Chapter 24

Here Comes the Sun

Darcy was in her room before bed with a tank top on that hugged her body. It didn't look like it but she was just starting to come around the bend and look at herself. She turned around on her side putting her hands palm-side down onto her stomach and massaging in her hands. It was flabby, sure she hadn't been to the gym in a while not as tight were her abs at that point she thought. It was around this time as her dad was getting ready to go to bed and she thought maybe she should shut her door for the privacy she'd need at that time. He happened to walk by and look in for a second as he saw the moment between Darcy and her unborn baby, her contemplative wonder if she should tell him yet and seeing as how happy Spinner was she could only pray that her dad would feel as excited as he would.

She quickly dropped her hands as Randal walked in furrowing his brow, she observed him from the stand up mirror, he hesitated as she turned her head, "Hey Darc, should I come back at another time?"

She dropped her hands to her sides and turned around walking toward him as he gave her a quizzing look, "Dad, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is that?" He asked, questioning she could see him almost judging her, like he had a feeling, "Should I sit down?"

"Sure." She said taken back. It kind of choked her up as she paced down, and up trying to get her wording right, "I uh, I'm pregnant dad." His eyes widened, finally going with it, and just to top talking, and scrunching her face, "Yeah, I am."

"I really should have sat down." He exhaled quietly, closing his eyes and hunching over, he sighed before he sat up, "Well, I wasn't expecting that."

"I know you weren't." Darcy shrugged, "Are you disappointed in me?"

"Well yes, but . . ." Randall answered, she beamed after he lingered on that but, "I'm going to be a grandfather. Sure, your mother would be so angry . . I'm not."

"Really dad?" Darcy asked happily running at him with a hug, "Even though I'll be a parent soon, it won't mean that I won't need my daddy, after all who will I cry to when he wakes me up early?"

"Already thinking he's a boy?"

"It's just the feeling I get."

"Well, we'll have to set you up with your first appointments, find out how far along you are, prenatal vitamins, we have a lot to do before the baby comes." He said sternly, "I know you both are probably itching to design that nursery. I'll tell you what, we keep the condo, you guys have enough to worry about financial so I'll take that off. \You know the room next door our neighbors are moving what if we all lived together, I was thinking we share the kitchen and the living area we all have our own rooms pay the bills together and be a family. I missed out with you Darcy with work and all. I want a second chance with your grandson you me and Spinner. I can call a contractor, we have the money."

"Well of course, Spinner's the father."

"I like Spinner, honey. You know that. I'm sure he told you he was hired at my job."

"Yeah, I understand you helped him along."

"I told you I would put in a good word. I'm a man of my word."

"I just wanted to thank-you, dad for being . . so much not like mom."

"Your mom means well, but as long as she is in control. We brought out the worst parts, while separated we're happy. I should've known that going in, but she was different. You understand, honey?"

"I suppose things got worse while I was gone?" She asked him, advancing toward him, sitting down on the bed.

"Oh, heck yeah." He replied, "I feel bad about Clare, and now she sort of resents me because I was living with my girlfriend and I didn't let her live here but then I wasn't ready to assume that life I never saw for myself. Even adults sweetheart."

"I guess I'll see when I'm a parent."

"And that's not far down the road, honey. I wish I knew that when I was younger because people think when people get married, or commit or whatever. I just - your life changes and it's not about you anymore, your partner is your ally and some people buckle and others or they quit. It's obvious when they quit, you know?" He smiled warmly, "I believe that you won't quit."

"I appreciate that dad, thank you."

"You're welcome, I'm proud to have you as my daughter, and you know I'm not really disappointed, it's not the end of the world. It's only the beginning."

. . .

Manny Santos just hopped off the plane at LAX with the whirlwind experience from back home behind her.

She was back to work and she was happy to be back home. She had to get in the zone, get in gear and being home with a new year was just what the doctor ordered. The less she thought of the mess back home the better. The four-week holiday bender made her yearn for the life she had become accustomed to in the last four years. It's a new year, it's a brand new start for Manny. Nothing could bring her down. Of course this is life, so sometimes it's best to expect the unexpected. As she walked out of the airport with her bags in tow she sighed at the fact she lacked a umbrella and it was about to downpour, flecks of rain fell from the sky knocking her back to reality. She foolishly had forgotten her umbrella and for that she was already unceremoniously harmed by the irony of that. She was just thinking about how well things are going, during her mind jolting flight home where she thought about what her real motivations should be and that is what started the semblance of optimism.

