Chapter Five

The Disaster at Zanzibar

After a few hours of pregame the quartet disappeared into the night and went to the bar. They made the conscious decision to take a taxi instead of walking. Emma regretfully rethought her decision to wear heels as she who was the first to emerge from the taxi and step on the sidewalk as the group exited the taxi. It was a first time for everything being Emma's first time at this particular bar and normally Jay had joked earlier that Emma would never step foot in a strip club. However within the company of her best friends she'd make the exception and just suck it up and have a good time there even if it was against her better choices of entertainment.

Manny giggled attempting to find her footing as the four linked arm and arm walked through the door only to hear loud club music and the voices lots of people inside. The establishment was pretty dark and kind of was blue in color the illuminations coming from above were blue and violet in color different color florescent lights littered the room and read out the names of various alcohol including some blinking strobe lights. Emma leaned on Sean mostly due the to the fact that she was pretty inexperienced in high heels but she also just wanted move close to him as the man at the door searched their ids to make sure they weren't underage. Emma in high school was very much if it fits, and it's clean so it's on. So automatically slipped on whatever was comfortable and modest. She rarely was extravagant that was never her style. Very natural, minimal make up, soft yet feminine fragrance choices and healthy facial remedies like oatmeal and holistic nature beauty treatments. She often followed beauty care regimes in Marie Claire magazine. Spike started subscribing to magazines and newsletters and incorporating in her beauty regamine and then naturally Emma started to follow the same path. She and her mother had subscriptions to all sorts of magazines. Growing up Nelson became growing up in the beauty parlor and growing up surrounded by women essentially. Her only man in her life was J.T Yorke, also young parents and a grandmother helping out. In Degrassi the teen pregnancy rate is always on the rise. It made things extremely difficult when Heath Classes were put to a halt with money problems and budget cuts. A lot of the guest speakers like Dr. Sally was too much of an cost so most often Coach Armstrong had to make do and teach but he almost felt like the messages that the board represented meant sugar-coating and blackballing and listing certain issues that he thought were also important in sex education. Speaking of sex, casual sex wasn't a familiar concept in high school, it was mostly frowned upon in students and in staff. A lot of them would be raging and a lot of teen pregnancies were on the rise. Even Manny was pregnant once, and Emma herself had a pregnancy scare that made Emma not feel comfortable and even when she was young she had strangely naïve views on sex but what teenager didn't. Luckily these kids were so happy that they didn't have kids, considering where they came from.

As for Emma, she was super progressive about the health part. her mom didn't mind the lifestyle change and in fact her and emma grew up off of the stuff. spike growing through her daughter and she through her. Parenting as Emma grew older things just got harder. It was hard to raise a girl, when she was just a girl herself and she did most of it largely alone with support from her mom. Christine was also product of a teen pregnancy.

When he gave them the green light, the group couldn't help but look around in delight and wonder. It was packed and crowded but it wasn't what they had initially expected. Manny and Emma raced to the bar to get some more drinks for them all as Sean and Jay went to find a table to watch the show, "Are you sure Emma and Manny would like this?"

Inside it was quite glamorous, good-looking bartenders, decadent and expensive drinks, swanky design, chrome and grit all in one place. Sexy girls that Emma and Manny both thought were as attractive as they were envious of their taut bodies and perfect hair and makeup. You can tell financially they were well off, not even Manny made or played with their kind of money. They saw people smoking cigarettes and cigars and people sniffing lines of cocaine in back dimly lit booth-style couches. The people entering and exiting the bar were making the quartet feel out-of-place and out of sorts.

"I've gone with Emma before it's nothing. We mostly go for the booze." Jay hollered over the rather loud music. At that time the stage was empty aside from the DJ who was spinning the set at the time.

At the bar the one bartender couldn't stop looking at Manny as if he had recognized her. Emma silently took notice and looked to Manny who was clueless gesturing to her friend about the strange guy, "Do you know him? He's been staring at you for a while."

Manny undetected glanced but didn't recognize him, "Nope. Maybe he's seen me on television or something."

