Chapter 9 The Dance
A/N: Starts ½ hour before the dance starts.
Jay lifted the last table and carried it over to where the coat check was set up. "There done." he said taking off his sweaty t-shirt leaving him in a white wife beater. Jay turned to leave and nearly ran smack into Marco who was staring at Jay's chiseled chest.
"Del Rossi what is it? I've done everything you asked me to. What now?" Jay asked while Marco stood there with his mouth open. "Marco! Hey you all right man? MARCO! Look man, I know your gay and that's cool with me, but I'm straight. So if you want to stare do it from the other side of the gym, okay?" Jay said slightly uncomfortable.
"Sorry Jay." Marco said snapping back to reality, "I was just wondering if Emma is coming to the dance?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't she? She's coming with Manny, Paige and Hazel. Who are meeting Jimmy and Spin here."
"Oh, I, uh, didn't think that she was gonna come with out Chester."
"Does Emma Nelson strike you as the co-dependent type Del Rossi? She is as independent as they come."
"Yeah, just keep an eye on her tonight. That's it, so you can go home and get ready." Marco said before running to the other side of the gym.
"OK, well that was odd even for Marco. Whatever." Jay said to himself and left to get ready. The entire time Jay was in his car, the shower he was trying to figure out why Marco had been acting so strange and why he was so concerned about Emma coming to the dance. Jay decided to put it out of his mind and got dressed in his dark blue jeans, a white tank, and a black button up shirt. Jay put his silver chain around his neck and grabbed his trademark hat. He was about to put it on his head, but then decided to leave it at home for the night. Jay arrived at Degrassi 5 minutes before the dance started and walked up to Alex to find out what he had to do, "Okay Alex, I'm here, where do you want me?"
"Coat check." she said coldly, not looking at him and walking away.
"Okay, still mad." Jay said as he headed over to the coat check.
"Hey Jay!" Marco called from inside the coat check.
"Del Rossi? Am I stuck back here all night?"
"No just for the first half hour. Then you can go dance with your group."
"Do I look like a guy who dances? Marco why were you so concerned about Emma coming tonight?"
"Oh, I uh thought she might get lonely when the slow songs are on, I know I will. Try and keep her happy or whatever."
"What? You know what never mind. You are one strange dude, Marco."
----------
"Come on you two! We've been waiting for 15 minutes. They can meet us inside." Emma yelled to Manny and Hazel.
"Just a few more minutes they will be here soon." Manny yelled back.
"I'm bored out here. I don't have anyone to wait for. I will meet you guys inside. Coming Paige?"
"I'm gonna wait out here with Haze and Manny. See you inside." Paige replied.
"Okay whatever." Emma said as she walked up the stairs and into the school.
"Hey Em!" a voice called.
"Hey Jay! What's up?"
"Not much, you look great. Where is everyone else?"
"Outside waiting for the boys."
"So why aren't you with them?"
"I got bored. Where's is the coat check?"
"Right here, I'm the coat check guy! You got bored, so you came in here? That makes sense. There really isn't much to do yet the doors aren't open."
"Well I get to talk to you in here."
"Yeah because I'm unbelievably interesting." Jay said sarcastically.
"Yes you are. I learn something new about you all the time."
"Yeah like what?"
"Well, let's see, hey where is your hat? That thing is like your security blanket, you hardly ever take it off."
"I didn't want to wear it tonight. Thought I might get lucky." Jay said with a wink.
"You are such a guy. Is that all you think about?"
"No, right now I am thinking that Chester isn't good enough for you."
"Jay, not now. We have been through this. Can we please move on?"
"I'm sorry. I will try not to bash Chester, in front of you."
"Okay. So are you stuck back there all night? Or can you come in and dance later?"
"I'm here for about a half hour and then I can just hang until the dance is over."
"Emma! Their here!" Paige called from the doors.
"Cool. See ya later?" Emma asked as she gave Jay her coat and purse.
"Yeah, sure. Here's your ticket."
"Crap, no pockets! Can you hold onto it for me?"
"Sure. I'll put Paige's stuff with it." Jay said taking Paige's coat and purse.
"Thanks Jay." Paige said as she ran to catch up with Emma. "Well that looked cozy."
"What are you talking about Paige?" Emma asked.
"You and Jay. Is something going on?"
"Of course not. I'm with Chester. Jay and I are just friends."
"Uh-huh."
"Paige we are just friends. Please drop it."
"Fine I won't say anything else about it." Paige said as they found a place in the gym to dance.
Manny, Spinner, Hazel and Jimmy came in and found their way over to where Emma and Paige were. The six of them danced and talked. When a slow song came on Emma and Paige went and sat on the side. When Addicted by Kelly Clarkson came on Paige went to sit down but Emma grabbed her arm.
"What?" Paige asked.
"Look!" Emma pointed over to the gym doors.
"Oh my God!" Paige squealed running over to where Emma had pointed, "Matt you actually came!" Paige pulled him onto the dance floor and Emma smiled to herself.