She waved her hands from the less than helpful awning out front hoping a taxi would be flagged down seeing her desperation. It wasn't cold, it was actually quite warm by her standards. Finally, a taxi stopped and she made the small walk to the taxi. Even in high-heeled boots she could run, most girls know that isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination. Manny was clumsy as is, she often suffered scrapes and bruises despite her unbelievable stamina from being athletic. Once she got into cheer-leading more or less progressively her balance improved and she even got into gymnastics but she switch complete gears when she got into acting by profession.

"Thanks for stopping." Manny said signaling the driver to open up the trunk for her luggage, quickly she was pleasantly thrilled to see a friendly face, "Stephen! How are you?"

"I'm doing well. So you're back for good?" The driver, named Steven who she always manages to see when she hits the airport, he always seemed to be there as she gets back. He was good for that. She was happy to see him. He was an older gentleman, salt and pepper hair, round face so despite his age he looked perhaps five years younger, he had an accent from New York and he appeared to have a fair complexion with his cheeks speckled with freckles and you could tell in his youth he had reddish brunette hair, but even with his hat on you could tell his hair was thinning. He was friendly and kind and despite the crazy hours of being cabby he couldn't have a complaint to offer. He was just the kind of unwavered neutral party to talk to. She wanted to talk someone so divided from the matter, someone she could trust.

He viewed life in a unique way to those in his career often have. He however, loves interacting with strangers it's by far his favorite part of his job. She enjoyed his words of wisdom on many drives. Manny knows he finds her attractive it was a long drive to where she lived, just outside her place of residence she decided to go to her second home because she had a Jacuzzi and she could really go for a late night dip in the tub of warmth.

After the almost a month-long trip away she could use the temporary vacation of heating up by the warmth of her Jacuzzi and afterwards blowing off some steam and heating herself up in her sauna to get her used to the warm climates of California. She wasn't her best still, she was feeling lonely and depressed over things at home but it was best she leave things be. Maybe some time away would do her good, it was too late to turn back now. It had dawned on her that she never said goodbye to Craig but either way from their little chat the night before, it was best to leave things on unspoken terms. Even though Craig would see things differently, Manny knew there was no way that they could ever bounce back from that. She gave him but a letter just so he wouldn't send out a search party. She placed it on the bed. She tried to make things clear to him but either way she knew he would be upset.

Manny told him all about her holiday from hell, the very one she talked about how excited she was about just a few weeks earlier on the way to the airport. He offered his expertise but even so she was still feeling down, "It just goes to show, there will be those sorts of romances, the fair-weather fellas they try to shit all over your good time. Don't let the bastards get you down, Manuella. I tell you that."

She paused for a few moments understanding what he meant. She sighed, before asking, "Do you think I'm beautiful, Steven?"

"Well, on the record, ma'am?"

"Whatever." Manny answered feigning confidence.

"I'd say you're more than beautiful, but what's more than beautiful? You can't quantify." He answered comically not taking the question seriously dodging a bullet. He wanted to stay professional but he couldn't lie to her. His cover is blown.

"I don't know." Manny chuckled, of course because she's paying she doesn't believe it. No one ever would say they are beautiful with their countless insecurities from hair color to breast size and everything in between. For boys it's too girly to call them beautiful and for girls for fear they'd be called out to be conceited. Manny needed a pick me up. Anything, even the late night cab driver.

"What happened, dear? Would you like to talk about it?" He said watching her for a few moments alternating from the road to her, it was a barren area with no cars despite it being around 10 o'clock.

"Well we have a long drive, I suppose." Manny answered, stretching comfortably in the seat as she crossed her leg over the other, "You always know what to say."

"I lived a long life, Manuella. I've made lots of mistakes too." He said full of wisdom. She could tell he had a lot of stories to tell, he was understanding, a good listener and a sweet guy.

