Chapter 7: My Mistake

"Hey man, How did you get in here." Spinner asked Jay who was sitting on his bed reading a photo book with his feet resting comfortably on his comforter.

"You're mom let me in," Jay answered. "Hmm this is interesting, I guess that much hasn't changed but your hair," Jay looked at Spinner. "You know you really need to cut your hair you're starting to look like a Chia Pet."

"Take your feet off my bed and give me this," Spinner pushed Jay's feet off his bed and tried to take the photo book from him.

"Hey, what are you doing, what did you think I would find maybe this." Jay took a small lined paper out of one of the sleeves in the book.

"Give me that," Spinner tried to grab it but Jay had quicker reflexes.

"This must be really good if you don't want me to read it," Jay unraveled the note and read it aloud. "Dearest Jennifer, Let me count the ways one, two, three, four that's how many years you are from me only four and that's not a lot so why can't we be together? Huh, is it because I'm young well I like you, I really l.."

Spinner snatched the love note from Jay. "Knock it off, OK."

"Fine, Jay snickered. "So whose Jenniffer?"

"She's no one." Spinner mumbled.

"OK, lets see." Jay started to turn the photo book until he came across a picture with Jimmy, Spinner and a really mousy looking girl with long curly unruly hair and thick glasses by the beach. Their was writing at the bottom Me, Jimmy and Jenn. Summer of '02'. "So this is Jennifer," Jay laughed. "Glad to see your taste for woman has gotten better over the years."

"Shut up!"

"OK man she isn't that bad." Jay skimmed over the pages in the photo book. "You and Jimmy look like you were enjoying yourself. You guys were really good friends."

"Yeah we were but unless I can convince him and the rest of the gang to take me back next year these pictures will be the only thing left from our friendship and I'll be stuck with you for the rest of my life."

Jay put his hand over his chest."Ouch, Spin, you're hurting my feelings."

"I didn't know you had any feelings and give me back my scrap book," Spinner reached for the photo album. Jay held the book in the air while Spinner jumped to reach for it. "Give it back, man!"

"Hey what's that sound," Jay shook the book.

"What are you talking about I don't hear anything." Spinner said while still reaching for the book.

"No, there's definitely something inside here," Jay shook the book until a small object fell out of it and slid underneath Spinner's bed. Spinner and Jay both fell to the ground and looked underneath the bed for the small object. Jay found it and held it in his hand it was a small silver key. "Do you mind telling me what this goes to?"

"That's none of your business," Spinner replied. "Just give it back."

"Not till you tell me where it goes," Jay looked at Spinner who didn't say a word."Fine then," Jay put the key in his pocket." If your not going to tell me then you wouldn't mind if I kept it." Jay walked to Spinner's door.

"Wait, OK I'll tell you," Spinner picked up the scrap book which had fell on top a pile of dirty clothes. Spinner flipped through the scrap book until he had come across the page he was looking for. "It goes to this."

"Can you believe it," Paige exclaimed. "Of all the people in Degrassi we had to run into those two or at least Manny."

"Paige it's not like you can avoid seeing her, Hazel replied. "You saw Manny for most of the summer on the movie set."

"Yeah but that was different we barely had any scene's together at all so we could stay out of each others hair. Let's just forget about that unfortunate incident you look great Haze have you called Jimmy yet."

"I tried but his cell is off, maybe it's for the better it won't be a surprise if he knows I'm coming over tonight."

"Why do we have to wait till tonight let's go right now."

Hazel looked at her watch. "You really think so it's pretty early he could be at a therapy session right now."

"Well there's only one way to find out we're only a few blocks away from his apartment why should we, I mean you have to wait for a couple of hours."

"OK, I guess Jimmy won't mind?"

"Of course he won't."Paige said before explaining to the cab driver that they were going to Jimmy's house instead of going to Hazel's.

I just can't wait to see his reaction even though I still look the same, I asked for brighter highlights and they gave me the exact same color I had when I came in."

"What are you talking about your hair looks great."

