Emma sat in Jay's car shaking her foot impatiently. She had no idea why she was even here. She knew she hadn't wanted to go home but waiting in Jay's car while he disappeared into some grungy van with a big-breasted girl wasn't her idea of fun.
Emma straightened up as she noticed the door to the van open. Said big-breasted girl spilled out (of more than just her top) followed by a satiated-looking Jay. He was also carrying a beer can and Emma knew she was going to be walking the rest of the way home.
"Hello, Emma. Are you having fun in here?" Jay asked, sliding back into the car while still juggling the beer can.
"No," Emma said shortly.
"You could have joined me in the van. You could have had some beer; we could have had some fun. You really should loosen up."
"I'm not like that. My idea of fun isn't drinking and servicing you."
"Then why'd you come down here?"
"I don't know."
"I do. You got into a fight with Seanie-boy and I come pulling up in my old Toyota. I was your knight in a beat-up car. But I'm not that guy. I drink, I smoke, and I hook-up with random girls. Those things make me happy. We can be friends, we can be more than friends but you're going to have to accept that I'm never going to be a prince. If that's what you're looking for then keep on walking because he's not in this car."
"Fine, I will," Emma said and got out of Jay's car.
"Damn it," Jay yelled and smacked his hand against the dashboard. He quickly got out of the car and ran after Emma.
"I'm a jerk," he gasped when he reached her at the edge of the wooded area. "But I don't want you to expect too much of me. I screw up, a lot."
"What do you think is going to happen with us? I just saw you get out of a broken down van with that whore who's now making out with another guy. I get that you're interested in me and I'm flattered but you're not at all the kind of guy I'm looking for. And it's not that I think you're a bad person but I couldn't be with someone that doesn't just want to be with me."
"If you go out with me then I'll stop coming down here."
"Oh wow," Emma giggled, "this place is like crack to you. You sound like an addict who promises to give up his drug for the love of a good woman. I appreciate it but I don't expect you to change for me."
"And even if I did Sean would still be in your heart."
"I don't know where Sean would be. But like you don't want me to expect too much from you, I don't want you to expect too much from me. Maybe Sean and I will work things out, maybe we won't."
"So we both have issues?"
"Yep."
"That actually makes me feel better. I know you don't want a ride but I can walk you home."
"Sure." Emma linked her arm into Jay's and she led him down the road to her house.
"Are you trying to get fresh with me, Blondie?"
"Don't flatter yourself; I'm afraid that you'll be zigzagging all over the sidewalk and the cops will pull up and we'll end up in jail."
"Well in my fantasy you're taking me home to meet your parents."
"How much have you had to drink?"
"I'm actually pretty sober; I just get away with more if I pretend to be drunk. Now you know a secret so you have to tell me one of yours."
"Okay, I'll tell you a big one."
"I like the sound of this."
"I've known Mr. Simpson since before I was born. He went to school with my parents."
"So that's why you're teacher's pet."
"Right, it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a good student and actually do more than play Civ 3 in class." Emma stopped in front of a two-story brick house. "This is my stop. Thanks for walking me home."
"No problem. You know I'm going to surprise you. I think I could be the guy for you, Blondie."
Manny and Paige cornered Emma at her locker on Monday morning before she'd even taken off her coat.
"Emma, what the hell were you doing with Jay at the ravine on Saturday?" Paige asked in an angry whisper.
"Who told you I was with Jay?"
"It doesn't matter who told me, you know what happens in the ravine!"
"But nothing did happen."
"Oh my gosh, where is your head? Manny, yell at her before the stress of this moment makes me break out!"
"You told me to keep my mouth shut so that you could do the yelling," Manny protested.
"I need to get new friends, you're all imbeciles."
"What crawled up your ass," Emma asked.
"Spinner and Darcy got back together," Manny piped in.
"Oh, that's why I told you to shut up. Anyway, the point is that you have a boyfriend and you were seen coming of the ravine with another guy."
"Damn, does Sean know?"
Emma already knew the answer when she saw Sean coming towards with an angry expression on his face.
"How could you?" Sean's yelling made everyone stop talking and stare.
"We need to talk, but not here."
"You went down to the ravine with Jay; we have nothing left to talk about. And I went out with you even after I knew you were deaf and this is how I'm repaid."
Emma ignored the excited whispers around her. "You knew, how?"
"You shouldn't carry around brochures to Gallaudet. It wasn't hard to figure out. Now everyone else knows, too."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Jay was best friend, how could you go down there with him?"
"Nothing happened! And you know why? He's not you and he'll never be you! But I was wrong about you, you're no knight, you're no knight at all."
Emma shoved past Sean and ran out of the school.
Sean looked around and saw a sea of disapproving faces. Paige was the first to speak.
"You're jerk," she said and stomped on his foot.
The bell rang a people swarmed all around him, some deliberately hitting him on the shoulder or stepping on his foot. The hallway emptied until he was left completely alone. And Sean realized his outburst had just completely screwed up his life.
Wow, what has gotten into me? Guess I got the writing bug. This chapter has made me feel really tense because there's just so much drama. I wanted to give the characters some flaws. Sean's temper is showing and Emma's a bit of a snob and Jay is Jay. I'm missing Manny and Paige so hopefully I'll be inspired to write for them again soon. Paige has the dialogue that goes on in my head a lot but I'd never have the guts to say it. That's why I love Paige, she gives me an outlet.