Emma sat down on the bleachers and listened to the words of the song. Emma looked over to the doors and saw Jay staring at her with a smirk on his face. Emma looked away and blushed thankful that the gym was lit with blues and yellows. Suddenly she felt someone beside her. She looked over to see Jay. The two just sat there silently until the song was over. Just then Incomplete by The Backstreet Boys came on. Emma stood up and grabbed Jay's hand pulling him onto the dance floor. Emma put her arms around Jay's neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. As they danced Emma rested her head on his shoulder and put her fingers in his hair. Jay pulled Emma closer to him and tightened his embrace around her middle. Emma and Jay swayed back and forth until the song stopped. When it was over Emma looked up at Jay with a smile on her face, before glancing over his shoulder to see Chester standing at the gym doors.
------------
Chester walked out of the gym and Emma started after him, "Chester!" she called before going out of the gym to find him.
Jay grabbed her wrist, "Emma, don't do this right now. He is angry and upset. He needs to calm down before you talk to him."
"Jay you didn't see the look on his face. He was extremely hurt. I have to talk to him!" Emma said with tears streaming down her face.
"I get that Em, but he probably already left. Why don't you go to the washroom, splash some cold water on your face and then I'll take you home and you can call him and explain."
"Okay. You're probably right."
"Aren't I always?"
"Haha, funny. Come with me?"
"Of course."
Emma and Jay walked down the hall way to the nearest bathroom. As they got further down the hall they could hear voices coming from around the corner.
"I told you she was cheating on you. You have to break up with her, sweety."
Emma recognized the voice "That's Ellie" she mouthed to Jay. Just then the second voice started and Emma realized it was Chester and almost fainted.
"I know, tonight proves it. I told her that I wasn't coming and she came anyway. Then she dances with Jay!" Chester said, "Tomorrow in the cafeteria in front of everyone I am gonna burst her bubble. Emma Nelson is gonna learn that you can't have your cake and eat it too."
Emma leaned her head around the corner hoping not to see what she knew was true, Chester was cheating on her with Ellie Nash. Emma burst into tears and ran back down the hallway leaving Jay behind and confused.
Jay leaned his head around the corner and almost jumped on Chester immediatley but decided that Emma needed him more than she needed him to beat Chester to a bloody pulp. Jay ran back into the gym and gave Paige the coat check ticket and some lame emergency about his car and went to find Emma, grabbing her stuff on his way out the doors.
-------------------
"Where could she be?" Jay asked himself.
When he had run out of Degrassi he couldn't find her car and got worried. Jay had checked every place he could possibly think of, her house, the park, The Dot, Joey's, and Sean's old apartment. "I've looked everywhere. There's nowhere else that she---" Jay said to himself. When it dawned on him. "She wouldn't go there. Would she? It's the only place left and if she really didn't want to be found it is the one place no one but me would think tolook for her. It's worth a shot." Jay pulled a U-Turn and headed toward the ravine. When Jay got there it was exactly the same as he remembered.
"Hey Hogart! Long time no see." some guy yelled out drunkenly.
Jay gave him a nod and continued walking. Jay approached the picnic table in the middle of the ravine.
"Hey Jay! Change your mind about hooking up?" Amy asked as he walked by her.
"Not with you! I'm looking for Emma."
"Green peace? You want her, over this? If that's what you want, I think I saw her climb into the van a few minutes ago."
Jay ran over to the van and nearly pulled the door off when he opened it. "Get off of--" Jay stopped himself when he saw Emma by herself crying into a pillow. Jay climbed in and closed the door. "Em, what are you doing here?"
Emma looked up at Jay hoping not to see disgust and disappointment. "I didn't know where else to go. No where else felt right."
"This place isn't right, Em. It's awful and gross. You don't belong here. You didn't need to come here."
"Where was I gonna go Jay? I couldn't stay at the dance. I didn't want to go home and be alone. This placemade sense. No one here cares about me or what happens to me here."
"That's not true Em. Someone here cares a lot about you."
"Yeah, who is that?"
"Me, Em! I care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt and what happened tonight shouldn't have happened to you."
Emma looked at Jay and realized that he was being completely truthful with her. Emma sat up and pulled Jay into a deep kiss. "I don't know what to do, Jay? I can't just let Chester and Ellie get up in front of everyone tomorrow and say all that crap about me."
"Em, we'll think of something. Come on let me take you home." Jay opened the door of the van and helped Emma out.
"So Cause Girl didn't get enough last year she had to come back for more?" Amy said as Emma got out of the van.
"Amy will--" Jay started.
"Jay let me handle this, please." Emma said with a smile and Jay nodded.
"What are you gonna do, Green peace?" Amy taunted.
"This!" Emma said before slugging Amy right in the face.
"Nice!" Jay exclaimed, "Bye Amy."
Jay drove Emma home in his car. When they pulled up to the house, Jay walked her to the door. "Well I guess I will see you tomorrow, I'll go get your car and bring it back." Jay said before starting down the steps.
"Jay," Emma started, "Do you want to stay?"
"Em, you know I do, but I don't know. After everything that has happened tonight, I'm not sure it's a good idea."
"Please Jay, I don't want to be alone." Emma said with a smile that melted Jay's heart.
"Okay, I'll stay." Jay said as they walked inside the house.
