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"Okay, how did all of this happen, and why didn't you tell me?" Emma asked as they walked through the halls hand in hand.
"When I was talking to you yesterday I just started thinking about how sad you've sounded every time we've talked since I went back to Wasaga. Then I thought about how much I missed you. And these guys, too." Sean jerked his thumb behind them to where their friends we're trailing along behind them.
"We missed you too Sean." Toby and J.T said simultaneously in goofy voices. Everybody laughed.
They rounded the corner and came face to face with Peter. Everybody stopped.
"Well isn't this cozy." he sneered.
Sean stepped a little ahead of Emma, still holding onto her hand. Peter eyed him warily.
Ever since that morning at Emma's house when she had left with Sean, Peter had done everything he could to find out information on the guy. There were more than a few people who were all too happy to dish some really juicy dirt on him, and him and Emma especially.
And he was more than a little unnerved by some of the things he'd found out. Why would Emma want to be with this guy? Yeah sure, he was no saint himself, but this guy - he was an actual criminal. With the rap sheet to prove it.
"Peter, just don't okay." Emma said as the guys continued to stare one another down.
"Don't what? Don't mention the fact that you cheated on me with this guy? Or that you dumped me for him? Why on earth would I ever mention any of that?" he asked, hostility dripping from his voice.
"Dude, you just need to get over it." Sean said.
"You know what, Dude," Peter shot back, shoving Sean slightly. "I think you should just stay out of it."
Emma's hand had been jarred loose from his grasp, but now she took hold of it again to pull him backwards away from Peter. "Sean, please don't. He's so not worth it."
"Come on man. Hit me. It's what you do best, isn't it?" Peter called to him. By now they were beginning to draw a crowd.
Sean made to go at Peter, but Emma placed her hands on his chest to stop him. J.T. and Toby were behind her now, ready to stop Sean if he somehow got past her. If they could.
"Sean." Emma said, but he was still looking over her shoulder at Peter. She placed her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her. "Sean. Please. For me."
The crowd around them was dead silent as they watched, and everyone heard Emma's plea. The air of tension hanging over the crowd visibly melted when they saw Sean's shoulders relax at her words. She had gotten through to him.
"Fine. But just this once." Sean said in a low voice so that only Emma could hear him.
"Okay. But not on school property. If you get expelled, I'll kill you." she said.
He took hold of her hand and started walking again, the crowd beginning to disperse.
They walked by Peter, and noted that his face was turning bright red with anger. He had obviously been expecting Sean to jump him.
"I can't believe you Emma." Peter called after her. "After everything we went through to
be together."
Emma stopped and, despite her better judgment, turned back to him. "What exactly did we go through Peter? My illness had nothing to do with you."
"I was there for you though. And I kept our relationship a secret for you because you didn't want to upset Manny." he said defensively. He actually sounded as though he thought she owed him a thank you or something for what he had done.
"It's over Peter. Accept it." she said.
"Accept what? You dumping me for that criminal? I don't think so." he said.
The few remaining spectators all gasped and started whispering at Peter's words.
Emma walked slowly toward him, fury glittering in her eyes. "You do not call him that. Do you understand me? You don't even know him."
"I know enough to know why you seem to like him so much." he said.
Toby and J.T. were still standing in front of Sean, and Manny and Liberty had each taken hold of one of his arms to keep him form charging at Peter.
"Oh really. And why is that?"
"It's the whole good girl, bad boy thing. You get a kick out of the cliché. It makes the goody tow shoes image more bearable, doesn't it?"
A few people in the crowd snickered at that. Some of them thinking that Peter had no idea about what had happened between Emma and Jay.
Emma breathed deeply at the sound of the laughter. She was not going to let this get out of hand. "You know what Peter? You're just mad because you gut dumped. For another guy even. And that wounds your little male ego, doesn't it? That poor little damaged me could possibly like someone else more than you. Why don't you just get over yourself and leave me alone. It's all a little pathetic." she said, turning away from him.
"Whatever Emma." Peter called after her. "I just hope the sex was good enough to trash what we had."
Emma stopped dead in her tracks, the sound of laughter and whispering flowing around her. She could see Sean in front of her, struggling with himself not to pound Peter's face into the ground. A part of her wanted him to. But another part of her wanted something else.
Before anyone knew what was happening, Emma had stalked over and decked Peter, sending him flying to the ground with blood gushing from his nose.
"All right Emma!" J.T cried, rushing over to giver her a high five.
Walking over to where she was still staring down at Peter on the floor, Sean took her hand. "Let's get to class."
"So what exactly are your plans?" Emma asked Sean as they sat down in Media Immersion. "You're not going back on Student Welfare, are you?"
"No. I can't. I'm eighteen and I've made too much from racing to qualify." he told her.
"Well, do you even have a place yet?"
He shook his head. "A hotel room I rented last night. I'm going to go look at apartment after school. I don't suppose you'd want to come with me?" he grinned at her, trying to be convincing.
"I would love to, you know I would. But I'm still grounded." she told him.
Disappointed, he sank back into his chair. "Fine. But you have to come over the second you get paroled."
She smiled. "Promise." she leaned in and kissed him lightly.
"Emma."
She looked up at the sound of her name. Snake was standing at the classroom door. Behind him was Ms. Hatzilakos. And she looked furious.
"You're needed in the office." he told her.
With a quick glance at Sean, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door, following the angry principal down the hallway.
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"A week's worth of detention isn't so bad. It could have been a lot worse." Manny said, draping an arm around Emma's shoulder reassuringly.
They were waiting outside the door to the automotive class where Sean had last period.
Manny was on her way to play rehearsal, but wanted to stay with Emma until Sean got out of class, just to make sure she was all right.
"A month would have been worth it." Emma said. "But my mom is going to freak when she finds out. Then my grounding will most likely double."
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Manny said sheepishly. The class started streaming out and she said goodbye, heading off in the direction of the gym.
Sean came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. "Hey."
She smiled. "Hey yourself. Think I could talk you into walking me home?"
"After you." They headed off, holding hands and drawing stares from every direction.
"I still can't believe you punched that guy. That was so not like you." he said.
"I know. I think you're beginning to rub off on me."
"I would have done it for you." he said playfully.
Emma's expression turned serious. "There was no way I was going to let him talk about you, and us, like that."
"I don't think he'll be doing it again any time soon. You've got some right hook Em."
She laughed. "Thanks. But I wouldn't count Peter out just yet. He's very ... determined."
They reached her house and Sean kissed her before heading off to look for apartments, with a promise to call later that night.
Emma smiled as she watched him disappear from sight. It was the first time in a long time she wasn't devastated to see him walking away from her. Maybe because she knew he would still be there tomorrow.
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