Encore

Jay leaned against his civic, his arm around Alex as she shoved her hands into her low-cut wide legged jeans. Amy stood beside Sean as he explained what needed to be done for the expo and who was going to do what. "I know where we can get some great parts," Jay said smirking.

Sean frowned, "mind if we do this legit, man?" Jay rolled his eyes, "look Jay, this isn't some stupid school supplies or candy vending machines."

"Chill bro, I wasn't talking about stealing, I was talking about the salvage yard."

"Do you think we have enough to shop around in there?" Sean asked.

" How much did Ehl give you again?" Alex asked.

"Each school gets a fifteen hundred."

"We can rebuild it easy with parts from the yard on that kind of budget," Alex answered, "it's a matter of haggling Sean…" Jay added.

"And what about the body, can we get a good body kit?"

"I think I can be of some service there, just let me worry about it," Jay said answering Sean. Sean looked at his friend warily, wondering if he could trust Jay not to do something stupid and illegal to obtain a body kit. "Trust me Sean, you won't have to bail me out of jail or anything."

Sean laughed and rolled his eyes, "fine man, but if I find out you did something stupid you're off the team."

"Relax Sean, you want me in charge of body right?" Alex asked, "so I'll okay it if it's legit."

"You guys wanna finish this talk during lunch?" Sean asked, "I gotta head to homeroom." Everyone nodded as Sean walked up the steps of DCS and to his locker before homeroom. He spun the locker combo and opened the locker, backing away as crumpled paper and empty soda bottles spilled out. He kicked the litter out of his way and grabbed the books he needed.

"do you think we should just get two racing seats for the car?" Amy asked slinking up behind him.

Sean shrugged, "that sounds fine," as he kicked shut his locker. " I really don't wanna worry about that until after we get the car running."

Amy nodded, and scowled slightly as Ellie slipped up behind Sean, and standing on her tip toes wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. Amy watched as Sean smiled and turned around to greet Ellie with a peck on the lips. Jealous? Definitely. Amy literally beat herself inside for ever letting a catch like Sean slip through her fingers. As much as she wanted to let go, she didn't think she could. Sometimes she felt like all the sleeping around, the attention seeking was just an attempt to get him to help her, so she could have a chance at getting back what she obviously lost. Was it worth it? To watch Sean go through the misery he went through without Ellie. ' I can make him just as happy,' Amy rationalized to herself as she watched the pair turn the corner.

-X-

Manny and Craig. There weren't much of a pair anymore. In fact every time Craig saw her in the halls he wanted to scream at her, and didn't know how much longer he could control it. He felt like the moment Manny had the abortion, a part of him died. He didn't want to do anything anymore. He moped from class to class, slept through majority of them and didn't even have the heart to pick up a guitar or a camera for that matter. Everyone was worried. Angie didn't even have the ability to drag him off to play, let alone get him out of bed when he wasn't required to be anywhere.

As he stood at his locker, staring, he fazed out, not really sure why he was standing or there or if he even needed anything out of his locker. The bell rang and the hallway emptied. He stepped forward and opened his locker, inside the door was littered with pictures of Angela Jeremiah as a baby, and he smiled. He always imagined having a baby like his half sister, bubbly and full of life. He'd even picked out names the moment it sunk in that he could be a dad. Maude, Murphy, Milo, Jetta, Joy, so many names, but he finally settled on one for his first born daughter. He'd settled on Julia, after his late mother. What he hated most about Manny at that one moment was that she'd denied him the chance to bring about his mother's namesake at a moment where he felt he needed her, and her guidance. Thinking about the names, and seeing the pictures of infants had put him on a temporary high as he stared into his locker.

"Mr. Manning, why aren't you in class?" Mr. Raditch asked, standing in the empty hallway.

Craig turned to the principal, "just getting some stuff out of my locker and heading to study hall. Gotta study study study, get some good grades," he said quickly.

Mr. Raditch looked at the flustered student warily but shook the suspicions out of his head as he patted the young man on the back, "great enthusiasm, Craig, happy learning." Craig smiled brightly as he pocketed one of the wallet sized versions of Angie's baby picture and closed his locker before skipping off down the hall to the M.I. room to "study."

