Chapter 3 Confrontations and Confessions

"Emma! Earth to Emma!" Chester said waving his hand in front of her face.

"Wha-- oh! I'm sorry I was just --" Emma started

"Thinking about Jay?" Chester interrupted her.

"No! Of course not. Jay is the furthest thing from my mind." Emma declared.

"Okay, then why haven't you stopped looking at the kitchen since he went in there?" Chester asked curiously.

"I, uh, was just wondering why they are so understaffed for the lunch rush." Emma said.

"Right!" Chester said sarcastically as Jay came to the table with their drinks.

"Here you go. Are you ready to order?" Jay asked.

Emma and Chester ordered lunch and talked about school, classes, teachers, pretty much anything except Jay. Emma changed the subject quickly whenever Chester brought up Jays name.

"Okay, can we stop beating around the bush?" Chester asked.

"What are you talking about?" Emma replied.

"Well clearly something happened between you and Jay, and ---"

"Will you excuse me?" Emma interrupted quickly, "I have to go to the ladies room." Emma said as she got up from the table. He wouldn't quit. Couldn't he take a clue, I don't want to talk about Jay. Emma thought to herself as she leaned against the wall in the restroom hall. Suddenly Manny came around the corner.

"Emma are you okay?" Manny asked.

"I'm fine." Emma said forcefully as she walked into the bathroom trying to get away from her former best friend.

"No, you're not!" Manny said following her into the bathroom.

"Why do you care Manny?" Emma asked turning to face her.

"Look I know that we are not the best of friends anymore but I know you and you are not fine. You and I were best friends for like ever until last June and I don't want to see you hurt or upset. And right now you are clearly upset about something. What happened?" Manny asked.

"Okay, you want to know Manny? Chester wants to know what happened between me and Jay. How do I tell him the truth? It's not exactly a fun story to tell." Emma exclaimed.

"I know that. But I think he really likes you. I also think that if you tell him he will understand." Manny said.

"I don't know. What if he doesn't? What if he goes after Jay? I don't want Jay to get hurt, he's been through enough." Emma said.

"Look at it this way, what will happen if he finds out later on his own? Not only will he be mad at Jay, but he will also furious with you. And wait, did I hear you right? Were you just sympathetic towards Jay Hogart?" Manny said.

"Well kind of, but don't tell anyone. Manny, thanks for the advice. You know I really miss talking to you about stuff." Emma said.

"Me too. Who knows, maybe we can start to repair our friendship?" Manny asked.

"Yeah I would like that." said Emma as the two of them fixed their hair and makeup.

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"HOGART!" Chester yelled from his table.

"Yes can I help you?" Jay asked professionally.

"What the hell did you do to Emma?" Chester demanded.

Jay stood with his mouth gaping open and his eyes bugging out of his head in shock of what he had just heard. "Why? What did she say?" Jay asked.

"Nothing. But whenever I mention your name she freaks out and changes the subject." Chester explained, "So what did happen?"

"That is a question for Emma to answer, not me." Jay said turning around to go another table.

"Oh, so something did happen?" said Chester knowing he was pushing Jay's buttons.

"Look Hosoda," Jay said turning back to Chester,leaning on the table with one hand, "What happened between me and Emma is our business. If she wants to tell you, she will. So don't try and bully it out of me because you won't win."

"I can only imagine what you did," Chester countered, "But I know your rep Hogart. If you hurt her in anyway--"

"What? What are you gonna do about it?" Jay challenged.

Chester stood up and looked Jay square in the eye, "Let's just say that you'll have me to deal with and that's not good."

"Hosoda, I've eaten fish bigger than you. You wouldn't have a hope in hell." Jay retorted.

"Is there a problem guys?" Emma asked as she walked over to the very tense situation.

"No, not a thing. Just having a friendly chat with your boyfriend. Here's your check." Jay said handing Emma a piece of paper before walking away. "Damn it! Why am I always the bad guy with everyone?" Jay said aloud as he entered the kitchen.

"It's your nature?" Spinner suggested sarcastically as he grabbed two plates and left the kitchen.

"Jay?" a familiar voice said from behind him.

"Emma," he said as he turned around, "I'm sorry for the scene with Chester, he just pushed me too far."

"What did he say to get you that upset Jay?" Emma asked.

"He wanted to know what happened between us to make you hate me so much." Jay replied.

"Oh. What did you tell him?"

"I told him that it wasn't my place to tell him and that you would tell him if you wanted him to know."

"Oh, thank you."

"No problem." Jay said as he turned around to put up another order.

"Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to tell him."

"Oh, okay."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Em, it's not my decision. If you think that you need to tell him that's cool, I understand."