"Not like mine, they're so monstrously bad. Romance is so not my field of expertise. I can expel love knowledge but when it comes to my shit, I'm the worst. The literal worst."

"I don't think so, Manny. You know what they say? They say a woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets. When guys get angry with ladies who have that degree, an overwhelming degree of emotional baggage a-aand trust issues they tend to be the most difficult of relationships because those girls are fighters. They go on the defense. They start to withdraw and hide and not talk it out and get on the common ground most guys get impatient. They're too damn strong for their own good." He adjusted his hands on the steering wheel, making a turn down the next street, "Guys though, at least me I was always the one who wouldn't like change. Change being the enemy. I didn't think change was funny, I always got the raw end."

"I could definitely vouch there, it's not good time." Manny replied nodding, "Anyhow, his name is Jay the boyfriend - the one you asked about after I went to Milan to meet Donatella Versace and try on one of the dresses they designed and a few press interviews for my new show?" Manny asked hoping he'd remember but then again he meets so many people on the day in and day out job but he nodded even though she was less than sure he knew what time she was speaking of anyway, "I'd like you to come by."

"That would be nice."

"Yeah, we could have wine, watch the sunrise. What do you think? I've got a view over looking the ocean, you just got to be there." Manny offered, it enticed him so much that he said that it was fine.

"Ah what the heck? I live alone." He chuckled, as he continued driving to the place he's driven to before.

"So do I." Manny said smiling mischievously.

Inside her bed, in her dark modern plum bedroom with the large windows. He got up off of her as she rolled around so that she was laying on her side as she crawled under the blankets again getting warm, covering up, she beamed, "You know, you're a pretty good listener."

"Oh really?" He cocked an eyebrow, "Thank-you."

"Please don't do that again." She replied, mortified at his reaction to the compliment.

"Ah! takes me back to my college days." He joked in pure jest.

Manny snickered at the compliment as she dug in her pockets resting on the lampshade of her jeans taking out her cigarettes, pulling one into her mouth as she pushed against the headboard sitting up with the blankets from the chest below. She struck the match and lit up cigarette as she passed it.

Technically, Craig and Manny were an almost.

They never made the formal relationship inquiry. As far as it was, they were fuck buddies. Fuck buddies in love with the idea of one another. One end of trouble, Craig walks or she walks. She walked.

As for Stephen the cabby, he was a one time thing. A rebound.

Sure she'd remain friends with him, smoke up on occasion but they definitely wouldn't hook up like this again.

It was weird, Manny just wanted to get Craig and Jay out of her system. The night started off innocent they drove around as she was his last passenger and then he went home with her and they drank a bit, and then wound up in the bedroom. After having Craig for most of the week, this guy was much more attentive to her wants and needs as opposed to Craig. Craig would interrupt her if she wanted to talk about things, in fact while they were in the throes of passion, Stephen and her they would be having little bits of conversations between rounds. Manny was mostly still wearing the badges of her heart-break inside of her and this was a manifestation of her loneliness. She hoped that Steven didn't see such a truth.

"Could I bum one from you?" He asked observing her smoke and he was feeling left out.

Manny beamed exhaling pretending to be offended but then threw him her pack as he pulled the cigarette to his lips she strikes his match and lit it for him she managed to let some of the blanket go so he caught a glimpse of her chest, she oddly didn't pull back. After-all, she was comforted by the cab driver's presence. She trusted him. She awkwardly looked back up at him and snickered, "Oh well, I suppose it's nothing you haven't seen already tonight."

After she spoke there was some silence, his face read of a degree of concern, "I was wondering, what are you doing with a man like me? Surely I think there's plenty of guys in your age bracket." He asked looking around at the things in her room, "It aint any wonder you're no older than someone who could very well be my daughter."

She uncomfortably made a face arching her eyebrows, "Excuse me?" Before shaking her head, "No, don't say that. You're killing it."

"You couldn't be more than in your mid-twenties."

"I'm twenty-four. I'm an adult." She answers in deflated protest continuing, "Sometimes it doesn't feel like it because management makes all my decisions for me, in good faith of course. Besides, no offense Steve - it shouldn't have happened in the first place. When I'm drunk, I always go against my better judgement. It's just a problem that I have, I do . . and I don't think about how it affects people, let alone myself."

