Chapter One
Sean Cameron was home alone. Again. Since Tracker got a new girlfriend, they were always out. Either that or they were in Tracker's room, the door securely locked. Sometimes that was even worse.
Sean switched the TV off. There was a "South Park" marathon on, but Sean had seen most of the episodes when he couldn't sleep at night. Tracker didn't care what he did. Sometimes that was okay--mostly it stunk.
Sean considered his options. Tracker had warned him that he'd be in big trouble if he left the house. But what could Tracker do? He was only his brother. Sean thought about what Emma would say. He could just picture her eyes bugging out, screaming, "You mean you haven't finished your homework yet?" He shook the thought, but not completely.
Sean picked up the phone and thought about dialing Emma's number, inviting her over. Since the arrival of her little brother, and Snake getting sick, Emma hadn't been much fun. There'd been a lot of friction. But now. . .Sean considered giving it another chance. He dialed the familiar number.
"Hello?" It was Snake.
"Hi. . .uh. . .is Emma there?" asked Sean, a little surprised at hearing Snake's voice.
"Can I ask who's calling?" asked Snake.
Sean stifled a sigh. "It's Sean. Can you put Emma on? It's kind of important."
"Sean, she can't do anything tonight. Her mother isn't home and I'm leaving for chemo in a few minutes. You may as well forget about it. And anyways it's a school night."
"Can you put Emma on?" shrieked Sean.
A moment later, Emma came on. "Sean? What's up?" she asked.
"I'm. . .well, I was hoping you could come over tonight. Snake pretty much said no, even though I didn't ask. Is there any way you could get around taking care of Jack tonight?" asked Sean.
"Snake just left," Emma informed him, "and my mom won't be home until past midnight, with Snake. I could. . .I could bring Jack with me. You wouldn't mind, would you? He'll sleep most of the time. . ."
"Naw, that's great! Bring Jack! We'll have a great time!" Sean hung up, feeling so much happier than before.
The door opened. Tracker walked in with his girlfriend, Roxie or something. "Oh hi, Sean. Roxie and I will go to my bedroom."
"Emma's coming over," Sean said.
"Oh. . .well I guess that's okay. I won't bother you. See you tomorrow morning," Tracker told him, walking into his bedroom, slamming, and locking the door.
A few minutes later, Emma arrived carrying Jack in a basinet. "Hiya, Sean." Then, "Oh. . .Tracker's here?"
Sean nodded.
"And he doesn't mind if we. . . "
Sean shook his head.
"Great!" chirped Emma, setting Jack down on the floor. She sat down on the couch beside Sean. In no time, they were kissing. Finally, Sean reached his hands underneath her shirt.
"Emma. . .do you mind if. . .can I. . .?"
"Go ahead, Sean," whispered Emma.
They continued making out for two more hours. They were on the floor by then. Sean felt the kissing had gone on long enough. He reached for the zipper of her pants, pulling them down an inch before he was stopped.
"Sean, I'm not ready for that. . ." said Emma. "I'm sorry." She refastened her pants and smiled at him. "I'd better get home."
"Bye," snapped Sean, angry that Emma hadn't let him past third base. They'd been going out since seventh grade. And she still didn't trust him.
"Sean. . ." said Emma hesitantly. "What you were trying to do, you know, earlier. . .I'd love to, you know, do that with you sometime. But I don't think on the floor of your living room is such a great place." Emma smiled.
Sean returned her smile. "Tracker'll go outta town one of these days. Maybe then."
"'Kay. Bye, Sean."
"See ya."
Sean Cameron was home alone. Again. Since Tracker got a new girlfriend, they were always out. Either that or they were in Tracker's room, the door securely locked. Sometimes that was even worse.
Sean switched the TV off. There was a "South Park" marathon on, but Sean had seen most of the episodes when he couldn't sleep at night. Tracker didn't care what he did. Sometimes that was okay--mostly it stunk.
Sean considered his options. Tracker had warned him that he'd be in big trouble if he left the house. But what could Tracker do? He was only his brother. Sean thought about what Emma would say. He could just picture her eyes bugging out, screaming, "You mean you haven't finished your homework yet?" He shook the thought, but not completely.
Sean picked up the phone and thought about dialing Emma's number, inviting her over. Since the arrival of her little brother, and Snake getting sick, Emma hadn't been much fun. There'd been a lot of friction. But now. . .Sean considered giving it another chance. He dialed the familiar number.
"Hello?" It was Snake.
"Hi. . .uh. . .is Emma there?" asked Sean, a little surprised at hearing Snake's voice.
"Can I ask who's calling?" asked Snake.
Sean stifled a sigh. "It's Sean. Can you put Emma on? It's kind of important."
"Sean, she can't do anything tonight. Her mother isn't home and I'm leaving for chemo in a few minutes. You may as well forget about it. And anyways it's a school night."
"Can you put Emma on?" shrieked Sean.
A moment later, Emma came on. "Sean? What's up?" she asked.
"I'm. . .well, I was hoping you could come over tonight. Snake pretty much said no, even though I didn't ask. Is there any way you could get around taking care of Jack tonight?" asked Sean.
"Snake just left," Emma informed him, "and my mom won't be home until past midnight, with Snake. I could. . .I could bring Jack with me. You wouldn't mind, would you? He'll sleep most of the time. . ."
"Naw, that's great! Bring Jack! We'll have a great time!" Sean hung up, feeling so much happier than before.
The door opened. Tracker walked in with his girlfriend, Roxie or something. "Oh hi, Sean. Roxie and I will go to my bedroom."
"Emma's coming over," Sean said.
"Oh. . .well I guess that's okay. I won't bother you. See you tomorrow morning," Tracker told him, walking into his bedroom, slamming, and locking the door.
A few minutes later, Emma arrived carrying Jack in a basinet. "Hiya, Sean." Then, "Oh. . .Tracker's here?"
Sean nodded.
"And he doesn't mind if we. . . "
Sean shook his head.
"Great!" chirped Emma, setting Jack down on the floor. She sat down on the couch beside Sean. In no time, they were kissing. Finally, Sean reached his hands underneath her shirt.
"Emma. . .do you mind if. . .can I. . .?"
"Go ahead, Sean," whispered Emma.
They continued making out for two more hours. They were on the floor by then. Sean felt the kissing had gone on long enough. He reached for the zipper of her pants, pulling them down an inch before he was stopped.
"Sean, I'm not ready for that. . ." said Emma. "I'm sorry." She refastened her pants and smiled at him. "I'd better get home."
"Bye," snapped Sean, angry that Emma hadn't let him past third base. They'd been going out since seventh grade. And she still didn't trust him.
"Sean. . ." said Emma hesitantly. "What you were trying to do, you know, earlier. . .I'd love to, you know, do that with you sometime. But I don't think on the floor of your living room is such a great place." Emma smiled.
Sean returned her smile. "Tracker'll go outta town one of these days. Maybe then."
"'Kay. Bye, Sean."
"See ya."