Degrassi's LUNCH TIME.
"Emma it's a B+!" Manny exclaimed, holding Emma's project paper as they walked into the Dot, Liberty and JT following after them.
Toby sat at their every day table and waved them down to the booth.
Emma grumbled, "It should of been an A.." she looked out of it, and it wasn't just because of Sean and her fight earlier, but this also.
"Oh Emma." Jt sighed dramatically, "The rest of us wish for a B, be grateful and stop rubbing our nose into it."
Liberty shook her head, sitting down. "She's right though, I know those methods and what you presented Emma was a fine project. Kwan was way harsh on you."
Emma fell into her seat while grumbling, "It's because I'm always late, isn't it?" she looked around at them for the truth.
They all tried not to look at her because it probably was, but as IF that's her fault!? If only Kwan knew what she had to do now. She use to always be her favorite student and now Kwan was trying to punish her or something because Emma wasn't the first student to class anymore or something?
"I'm going to get some coffee." Emma sighed helplessly and got up, walking over to the counter.
When she got there, Spinner turned and grinned from behind the counter, "Ah, Emma Nelson."
Emma just grumpily got to the point, "Can I just get a coffee?" she felt upset, and tired. But she was always tired since always taking care of baby Jack.
Spinner paused but shrugged and nodded as he took another person's order. Beside Emma, another figure also leaned next to her on the counter.
"Hey Spin," hollered the familiar voice beside her, "Grab me a muffin and hot chocolate."
Emma tried not to look at him but already knew he must of known he stood right beside her because then she felt his eyes on her.
"Greenpeace." his greeting even just sounded like he was already smirking.
Emma turned her head to look at him, and he was. As attractive as it was on his handsome face, you shouldn't fall for it. He was a total jerk.
He looked devilishly good looking with that short boxed beard he had going on now and he wore the same old hat he always did.
"Didn't Sean tell you to stop calling me that?" Emma taunted, raising an eyebrow. She barely saw Jay around anymore because, well, he was a mechanic now and worked a lot. He no longer went to Degrassi and if Emma remembered right, he would be almost 20 now.
"Sean can't tell me what to do, Gp." Jay said in a whisper as if a secret. Spinner came over and handed them their orders, glancing between the good ol' Jay and Emma show.
Emma rolled her eyes, "Whatever." she grabbed her stuff quick. Her palms were sweaty, and Jay's eyes pierced through her. He always made her feel uncomfortable now. She had no idea why, in the past, she could handle him but now? Who knew what it was that made her so nervous.
"What is it, Nelson? You a little tired today, not yourself?" Jay was shocked, she hadn't even given him an insult yet.
She just cornered her eyes at him to glare and his eyes just twinkled when she did. She swore he got off on making her angry.
"Is it that brady bunch family of yours?" Jay asked, "How is pretending to be Mama bear anyways?" he was joking for a moment, but then his face actually grew serious as he caught Emma frown deeply and look down before he took the hint things weren't good.
Emma just sighed, she had no energy to even fight with Jay and that was sometimes her favorite thing to do. She MUST be tired. "It's fine." she snapped back at him, not seeing the slight worry in his eyes now as he watched her begin to walk away. She turned back though, "Oh and next time Sean tells you about my life, tell Sean I said it isn't any of your business, or his to be telling people."
Spinner even winced as she walked off, "She is NOT in a good mood, man."
Jay flicked his tongue, watching Emma closely as she went and sat back down with her friends. "No, she's not." he noted. He always thought Emma took on a lot, but she was that kind of girl who could. She was strong, and responsible. Let alone a little controlling, but that was good for someone who took on as much as she did. Sean told Jay she practically raised her whole family, Jay kinda secretly admired that. If anyone could do that, it'd be Emma.
She seemed to be cracking lately though.
((*))
"Did you get me a doughnut?!" JT asked Emma happily and lifted his hands in defense when Emma came back and gave him a look not to start.
Emma closed her eyes when she heard a chair pull up next to her when she sat down back in the booth, and it was Jay who had dragged a chair over and sat on it backwards, leaning his arms on the chair.
"It hurts you don't want to be friends anymore Greenpeace."
"Tell me when we were ever friends, Jay." Emma turned to look at him, raising her eyebrow.
He smirked as he sipped his hot chocolate. She got him there.
"Em." came a voice and the table looked up at Zig. He dug his hands into his leather jacket, "I shouldn't of ate my lunch at breakfast."
"No you shouldn't of." Manny agreed happily, being the one who had warned him earlier not to do that..
Zig gave her a look and groaned to Emma, "Can I have money to get something? Please?"
Emma looked kind of down, she wished she could help him out but..money was running SO low. Her and Manny both did part time jobs here at the Dot now and she was TRYING to pick up as much night jobs as she could but.. it wasn't enough.