Finally their drinks were ready and they picked them up and went to go find the boys. Momentarily they struggled but ultimately found them not far from the bar. Emma gave Sean his beer and Emma had a mixed drink like she had back at the house as did Manny and Jay had a beer, "I was really surprised we got our drinks so fast it was a zoo over there."

For hours there was a positive and rousing good time with drinks and dancing. The four good friends ordered up their money's worth of rounds upon rounds of alcohol. In and out they'd go to cool themselves down from the hot dark-lit club. The closer Sean and Emma got, the more they were tempted to leave it all behind and get into each other in bed. All the pent up years of sexual and romantic tension and frustration seemed to spill out with inhibitions invited with the aid of alcohol and intimacy.

A voice called out on the loud-speaker for everyone to vacate the dance floor and sit, the four found a seat in these old maroon circular booths. Jay turned to Sean as he and Emma cuddled together his arm around her as she leaned against him treating the booth like it was a couch, Jay and Manny did the same, he called out to Sean, "I think this is where we actually see the girls."

Manny leaning against Jay's body nudged him with her elbow, "Can you believe we're about to watch some strippers?"

He looked behind him, "I guess my baby is kinky." Winking seductively at Manny.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, while I'm drinking?" Manny giggled accepting his flirtations perplexing both Emma and Sean.

"What are you thinking, Manny?" Jay asked stroking his soft closely shaved beard with his finger making Emma giggle as well, tipsy and slightly intoxicated Emma bit her lip to suppress her laughter. Sean looked on with his arms around Emma his dimples available for the ways as he beamed happily observing a fun time with friends.

"I think Emma, my best friend forever, my sister. Should give me some sugar." Manny says teasingly her eyes squinted and her cheesy smiling everywhere. Her shoulders shrugged as she pulled Emma's arm menacingly.

"Oh, Manny I'd love to but I'm straight."

"So you would?" Manny asks.

"Ay Sean, I think our ladies are going to kiss what do you think about it?" Jay asked cupping his arms around his mouth yelling over the music.

"Jee, I don't know man." He shrugged, "I don't think Emma wants to."

Manny turned to Sean winking, "You jealous?"

"Me? Jealous."

"You got jealous over me and Emma! Of course he is but, Sean two ladies, kissing for us - can't deny it's uh pretty cool?"

"Not for us, silly." Manny says to Jay scowling yet still attempting to ignore the comment about the hook up between Emma and Sean, that she herself is jealous of but she refuses to show it.

"I don't think it's a good idea, we're in public."

"Come on Emma!" Manny says, "you kiss me."

Sean raises his eyebrows and opens his eyes, "Enlighten me."

"Sean, when she greets me I kiss her on the cheek." Emma maintains her arms steadfastly in front of her, "Not what you think at all Sean."

"Oh sorry my mistake?" Sean questions flirtatious.

"Fine. Manny whatever but sleep with one eye open tonight."

"I would but I'm going to Jay's to stay. Boozer over here will need me to be there while he pukes up his lung."

"Hey I resent that!" Jay drunkenly protests jabbing Manny jokingly.

Emma sips her drink but quickly realizes that sucking sound she sipped means she had run out of her drink she looked to Sean, "Want to leave them alone while we uh get a drink." Emma stands up and extends her arm to Sean to have him hold her hand.

"No Emma you're not getting away with this without kissing me."

Emma rolls her eyes leans and kisses Manny chastely and quickly on the lips pulling away sucking her lips, "You done pestering me?"

Manny smiled satisfied, "Could you spare the lip, I wanted the tongue."

Emma laughed shaking her head, "Ew no tongue."

"You kissed me with tongue." Sean stuck his tongue out jumping pointing at her laughing jabbing jay with his elbow.

"I kiss only boys with my tongue." Emma says laughing, "Let's get another drink, you guys need anything."

"Get me a red-headed slut."

"I'll have the same." Manny called back.

"The same?" Jay asked Manny shaking his head, "ever since you moved to LA quasi-permanently you just seem different you eat differently, you talk differently you just - I didn't want to bring this up."

"Do you love me Jay?" Manny asked shakily. Not facing him, covering her face with her hair by looking down.

Jay moved her hair and got her to face him, "What kind of question is that?"