As he left the M.I. room he bumped into JT in the hall and immediately found himself in the middle of being scolded by a grade nine. "Why aren't you talking to Manny?" JT asked.

Craig smiled and shook his head, "what are you talking about JT?"

"I mean she's having a tough time with this too, and you're not helping." JT responded, completely confused by Craig's sudden happy attitude. It was almost like he was the complete polar opposite as the way he'd been acting all week. He'd gone from obviously depressed, moping from class to class, eyes tired from the lack of sleep to being happy, perked and just not, okay.

"She's upset?' Craig looked down the hall and saw Manny. Immediately he felt like he needed to cheer her up, "I should buy her roses, but she doesn't like roses, JT do you remember what kind of flowers she likes?"

JT was completely dazed and confused, "um, she likes daffodils"

"I think I'll buy her a dozen, do you think she'd like dinner, I could take her out, do you think that would cheer her up?"

JT shrugged, as Craig got more excited, "I guess…" The whole situation wasn't making any sense to him any more, but he felt as though he'd helped as Craig thanked him and began walking down the hall towards Manny.

-X-

Jay watched as Amy leaned against the wall, her arms crossed and her eyes following Sean and Ellie as they weaved through the crowd of students in the cafeteria. The scowl on her face was so noticeable that Jay couldn't help but laugh as he strolled up beside her as she slowly made her way to their table in the corner. "What do you want?" Amy asked as she threw her bag on the chair and dug in her pockets for change to grab a soda.

"You make me laugh, Amy, you make me laugh?"

"are you going to speak in riddles or are you going to tell me what you're talking about?' as she walked over to the soda machine and began dropping quarters into the machine. "Because you're not getting anywhere with this conversation."

" You still pining over Cameron, that's what I find funny."

"You've got to be kidding me Jay, I'm done with Sean" she said popping the can on her soda and walking back to the table. "Done, over, finite."

Jay laughed, "you're so see-through, Amy." Jay dropped himself into a chair and kicked his feet up on to the table and crossed his legs. "You look at him, but the thing is, no matter how much you slut yourself around and no matter how many bullshit problems you have at home, Sean will only play Hero for two girls in this school, and you're not one of them."

Amy frowned, "fuck you."

"time and place Amy, time and place." Jay chuckled and pulled his feet off the table as Alex came walking over carrying two trays.

"You owe me, I'm not buying you lunch tomorrow…" she said dropping a lunch tray in front of him.

"I appreciate it Lexxi, really," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm as his mouth watered at the thought of food.

"So what are you two talking about?" Alex asked as she sat down.

"Nothing important," Jay said in between bites and casually winked at Amy, who responded with a glare.

Alex shot a confused look at the pair and began to eat as Sean and Ellie sat down at the table. "We partying this weekend?" Sean asked.

"If we are, I won't be there," Alex said and immediately Jay had her full attention.

"but Lexxi" Jay whined.

"I have to work, can't be helped," Alex said, "besides, Amy can keep you company while Sean and Ellie make out." Ellie blushed and Sean snorted with laughter.

"Well at least our make out sessions don't get rated NC-17" Sean argued, as he stopped laughing.

"Well they were when you were with Amy," Jay said smirking.

"Dude," Sean said as Amy blushed and a pained expression washed across Ellie's face, "not cool man."

Jay rolled his eyes, "chill, it's not that big of a deal, I mean you've got Ellie now what does it matter about the past?" Jay tried to justify his remark, and just began digging himself into a deeper hole with his friends.

Sean rolled his eyes and returned to his food while Jay leaned back in his chair, ripping a bite out of the hamburger Alex had picked up for him. As he chewed he caught Amy's gaze and smirked, whilst nodding his head.

-X-

"He's still not talking to you?" JT asked Manny as she sat next in between him and Emma in Kwan's class. Manny shook her head as her eyes watered thinking about the whole situation. JT felt his heart sink as one of his oldest friends sat heartbroken next to him because her boyfriend couldn't even look at her. JT suddenly smiled, "why do seagulls live near the sea?' he asked.

