"I don't like him." Joey said for the second time. "Something about him is just off."
"Why, is it because he likes me?"
"No Tessa, the guy rubs me the wrong way."
"He was a complete gentleman, better then some people have treated me."
"Of course." He snorted.
"Of course what Joey?"
"Tessa, you know the rumors."
"Yeah Joey, and I know what started those rumors." She said bitterly, "you couldn't make up your damn mind. Screw me or date Caitlin? I'm glad you thought with your dick Joey, maybe if you thought with your heart we wouldn't be having this talk."
"It's not all my fault, you pursued me."
"I wasn't the one with the girl friend. But why does Joey Jeremiah care, if it wasn't for my reputation you'd never be Mr. Studly. And you could of said no, or maybe that was Caitlin's job."
"Don't bring her into this."
"Oh God forbid we bring Caitlin into this, you put her on a higher pedestal then me. Do you even care about me? If I wasn't pregnant would you we even be my friend?"
Before Joey could answer the porch lights came on and annoyed Mrs. Jeremiah stood behind the screened front door."What is going on out here?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Jeremiah. It won't happen again." She apologized before walking past her.
Dorothy had came to pick up Tessa before the start of the week. She had begged Dorothy to ask her parents to let her move in and they agreed.
Joey wished he had been able to talk to Tessa. He wished he could reassure her but when he had saw her and Adam he became irrational. He wanted to protect her but thought a little space would do them good. Dr. Schroeder had sent them back to Dr. Shelia so they wouldn't need to see each other until after Christmas.
The dance was tonight and Tessa couldn't remember a time she was this excited. Well she did but that would bring thoughts of Joey. Since the two weeks Tessa moved in with Dorothy she hadn't spoken to him. She did tell Mrs. Jeremiah that she'd love to drop off a Christmas ham for all of the help she had provided.
Tessa loved staying with Dorothy, they would stay up all night and chat. She wished she would of came to Dorothy's house first instead of the Jeremiah's.
"How do I look?" Dorothy said spinning around in beautiful red dress. A guy from grade 11 asked her to the dance. It would be her first date.
"Beautiful, Eric's going to be love struck." Tessa wore the green dress she had wore to the wedding. It was a little bit of a tight fit but she was trying to save has much money as she can before the baby comes.
"Look at you," Dorothy replied back. More of Tessa blonde hair had peaked out. She was starting to feel more like her pre-pregnancy self. "Adam will be left speechless and Joey," Tessa cringed at the name, "will eat his heart out."
"I'm sure he'll be left more the pleased with Melanie." She said referring to the rumor that she planned on sleeping with him at the dance.
"Dorothy, Tessa, your dates are here." Dorothy's mom called from downstairs has the girls finished getting ready.
Joey had already picked Melanie up. He also dressed in the same outfit he had worn to the wedding. Melanie and him went to grab a bite before heading to the dance.
"I'm so glad you said yes," Melanie whispered to him. "I can't wait to show you how glad." She continued moving her hand to his upper thigh. Joey moved her hand away again. He heard the rumors but was hoping Melanie would have more sense. She cling to him more, "Order me a chardonnay please, Joey." She cooed in his ear.
Tessa, Dorothy and their dates arrived first. Adam took her to be introduced to his team mates first.
"I told you I would have the most beautiful girl in Degrassi has my date." He told two of them.
"Congrats." One of the jocks, Jimmy said before rolling his eyes and walking away.
After a while they had made there way to the refreshments table and that's when Tessa spotted Joey. The eyes locked, both silently acknowledging each other. Joey made the first move.
"You look good." But would look better with me he thought silently.
Tessa didn't respond, but Adam sure did.
"Shouldn't you save the compliments for your date? Don't want her to get jealous, or is that your new thing?"
Joey noticed Adam grip hand her tighter. Joey ignored the younger man, "I know I might be asking for to much but will you save me a dance?"
