Chapter Nine: And You're Trying to Come Back Home

New Scene

"So, we're meeting later tonight?" Kiowi asked Manny who nodded nervously. She was so wrapped up in kissing Craig, possibly having sex with Kiowi, and flirting with Aaron that she wasn't sure who she wanted anymore.

"Yeah. Cool. I'm going to go and catch up with the … the band and make sure we don't have any last minutes practices, but I'll meet you at my hotel room. Promise." Manny cupped Kiowi's face and kissed him slowly as he walked her to the door. "I love you."

"I love you." Aaron mocked as Craig followed behind silently, looking down at the ground.

"Shut up." Manny hit him in the stomach playfully. "Please tell me that we have some kind of rehearsal tonight. I don't know if I can deal with this--"

"Because of me, right?" Aaron joked, wrapping his arm around Manny's waist. "I knew you had a thing for me."

"Be serious."

"Actually, we do have something tonight." Craig cleared his throat as Manny tried not to stare at his lips. His beautiful lips which had been the first to touch hers. "But they won't say where." He added although he knew exactly what was going on. What was about to happen was like a peace offering to Manny. It would make her happy, which he deserved. Craig knew that he had no right to ruin her life after she was starting to put it back together again.

New Scene

"Lexi." Jay screamed out again as her face broke out into a smile and she started laughing again.

"I so had you sap." She laughed as he let go of her body, dropping her to the ground. "You know one more hit and I'll kick your ass."

"That wasn't funny Lexi. I thought you were dying." Jay shook his head angrily.

"Oh, so you do have a heart. How cute? It was a joke. Grow up."

"You're really sick, do you know that? What was that back there? Was it all an entire act?" Jay narrowed his voice as Alex avoided looking at him.

"I need to crash here tonight." Alex demanded, showing that she wasn't as drunk as Jay thought. Maybe she wasn't drinking at all.

"So you can pull another stunt like this?" Jay rolled his eyes.

"When it was Amy, you didn't give a damn."

"Amy's a whore." Jay explained as Alex gave him a harsh shove.

"Don't talk about my friend like that. If anything you're girlfriend's the skank. At least Amy didn't go around pretending to be Mary-in-the-flesh. She's had a hard life and your girl has no excuse." Alex jogged down the steps, met by a mixture of amusement and disgust. "I won't stay in your room." She bargained.

"Only if you tell me what happened." Jay touched her cheek softly as Alex jumped back in pain.

"You should see dad. He's looks like shit."

New Scene

"So, umm … you wanted to talk to me?" Jimmy wondered as Hazel sat down on his couch, still feeling awkward about what she and Jimmy had done.

"Yes. I mean no. I mean … Jimmy, don't you have any regrets about what happened? It was rash and unplanned and really, really stupid of us." Hazel sighed, referring to the fact that they had not used a condom.

"But we love each other and if we can conquer this thing, then we'll make it." He tried to re-convince her.

"You see. That's the thing. I don't think it makes much since to get attached right now. I'm about to leave and we both know that."

"Being scared is no reason to back down. I thought you cared Hazel? I bet if I was walking on two legs, you wouldn't care!" Jimmy yelled using rage to cover up his hurt.

"You're wrong. If you weren't in a wheelchair, we would've never done it Jimmy. I only did it because I felt sorry for you. I felt sorry for you and I felt like I was missing out because everyone else was getting some but me? Are you happy now? Are you."

Jimmy wheeled over to the door, opening it for her. "You know the way out."

New Scene

"Do you think I should forgive him Marco? He's trying really hard." Ellie sighed, referring to the bouquet of flowers that were attached to her locker.

"Who says they are from him? It could be anyone." He chimed in.

"Like that cute new guy." Ellie watched a confused curly-headed blonde boy walk around the school.

"And totally un-gay. Just my luck." Marco pouted. "But he's just right for you. Go ahead." Marco pushed her in front of the guy as they bumped into one another.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. It was my friend he--"

"Whatever." The guy responded, walking past Ellie. She looked to Marco for guidance, who was motioning for her to follow him.

"So anyway, I'll Ellie Nash." He shrugged.

"I don't care."

"Yeah. I'll see you."

New Scene

"Jay, what the hell is up?" Emma wondered, stepping in between Alex and Jay.

"We're hanging out. Chill." Jay scooped Emma up in his arms as Alex looked away, noticing Ellie chase after some guy. How cute.

"Well, I heard about your party last night. Why wasn't I invited?" Emma pouted as the confused guy that Ellie had been talking to walked up to Alex.

"Hey, do you know where Ms. Kwan's class is."

