The Long And Winding Road
Notes: I don't own the show, the characters, etc. Special thanks to those who have left comments and encouraging words regarding the story so far.
Chapter 4 -- Red Light
"So, Manny, can I get you something to drink?" JT asked as he turned off his TV. He was trying to sound casual, though he hadn't been quite sure what to make of Manny's request to come over to see him.
"No thanks," she replied, feeling somewhat nervous now that she was actually in the house.
"What's up?" he questioned. "You sounded so serious on the phone."
"Well, I wanted to see you. We don't talk very much anymore."
"Sure we do, Manny," he said. "We see each other all the time in school. One of us passes the other in the hallway. One says, 'Hi, how's it going?' and the other says, 'Good, how's it going with you?' then we go our separate ways and begin again the next time we pass each other."
"I'm serious, JT."
"So am I. Do you know there are starving people in India who don't have anyone to exchange smalltalk with in their hallways?"
"I mean we don't REALLY talk anymore," she continued.
"I call THIS talking, Manny. Lips moving. Tongues flapping. Did you have anything specific in mind for a topic?"
"I notice you have no trouble talking with Emma for hours on end," she said with a touch of unplanned bitterness in her tone.
"Okay, time's up," he said, frowning.
JT grabbed Manny by the arm and started to lead her to the door.
"It's been real, but now it's time to go."
"Wait," Manny said, moving her arm away from him. "I didn't mean anything by it."
"Why bring Emma into this?" he asked, annoyed.
"I tried to talk to her this afternoon," she explained. "When I asked about you, she stopped talking."
"Manny, I have this feeling the only reason you're here is because I'm not acting like a member of your fan club anymore, and you don't like that."
"That's not true, JT. Everything's changed since the miscarriage."
Manny paused briefly. Even though so many months had passed, it was still difficult for her to even say the word 'miscarriage' aloud.
"I've changed," Manny then continued. "Or at least I'm trying to. My grades are back up. As you can see, I'm back to wearing a full wardrobe, not just bits and pieces. I'm trying to be more like that person you liked in the first place."
"Okay, assuming that's all true…What do you want from me?"
"I just want us all to be close again," she replied. "I know Emma's said she's okay with me, but I also know she still thinks I'm trouble. I think if you show her that you and I can be close, she'll realize that we can all be good friends again."
"Manny, I don't tell others what to do or what to think. Emma has her own fully functioning brain and can decide for herself who her friends are."
"But your opinion does mean a lot to her, JT," she continued. "Nowadays more than ever from what I can see."
"Then you still won't like it," JT said. "What I told you after your miscarriage hasn't changed. I still care about you and wish you the best, but I think we may have too much bad history for me to be comfortable being very close to you. I like you, but we're more the acquaintance type of friends now. We can get along, but I don't think we're gonna start hanging out all the time and sharing Kodak moments."
"I guess it's good that you're still as honest as ever," she responded, disappointment evident in her voice.
"Would you rather I was bitter and angry and ignoring you?" he then asked.
"No," Manny replied. "But answer this: If Emma weren't in the picture, would you be more willing to be close friends?"
Manny moved up close to JT and pressed her body against his.
"Maybe even…very close…friends?"
"Emma doesn't tell me what to do or think either," JT quickly responded. "But if there were no Emma, it still wouldn't change how things are with you and me. Now back up some, Manuela."
Outside, Emma was pacing the sidewalk in front of JT's house. And talking to herself.
"What could she be doing here? Okay, I have a good idea what she WANTS to do here, but why would JT let her in? He must feel sorry for her. That's it. And it's not like he knew I'd show up for a visit. Unless Patrick got to him and told him I was asking for him. Maybe JT knows what I want to say to him. Maybe he hates the idea so much he's even willing to get back with Manny instead of dealing with me."
She then took a deep breath before continuing.
"But that's silly. Still, she could try to poison his mind. She's good at that. She's probably got her top off right now, trying to hypnotize him with both barrels. There goes that headache again. I should just turn around and go home. I have nothing to worry about, and I can talk to JT tomorrow. Still, why do I always have to be the levelheaded one? She's threatening to cause trouble for my…for JT. Okay, enough worrying and babbling. I'm going in."
Inside the house, meanwhile, JT tried to reassure Manny.
"Everything's going to work out fine for everyone," he said. "You'll see."
Suddenly there was a loud knocking at the door.
"Be right back," JT told her as he walked toward the door.
He was surprised to discover who was on his doorstep.
"Emma! Hello!"
