Ring! Ring! Ring!

What the fuck? Roxie thought groggily as she slowly sat up in her bed, yawning sleepily. Damn. She had just been lost in semi-erotic dreams about Craig, and she hated being woken up in the middle of a good dream. This better be really fucking important, she thought unhappily, rubbing her eyes sleepily and untangling the sheets from around her legs. Maybe it's Craig, she thought hopefully, flinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. We've only been apart for a whole two hours, and he already misses me and just had to see me. God, could they be any more adorable as a couple? She wondered if they had reached that point where they were truly nauseating yet- like Paige and Spin used to be, when they would feed each other and use baby talk. She doubted it. They'd only been dating for about a week and a half, but Roxie was already attached to him. We are so going to be together, she thought happily. He's going to break up with Ash, we're going to become an official couple, get married, have gorgeous kids….ok, you're getting a little ahead of yourself here. And you don't even know if Craig is really at the door. It could very well be some serial killer who wants to slice you up into little pieces and store you in a freezer.

On that thought, Roxie reached under her bed and pulled out a bat Craig had loaned her- just in case, of course. After all, a girl living all alone in an apartment building was practically a pervert's wet dream. Roxie walked across her room, and spotted herself in the mirror hanging on her door. Ugh- she hoped to God it wasn't Craig, because her hair was a ratty mess and there was unattractive sliver of drool on her chin. She ran her fingers through her hair, wiped off the drool, and vowed never to allow Craig to see her right when she woke up, because it was definitely a turn-off. She crossed the small living room to the front door.

She peeked into the peep-hole, and saw a distorted image of…Ashley? She didn't look happy. Shit, Roxie thought frantically, stepping back from the door and biting her lip. Craig probably broke up with her, and she's here to maim and kill me I would have preferred the serial killer! I should just pretend I'm not here. But Ash knocked again, so Roxie finally opened it an inch and poked her head out. Judgment Day. She checked to make sure Ash didn't have any weapons on her, and she smiled hesitantly. "Ash…hey. What a pleasant surprise….at two in the morning."

"There's something I need to talk to you about," Ash said seriously, a solemn look in her eyes. Roxie swallowed hard. She didn't blame Ash for hating her- what kind of best friend went after your boyfriend? Ashley was the best friend Roxie had ever had, and she had basically fucked up their whole relationship over a boy. A stupid boy named Craig Manning. She wouldn't even blame Ash if she threw a punch at Roxie- she deserved it.

"Look, Ash," Roxie began. "I know your upset with me, but I wasn't planning this. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. I never meant to hurt you, and I hope we can still be friends…"

Ashley stared at her in confusion. "Roxie, what are you talking about?"

Roxie blinked. "Um….what are you talking about?"

Ash took a deep breath, glanced down the hallway, and nodded. Suddenly, Manny appeared out of nowhere, and Roxie jumped slightly. What the hell is going on? She wondered. What is this- the "We've Dated Craig!" club? It was two in the morning, Roxie was exhausted, and Ash and Manny were the last two people on Earth she had expected to show up on her doorstep together. Roxie noticed Manny had a swollen lip and dirt on her face, and her hair was all messed up.

"Jesus, you look like crap," Roxie blurted out. She'd never been very subtle. Manny stared at the floor. "I mean….I like your skirt." Yeah, that was a nice save, she told herself sarcastically. "So….do you guys want to come in?" They nodded, and Roxie pulled open the door. "Oh, don't mind the bat. It's the closest thing I have to a security system," she explained when Ash eyed the bat suspiciously. Manny and Ash wandered over to the small couch against the wall, and plopped down. Roxie closed the door.

"So…" she said, rubbing her hands together as she tried to fill the awkward silence. "Is it snowing outside?" she asked, glancing out the small window at the dark night sky. They nodded. "That's great. I love snow. I mean, I love Christmas…and snow. I can't wait, because I'm going to get a big tree and put it right over there….maybe, I don't know." She said, gesturing to the corner of the room. Great. She had resorted to babbling incoherently and making an ass out of herself. "Sorry, I'm a little tired. I wasn't expecting…" Wait, why was Roxie doing all the explaining here? Weren't they the ones who had just barged into her home? "What's up, you guys?"

Ash took a deep breath. "Roxie, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Roxie nodded and led Ash to her small kitchenette. They stepped inside, and Roxie peeked around the door at Manny, who was sitting on the couch, fiddling with her bracelets. "Wow. What the hell is going on?" Roxie whispered urgently, turning around to face her friend. "Don't you hate Manny with a burning passion?"

