Later that night, while Emma was busy trying to keep her mind off of Jay by diligently working on the project Liberty had assigned her, Manny was putting the finishing touches on her party look.

Manny stood in front of the mirror while doing her makeup. "What can I do to change your mind about going to this party with me tonight?"

"I just have too much work to do here."

Manny put her fiery red lip gloss in her basic black clutch and zipped it closed as she turned around to face Emma. "Yeah, well if you do decide to join me later, I put the address of the party along with an outfit I picked out for you, on your bed."

Emma looked over at the tight black hip-hugger pants and dark purple, long sleeve, top with a sweetheart neckline laid neatly out on her bed. "Manny, I can't wear that."

"Sure you can and you will look totally hot doing it. It'll drive Jay crazy and you'll have no problem convincing him to forgive you for ever turning him down in the first place."

"Well, thanks anyway, but like I said, I have too much work to do."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But, just in case, you have everything you need right there. And, if you do end up staying here, alone, all night…don't wait up."

"Oh, that's real cute," Emma said sarcastically.

"Okay, well," Manny looked at the time on her cell phone, "I've wasted enough time here trying to persuade you to join me at this party. The ball's in your court now. I'm outta here."

Emma tried to act unaffected. "Okay, I'll see you later."

Manny rolled her eyes at her friend's stubbornness and then without another word climbed out the window and headed off to the party…

…

…Less than an hour later, Emma realized that she could not concentrate on the event until she settled things with Jay. She put on the outfit Manny picked out for her and finished getting ready in a flash. Because her clothes were so wildly out of character for her, she left the rest of her look very calm. Her hair was down and straight and her makeup was light and natural looking. Before she had a chance to talk herself out of going to the party, Emma quickly climbed out her window and made her way to the house with the blaring music coming from it and the, already drunk, people scattered on the lawn. She entered the house and practically right away, found Manny chatting it up with some guy in the corner.

Manny let Emma catch her attention. "Emma, you came! I'm so glad you decided to have some fun tonight!"

Emma made a motion with her hands as if to push down Manny's excitement. "I'm just here to talk to Jay. Have you seen him?"

Manny shook her head. "No, sorry Em, I haven't."

Emma went looking for someone else who could help her find Jay. She pushed past a few people and came across Towerz.

"Hey, Towerz, right?"

Towerz nodded without even looking at her.

"Do you know where I can find Jay?" Emma asked him.

Towerz looked Emma up and down in a way that made her feel slightly uncomfortable. She started to tug at her shirt and suddenly felt like there wasn't enough fabric in the world to make her feel sufficiently covered up. Towerz nodded again, and then pointed to two people leaning up against a doorway behind him. Emma saw Jay and some random girl she did not recognize talking to him.

Emma was looking at Jay but addressed Towerz. "Thanks."

As Emma walked closer to Jay, she watched him brush the back of his hand all the way down the strange girl's arm as they talked. The girl smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear. Jay took a sip of the beer in his hand and then, as if he was already bored with the girl, took a look around the room. He met eyes with Emma, who was now standing just a few steps away. Jay smiled but Emma did not smile back.

"Emma, you look…amazing."

The girl Jay was with sized Emma up, scoffed, and then looked away.

"Save it," Emma spat as she rolled her eyes and then turned around to leave.

Jay chased after her, leaving the other girl with an annoyed look on her face. He grabbed Emma's arm in an attempt to stop her. "Emma, wait!"

Emma yanked her arm from Jay's hand. "No, I shouldn't have come!"

Jay was stunned by her quick reflex to escape his grip, but shook it off. "Why did you come?"

Emma huffed in frustration. "I…I don't know…What was with you and that girl?!"

"What? It's not like you and I are together," Jay replied, defending himself. "You already stomped all over that idea, remember?"

Emma definitely felt that burn and tried to give it right back. "Right, of course. You flirting with that girl was all my fault. And, I guess, I deserve the way it made me feel to see you all over her, too, right?"

Jay was definitely not a fan of being chastised especially when he, for all intents and purposes, do not actually do anything wrong. "I didn't know you were gonna be here…but since we are just friends, I don't think I should have to worry about how seeing me with other girls makes you feel."

Emma considered herself officially scathed by Jay's words. "You're absolutely right. It was stupid of me to think that you might give me a second chance or that I might actually want you to."

Jay cocked an eyebrow. "Is that why you came here? For another chance with me?"

"Yeah…But, I'm over it now. Why don't you just go back to your girl of the hour!" Emma stormed off in the direction of the front door.

Alex, who had overheard the whole unfortunate argument, delicately extracted herself from Paige's embrace and went outside to catch up to Emma. She hoped that her own experience with Jay could be of some help to the sullen blonde.