"Oh don't go saying that, you'll kill my buzz." He inhaled his cigarette exhaling afterwards, "I know not most twenty somethings wouldn't want to spend the night with a forty-something."

"Okay, okay. I'm the first I won't be the last. The job you have, isn't that a flirtation device in itself?" She lulled as she leaned against her backboard, holding the cigarette ashing it in the ashtray on the nightstand, "So I take it you aren't married, or am I in trouble?"

"Oh, you angel? No way, you have nothing to worry about. Caroline? She's long gone."

"Did she leave you?" She asked with concern.

He shook his head solemnly, "Ovarian cancer. It's been almost twenty years without her, but two kids raised them myself after she passed, Kristina was five years old and she had just had Kyle God bless em. I love her, but I know she wouldn't want me alone for life."

"Sheesh, I'm sorry." Manny apologized for her lack of digression sighing covering her mouth with embarrassment before finally putting her hands down, "I can't help it, it's a horrible disease."

He paused before taking a massive drag of his cigarette and blowing out smoke rings for the hell of it. She could tell by the way he smoked that he had done so in the past, when he was a young man. She could imagine that he was once an attractive guy when he was back in his heyday. He replied in response, "I've been alone ever since, the kids are grown, my oldest just graduated from college and my youngest is starting his first semester at Banting, he wants to be a lawyer. I showed you photographs before, remember?"

"Oh right!" Manny said matter of factually as she grew surprised that he remembered that. She surely would gloss over those small details about that night. She could tell that there was nothing she could do that would disappoint him. He was a sweet man, a family man who sacrificed but his hard work paid off.

"How about you? You have kids?" He asked.

"No not me. Have you looked at me? I still am pleased to have the body of a teenager." She answered beaming joyously, "I couldn't possibly."

"Thinking about it? It feeds the loneliness, you find out what it's like for someone to be dependent on you."

"I just got out of a relationship, it's literally the last thing on my mind."

"Oh yeah? Jay? That was his name right?" He asked concerned, "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah." She shifted uncomfortably combing the hair in her face behind her ear. She decided to take a silent sanity break. Jay was the last thing she needed, she didn't want Stephen to feel sorry for her. In reality, she was fortunate he agreed to spend his time with her but she was completely desperate for companionship. The sad truth was Manny was terrified of being alone. She had tried but she ended up squeezing out Emma's hospitality until she couldn't anymore, she couldn't burden. It was another one of Manny's fears, burdening.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You just call me up if you ever need to talk." She didn't say anything. He took that as perhaps, his cue to go. He didn't know how to conduct these impromptu get together. Maybe I should go." He asked, catching the wind that Jay was a sore subject. Even while being essentially rejected, he still managed to be nice to her.

"No, stay I could use the company!" She exclaimed bouncing on the bed like a child, "Remember the sunrise." Manny says continuing to smoke her cigarette asking him questions, loaded and full questions so that he'd spend more time there, "So what were you like at my age?"

"Well, I worked I was a school teacher and I made good money. I worked all through college, at the hotdog stand. Yep." He said giving his head a pillow by his free hand against the hard headboard, "However my older brother, Nick he was a criminal and a drug-addict and we all lived in the same town, you see. So I was the good guy. Everyone knew me to be the one with the good judgement, good intentions. Caroline, my ex-wife she was my girlfriend we had actually just started dating as I got my first gig at a school. I was a teaching assistant fresh out of university. I was actually at the top of my class, I was a hard-working student. I flourished at university. In high school, I was a stoner but I still did my homework an in elementary school they thought I was autistic, at least my teachers did because I didn't talk none. I couldn't be bothered with worthless chit-chat. What the teachers said was law. That's what it was like back then, teachers weren't getting blamed on why kids do bad, it was the kids getting their ass beat if they didn't do their work. Old school parents, like the kind I had. Anyway, my brother, drug addict got stopped by the cops. We were roommates and all, and I loved my older brother. I looked up to him."

"Oh wow. I hardly knew my oldest brother. He moved out and never came back. I don't know what he does anymore."

