Chapter 39

Clean up Crew

It wasn't long after Craig's little outburst that Spinner and Darcy decided to leave the party and Emma couldn't blame them. Sean walked Craig home since he has experience dealing with people who are drunk and knows what to do if Craig decides to step out of line. Paige and Alex disappeared somewhere and Manny was crying in the bedroom because she had made the most difficult choice she had ever made in her life.

As Jay left the bedroom in an attempt to consol Manny he took a break to help Emma clean up the mess he snickered and managed a bit of a joke, "Some party, huh?"

Emma couldn't help but smile as she plucked some of the red solo cups left behind by guests off the counter top, "Yeah, tell me about it."

"So Emma, could I give you a hand with everything?"

"Fine by me." She answered, "you know Jay, despite who you were in high school and everything that happened then I look at you now and think, you're a great friend."

"I try, Em." Jay beamed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Emma stopped and looked over at him, "I had the biggest crush on you in high school."

Emma shook her head, "why anyway?"

"Well you were my best friends girl, you were this like . . good kid and you were kind of off limits."

"Didn't stop you before."

"Yeah well, I was different then and besides we were destined to be friends anyway."

"Best friends." Emma replied as she knelt down to find Craig's abandoned liquor bottle shattered on the floor, she tried to take a piece but ended up scraping her hand with the shard and suddenly she was bleeding. Jay came to the rescue and retrieved a napkin from the countertop. "Thanks."

"Do you have a dustpan or anything, let me take care of that." Jay told her kindly as Emma blotted the napkin on her hand as she stood up and sat on the chair.

"Yeah, it's right in the closet by my room."

Jay grasped the broom and dustpan and quickly conquered the mess while Emma cleaned off her hand with water and a bandaid. "It's just funny that we're friends after everything. We've become like this, rag tag group you know me, you Cameron, Manny and Lexxi. It's going to be sad when we leave."

"I know, what're we going to do without you?" Emma asked Jay, "you're a big part of both Sean and my life."

"You know, Em I'm only a call away if you need anything, Manny as well and we'll visit of course and hopefully I find a nice garage out there and maybe when Manny retires we'll move back."

Emma smiled as she pulled him into a hug, "I'm still gonna miss you though."

"Don't worry, Em you have Sean and he loves you."

"Jay about Sean, I've never loved anybody more in my entire life and you're absolutely right."

"I always am." Jay beamed into the hug.

- x -

"I don't feel good." Craig groaned as he stumbled into some bushes along the sidewalk and threw up. It was all over him when Sean pulled him back out with brute force. The rocker looked horrible and he felt horrible.

"Come on, man let's get you home."

"What's home anymore, man?" Craig shook his head as he managed to get his footing, "Manny doesn't love me anymore."

"You know that's not true, she's worried about cha. She didn't like seeing you like that."

"No, she told me that she can't, you know love me."

"And Craig, you have to respect her wishes if you love her the way you think you do." Sean sighed, "I think it's better to respect others wishes even if it conlicts with your own."

"My heart is broken and I honestly-" He burped and wiped his mouth sloppily, "I don't think I will ever love another person the way I loved her you know? Maybe, Sean you can help me."

"I'm already helping you." Sean sighed, "here's my advice want to hear it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Let her go." Sean told him bluntly, "Just let her go."

"We're forever connected though, she almost had my baby and we could've been a family you know. What's this Jay Hogart have that I don't?"

"I don't know, Craig." Sean felt uncomfortable. When the rumors swirlled after Craig and Ashley breaking up over Manny and the baby he kept himself out of it and he was busy doing his own thng with Jay and Sean sort of abandoned Craig when he needed him but Sean isn't that guy anymore and he's willing to listen to his friend. "All I know is Manny doesn't feel the way that you do."

"Maybe I just should go home, not this hotel I've been racking up bills on but really, my house."

"Maybe, Craig. Are you just a bit homesick?"

"I see her everywhere, how am I going to get over her?"

"You will, trust me. You think I haven't ever been with other girls? What about Ellie? It took me time but I got over her."

"That's different now because you have Emma and she loves you and I've got . . nothing."

Sean sighed, "Going around with that defeatest attitude isn't going to help you. You have to channel yourself as . . . yourself. Why don't you give some of your friends a call, call me if you need to talk but hell if I know being downtrodden didn't help me at all. People prey on that shit. When I went to the army I shed that skin. I had to grow up in a hurry if I was going to surivive. I met a best friend there. He had everything going for him and he was killed and I saw it happen. I wished so hard I could save him. I still have nightmares over it. I just don't let it directly affect my daily life. I can't let it or I'll lose everything I hold dear. I mean it Craig, there's a girl who would love you and bring you joy but you have to be patient."

"Thanks Sean" Craig beamed, "you're a great friend."

And then he threw up again, this time all over Sean's shoes.