"Hi JT," Emma said, hoping to sound casual as she walked on in. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by."
"Emma, you LIVE in the neighborhood," JT remarked.
Emma entered and saw Manny standing near the couch. She was comforted to find that at least the girl had kept her clothes on.
"Why hello there, Manny!" she said in an overly friendly tone. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Hello Emma," Manny answered, looking and feeling very uncomfortable.
"Now isn't this a wacky coincidence?" Emma asked JT and Manny. "Two old friends just showing up here unexpected late on a Friday night. I'm sure we just have oodles to talk about."
"We do?" Manny asked.
"Of course we do. Like, take that outfit you have on, Manny."
Manny looked down at it.
"Now you see," Emma continued, "that's the nice modest sort of outfit we used to see you in all the time. And you've even got a jacket on. I can only assume your usual brand of hooker-wear is at the cleaners so you're stuck going retro for the evening. No, no, that was rude of me. I really shouldn't judge. After all, we're all old friends, right? Let's sit and chat."
"Emma…" JT tried to think of something to say.
"No," Emma stopped him. "This is great. All three of us in the same place at the same time…it's like a reunion."
Emma and Manny chose to sit on opposite ends of the couch while JT took a seat in a nearby chair.
"So," Emma said, still using a sarcastic, overly polite tone, "too bad I couldn't stay and talk to you at school this afternoon, Manny. Maybe we could have planned this trip together and carpooled over here. But then you did try to talk to me about JT today, so it was my own fault I didn't stick around to listen."
Emma slapped the back of her other hand.
"Shame on me for rushing off," Emma continued. "But the important thing is we're all together now. So tell us Manny…what brings you by? Was your tongue feeling needy for an orifice you could shove it into, and JT was the first person you thought could help out?"
There was then a long silence with Emma glaring, Manny trying not to cry and JT looking up at the ceiling, uncertain how he found himself in the middle of this situation. His thoughts were soon cut short by another knock at the door.
"Thank God," JT said reflexively. "Uh, I mean…I'll get it."
JT stood up and quickly went to answer the door.
"Hey JT."
It was Patrick. JT eagerly let him in, hoping a new presence would lessen the tension in the room.
"Enter at your own risk," JT cautioned the new arrival.
"I was on my way home," Patrick explained, standing just inside the house, "but wanted to stop by and let you know Emma phoned for you. Probably not that long after you took off."
Patrick walked further inside and noticed Emma and Manny sitting in the living room.
"Oh. Hi Emma."
Emma responded with a slight wave.
"And…hi Manny."
"Hi," Manny answered.
"This can't be good," Patrick then said to JT.
"There's an understatement," JT replied.
"Just so you know, Emma," Manny suddenly spoke up, "you're wrong."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, you said we were both unexpected guests, but I called and JT said I could come over."
Emma was surprised to hear this, but didn't want to appear upset.
"Oh. I see. Well then I apologize, Manny. Clearly JT wants you here and it's not my place to say anything one way or the other. I'm sorry I interrupted."
"Emma, don't get upset," JT said, trying to help. "You know you're always welcome here."
"I just need to call first," Emma added, getting up from the couch. "It's okay. I get it. I did try to call, you know. The line was busy. That must have been when you and Manny were on the phone planning this…get-together."
"Emma, how about you tell JT that thing that you wanted to tell him," Patrick urged.
"I should just get out of here," Emma continued, not taking Patrick's advice. "That would probably be the best thing to do right now."
"Emma," Manny interjected, also standing up, "I came here to talk about you, me and JT. To see if we could get our three-way friendship back."
"Oh, now I get it, Manny," Emma responded. "You didn't come over to have sex; you just wanted to talk about me behind my back. Why didn't you say so? I feel much better now."
"Everything's okay, Emma," JT said. "I promise."
"Nothing is going on between us, Emma," Manny reluctantly explained as she looked over at the young man. "Now…or ever again. JT and I are just old friends. Acquaintances. The kind who say 'Hi' when they see each other, but who don't get too involved with each other's lives."
"I see," Emma responded, growing calmer.
"Emma, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" JT then requested.
Before Emma could respond, there was yet another knock at the door.
"What now? Pat, could you get that?"
"No problem, JT."
JT and Emma went into the kitchen. Once they were gone, Patrick answered the door.
"Liberty!" he greeted. "Hey."
"Hello, Patrick," she responded in a friendly but still quite formal tone. "No time for further pleasantries. Where's JT?"
"Uh, he'll be out in a minute."
Liberty walked right in without hesitation.