"Neither do I, because he used my identity when he was stopped by the cops. Went to jail when I was questioned. It was the first time I had actually not let him get away with it. Although some never believed me. I lost my teaching license. That was a few years ago, I got lucky and bounced back with this job and yet . . I still miss teaching. I did for almost 35 years."

"That's so unfair!" Manny retorted, confusedly, "Could that really happen to someone?"

"Identity theft? Hello Manny, wake up. You have to be so informed of your rights. Or they'll take that away from you, or worse they'll leave you a shell. Be strong. I wish people told me not to be such a pushover as a kid, I was a nerd nobody liked me. I had one friend his name was DJ he was the popular guy but he always looked at people - not as allies but as where could this person get me? Needless to say, he was mad that I changed when I actually wanted to go far in life He said, buddy you changed for the negative because I stopped doing him favors. And He passed away a few years back. People leave and it doesn't matter how long we live on this planet because it's what you do with the time there. It's not easy living in this world. When I was growing up, we had it hard yeah but laws were more clear-cut cops weren't so corrupt even though they had the good faith that everyone was honest and true. Now there's so many people trying to cheat others."

"Yeah, it's bad." Manny shrugged her shoulders, pursing her lips before saying "I tend to be a yes person, I almost default say yes and I rarely do I put my foot-down and I say no about a lot of things. I should stop being so inviting. I should be more guarded."

"Sometimes it's more than that, it's almost like you have to beware of who you already trust." He answered.

"I see what you mean." Manny said grabbing her pants and tossing them on, followed by her shirt. She noticed her wine glass was sitting at the bedside table, they had gotten into the bedroom because Manny was given him a tour and she wanted him to feel her Egyptian cotton sheets and she instructed him to lay down, and he was close, he was being so sweet, so compassionate, so sweet that she temporarily ignored him and just took what she wanted from him, his company was one thing but he didn't seem to mind, after all so she felt less guilty.

They walked into the next room to get themselves more wine and get into the window room, the one that had two comfortable chairs overlooking the ocean. It was around sunrise, the sky was still a dark shade of blue which means the orange over the horizon was soon to arrive and that meant it was the prime time. Manny polished off the bottle of wine, after Stephen politely declined - he said after the sunrise he had to go. She didn't mind that, the loneliness happens more or less at night but during the day it's perfectly fine but as she watched the sunrise she knew she was going to feel better, even on the longest of nights. The sunrise over the ocean made her feel safe.

"Look, Steven, it's the sun." She says beaming as the sun peeked over the horizon early that morning. She yawned as she was entranced in the sun, the morning, "There's nothing like it on earth that is why I bought this place. It's just the pick me up I need until forever." Steven watched attentively but he didn't understand the big deal. He has seen many sunrises in the course of his life and yet Manny was sitting here so impressed by it, moved by it and he didn't feel much of anything. Perhaps it was a young, person's thing but it also felt as if it was something that people who didn't share that view didn't know anything about, could go their whole life without.

"You're so optimistic."

"It's a new day, and I'm ready for it." Manny said, still entranced on the sun rising signaling another day. He watched her, for someone with all the wisdom, or at least who Manny thought had all the wisdom it was Manny who had seen that the sun is indeed the new start, where she'd turn over a new leaf and everything would be alright. She had been attached to people from high school, but no one new. It's a new life for her and she's feeling positive vibes from it. Shedding her old life in favor of new and if people don't like it, they can deal. Manny has never put her foot down before and she felt right doing so. She acts like she knows it all, and she doesn't. Steven was a confidence boost, he didn't mean much to Manny at all. She let him in because she knew no one else would let him in. Sometimes Manny could be cold and cruel but she had long felt that way about herself. When he left, she took to her bathroom, and searched in her bathroom. She picked up a pair of cuticle scissors. She looked in the mirror at her bedhead, make up lingering from the night before and she just started chopping at her long hair. It was cathartic, it was ugly but it was just the chance she needed. When she saw what she had done, with the hair upon the sink, instead of crying, she looked at her new reflection fashioned in a layered razored looking elongated bob to her mid neck. It looked like she paid a professional, some parts were shorter than others but she admired it, her handy work. She had something to be proud of. In the sink, was the rest of her hair. She put down the scissors and left the bathroom.

