Emma's Decision

Emma sighed as she glanced over at the overly quit mass of muscle next to her. He lowered his head sadly, paying no attention to the teacher as he made a imaginery circle with his fingers. He looked up and locked eyes with Emma.

"What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing because your lying?" She added seeing as to how he immediately opened his mouth before she was finished. He grunted sadly and opened his mouth before snapping it shut, than opening it again.

"Ellie broke up with me." Emma yelped in surprised as she dropped her pen and it rolled onto the floor. She quickly reached over and picked it up before staring at Sean.

"What? Why?"

"She said, that…" He could feel the flush coming over his cheeks as he looked at Emma's wating expression. "Nothing. It's stupid."

"Not to me." She said softly as she hid her eyes with her bangs. Sean watched her and shook his head before he began talking.

"She said it wasn't going to work." He partially lied. She seemed to believe it though, and placed her hands on top of his.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It's ok Sean, she'll realize that she made a big mistake, you'll see." Sean's breath caught in his throat as he heart began beating so loud he could hear the drumming in his head. His face took on a impossible shade of red as he stared at her hands on top of his. His face began to burn with happiness, as well as embarrassment, as he looked into her face. She stared at him like he was the only man in the world, that nothing else mattered, and he could hear a couple of kids snickering behind them as they watched the public show of affection that Emma paid no attention to.

Sean abruptly snatched his hand from under Emma's like she burned him, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the young girl. The hurt in her gaze was unmistakeable as she quickly looked away, saying nothing else to him for the rest of the class. Once it was over, she made quick work to gather her things, and with her nose in the air, proceeded to stomp out of the room, until he grabbed her elbow once everyone else had walked out.

"Em, I didn't mean…It wasn't…."

"What are you talking about?" She said tightly as she jerked her arm away. She glowered down at Sean with a slight scowl on her face as her blue eyes penetrated through his very soul, staring him down like he was nothing but a mouse after some cheese. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth, but she quickly turned, and with a snort stomped out of the room, leaving them there by himself.

Manny clucked her teeth as she fished in her locker for her essay that was due today in about three hours. She know she did it, she even got off the phone with Emma to finish it, so she know she made herself do it. Feeling defeated, she continued to search until she felt the presence of another person standing there watching her. She leaned back to look past the door of her locker and immediately froze when a familiar face smiled at her.

"Craig?" She said slowly. His smile widened as he walked over to the other side of her.

"Hey Manny, how's everything going?" He said kind of nervously. Manny shrugged and made quick work to avoid the gaze of those big blue eyes she fell in love with as old feelings came rushing back to her, feelings she should never possess again, feelings that almost ruined her life, as well as drove her to almost ruin her future. Feelings that she knew was one sided, that was stupid to ever possess from the beginning when he belonged to someone else. But he was your first. A voice argued in the back of her head. Decided to ignore the voice that got her in so much trouble, she continued to look for something she knew wasn't there in an attempt to avoid him.

"I was wondering…" He said shyly as he scratched the back of his head even though it didn't itch. He fidgeted and played with his hands, before focusing his gaze on the ground. "If you had a date for the dance?" Manny made a squeal noise as her bookbag tipped and everything spilled out on her feet. Sucking her teeth, she bent down and quickly began to gather everything, shoving them into her bookbag. Craig bent down and helped her, and once everything was back inside her bookbag, he waited patiently as she closed her locker.

"So, about the dance, do you have someone?" He asked again. Manny couldn't avoid him, she had to answer. There was no way out.

"No, I haven't asked around. Plenty of people asked me though." She muttered and grimaced at the thought of some of the boys who actually asked her to go with them. Of course she turned them down, but she had to give it to them for having enough courage to actually come out and ask her. But she wouldn't be caught dead with some of them. "Why?" Craig's face took on a unusual shade of red and he began fidgeting again, and this time Manny knew what was coming. She began to panic. She looked around, to find out noone was there to help her. Once again, she was all alone, and it was amazing how she always turned up at the precise moment when someone needed to escape, but suddenly no one was there for her. Ungrateful little... She muttered to herself when Craig swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

"I was wondering, if you would like to, er, go with me?"

"As in a date?" Manny squeaked.

"Um, er…yeah?" Craig's face turned darker and he looked away quickly as Manny wrinkled her nose.

"Well, I guess, um sure." She said softly, and watched as Craig's face lit up.

"We, can start over, if you want." He said gently, this time looking her in the eyes. He smiled when she blushed crimson.

"I... I would like that." She said. Craig nodded and walked away, leaving Manny sighing in happiness.

"YOU DID WHAT!" Emma screeched as Manny put her head down in embarrassment as the whole Dot looked at her. Emma's began slamming her head on the table, screaming "Stupid stupid.."

"Em, I…it was a spur of the moment thing." She tried to explain. Emma glared at her like she was an idiot.

"Manny, he got you pregnant. You give stupid a whole new meaning." Emma insulted her as she rolled her eyes, rubbing her now purple forehead with her fingers. Manny rolled her eyes and fished out a piece of ice from her water, wrapping it in a napkin. She slapped Emma's hands away and placed the napkin there. Emma said nothing as she stared at the white mass on her head.

