Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of it's characters.

Chapter 7 Second Chances

"Well? Are either of you going to say something?" Chester demanded.

"Where did you get that?" Emma asked nervously.

"I found it in your stuff when I was picking it up. But that doesn't matter it's not the point, you told me that this was over, that there was nothing going on between you and him anymore!" Chester yelled.

"There isn't!" she said backing away slightly from him.

"Bullshit! Why was it in your purse? Emma, tell me! Tell me before I make you tell me!" Chester said as he got closer to Emma.

"Whoa! Dude lay off you're scaring the crap out of her." Jay said stepping in between Emma and Chester.

"Back off, Hogart! I will deal with you in a minute. First I have to deal with my girlfriend. Now you listen to me Emma Nelson, I am your boyfriend so I get to tell you what, when and who you spend your time with, now--" Chester said angrily before being cut off by Emma.

"Hold on one minute!" Emma said still slightly scared, "No one, and I mean no one, gets to tell me what to do, who I hang out with. I decide who my friends are, Chester, not you."

"You little bitch!" Chester said shoving Jay out of the way. "You don't get to talk to me that way, you're not allowed to treat me that way." Chester said as he raised his arm.

"Emma, run!" Jay said as he grabbed Chesters arm. Emma took off down the hallway, leaving Jay and Chester alone. "Dude! What the hell are you doing?" Jay yelled.

"Oh my God! I almost hit her! Jay get out of my way." Chester demanded.

"I don't think so, there are somethings you need to know before you go anywhere near Emma again. First, she wasn't lying there is nothing going on between us anymore. We're just friends." Jay told Chester in a no nonsense tone.

"But this?" Chester said holding up the bracelet.

"That is over. She gave two of them back to me but forgot about the third one. It must have been in her bag all summer." Jay explained.

"Oh, crap! I need to talk to her!" Chester said trying to get around Jay.

"Not so fast flip-head! Right now you are probably the last person Emma wants to see. I'll go talk to her."

"Okay, I'm sorry Jay. I don't know why I freaked out li--"

"Dude, I don't care about you and your feelings. I care about Emma." Jay said as he took off down the hall to find Emma.

"That son of a bitch is gonna try and steal my girl." Chester said out loud.

"I think he's already starting to succeed." a voice said from behind him.

"Ellie? What are you doing here?"

"I saw you run out here and I came after because I think there is something you deserve to know."

"What? What is it?"

"It's about Emma and Jay. Last night Jay went over to Emma's and they were on her couch and, well I'm pretty sure you can put the rest together."

"What! How do you know that? Who told you that?"

"I overheard them talking about it this morning at their lockers together. They were talking about why they wanted to do it."

"Oh my God."

"I'm sorry Chester. I didn't want to hurt you but I thought you needed to know."

"Thanks Ellie. What the hell am I gonna do now? I really don't want to break up with her but she wasn't honest with me. Maybe I should give her the chance to explain."

"What? You're just gonna forgive her? After what she did? Chester you deserve better than her!"

"Everyone deserves a second chance Ellie. I can't just break up with her without her side of the story. I just flew off the handle over a bracelet and I'm really hoping she'll forgive me."

"Fine have it your way." Ellie said before storming off. "Just you wait Emma Nelson, I will have Chester for myself and take you down in the process."

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"Em! Are you in here?" Jay said as he entered the MI lab. He had already checked Kwan's room and all of the girls bathrooms. He figured this would be the next most likely place for her to be. "Come on, Em! It's me, Jay." Jay stood still and listened, he could hear sniffles and stifled sobs coming from the back of the room. Jay went to the back of the room and found her huddled up in the corner, holding her knees to her chest, sobbing and shaking. "Oh Em." he said as he sat down next to her.

"Why? Why did he want to hurt me?" she said between sobs.

"I don't know Em. I don't know why someguys think it's okay to hit women." Jay said as pulled her close and put his arms around her.

"He didn't even give me the chance to explain! I could have made him understand." she said clinging to Jay's black sweater.

"I told him everything and he does understand and is really sorry about what he did."

"I don't care! He raised his hand at me. I will not be tormented by a Rick wannabe!"

"Emma?" a voice called from the door.

"What do you want?" she said.

"I wanted to explain." Chester said.

"I think you've done enough explaining for one day!" Jay said standing up protectively in front of Emma.

"Jay, it's okay. Let him talk. I want to give him the chance that he didn't give me." Emma said wiping her face as she stood up.