"Thanks Jay. And for the record, I don't hate you. I never did." Emma said before walking out of the kitchen.

Jay stood there dumbfounded for about a minute before smiling to himself.

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Emma pulled the car into an empty parking lot and stopped the car.

"What are we doing here? I thought that we were going to the movies?" Chester asked with a confused look on his face.

"We are. But I need to tell you something first." Emma said seriously.

"What?"

"It's about everything that happened between me and Jay."

"Okay."

"Before I tell you, I need you to promise me something."

"Sure, anything."

"I need you to swear that you won't go after Jay or do anything to him. He's been through enough because all of this."

"Em, I'm not sure that I can do that."

"Chester, if this relationship is going to work I need you to be able to do that."

"Okay, but can I still hate him and everything about him?"

"Sure," Emma said with a laugh, "I can live with that." Emma told Chester everything about the shooting, Sean leaving, Jay, the ravine, the bracelets, and the STD.

"Wow! I knew it was something big, but that is huge." Chester said when she was finished.

"I know, but I dealt with it, it's over and in the past." Emma said.

"Um, Em, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, shoot."

"You don't have those bracelets anymore do you?"

"No. I gave them back to Jay."

Flashback

"What are you doing here?" Jay asked as she entered the ravine and headed towards the picnic table he was always sitting on.

"I needed to see you." Emma replied.

"I thought you said we were done Green peace?"

"We are. I just wanted to return these." Emma said as she handed him two blue bracelets.

"Keep them. There yours, you earned them." he said ignoring the wire circles in her hand.

"Don't you get it? I don't want them. I don't want anything that reminds me of this place or what I did here." Emma said forcefully.

Jay examined her face, realizing she was deadly serious he reluctantly took the bracelets from her.

"Well that's that. I did what I came to do. Good bye Jay."

"Bye." he said staring at the ground until her back was to him and he watched her leave for the last time.

End of Flashback

"Jay and I are over. I have nothing left from what happened between us at the ravine." Emma told Chester.

"Good, so we can focus on us." Chester replied happily.

"Yep."

"All right lets go to the movie."

"Okay lead the way." Emma said as she turned the engine over and drove out of the parking lot.

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"Dude, guess what!" Jay exclaimed as he and Spinner left The Dot after their shifts.

"You're joining bad boys anonymous?" Spinner joked.

"Ha ha, funny"

"So what then? What's got you so excited?"

"She doesn't hate me! She never did!"

"Who? There are a few 'shes' that hate you. Which one doesn't? Gonna need a little more info buddy."

"EMMA! She doesn't hate me."

"You seem really happy about that." Spinner said examining his friend, "Oh my God! No way! I never would have guessed."

"What?" Jay said looking at Spinner like he had just sprouted a second head.

"You have feelings for her. You like Nature Freak!"

"Hey, don't call her that! And no I don't have feelings for Emma." Jay said.

"Yeah right! You're practically dancing about the fact that she doesn't hate you, and you expect me to believe that you have no feelings for her at all. Admit it Jay, you want Emma Nelson."

Jay thought about it for awhile. "Holy shit! I do have feelings for her. Well this is perfect timing, she's dating that nerd Chester, who thinks he is Mr. Big Man on Campus. Spin, man, what am I gonna do?" Jay asked his friend.

"My advice? You want my advice on girls?"

"Yeah how did you get Manny?"

"Well, actually she gave me an ultimatum. But if you really want my advice, I suggest spending as much time alone with her as possible."

"Dude what if she doesn't feel the same way, that would suck for my rep."

"Yeah, right man! She's denying it just like you were. I've seen the way she looks at you. Give her a few weeks with Hosoda and I guarantee she will be dying to get rid of him."

"Man, I hope you're right. Wanna ride?"

"Sure, can you drop me off at Manny's?" Spinner asked as they got in the car.

"Yeah, no problem." Jay said as he pulled out of the parking lot.

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"I had a really good time Chester." Emma said as they walked up the steps of his house.

"Me too. We should go out again." Chester said.

"Yeah, um, I was thinking, maybe we could make this thing exclusive?" Emma asked nervously.

"Are you sure? I know that is what I want, but I want you to be sure that it is what you want."

"Yes it is. Chester Hosoda will you be my boyfriend."

"All right!" Chester said before pulling her into a kiss.

"Okay, well I gotta get home to watch Jack. You want a ride to school tomorrow? I can pick you up at 8."

"Sure. I will see you tomorrow." Chester said, he gave her one more kiss before going inside.

Emma got into her car with a feeling of guilt. What's wrong with me? Emma thought. If I really want Chester to be my boyfriend, why do I feel like I just kissed someone who isn't my boyfriend? Emma thought before heading home.