Ash leaned against the counter and sighed. "I did. I mean, I still do….I mean, she needs a place to stay."

"Oh, really?" Roxie said, pretending to be interested as she pulled a box of cookies out of the cupboard. She stopped when it clicked in her mind. "Oh, you…mean….here?"

"Yes."

"No!" Roxie burst out. She knew it sounded totally selfish, but Roxie had finally got her own space, her own life. She had pictured lying around, dancing like an idiot as she played her music as loud as she pleased and being able to walk around naked if she wanted. She did not picture Manny Santos. She no longer had to deal with anyone else's problems but her own, and just looking at her, she could tell Manny was going to come with a shit-load of problems. Problems she didn't want to deal with. This was her apartment- why should she share it with some girl she hardly even knew?

"Please!" Ash begged.

"No. It's not happening."

'Come on! Don't you have a heart?"

"Yes. And it's cold and dead. No. I'm sorry, but it's a bad idea."

Ash took a deep breath. "You owe me, Roxie. You wouldn't have this apartment if it weren't for me. You'd probably be sleeping in some shelter or something right now if I hadn't helped you get this place."

Oh, great. She's pulling out the "You owe me" card. Roxie just chewed on her cookie and stared at her, unable to say anything because Ash was completely right. "You totally owe me. And I'm asking you to do this one thing."

"Ok, I owe you!" Roxie said, throwing up her hands. "Can't I like, take you out for dinner or buy you a C.D or something?"

"No. You saw Manny, Roxie. She needs someone to help her. She's been through a lot…I haven't gotten the whole story, but I'm pretty sure she was attacked. And I think she has a drug problem," Ash explained in a low voice. Roxie smirked.

"Ok, now I'm just dying to let her stay," Roxie said sarcastically. "Look, I feel for the kid and all, but I'm not going to let some drug-addict live with me. Do you know what it's like to grow up in a house where drugs were more fucking important than food? Do you know how many times I had to clean up my Mother's drug paraphernalia just so she wouldn't get arrested? If you think I'm going through that again, you're insane."

"Please, Roxie," Ash begged, grabbing her arm and staring desperately into her eyes. "I don't know what else to do with her. Please help me out here. You're my best friend, and I need you."

You're my best friend. The words echoed through her head. Best friends- best friends helped each other out. Best friends had each others back no matter what. Best friends would do anything for you. And most importantly, best friends most definitely didn't mess around with your boyfriend. Roxie stared at Ash, who had been a great friend to her through everything. Yet, she had stabbed Ash in the back, and couldn't the least she could do be letting Manny stay with her for a bit? Roxie did owe her- for the apartment, and for hurting her by stealing away her boyfriend, which Ash didn't even know about yet. Consumed by guilt, Roxie nodded. "Ok. She can stay. But it's only temporary, right?" Ash nodded. "Alright."

They walked back to the living room, and Manny stood up. Roxie folded her arms over her chest and glanced at Ash. "You can stay here," she said slowly. "But let's just get some things straight, ok? If you're going to live here, I'll let you stay for free, but you need to get a job for food and stuff. And don't eat all my food- I will kill you. And most importantly, there won't be any drugs or alcohol, ok? Not at all." She gave Manny the-once-over, and nodded. "Got that?"

Manny smiled slowly and nodded. "Yeah. You don't have to worry. I won't cause you any trouble. You won't even notice I'm here. I'm going to get a job and everything. Thank you!" She reached out and hugged Roxie. Roxie hesitantly hugged back. It reminded Roxie that Manny was still just a little girl- confused, lost, and probably scared. Roxie knew that feeling- she knew that feeling well.

Manny stepped back. "Thank you," she repeated again quietly, a shy smile on her face.

And to her surprise, Roxie smiled back.

Ellie was lying on her bed, listening to her C.D player, when suddenly someone kicked open the door to her room. Ellie jumped. She despised when people just waltzed into her room without even bothering to knock.

"New roommate!" the girl said in a bored voice, tossing her suitcase on Dawn's crisp, neat bed that hadn't been slept in since…Dawn died. Ellie yanked off her headphones and sat up, analyzing the girl that was apparently her new roommate. She had long, straight, black hair and looked Hispanic, and she was wearing black fishnet stocking, combat boots, a short black skirt, and a tattered leather jacket. Ellie frowned and watched as the girl flopped down on the bed and kicked off her shoes. "What are you staring at?" the girl asked. Ellie shrugged.