"So, he's your date huh? I always knew you guys would be giving me some Godsons and daughters, but I never knew so soon." Emma giggled at Manny's change of facial cover. Manny waved it off with a flick of her wrist, until Sean walked in. Emma immediately began scowling and jerked her head the opposite way so that she didn't have to look at him.

"So you guys still going together?" Emma snorted.

"I doubt it. He's still hung up over Ellie. Probably won't even notice I'm there." Manny raised her eyebrows at her friend. Emma wasn't the type to suddenly have a change of heart like that. She always gave people chances, and a special case was Sean. For Emma to act like this when it comes to him was a change Manny hoped she didn't have to get used to.

"What happened?" She asked softly. Emma looked at her friend, and watched as Sean walked over to their table, with a sad smile on his face.

"Hey Emma." He looked at Manny. "Hey." Manny smiled and waved, but Emma said nothing.

"Can I have a word with Emma, alone?" He asked softly enough, and blushed as Manny gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. She got up and sat a couple of tables away, to be swarmed by her adoring fans-boys. She sighed as they wrote their phone numbers in napkins, drowning her with them.

"So, what is it you need?" Emma said as she brought down the napkin. Sean grimaced and reached to touch it, but snatched his hand back.

"What happened?"

"Oh nothing, I just let Jack play baseball with my head." She chuckled at the total surprise on Sean's face, as well as horror. "My darling friend drove me to the brink of insanity, I'm fine." The horror left, but not the concern. He stared it at, like he was trying to make it disappear, vanish, and sighed when nothing happened.

"Em, if I hurt your feelings earlier, I didn't mean it, it was just…that I…you…" His face began heating up again and he tore his eyes away. Suddenly Emma phone began ringing, and after she hung up, she stood up, saying that she had to babysit Jack, and was on her way.

About three hours later, Emma watched as her baby brother slept peacefully. She didn't understand. True, Sean was her ex-boyfriend, but why when he did that, did it hurt so much? The look in his eyes, the absolute hurt and betrayal when she snapped on him like that, it made her hurt. She knew she was dead wrong for that, but in an attempt to stop herself from being hurt, she pushed him away. She understood that he was sad, over Ellie. But for him to want to talk to her, what happened to Jay? Or Jimmy, Spinner of Craig? No, he came to her, which made her gult even worse. For him to show so much trust in her, she couldn't betray him by using his secrets to try to go out with him again, tell him that she still held deep feelings for him. It was not right…just plain wrong.

Sean trusted her with the things that he held inside, the things that tore him apart in the inside, the things that hurt most in his life. His parents, he's self esteem, everything. And she felt so grateful, that even all that they had been through, with the whole stages of dating, and the fact that he still trustes her as family touches her deeply to a point of love that she didn't knew exist. She knew she fell for him once they broke up, and she knew that he was in a healthy relationship. She pretty much slapped herself for being so selfish, but she couldn't help it. She hated seeing Ellie with him, and it hurt that his face was always smiling when he was with Ellie, when all it did with her was scowl and frown.

"Maybe it isn't meant to be,"She whispered as she gently pulled Jack' black locks out of his eyes. He whimpered a little bit before sticking his thumb in his mouth absently. Emma smiled as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. Sometimes she wondered how it would feel like, to have a family, with Sean. She wondered if she would feel just like she did now, calm, at ease, relaxed. But it would always take a turn for the worst, and she knew, as well as he did, that she didn't want to get hurt again. She didn't understand what Sean did to her, the way her belly would flip when he threw his head back and laughed, or when he would stare his competition down stubbornly, with not a trace of fear of doubt anywhere, or when he'd look so innocent, just staring into space without a care in the world. She loved the way he looked at her when they had long talks, and she didn't understand why.

Sighing heavily as she bounded downstairs into her room with the baby monitor to her hip, she hopped on her bed and fished under her pillow for her diary. She pulled out the pen and opened it to a fresh page before she bit her lip and started writing.

Dear Diary,

Today I found out that Ellie broke up with Sean. He wouldn't tell me why exactly, and I knew that the little he did tell me, was not the whole truth. Something in the back of my mind keeps telling me that it's my fault, she broke up because of me. But I ignore it, I tried to cancel because of that. But he said that it was fine, and I knew a part of him wanted to do it. That's what hurted most. But I said nothing of it, and almost instinctively, I glued a fake smile to my face and agreed. (Even though he couldn't see me.) Then I find out that she broke up with him. It's terrible, I feel, and I am terrible. It's all my fault, and because of me, Sean is no longer happy. I have to talk to him. To think I still love him, I think myself as rude, and nasty. Slutty even, to try to gain him back after Ellie clearly called dibs. Sometimes I think I just need to back off, just stay away from him. It would make him, as well as myself, much happier.

With a disgusted sigh, and a weight lifted off her shoulders, Emma slipped the book back under her pillow as she laid her head down and fell asleep.