"Okay, but I am staying right here." Jay said adamantly.

"Go ahead Chester." Emma said with her arms across her chest.

"Emma when I found that bracelet I was furious. I thought that you had lied to me about giving them back. Or worse that you and Jay still had something going on and I didn't want him to hurt you again. But none of that gave me the right to raise my hand to you. I don't know why I did it, but I do know that it will never happen again. Jay told me all about the bracelet and I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to tell me. Emma I just want us to be honest with each other. Please give me a second chance." Chester pleaded.

"Well since we're talking about honesty. Last night at my place Jay and I almost kissed and just now we did." Emma confessed.

"You what? You kissed my girlfriend?" Chester yelled glaring at Jay.

"Hey, dude! I don't think she's your girlfriend anymore after what you just did!" Jay said putting his arm around Emma.

"Yes I am." Emma said walking away from Jay and put her arms around Chester.

"Emma! You just said,--"

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Jay. You should know that." Emma said softly.

"Fine you wanna stay with him, go ahead. But don't come crawling to me when he beats the crap out of you." Jay yelled walking towards the door.

"Jay! Wait!" Emma called.

"Emma, I can't look at you right now. We'll talk later." Jay said from the door before leaving.

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The rest of the day went by slowly for Emma. Jay had ended up in her science class where they were paired up for lab projects and he was in her study hall. He wouldn't even look at her. "Jay, can I talk to you?" she asked.

"No, not right now." he said.

Emma spent the rest of study hall trying to figure out what to do. That's it! Emma thought. As soon as the last bell of the day rang, Emma ran out and grabbed Paige. "I need your help!" Emma said as they walked out of Degrassi.

"Sure hun, anything." Paige replied.

"I need you to take my car home."

"What? Why?"

"Something happened today at lunch and Jay isn't talking to me. I need to get him to talk to him and the only way he will talk is if I need a ride. Please Paige you don't have to drive Chester he had to stay for stage crew or something."

"Okay, I'll meet you at The Dot at 4:30, is that enough time?"

"Yeah it should be. Thanks Paige." Emma said giving her the keys to her car.

"No problem." Paige said as she walked to Emma's car and drove off.

Emma walked over and leaned against the orange civic, thankful that he hadn't left yet. Emma looked around the crowd for anyone to talk to, when Ellie came walking up to her. Great, just who I want to see. Emma thought.

"Hi, Emma." Ellie said with a smile.

"Cut the shit, Nash. We both know we can't stand each other. What do you want?"

"I just wanted you to know that I am really happy that you and Jay finally got together. I guess Chester is up for grabs?"

"What are you talking about Ellie? Chester and I are still together. There isn't anything going on between me and Jay."

"What! I told him, I thought--"

"You thought what? You told who what? Ellie you're not making any sense."

"What, oh, nothing. I gotta go." Ellie said before running back into the school.

"Freak!" Emma said as she ran off. Ellie and Emma had bonded after Sean left but when Ellie found out that he was talking to Emma more than her she cut Emma out of her life. Sometimes I wish we could be friends again. Emma thought.

"What do you want, Green peace?" Jay said breaking Emma's train of thought.

"I want to talk, that and I need a ride."

"Where's your car?"

"Paige took it she needed to run an errand."

"Fine. Get in."

Emma got in the car and looked at Jay. "Why are you so against me and Chester?"

"You know why, Em. Today at lunch he almost hits you and you forgave him, why? Why did you forgive him?"

"He was sorry, and everyone makes one mistake. I gave you a second chance, why not him? None of my other relationships have been a huge success, I need this one to work."

"Emma we kissed! That doesn't exactly spell successful relationship."

"Jay, I know we kissed and it was great but I am for him and for now it's gonna stay that way. I don't want you to be mad, please understand."

"I'm not saying that I understand but if you want me to support you, I will. But, if he ever does anything again, I want you to end it and tell me right away."

"You got it. Jay, about the kiss."

"It won't happen again, Em. Promise. So, am I dropping you at home?"

"No, I'm meeting Paige at The Dot." The drive to The Dot was silent so Emma turned the radio on and Addicted by Kelly Clarkson came on.

"I love this song." Jay said, "You tell anyone I said that, I will never speak to you again."

"No problem, I like it too." Emma lied, she hated this song and the things that it made her think about.

"Okay I will see you tomorrow." Jay said.

"Thanks, see ya." she said before getting out of the car. Jay drove off leaving Emma wondering if she made a huge mistake.