Temporaryism

Pairings:  Just wait and see!!  (Het)

Rating:  PG-13

Author's Note:  Second chapter.  This time I'm dealing with the new 9th graders.

Disclaimer:  You know, I own nothing, yadda yadda yadda. 

            J.T. looked up at the Degrassi school building.  It looked the same as it did last year, only that the windows changed color and that the dirt on the letters of D-E-G-R-A-S-S-I had accumulated.  Seriously, when the word looks that horrible, who cares about the color of the windows?  Shaking his head, he and Toby stepped inside the building. 

            As soon as they stepped inside, it sounded as if someone had just cranked up the volume.  Girls giggling in one corner, masochistic groups of guys retorting obscenities to one another in the other bend, and frequently the sounds of a basketball dribbling would echo down the corridor.  Flexing his arms horizontally, J.T. glanced left and right, trying to use his radar to find Paige.  No such luck.  "Ahhh…another year, my dear friend.  Now that we're 9th graders, I think we'll have more of a chance with the ladies."  He smiled at a passing brunette.  Her friends laughed and whispered behind their hands.

            "Oh please, like you can ever get a woman in this lifetime.  Besides, I'm still with Kendra.  So looking at anyone else is out of the question."  Toby said stately.  J.T. glanced at him.  Toby had changed much since the last time J.T. saw him.  He was a lot taller now, his hair was cut shorter and his voice was much deeper.  Obviously, he noted, puberty had changed Toby as much as it changed himself.  J.T. had dyed his hair with sandy blonde streaks, and now his locks fell below his ears.  His Aunt Shirley had commented on him looking like "one of those Californian surf boys", not that he had the slightest clue what she meant.  He had grown from his small 5'0 stature to about a 5'6, and his voice sounded rougher from the last time he heard it on his answering machine.  Not to mention acne…pimples were the worst thing to ever happen to him since…well…ever.  But all this growing hadn't made them more mature, they were still goofy and silly in their own ways.

            "Why is it out of the question?  Does Kendra have you on a lockdown or something?  Besides, it's not like you can walk around with your eyes closed just to not look at another g-g-girl.  Whoa…"  J.T. stopped dead in his tracks and stared ahead.  His mouth was partially open and his eyes were wide.

            "J.T?  What is it?  Who are you staring a- whoa."  Toby looked in the direction that his friend was looking at.  Behind them, guys were calling catcalls at the girl, well, woman, who was walking towards them.

            "Manny!?!"  Both boys called out in surprise.

            To say that Manny looked incredible was a severe understatement.  She looked…wow.  J.T. was speechless.  It seems puberty gets around…and it definitely looks better on girls.  Manny still had long hair; her black curls flowed over her shoulders and down her upper back.  She wore a short sleeved red t-shirt that looked a bit tight, with a black skirt that reached up to her knees.  But that, J.T. thought, wasn't it.  Her breasts had grown a whole lot bigger, and they greatly flattered her top.  Her legs gently flirted with her skirt; they looked so smooth…he felt his pants grow tight, and his palms begin to sweat.   "Crap…"  J.T. muttered under his breath and tore his gaze away.  No, pimples weren't the worst thing to happen…this was.  "Toby…Toby…Toby!"  He snapped his fingers in front of Toby's face.  As if on cue, his friend seemed to spring back to life. 

            "What?"  Toby said, clearly worried that he had been staring a bit too long.  If I'm already looking at girls…then this is going to a lot harder than I thought…

            "Listen, I'm going to go to the bathroom.  Tell the girls I'll see them in home-"

            "Hey guys!"  Great!  J.T. thought.  Quick…a book…or a backpack…he placed his book bag in front of him and turned around to face Manny.  She was smiling broadly at both of them; her eyes glowing with happiness. 

            "Hey Manny."  J.T. said weakly.  This situation was just getting worse and worse…Toby looked at him with raised eyebrows and a curious expression.  J.T. just glared back.  Toby greeted Manny.

            "Wow, you two look so different!"  She said ecstatically.  "J.T., I love what you did with your hair."  She ran a hand through J.T.s shaggy mane and giggled.  He pulled back quickly. 

            "Uh…y-yeah!  Um…you look different too."  He managed a smile.  Manny grinned back.

            "Thanks.  Although I don't see much of a difference…" she looked down at herself.  Don't stare J.T.  "Just my clothes; but you know me…I like to get dressed up on the first day of school."  She smiled again.  Can she ever stop smiling?

            "Uh…yeah.  Listen, I-I gotta go to the bathroom really badly, so I'll catch up with you in homeroom okay?"  He didn't even wait for her response before he ran off down the hallway.  Toby just shook his head and smiled.

            "Hmm…wonder what's up with J.T.?  Oh well…hey, have you seen Emma?"  She asked Toby. 

            "No, I haven't.  We just got here.  Maybe she's in the washroom."  He suggested.  Manny looked pretty all right, but nothing compared to Kendra.  Just thinking about her brought a slight smile to his face.

