Sean holds the door open as Emma steps into the building in front of him. "This isn't gonna' work, Em." She turns around and smiles as the door closes behind Sean, and she takes his hand in hers, locks their fingers together, and rubs his hand with her free one.
"It's worth a try." They step in front of the large door to the principal's office. Sean shivers as his skin grows goose bumps. His future might depend on this very moment. One hand still holding Sean's, rubbing it with her thumb, Emma lifts her other to the door, in a fist, and, with two simple motions, knocks.
"It's open." A voice comes through the door. The last time Sean had heard that voice he was being released from the school. Hopefully this trip would go better.
Emma's hand slips down to the doorknob and she opens it, gripping Sean's hand a bit tighter with ever inch the door opens. "Ms. H—"
The older blonde is turned around, looking through a folder. "You should be in finals, Emma. What are you—" She is facing them at this point, and spots the male figure standing beside the girl she had been talking to. "Hello, Sean." She stands stern, not allowing herself to show any emotion.
Emma remains confident, more for Sean than any other reason. "Straight A's in honors courses. I don't need to take finals this year." Despite his fear, Sean is forced to smile. He still cannot even begin to understand how Emma can be so smart, confident, defiant, and innocent all at the same time. "And I'm just here to support him." She nudges Sean, pushing him forward a little.
Both blonds turn to face Sean now, waiting for him to speak. His goose bumps grow larger. After ten seconds of a pointless staring contest between Sean and both girls, the older blond grows restless. "Well?"
"I—" It comes out weak and defenseless, so he clears this throat. "I want to come back next year." Her head rises as her shoulders shrink—it's a sign of an attempt to take power of a situation. Both Sean and Emma had seen the same motion so many times before. "I need to graduate high school, Ms. H."
Her lips thin as she pierces them together. "There are other schools." As far as she is concerned, this ends the conversation. She turns around again, and continues to search through the file in her hand.
Sean releases Emma's hand from his grip. That is it. They lost. He opens the door to leave, but Emma silently refuses to budge. "Emma. Don't."
But she has that look on her face—it's one that he knows well. She won't take no for an answer, and she will not leave until she gets the result she came in search of. "I'm the licensed driver, Sean. We're not leaving until I say we are." She turns around to the older blond, who is pretending to not hear what the youths were saying. "He wants to finish school at Degrassi."
She does not look up from the folder, for she can be just as stubborn as the younger of the two. "That's not his decision to make."
The anger enters Emma's eyes as she fixes her posture, and confidently tosses some hair behind her shoulders. "Well maybe you should make the decision, then. As the principal of Degrassi—not Peter's mother."
Sean leaps backwards into the hallways as the folder slams against the office desk, creating a loud noise. Emma, on the other hand, stays firm, shows no mercy. The anger in Emma's eyes is now met by a more mature, but very similar glare. "My decisions concerning this school have absolutely no influence from my personal life."
"Yeah, sure." The sarcasm in her voice causes even Sean's jaw to drop in surprise. He had seen her use the tone with classmates and her parents, but who knew Emma could get an attitude like this to a principal, too? She had not even been this sarcastic in her protest against GM foods in grade eight. "Did you ask Peter how he knew about the drugs?" She's so infuriated that she never stops to think hoe defensive a mother can get when it comes to her children. The curse word exists for a reason. "No? Well let me tell you! Because he planted them! Found the list of locker combinations in your office. He broke into my locker, too, and I forced it out of him." Ms. Hatzilakos opens her mouth to speak, ejecting looks of both anger and surprise now. Emma will not let her speak. "I think the real question is: where did Peter get the drugs? That's what I've been wondering for months. Where the hell did Peter get those drugs?"
"Emma. You're walking on very thin ice right now." Sean is tempted to grab Emma and force her outside, but he knows that will only result in a black eye—and his other one had only just recently healed completely.
"Then again, I shouldn't be surprised." Sean's eyes open wide as the bell rings and students file out to switch rooms for another final. Talk about bad timing. Sean knows where she is headed with this statement, and it is a place to stay far away from—if there ever was such a place… this is it. "You're whole family does whatever they can to seek revenge." Oh, no. Here is comes. "Tell me—did it feel good? Getting back at your ex husband by making my dad do the same thing to his wife? What was it like making out with a married man—one that you work with?!"
The silent students filling the hallway turn their attention to the door of the main office. Sean knows he has to get them away—they cannot create a huge scene. "Keep walking. Nothing to see here." Okay, so that is not going to work. "You don't wanna' fail your finals, do you?" The students start to walk away slowly, still listening to see what they can overhear.
The blondes are still locked in a staring contest, both daring the other to speak first, yet secretly hoping she gets the next word in. "I wonder," Emma wins, "if you asked Peter why we broke up."
The elder is silent for a moment. "He said you—"
"Not everyone cheats." She turns and links eyes with Sean. "And even some that do, don't get caught." Emma takes a step outside, and reaches for the doorknob. "Ask him where he got the drugs."
She starts to close the door, when Ms. Hatzilakos shouts, "Sean!" Emma pauses her motion. "I expect to see you in my office on August fifteenth. We can talk about this then." Sean nods, and silent begins to turn away. "Oh, and Sean?" Both youths turn their attention to her once again. "Come alone."
Sean tries to suppress a smile as Emma closes the door. They walk silently through the hallway, ignoring everyone around them. An announcement comes over the speakers. "All students should now be in their next final's classroom. Peter Stone report to the main office immediately." Emma's face remains stern, but relieved. She had gotten a lot out today. Sean, smiling, brings his arm around her waist and pulls her toward him, kissing the side of her head. This gesture forces a smile on her face—the first smile since they had entered the building, hand in hand.