XXXVI. Sooner or Later
Author's Note: Thanks for the recent reviews. And for reading!!
Sooner or later you're gonna be mine, Sooner or later you're gonna decide, Baby, you're mine on a platter, But if you insist, babe, the challenge delights me. When I get a yen, then baby, Amen. I'm gonna love you like nothing you've known, This time I'm not only getting, I'm holding my man.
Sooner or later you're gonna be fine.
Baby, it's time that you face it,
I always get my man.
Sooner or later there's nowhere to hide.
Baby, it's time, so why waste it in chatter?
Let's settle the matter.
I always get my man.
The more you resist, babe, the more it excites me.
And no one I've kissed, babe, ever fights me again.
If you're on my list, it's just a question of when.
I'm counting to ten, and then ...
I'm gonna love you, and you all alone.
Sooner is better than later but lover,
I'll hover, I'll plan.
"You should definitely sign up for texture mapping," advises Snake. "And also it couldn't help to go over mesh optimization again..."
Toby flips through the information packet as Snake continues to talk. The brochure wasn't nearly as intensive, and there were a lot of courses to choose from, and Snake apparently wanted him to go to almost all of them. He would like to hang out and relax sometime during this whole thing. Clara glances at him, nods eagerly.
They were standing in the auditorium in the middle of the pageant crowd, though it was quieter where they stood than it was near the band, or the press who were interviewing Ms. Hatzilakos and Colleen Dale to the right.
"Can I do all this in three days?" asks Toby when Snake stops.
"Sure when you're Toby Isaacs, computer superstar," answers Snake.
"He's right," agrees Clara.
Toby offers Snake and Clara a hesitant smile, closes the packet.
"Alright, thanks, sir," says Toby.
"Going to find Em and wish her luck for the second half," says Snake, patting Toby on the shoulder, then making his way through the throng.
Clara beams. "This is going to be so much fun."
"Most of the stuff I'm familiar with, other stuff...I don't know," admits Toby.
"Well, um, you conquer the unfamiliar, it seems," says Clara, straightening a modest, dark green dress. "I mean, the scene tonight?"
The scene, thinks Toby. Every word, every step, every feeling felt so real. Tears came he thought wouldn't come. He hated crying in front of people, but he couldn't control it. Before he went out, he knew he was acting. By the end, he didn't know if he was.
"I was...was just winging it," stammers Toby. "But Manny basically held the scene together."
"That's not how I saw it," says Clara. "There was...was a lot of emotion. A lot."
Toby looks at the floor, pretty sure he has no idea how to respond.
"You're a good partner," comments Clara. "But so am I. You know, some of these workshops you can be on teams. Can you imagine the two of us working together? We'd win all the awards. And we'd...we'd have fun together. Like in the store?"
Oh boy, sighs Toby inwardly. Clara is talented, but if they were together for that huge amount of time, he's pretty sure she'd want it to be less about teamwork and more about something else. Although, now would be a good time to ask her if she paid for all of this.
"Clara, I...," begins Toby.
"I've done everything to get you at this camp, so I feel it'd be good payback," interrupts Clara, pulling at his tie.
Everything? Like everything, including paying for camp? But why would Manny say she didn't think Clara paid for camp?
"Let me know, okay?" says Clara, kissing him on the cheek.
Before Toby can say anything else, Clara ducks into the crowd, heads to her AV equipment. Toby groans. Yet another wasted opportunity to find out what he needed. J.T. walks up to Toby, slurping a soda.
"So glad to be rid of performance anxiety," says J.T. "You?"
"Definitely, but I had nothing to lose," replies Toby.
"Hmm, from the backstage area, don't think that's true," says J.T. "Feels like I was watching the Saga of Toby and Manny on Broadway, complete with standing ovation. Which I'd like to point out, I've received more of."
Toby shakes his head. "It was...weird."
"Yeah?" prompts J.T., slurping again.
"For the past few weeks, there's been all this fear about me being the safety guy, and Manny rejecting me. That night in the video store...I do not want to go through that again. The scene was the same thing...it made me remember the first rejection, the rejection I thought was real. If I told her what I would've, she might blow me off. I trust Manny...more than she thinks. But I can't say I trust...us, I guess."
"And you still think it's best to follow your dad's advice," adds J.T.
"Yeah," replies Toby. "She needs to focus on other things. Family, acting."
J.T. shrugs. "Bad timing bites. At least you're going off to camp, get away from all this confusion."
"At camp, I'll be confused too," says Toby. "Haven't figured out who paid for it. Maybe Manny..."