Meanwhile, as Emma struggled, Jay looked between them and he saw the look on Emma's face. If anyone knew Emma going through something rough, it was him, he saw her at her worst before...and he didn't like the same look on her face that she had now that she had then.
Jay suddenly dug into his pocket and threw some bills on the table, "Go wild, kid." he joked.
"Sick!" Zig went to grab it but Emma did first.
"You're not a charity case." Emma snapped, giving Zig a look.
For some reason Zig loved when Sean came over and brought Jay, it pissed her off they got along. It was bad enough KC was just like a younger Sean but now Zig was going to take lessons from Jay Hogart himself? Over her dead body.
Even though- she hated to admit- Jay was a little more mature nowadays.
Zig frowned deeply, and clenched his jaw as Jay looked between them and then too even shook his head. Everyone was now looking between them and Emma. Emma felt their eyes and then felt.. embarrassed.
"Fine, take it." She quickly pushed the money into Zig's hand as she got up and then walked out.
Manny tried to smile at Jt, Liberty and Toby to get the awkward situation by. Jay sat there looking out of it and Zig coughed awkwardly, "Do I buy some food or not?"
Jay stood up and just nodded at him before walking around the table and out the Dot too.
(((((((((((((***********))))))))))))))
(Pink-family potrait)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally
Emma laid in her bed that night, going through the scene from earlier that day.. maybe she shouldn't of been so rude, I mean.. Jay probably knew what it was like to run low on cash but still, it felt .. wrong. Or maybe her pride was badly getting the best of her.
There was a knock on the door and Emma sat up when Holly J came in
"Hey." Emma said, sitting on her bed and Holly J extended her hand and dropped a check into Emma's hand.
Holly J explained, "I'm picking up shifts at the DOT. That Spinner guy gave me a job ."
Emma's heart cracked and she was in awe that Holly J actually did this, "This..helps so much Holly J but.." she looked up at the red head who crossed her arms and shrugged, trying to keep that reputation of hers.
"Not a biggie."
"It is." Emma informed and went to open her mouth until another knock on the door cut them off. Emma sighed, her and Holly J were JUST bonding... it didn't happen alot. Holly J was always at cheerleading or parties..but then again, that's what Emma wanted her to have. A somewhat normal life.
"Hey." Sean greeted, coming in.
Holly J just nodded at Emma and turned, leaving up the stairs.
"Hi." Emma finally greeted Sean, a bit of tension between the two still. He could just never understand family was first. But..he would do what he did best, come inside after a fight, give that puppy look, and she'd just forgive him. Right?
He stayed over that night, and to blankly put it, fucked her. She laid there under him as he rocked back and forth over her, coming quite fast and cared more about his own pleasure then hers.
Emma was up as he passed out beside her and she curled into her covers, staring at a picture on her night stand. It was of her and her mom, at Snake's wedding. Her mother was beautiful that day. Emma and her hair? Not so much.. Emma smiled sadly.
Where is Spike now you ask? Who knew. Bar? Caitlin's condo in New York? Some strange mans house? She would come by once every few months.. but not lately.
Emma bit her lip and felt her sore throat and tried to swallow the lump in it, but finally let herself silently cry, and Sean never woke up or even heard that she was crying.. he never did.
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do
anything)
That weekend they had a barbeque at her place in the backyard since Manny was excited Craig was home from a band tour.
He laughed with Sean, over by the barbeque cooking burgers, and Emma wore a black bikini as did Manny as they sat on her patio table. Manny laughed holding Baby Jack as he tried to say the word burger.
"Booger." Jack said. Jack was now coming near the age of 3.
"Burger Jack." Emma corrected, shaking her head and smiling.
Manny laughed, "Hey! If he wants to eat a booger, let him! He's still young." the two giggled and Emma then looked around.
It was a bright, sunny day. Even Holly J was home to spend it with them and was in the pool with Zig and one of her friends she invited over, Anya. And KC was listening to his headphones on a beach chair.
Emma sighed, guess it was as good as it got.. She then heard a car roar up into her driveway. That famous orange honda civic.
Jay and Spinner, along with some other guy named Lucas. Emma remembered him from school, he was also Spinners girlfriends brother.
The two got out and Spinner happily cheered, "I brought the beer!" he confirmed.
"And I'm carrying it?" muttered Lucas, not knowing how that happened.
"hey, throw me one." Zig said, putting his hands out from the pool and Jay ripped one can off from Spinner's pack of beer and pretended to throw one to then open it himself and chug.
Emma rolled her eyes. Charming. But also good. She really thought Jay was going to give Zig a beer for a minute there..
Zig rolled his eyes and went back to splashing Holly J and Anya in the pool. It wasn't like that'd be his first beer or anything
"Hey man." nodded Spinner at Craig who nodded back, standing with Sean. Craig saw Jay though and just went back to watching Sean flips burgers.