Tessa face softened, she hated that Joey's charm can always break her emotional walls. "I'll think about it."
He watch Adam's face turn into a scowl at Tessa's response to the Jeremiah charm. And for a moment he wanted to tell Adam to get lost and take Tessa to the dance floor but Melanie broke the moment.
"Joey," Tessa's jaw tighten has she watched Melanie drape herself over Joey. "I think i left something in your car. We need to go find it."
And that had been Adam's cue to pull her away. Nothing was going to mess up this night for him. The other couple headed back to the car to retrieve the forgotten item. Except there was no item. Once inside Melanie was all over Joey. He didn't mind at first but thoughts of Tessa got to him and he held Melanie at bay.
"Joey," she purred, "just let me kiss you."
"Melanie, I think we should stop."
"Is it cause I'm not a virgin like Tessa and Caitlin were?" She fumed. She turned to slip away but Joey caught her.
"You know that's not the reason," holding her in a comfortable distance, "if it was earlier in the year I would be all for it but I've had to grow up. And I wish you would too. What happened to the Melanie that I knew? The funny, smart chick and amazing friend, where did she go in all of this?"
Melanie stared quietly at him. Not one guy had ever talked to her like this,"Boys, teenage boys." She answered. She was a lot like Tessa and Spike in some aspect, she had slept with Todd originally to keep him from leaving. He still left her. She wanted to make him jealous. Now all she did was want to cry.
"We suck, don't we?"
"Some less then others." She said complimenting him.
"I'll take it."
"If you hadn't screwed everything up over summer do you think you'd be like one of those teenage boys?"
"Probably," he shrugged. "Honestly I wouldn't change it. I don't think Caitlin and I would of lasted and I would of just held her back and we both would of been bitter. The only thing that I wish i could change was hurting them both. Neither of them deserve that. No one deserves that."
They stayed their silent in Joeys car for a few minutes to think about their choices in life. Joey's words of changed resonated in Melanie's head. She was the first to pull away. She smoothed her dress out and opened the door. "Thanks for the heart to heart."
"Anytime!"
Meanwhile inside the school building Tessa seemed to be having the time of her life. She just couldn't stop looking at the door though. She kept thinking Joey was going to come in and pull her away. She wanted it to happen even if she was with someone else. She felt bad especially since Adam hadn't once let her leave his sight. The only thing that seemed off to her was Adam's two friends, Jimmy and Drake. They always seemed to be staring at them.
"Want to sit for a bit? Don't want to get you tired."
"Sure, I am getting kinda tired. Pregnancy ankles." She rambled on.
"I can help with that." And in one swift move Adam had scooped her up in his arms. She marveled at his strength has he carried her. She thought that he would carry her to the table Dorothy and Eric had been seated at. No, he carried her into the hallway.
"Put me down." She giggled.
"I will i just want to show you something."
Joey finally made his way out of the car. He did ask Tessa for one dance and he was hoping to collect on it. He was proud of his maturity today. Before making his way into the cafeteria turned dance space he headed to the bathroom and enter a stall.
"I can't believe I'm about to be out of $80." Jimmy said to the other jock, Drake has they entered the same bathroom. "I was so sure Tessa the Tease was going to make her return today."
"He probably already done. You know Tessa moved fast, just look at her and Joey." Drake reassured.
"Did you see how he carried her? I bet he's gonna take her to the East stairwell. That's were he screws all the girls."
"Whatever man, just pay up. I can't believe you bet against him. Adam always gets what he wants even if it is Joey's sloppy seconds."
"I bet Melanie's next, he really has something out for Joey."
"Do you blame him? We were all suppose to be the big men on campus get any girls we want and that cockroach is all they talk about. Finish up, I want to see that slut do the walk of shame."
Joey's blood was boiling. He waited until they left before be emerged from the stall. His gut was right about Adam, he saw right through the guy. He was now on a mission to find Tessa.