"Why would Manny pay for a camp, where you'd be with Clara?" says J.T., his eyebrows furrowing. "Makes no sense. She was jealous of Clara like I don't know what not too long ago. Remember that dinner?"
"Then again, Clara's been more adamant that I go, and by adamant, I mean asking me countless times," informs Toby. "It's more logical that she'd pay."
"So basically, ninety-five percent chance of Clara, five percent Manny?" assesses J.T. "Not very good odds it's the girl you prefer."
"Yeah...yeah, I know," mutters Toby.
Still, and he wouldn't say to J.T., it was more in Manny's personality to surprise him and do something nice for him. Going with him to Rick's visitation, the basket, the date. Somehow, it did fit her. He could only go by emotion, though.
"Whoever paid for this camp, is that the one you're choosing?" questions J.T., then letting out a loud burp.
"It'd give me some clue, but honestly, I'm not sure," replies Toby.
II.
"Half of the word intermission is mission," whispers Jay, pouring a cup of punch while Sean looks on.
"You're wasting energy, man," says Sean. "Alex..."
"Alex is avoiding me purposely," interjects Jay. "You gotta break down the resolve, Cameron, wait for that cold exterior to crack. After thawing out for how many months, Alex is ready. She came to the party, didn't she?"
"And rejected you, didn't she?" reminds Sean.
"A mere delay," says Jay.
Jay glides over to Katie, propping up her aviator glasses momentarily, and Jay slips the punch cup in her hand.
"Thank you, Sven," says Katie. "You said you had a friend you wanted me to meet?"
Sean looks over the heads of a couple cameramen, spies Alex talking on her cellphone. She finishes the conversation, clips the phone to her black dress pants. It was odd to see her dressed up, even a little, but nice. Jay apparently had seen her too, smiling over in her direction.
"Yes," says Jay, then calling out "Lexi! Lexi!"
Alex looks up, smirks, walks slowly to them.
"Oh yeah," boasts Jay, putting an arm around Katie.
"What's up, Sean?" greets Alex.
"Hey," greets Sean.
"Katie, I would like you to meet Alex," introduces Jay, grinning widely. "Alex, this is Katie."
"She go blind looking at you?" asks Alex, popping her gum.
"It's Lasik!" defends Katie. "I don't know what you look like, but you sound really abrasive. How about lowering the sarcasm?"
"Then I wouldn't be me," says Alex, smiling. "Jay, stop trolling around for impressionable, tanned girls that don't know about your wannabe player rep."
"Jay?" exclaims Katie. "I thought your name was Sven?"
"Run back to the mall, sweetie," warns Alex. "As fast as your overpriced heels can take you."
Alex shakes her head at Jay, while Katie attempts to stomp on Jay's foot a couple times, then finally nails hitting it. Jay winces. Katie starts to walk away.
"I'm telling Mom!" whines Katie, bumping into an usher. "Where...where is Mom?"
Rather than follow her, Jay moans a couple more times, then smiles. They were getting kicked out. Oh, well, thinks Sean. At least I got to talk to Ellie.
"Lexi was so jealous," laughs Jay. "She totally dissed that chick."
"You've got problems," says Sean.
III.
"Talent should be close," guesses Paige. "I mean, not to brag or anything, but they practically melted over my voice."
Manny almost doesn't check Paige's name after that remark, but does so, placing the ballot in the box, stationed in the costume room. She glances over at Nate, still happily snoring, a blanket covering his body, clothed only in a T-shirt and boxers. The sight of him struck her as a little funny, but she's more relieved than amused because he's alright.
"My dance...left them speechless," speaks up Emma.
"That's cause they had no idea what it meant," informs Heather. "Chattering monkeys, you being spastic...you might as well have been acting out Planet of the Apes."
"I researched different jungle atmospheres to...," starts Emma, standing inches away from Heather.
"Prep time," says Heather, putting her hand in Emma's face. "Cause girl be silenced."
Heather bumps Emma to the side, pats Nate on the head as she passes, exits the costume room.
"It's like talking to a wall, Em," says Manny. "Talking to a mean wall."
"The only talking I want to hear about is you and Toby," says Emma, pulling Manny to a couple chairs. "You waited for him backstage and?"
"And he held back...again," replies Manny. "Wouldn't kiss me, talk to me, and Clara comes in."
"Ugh!" cries Emma. "She's like some leech that attaches herself to Toby."
Manny gives her a disappointed look.
"Sorry, but she is," says Emma. "I roomed with the girl. She called you a skank."