"Sure, why don't you come on in and wait?" Patrick asked sarcastically.
Once in the living room, Liberty and Manny found themselves face to face with one another.
"Liberty," Manny greeted, her voice somewhat hostile.
"Manny…how interesting to see you here," Liberty replied, equally annoyed.
"Just here for a friendly visit," Manny explained.
"Of course," Liberty said coldly.
"And you?" Manny then asked. "I thought you and JT were just friends as well. That you gave up stalking him and found your own boyfriend."
"Roger is sick," Liberty said of her boyfriend.
"Of you?" Manny questioned snidely. "I'm surprised it took this long."
"Sick at home with a cold, Manny. So since he's not feeling well, I'm taking care of some school business while I have the extra time. I see nothing wrong with visiting a friend at this time of day when there's business to attend to. Now, I can't imagine what kind of business YOU'D have here at this late hour, though since Patrick is here, I'm assuming it's not the business you were hoping to take care of with JT tonight."
"If I'd known things would get this interesting," Patrick commented, "I'd have brought along some popcorn from work."
In the kitchen, meanwhile, JT and Emma were standing near the sink.
"So you see, Emma," JT told her, "that's all there was to it. We all used to be friends, and we all still have to see each other sometimes. We just need to keep getting along as best we can when Manny runs into one of us. Okay, so tonight wasn't exactly an award-winning show of friendliness, but otherwise things have been going okay with Manny up to now and will keep being okay. Yeah, she hoped we could all be real close again, but she sees that we can all still be friends without going back to being best friends."
"I suppose that makes sense," Emma admitted.
She didn't say so to JT, but she was very relieved to realize that Manny hadn't seduced him.
"Emma, you seem kind of agitated tonight. You're not mad at me are you? I know it must have been a surprise for you to see Manny here. I wasn't sure why she wanted to come over, either. But I couldn't turn her away without knowing what she wanted, could I?"
"I guess not," Emma answered, now smiling.
"A smile…good," he then said, noticing her changed expression. "Of course, it's a known fact that Emma Nelson can never stay mad at JT Yorke for more than a few minutes at a time. You might give me the Evil Eye for what seems like forever. But mad? Nah."
"Notice how I'm letting that one go, since I was in the wrong tonight?" she kidded.
"Yeah, Emma. You're…perfect."
JT looked into Emma's eyes and then leaned in prepared to kiss her.
"JT!" Patrick's voice interrupted from the living room. "I think you'd better get out here."
JT, disappointed, still managed a smile.
"You know, Emma, I never did like him."
The couple then walked back into the living room and found Liberty and Manny standing only inches apart, staring daggers at one another.
"Liberty?" JT called out, surprised to see her.
"She says she's here on business," Patrick explained.
"The Yorke living room…crossroads to all of Degrassi," JT joked.
JT went over and tapped Liberty on the shoulder.
"Yoo-hoo! Liberty! Something I can do for you?"
Liberty finally turned away from Manny and toward JT.
"Oh. Hello there, JT," she said. "I wanted to see if you have the theater's ad layout ready that you want to use for the next issue of The Grapevine."
"That's all?" he teased. "Nothing of a romantic nature?"
"You know that's all in the past," Liberty replied. "Friends only. And this is more a business call than a social one."
"Bless you! Though looking at you and Manny when I walked in…"
"We were just reminding ourselves why we've never been close," Manny interrupted.
While JT tried to keep the peace between Liberty and Manny, Patrick walked toward Emma and stood beside her.
"Did you get to tell him what you came here to say?" Patrick quietly asked Emma.
"You seen awfully sure you know what that is," she answered.
"Knowing the two of you like I do, I think my hunch can't be too far off."
JT then turned toward Patrick and Emma.
"Did I miss something?" he asked. "Oh that's right. I'm sorry, Emma. Pat said you'd called me at work, and you obviously came over here to tell me what it was you'd called about. But in all the craziness, I haven't asked you about it. What is it you wanted to say?"
'Oh great,' Emma thought to herself. 'You want me to confess to you what I've wanted to say for so long…right here? In the middle of all this? This is not how I wanted to tell you about my feelings. Not with Manny here, especially since I'm not exactly sure you feel the same way. Okay, so you DID look like you were about to kiss me in the kitchen. But maybe you were just going for a friendly peck on the cheek, or even the forehead.'
"Emma?" JT called out. "You okay?"