"You didn't answer the question." Manny stated.

"Is this some sort of emotional blackmail shit that Craig taught you?"

"That is a cheap shot."

"Answer the question, Jay. Just answer the fucking question, don't bull shit me."

"Yes, yes I do. That's why I joke with you, I'm not playing with you? What? You want to move to LA? I can move there soon I'm sure I just . . ."

"And exactly I don't want to make you do that."

Jay got silent and sighed looking down making Manny all sorts of nervous. He got small his voice sort of cracked, as he unsuccessfully mustered enough to utter some half words until he finally spit out, "You want to move? W-without me. L-Like you don't see a future with me, like you - "

Manny shook her head, lying through her perfect teeth, "I just, I feel like we've not been communicating right, ever since this latest trip."

"Trip?" Jay scoffed shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, "Manny, I guess what I want to ask is, when did you plan on breaking up with me? This week? Next week, when you get the nerve. That's cheap."

Manny looked up at him with tears in her eyes, embarrassed, she bashfully bit her bottom lip behind her front teeth, breathing in and looking up at him, "I don't even know if I want to break up with you."

The lights on the stage started flickering and flashing, Emma and Sean quickly shuffled back to their seats with their drinks and shots and Manny took her shot quickly with no chaser and tossed the cup back on the small rounded table spilling the drivel at the bottom that remained crossing her arms ignoring Jay and pretending to ignore the little outburst she hoped they'd soon ignore as she focused her attention to the stage. "Manny, the fact you have to think about it, the all I need to really know now." Manny flipped him off with a smug face as she turned back her attention. Emma and Sean awkwardly and silently looked on unsure how to break the tension but tried to ignore it.

The announcer dressed in a suit in front of a Victorian looking stage, "On Paradise Cove dancers behalf, I'd like to say welcome to paradise. Introducing our first dancer, from Degrassi Street Hotel Trailerpark - give it up for Lexxtacy."

Backstage, Alex peered into the audience and mustered up the gall to walk on stage with her kitten heels and her school girl skirt. She sniffled her nose before she slipped through the curtain and saw a sea of faceless people. The audience roared as she came out, all 96 pounds of her as she sauntered like a runway. She got to the bar, bumped and grind as she flipped over the bar and spun herself quickly, as she turned around to face the left hand side she was face to face with her ex boyfriend, frozen in horror. He had it written all over his face the last placed he would expect her to be, no call, no contact for over three years. Not even a visit on any holiday. It's like she cut off everybody.

Jay got up quickly and ran away, Alex did something unexpected. She got off the pole and the music died down, as she walked closer in a half-hearted attempt to stop him, she cupped her hands around her face, "Jay, wait."

She was amplified by a bunch of people in the crowd of unruly men booed. They were so angry that she had stopped. She had plenty of money on stage but she was worried. She quickly noticed that Jay wasn't alone, he was well dressed and he was on a date with Manny Santos from high school and Greenpeace and Boy Scout.

She rolled her eyes as she left the stage running back stage. The announcer was agitated as he fumbled for the set list, "Next up, we have the lovely, Désirée.

Emma contemplated but she decided to go after Jay, who was kicking some left over snow that remained in the parking lot she noticed his glow in the dark wrist band they had gotten at the door as he lit up a cigarette in the back, Jay rarely smoked but when he did it was either he was drinking or he was angry or upset. Sometimes when he would get drunk he would get nasty and mean. Tonight was likely this, but he had never gotten nasty with Emma, he was always kind with her.

"Jay." She said relieved to find him she beamed at him patting him on the shoulder.

"What is it, Emma?" Jay asked her with a cry in his voice. Turning around sluggishly.

"What are you thinking, dude? You're wasted and you're upset." Emma sighed sadly and determined to find out what was going on with him. She knew that he was close to Alex and then she and him had a complicated love and clearly the last place he wanted to see her was there.

"I'm thinking, my girlfriend wants to dump me, did you, tell me did you know about this?"