"JT I'm really not in the mood for jokes," Manny answered as she pulled out her notebook as Ms. Kwan walked into classroom.

"Just relax a bit and play along."

Manny sighed, "Fine, why do seagulls live near the sea?"

"Because if they lived near the bay, they'd be bagels!" Manny smiled and shook her head, trying not to chuckle at JT's thoughtful joke. JT looked up and before Ms. Kwan could start class he turned to Manny again, "Knock knock."

"JT, Kwan's about to start…" she looked at JT's pleading face, "who's there?"

"Butcher"

"Butcher who?" Manny asked.

"Butcher arms around me and give me a hug." JT opened his arms and cocked his head to the side, thinking that a hug was just the thing she needed, at least for the time being. Manny closed her eyes to keep from letting her emotions get the best of her. She opened her eyes and smiled as JT pouted his lips, "Pweeze," he said begging. Manny laughed slightly and wrapped JT into a tight hug.

"Thanks," she whispered in his ear, and pulled back as Ms. Kwan began the day's lesson.

After class Manny was the last out and looked around the hallway for JT hoping for some more cheering up, but found him no where. She looked down the hall one last time and caught sight of him, talking to Craig. Manny grabbed Emma's arm and pointed down the hall, "what is he doing?" Manny asked.

"Looks like he's talking to Craig…" Emma answered and immediately noticed why Manny was suddenly upset. "Manny I'm sure it's nothing, let's go to lunch." Emma tried to tug Manny down the hall but her eyes were focused on JT and Craig trying to read lips.

"Em, let go!" Manny said loudly tugging her arm from Emma's grasp. She watched as Craig looked at JT and then down the hall at her, and the color from her face fell. Craig turned back to JT and nodded before walking down the hall, towards her, smiling.

"Manny I'm taking you to dinner tonight, where do you wanna go?" Manny stood in the hall flabbergasted; she didn't know how to respond. Upon meeting with her silence Craig smiled, "good, I'll pick you up at six, are you going to meet me at Emma's again, like our first date?" Manny opened her mouth to respond but said nothing. "Yea, that was a pretty weird date, I promise this one will be better." Craig pulled her into a hug and kissed her gently, "I'll see you tonight." Manny watched, mouth agape as he skipped down the hall hugging random people.

Emma stepped closer to Manny as JT neared them, "what on earth was that?" Emma asked.

Manny turned to JT, "what did you say to him."

"I only mentioned that he should probably talk to you, I swear he was a few marbles short when I was talking to him."

"So I guess you're meeting at my place?" Emma asked.

"I guess, I'd hate to see what'd happen if I turned him down," Manny said walking with her friends to lunch.

"I don't know what's wrong with him, I've never seen him act like that before," Emma said as they walked into the cafeteria.

"What about last year at the grade nine dance, after he was crowned king, I heard he flipped out," JT said waiting for Toby to catch up.

"Well that was right after his father died," Emma added. Manny agreed, stating that in a situation like that it was an understandable reaction.

"Well in this case his unborn child is dead," Toby interrupted.

Manny paled, "gosh, does like, everyone know?"

"No Manny, just your friends," Toby reminded her. Manny sighed and looked apologetically at Toby.

"But that doesn't seem like he was very upset about it, it was like he was the complete opposite of how he's been acting," Emma said, thinking about how he'd been reacting recently, especially while she was over babysitting his half sister.

Toby shrugged, "he's obviously going through a tough time, people will react strangely in situations like that, I mean remember when you were telling us about his father's funeral last year, about how he burst out laughing in the chapel?"

Emma shrugged a response, "I really dunno," and she turned to Manny, "just be on your guard tonight, he seems like he could just explode tonight."

