*This chapter is flashbacks, again. They're fun to write ! *
At six years old, Emma, JT and Manny were sitting in the school yard- comparing their beliefs on home lives. JT and Manny had told Emma that she had the best one, only child and a single mother.
"I don't know, it's not that much fun to not know your dad. Sometimes I wish I did," Emma said thoughtfully.
"I bet your dad is glad she doesn't know you, Emma. You'd give him cooties!" JT laughed, wanting to make Emma smile. She always got so moody whenever the subject of her dad came up.
"James!" Emma and Manny cried, but he managed to make them both laugh.
"James!" Came a mocky voice. The three best friends turned around and found themselves facing Dudley Portman, a fourth grade whom seemed to think it was his personal duty to make JT's life hell. "I just noticed something, James. You only hang out with girls."
"So what?" JT asked, not seeing Dudley's point.
"That means you're- GAY!" Dudley laughed. JT and Manny glanced at each other, not sure what "gay" really meant. Emma, however, did. She stepped forward and pushed Dudley with all her strength
FAST FORWARD 6 YEARS
JT was leaning against his locker, wondering what he was going to do about the situation he was in. Emma came up and sat down beside him. JT smiled to himself, ever since junior high started JT had been growing apart from Emma and Manny and becoming closer to Toby. He still thought of Emma as his best friend, though.
"I've been hearing some interesting things about you Mr Yorke." Emma giggled, not sure how to even have this sort of conversation.
"Like what?" JT said, so caught up in his own thoughts that he had no idea what Emma was going to say.
"So, you're gay now?" Emma asked
"Liberty TOLD you!?" JT cried, millions of horrible thoughts running through his minds. How many people had Liberty told?
"No? Toby did." A confused Emma replied, then a hurt looked crossed her face "I can't believe you'd tell LIBERTY before me. We're supposed to be best friends." Emma stood and began to walk away but JT grabbed her wrist.
"Em-wait! I'm NOT gay! I just told Liberty that so that she'd leave me alone."
"JT, that's horrible." Emma said, shaking her hand and pulling her arm away. She shot JT a dirty look and walked away. JT groaned and knew what he had to do. Time to tell Liberty the truth
FAST FORWARD 2 YEARS
Emma and JT walked away from the cafetria line and looked for a place to sit. They noticed Craig and Manny sitting together, reading a book and looking throughly coupley. Emma rolled her eyes and began to walk away but JT stopped her. Ashley Kerwin was marching up to the them. Emma and JT waited for the explosion.
"... These two idiots are pregnant." Ashley said, slamming the book that Manny and Craig had been reading onto the table. JT looked at Emma, whom didn't seem surprised at all. Manny burst into tears and ran from the caf, leaving Craig and Ashley shouting at each other. JT expected Emma to chase after Manny, but she instead walked the other direction.
"Em? What are we going to do?" JT asked, catching up with her. He wasn't sure why Emma was acting so weird.
"About what?" Emma said, emotionless.
"Manny?" JT replied, more confused then he'd ever been about how Emma was feeling.
"What are we supposed to do? Go back in time and tell her not to be such a skank?" Emma spun around to face JT, who's eyes widened in shock. This was so un-like Emma, not to have Manny's back right away. JT and Emma then became aware of the group of tenth graders, including Heather Sinclair, were watching them with much interest.
"Emma, what's your problem? She's our best friend." JT said gently
"WAS my best friend." Emma said coldly before walking away
FAST FORWARD 1 WEEK
Emma and Manny rushed into Media Immersion moments before the final bell rang, both looking as though they were about to cry. JT wondered if that meant they had made up. He wasn't even sure if he liked that idea. He'd been spending so much time with Emma the past week, he almost didn't want things to go back to the way it used to be; JT being the third-wheel best friend between Emma and Manny.
The idea that Manny and Emma were friends again was short lived, however, when Emma took the empty seat beside JT instead of the one beside Manny.
"She's getting an abortion." Emma whispered to him as soon as she sat down
"What?" JT asked, sure that he'd misheard Emma.
"I hear Craig confronting her about it. She's getting an abortion."
"Well, I guess that's good-" JT began and then noticed the angry look on Emma's face "I mean bad. Bad idea, horrible. Worse than stepping on endangered baby sea turtles." Emma smiled and JT knew that he'd done his job