey Emma? Sauve's assignment for me this week is to tell someone I don't know well what's happened to me. She said it helps bring acceptance, or something"
"Sure," Emma said. She was surprised and touched Darcy chose to share this with her.
Darcy kept her eyes down on her milkshake. "Well I'm sure you heard about the MyPage picture incident already." Emma nodded quietly, and Darcy continued. "Well two months ago, I went on a big ski trip with Manny and Peter. He'd been pressuring me to go farther with him, but I was pretty against it. There was a big party one night, and I only remember waking up the next morning without any clothes." She saw Emma's disapproving look and quickly explained. "I went to a doctor and I found out that I was… raped" The word tasted pungent in her mouth and she paused for a moment. "I guess there was a guy who was drugging peoples' drinks. Lucky me, I was one of them." Darcy laughed bitterly. "To make things worse, I got chlamydia from him. I was humiliated and depressed and tried to kill myself a week later. Manny found me and saved me, but I still have to live with this everyday." She noticed Emma's shocked and sympathetic expression. "I know you're going to relate me to that all the time now. You're not the only one," she stated bitterly. "You know, I-"
She was interrupted by Emma giving her a giant hug. Darcy sat, surprised, as Emma replied. "Darcy, I'm so sorry you had to go through that! I know you've probably heard that a million times. Believe it or not, I can relate to that."
"Doubt it," muttered Darcy, still stunned from Emma's unordinary response.
"It's true," Emma countered. "When I was in seventh grade, I met a guy, Jordan, on the internet and we agreed to meet in a hotel room. He ended up having a camera and tried to rape me for the film. Luckily, Mr. Simpson found me in time, but it still haunts me and I don't like to think about it." Emma stopped, collecting her breath and her troubling thoughts. "I caught an STD too. After the shooting, I messed with Jay Hogart in the Ravine. I was so upset, I didn't realize it was a pretty bad move. Gonorrhea. And the whole school found out. You probably remember that."
Darcy nodded, "So that's why you're in therapy?"
Emma laughed. "Actually, no. I'm in there for an eating disorder. That other stuff is brought up just as much though."
Emma and Darcy sat in silence for a few minutes, both slurping their milkshakes and thinking about their newfound information.
"It's funny to think this is the first time we've talked in months, but we already know each other's deepest secrets," Darcy laughed.
Emma giggled in agreement. "Well, you never know how strawberry milkshakes can bring people together."
Darcy grinned. "Hey, tomorrow do you want to go shopping or something?"
Emma agreed, "Sure, I'll bring Manny; she'd die if we went to the mall without her!"
Emma and Darcy paid for their milkshakes and left the Dot, each with an unexpected new friend and plans for the weekend. Ms. Sauve smiled to herself from behind a booth in the Dot. "Darcy's assignment turned out better than I thought it would," she reflected.