Encore
Sean was sitting in the cafeteria enjoying what was supposed to be Shelia's ToFu surprise, the beef alternative to the day's greasy hamburger helper when Ashley and Marco walked up to his table, angry scowls across their faces. " You went to see Ellie?" Ashley asked, placing her hands on her hips angrily.
Sean looked up from his lunch tray, "yea, she's doing good…" he answered and turned back to his meal, trying to focus on making it through the day.
"And you didn't ask us to come?" Marco asked hurt. Sean looked up. He knew Ashley and Marco were Ashley's two best friends, and he probably should have asked them to come and not Alex, Emma, or Jay. What was done was done.
"There wasn't enough room in the car," Jay said sitting down.
"You took him?" Ashley asked, she looked surprised as she pointed to Jay, "Ellie's my best friend, and you took him."
"Didn't your mother ever teach you it's impolite to point."
"Didn't your mother ever teach you it's wrong to steal…"
"ouch Kerwin, that stung…why don't you go beat up Manning or something"
Ash laughed dangerously, " nice one, do you want a black eye too?"
Marco held Ashley back as Jay threatened her social life. "It's not worth it Ash, we didn't come over here to start a fight…"
" We just want to know why you'd take them instead of us Sean, and why you didn't even tell us you were going to visit her," Ashley said, slowly regaining her composure and returning her gaze to Sean.
" Because I was driving," Jay interrupted, "and Alex wanted to see Ellie, and Sean brought Cause-Girl for whatever reason, There just wasn't enough room in my civic for a social princess and a fag."
" I don't smoke," Ashley said simply, while silently standing up for Marco.
" I was referring to the homo next to you Kerwin."
" You know what Jay…"
"What?"
"Can you both chill out!" Sean shouted. He looked over at Ashley and marco, "Look I'm sorry I didn't ask you two to come, it was a last minute decision, I called the day before to get visiting hours, Jay had a car, with limited space, and if you wanted to visit her you would have done so already."
Ashley opened her mouth to speak, but looked at Marco, was it true? Were they two preoccupied in themselves to actually make the move to go visit her best friend. Deep inside Ashley wasn't sure what to expect when visiting Lake View. Sure she heard it was a nice place, but all the stories about what goes on in rehab clinics and mental hospitals scared her more than needles. Marco returned an equal look to Ashley. He felt like a failure as a friend. Had he been too focused on Dylan and his relationship? Had he been to focused on how to tell his parents that their little boy was a fag to care about seeing his best friend? His soul mate? Silently, the two walked away from the table.
"Why do you do that man?" Sean asked.
" Do what?" Jay asked smirking.
" Pick fights with everyone…it's stupid."
"Hey man, she started it…" Jay laughed, " it's fun, I can't help it…people like that are so easy to get to."
"Ash isn't that bad…"
" Oh yea, I remember your little fling with her…"
Sean rolled his eyes, " and would you quit harassing Marco…so what, he's gay, get over it."
"What's under your skin man?" Jay asked. He noticed his friend had been a bit more withdrawn since he'd been to visit Ellie. "Was it that dude? Did she break up with you or something?"
"Jay we'd already been on a break, she can do whatever she wants."
"So she's seeing that other dude?"
"No!"
"Then what's…"
"Nothing man…she just…"
"Just what?"
"She told me to move on or like…just pretend I'm on vacation or something, to have fun?"
" I like her" Jay said smirking, " I know just how we can have fun…"
" I'm not drinking tonight Jay"
" I'm not talking about that," he answered, " a couple of my friend from B.C. are in town…"
" And…?" Sean asked not quite understanding.
" just come over tonight, Towerz and Alex will be there…"
Sean narrowed his eyes, Towerz, Alex, and Amy? Would she be there too? If it was one thing he didn't need right now it was her. Ever since he and Ellie went on break she'd been all over him, at the parties at the ravine. He hoped that he'd be able to ditch her at school, but it was impossible. She was everywhere.
" Hey Sean…" a seductive voice said.