"Yeah." Alex nodded, happy to be distracted from Emma and Jay getting all googly-eyed, while she was stranded in another 'Anna original.' This time she was wearing something from the Blu Sphere catalog, an Adidas sweatshirt and tight ecko jeans. She hated it.

"Well, are you going to show me where it is?"

"I don't even know who you are." Alex spat out, loving that she was making this poor kid squirm.

"Scott Barringer."

"That's nice." Alex looked back over at Jay. "I'll see you at your house, okay?" She smiled, touching his stomach softly, inwardly laughing herself. That would teach Emma to walk around like she owned him, and this Scott person to try and hit on her. Alex was swearing off guys for a while … at least real relationships.

New Scene

"We're at an LFO concert? Ahh!" Manny screamed as soon as they got out of the van.

"Yeah. My man Craig here, pointed this concert out to us and we thought it would be a good experience for you guys to see what we want." Dani explained as Manny smiled at Craig shyly.

"Thank you." She mouthed as her and the other girls rushed towards their seats. This would be awesome. Wrapped up in the concert and seeing her favorite group, she forgot all about her plans with Kiowi and her discomfort around Craig. Tonight was all about having fun.

New Scene

"I'll do it." Ellie whispered to Gianni, no longer to take watching him poke around this poor frog's body. "Give me the money for the software and we can hang out. But that's it. Oh yeah. I need extra software money for Ashley."

"Cool." Gianni smiled, reaching to give Ellie a hug.

"Do not touch me." Ellie backed away, returning her forms to the teacher and giving Ashley a look.

"I guess I'll see you after school tomorrow. What do you want to do?" Gianni wondered.

"This is not my idea of fun. I don't care what you do, but I have to be home by five."

New Scene

"That was awesome what you did for me." Manny thanked Craig, still giddy from meeting the LFO guys backstage. "It was really … wonderful." She hugged him suddenly.

"Manny … uh … do you think that maybe it's possible that you're here because of me—I don't mean that I got you the job, but that maybe we're meant to like … I don't know … be together?"

"Oh, Craig--"

"I know you're with this great guy now, but he can't give you what I can. I really want to work this out Manny. I do. I hate to see you with anyone but me." Craig confessed as tears dropped from Manny's eyes onto Craig's shoulder.

"Oh God. You always know how to make this so hard. You know I can't …"

New Scene

"Hey. Wait up! I found Ms. Kwan's class!" Scott yelled at Alex, who seemed vaguely reminiscent of the people he was used to being around at his old school, Horizon.

"Goody for you." Alex grabbed a tray, straying from the artificially prepared food products. "Now go away. You're annoying me."

"Just as well. I heard you were a skank."

"You what?" Alex's eyes flashed as Scott broke out into a smile. "Why are you hanging around me kid? You believe that skank shit?"

"You remind me of someone I know."

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. There is no way this is real fish." Emma poked at Jay's food as his attention turned over to Alex.

"What the hell?" He muttered, noticing Alex smiling at a guy he had never seen before.

"Jay. Pay attention. The food's gotten worse since I tried to do my campaign back in grade nine. This is horrible."

"Yeah. Sure is." He nodded, talking more about Alex and this guy more than the fish sandwich.

New Scene

"Where have you been?" Kiowi asked Manny who walked into the hotel at 2am.

"Kiowi? Oh no. I forgot to call you honey. We had this emergency meeting that we had to go to. We watched these people perform so that we could learn to emulate them. I would've called, but I got so preoccupied. I apologize." Manny began, neglecting to tell Kiowi the entire truth, and about how she had her lips on Craig's just moments earlier.

"Is that all you can say? You forgot about me? I left Canada and came to L.A. for you. What is this Manny?"

"I said I'm sorry. Can't we just forget it?"

"No. We cannot." Kiowi replied as Manny rolled her eyes. "I question whether or not you even care anymore."

"Don't be like this. I do. I do." Manny kissed him as if to prove something that she didn't even believe in anymore.

"I think. I'm just going to go … I'm going back to Ontario." Kiowi sighed, dragging his suitcase to the door as if he had already planned it.

"You're what? Does this mean we're breaking up?" Kiowi refused to answer as Manny called Craig to come comfort her.

"What's wrong?" Craig asked, noticing Manny's tear-stained face.

"Just kiss me." Manny commanded as she acted on her feelings for Craig, deciding that touring with him wouldn't be so bad. She was going to get the chance that Ashley stole from her, which would all lead her back to Kiowi, who would never know anything about it. She hoped.

(A/N: Somehow, this is my most-visited story so I knew I had to update it. If you love this one, you'll like Wild Horses and Fool of Me is something different that gives all of Degrassi's characters a voice. So review. --NL)