"Nothing. So…you're new here, then?" Ellie asked. The girl smirked and shook her head.

"Nah. Been here a few months, actually," the girl said, resting her hands behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. "I stabbed my other roommate, so they thought it might be a good idea if we didn't live together anymore."

Ellie stared at her. Oh, my, God. They put me with a fucking psycho.

"Just kidding. They just moved me from the third floor to this one, for space or some shit," the girl said with a laugh, rolling her eyes. "It was a joke. God, I requested a roommate with a sense of humor, too."

"Sorry," Ellie said angrily, lying back down on her bed and grabbing her C.D player. She had known this girl for two minutes, and already Ellie could tell they weren't going to get along. Things would probably go more smoothly if they just stayed out of each others faces. She really didn't feel like talking, anyway. Ellie slipped on her headphones and turned up the volume has high as possible, hoping the girl would get the message she just wanted to be left alone. But the girl obviously didn't get the hint.

"Hey!" the girl yelled, and Ellie ignored her and shut her eyes. A second later, a pillow hit her in the side of her head. Ellie sat up and scowled at the girl. "What's your name?"

"Ellie," Ellie replied through clenched teeth. The girl nodded.

"Jasmine," she said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of her bed. "Hey. Guess what?"

Ellie hesitated. "What?"

"I have an idea."

"That's nice."

"Don't' you want to know what it is?" Not really, Ellie thought. Why was this girl bothering her, anyway? So they were roommates- that didn't mean they necessarily had to be friends. Ellie would have been perfectly content with not having a new roommate at all- no one could replace Dawn. She didn't want anyone to replace Dawn. She sighed and gave in. "Ok. What is it?"

"I'm breaking out of here," the girl whispered, glancing around, despite the fact that they were the only two people in the room. "Rehab is so fucking gay. I mean, they don't even give a shit, you know? So I'm leaving. I've been saving my money, and I'll be better off on my own than in here."

Ellie raised her eyebrows in interest. She set down her C.D player and scooted to the edge of her bed. She was intrigued. "Really? How?"

Jasmine smirked cockily. "It's easy. You know Ralph, the nurse? Well, I gave him a blow job and then stole the keys from him. Tonight, when all these other losers are asleep, I'm going to break out." Jasmine pulled out a ring of keys and twirled them around. "Then it's bon voyage to this shit hole."

"Gee, won't you miss Ralph?" Ellie asked sarcastically. Jasmine just smiled slyly. "Well, have fun. Don't forget to write," Ellie said unenthusiastically, lying back down and reaching for her C.D player.

"Wait. You should come with me."

Ellie snorted and shook her head. "No, thank you."

Jasmine examined her for a second. "What are you here for?" Ellie remained silent. "Come on. I'll tell you if you tell me. You're anorexic, right?"

"Why does everyone here think I'm anorexic?" Ellie asked, throwing up her hands.

"Well, maybe you should gain some weight," Jasmine suggested. "Alright….I cut myself." She shrugged off her jacket, revealing an arm littered with deep gashes and slashes. "I've been doing it for three years. It got really bad after awhile- practically cut off my arm. It always feels good to me," she said with a shrug. "They think I'm pretty fucked up here, but they don't know. They don't know anything."

Ellie stared at her in surprise. How could this girl talk so openly about her cutting problem to a total stranger? Ellie didn't understand it- here was this girl who was so brazenly showing off her scars, and Ellie couldn't even admit she cut herself at all. Ellie swallowed hard and looked away. Jasmine nodded slowly. "Yep. Thought so. You're a cutter, too."

Ellie was quiet. "Look, I'm not proposing we become lifelong best friends. I'm just asking if you want to get out of this hell hole. You hate it here- it's obvious. I know what happened to your old roommate- it's pretty fucking sick, if you ask me. They didn't even know she wasn't eating. They didn't even try to help her. And now she's dead. If you stay here, it's going to slowly drive you insane, and then you'll just end up cutting yourself until you cut too deep. Then your gone," Jasmine said, snapping her finger. "Just like that. This place is a fucking joke. So come with me."

Ellie thought for a moment. She couldn't stand this place- it was suffocating her, killing her. She couldn't explain it, but ever since Dawn's death, things had become so bleak and shitty. Every day seemed more horrible than the next. Finally, Ellie nodded. "Alright. I've got some money saved up. Tonight. We're out of here."