            "Yea, I guess so.  I'll see you in a few."  And with a quick grin, she fled off down the hallway.

            Why was J.T. acting so weirdly?  Manny asked herself.  She felt her lips tug at a threatening giggle…J.T. didn't look so bad this year.  Sure, she still saw him as her friend, but if she was a stranger, she would definitely have gone all out for him.  Shaking her head, she rounded a corner…only to barge into someone else.  Books flew everywhere, and she fell backwards onto her butt.  She heard the other person groan with annoyance and shuffle around.  Some people passing in the hallway started laughing, and one person yelled out, "losers!"  Frustrated with her clumsiness, she shifted herself so she was crouching.

            "I'm sorry…I didn't see you…"  Manny rubbed her sore seat and looked up at the person she collided with.  She gasped.  "Hi Sean."  Sean looked up at her, and his eyes boggled.  He blinked rapidly a few times and looked away. 

            "Hey.  Watch where you're going next time, 'kay?"  He picked up his books and stood.  Manny, who was wearing a skirt and was getting more self-conscious by the passing second, stood up with her books in her embrace.  She nodded.

            "Yeah, sorry.  I guess this whole first day thing has gotten to my head…"  She laughed weakly.  Sean…he didn't look all that different…except that he had gotten taller and more muscular.  Wow…Emma is so lucky.  She suppressed her oncoming fit of laughter and examined him instead.  His biceps were bulging underneath his tight gray t-shirt, and she could faintly see the outlines of a six-pack.  Oh wait.  "Sean, have you seen Emma?"  She let her gaze drift back up to his eyes.

            "No…I was hoping you knew where she was."  He looked down and scuffled his feet.  Manny shook her head and directed her gaze down the hallway, looking for a tall blonde.  The only blonde she saw, however, was Paige, who was only standing about six feet away.  She raised her eyebrows inquisitively at Manny, smiled knowingly, and walked away.  Blushing, she glanced back at Sean. 

            "Well…I guess I'll see you in class then.  Later."  With a smile and a glance, she walked rapidly down the hall.  She wasn't sure, but she felt a burning sensation prickle on the back of her neck, as if someone was watching her.  No, it couldn't be.  Shaking her head, she quickened her pace, her thoughts racing as fast as her speed.  Once she was out of sight, she backed up against the wall and moaned in frustration.  Her blood circulation seemed to have increased in speed, and her stomach was churning in that all-too-familiar feel.  And it certainly wasn't due to her walking.  This was not good.

            Emma examined her surroundings, trying to pick out any sort of familiar face.  She had been waiting outside her new homeroom for the past 15 minutes, and to be truthful, she was getting a bit impatient.  She had been the first one there (unfortunately), and she felt like a total geek for being there before the first bell rang.  Straightening her hair, she started making her way towards the entrance.  This is incredulous…they wouldn't come late for the first day of school, would they?  Checking her watch, she saw that there were 3 minutes left to the clock.  Nope, definitely not. 

            Turning the corner, she saw an unfamiliar blonde sitting down with his head in his hands, his knees up to his chest.  She didn't know what it was- perhaps it was the whole idea of a lone figure sitting in an empty hallway, looking melancholy, or the fact that she had the savior complex of helping out people with emotional stress- but she found the urge to go over and hug the solitary boy.  Restraining herself and settling for the next best thing, she walked over to the mysterious boy and sat down next to him.  He smelled so good…his cologne wasn't on the strong side; in fact, it was very soft.  Something about him though…something seemed so familiar…

            "Are you okay?"  Emma spoke to the boy.  Immediately his back tensed and his breathing quickened.  He looked up. 

            Gasp.

            "J.T?"  Emma said, skeptical and nearly yelling.  Oh My God!  I cannot believe I thought all those things about him…ugh…

            "Hello to you too, Emma."  He said, his voice filled with…a sentiment that she had never heard in his voice before.  Her brow wrinkled in sympathy; he wasn't the high school version of Brad Pitt, but that didn't make him any less worthy of her compassion.

            "I'm sorry J.T., it's just that…you look so…different."  She saw his eyes darken.  "Not in a bad way."  She added quickly.  Help, not insult.  "What's wrong?"

            The question lingered in the air curiously, and silence stretched out between them.  After a while of rhythmic breathing, Emma thought that she was never going to hear the answer to her question.  Finally he spoke.  "Nothing."  She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

            "Nothing is wrong." 

            Okay, sorry if this chapter was shorter than the other…or longer…who keeps count anyway?  LOL.  Anyways, thank you all so much for the feedback, and let's not immediately assume couples shall we?  ;)  I'll try to be the least transparent as possible…which I don't think is but…

            Anyway, again, feedback=appreciated.  Next chapter…what is J.T. exactly so depressed about?  You can bet your snitch designed socks that they're not about his little girl fantasies, that's for sure.