-X-

Ellie swung her feet back and forth during her group therapy session. Listening as everyone took turns talking today about the best they felt that day and the worst. Ellie lifted her head as Kyle began to talk about her day, "I woke up this morning and my mom made me breakfast and I got an A on my quiz from last week." Ellie watched as Kylie smiled as she thought about her morning, "I didn't want to wear the wig my mom bought because it kinda itches." Ellie smiled. "So I wore my pink bandana to go with my shirt," Kylie looked down at her pink shirt with two puppies on it. And her eyes began to water, "and when I got to class this kid came up to me and said: 'you can't wear that in school' and snatched my bandana off my head and stuck his tongue out at me." Kylie began to cry, "he started pointing and laughing at me because my hair hasn't' grown back yet, and started calling me baldy."

Everyone in the room was dumbfounded; they couldn't understand why or how someone could do that to a little girl. Ellie was furious, and looking around she could tell that she wasn't the only one. "What did you do?" Rhonda asked.

Kylie sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hands, "I kicked him in the shins and took my bandana back, and the teacher gave me detention."

"that's terrible" Ellie interrupted, "did he get in trouble?" Kylie shook her head.

Rhonda smiled, "you know violence isn't the answer, but I think in that situation I'd completely condone what you did." Kylie smiled.

"Definitely, the little squirt got what he deserved, he shouldn't pick on girls," Mandy said.

Everyone went around the room giving Kylie praise on the way she acted. And it definitely brightened the little girl's day. "Ellie what about you?" Rhonda said as everyone wrapped up what they were saying to help Kylie. "What was your best and worst part of today?"

Ellie thought for a moment about her day, "it was pretty much just a normal day, I mean I went to school and everyone's pretty much happy to have me back, all my friends anyways." Ellie took a moment to think about what could have been the worst part of my day. "I think my worst part of my day was when a mutual friend of mine and Sean's said something about how hot and heavy Sean used to get with a girl that doesn't really like me."

"That must have been tough," Rhonda said.

"Oh yea, real tough I'm sure," Callie said rolling her eyes.

"How did you handle that?" Rhonda said, throwing Callie a disapproving glance.

"Well I kind of just let it go, I mean it upset me but it's not something I want to dwell on, because moments later he justified his comment by saying, no one should be upset by it because it's in the past and we're living in the present."

"That's a good way to see it."

"I guess, I really didn't expect to hear something like that come out of his mouth, Jay's just an jerk, really doesn't care about anything but himself, even when he does something good it's usually to cover his own ass."

Callie laughed, "nice friends you've got there."

Ellie scowled, "at least I have some."

"What are you trying to say?" Callie argued, "that I don't have any friends, well---"

"GIRLS!" Rhonda stood up and threw her clipboard on the ground. "We don't come here to fight, we come here to heal."

"She started it!" Callie argued.

"Did not," Ellie responded. After a few moments of realizing that they were bickering like a pair of annoying grade two's Ellie and Callie started laughing. Rhonda rolled her eyes as everyone joined in on the laughter.

As the group meeting ended Ellie got her journal back from Rhonda and dropped it into her backpack and headed out the door, outside she found Callie waiting for her. Ellie walked over to the girl with an interested yet confused look on her face. "Waiting for someone."

"Yea, look, I'm sorry about giving you a hard time every week, I'm just naturally cynical," Callie said digging around in her purse, "I've had to bully before being bullied, because people are quick to judge."

"It's alright, people tend to hate what they don't or can't understand," Ellie said as they walked out of the center together. "So, how long have you been…you know…?" Ellie asked as Callie pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her purse.

Callie light up the cigarette, "since I was about nine or ten, I don't really remember, no one really noticed until I was thirteen." Callie exhaled as Ellie turned to her almost half in shock.

"While you were getting caught, I was just starting," Ellie said looking down at the ground. "During my father's first tour overseas that's when I started…the second time he got shipped off it got worse, I guess I wasn't hiding it well enough, I got caught earlier this year when some girl found me in the bathroom."

Callie breathed out hard and tried not to laugh, "smooth, El, real smooth." Callie puffed on her cigarette a moment before offering it to Ellie, who kindly turned it down. "Who cuts at school, honestly?" With that remark Ellie looked at her funny and burst out laughing.

"I guess I was so desperate that I couldn't wait."

"most times you cut are when you're desperate, waiting gives more time to ponder whether it's worth it or not." Callie exhaled, "at least that's my take on it, the longer I wait these days the less I think about doing it, or it can have the opposite effect and I end up wanting to do it more."