Jasmine leaned over and held out her fist, and Ellie knocked her own fist against it. "We are so out of here," Jasmine said, grinning.

Sean tucked his blue dress shirt into his trousers, and then hesitantly pulled it out again. A second later he tucked it back in and stared into the mirror. He couldn't decide which looked better- tucked in made him look more formal and neat, but un-tucked made him look more rugged and daring. He began to un-tuck his shirt again, and he heard Jay begin laughing behind him.

"Dude, you are such a girl," Jay pointed out, reaching into the bag of chips he was holding. "Would you like me to paint your nails, or maybe curl your hair?" He popped the chip into his mouth and began chuckling to himself.

"Fuck you," Sean scowled, wondering why he even let Jay into his house. He ran a comb through his hair and frowned at Jay's reflection in the mirror. "I'm trying to look nice, ok? What's so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that you've been getting ready for the last half hour. Even Alex didn't take that long when we used to date," Jay said, glancing at his watch and sighing. "Um, why are you bothering, anyway? I thought we were watching the game tonight. You know, I bought chips and beer and stuff…."

Sean blinked. Oh, right. He and Jay had been planning on relaxing and watching the game on T.V that night. No girls, no distractions, just some beer and hockey to keep them company. "Oh….about that," he said, grabbing his jacket off his bed and turning to face his friend, who was leaning in the doorway. "I kind of have a date."

"Dude!" Jay exclaimed, shaking the bag of chips at him. "Guys night, remember? No girls!"

"I know. How about next week?" Sean promised, walking past him to the living room. Jay turned and followed.

"You're such a fucking loser," he said. "So, who is she? She better be pretty smoking if you're ditching your boy for her."

Sean pulled on his jacket. "Look, this date is important. It might decide if Emma and I get back together. I can't cancel so I can watch a stupid hockey game with you."

Jay frowned. "Emma? You're going out with Emma?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Didn't you…break up?"

Sean nodded and sighed. "Yeah, we did. But we talked the other day, and we both agreed we did some stupid things. I mean, we're not officially together, but…." He smiled. "After tonight, we might be. I'm taking her out to dinner."

Jay opened a can of beer and took a long sip. "So let me get this straight- you're getting back together with Emma, just so she can boss you around and tell you what to do again?"

"What is your problem with Emma?' Sean asked. He hadn't said anything about the obvious animosity between Emma and Jay- he figured if he ignored it, it might just go away. Jay stared into his beer can. Sean frowned. "Seriously, what?"

Jay looked up. "Nothing…Emma's just…" Amazing? Beautiful? Special? He thought. He cleared his throat and shrugged. "I don't know. You're so much more fun when you're not with her."

Sean stopped. "No. Tell me why you're so Anti-Emma?"

Jay smirked and shook his head. "Oh, come on! She's a tight-ass goody-goody who's always on our case about something. Oh, don't steal! Don't be mean to people!" he imitated in a high, squeaky voice. "God, she fucking yelled at me once for throwing a gum wrapper on the ground. I'm sure the ground was really upset about it, too."

"So…she's environmentally consciousness. That hardly makes her a bad person," Sean pointed out, rolling his eyes. Jay opened his mouth to argue, but suddenly there was knock on the front door, and Emma stepped in. Jay stared at her, studying her long legs and modestly- cut blouse, but realizing that even in a conservative outfit, she still looked amazing. Her golden hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she was wearing a sparkly pair of hoop earrings. Emma's smile faded when she spotted Jay, and was replaced by a frown. Yep, she still hates me, he thought unhappily. But after the way he acted at the drive- in, what did he expect?

"You look great," Sean said, smiling at his date. Emma forced a smile on her face. "Oh, I left my wallet. I'll be right back." Sean turned and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Jay and Emma in an awkward silence.

"Emma," he finally said.

"Jay," she said coldly, folding her arms over her chest and refusing to look him in the eye. "Oh, drinking a beer, I see. What is that- your seventh? Eighth?"

Ouch. An obvious reference to his little drunken spectacle. When Emma was cold, Emma was cold. "Emma…about the other night…"

"I'd rather not talk about it," she interrupted. "Id rather not talk to you, period."

"Come on. You have to let me explain. Or at least let me apologize," he said, and then stopped. God, you've become such a fucking wimp! He thought, shaking his head. Since when did Jay apologize for anything? Here he was, practically graveling at Emma Nelson's feet. But he genuinely felt bad about the whole thing- when he was drunk, Jay somehow managed became more of a jerk than usual. "Hear me out, alright?"