Even Manny and Emma saw that over by the table, "I don't get it." admits Manny watching her boyfriend ignore Jay, which didn't even seem to bug Jay since he was still life of the party as he showed Sean how to properly flip the burgers before they burned. "Craig can like Sean, but not Jay?"
"You know both Sean and Jay are completely different, Manny." Emma mumbled quieter, "They're just always compared to another because they're the towns'.." she looked for the word..
"Rebels? Troublemakers? Sexy mechanics?"
Emma rolled her eyes smiling to then eye Manny, "Are you trying to say something?"
"Be kind of cool if I dated Jay, while you were dating Sean, wouldn't it?" Manny asked with a silent giggle.
"Not really." Emma admitted and then cleared her throat, "We did that whole 'date your boyfriends friend' thing back in 10th grade."
"Craig and Sean never had the friendship that Jay and Sean seem to. This would be funner, since we're older." Manny dazed off as she stared at Jay in the distance, "I want something more now."
Emma snorted then swallowed, glancing at Jay from a far too and back at Manny. And Emma saw it, those eyes of Manny's looking at Jay and checking him out. She actually felt a fire in her stir.
Emma wanted to shake Manny's shoulders, "You're checking Jay Hogart out while you HAVE a boyfriend, Manny!" she was always like this, Manny was always wild, boys loved her but she didn't want Manny to go after this one.
Manny raised an eyebrow at her, "Didn't I tell you? Craigs a coke head now. Found out last night and I'm so over it." she looked at Jay again, "I can't fight it anymore, I tried to hate him for you since all that stuff between you happened, but Jay Hogart is a total babe."
"You just called Jay a total babe." Emma said slowly, maybe trying to repeat it incase this wasn't real.
Manny taunted her with a low smirk, "You know he is Emma, or do you go down on guys you don't think are hot-"
"Can you SWITCH the topic we are speaking about?" Emma gave her a look like she had three heads and looked to see if Jay had heard, thankfully not. Emma felt herself even getting warmer, blush rising to her cheeks and breath unsteady.
It wasn't just blow jobs with Jay Hogart by the way. Back in the day, Emma and Jay actually TALKED before and after they fooled around and if Jay wore the sex bracelet's too, he would be wearing a green one as well because he also went down on her- OKAY, WHY are we talking about this?! Why did Emma feel..jealous!?
Emma tried to push it from her brain, "Pass me Jack Attack." she informed Manny who smirked and passed Jack on over onto Emma's lap. She covered his ears cause, well, this wasn't baby talk.
As Emma held onto Jack she tilted her head curiously watching KC just sitting by himself, listening to music. A figure came over and sat next to her, "It'll pass." they said.
Emma turned to Jay and sat up straighter to then pause and give him a look, "What? Being a lonely crushed parentless teenager?" she eyed him as if he wouldn't know what that felt like
"Yeah." Jay seriously and bluntly said.
Emma opened her mouth but shut it and eyed Jay closer until Manny cleared her throat, getting up and Emma saw her flip her hair. That was Manny's first move. Boys loved her long brown hair. .
"You guys want a beer?" Manny asked, they both shook their heads no.
Emma held onto Jack who swatted his hands up and down on his legs boredly and stared up at Jay with big blue eyes.
"Booger." Jack simply stated loudly.
Jay snickered, sipping the beer in his hand as Emma leaned down holding Jack's hands in hers now.
"That's right!" she cheered Jack on, "Jay's a booger."
"Laugh it up.' taunted Jay but grinned himself to then stop when Jack held his arms out to him, wanting him to hold him.
"Make me a booger!" Jack pleaded Jay. Emma laughed silently. Jay looked like he had no idea what to do.
"fine." Jay said, rolling his eyes, as if it was such inconvenience. Emma raised her eyebrows as Jack crawled off of her and went to catch up to Jay who walked away to the BBQ but slowed down just for Jack to walk by his side.
Emma bit her lip from smiling so hard.
"Hey baby." Sean greeted, jumping in beside her and kissed her cheek.
Emma almost jumped and turned and stared at him. He was ready to eat his burger until she put her hand on his wrist, stopping him. She leaned in and kissed him hard. She didn't know why either..
Over by the grass, Jay set Jack's plate on a blanket that Manny put out for herself but Spinner, Lucas and Craig too came to invade her space and Jack sat down with them. Jay stood and heard Spinner tease out loud "ouuu lala."
"Nothing like PDA." joked Manny, gawking Emma and Sean making out by the back door on the patio table. Sean was supposedly a real good kisser.
Jay gulped his beer down harder than usual and then went back to watching Jack trying to eat a full burger that wasn't his. What? He hated being the 'baby' who got his food always cut up on a plate.
"Hey!" Spinner snapped, snatching his burger back from Jack who tried to take a big bite.
Even KC laughed sitting a few feet away.
See? Some days were good.. less tough then others.