"Come on, Em." Manny pouted, "Of all people, me and you deserve a night out."
Emma leaned her chin on the couches arm, looking at Manny who stood in the doorway of the kitchen. "No." she mooped and turned over, trying to hide herself in the couch.
Manny rolled her eyes and came over, jumping onto the couch with her, "Emmmmaa puh-lease!"
"Manny, I just can't okay?"
"You're single now and you can't?" Manny rolled her eyes, "Fine. Can you atleast come out to support a friend who finally let go of her cokehead loser 'rockstar' boyfriend? I heard Dave Stewart is having a party this weekend. Seniors only."
Emma sighed and sat up, facing Manny now. She smiled sadly, "I'm happy you broke things off with Craig, you're too good for him. But I'm not in the mood to go out."
Manny opened her mouth to protest but the door opened and the boys came in.
"Did you see?" KC asked them, going to the window by the couch and peeking out.
Manny and Emma shared a weird look, "What?"
"New neighbors." Zig explained and followed behind KC. The girls got up and peaked out the window with them to the moving truck next door.
Zig saw the family come out of the car, but he saw the cute blonde girl first. She looked around the neighborhood first skeptically (Zig couldn't blame her, it was okay for them, but kind of a shithole).
"She's cute." KC said with a smirk, glancing at Zig who was strangely quiet for once.
Zig blinked and glanced back at him. He then shrugged and said, "She's okay."
"Aww, a friend for you guys to play with." Manny teased the boys as if they were 10 years old. They both glared. Emma laughed.
Zig looked back at the blonde girl who was now carrying a box probably full of her stuff and saw a violin sticking out of it. He couldn't help but be curious about the blonde girl moving in next door.
((**))
Meanwhile, at the SHOP.
Jay walked around a beat up old honda and asked Sean, "What's a guy gotta do to give up on his own car like this?" he playfully tapped his finger on the side mirror that was barely hanging on.
Sean joked back, "He should really just set it on fire and get the insurance back."
Jay kicked the piece of crap and muttered, "And he only asked us to change his oil?" he looked at Sean for an answer.
Sean chuckled and nodded. Jay sighed and looked around. It was dead, other than them and Paul at the desk.
"You can go. I can take care of the rest." Jay told Sean.
Sean paused and then cleared his throat, "I got nowhere to be."
Sean shrugged when Jay walked to the engine and began to get to work to then stop, and eye Sean. "Don't you want to go see Emma or somethin'?"
Sean was waiting for that. He frowned deeply and looked down, clenching his jaw. "We uh," he finally spat it out, "We broke up."
Jay's head tilted a bit, and he squinted his eyes. Was that a joke? Sean nodded and Jay snickered, more confused now. "You're just telling me this now?"
Sean looked away while he rolled his eyes but seemed weary to tell Jay the truth. "It was just between me and her. Okay?"
He looked back at Jay when he heard nothing. Jay's usual back talk was unheard. This was strange to Sean as he watched his friend just shrug and get back to work.
"Okay." Jay said.
Sean eyed Jay as he began to clean the oil in the engine and re fill it. "Just okay?"
Jay paused what he was doing and looked up for a moment to huff and look at Sean. "Yea."
He noticed Sean wasn't okay with just 'okay.' Jay also knew Sean needed more. He stood up and took the oil changer piece with him. "Look, I can't feel bad for you each time you mess it up with that girl."
"I mess it up?" repeated Sean in disbelief.
"Or she does, whatever." Jay rolled his eyes.
Sean walked over and pointed at Jay, "No that seemed like you putting the blame on me."
"I don't even care to ask what happened so how so?" taunted Jay.
"I gave a lot of shit up for her, man. I went to jail-"
"Oh. Was she driving when you hit that guy with your car?" Jay raised an eyebrow at Sean's silence but the guy glared daggers at Jay.
"You know what I mean. Me and her should of never even happened again," sighed Sean sadly, "She's too busy for me, or anybody who isn't her part of her family."
"Poor you." Jay shot back, throwing the oil changer on the counter. "You have a girlfriend who puts her family first who don't even have parents."
"You think I don't know what it's like to be parentless?" Sean snapped.
"I definitely think you don't know what it's like to be parentless." Jay said, and walked by Sean, "Just a spoiled brat who didn't like when Mommy and Daddy sent him away to be a good boy."
Sean clenched his jaw when Jay stormed past. What the hell was that and why wasn't he storming after Jay to kick his ass?
Maybe because a bad knot in his stomach told Sean he might have been right. It made him think about how Tracker use to have to take care of Sean when he first moved here to Degrassi.