"Why should I? We're not friends, Jay. We're not…we're nothing, ok?" she snapped.

"Fine. I'm sure Sean will be thrilled to hear that you kissed me."

Emma's mouth fell open. "You kissed me!" she said, and then glanced down the hallway and lowered her voice. "You better not tell Sean….you better not, Jay. I'm serious. It would only hurt him."

"Doesn't he deserve to know?"

Emma rubbed her hands over her face in frustration. "Why must you insist on ruining everything?" she hissed. "Sean and I have been through a lot, Jay. But no matter what, I love him. I could kiss every guy on this planet, and I'd still be totally in love with Sean. And he loves me, too. We're trying to make things work, and I'm sorry if you don't like it, but this isn't your business. Whatever there was between us….it's gone now, ok? I love Sean. I always will." Just then, Sean reappeared, waving his wallet in the air.

"Got it. You ready, Emma?" Emma nodded. They turned to leave.

"Sean, wait…" Jay said, and he turned. Emma turned and gave him a pleading look. "Um….I'll just leave this stuff here. I think I'll go over to Andy's to watch the game or something." He saw Emma sigh with relief, and Sean just nodded, oblivious to the whole situation. Then the couple walked out, leaving Jay all alone in the kitchen.

All alone, Jay thought with a sigh, tossing his empty beer can in the trashcan. As usual, I end up all alone.

Craig grunted under the weight of the large Christmas tree he was trying to lug up the stairs. Christmas was just around the corner, and Craig thought it would be fun to surprise Roxie with a nice Christmas tree for the apartment. He had even brought some old Christmas ornaments Joey had given him, so they could decorate it together. She deserves to have a great holiday, Craig thought. After all she's been through; she deserves to have a good time. "Ok, Marco, can you please try to help out here? I pull, you push. Think you can handle that?"

"It's heavy!" Marco whined from the other side of the tree. Craig rolled his eyes.

A few minutes later, they managed to get the tree off the staircase. They carried it down the hallway toward Roxie's apartment, and Marco smiled. "I love Christmas. The lights, the Christmas carols, the presents…And it's twice as better when you have someone to spend the holidays with."

"Yeah, it's fun," Craig said, setting the tree down in front of Roxie's door. "I can't wait to spend Christmas with Roxie. Hell, I even like all that stupid gift-shopping-"

"Wait, don't you mean Ashley?" Marco asked confused. Craig gave him a strange look.

"What?"

"You said you couldn't wait to spend the holidays with Roxie. You mean Ash….right?"

Craig nodded quickly and laughed, trying to cover up his mistake. "Yeah, Ashley…Of course. I just said Roxie because….you know. Ok, let's knock!" He rapped quickly on Roxie's door, and a second later Roxie pulled open the door. She saw Craig and Marco, and her mouth fell open and she stared at them like they were mutants. Craig smiled.

"Hey! Surprise-" Craig began, when suddenly Roxie slammed the door on his face. Marco and Craig stood there, staring at the door in confusion.

"That went well," Marco said, smirking. "Does she always greet you like that, because if so, there might be something wrong in your friendship?" Craig gave him an irritated look, and knocked on the door again. A second later, Roxie peaked her out of the door, examining them.

"Marco, Craig…" she said wearily. She spotted the tree and smiled slightly. "Craig, did you buy me a Christmas tree?"

Craig smiled sheepishly. "Yep. Merry Christmas! So, where do you want us to put it?"

"You can't come in," she said. "I'm…not dressed."

"Is that supposed to keep me out?" Craig joked. "Come on, I can see your shirt and jeans."

"I'm really busy right now," Roxie said quickly glancing over her shoulder. "So, you know, you can just leave it and I'll bring it in later…"

"No, let us just bring it in," Craig said, eyeing her suspiciously. "What are you doing?" He looked over her shoulder, and she tried to block his view, but she was a good foot smaller than he was, so it didn't work that well. Craig spotted a flash of dark hair, and he glanced at Roxie. "Who is in there?"