Ellie looked over and watched as Callie flicked the butt of the cigarette into the street, "these days I just don't know anything anymore."

"We're teenagers Ellie, we're not supposed to know anything except that boys have hormones out the ass, girls are catty no matter how hard they try to say they aren't, and our parents love us while we hate them."

Ellie smiled. "So where do you go to school?" she asked as they reached the bus stop, "I mean you don't go to DCS, I'd see you in the halls or something."

"I graduated two years ago," Callie answered as she pulled out her bus pass. "I'm out at TU," she answered as the bus pulled up.

Ellie cocked her head "you don't look…"

"Old enough to be out of high school?" Callie said as she got on the bus, "believe it."

Ellie smiled as she followed Callie to the back of the bus. The two talked back and forth about music and movies and Ellie confessed her love of directing and cinematography. Callie confessed her love of photo journalism and the two bonded over aperture settings and what they had in common. "Well this is my stop," Ellie said throwing her bag over her should and saying goodbye, leaving Callie on the back of the bus.

As Ellie walked up the front steps to her home and opened to the door to find broken glass on the floor and blood dripping into the living room. Immediately her heart stopped beating for a few moments before she regained her composure and rushed into the house, "MOM!" Ellie screamed, "Mom! Where are you?" Ellie rushed into the living room and found her mother on the floor writhing in pain as she held on to her bleeding hand.

"Eleanor, where were you, I needed you, you weren't here," her mother cried as Ellie eased her up onto the couch.

"I'm sorry, Mom, here, let me see your hand," Ellie tugged at her mother's arm to take a look at the cut from the shattered glass her mother had been carrying. Ellie sighed as she looked over her mother's arm and found a small cuts all over her arm. "Sit tight, I'll be right back." Ellie got up off her knees and rushed off to the downstairs bathroom to find the first aid kit and returned to patch up her mother. "You've really done a wonder on yourself this time Mom."

"Eleanor I love you, you have your grandmother's hair did you know that?"

"Yes, Mom! Hold still" Ellie said as she tried to wrap a bandage around her mother's wounds.

When she was done, Ellie laid her mother back down on the couch and took the first aid kit back to the bathroom and pulled the aspirin from the cabinet and made a pit stop in the kitchen to grab the phone and a glass of water. She set the glass of water down on the coffee table and rested two of the aspirin next to it, "here mom, take these, I'm sure you'll need them." Ellie out to the foyer and began to clean up her mother's mess.

-X-

Manny sat nervously in Emma's living room. Her beautiful long hair in bouncy curls, her hands resting gently in her lap as she smoothed out material of the black dress she was wearing. She looked up at her best friend and then at Christine as she waddled into the room her ringers grasped tightly the tiny hands of baby Jack as he waddled into the room. Christine looked up, "Well look at you." Christine smiled as she reached down farther and picked up Jack and carried him across the room to put him in his play pen, "where are you heading off to all dressed up?"

Manny looked up and opened her mouth to speak but Emma spoke for her instead, "date with Craig."

"Oh," she responded, wondering if her going out with Craig was such a good idea. She'd learned from both girls that Manny had aborted hers and Craig's unborn child, and looked worriedly at her daughter, and then at a girl who was almost like a daughter, "does your mother know?"

Manny shook her head, "but I didn't think it'd be a good idea to say no to him, you should have seen him Christine, he was so not himself that I was too scared to say anything."

"One moment he's lower than low and the next he's over cloud nine," Emma said butting in.

Christine looked worried as she thought about Craig's attitude changes, "I think I should call Caitlin."

"No Mom, don't please, let him take Manny out tonight, everything will go fine, if he's still like this later this week then you can call."

"I'm real worried about this Emma, he doesn't sound okay, and the fact that your describing him going from highs to lows frequently like this scares me. I don't want anything to happen to Manny while she's out tonight."

"Nothing's going to happen Mom, he loves Manny."

"People sometimes hurt the ones they love Emma…" Christine looked over at Manny who was pleading with her to let her go tonight with just a pair of puppy dog eyes.