..It must not of been easy. Sean knew he was a hard kid to control back then. He scoffed at himself now, cursing silently. Emma was basically in Trackers shoes now but with more kids, and apparently a dick as a boyfriend too. Scratch that, ex boyfriend.
(((**))
Emma heard her door knock and called from the kitchen, "Can somebody get that!?"
She was trying to cook dinner, and she heard the movie blasting from the living room that KC had started. She peaked in while trying to stir the pot of gravy she was making for the mashed potatoes and saw KC ignoring.
I guess Zig upstairs was also deaf.
She turned off the oven and jogged to the front door, "Don't worry, I got it." She sarcastically said and opened the door.
She was shocked. Sean stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes looking full of regret. No, no, no. "Sean.."
She would not take him back. Not this time. It was just a vicious circle.
"Look," he said before she said anything else, "I'm just here to say I'm sorry. That us breaking up sucks, but.."
Emma eyed him and sized him up. He seemed..different tonight. What was going on?
"I want to still be part of your life, Em. And you apart of mine." He told her. He looked at her almost mercifully. "I could never do what you do. You're caring, strong, and selfless."
"I can be pretty selfish sometimes.." Emma mumbled, not completely agreeing with that and crossed her arms. But, hearing this from him was nice. She didn't want them to be totally over either, at least they could be friends- maybe.
Sean stared at her and sadly shook his head, "You're not. Not really, Em. Not in the way you should be," he glanced through the door behind her and lowered his voice, "I know you love these kids but you need to think about yourself sometimes. Live your life."
Tears burned Emma's eyes but she hid them well. She kept a strong voice and replied, "Right now, that's not a choice."
He nodded and looked down for a minute again. "Maybe in the future then."
Emma sucked in a deep breath and then stepped forward when he went to leave, "Wait." She saw him stop. "Maybe…we can be friends?"
He smirked a little and nodded. "I really want that, Em. You're one of my best friends."
Emma nodded back and then softly smiled, taking a few more steps towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He closed his eyes and hugged her back, as if locking in this new friendship.
((**))
Manny looked up when Emma came down the stairs and shut off Manny's tv. "Hey!" the brunette whined.
"You wanna go out? Fine." Emma smiled happily, "Lets go out this weekend."
Manny squealed happily.
(((((****))))))
Emma went grocery shopping that Saturday night and put a pack of Manny's low calerie beer in her cart. For herself, she grabbed her favorite white wine. And for Jack, well, Baby Jack needed diapers and well since she was here she might as well get that too.
"Nice purchases you got there." Teased a voice.
Emma went a shade of pink before she turned around from picking out some snacks for tonight. Jay leaned on her cart now since she had walked just a little away to grab some chips. She threw them in the cart and gave him a look.
"I don't have time for you right now, I gotta get home for Jack's babysitter." She went to take the cart but instead Jay pushed it for her.
Emma narrowed her eyes but walked along beside him as he led her to the front of the store where the cashiers were.
"Why? Got a date?"
"Wouldn't tell you if I did." Emma shot back.
He chuckled and watched as she began putting her stuff on the register. Emma glanced up at the young girl who stood behind the cash and was twirling her hair, popping her gum, and staring at Jay. Anywhere she went she insisted Jay could turn any girls head.
Emma rolled her eyes and turned back to him as the girl began to ring her stuff through.
"Looks like it'll be a fun night." Jay informed, raising Manny's beer up to look at it before wrinkling his nose up in disgust at the low caleries part.
"It will." Emma declared and then paid for her stuff. Before she could grab her two bags, Jay took it for her. "What are you doing?"
"Carrying your bags. A thankyou would be nice." He led her out towards his car. He knew now without Sean she didn't have much of a vehicle to get around. Sometimes she would borrow her moms beat up wagon but it was really getting hard to pay for the gas.
At least the store was only two blocks away.
Emma side eyed Jay, "No. It's too weird. I don't know what you want."
He would of laugh if he didn't reply with his own witty remark, "Your kindness and gratitude is all I need."
He popped his trunk open and threw her things inside. Emma smiled a bit unsurely but gratefully and waited for him to come back up to her passanger side to unlock the door.
Before he did, he just stopped in front of her and told her, "Spinner and me were going to go out."
Emma gasped, "You'd be a really cute couple. I approve."
"Haa." He faked a laugh and went serious, "We're going to Lexy's new bar. You guys should come, we could get you in."
Emma paused. That could be fun. Un-like her, but fun, and maybe something she needed. "Is Sean going?"
"I thought you guys were good now?"
"We are, but.. Manny wanted to rejoice the fact we're both single. Doesn't work when the guy you were dating is there."