. . .

Craig and Emma were greeted once inside by a grumpy Jay, coffee in hand. The room smelled like the robust aroma of coffee and cigarettes with Jay, he put his cigarette out in Emma's ashtray. Alex was asleep while sitting up, her head resting on his shoulder. He let Alex down onto the couch, until she lulled back to sleep before reaching around blindly. "What the hell is he doing here?" Jay protested in a low whisper clinching his free fist still standing up, he was scowling. Jay wasn't a morning person. On this day though, this was more than true, he was so not in the mood to see Craig Manning who had always hated and envied at the same time.

Sean like Alex was still sleeping, he was mumbling but he tended to sleep talk in fact he slept a lot in particular. However the things he usually says in his sleep sound upsetting and troubling but Emma doesn't want to pry. A few times he woke up hysterical but when she did ask he got snippy and then was silent the rest of the night. When he sleeps for more than 10 hours he feels like he only gets a wink, he doesn't snore he just speaks, in a hush tone he shouted in a dead sleep, "Shane, don't it's too dangerous." Afterward, he shook himself to silence. Jay distracted for moment whispered, "Sean . . it's alright. Shh, go back to sleep." Jay whispered, attempting to quiet down, he let out a nervous laugh directed at Emma, "He's been doing that a lot.

Jay realizing he wasn't getting a rise out of Emma looked over with concern toward Sean, "Him and his sleep talking kept me up all night basically."

"Jay, whose house is this?" Emma asked rather bluntly, exhausted by the tension, he shut up for a second again, the last thing she wanted from Jay was to let her know about the persisting issue of Sean's nightmares, obvious nightmares and yet there was nothing anyone would do because when they ask Sean he says oh Shane was my friend. Craig sighed feeling the tension but he didn't mean for it to come out so audible.

"He's asleep, Em I'll come around back later?" Craig offered politely his hands sheepishly in his pocket glaring at Jay, which was all the fuel Jay needed for the mutual hatred and backlash toward the other men in Manny's life. Competitive, both of them and hopelessly blaming one another for Manny's choice.

"No, no need, Craig he'll be up soon, want some coffee?"

"If he's staying I'm out." Jay turned around to face Emma as she and Craig walked into the kitchen. "Fine I stay, he leaves or you know what, Craig? Stay."

"Jay . . " Emma sighed, "Will you stop being so insensitive?"

"Me? Insensitive. What about you?" Jay muttered shaking his head, thinking twice about raising his voice after he had already done so. He felt foolish, Emma was his best friend and he was taking this out on her instead of the other guy behind her. Jay was making Craig look like a saint for all that he had done in the past. Even Emma, the most stubborn of all felt sympathy.

She had known Craig since she was very young, and although they grew apart and he was in and out of her life whether or not Manny was an issue or not they were family and nothing was changing that. It was the way it was before Jay was Emma's friend, Craig was there first. "I'm sorry."

"I understand, Jay. I do." Craig sighed, "You act like I wanted to hurt her. I was a different kind of guy back then. Stop judging me on no basis. You don't know what I went through because I kept it bottled up, I took it out on people. You don't know because you only know the bad parts of me."

"Isn't that all?" Jay asked spitefully.

"You haven't changed at all." Craig scoffed, "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be. Afterall, your girl she was with me for more than five years, we were good we were headed down the road until you came back like a boomerang and ruined everything."

"And then she wasn't with you and this has nothing to do with Manny. I'm not blind you know,

"Guys stop!" Emma hollered covering her ears interjecting even though it was against her judgement. It wasn't her place and they were quick to remind her.

"Emma, could Craig and I have time alone, eh?" Jay asked her tensely and brash.

"Not here!" She hollered, "Not in my house, Jay if you respect me at all you would not make my house into a violent zone."

The Jay Emma come to know was a sweet, nurturing non violent person. He wasn't quick to anger, he wasn't tempestuous he was funny, he made her laugh and this side of him frightened her especially when he raised his voice, especially when he was trying to pick a fight in her home.