Emma looked at JT, then over at Manny and Liberty. Both girls looked back at her, curiosity in their eyes. Then Emma saw Patrick, who somehow seemed to know just what she wanted to say and who was nodding to her to go ahead. She grew nervous and started leaning back and forth on one foot and then the other.
"Oh!" she finally said, once again looking at JT. "Yes. The phone call. This little visit. Well…it's…"
After further hesitation, Emma sighed and continued. She couldn't say what she really wanted to say to JT. Not right now. But she felt she had to come up with something. Anything.
"It's nothing, really. I just felt I should tell you that…Um. I…You…After our movie date…no, outing…movie OUTING…tomorrow afternoon, I…well, I won't be able to have dinner with you that evening as usual, JT. You see…"
Emma then looked again toward Patrick.
"Patrick!" she suddenly exclaimed "Yes. Patrick and I…are going out…on a date…to eat…at a restaurant…where they keep all the food."
JT's eyes widened in surprise, as did Patrick's.
"We are?" Patrick asked, shocked.
Emma looked at Patrick, panic-stricken. Seeing the desperate look in her eyes, Patrick decided to confirm her statement.
"That's…um…right. We are."
"Well…I had no idea the two of you were dating," JT said.
"Neither did I," Patrick quickly replied. "Err, I mean, this is our first date. Kinda sudden. Just one of those things. But hey, we figured, what the hell, right?"
"Yeah," JT said, confused. "What the hell. Well…Okay then…Have a…Have a good time, you two."
"Thanks, JT," Emma said. "Don't worry, though. I won't be late for the movies."
'What am I saying?' Emma thought.
'What on earth is she doing?' Patrick similarly wondered to himself. 'Think fast, Patrick. Can't let her miss her shot with JT. Or his with her.'
"Patrick, you're looking kinda pale," Manny said. "Most guys don't look that miserable until AFTER they've gone out with Emma."
"Manny!" JT reprimanded.
"Just kidding."
"Uh…JT," Patrick started, an idea forming in his mind, "it's too bad you don't have a date tomorrow, too. We could double."
This time Emma's eyes widened.
'Something's not right,' JT started thinking. 'Emma's hiding something. Pat seems to know, and it doesn't look like it has anything to do with some dinner date. He's even giving me a chance to find out what's going on. So I'm not about to pass this up. God help me, here we go.'
"You're right, Pat," JT said, with false confidence. "Say, Liberty, do you have plans for tomorrow night?"
Liberty, for the first time in her life, was speechless.
"Liberty?" JT prompted.
"Me?" she finally uttered. "Uh…well…"
"Good," JT said. "Pat, we can double with you and Emma. If that's okay with you of course, Emma."
'Okay,' Emma thought, 'I know I've lost my mind, but what's HE doing?'
"Emma?"
"Um, sure, JT. No problem."
"Good," JT responded. "Now Liberty, I know you have a boyfriend. But he won't mind doing without you this once will he?"
"Boyfriend?" Liberty repeated, still in shock.
"I think JT's referring to Sick Roger," Manny offered.
"Who?" Liberty asked. "Oh…Roger…right."
"Fantastic!" JT exclaimed. "And to be sure he won't get upset, just tell him it's a business dinner. I'll bring the paperwork about the ad and we can talk business while the two potential lovebirds over there get better acquainted."
"Business? Yes…business. Okay. I suppose I could do that."
"Great, then it's a date, Liberty. So to speak. Now, Pat and Liberty…the pair of movies will let out at around 7:00. So Emma and I will meet the two of you in front of the theater at that time, then we can all go to the restaurant together. Emma, I think you should pick the place. You always know…exactly…what everyone wants. Now, not to be rude, but Manny and I do have more things to discuss."
"We do?" Manny asked, surprised.
"You do?" Emma asked, equally surprised.
"Of course. So if the three of you could excuse us…"
"Sure thing," Patrick said. "I'll see you tomorrow, JT."
'This better work,' Patrick thought.
"Good night, JT," Liberty said, following Patrick out the door.
'JT asked me out?' Liberty thought. 'What am I missing here? Why did he ask me? Does the reason even matter?'
"Until tomorrow?" Emma asked, looking at JT.
'I'm either the biggest coward in the world or the biggest idiot,' Emma thought. 'Maybe it's a tie.'
"It's a date," JT replied. "Oops! Don't worry. Ours is just a movie date. Your evening with Patrick is the only date that will really matter to you. See you all tomorrow."
With that, Emma left. Now that all three of them were gone, JT shut the door, leaving just him and Manny. Feeling extremely discouraged, JT then took a deep breath and looked over at Manny.
"Help."