"Do you think it will work?"

"It has to."

"Manny, Emma is going to kill us."

"Since when were you so scared of Emma oh mighty Paige?" Manny whispered as she shifted on the porch of the blonde's house. Paige snorted and threw her head back arrogantly as she looked down at the young girl.

"Ok, I'll help you." She smiled at Manny's relieved face. "But you have to remember hun. Any screw ups you will be responsible for." Manny rolled her eyes and nodded as Paige let her inside and led her to her room. Laying on Paige's bed was Hazel, watching T.V.

"Hey Manny." She waved as Manny smiled and waved back.

"Hazel, we're going to play matchmakers!" Hazel sqeauled and began clapping her hands happily, freaking Manny out a little bit. Why in the world did she ask them for help, out of everyone else.

"So, we need someone to talk to Sean. Spinner is no help." Paige said with a snort. " And well, Jimmy and him aren't as close as they used to be, so that leaves Craig and Marco, and he's hated Marco from the beginning I guess, so Craig it is." Manny made a squeak as she forgot to breath and her face took on an instant flush. It went unnoticed though.

"So, I was thinking makeover for Emma?" Manny said, and smiled when Hazel nodded.

"A little makeup will be perfect for her beautiful blue eyes, as well as blonde hair."

"And her wardrobe could be a bit more sexier!" Paige said. Hazel and Paige began down the stairs chatting happily.

"H-Hey! Where you going?" Manny asked as she shot to her feet and ran after them. They had their jackets on and Paige was dangling her car keys on her fingers.

"Um, to get Emma and go shopping hun. You definitely have beauty, but not the brains." Paige rolled her eyes as Manny opened her mouth to retort as she followed them out the door.

Sean paced around in his living room as he heard the phone ring. He picked it up and sighed when Craig's cheery voice registered.

"Hey Craig. What's up?" Sean said sitting down.

"Man, what's wrong with you? One girl dumped you and know your mister slumps? Man your pathetic."

"Your no different." Sean muttered, but Craig heard him.

"So what about you and Emma's date?"

"It's not a-"

"I'm supposed to be going with Manny. It could be a double date."

"Oh, ok…WHAT!" Sean jumped to his feet as the whole house shook and Craig's eardrums exploded. "Are you crazy? The whole school will probably try to cut you, and Ashley is definitely going to flip. Are you crazy?" Sean said once he calmed down again.

"No, I don't care about Ashley, and I don't care about what the school thinks. I really care for her."

"I bet you do, considering the fact you got her pregnant." Sean said slyly. Craig cleared his throat as his friends insult cut him deep. Choosing to ignore the sarcastic tone in Sean's voice, he decided to change the subject back over to them.

"You should totally go after Em again."

"Keh! Nice try. She hates me."

"What makes you so sure?"

"A man's intuition."

"Or maybe your just plain stubborn." Craig laughed as his friend snorted. It was so easy to manipulate him.

"I understand your scared…but this is just ridiculous.."

"Scared? I'm not scared, unlike you, I don't want a pitchfork to be shoved down my throat on Valentine's Day-"

"But you haven't even tried to talk to Emma." Craig cut him off abruptly. Sean toyed with the soft fabric of his couch.

"I don't have to. I already know the outcome. It doesn't make sense."

"No you don't, Emma's changed. Sometimes you just have to take risks." He said wisely as his friend grew silently. They both just breathed for a while, until Sean spoke up.

"If I…If I take her out as an actual date…do you think she would want to do that?"

"Do you think she won't?"

"Yeah-"

"If I was looking at you I would be clobbering you so hard right now Cameron." Sean chuckled at his friend's threat but dismissed it.

"I say just call her. There's nothing wrong with trying right?"

"But I-"

"Call her." Craig growled ferociously and hung up on Sean. Sean looked at the phone in disbelief before he hung up and hit the talk button before dialing Emma's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey? Hey Em, it's me Sean! Were you sleeping?"

"No, just feeding Jack to werewolves." She laughed softly as she heard nothing but silence.

"So, Emma, I was wondering…if uh…"

"Sean?"

"I was wondering since I don't go with Ellie anymore if you would like to go with me to the dance as a date!" He said in one breath. Emma gasped softly as her jaw fell to the floor. Sean sighed as he began talking again. "It's ok if you don't want to-"

"Ok, sure. I would love to."

"Ok. Wait what?"

"I said I would love to go on a date with you Sean." Sean felt heat flood his cheeks once again as he smiled.

"Great, so I'll pick you up in twelve days for the dance then." Emma laughed softly.

"Ok Prince Charming. I need my Beauty sleep, so I'll call you back when I awaken form my peaceful slumber."

"Really, it's not like you need it." She gasped again as she smiled warmly.

"Really…you really think so?" Sean blanched a little as he nodded, then slapped himself in the forehead as he answered her with a shaky yes.

"I'll let you get some sleep then. Goodnight." He said gently as she hung up. He set the phone on the hook and laid back on the couch before falling asleep himself. I have a date.