He silently groaned to himself, " hey Amy"
-X-
Emma watched from across the cafeteria as Amy slithered into the space next to Sean. She felt the sudden urge to walk over and slide into the space on the other side of him. Sean had told her about Amy's advances, and quite frankly it sickened her. Not just because Amy was the first person attached to Sean's lips after their break up, but because Amy was just using Sean. She had no respect or any regard for his emotions and what he was going through with Ellie being where she was.
She watched as Sean shifted uncomfortably as Amy snaked an arm around Sean trying to seduce him into a conversation. And that was the last straw. Finding the do-gooder strength that was always there inside her she made her way across the lunch room and stopped just behind Sean and caught the gaze of Jay, "hey Cause-Girl find someone else to save today?"
Sean turned around.
"Actually, I need to speak to Sean…" Emma stated simply.
"Sean's busy right now," Amy responded, her grip tightening on Sean.
" I'll be there in a minute Em," Sean answered for himself and struggled to escape from Amy.
Sean walked out into the hall and met up with Emma, " you looked like you needed rescuing," she said sitting down on a bench in the hallway.
"Thanks" he answered rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down next to her.
"You feelin' better?" she asked.
Sean shrugged.
"Well, what did you and Ellie talk about?" she asked, "Sorry if I'm butting in…"
"No, it's fine, she just wants me to move on for a little bit, pretend like she's not gone."
"So then do that…"
"It's not that easy Em," Sean tried to say.
" Well why don't we do something this weekend then, like old times," she said, and then realizing that it sounded like she was trying to get Sean out on a date she changed her mind, "we'll hang out with Jay and everyone…"
Sean thought for a moment, if it were just him and her with Jay and Alex and everyone it would feel like old times, only it would be him and Emma, instead of him and Ellie. It felt strange but familiar, he could only hope that their past wouldn't interrupt his relationship with Ellie. Closing his eyes he answered, " Jay's having a get together tonight at his place," he said inviting her along, " some of his buds from B.C. are coming in…" He wasn't sure if Emma understood what some of Jay's friends from B.C. meant, but he'd hoped he could get some decent company either way. It wasn't that he didn't like spending time with Jay and Towerz, in fact they'd grown up over the past few months. Jay had even grown to respect Ellie.
Emma smiled and politely accepted his offer. Sean smiled and they walked back into the cafeteria. Sean returned to his seat. "What did Cause-Girl want?" Jay asked.
" Just needed some help," he answered motioning his eyes towards Amy, and Jay nodded understandingly.
" So I take she's coming tonight?" Jay asked, slightly annoyed, the less time around Emma Nelson was better for him, ever since she had his car searched, she wasn't on his favorite persons list.
Sean nodded, " I hope you don't mind" he said.
" Nah, is she gunna smoke?" Jay asked.
Sean shrugged, he really didn't know Emma well enough anymore to answer the question. They'd only recently become friends again, and it was still on rocky terms.
-X-
Ashley sat in the back booth at the Dot and pushed her mess hair out of her face as she opened up the black and white composition book and began writing. Between school and dates with Mark, she felt she'd be slacking in the creative writing department.
Marco slid in across from her, "giorno buono Ash."
Ashley looked up and smiled, " hey Marco."
" I was thinking about visiting Ellie this weekend, you in?"
Ashley closed her notebook, smiling, she nodded. She looked over at the door as it jangled, announcing someone had walked in. Mark walked over to the booth and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek affectionately. " Hey Marco"
" Hey Mark…so I'll call you tomorrow Ash, and figure out how we're going to get there?"
Ashley nodded as her friend left the small diner. Mark slid in the booth next to Ashley and rested his chin on her shoulder.
" So…" he said sweetly, " where're you going?"
" to visit Ellie, she's up at Lake View," Ashley answered kissing his nose sweetly then smiling he smirked at her kiss.
" Give her my best" he said sitting up straight.
" you can come too if you want…" she said signaling for a waitress or waiter, whichever she could get to notice her.
" I'd love to Ash, but I have a doctor's appointment at Brooksdale Hospital Saturday and again on Sunday."
