Just a note to start . . . while I did take most of the actions from Mercy Street, this is a fictional account of the actions and thoughts that may have happened off screen. While it's flattering to think that I write well enough that you can't tell the difference between my made up stuff and the real show, I'm sorry if I confused anyone. This is just my attempt to flesh things out. Of course, if I owned Degrassi, I wouldn't have to make this statement – I don't.

One more plug: Check out Adventures in Baby-sitting my other story. It's Emma/Craig, but give it a chance.

And now, on with the show:

Well, that had been a short lived experiment in popularity, I thought to myself lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I was back to being alone. Well, alone if you didn't count Toby's recent re-interest in me. I thought he had gotten over that crush in Grade 7. With JT finally hooking up with Manny, although that had been short, Toby must have decided to try again. At least with Manny ignoring JT, I could talk to him, too. I wasn't completely alone.

Manny and Liberty were still angry with me over the Chris thing. I didn't mean to hurt Liberty, honest, although she had been only a fall back friend for both Manny and me since, well, since we met. Harsh, but true. As soon as Manny and I made up she would be a third wheel again. At least I was honest about it.

Although I'm not sure that Manny and I would make up this time. Manny should know what unpopularity was like. When the school found out about her and Craig, everyone shunned her, including, I'm ashamed to admit, me. I had vowed this summer, with my Dad healthy again, with Mom less stressed, with my new haircut and finally money to buy a new waredrobe now that medical bills had gone down, with lots of retail therapy involved, that I would never be as lonely again as I was last year. And if Liberty was the price, so be it. Not cruel – survival.

Same with Rick. I didn't know him like I knew Liberty, so it was even easier to sacrifice his happiness. After being so wrong about Sean, I was less willing to forgive and forget.

This summer, when Sean had proposed a truce, I didn't want to hear at first. I was still hurt from all the times he hadn't wanted to listen. And I had been right about the laptop.

But if Snake could forgive Sean, then so should I, right? And look how well my last "get back at Sean" plan had worked. Sure he had gotten detention, but that had led him right to Ellie. Not that that bothered me or anything.

When Jay told me that Sean was spreading rumors that we were sleeping together, I snapped. Even though she was my oldest friend, I did not want my reputation at school to be the same as Manuela Santos. My look was all about me being happy, being Emma again, not the crazy girl from last year who cried at everything. A girl who didn't back down from anything in her way. A girl that cared about people and the environment. A girl that wouldn't be taken advantage of again.

And so I helped Paige. I mean, either way, someone was going to be hurt, Paige or Rick and it was easy to side with Paige. I remember that day in Grade 7 when she lent me, well, you know.

"You'll get breasts now," she had told me.

Mine were a little slow, but they arrived. And I learned Paige wasn't the monster she had seemed before that day, if you ignored that whole starting the spirit squad incident.

Except somewhere along the way I realized that the Emma I was trying to get back to would have stood up to Paige, even if I was alone. Even if everyone thought I was being stubborn and stupid and wrong, like with the TV programs in homeroom or the GM foods in the caf. Even if I didn't have Sean to back me up, like he had with my panther dance and so many other times. I was on the wrong side of things. Although giving second chances had gotten me hurt in the past, I hurt myself more when I didn't forgive.

Like Gandhi said. Like Rick had quoted. I was stronger than this. Liberty might be too stubborn to forgive me, but with Rick, I might still have a chance.

It came down to a choice. Be like Manny and use my new look to get attention or be myself and stand up for what I knew was right. And in that split second at the Dot, I made the wrong choice and tripped Rick.

Everyone knew what happened after that. I got a second chance in standing up to Alex in the alleyway and this time I got it right.

And now I was home alone, while JT and Toby had a boys' night with Danny, which was beyond weird, I mean, what was he, like 12, while Liberty and Manny were watching movies and painting toenails, while Spinner and Paige cleaned up the Dot together with Hazel and Jimmy waiting outside to double date, while the rest of Degrassi celebrated Sean and Ellie's housewarming party.

I felt suddenly sick. Mom came to the door. "Emma! Emma, come quick!"

My sick feeling intensified as I ran upstairs, panicked. "What? Mom, what is it? Is Dad okay? Is it Shane? Or Jack?"

Mom grabbed my shoulders, steering me into the living room. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry to panic you. Everyone's fine. There's just something you have to see."

Snake was in the corner of the room, his video camera trained on my brother. When he saw me he shouted "Ma!" his word for Emma, then "Momma" for, well, you know, Mom. He was so smart, that even though the sounds were close, you could always tell what he was saying.

As he said my name, he started towards me. "Mom! Jack's walking!" I kneeled down as he fell into my arms. Snake turned off the video camera and put his arm around Mom.

"I told you she wouldn't mind the interruption," he said, kissing the top of Mom's head. His hair was growing back – well, as much as it could as he was still balding.

I was almost crying. No matter how alone I felt at school this year, I had my family back and that was all that mattered.

A/N I hope you liked it, but let me know whether you did or not!