"I guess." Hazel looked at her hair in her compact mirror. Hazel and Paige paid the driver and got out of the cab."I'm so excited," Hazel exclaimed while on the elevator. "Well here goes nothing." Hazel knocked on Jimmy apartment door.

"One second," Mr Brooks yelled before opening the door."Hazel, Paige what are you two doing here?"

"Hi, Mr Brooks is Jimmy here?"

"Didn't he tell you where he was going?"

"No" Paige and Hazel said simultaneously.

"He's gone to our..umm I mean my brother's place in the Hampton's. You know that we always go there every summer but this year I couldn't with work but somehow Issac, that's my brother, decided to convince me humph..more like my wife to let Jimmy go with Craig for the rest of you guys summer vacation."

"So he's gone," Hazel replied.

"Yeah he left this morning, Craig's driving him there, wait here girls," Mr Brooks went to his room and came back with a piece of paper. He handed it to Hazel. "I'm pretty sure Jimmy has his cell phone with him but just in case he has it off here's the number and the address just in case you decide to write him. You kids still write letters these days, don't you?" Hazel looked at the sheet of paper with a blank stare. "Are you OK?"

"Umm, yeah?" Hazel put the paper in her purse. "Thanks Mr. Brooks."

"No problem," Mr Brooks said before closing the door.

"I can't believe this, I missed him," Hazel sobbed.

"He'll be back in a couple of weeks," Paige comforted Hazel.

"I know but I just wish I could've seen him, I haven't seen him all summer now he's off to have the time of his life. I just wish there was a way to have seen him before he left. Why didn't I call him when I had the chance?"

"Maybe there is a way to see him. Haze, where's that slip Mr. Brooks gave you?"

"This key goes to this place," Jay looked at the photo. "It looks like a dump, where is this shack anyway in Vancouver or something?"

"No, it's in U.S., it's Jimmy's family home in the Hampton's. That key only goes to the pool house which is basically a rustic old shack compared to the main house."

"Why do you have it?"

"To make a long story short when I stayed there a couple of summer's back his father gave Jimmy a couple of spare key's to the place. Jimmy basically held on to with his life he wouldn't even let me touch 'em, he even slept with the keys in his pajama pants every night. So one day me and Jenn played a prank on Jimmy, we stole the key's out of his pants pocket while he was too busy swimming and talking to girls at the beach, when he came back Jimmy couldn't find them he went berserk, he thought he lost them, he looked everywhere for those keys but he couldn't find them he thought for sure he would have to tell his dad that was first time I ever saw Jimmy cry, he didn't even cry when Ash and him broke up that summer but he was a bawling like a baby that day. I felt sorry for what we did I'm not sure if Jenn did, she didn't want to give the keys back but I convinced her too and that night we gave him most of the keys back except the pool house key's, Jenn switched that key with another key, don't know what it's too, it didn't matter anyway they never go inside the pool house, well she put the key in my pocket the day we left I didn't know until we stopped at a rest stop and I dug in my pocket to get some spare change for a Ding-Dong.I was going to give the pool house key after we came home that night but it must have slipped my mind."

"I thought you said it was going to be a short story," Jay replied. "Well it's no use leaving this to waste Jimmy's not going to the Hampton's this summer is he?"

"I don't know, I mean I don't think so before everything that happened to us last year I remember him talking about how his uncle Issac, he owns the place now, well,he was going to renovate the house this summer so I doubt anyone is there but contractors or whatever."

"Hmm, so in other words it's deserted."

"Yeah what are you getting at?"

"How about you and me take a little trip to the Hampton's."

"That's not going to happen."

"Oh well then I guess you don't mind if I return this key to it's rightful owner. I'm sure Jimmy will be happy to know that you're keeping another secret from him."

"Jay, I don't have time for your games, just give me the key."

"This isn't a game. We got two weeks to waste either we could either spend it in the Hampton's with rich beautiful women or here with no one but us two, make your choice?" Jay walked to Spinner's door. "I'll give you sixty minutes to think about what you're going to do. If I were you, you'll make the right choice," Jay said before closing the door.

Note: I don't own the rights to Ding-Dongs or the makers of it, it's just a minor part of the story.