"If I've learned anything from my episodes with Heather, name-calling won't work," says Manny. "No, she's his friend or whatever, so yeah."
Emma nods. "Alright. But while they're at camp, it'll be more whatever than friend. She's...so aggressive."
Aggressive, that's for sure, thinks Manny. The fact that Toby pitied her too would lead to who knows what? Sooner or later, she'd win. Toby's reluctance to tell her how he felt...didn't that say it all? Or perhaps it didn't. Maybe Toby was scared like Gilbert. He might not believe Heather, but Heather had planted the seed of doubt. Hadn't she gone through something similar with Craig? There were some doubts there, on his end, on her end, and now they weren't even speaking. The thought of not speaking to Toby ever bothered her more than the thought of Clara hanging all over him.
"I'm extending the olive branch," decides Manny.
"Consider myself U.N. worthy, but what?" says Emma.
"I'll work in the store while they're gone, won't press Toby anymore," explains Manny. "He will be able torely on me again, and we'll be friends."
"You being reliable, fine," says Emma. "You being heartbroken? Manny, no."
"Toby can barely communicate with me anymore, Em! I don't like that."
"He has strong feelings for you and that's why...," starts Emma.
"No, no, he can't," interrupts Manny, her eyes getting blurry. "If he does, I couldn't do this. Don't say that, Em, because then I'll believe it, back out."
"Manny, you can't give up," soothes Emma.
"I'm not getting hurt again, not after Craig," says Manny, shaking her head. "And definitely not over another girl."
Both girls view Snake coming into the room, waving at Emma. They stand.
"After the pageant, I'm doing it," whispers Manny.
"Can't stop you," sighs Emma. "I'd like to stop you, but...ugh, Snake's here."
"Intermission's almost up, ladies!" shouts Mrs. Tellman, popping her head into the room.
Emma walks over to Snake, Manny hugging herself. It would take a while, but she'd get over it. This might mend their friendship more quickly, and Toby didn't have to stress out about her and Clara. Pain can go away pretty fast, even if it's deep, or long-lasting, or trying to tell you things you don't want to hear.
IV.
"I am an articulate, self-actualized, personable young woman," says Hazel, looking into the backstage mirror, then repeating. "I am an articulate, self-actualized, personable young woman. I am..."
Manny reaches over Hazel to retrieve her sash, places it over her head when she sees her phone vibrating on the desk. Picking it up, she sees a text from J.J., saying good luck and then a smiley face.
"Awww," breathes Manny.
J.J. had no idea how much she needed that pick me up. It stunk how she hadn't tracked her family down during intermission, especially since her scene with Toby was so well-received. She hopes her dad liked it more than anyone else, though, and honestly, you could never tell with him.
Before putting her phone back down, she's almost thrown right onto the desk by someone hurriedly going by. It's Derek, carrying a silk, purple pillow, with a beautiful, shining tiara on top. He stops in the middle of the room, a smug grin on his face. Danny stands next to Manny, Paige on his other side.
"Ahem," says Derek, clearing his throat. "And the winner of Miss Degrassi is..."
Danny takes a deep breath, grabs Manny's hand and Paige's hand.
"Mr. Daniel Van Zandt!" exclaims Derek, holding out the pillow.
Danny's mouth drops, fanning his face with both hands.
"I can't...I can't believe it!" says Danny. "Oh, you girls are wonderful, but...I'm just so, so happy."
He pretends to cry, hugs Manny lightly for a second, her smiling in spite of herself, then reaches for Paige, holds onto her longer.
"Get off me," whines Paige. "You're crushing my clavicle."
Danny sighs, releases Paige, then walks confidently to Derek. He holds it up for all the girls to see. It's a silver tiara with vine-patterned scrolls, rhinestones glittering in the center, a medium-sized "D" amidst the rhinestones.
"I would like to thank...nobody," says Danny, high-fiving Derek.
"That's the...the crown?" stutters Hazel. "It's gorgeous."
Danny places it back on the pillow. "If you kiss me, you get to touch it."
Hazel grimaces, Heather coming forward. Derek sets the pillow on a flat podium near a table.
"It'll be touching my head in an hour or so," says Heather. "After I take talent, that is."
"Yeah...sure...right," smirks Danny. "Back to taping, Derek. Some of ya'll are looking mighty fine through my lens. Mighty fine."
Ignoring them, Manny smiles at the crown. Ugh, with my luck, I'd break it if I won. They were cutting down to five now anyway, and Hazel had told her that winning one segment didn't guarantee a spot in the five. It was based on a combined score. Everytime Manny tried to tabulate her chances, her mind would wander off, mainly to Toby.