He reached out and tried to push the door open, but Roxie tried to close it at the same time. He tried to step inside, while Roxie pointlessly tried to push him out. "Wait! It's so messy in here! Um…I…I…." Craig finally managed to shove open the door and step around Roxie….and found Manny Santos standing in the living room. Craig's mouth fell open in shock.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

But she was. Ellie dragged her stuffed suitcase behind her as she walked along the side of the road, a few steps behind Jasmine. As soon as dinner was out and everyone retreated to their rooms for "reflective period", Ellie and Jasmine had snuck out of the school. They had run to the large steel gate that surrounded the grounds, which Jasmine had quickly unlocked. It had all been an adrenaline rush, and once they were on the other side of the fence, they were both grinning like fools. "We did it!" Jasmine had said, grabbing Ellie's hand and squeezing it. "It's smooth sailing from here…"

They had probably discovered their room was empty by now- but who cared? They had hitchhiked a couple of miles with two cute college boys, and now they were walking along the side of the country road toward the nearest town, where Jasmine promised there was a bus station.

"Are we close?" Ellie asked, shivering. Jasmine nodded.

"A few more minutes."

Ten minutes later the passed a sign that read "Glendale." Jasmine hollered in excitement, and Ellie smiled. Her legs were practically numb for the cold, but it was good to know that it had all been worth it. They entered the small town and finally came across the bus station. They hurried inside, Jasmine bought a Snickers from the vending machine, and then they headed to the ticket booth.

"May I help you?" the woman asked, staring them down. Jasmine nodded confidently.

"Um….two tickets to….Ashford," Jasmine said. Ellie tapped her on the shoulder.

"Are you sure that's where we want to go?" Ellie whispered. She had the sneaking suspicion that Jasmine had just picked a random city. Now that she thought about it, Jasmine hadn't really discussed a plan with her. Ellie had the feeling Jasmine wasn't the type that usually planned ahead. "Yeah. It'll be fine. You trust me, right?" Jasmine asked. Ellie nodded, and Jasmine handed the old woman the money.

They walked to the bus terminals, and found the bus heading for Ashford. They climbed on and found two empty seats in the far back. Jasmine plopped down in her seat and smiled at Ellie. "Isn't this fun? You're not rethinking this, are you?"

"No!" Ellie said, clutching her leather-back-pack to her chest and gazing out the window. "I'm not rethinking this at all…."

Roxie's stomach dropped about a thousand floors. Craig was standing in the living room, staring at a flabbergasted Manny, who looked like she was deciding between running out of the room or just simply crying. Marco had politely excused himself to wait in the car, because he clearly could tell he didn't belong. Now a heavy, tense silence had filled the room, and Roxie the whole situation made her feel the need to be sick- or maybe that was just morning sickness. She wasn't sure.

"Manny!" Craig finally said. He shook his head and whirled around to face Roxie. "Manny has been staying with you?"

"I should…I should go," Manny choked out, covering her mouth with her hand and hurrying past Craig toward the door. He grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"That's it?" he yelled, shaking his head. "You fucking just get up and disappear, you come back, and that's all you can say? Jesus, Manny, everyone was worried sick about you. Do you understand that?" He stared into her dark, scared eyes, searching for some kind of clue to where she had been, what she had gone through. "Manny…" he said, and then he hugged her tightly. Manny seemed surprised, but hugged him back, burying her face into his shoulder.

Roxie, meanwhile, lurked in the corner, feeling unwelcome, like a third-wheel. She knew this was an emotional moment- Manny was back. The world is now officially complete, she thought bitterly. She couldn't help the resentment- didn't Craig realize she was standing right there? Roxie was waiting for the inevitable moment when they would just start making out right in front of her. He did, like, used to be in love with her, she reminded herself. Maybe he still is….

Craig finally let go of Manny and took one of her hands. "Are you ok? What happened?" he asked, gesturing to her swollen lip. Manny smiled sadly and shrugged.

"I'm just….so glad to be home," Manny said quietly, even though it wasn't completely true. She wasn't technically home yet- she wasn't sure when she'd be ready to go back to her house. But it was nice to be back around familiar faces, and most of all, it was wonderful to see Craig again. He was wearing his favorite pair of worn-out jeans and his leather jacket, and as usual, he looked perfect. She just wanted him to hold her, and kiss her, and tell her everything was going to be alright. But he didn't.

"Um…Craig, could I see you outside for a second?' Roxie said, interrupting the little love-feast. Craig nodded and followed her out the door and into the hallway, where the Christmas tree stood, abandoned. Roxie shut the door behind her. "Roxie, why didn't you tell me about this?" Craig asked a second later. "You didn't think it was slightly important?"