He was a person she knew before, to be careless. The Jay in her house was hostile. One violence is never the answer, two we don't care. For the past five or so years, he was her kind friend who she was experiencing the softer side of him and now he's going against everything. The Jay she hated, the Jay she leaned on and instead of help her with words of wisdom, he was full of hate, anger and cruelty. Craig advanced toward Jay as he ranted and raved, "I don't want to fight you."

"Fuck you." Jay muttered through gritted teeth shaking his head, "I don't like you."

"If you're not going to listen to me, fine. But listen to Emma!" Craig exclaimed eyeing Emma in tears beside him, Emma prayed Sean would wake up soon. She would wake him but she was afraid he'd snap.

Alex awoke to this, she pounded her pillow with her fist from the couch, angrily demanding attention awaking slowly as she took Jay's backwards baseball cap off of his head, "Will you both shut the fuck up? I get it! I do, stop trying to make everyone feel sorry for you. We were up half the night talking about Manny, you know what? Fuck Manny, she left she abandoned you. Stop because she aint crying over you."

"She didn't abandon anybody. She had work." Jay muttered, in pure denial. He groaned.

"She left, get over it."

"Shut up, Alex this has nothing to do with you."

"You are my business, Jay. You're my best friend."

"Alex, how about you shut your mouth, how about that?" Jay sputtered back putting his coffee on the coffee table as he picked up the bottle of booze they had passed around the night before taking a swig, "It's fucking 11 o'clock and shit but who gives a fuck? May as well start early. You know, you should be on my side, Lexx."

"You disgust me." Alex muttered, "This isn't you. And newsflash, I'm being loyal."

"And since when you know anything about loyalty? You're pretty much betraying me. All this shit coming from the girl who has no one and nowhere to go, strung out on heroin and cocaine, showing her body for cash, selling yourself to the highest bidder."

"Fuck you too, Jay." Alex scoffed shaking her head, "Stop being a bitch, don't say shit you can't take back."

"Can't take back? Spare me."

Alex was silent, shattered by his harsh words, "You don't mean that. I know you don't mean that. Keep going by all means - and then you'll have no one."

"I already lost everything that matters, what's one more person? Dad, my mother, I have no family."

"You have me and you're screwing it up and without me would be alone and I won't feel sorry."

She got up off he couch followed by an ominous silence from everyone. Emma choked back on tears and Alex compassionately wrapped her arms around her, "Can't you see? She's frightened. This is her home stop acting like a fucking animal! I was asleep and I had to wake up and I made a promise to myself I wouldn't be waking up to glasses breaking, yelling and cursing and I'm cursing now, sure but that's because you don't listen to anyone but yourself. She doesn't want you guys, both of you guys. Move on, deal with it. It's not Craig's fault, Jay and stop blaming Craig! Stop blaming Jay, Craig. Will you both just shut up!? Emma can let who ever she wants in here and quite frankly Jay, if she's your friend and all listen to her have decency in her fucking house. Stop acting like a jerkass, it is so 2003."

"I wasn't -" Craig butt-in his two cents.

"And you?" She scoffed chiming in, "Shut your trap, I'm not talking about you. I just don't want to argue about it or hear about it any fucking more, do you understand?"

"Can we just stop?" Emma cried in question, echoing Alex sadly. Craig turned to Emma, and Emma turned to Alex, "I think think he'd make this huge stink. Upset, yeah . . I-"

"Emma, he's horrible and you know it!" Jay shouted causing Craig to furrow his brow with scowling annoyed by Jay's hostility.

"Go home, Jay. Sleep it off." Emma looked at Jay and whispered honestly, "It's best, at least for today. Just go."

"Emma . . "

"Go home, now. You can pick up Alex later when you're in a better mood. She's staying here with me for the day."

"You - wh- why?" He asked flabbergasted, he couldn't form a sentence to come back with he was just confused, why no one was siding with him, but this wasn't about sides.

Jay shrugged his shoulders, pushing past Craig aggressively, he stopped after he bumped his arm, "I still hate you, and if the girls weren't here," he whispered, "I'd kick your punkrock ass."

Craig was silent, his eyes widened bu after the scene he pulled he looked less credible and he was just saying things just to say. Jay put on his shoes by the door, threw on his coat and slammed the door loud behind him. Emma fell onto the couch, she impulsively cleaned up after Jay. She picked up the coffee cup quietly, "Alex," she addressed calmly, giving it to Alex, "Put that on the counter."

