(A/N: i'm updating earlier b/c i know the last chapter was short and had a
huge cliffhanger. Plus, all of your reviews were so nice! Thanks a million,
okey-dokey, let's go on w/ the story...)
Emma was in complete shock. 'Manny? Manny reported a gun? Wait, what gun? I don't even know what this is about!' To get her questions answered, Emma carefully listened to Manny and the policeman.
"You reported a gun in this area?" the cop asked her.
"Y – yes." Manny tripped over her own words.
The policeman pulled out a small notebook and pen. He began to scribble down some things as he interrogated Manny. "And who had this weapon?"
"Um..." Manny started. But for some reason, she did not continue. She just stood there like a little stick figure. Emma looked at her from afar, trying to get her to say something. Finally, Manny spoke up again. "It was...a guy. About my age, I guess."
"Can you describe him?"
"Uh, yeah."
The cop waited for Manny to give a description, but she said nothing. Eventually, he motioned for her to go on. "Would you?"
"He, uh, he's tall...sort of. But not that tall. And he, uh..." Manny trailed off because she didn't want to say the next part in front of Emma over there. But she continued anyway, since she was right in front of a police officer after all. "He had a bandanna on his head." She sighed after saying those words. Manny didn't even have to look, she knew Emma was freaking out inside right at this very moment. Because there was only one person they all knew who fit that description – Sean.
Emma couldn't help herself. She immediately ran up to the two. "Wait! I know who she's talking about! He didn't have a gun, other guys were trying to, um, get him." Emma realized that what she had just done looked incredibly stupid on her part. The policeman just stared at her. "Well, this young lady says she saw him with a gun. If you have any other actual evidence, I'd like to hear it." Emma just froze. She didn't have any evidence. But hold on, why was she even trying to protect Sean? A few months ago, she was happy about getting him a two month Saturday detention. Now, he could get a long time in jail. Or juvenile hall. Manny gave Emma a questioning look, but Emma just turned back up to the policeman and said. "I don't have any evidence."
"Well, then, I'm afraid I can't take your case." He turned his attention back to Manny. "Now, what is your full name, Miss?"
After a pause, Manny replied. "Manuella Santos."
"Okay, I may have to get in touch with you about this, so if you could just fill out these forms..."
Emma didn't stay there any longer. She didn't want to get involved any more. 'I can't believe this. Sean had a gun the whole time. Did he lie to me again? He could have just made up that story at the party...he's probably just trying to get them. It's probably the total opposite. I mean...wait a minute!' Emma had just thought of the perfect piece of evidence. She caught the police officer just as he was heading to his car. "Sir! Um, Sir?!" she called after him. He turned around impatiently and said to Emma, "Yes?"
"I just thought of the evidence I have!" Emma began.
FLASHBACK
Emma slowly peeked around the corner of the kitchen and saw two figures talking.
"Come on man, don't be a coward."
"I'm not..."
"You've gotta understand – he deserves this."
"So? Isn't there any other stupid way to get back at him?"
"Of course there is, but think about it! He takes one step into this party and BANG! He gets it."
"Whatever, man."
Emma's mouth hung open in shock. She knew who these people were, and she knew who they were talking about – Sean.
END OF FLASHBACK
"...they were talking about him, I know it. Because later I talked to the him myself and he said they were after him."
Manny rolled her eyes. Here Emma was, protecting Sean, once again. "He could have had that gun for self-defense." Manny called out suddenly.
The cop wrote a few more things down and then said. "I need to get back to the station. The case will be closed soon. Thank you, girls." With that, he got into his car and drove away, leaving Emma and Manny both completely shocked at one another.
"What were you thinking, Emma?!" Manny shouted.
"I'm just telling the truth, unlike you!"
"Unlike me? I SAW him, with a gun, he ran right by here! Oh, and you can stop playing hero now, why are you so excited about saving Sean?"
"Because!" Emma stopped. She really didn't know why. She had already asked herself that very question.
Manny continued. "Yeah, well, this is probably some other screwed up plan of your's. Why didn't you mention his name if you wanna help out so much?"
"Why didn't you?!" Emma retorted. "You're the wonderful one who reported the gun!"
"I didn't wanna get him in trouble!"
"Yeah, well, neither do I." After a pause, something just hit Emma. "Wait a minute...if Sean ran right by here, then how come Paige and Spinner over there didn't see him?"
"Spinner was still in the building, remember? He came out right after you came back from your little mission behind the hospital! And Paige was sitting in the car, CRYING, yeah, crying, because of me! Yeah, me, the one who caused JT's injury. I'M the reason why JT is in the hospital! Okay, are you all happy now? Is that why you're attacking me, just so I'll admit that?!" Manny didn't seem to care that Paige and Spinner could hear her clearly from the other side of the parking lot.
"This has nothing to do with JT!"
"Oh, get over yourself. EVERYTHING has to do with JT, now. Paige hates me because of JT, you hate me because of JT –"
"Hold on, why do I hate you because of JT?!"
"Don't you remember anything? You are, way too caught up in this little teeny tiny section of this horrible weekend, aren't you? In the hospital room, about an hour ago, you got furious with me just because I was honest about what I did with the drugs!"
"Manny, like you said, I totally forgot about it, that's why I'm NOT mad at you for it! I'm mad because –"
"You know, I don't even want to hear why you're mad anymore." Manny said as she calmed down. "I don't want to hear about your problems, I don't want to hear about why everything's my fault. I just...want to be left alone." Just at that moment, a bus pulled up at the corner. Coldly, Manny turned and headed toward the bus. Emma intensely watched her walk onto it, and eventually saw it leave.
