DISCLAIMER: I do not own Degrassi or any of the names, brands or place names that you see in this story.

Emma needed to get to Jay before Sean did so she could warn him, and even try to get him to say no to Sean. But that was easier said than done.

"Jay, please!" Emma was exasperated now. She'd been stood in the auto-shop for the past fifteen minutes trying to convince Jay to let Sean down, but he was adamant that 'a road trip would be good.' Emma wasn't usually one to get down on her knees and beg a man, but the ways things were sliding, it may soon become a reality. "It won't be fun, Jay! For either of us! If Manny blabs to Sean, or if anyone blabs to Sean, it'll be our necks on the line."

"Manny won't say anything if she's smart." Jay said coolly.

"How the hell can you act so casual?" Emma asked in distress. "Please, Jay! I really don't wanna go on this road trip!"

"Don't go then!" Jay reasoned impatiently. "You have a backbone don't you, so use it!"

"It's not that easy. Manny won't take no for an answer." Emma explained. "Look, Jay, please just tell Sean he can't borrow the Civic. No car, no trip. Please."

"Maybe."

"Oh my God, Jay please! I can't go on a vacation with you and Sean! It'll be too much!"

"Nah... I won't say anything, if Manny has any regard for her life she won't say anything either. So you're safe. Unless you decide to spill the beans."

"Well, duh." Emma shot Jay a look. "Fine! But I still want you to say no. You'd do it if you cared about me at all!"

"Oh, emotional blackmail now, eh?" Jay laughed. "Whatever, Nelson. Quit buggin' me, or else I'll call up Sean now and tell him he can use the car."

"Urgh, Jay you're so annoying!"

"I know, it has been said before!" Jay smiled and returned to polishing the Cadillac occupying the floor space. Emma huffed out of the garage and out into the summer sunshine. The weather certainly was not reflecting her mood.

Since Manny and Sean's enthusiasm about the road trip earlier that day, Emma had been on edge. It was asking for trouble taking a road trip with both Sean and Jay. Sean had been back from Wasaga for a long time now, and it wasn't even like they were together. But Emma knew Sean well enough to know that if he found out about the ravine, he'd go crazy.

Emma sat in the food court at the mall aimlessly slurping a latte. She had that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when you know something horrific is about to go down and you can't do anything about it. Essentially, that was what was happening to her.

She was so caught up in her woe, she nearly missed her cell vibrating on the table top in front of her. She picked it up on the last ring, without time to check the Caller ID.

"Hello?" She grumbled.

"Hello, happy!" Manny's annoyingly cheery voice greeted her on the other end.

"Manny, what do you want?" She asked cruelly.

"Woah, I can tell when I'm not wanted!" Manny exclaimed. "Where are you? I hear clanging!"

"The mall. Drinking a latte." Emma replied shortly.

"Where was my invite?" Manny asked in mock devastation.

"You don't get one. You totally betrayed me earlier!" Emma answered sincerely.

"What?!" Manny scoffed, trying to play it cool. "What are talking about?"

"Jay!" Emma hissed, checking over her shoulder nervously. "Inviting Jay on this stupid road trip of yours!"

"What? What's wrong with Jay? I know he can be a jackass, but-"

Emma cut Manny off. "Him and Sean together! I can't cope with that!" Emma hinted desperately. She wished Manny wasn't so dim. She couldn't say to Manny what she was trying to say in the mall, there were young kids about.

Manny was silent on the other end for a few dumb moments, before it clicked in her head what Emma meant. "Oh! Oh that! Em, seriously. It's not like you've never been in the same room and Jay and Sean before. It'll be fine. No-one'll say anything, it's old news now anyway!"

"But still, you could see I was trying to get you to shut up but you just kept on talking!"

"Em, seriously. Stop being such a worrier. Besides, Jay won't even agree to it, I'll bet. I gotta go now anyway, I'll see you tonight."

Emma opened her mouth to protest, but Manny had hung up and disconnected the call before she could form the words.

She slammed her cell down on the table angrily and took a huge sip of her drink, that had now cooled off to become lukewarm. "Damn girl." She muttered to herself under her breath.

Sean called Jay's cell five times, and no reply so he tried to garage phone. It picked up on the sixth ring. "Tony's Auto-Shop." Jay's gruff voice answered, unusually formal for Jay.

"Jay, it's Sean."

"Oh hey buddy, whats goin' on?"

"Listen, I need a favor. For Manny and Emma." Sean got straight to the point.

Jay knew what was coming, but he played dumb anyway, to keep Emma safe for another day. "Oh yeah, what can I do for you?"

"How does a road trip sound?" Sean asked initially.

"Uh, Thelma and Louise, much?" Jay joked. "Seriously? Uh, sure..."

"One thing. We need a driver. You get to come along for the ride, we just need the Civic."

"You wanna take my baby all across Canada?" Jay asked skeptically.

"Yeah. Manny's got her heart set on it and all. And hey, the lovely Manuela is single – you could be in with a chance there, man."

"You've got my attention, Cameron." Jay laughed casually. Manny, hot. But came with serious baggage. Emma Nelson, hot. Always would be.

"So what d'you say?" Sean pressed on anxiously.

Jay was silent for a moment while he contemplated it. He could go against Emma's wishes and prove to her that it'd all be OK, or he could say no and ruin their summer plans. "I'll think about it. Get back to you later."

"OK, man, thanks! Great. See ya later then." Sean clicked off before Jay could respond. Jay hung up the receiver in the holder on the desk and sighed loudly.

Manny had already started compiling lists for the trip, even though they hadn't even confirmed they were going yet.

She and Sean were still hanging out together at Sean's place. The basketball was over and now Sean was watching soccer. It was a never ending cycle of sports shows. Hell, even cycling was a sport. That was probably next.

Manny was knelt at the coffee table with a huge wad of paper in front of her making different lists: clothes lists, food and drink lists, stop off lists, a list of possible motels...

"Manny, we don't even know we're going!" Sean pointed out, laughing at her ditzyness.

"Well it's good to plan ahead!" Manny reasoned. "Hey, so Sean. I was thinking, this road trip would be the perfect opportunity for you to spark things back up with Miss Nelson!"

"Yeah and no. I don't know..." Sean faltered. "Maybe."

"Oh come on Sean! If we go all that way and you don't so much as kiss her I'll kill you myself, I swear!" Manny threw the pen she was writing with at Sean.

"Hey, no violence Miss Santos!" Sean grabbed a cushion off the couch and threw it at her head with perfect aim. Lucky it was made out of feathers.

"Hey!" Manny toppled as the cushion met her head. She scrambled to pick it up off the floor and charged at Sean with the pillow in her hand. She jumped on top of him and pounded his head with the pillow.

"Argh, surrender, surrender!" Sean let out muffled cries as Manny attacked him playfully.

"So you agree to try again with Emma?" Manny interrogated, still sat on top of him.

"Yes! God yeah, just let me go!" Sean arched his back and threw Manny off him.

"Yes!!" Manny seemed thrilled with how things were shaping out. "You're the perfect couple!"

So what do you guys think of this so far? The couples involved in this won't be who you expect I think. I hope you liked it! Chapter 3 coming soon!

Thank you for the reviews on chapter one!

Please R&R!