TIME STANDS STILL PART 1

"Wanna be my partner in lab?" Manny asked Emma the next day.

Emma was out of it.

That kiss between her and Jay played over and over. Those butterfly's turned in her stomach over and over.

"Emma?" Manny tried getting her attention, "Em?"

Manny and Emma were exiting class when the bell rang just as Jay and his crew were passing.

Emma saw this and turned red, trying to focus on the ground, Jay did this also but once they past another, they cracked smiles.

Jesus Hogart, get it together! Your acting like a little school boy.

Rick then stopped Emma in her tracks and asked, "Can we talk?"

"Um, i'm really busy right now actually. Later?" Emma asked, wanting to get as far as Rick as she could.

Or maybe she should hug him? Would that make Jay come running back again?

Emma couldn't stop smiling as she walked away.

"You promise?" Rick asked, watching her go and she turned, walking backwards and just nodded.

"Watch it loser." Jimmy Brookes said, almost bumping into him since Rick was just standing in the middle of the hallway.

With him, Craig snickered.

"Jimmy! What have I ever done to you?" Rick finally yelled back.

"Is that a sick joke?" Jimmy asked, walking back over until Craig grabbed him.

"Who cares, just walk away." Craig insisted and Jimmy clenched his jaw but nodded, leaving slowly to punch a locker on his way.

THE NEXT DAY.

Toby sat down at the picnic table outside of Degrassi when he saw Rick at it, brooding.

"What's with you?" Toby asked.

"Emma promised me yesterday she'd talk to me. Still hasn't." He said through clenched teeth and tightened his fists.

"Easy tiger." Toby teased with a laugh until Rick got up, shoved his chest and stormed off.

Toby's mouth fell and gave a 'what the hell' look, watching him go.

Over at another picnic table, Manny sat beside Emma.

"Alright, tell." She demanded.

Emma snapped out of it and asked, "Tell what?"

"what has you all distracted Miss Juliet... whose Romeo?" Manny asked with a smirk and Emma blushed, she felt a heat wave too.

"Nobody." She lied.

"Let me guess? Jay." Manny quickly informed and Emma's mouth fell.

"How'd you guess?" Emma whined. WAS SHE OBVIOUS?

"Everyone knows, Emma." Manny laughed, "We thought Sean was your first love but shit, not we see what real love is. Guess we were just silly little kids." She said.

"You can say that again." Nodded Emma in agreement and huffed, "Jay's hard to get around though."

"Your telling me." Manny said and received a look and explained, "Just sayin, he has a repuation. Em, you may be setting yourself up for heartbreak... and by the way you two just... get another? You know what can get under his skin. It could be bad."

"So you think... I shouldn't?" Emma asked slowly, getting a bit upset.

Maybe Manny was right. Sean didn't work out, Chris didn't work out, Chester was just to make Jay jealous, and trying with Jay... might just ruin her. Emma liked Jay... alot. It scared Emma to think about maybe it wasn't in like anymore but possibly in love.

"I'm just saying please be careful." Manny begged and then saw an orange civic arrive school.

"Can we talk?" Jay asked, getting out of his car and going over.

Manny took the cue to leave and Jay sat across from Emma who avoided his eyes. Her heart was suddenly hurting.

Okay.

Correction. She was very much in love with Jay Hogart here. Damn it.

"I guess..."

Jay frowned at her reply but opened his mouth. God, what to start with.

He drifted off, "Yesterday..." he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. It was way better than they imagined.

Emma then insisted, "We can totally forget about it, if that's what you want."

"Why would I want that?" Jay shot back, squinting his eyes.

Emma bit her lower lip and went over what Manny had said, "It's just. I'm me and you're you." Could you explain that any more?

"Excuse me?" Jay asked, slightly offended.

Emma sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know just... yeah, bad boy and good girl thing works, but you're not just the bad boy, you're like... the bad boy of bad boys. We don't see the softer side of you a lot..."

"I'm flattered." Jay said in sarcasm and Emma frowned deeply.

"Meaning you may always be bad." Emma explained, "Maybe bad to me..." she said slowly and Jay bit the end of his tounge.

How could she think that?

He thought out of all people, Emma Nelson was not afraid of him. But I guess this was different. Jay has never loved someone... specially like this.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to be good." He said softly and desperately, gazing into her eyes with hope.

"That won't stop you forever." She replied lightly, swallowed the cry back.

"Emma can you not see I LIKE you... a lot?" he asked and snapped, "It doesn't take someone with brains to notice I want you! So what took you so long?" he then huffed and got up, "What? Am I not good enough?"

"Jay, no!" she exclaimed, staring up at him. That wasn't it at all! She didn't... she didn't think she was enough for him!

"You think I didn't wonder why I wasn't good enough!" he asked her madly.

"You are." She softly whispered, looking away from him and shaking her head.

He went on until he went over what she said, "I watched you every-... what?"

Emma finally cracked a smile and stood up in front of him, "Clearly, it does take brains for you to notice." Jay gave a bit of a nod and she went on, "Jay I wanna be with you but it's so fucking complicated. Somethings so different about you, but I don't trust..."

"Me?"

"No, me." She declared.

"What?" Jay questioned. He didn't get it. What was so wrong about her? Nothing. She was perfect.

She explained, "I don't trust myself with you. You know your reputation, womanizer, bad boy, partier. Me? Miss Goody two shoes that just wants to make the world better. I don't think you'll be interested very long..."

"Don't you think those things makes us good together? And Emma, I liked you since I laid eyes on you." He confessed and Emma tried to fight her tears.

"We could hurt another." She told him, and she couldn't handle that pain, not again... not from him. "Your the only one who can hurt me."

"I'm different around you, I'm happier, better." Jay told her and put his hand on her cheek, "Please, Emma?" he asked desperately, bending down and lightly pressing his lips to hers and she finally let a tear drop, pulling away.

"I have to go." She cried and left as quick as she could.

Behind the scene, a very pissed off Rick shook with anger to what he just saw.

He decided to take a trip home.

No Paige, it's fine you'll never forgive me and make my life hell.

No Toby, it's fine you pretend to be my true friend.

No Jimmy, it's fine you bully me.

No Jay, it's fine you bully me too AND take my girl.

No Emma, it's fine you pretended you love me.

I'll just make you ALL pay...

Rick finally got home and went to his room into his night table and pulled the drawer out.

There, laid a gun.