Roxie's mouth fell open. "Wait a second- you're mad at me? I'm not the one that just ran away from home and didn't tell anyone where I went!" she said defensively, shaking her head. "Typical. You're taking Manny's side. Why am I not surprised?"

Craig held up his hands. "Ok, there isn't even a "Manny" side here. And what's that supposed to mean, anyway?"

"Manny's back," Roxie said, tears forming in her eyes, much to her dismay. DO NOT cry! "So, you can just start dating her anytime you want now."

"You're kidding me," Craig said, leaning against the wall. "You think that just because Manny's suddenly reappeared in my life, I'm going to just go running back to her?" Roxie stared at him. "Well, I'm not! Manny and I have a past…I'm not going to deny that." Roxie snorted and looked away. "Ok…a rather messy past. But that's over. We're not getting back together. Hell, I think it might even be hard for us to be friends again."

Roxie brushed away a tear. "Hey. If you thought Manny and I were going to get together, why did you let her stay with you?" Roxie shrugged.

"I didn't want to at first," Roxie admitted. "But what kind of person would I be if I didn't help out someone who obviously needed help that bad? I couldn't just kick her out," she mumbled, staring at the floor. Craig walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to her.

"That's what I love about you," he said quietly. Roxie smiled up at him. "So you're ok with Manny staying with me?"

"Yeah. I was just…shocked. But I'm cool with it," Craig said. "I love you."

Roxie smiled happily. Manny isn't going to ruin us. Nothing can ruin us. "I love you, too."

"Where exactly are we?" Ellie asked, glancing around the small convenience store they were standing in. Ellie had somehow managed to fall asleep on the bus ride, so she had no clue where they were. Jasmine walked down the aisle, and she grabbed a can of Coke. "In Ashford. Duh."

Ellie sighed. Jasmine had told her to trust her, but it was a little hard to trust someone who kept giving you vague answers about everything. "Well, maybe we should buy a map. Just figure out where we're going and everything."

Jasmine snorted. "Maps are for idiots. Look, I have it covered. Fuck, I'm hungry as hell. There's a restaurant down the street. Lets' go." She put the can of Coke back and motioned for Ellie to follow her out of the store. Ellie picked up her suitcase and followed her out. Maybe this was a bad idea, she thought, as she and Jasmine walked down the street. I mean, we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no idea where we are. A car driving past honked at them, and Jasmine flipped them off. Ellie sighed.

A minute later they walked into the restaurant, and Ellie realized she hadn't gone to the bathroom all day. She bit her lip. "I'm going to go find a bathroom, alright?"

Jasmine nodded. "Sure. I'll get us a table. Want me to hold your bags?" Ellie nodded and set down her large suitcase, and handed Jasmine her back-pack. "I'll be right back."

Ellie hurried into the bathroom, which was deserted. She walked into the handicapped stall and sat down on the toilet, taking a few deep breaths. Was she fucking crazy? What exactly was she planning to do once they got far enough away? Live with Jasmine for the rest of her life, working as a waitress in some crappy little town? Ellie buried her face in her hands, confused as hell. Maybe she should just tell Jasmine she made a mistake, and that they should just both go back to rehab.

Uh-oh. There is was again. The uncontrollable urge to cut herself. It came so suddenly sometimes. Ellie sat up and reached into the pocket of her checkered black- and-white skirt. On the way to the bathroom, Ellie had grabbed a dull knife off one of the tables. She stared at it. The pressure was getting to her. Life was getting to her. She pressed the knife down on the pale flesh of her wrist. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Then she hurled the knife against the wall. No! You're stronger than this. You can do it. Just like Sean said, she thought. He believed in you. Why can't you believe in yourself? And before she could have any second thoughts, she stood up and walked out of the stall. She pushed open the door of the bathroom, a new sense of empowerment washing over her. She hadn't cut herself. It was a step. It was a small step, but it was a step either way.

She hurried back to the front of the restaurant. She saw her bags sitting were she had left them, but no sign of Jasmine. She glanced around. Then she searched around the restaurant, but didn't spot her at all. She went back to the hostess stand.

"Excuse me. Did you see where the girl with long back hair went? She was standing right there," Ellie said, pointing. The lady nodded.

"Yeah. She left. Walked right out the door and into some truck that was out front. Then they left."

Ellie blinked. "Thank you," she said quietly, and then turned and marched back to her things. She grabbed her back pack and looked through it.

Shit. Her money was gone.