The lights backstage dim, calling for the girls to get ready. Spinner, clutching the interview notecards, goes onstage as the curtain rises. The audience greets him with a warm reception, and Emma smiles, probably glad that he's doing so well.
"Did they ever find out why his notecards were messed up during dress rehearsal?" asks Manny.
"He laid them down somewhere, and somebody put in some trick cards," whispers Emma. "Most likely Danny and Derek. You know how they like to kid around."
"I don't know," says Manny. "Well, good luck, Em. You're so making the five."
"Not true, but thanks," says Emma, squeezing her hand.
"Welcome back to the second half of our competition," says Spinner to the crowd. "If I may, I'd like to ask all the contestants to join me onstage as we announce the five ladies that will carry on with the competition. Please give them all a round of applause."
The girls walk out, waving to the cheering crowd, Manny offering the best smile she can. They all gather behind Spinner, taking each other's hands. Manny looks around while Spinner fetches a piece of paper from Mr. Vance in the front row. Alex is slouching, blowing hair out of her face, J.T. and Liberty keep staring at each other, and no Toby as J.T. had taken his seat. At least, her family is visible. Her father and her mother are still holding hands, but she notices Joseph is gripping her mother's hand pretty hard.
"Before we narrow down our lovely ladies, we have a tie for the winners of the talent competition," says Spinner.
All the contestants glance at each other. Emma was right, thinks Manny. Talent was close.
"The winners are...Miss Hazel Aden, and Miss Manuella Santos," informs Spinner, gesturing to Hazel and Manny.
Jimmy holds up his Hazel sign again, while the audience roars. Manny can't believe it. Her scene won. Her scene with Toby won. If only he was here to share in her excitement. Manny drops her eyes for a second, then smiles out into the audience again.
"Now to share who will still be competing for Miss Degrassi. The first to continue is...Miss Paige Michalchuk," announces Spinner, grinning at Paige.
Paige claps her hands together, blows a kiss into the crowd, mouths "thanks". The crowd makes a lot of enthusiastic noise as Paige moves to the front. Alex sits up, smiles proudly, obviously now interested.
"Also continuing...Miss Hazel Aden," says Spinner.
Hazel shakes herself, puts a hand over her mouth, then smiles at everyone as they clap.
"Go Hazel!" shouts Jimmy. "Woot!"
The rest of the members of Downtown Sasquatch shout appreciatively.
"Joining them will be...Miss Heather Sinclair," says Spinner, sheepishly glancing at Heather.
"Oh wow!" exclaims Heather. "Me? Me?"
Manny feels like banging her head against the stage. No, anyone but her. Heather takes her spot next to Hazel, winking at the judges. Sadly, Mr. Vance seems to like it. He has no idea what a horror she is, guesses Manny.
"Taking our fourth spot...Miss Emma Nelson,"says Spinner, beaming at Emma.
Emma hugs Manny from the side, Manny seeing tears brimming in her eyes. Spike and Snake also look choked up, Jack too though it appeared that it was due to his favorite ball falling from his grip at that moment. Emma stands next to Heather, bringing the long skirt of her white gown behind her.
"Our final spot goes to...," says Spinner, clearly stalling for effect.
Emma throws Manny a hopeful look, faces the front again. Manny didn't know if she wanted to continue honestly, especially with Toby's disappearance. If she can find him, track him down as soon as she's dismissed...
"Manuel Santos," says Spinner.
"It's Manuella!" corrects J.J., standing up. "Yeah!"
"Oh, my bad," says Spinner. "Miss Manuella Santos."
Manny places a hand on her heart, her mouth dropping. She was still in? She slowly goes over to Emma, lets Emma give her a huge hug. Wow, I'm still in, she thinks, smiling at her parents. Her parents grin at one another. The audience's loud cheers die down as the other contestants leave.
"Presenting our final five," says Spinner. "We wish to thank everyone who participated. And now, for the interview round."
Manny almost wants to run off the stage, after Spinner who goes to retrieve the plastic bowl they'd be drawing questions from. Sometimes she could think on her feet, other times she couldn't. Acting had taught her about improvisation, speaking from the heart, which may work here. There was no way she'd beat Hazel, Paige, or Heather, though. They were all pretty witty, or trained to be witty in Hazel's case.
Spinner returns, holds the bowl out to Paige. She fishes out a question, hands it to Spinner.
"What's the most important lesson you've learned throughout your years at Degrassi?" reads Spinner.