"Please Spike, it's no big deal, I promise, if something happens I'll call a cab and come straight back here, please, this is the first time he's even spoken to me in like weeks," Manny begged, hoping that she'd get her to say yes without worrying.

Christine sighed, "fine, but if anything happens you call me or Snake, we'll come get you, no use in wasting money on cab fare."

Manny smiled, "oh thank you thank you thank you" she said hugging the woman and straightening up as she heard the door bell ring and saw Craig standing on the porch dressed nicely and carrying a bouquet of daffodils.

-X-

Jay leaned back against the cold damp wall of the school basement smirking as he watched the girl on her knees bobbing her head up and down between his jeans. He loved his 'Lexxi' he did truly, but it was more like the love he'd hold for any woman that had the power and conviction to control him. He loved her too much to use her as a sex object, sure him and Alex would have sex, but only when they both wanted to, never when he just needed to get a release. Sure he could masturbate but giving yourself a hand job with a bottle of lotion is not the same as having a pair of lips wrapped around…"Yea baby, that's it." He looked down and grabbing her hair gently his nudged her head up and down against him. "Yea, that's right, you like that huh?" Jay grinned as saw a pair of eyes look up at him, and if her mouth wasn't preoccupied he was sure she would have smirked at that comment. Suddenly he grabbed the back of her head and forced himself further down her throat and then relaxed.

The girl pulled away and wiped her mouth seductively and rose from her knees, "all better?"

Jay laughed as he readjusted himself and zipped up his jeans. "Yea, you always know how to make your old friend Jay feel better. He turned to make his way back into the main hallway when she grabbed his hand and pulled him back until she was practically breathing on his lips, "what do you think you're doing?" he asked. She leaned in for a kiss and he pushed her away, "you know I don't roll like that baby," and threw a blue-green bracelet at her before leaving the basement. He'd let another girl play and have her way, but his lips would always be reserved for Alex.

"Jay—" she called out as he reached the door to the basement, "she's gunna find out, she's not stupid."
"and neither am I" he said stopping and turning around, "what do you want Amy?"

"Sean"

Jay laughed, "I never would have guessed you wanted Sean when I've got myself half way down your throat."

"Do you want Alex to find out?"

"Why are you gunna tell her?"

"I will if you don't help me get Sean back."

"Damnit Amy, are you that much of a lowlife that you'll ruin someone's relationship?" Jay asked in disbelief. He turned to walk away.

"yes I am, and I'll ruin yours in the process if it means that I can get him back."

Jay stopped again and turned around, "you're a bitch, you know that?"

Amy smirked, "I'm good at what I do," she said seductively grabbing his waist band of his pants and pouting as she looked down at her hand. "But you know that already."

Jay sighed, "you do know he's head over heels for the Vampy right?" he said as he pulled her hand from his pants. Amy frowned, "even if I could help you, you wouldn't be able to get your way back into his pants."

"Why not?" she asked, "I always find my way back into yours." She reached out for his belt this time and tried to tug it off when he pushed her away.

"Bother me when I have the time to deal with your petty bullshit." With that final statement Jay at last made his way out of the basement of the school, leaving Amy with an accomplished look on her face, because regardless of what Jay was saying now, he'd be back and she'd be one step closer to having Sean back. She adjusted the new bracelet around her wrist and made her way to class as she fixed her hair.

A/N: Sorry about the long wait everyone. I've been massively busy, especially with finishing up midterms and then I had a research paper and a presentation thrown at me in the middle of all of it, not to mention some serious personal issues that arose. My sister's boyfriend and a friend of hers were killed in a car accident last weekend and I'm exactly 1064 miles away and unable to do anything for her, or for anyone else at that matter. Not to mention I've probably been taking it harder than I should be. Gah, whatever. My research paper is done, midterms are over, and my presentation is done. And now I present to you a good almost 5000+ words of Degrassi Fanfiction goodness. Please don't expect another chapter for a while, especially with a schedule like I've been having recently, but rest assured that I'll be working on it as often as I can.

Enjoy loves.