Chapter 2: A New Life

It was the last day of the 2003-2004 school year at Degrassi Community School. Yet, regardless of being 7:25AM, Daffy was still asleep, lying on his mattress on the floor in Emma's room. Emma was already dressed and ready to go to school and noticed Daffy was still sleeping. She walked over to the mattress and whispered in his ear.

"Pst, Daffy… wake up. It's the last day of school." Emma whispered. However, Daffy did not wake up. "Whoo-hoo, Da…ffy. Earth to Daffy." She picked up a pair of cymbals (with the word ACME marked on both) and banged them in Daffy's ear, waking him up.

"What the hell's your problem?" Daffy asked.

"School starts in 10 minutes and you're still sleeping." Emma remarked.

Spike yelled from the top of stairs.

"Em, is Daffy up yet?" Spike asked.

"Yeah." Emma said. "Daffy, just put some clothes on. JT, Toby and Manny are waiting for us; we don't have time for this!" Emma said to Daffy.

Daffy quickly put a shirt and shorts on, slipped on his sandals, he and Emma ran upstairs, Daffy grabbed a piece of toast and both ran out the door. Daffy's dad, Mark watched them as they ran off.

"He did that even before we moved in." Mark said to Spike.

Emma, Daffy, JT, Toby and Manny were walking to school.

"Emma, I don't know how you put up with him." Manny said to Emma.

"There's nothing wrong with Daffy. He's is a little crazy but that's just his persona." Emma responded.

"Don't you ever get annoyed with Daffy's family always around?" Manny asked.

"Of course, but Daffy's my friend. His family needed a home, I let them stay with us and it turned out perfectly." Emma said.

"So, what are you doing this summer?" Daffy asked JT and Toby.

"Well, once Kate and Ashley go to San Diego, me and dad are gonna kick back and relax." Toby said.

"And I'm just the Urkel guy." JT said, continuing on Toby's sentence.

"Welcome to my world." Daffy said.

They got to the school, Emma, Manny walked inside, and the others sat on the stairs.

"Daffy, is it true?" JT asked.

"What?" Daffy asked.

"Your little crush on Emmy-wemmy." JT said mock-sweetly.

"Shut up, JT." Daffy said.

"Oooo… somebody's in love…" JT said, and then singing, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" until Daffy punches him.

"So, Daffy, it's official." Toby asked.

"…Yeah…" Daffy said.

"Well, you could spend this summer trying to get her." JT suggested.

"Maybe." Daffy said.

"Anything's worth a try. You could even try tonight at the dance." JT said.

"Your right, I'll try tonight and that dance, and after today, she'll finally be my girl!" Daffy said.

If this were a real movie, there would be a musical number here. Yeah, you read that right, a musical number…

Daffy skipped into the school and JT and Toby followed. Later that day, everyone was ready to clean out his or her lockers and prepare for that night's school dance. Daffy was cleaning out his locker with JT.

"So, you've had a crush on her for how long?" JT asked.

"About since she's been with Chris." Daffy responded.

"Wow, so you're really missing out, aren't you?" JT said sarcastically.

"It's hard, really," Daffy said passively, "It's hard when you have a crush on your own roommate. Seriously, I've known Emma since we were born I mean…" Daffy was about to go on.

"Yeah, I know, you guys were born in the same hospital, on the same night, but you were born 5 minutes ahead of her." JT interrupted.

"It's hard when your dad is old friends with your best friend's grandma." Daffy remarked.

Then Emma came walking over to Daffy.

"Look whose here, Daffy." JT said grinningly.

Daffy began to zone out, he had a fantasy of Emma walking over to him and kissing him. Nevertheless, he knew it was too good to be true. He got back into reality again soon after.

"Daffy, are you all right?" Emma asked.

"Fine, perfectly fine." Daffy said, immediately laughing sarcastically and staring at JT, who winked at him.

"Are you ready to go? Your sister is outside waiting for us." Emma said.

"I thought Snake was giving us a ride?" Daffy asked.

"Snake's doing something with Sean or something…" Emma said.

"Cool." Daffy shut his locker (with JT's hand being stuck in the locker). "JT, there's a party tonight at Liberty's before the dance, your coming, right?" Daffy said just before leaving.

"Yeah..." JT groaned.

Daffy and Emma walked off and JT opened the locker, his hand still stinging.

Emma and Daffy walked out of Degrassi and jumped into Daffy's sister, Laura's car. Laura has just finished her junior year of high school and turned 16 in last December.

"George! Emma!" Laura said.

"Hey." Daffy and Emma both said simultaneously.

Laura recently got her license a couple months ago, so she is not the best driver. Meanwhile, in another part of Toronto, an adoption agency was preparing their next case. The woman who is getting the case is a person named Nicole Erickson (played by Fran Drescher) and her boss is Helen Peters.

"Nicole, I have a new case for you," said Helen.

"Go for it," Said an excited Nicole.

Helen pulled out a hard plastic folder.