"No." Emma lied to him causing him to let out sort of wail. Sobbing uncontrollably after shaking his head, "I didn't know why, she brought something up about it but I thought that I had convinced her -"

"You had to convince her?" Jay asked bluntly empathizing had like she was really serious about it and Emma had to convince her other wise. Manny didn't even care. Now it all sorts of make sense, "Let me guess, that ex of hers, Craig Manning."

"So, Alex." Emma said changing the subject.

"I have so many regrets tonight." Jay said shaking his head, "We shouldn't have gone here."

"How were we to know she was going to be dancing here, tonight of all places."

"She used to strip here before, before she moved with her aunt from Ajax."

"Oh . ."

"You know we would still be together if it wasn't for you." Jay said insensitively.

Emma was taken back, she recoiled in disgust shaking her head and crossing her arms, "That wasn't fair."

"Neither was I forced you which is even more fucked up."

"I thought this sort of crazy talk was off-limits in us being friends, I have to forget, you have to forget." Emma places her hands on his shoulders and squeezes him shaking him up a little bit, "It was different before."

"It's my fault, Emma." Jay cried shaking his head biting his lip in a hopeless attempt to stop crying. "I broke you too. I can't do anything right. A long time ago, when Sean found out - he blamed me and you know what I did everything to make him blame you. I said horrible lies. I said . . "

"Look, I don't want to know what you said, he said things to me I'd love to forget but - Jay, they stuck with me. I know, please do know I got my share of a tongue-lashing from Sean about it. I feel terrible. I love him and I loved him then and it did nothing but guilt me up and trip me up."

"You were single." Jay said sighing, "He shouldn't be blaming you is all. And Emma, we do need to talk about it. It happened, we have to deal with it we can't tip toe. I'm at fault let me take the blame, let me bear that cross and we're at that road we have to talk about it."

"Alex is not your fault!" Emma exclaimed shaking her head, "She had her own batch of shit to deal with."

"A lot you don't even know." Jay said sighing walking toward Emma hugging her to him, "I'm so sorry, Emma. I've felt . . so guilty for so many years for not owning up to my mistakes with our friendship."

Emma looked up at Jay and hugged him tightly, smiling into his neck as she looked up at him, Jay leaned in and kissed Emma on the cheek, fluffing her hair as he made her way to kiss her lips before Alex stepped out of the back, lighting up a cigarette herself bringing Emma to pull away in fright at both happenings and Jay to his senses. "Jay!" Alex called.

"Lexxi." Jay said distantly, inhaling through is cigarette pretending to be cool, he sniffled.

"Look I want to explain myself." Alex said quietly, offering Jay a meek smile as she stood up straight and at sort of a distant from Emma and Jay standing side by side and she in front of the two of them in a small circle.

"Clearly there's not much to explain." Jay said brashly..

"Oh, but, there is. Evidently."

"Like what?" He spat.

"So Cameron is back in town, and you're already macking on his girl. I heard and evidently seen enough. Huh, Jay?"

Emma's eyes widened. "You -"

"I've been out here for a few minutes - smoking. . . Greenie. Question Jay, was this before or after Amy because if anyone deserved to get an STD it was you." Pouting at Emma as she exhaled a cloud of smoke in Emma's direction causing her to step back glaring at her. "I guess I was wrong about you, you really were a little secret slut."

"Please, you were born to get an STD, Trailer-park." Emma scoffed shrugging her shoulders, Alex tried to gun for Emma to snatch her hair or get in a punch, as if to say you broke my nose once but you won't get away that easy this time. "Jay was my first. For awhile he was my only sexual experience."

Alex was able to recoil in a loud and swift slap, she slapped Emma hard and with her other hand, with a cigarette that she managed to not burn him with she slapped Jay hard on the face, "Fuck you, fuck you both. And to think I came out here to try to . . . be friends with you guys? Now? I wish I never saw you guys here tonight."

"Alex . . ." Jay tried to follow her as she turned away to walk away. She tossed her cigarette on the grass. She walked toward and then through the door and resumed the rest of her meager night of dancing for middle-aged men. As she was walking away he saw she dropped something he searched for it found it and picked it up and pulled it toward the light of the door surveying the small item that looked like a lipstick tube and realized as he looked closer, it was a vial of cocaine.

"Emma, look at this!"