Chapter Eight: Delivering Idiots Part One.

DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Degrassi.

Colleen sat alone at a table in her mom's halter top and a jean skirt that wasn't really approriate for the winter world outside but, just liked how it made her legs look. She watched the people she recognized as her friend went to fetch her a drink. She apied Austin Walter's in his letterman coat chatting up with his friends - no girls, which Colleen couldn't be happier about. She checked in the spoon on the table that her hair hadn't lost any volume and when she looked up, he was just about to pass her. She put out her leg in front of him and he stopped at it's sight.

"Austin, sit." She grinned up at him, seductivly, showing off no teeth but her smooth lipstick job.

"Colleen, hey." He recognized her from their science class. "I actually was about to go meet someone." He looked over at the door. Colleen didn't even budge.

"Join me." She offered even though it was more of a demand.

"It's tempting." He grinned his devil-like grin that matched his father's. "But, I have to talk to someone."

"Austin, you're not going to leave me here alone." She was coming across desperate but hadn't a clue.

"Tell you what," He bent down and got so close their lips could touch if they wanted. "Why don't you join my group at our table?" He tilted his head to the side in the direction of his posse. She just smiled that Colleen Bicknell smile.

"That's more like it." She took her clutch and excused herself over there.

Sydney pulled on a large sweatshirt with a diablo on the back of her tee shirt that her dad would deem too tight and checked her jeans out one more time in the mirror. She could hear her Uncle Jimmy and his wife, Ashley, down stairs in her living room watching a movie. They were occupied. She glanced down once Jayson's headlights blinked. She opened her window and threw her purse down first and then she climbed down carefully. It was the first time she'd ever done this before and she was glad she decided on wearnig flat sneakers instead of ankle boots. She was nervous about everything that could happen. She could fall and break into a million pieces on the hard gravel, Jimmy or Ashley could catch her, her dad could come home early and catch her or her guilty consious could eat away at her. Before she could convince herself to climb back into her bedroom and serve her punishment, her feet hit the gravel and she helped herself into the passenger seat of Jayson's car.

"You won't believe it, Em." Manny smiled the way she always had and adjusted her newsboy cap that was placed strategically on her long exotic locks of hair. "He's been practicing like crazy, this is the first thing he's been excited over in a long time." Manny gushed to her friend about her son.

"I can't wait." Emma said calmly.

"And Craig's boys, oh man, what i'd give to be a teenager again."

"Manny, you know Craig's married."

"Sweetie, i'm not even thinking about doing anything. I'm enjoying being single."

"Good." Emma sipped her hot cocoa and pushed a few strands behind her ear.

"That smells so good." Manny commented, running her finger around the rim of Emma's mug and sucking the whipped cream off her fingers.

"It tastes good too, huh?" Emma chuckled.

"I'm going to go get myself one." Manny excused herself and headed over to the counter.

"Ellie," Craig reached both hands across the table and cupped them over one of his wife's. "I just want to apologize about earlier, I was just being stubborn. I'm an adult now and I don't even think about Manny." Ellie perched her eyes up. "In that way or at all. I couldn't be happier with you and the boys."

"I know, I don't know why I doubted it."

"You have no reason to feel insecure."

"Thank you, Craig. I'm sorry, too."

"You know that I... l-" His voice traile doff until it stopped as his eyes rested on Manny at the counter. She waved over at them when she caught a glimpse of him staring at her. He waved her over causing Ellie to roll her eyes.

"Hey guys, are you as excited as me?" She held her cup of hot chocolate in both hands and asked in her friendliest tone.

"Absolutely." Craig agreed. "Why don't you join us?"

"Oh, I'd love to." She agreed with wild youth in her eyes. "Do you mind Ellie?"

"Not at all." With no expression, she shook her head.

"Great, let me go get Emma."

"Ladies and gents, you better all get ready 'cause here they are," A young redhead waitress with Medusa curly hair spoke closely into the microphone with a raspy voice. "Here are the Manning Twins."

Just the introduction sent the crowd into a fit of cheering and applause.

"Hey Toronto." Vin pulled his acoustic guitar over his head. "I'm Vin Manning the better half of the Manning Twins." He joked with the crowd and a few stary faces chuckled. "Before we rock your bones, we want to introduce a guest out onto stage with us to play one of her original songs "Unanswered" for you," Sneaking into the crowded place, Sean stood at the back against the glass window. "Give a friendly applause for Penelope Cameron." He rasied his hands to the microphone and began to clap. Behind him, sitting behind his drum kit, Hartley clapped with the audience.

"It's Penny." She spoke right into the vacant microphone. She spoke so close it squeaked into the room causing people to flinch. "Sorry." She blushed. Vin slanted his eyes at her and counted her in and as the lights bent down and alliumnated the stage, they began. All eyes on the Manning Twins and Penelope. Even Emma, who considered herself an acquantince of Penelope's glowed with pride. She checked behind her and let a genuine smile spread through her lips when she noticed Sean rocking discreetly and staring up at the stage. After a moment of checking him out, she turned back to the stage. Once the song ended, the whole place cheered. Penelope was full to the brim with a new feeling, she didn't recognize it but, she never wanted it to leave her body.

"Go Penny!" Tori screamed from the corner of the stage smiling just as wide as Penny was.

In the back, wearing the biggest smile of everyone in the room and cheering the loudest was Sean. He knew what the song was about but, he was still proud of his youngest daughter. Sometimes he thought Penelope was the only Cameron to make something of herself. Penny thanked the audience and told them to enjoy the rest of the show before excusing herself off stage. Right away, Hartley rolled the crowd into their next song, a way more upbeat body moving song. Sean left as soon as he saw Penny being approached by audience members. Penny held Tori's hand through out the crowd but, her eyes dashed around the place, looking all over for her Dad. It didn't hurt as much as it should've when she noticed he wasn't there. Tori took a seat at a table with some friends when Emma approached Penelope at the counter while she was ordering a large glass of water.