That fucking bitch! Ellie thought, wanting to slap herself. She screwed me over! Well, of course she did- Ellie had trusted a girl who she had known for an entire day. Jasmine had used her for her money- why else would she ask her to come along? And now Ellie had no idea where she was, with no money and no friends. She walked back to the hostess stand.

"May I use your pay phone?"

Sean smiled apologetically as he twirled some pasta around his fork. "Sorry about the restaurant thing. Who knew you had to call ahead and get a reservation?" Dumb ass, he thought, stuffing his food into his mouth and looking down at his plate. He and Emma had arrived at the restaurant, only to be told there would be a two-hour wait. Then the maitre de' had politely informed them to get a reservation next time. So Emma had suggested that they just gave back to his place, and they would cook dinner together, which had seemed like a good idea, until Sean had burnt the hamburgers and had dropped the mashes potatoes on the floor. Very classy. Emma had suggested spaghetti, since it's hard to ruin.

"Its fine," Emma said, smiling her soft, gentle smile. They were sitting at his kitchen table, and they had lit some candles, so the room was cast in a tender light. It was so romantic. "This is much better than some stuffy restaurant."

"I agree," Sean said. "The point it, we're together, right?"

Emma nodded. "Right. I'm so glad we're spending time together again. I really think we can…work this out."

That's exactly what Sean wanted- to work things out. Emma was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He had been unsure about their relationship, mostly because he was confused about his feelings about Ellie. But now it was clear- he and Emma were destined to be together. He needed her, or else things were going to fall apart. Sean didn't have his parents anymore, or his brother, and Emma had been the one person who had stuck by him. Don't fuck up this time, he mentally coached himself.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Sean was going to ignore it, but Emma insisted he answer it. He stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Hello?" he asked, smiling at Emma.

"Sean?"

He quickly turned his back on Emma. "Ellie?" he whispered into the phone, hoping Emma couldn't hear him.

"Sean, I really need you," she said, sounding tense and upset. Sean rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "I'm kind of busy right now. Can it wait till tomorrow?"

"No!" Ellie said. "I tried to run from rehab, and this girl….she stole my money. And I'm stuck in this town, and I don't know where I am, and I don't have any money. I'm…" she trailed off. "There are these weird men staring at me, Sean," she whispered urgently into the phone. "I need you to come right now. Please."

"I…I don't think I can."

"Sean, I hate to bring this up, but remember when I bailed you out of jail?" she asked. Of course Sean remembered. "You owe me. I need you, just like you needed me."

Well, when she put it that way, how the hell could he say no? He couldn't leave her stranded, could he? He glanced at Emma, who was putting some cheese on her pasta. But if he did go….he couldn't just leave Emma, not when things were going so perfectly. They were going to watch a movie, make some popcorn…. But….

"Alright. Where are you?"

"Um…Ashford. At Rhonda's Road House," Ellie said. Sean nodded. "I know where that is. I'll be there as soon as I can, ok?"

"Thank you."

A minute later, Sean hung up and turned back to Emma. "What was that? Seemed very top-secret, with all that whispering," Emma joked. Then she frowned when she saw Sean grab his jacket and car keys. "Um….are we going somewhere. I'm not done with my food…."

Sean sighed and pulled on his jackets. "Don't hate me, but I have to help someone out." He decided not to mention that it was Ellie Nash. "I'm sorry…"

"You're just leaving?" she asked, staring at him in amazement. "You're ditching me again?"

"I'm not ditching you…but they really need me, Emma. It has nothing to do with you…"

Emma sat down her fork. "Yeah. As usual, it has nothing to do with me. Why can't I be your first priority? We're in the middle of a date, Sean?"

"They need me!"

"I need you," Emma said, standing up. "If you go, we're through."

"You're giving me an ultimatum?" he asked in disbelief, shaking his head. "I can't believe you're being so selfish!"

"And I can't believe you're doing this."

Sean stared at her. He wanted to make things work with Emma, but why was she acting like such a Nazi? "Fine," he said, opening the door. "Whatever." He slammed the door shut behind him and hurried to his car. He climbed in and started the engine, trying to remember the fastest way to Ashford.

And trying to ignore the fact that he and Emma might be finished for good.

Author's Note- How will Manny affect Roxie and Craig's new relationship? And what about Ash? And who will Craig finally end up with? THanks for all the reviews! I love getting feedback, so keep reviewing. Also, there will be more about Spin and Paige in the next chapter, because they weren't in this one at all. Keep reading. Thanks!