"I've learned how to be strong," answers Paige, without any hesitation. "People may do things to you, or say things to you, but you have to stand your ground. Criticism has helped me become stronger too. Hello, if I'm trying to match a teal skirt and an aqua shirt, someone needs to point out my faux paus before I wind up on the morning announcements looking foul, you know?"
Paige's response is met with light laughter.
"But yeah, take the good with the bad, laugh at yourself, and you'll be strong," finishes Paige.
Alex leads a healthy, warm round of applause. Spinner goes to Hazel next, and Hazel takes out her question.
"Define Degrassi using three words," reads Spinner.
"Degrassi is responsible, engaging, and supportive," replies Hazel, after taking a deep breath. "The school takes responsibility for its actions when it needs to, gets students involved to improve our image, and supports us in our endeavors. These three ingredients make for a better school and for better progress. Thank you, Mr. Mason."
Spinner blinks blankly after Hazel calls him Mr. Mason, but the audience loves the answer, Manny watching Ms. Hatzilakos nod appreciatively. Heather takes a question next.
"Why do you consider yourself a role model for other Degrassi students?" asks Spinner.
Heather grabs the microphone from Spinner.
"Dude!" protests Spinner, quietly.
"First of all, I'm professional in all my daily interactions, because I believe humility, honesty, and compassion should drive our personalities. Secondly, being a role model entails giving back to the community, and I always, always try to give sound advice and exude warmth to those around me. Third of all, I live my life in a very clean fashion, unlike so many other girls, regrettably."
Heather ends by throwing pointed looks at Emma and Manny. Spinner wrests the microphone away from her, hands it to Emma after she takes out a question.
"What issue in the world today do you think Degrassi females should take notice of?" asks Spinner.
Uh-oh, thinks Manny, gritting her teeth.
"Where should I start?" replies Emma. "There's female genital mutilation in Africa..."
"Eww!" cries Sully, covering his ears.
"Domestic abuse that's steadily rising. An alarming rate of young women being affected by HIV..." continues Emma.
"Stop!" shouts Sully.
"Well, you should know," insists Emma. "Every person has the right to be informed. And every woman has the right to pick issues that interest them, and that's my answer. Whatever issue means the most to them should be the issue they should go with."
"Yeah, Emma!" shouts Spike.
Manny sees that the judges are in agreement with Spike. Way to get back in the game, Em, thinks Manny, smiling, then nervously reaching into the bowl.
"Bowl's cold," says Manny into the microphone.
The audience members laugh, but she's happy that it seems to be good-hearted laughter. Mr. Vance chuckles, writes something down.
"If a Degrassi female asked you what it means to be beautiful, what would you tell them?" asks Spinner.
Manny bites her lip. Tough question. She would get the tough question. Her head throbs, as she looks out into the audience again. She hears light footsteps coming up the aisle, and there he is, there's Toby, sitting in an empty seat formerly occupied by Sean. Sadly, he's further away, but he is there.
Telling him she wanted to be friends would be so hard. It was hard telling him that in the scene, so for her to act like it was real offstage? Toby makes her feel so many things– funny, free, happy, warm. Him making her feel beautiful was just a bonus.
"I would tell that young lady that it's going to take some time before she feels completely beautiful," says Manny. "But she is. She's always been that way, and she'll discover it more and more until she knows...knows for sure that she is. It comes when she loves herself. That's all it takes, what it means. If you feel it, you'll be it."
She glances at Toby, who smiles back at Manny, twisting his tie. The audience claps loudly, Manny smiling shyly.
"Okay, those were our final five contestants," says Spinner, nodding at the crowd. "The judges will confer, and return to narrow it down to three. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, especially Ms. Hatzilakos' heels."
Low rumbles of polite laughter sound, though Manny can tell Spinner's prewritten jokes are starting to fall flat.
"Uh...we'll see you in a bit," says Spinner, the spotlights dimming, the girls going offstage.
Manny fans herself. "That was tough."
"If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen," says Heather. "I'm simply amazed you won talent."
"I'm not," says Emma, locating her brush.
"It doesn't matter anyways," says Heather, sighing happily. "All the scores get thrown out before interview. We're all on a clean slate, except Emma, who's never clean. Gonorrhea isn't always curable, you know."
"I'm healthy, loser," shoots back Emma, smiling. "They loved my answer, more than yours."
"I wouldn't be so cocky," says Hazel. "Oooh, I can't believe I got talent too."
Manny smiles at Emma. "My dad was nervous. It was cute."
"Great," says Emma. "And Toby?"
"He was...he was there."
"Awww."
"In the back, Em," clarifies Manny.
"But he was there," says Emma.