Emma

By Lemony Apple

Author's Note: My beloved muse Sander helped me write this. Now, come on. You know you've heard of the movie Emma (Gwenyth Paltrow... ring a bell?) And well, I couldn't pass this baby up. By the way, this is losely based on the movie.

Sander: She likes Degrassi too much.

Me: Shut up, Sander.

Chapter 1- Emma's Gunna Buy You A Diamond Ring

Emma Nelson, Seventeen, was listening to Jack crying. She HATED listening to Jack crying. Even though Jack was three, he still cried like a newborn. Emma's blood curdled.

Slowly she got up off the couch and headed over to Jack. "Hey there, Big Guy," she said, picking him up and playing Airplane with him. "No more crying now, okay?" Jack responded with a howl.

"Emma! Emma, could you play with Jack? I have work I need to do!" Spike yelled.

"I already am." She murmured. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word..."

She had a huge science project due tomorrow that she hadn't even started.

"Emma's gunna buy you a mocking bird..."

Chris was coming over with Liberty, Manny and Liberty's new boyfriend. The house was a mess.

"And if that mocking bird don't sing..."

Exams started next week, and she was flunking Earth Science...

"Emma's gunna buy you a diamond ring..."

She picked up a throw pillow that was on the floor, and tossed it on the couch.

"And if that diamond ring turns...brass..."

Jack was asleep now. Emma put him in his crib softly so he wouldn't wake up. She sang that song so much recently. It was lucky that Jack fell asleep at that time, because Emma didn't know the rest of the song. She tossed another throw pillow on the couch.

Finally, when the TV room was presentable, Emma moved over to her room, sorting out what needed to be tossed away and what she needed for exams.

She was half way through English Literature when the doorbell rang. Emma trudged up the stairs and opened the door. Lo and behold, Liberty, her boyfriend, (Erik) and Manny came in.

"Hey, Emma," they all greeted her. She gave a low 'hey' in response.

"Hey, Emma, have you started your Earth Science project?" Liberty said, and started ticking off the ideas she used and didn't use in her project. Emma pretended to be interested for Liberty's sake. No matter how old she grew, Liberty was always the same, always-got-to-be-the-best girl.

"I haven't started it. Would you come over later and help me with it?"

"Sure!"

Liberty called about an hour before she was supposed to come over.

"Emma?" she was crying.

"Liberty! What is it?"

"He's... he's GONE!"

"Who's gone?"

"Erik! He dumped me once he drove me back home. He said he met another girl in America..."

"Oh Liberty!" She twisted the phone cord around her index finger. "Do you still want to come over? I understand if you don't want to." "No, you need help with your project."

"I know, Liberty... Instead of helping me with my science project, how about I help you?"

"With what?"

"I'm going to set you up. And I know just the boy."

Jimmy.