"Okay, we have a sad case here," said Helen, "She is 14 years old, going on 15. Now, the environment she lives in, I feel isn't exactly appropriate."

"Why?" asked Nicole.

"Well, to start things off, her mother was 14 when she became pregnant with her and apparently signed an adoption paper, which we have since lost with the new management…" Helen said.

"Yeah, but she probably isn't a teen anymore…" Nicole interrupted.

"Please, don't interrupt, Nicole." Helen continued, "Anyway, she lives with her step dad and half brother and whole other family in the same house. Now, you do know how we feel about houses with two families in them, right?"

"What about this teen mother you're so angry about?" Nicole asked.

"She is still her mother." Helen said.

"Well, anyway, I feel that that house isn't right for her at all, either." Nicole said, "And I'm sure we could find a good home for her in a nice, quiet house and small family. Besides, her mom has signed adoption papers, so, we might as well. Where does she live?"

"Uh, her address is 53 Degrassi Street." Helen said looking at the paper.

"I'll go over there tomorrow afternoon." Nicole said.

Meanwhile, the party at Liberty's has already started the she has just finished putting up the hot tub.

"There we go, perfect." Liberty said.

Then Daffy rose up from under the water (if this actually was a movie, it would be accompanied by the theme from "Jaws") and spits water all over Liberty's face. JT and Toby laugh from their seats adjacent to what happened.

"Liberty, are you sure you didn't buy a hot tub with sharks in it?" JT asked, then giving Toby a high-five with his hand that was stuck in the locker, making it sting again.

"No," Liberty said, "Just ducks."

Meanwhile, Daffy's dad Mark, Spike (holding Jack) and Liberty's dad David (played by David Alan Grier) were talking on the porch. Snake was off preparing for that night's school dance, themed after Bombay, India.

"It's hard to believe it was 17 years ago I was holding Laura in my arms…" Mark said.

"She's still 16." David remarked.

"I know, I know. But she is 17 in December." Mark said.

Daffy came out of the hot tub and sat between Toby and Emma.

"Daffy, this is a good time to… ya know?" Toby whispered to Daffy.

Daffy punched Toby and then thought for 9 seconds.

"Your right, I'll give it a try." Daffy told him and then he turned to Emma. "Emma, I know we've been friends from the day we were born and I know this may be a little startling for you since we're roommates now and all that but Em, I sort of…"

"Hey, guys! Your dance is starting soon!" Mark interrupted, looking at the clock. Everyone got up and headed out.

"Saved by the bell." JT joked.

"Daffy, what were you trying to tell me?" Emma asked.

"Uh… er… er… uh. Nothing, just, um, can't wait for the dance!" Daffy said.

The next day Nicole Erickson came to the house. Snake answered the door.

"Who are you?" Snake asked.

"I'm Nicole Erickson; I work for the Helen Peters Adoption Agency. I presume your Emma Nelson's stepfather." Nicole said.

"Yes." Snake said,

"I want to talk to her." Nicole said.

Emma came to the door.

"Who is this? Dad, what's going on?" Emma asked.

"I'm Nicole Erickson and I want to talk to you." Nicole told Emma.

"Okay." Emma said.

They sat in the basement.

"Emma, I don't feel this is the right environment for you." Nicole said.

"Why?" Emma asked. "What's so wrong with this house?"

Nicole went on, "It isn't so much that I'm against your family, it's just in such a small house, with 2 families in it, I just feel that…"

"Ms. Erickson, my house is perfectly fine and there's nothing wrong with the Rodriguez's or my family!"

"Well, Emma. I just feel that if your life may get very chaotic…"

"More then it actually IS right now?"

"Yes, anyway, I just feel that we might as well let you go to live with a different family before that happens, you know? Besides, your mom signed adoption papers when she was pregnant with you."

"She WHAT?"

"I know, I know. Calm down, Emma."

"But that was over 15 years ago! And just now you decide to send me away?"

"She signed the papers, but we can't find them. Relax. You should just come with me."

"All right. I'll show you. Who knows? It might be a turn for the better."

"Good. Pack your bags."

Nicole walked upstairs and Emma remembered. "What do I tell my friends?" she thought.

About a ½-hour later, Emma came out of the house with Nicole and Spike, Snake, Daffy, Laura, Mark, Manny, JT, Toby, Liberty, Joey, Craig and Mark were outside the house.

"Gee, I didn't know I was so popular…" Emma said.

"Emma's leaving?" Daffy asked.

"I wouldn't 100 say I'm leaving, maybe just trying something new." Emma responded.

"Em, you don't really have to do this." Spike said.

"She wants to." Nicole said butting in.

"We're really going to miss you, Emma." Manny said.

"I might come back, maybe I won't. It's all on what happens." Emma said.

"Emma, it's time." Nicole said.

Emma and Spike hugged and Emma and Nicole walked away.

"Don't forget, Em. We love you!" Spike yelled.

Daffy stared as Emma walked away and went into Nicole's car and watched as it went away.