Jay looked around the parking lot while shrugging, "Well he won't be there."
Emma couldn't believe she was about to agree. "Fine. If you guys want to come over before we go, that'd be fine."
If she and Manny wanted to get crazy tonight, wouldn't it be right to party with the legendary partiers of Degrassi? Plus, Manny would love the drinking underage at a bar part.
Jay raised an eyebrow and nodded. With that, they got into his car and he drove her home. After he left, she and Manny had to quickly get ready and clean up before he came back with Spinner.
(((***)))
"Does this look okay?" Emma asked with a worried tone, giving herself a look in the mirror. She wasn't sure about this.
"Who cares? We'll never see anyone who we meet in this bar tonight ever again." Manny declared, wearing a short red dress. She heard of this bar, it was fun and always busy. It was a chill atmosphere, with a couple of pool tables, but also band nights which got crazy.
Emma turned from the mirror, wearing a beautiful skin tight black dress. The straps were skinny and the dress low at the front but secure..and only Emma seemed to be the only girl who could pull off a dress like this and still look sexy and respectable. It stopped by her mid thighs, and she finished the look with black heels.
You could barely tell these girls were just seventeen.
With Emma's hair just softly curled with her bangs swinging to the side, she put on just a little makeup. She didn't need much. She liked looking simple and natural.
Upstairs, the door knocked, and Zig on his way out opened the door. Spinner and Jay stood there and he greeted them, "Sup?"
"Sup, bra?" Spinner mocked Zig's 'cool' attitude. Jay snickered and held their case of beer. Zig opened the door wider and followed them in.
"Where you going?" Jay asked Zig who stepped into the kitchen with them and he put his beer down on the counter.
Zig shrugged, "Some chick at school is throwing a party, I was going to go check it out with Grace and Tiny."
"Tiny?" Jay asked and eyed Zig.
Zig cleared his throat at Jay's curious look because he had every right to be curious about Tiny. Tiny had a bad rep, and there was rumors he was in a gang and sold drugs- it was cause he was in a gang and sold drugs. But Zig swore he wouldn't get into that and Tiny was a better guy than he led on.
"Just a guy I met in study hall." Zig lied. He met Tiny in detention.
Jay blinked and shrugged his shoulder, "Alright." Who was he to play Dad to some kid? Even if he liked this kid. Zig had a tough attitude. It was funny knowing Emma was now trying to deal with a bad boy at home now too. It must be magnetic.
"Party's here." Spinner announced to the girls when they came up the stairs. He then whistled and Jay found out why when he looked over his shoulder away from Zig.
When Emma came into the kitchen, his heart clenched and his palms got sweaty. The dress she wore clung to her every curve, and her body was beautiful. She was a knock out on the regular but this? Well, this worried him now to bring her out like this.
"Maybe you should change." Jay said, looking away and clearing his throat.
The room got a little quiet and Zig even looked between Jay and the girls and even he didn't see the problem. They looked good.
"I think they look hot." Spinner insisted, putting his thumbs up and then sheepishly grinned to how stupid he must of looked.
Emma's smile wiped from her face when she received her drink from Manny and she watched Jay just avoid looking at them now and opened his case of beer. She felt her stomach drop a bit, feeling unsure all over again about what she decided to wear and wondered why he didn't like it?
She kinda wished he did..
She blinked, shaking that thought off and just ignored him as she chugged her wine now.
Manny on the other hand blew it off out loud, "Yea right Mister Crazy. Do you know how many free drinks this dress is going to get us?" she pointed downwards at herself.
Jay looked up as he chugged his beer and rudely remarked, "Could also get you hurt. Or roofied, if you're lucky."
Emma frowned and rolled her eyes. Jay too wanted to mentally kick himself. He didn't know what it was, he acted like his old dick self because he didn't like what he saw. Or maybe, he liked it too much..and he didn't want another guy to like it as much either.
"We're not changing, okay?" Emma snapped at him, "And I'm pretty sure I don't have a boyfriend anymore to tell me what to do."
Spinner and Manny both oh'd as Zig laughed. Jay just stared non-humorously back into Emma's eyes who glanced back twice when she saw a look in his eyes that her body almost instantly reacted to and she stared back at him now. He was serious now, and his eyes burned into hers and she swallowed before snapping out of it and looked away quickly. She had an unsure feeling dancing in her stomach, and her heart seemed to be pounding a little too fast- oh no, that couldn't be right.
"Whose ready to go?" Manny asked, throwing her can of beer into the garbage.
"Me." Emma nearly squeeked and led them quickly towards the door. They had to go, now, before anything else happened.