(A/N: ack, my hands hurt. I hope you liked that chap, and i didn't give you such a bad cliffhanger, did i? Well i hope not...please keep reviewing!)
Emma was in complete shock. 'Manny? Manny reported a gun? Wait, what gun? I don't even know what this is about!' To get her questions answered, Emma carefully listened to Manny and the policeman.
"You reported a gun in this area?" the cop asked her.
"Y – yes." Manny tripped over her own words.
The policeman pulled out a small notebook and pen. He began to scribble down some things as he interrogated Manny. "And who had this weapon?"
"Um..." Manny started. But for some reason, she did not continue. She just stood there like a little stick figure. Emma looked at her from afar, trying to get her to say something. Finally, Manny spoke up again. "It was...a guy. About my age, I guess."
"Can you describe him?"
"Uh, yeah."
The cop waited for Manny to give a description, but she said nothing. Eventually, he motioned for her to go on. "Would you?"
"He, uh, he's tall...sort of. But not that tall. And he, uh..." Manny trailed off because she didn't want to say the next part in front of Emma over there. But she continued anyway, since she was right in front of a police officer after all. "He had a bandanna on his head." She sighed after saying those words. Manny didn't even have to look, she knew Emma was freaking out inside right at this very moment. Because there was only one person they all knew who fit that description – Sean.
Emma couldn't help herself. She immediately ran up to the two. "Wait! I know who she's talking about! He didn't have a gun, other guys were trying to, um, get him." Emma realized that what she had just done looked incredibly stupid on her part. The policeman just stared at her. "Well, this young lady says she saw him with a gun. If you have any other actual evidence, I'd like to hear it." Emma just froze. She didn't have any evidence. But hold on, why was she even trying to protect Sean? A few months ago, she was happy about getting him a two month Saturday detention. Now, he could get a long time in jail. Or juvenile hall. Manny gave Emma a questioning look, but Emma just turned back up to the policeman and said. "I don't have any evidence."
"Well, then, I'm afraid I can't take your case." He turned his attention back to Manny. "Now, what is your full name, Miss?"
After a pause, Manny replied. "Manuella Santos."
"Okay, I may have to get in touch with you about this, so if you could just fill out these forms..."
Emma didn't stay there any longer. She didn't want to get involved any more. 'I can't believe this. Sean had a gun the whole time. Did he lie to me again? He could have just made up that story at the party...he's probably just trying to get them. It's probably the total opposite. I mean...wait a minute!' Emma had just thought of the perfect piece of evidence. She caught the police officer just as he was heading to his car. "Sir! Um, Sir?!" she called after him. He turned around impatiently and said to Emma, "Yes?"
"I just thought of the evidence I have!" Emma began.
FLASHBACK
Emma slowly peeked around the corner of the kitchen and saw two figures talking.
"Come on man, don't be a coward."
"I'm not..."
"You've gotta understand – he deserves this."
"So? Isn't there any other stupid way to get back at him?"
"Of course there is, but think about it! He takes one step into this party and BANG! He gets it."
"Whatever, man."
Emma's mouth hung open in shock. She knew who these people were, and she knew who they were talking about – Sean.
END OF FLASHBACK
"...they were talking about him, I know it. Because later I talked to the him myself and he said they were after him."
Manny rolled her eyes. Here Emma was, protecting Sean, once again. "He could have had that gun for self-defense." Manny called out suddenly.
The cop wrote a few more things down and then said. "I need to get back to the station. The case will be closed soon. Thank you, girls." With that, he got into his car and drove away, leaving Emma and Manny both completely shocked at one another.
"What were you thinking, Emma?!" Manny shouted.
"I'm just telling the truth, unlike you!"
"Unlike me? I SAW him, with a gun, he ran right by here! Oh, and you can stop playing hero now, why are you so excited about saving Sean?"
"Because!" Emma stopped. She really didn't know why. She had already asked herself that very question.
Manny continued. "Yeah, well, this is probably some other screwed up plan of your's. Why didn't you mention his name if you wanna help out so much?"
"Why didn't you?!" Emma retorted. "You're the wonderful one who reported the gun!"
"I didn't wanna get him in trouble!"
"Yeah, well, neither do I." After a pause, something just hit Emma. "Wait a minute...if Sean ran right by here, then how come Paige and Spinner over there didn't see him?"
"Spinner was still in the building, remember? He came out right after you came back from your little mission behind the hospital! And Paige was sitting in the car, CRYING, yeah, crying, because of me! Yeah, me, the one who caused JT's injury. I'M the reason why JT is in the hospital! Okay, are you all happy now? Is that why you're attacking me, just so I'll admit that?!" Manny didn't seem to care that Paige and Spinner could hear her clearly from the other side of the parking lot.
"This has nothing to do with JT!"
"Oh, get over yourself. EVERYTHING has to do with JT, now. Paige hates me because of JT, you hate me because of JT –"
"Hold on, why do I hate you because of JT?!"
"Don't you remember anything? You are, way too caught up in this little teeny tiny section of this horrible weekend, aren't you? In the hospital room, about an hour ago, you got furious with me just because I was honest about what I did with the drugs!"
"Manny, like you said, I totally forgot about it, that's why I'm NOT mad at you for it! I'm mad because –"
"You know, I don't even want to hear why you're mad anymore." Manny said as she calmed down. "I don't want to hear about your problems, I don't want to hear about why everything's my fault. I just...want to be left alone." Just at that moment, a bus pulled up at the corner. Coldly, Manny turned and headed toward the bus. Emma intensely watched her walk onto it, and eventually saw it leave.
(A/N: ack, my hands hurt. I hope you liked that chap, and i didn't give you such a bad cliffhanger, did i? Well i hope not...please keep reviewing!)