Emma wasn't late for school the next day. She was seated in her sest before the bell rang, In fact, she was in her seat before any of the other students were seated. One by one the seats began to be less vacant. Sean entered the classroom. He saw Emma as he entered. By the time Emma noticed him in the room, he shifted his eyes to find an empty seat. Coincidentally, it happend to be in the front, near Emma. Not directly next to her, but behind her at the parallel table.

"Project time." Mr. Simpson said as he passed around a rubric of the partner list. He partnered Emma and Sean together, "Now, everyone. Sit by your partners and get to work. Directions are on the sheet. Sorry, but I cannot aid you in this project.. we'll see how it all comes through in the end. I'm the big man when it comes to excellent critiques." Mr. Simpson sat down.

Emma looked over at Sean figuring out some way to go over to him. His eyes were fixated on this partner rubric (sheet of paper). Emma watched him as she shot up from his chair and walked up to Mr. Simpsons desk. Emma got up to see what this was about.

Sean knew Emma was coming over, and this made him uncomfortable, but he decided to say what he was going to tell Mr. Simpson, "Uh.. this?" Sean held up the sheet of paper and looked at Emma, then back at Mr. Simpson, "Parters... won't work."

Mr Simpson looked at both Emma and Sean confused," Why?" Silence grew, "Just give me one reason and I can swap partners. One reason."

Emma turned her head to Sean quickly. She thought he might tell everything that happened.. Sean looked at Emma. He saw the hidden fear in her eyes and he looked back at Mr. Simpson, "Nevermnid." Sean walked back over to his computer station. Emma turned and followed.

She sat next to him. She was scared, "If you don't want to be my partner, I'll understand."

They were both talking loud enough for each of them to hear, and quiet enough so that no one else knew what the were talking about, "How about, I do the last half and you do the first half."He proposed.

Emma couldn't just talk about the project. She realized that the only she could work with Sean is if he wanted to, and she knew he didn't, "I looked for you last night."She looked at Sean. He focused his eyes on the computer.

After a while, he decided to break that awkward silence, "Was this before or after you got a bracelet?" Sean looked at her with a witty tone in his voice, "Jay's got ton of them.... colors too."

Emma moved in her seat, "that's unfair." She looked at him vulnerably.

Sean looked down at her wrists on the table, "Do you have every color?"

Emma moved her hands on her lap and looked at Sean without a response. She had doubles of colors and she knew she couldn't lie so she decided to not say anything at all. She avoided eye contact with Sean until he spoke again.

Sean didn't know what to assume. He was just being sarcastic about asknig if she had all the colors. He assumed she didn't. He didn't even want to assume she had really done anything with Jay.

Sean felt bad, "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Emma looked up. He was apologizing and Emma couldn't speak. She was afraid that if she told the truth that he would hate her, but if she kept quiet - then she'd only fall into her own guilt.

They began to work on the project. Emma constanty thought about her guilt and Sean's apology. Why did he have to come back now? Why did he have to be there last night? Why did he apologize for it? Did he know that she earned that bracelet that fell to the ground? Or did he assume it was just like the first one she got - for free. Did Sean have an idea of what went on? She thought. She didn't know what to do.

After school Emma was walking down the hallways. Jay came out of the corner and looked around before he went up to talk to her, "Hey.... left kinda quick."

Emma moved her eyes away from him and shrugged.

Jay chuckled, "Oh, so Wasega comes back and all of a sudden Greenpeace changes her mind." He was annoyed by that, "You're not his girlfriend..."

Emma quickly looked at him now that she had an opening in what he was saying, "that's right, and you're not mine either."

"But I've been here for you." Jay stated.

"It's physical." Emma replied in regret.

Jay chuckled, "Why don't I believe that...." Jay wanted to make a point, "Emma?" He made sure to use her name.

Emma didn't understand what he was talking about.

Jay decided to reiterate it for her, "I never knew you were the type of girl who considered things 'just physical.'" Jay paused, "or are you?"

Emma wasn't. Everything she did had meaning, everyone she knew meant something to her, everything and anything meant something to her. Nothing was just purely physical. Nothing was meaningless in the life of Emma Nelson. She had no power over that.

"Look, fine." Jay stepped closer to her, "It wasn't 'just physical' for me... and I thought we were on the same page here... I guess I was wrong." Jay should have walked away, but he didn't. Something about Emma that drew him to her. He leaned in to kiss her and just as their lips were touching Emma flinched back.

"I should go." Emma said quietly. She walked off.

A/N: Keep the reviews coming.... here's a glimpse of what's coming up: Sean and Jay finally encounter each other - only more intense.