"You were excellent." Emma commented, sincerely.

"Oh, Miss Nelson,." Penelope was happy to be talking to someone she knew and not recieveing congratulations and compliments from people she didn't recognize.

"Call me Emma." She assured Penelope as they hugged, lightly. "Your dad must be proud."

"He didn't show. He had to work." Penny admitted and didn't seem to be phased by it on the exterior.

"Oh." Emma didn't tell Penelope that she had seen him in the back and she knew it was Sean Cameron. Emma could pick Sean out of a sea of millions. "Well, you were great. I'm impressed you wrote that song. It was beautiful."

"Thanks. I just hope what's true of camera isn't true about the stage."

"What do you mean?" Emma didn't understand.

"I heard somewhere that the camera adds ten pounds," She sighed, innocently. "I just hope stage lights don't." She laughed.

"Oh, baby, you look phenominal." Emma checked her out. It really worried her when young girls said things like that - even if they were only fishing for compliments which Penelope didn't seem to be. It was true, too. Besides looking pale and malnourished, Penelope did appear to look great. It was the first time Emma had ever seen her wear make-up, usually Penny didn't bother. She had her hair straightened by Tori and she was wearing fitting black pants and a yellow Ed Hardy shirt. She looked very casual and put together.

"Thanks." Penelope said while retrieving her water and taking a large gulp.

"Now, go be with your friends." Emma patted the girl on the back and sent her back into the crowd

Emma was going to go join Craig, Ellie and Manny once more but before she turned she noticed the blonde hair of Sydney Mason and Jayson Hogart handing the girl a shot. The drinking bugged Emma, of course but, Gavin had called her that afternoon and filled Emma in on his plan and he mentioned twice that Sydney was severely grounded. It wasn't any of Emma's business but, in order to help out Gavin, she made it her business. She marched over and tapped the blonde teen on her shoulder.

Giggling and screunching her face up from the burn in her throat, Sydney turned around.

"Hi Miss Mason, shouldn't you be in your bedroom thinking about what you're doing?" Emma asked with a fake expression on her face. Sydney knew she was busted but didn't say a word. "Excuse us, Jayson." Holding Sydney by the arm, she led Sydney outside the The Fyxx. Sydney wasn't drunk, she wasn't even tipsy but, she was certainly buzzed. Emma pulled her into the passenger seat and whipped out her cellphone.

"Don't call my dad." Sydney basically begged.

Emma looked over at her completely unimpressed.

"Manny?" She spoke into her phone. "I'll be right back, I just have to help someone out. Thank, goodbye." Emma hung up her cellphone and planted it in the cup holder in her car.

"Thanks."

"Oh, don't worry, your dad and I are going to talk." Emma drove down the almost empty street.

She pulled into the parking lot of Spinner's Bar and Grill. Sydney shadowing behind her, Emma walked right by the hostesses and through the resturant. She ignored all the waiter's telling her she wasn't allowed in the kitchen. She walked to the back where Gavin was wearing his chef coat and tall hat. He was looking over a line cook and instructing him on garnishing.

"Gavin." Emma spoke sending him to turn around immeadtly. At first he looked normal but, when he noticed Sydney looking extremly at fault behind Emma, his face turned a boiling shade of red.

"What's going on here? Sydney you should be at home." He tried to remain neutral until he knew the facts.

"Can we step into your office?"

At the moment, Spinner's office was being used, so he led them into one of the huge fridge's in the back. Thankfully, Emma and Sydney were still wearing their winter coats, so they weren't too cold. Still all three of them could see their breath racing through out the fridge only to disappear.

"Sydney Patricia Mason!" Gavin raised his voice so loudly that Emma could imagine the entire resturant heard him. "What is- How could- Why -" He couldn't even think of the best question to ask. "I would ground you but, I've already done that."

"Dad, I just -"

"How do you think this makes me look, Syd? Emma having to drive you back to me after seeing you drink. And Craig and Ellie and Manny were there seeing you like this? You know who they think is at fault?" He asked her completely rhetorically. "Me, that's who." He got up right in her face making her shake even more. She couldn't help but let a few tears drip down her face. She tried to sniffle them back up but, they wouldn't.

"I think I should leave you two alone." Emma rubbed Sydney's back but, she was too angry to even wave goodbye at Emma. "I'll see you in my office on Monday." She turned her eyes over to Gavin. "Bye." She waved at him and let herself out of the refridgerator. Gavin held his pelvis and then took a few deep cleansing breaths while Sydney used her mittens to wipe her tears.

"You go put on an apron, you're going to work the line. I'm not letting you out of my sight. Does Jimmy know you're out?"

"I don't need a babysitter, I'm almost sixteen." She fought back.

"Go put an apron on." He extended his arm towards the exit of the fridge and with her head hanging low and her blonde hair falling down in her face, she left to find a spare apron.

Emma was on her way back to The Fyxx to hear the rest of The Manning Twins set and see Jonny Santo's big debut but for a reason she couldn't undrstand, even with her physcologist degree, she turned right instead of left on Pembina and drove into the parking lot of Cameron's Autobody Shop. She could see the lights still on and the only car there was Sean's. She shut off her car and took a large breath before entering...

To find out you guys gotta keep reading.

Review, please. I love to read what you all think.

Delivering Idiots - Stabilo