"And meanwhile, Sean slept through everything."

Sean jerked himself awake looking around, half asleep, "Who said that?"

"Sean."

Sean widened his eyes and beamed, "Craig! Man, how are you? Come here." He said preparing to hug, "I had no idea you were here."

"Evidently, you do sleep through everything." Craig snickered walking closer as Sean sat up, stood up and threw his arms around him, they did this handshake thing and Emma although her trauma, offered a happy smile. She knew it would make Sean's day to see an old friend. Once upon a time, Craig, Sean and Emma hung out together. It was when they dated in eighth grade, every day that summer they'd go up to The Dot whether to buy candy, eat, have coffee or just get refills upon refills of water and talk. The following year though, he started dating Ashley full-time and they were no longer taking things slow and soon he started hanging out with Ashley and her friends and all but forgot about the underclassmen who were once his best friends. Times were much simpler then, for all of them. It was before Sean and Emma's big break up, the greatest summer she had ever spent with friends. If she wasn't hanging out with Sean alone, she would also hang out with Manny and they'd sometimes even hang out all three. They would have sleepover at Joey's house, where he'd make pancakes and waffles. It was after Craig and Manny dated, but it didn't matter because Manny didn't hold ill-will for him it was the contrary but she wasn't getting her hopes up again. Ashley was his girlfriend, but it was just friends all hanging out together. Times have changed, but not the friendships. Emma can see Craig and it's like they never missed a beat, and evidently that goes for Sean too. Sean was Craig's first friend, beside Emma in town and it was only a matter of time he'd find his way to them.

"Jay's pissed, he left." Emma explained, sniffling running her hand through her oily hair, "I uh I want to shower guys, I guess just wait here."

"Are you alright, baby?" Sean asked, brushing past the coffee table to join Emma, "What's going on?"

"Jay was mean." Emma sighed, "I saw Craig on the way to the store and I invited him over, thought he'd cheer you up."

"Oh, that's odd, but Emma, it's too soon, you know? It's like what if I invited Spinner over."

"He should-be known better." Alex chimed in matter of factually, "He knows how to behave, he just regressed."

"Sean that's not the same thing."

Sean beamed, "It is, but no use crying over it, alright?" He said holding the sides of her head and pushing toward his forehead, "I love you, you care so much about everyone. It's so admirable."

"Thank you."

Alex coughed at the status of the situation nauseated by a first thing PDA, "How about I make us some breakfast."

"I almost forgot, I brought some food." Emma said leaning over to give her the bag, "Cereal, granola bars, fruit and eggs."

"Sweet, deal! Thinking ahead." Alex replied still sort of shaken up from the Jay incident. Craig stayed back and remained silent for a few moments more since Jay left. She was kind of hurt by a lot of things he said, but they weren't the ones who ever talked about anything important together that had to do with anything at all. Alex would tell him about her sordid life and reminisce about the past and not about things she was feeling in the present. Jay would talk about the here and now and he was still hurting over Manny. He loved her, gave her space after the break up only to realize she was off and running on her way back to LA and she was feeling guilty and vulnerable and she never wanted to look that way in front of her even though that's okay.

The friends made breakfast as Sean folded up his blankets and put them away in the closet to free up space on the couch for Alex if she wanted to sit down there and watch tv as opposed to the white leather armchair. They cooked eggs and Alex cut up the fruit. Sean made mimosa with the orange juice and the left over vodka in the cabinet. It was nearly eleven by the time breakfast was up and ready on the table everyone was calm and happy and spirits were lifted after the morning confrontation making it a true brunch. Chatter and hilarity ensues, everyone was having a good time reminiscing about years past, fun and not so fun memories and just friends being friends even if two were missing from them at least that day they were an unlikely group of friends who were always so different from one another. We had Jay and Alex the Candy Bandits and Sean became friends with them, before that there was Craig - who was the first friend Craig, Emma was an old family friend, almost relative and Emma used to have a crush on him which made Craig laugh and feel stupid for not seeing it years ago but he said no harm done, being family is more important and Emma was the one most different of all she was someone who glued them all together by six degrees.