Ashley expression changed to a look of worry, " is everything okay?"
" how about we talk about it later" he suggested kissing her cheek and ordering a water when the waitress finally showed up.
-X-
Sean sat on a picnic bench, the luminescent glow of the flames dancing flashed across his face. He leaned back, watching as Jay took a hit from his bowl and passed it and a lighter to Alex, who nonchalantly put the flame to the herb in the bowl and took a hit. It was a game of passing, and at that point the bowl was on it's third or fourth lap through the group, no one was exactly sure. Sean had given up after his first hit and just leaned back watching the stars through the trees. It was a peaceful moment, until Amy sauntered up beside him and gently placed a hand on his knee and began to rub it, her hand working its way up his thigh. "Hey Sean," she purred.
Sean pulled his head up and looked down at Amy's hand and then up at her eyes, " hi, did your hand get lost Amy?"
"No, it's right where it wants to be," she answered, twisting her body to prepare to climb on top of him. She was like an animal, a predator ready to pounce.
" Hi Sean!" Emma said walking over.
Amy in turn groaned, having been interrupted, "what are you doing here…?"
" Sean invited me," Emma answered, "you don't mind if I talk to him in private do you, it's really important."
Amy glared, "whatever."
Sean watched as Amy threw them both angry glances and stalked over to the mess of people getting high and ripped the bowl and lighter from some random boy and took a long hit. He laughed to himself as he turned to Emma, " so what's so important…"
" Nothing much, just I heard Amy's a slut."
Sean snorted, and continued to laugh, "oh really?"
Emma giggled and sat down next to Sean, " so is this all you guys do down here?" she asked, " get wasted and high?"
" no sometimes people wander off into the van…"
" what's in the van?"
" nothing really, terribly shag carpeting...?"
Emma laughed, " I wanna see," she said grabbing Sean's hand and leading him over to the currently empty, run-down van.
" Emma I don't think…"
" oh shut up for once, you've gone all self-righteous on me, you're supposed to be the bad boy."
Sean glared and gave in as Emma dragged him into the van, Amy watching the entire time. An evil glint sparkled in her eye as she thought about all the good that could come out of the prude princess coming out of the van.
-X-
" I heard Emma Nelson was in the van…with Sean Cameron…"
" Isn't he still with Ellie?"
" I heard they were …doing it."
" I heard she's pregnant now, like mother like daughter."
" I wonder if Sean's girlfriend knows…"
" Doesn't Emma have a boyfriend?"
"I heard she does that every weekend and gets paid for it."
" I heard…"
Emma walked down that halls…"rumors," she told herself, "they're just rumors, no one will believe them."
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys. I was hoping to get more done with this chapter, but I figured I'd post a chapter for you guys on my birthday as a sorta birthday present and ya'll and myself. And on a side note, incase anyone is wondering, no I don't smoke weed...I just know plenty of people that do, and as far as I know there are different laws in Canada than there are in the U.S. Also, nothing happened in the van...Emma and Sean just talked...but Amy saw that as an advantage because it's usually a "what goes on in the van, stays in the van" issue, she just started rumors that Emma and Sean went into the van. (that was to clear up any confusion anyone might get because a lot of people need to have complete explainations of what goes on...)
this chapter was just to incorporate what's going on in the non-Lake View world, I'm back to alternating on that...
A few other notes to answer some people's reviews and questions:
Torontosmall town? never been, wouldn't know, but I live in a small down that's part of a city...That's usually how it is. I believe I worded it the small Toronto town...I was just referring it to the fact that they live in a smaller burrow/town that part of Toronto, sorry for the confusion.
Sean and the vegetarian issue. I don't remember Sean ever really stating that he was a vegetarian, he just said he didn't eat beef because he'd watch cows being slaughtered while spending the summer with his Aunt and Uncle. Thus, I only said that he doesn't eat beef...I'm not sure if he's eaten anything of the sort since then, but how are we to honestly know that the "meat" they ate weren't vegetarian substitutes. In Emma's case, I have no defense for her when she's ordering Chinese food in one episode that clearly has meat in it...