Beads of sweat dripped down Jay's cheeks as he hunched over the engine of a car at the garage, busily assessing the damage that had been done to the recently-wrecked vehicle. He certainly had his work cut out for him, more work than he could finish in the rest of his shift. Sighing, he lifted his tired head and wiped his brow with his sleeve.

He met her eyes as she was standing there, right in front of him, smiling. Her long raven hair hung sexily over her shoulders, over the dips and curves of her body that he knew so well. He could hardly believe it. She was standing right beside him, out of nowhere. She had come back.

"Lexy!" he hollered, scooping the curvaceous girl into his arms and spinning her around.

Alex laughed hysterically as she found herself wrapped up in the playful embrace of her childhood best friend. "Watch it, monkey, you'll get grease stains all over me," she joked.

Jay placed her feet back on the ground and looked her up and down once more. "Wow. Alex Nuñez. What are you doing here? I thought you were in Ajax."

Alex shrugged. "My cousin's getting married, so I'm here for the weekend. I figure that's enough time to catch up and get into a little trouble."

Jay grinned mischievously. "Two steps ahead of you, darlin'." He wiped his dirty hands on his jumpsuit and shoved shut the hood of the car. "The dickhead who brought in his busted car half an hour before close is going to have to pick it up tomorrow, anyway. How about I cut out of here early and we go grab a drink?"

Alex nodded without hesitation, happy to feel Jay's energy around her again. Their past had been rocky and emotional—sleeping with someone tended to carry that risk—but in the end they had come full circle, and their friendship had endured. She followed him to the Dot, where they staked claim to a cozy table in the back of the restaurant.

"You know," Alex said with a slight laugh. "When you said grab a drink, I kind of pictured a bar or, you know… anything other than the same lame place we used to hang out in high school."

Jay shrugged. "What can I say? It's kind of my spot. They know me here." He gazed across the room, watching Holly J run food to tables, even though she was wearing her street clothes. Obnoxiously, he snapped his fingers to signal for her attention.

Hand strategically cocked on one hip, Holly J strolled over to Jay's table, looking anything but impressed. "Um, excuse me, dipwit, did you just snap your fingers at me?"

Jay beamed at the sassy blonde with a sarcastic grin. "Two coffees, shortstack."

"Nice try, but I'm not even on the clock right now. And Sinclairs don't respond to snaps. Tough luck."

"Um, so if you're not working right now… then why are you working?"

Holly J's eyes shifted ever-so-slightly in Spinner's direction, and Jay immediately caught on. This would have been an appropriate moment for merciless teasing, which was one of his favorite things to do with Holly J, but he was far too distracted by Alex's presence to get into that mess; once the two of them got started, who knew how acidic and long-winded they could both be.

"Oh, I see," was all Jay replied slyly. "Putting in a little overtime. Smooth move, rookie. You're wising up to the game yet." He proceeded to jut out his bottom lip in a dramatic pout, folding his hands in a prayer-position as he gazed up at Holly J with doe eyes. "Now… coffee? Please?"

Holly J shrugged. "Fine, whatever, coming right up. Oh! And I almost forgot. You free tomorrow night?"

"Tuh. On a Saturday? I dunno, Ho-J, I'll have to check my calendar. You know how the ladies be hollerin…"

Holly J immediately rolled her eyes and cut him off. "Right. So you're free then. You play euchre? There's money involved."

Jay's eyes brightened. "I'm listening."

"My grandma and her friends play every other Saturday. I'm thinking we change up our strategy a little bit. You play the role of my sulky, ne'er-do-well boyfriend who couldn't care less about little old ladies and their silly card game. I bring you in to win over sweet Grammy's affection, they don't suspect a thing from us foolish children, and bam, we take the old bags for all they're worth."

Jay's jaw dropped. "You would do that to your own grandma?"

Holly J simply lowered her eyes in response.

Jay's grin spread from ear to ear as he nodded. "Right, silly me, what wouldn't you do? Count me in, munchkin."

With a satisfied nod, Holly J scurried away to grab two coffees. Still smiling brightly, it took Jay a moment before he felt Alex's curious gaze, probing him intently.

"What?" he asked her.

Alex shook her head, grinning smugly. "Um, you wanna explain that to me?"

"Explain what?"

"The girl. The kid. Your new under-age BFF."

"Oh, Holly J? It's just a… thing we do. Started it a couple weeks ago. Scamming people in card games. I know she looks all puffy and lame, but she's actually pretty sneaky."

Alex nodded slowly, suspicion still painted all over her face as she pursed her lips and eyed Jay carefully. "Uh-huh. And how is she in bed?"

Jay blushed, and did his best to appear genuinely offended. "Ouch. You cut me to the quick, Lexy. What makes you think I'm sleeping with her?"

"You'll sleep with anything with boobs that will give you the time of day."

Jay shrugged. "A flattering statement, but for once, you don't know everything about me, Lex. Holly J and are just friends."

Alex laughed out loud, completely unconvinced. "Right. Jay, when have you ever been just friends with a girl?"

Jay threw up his hands. "Why do people keep asking me that?! I'm friends with you, aren't I?"

"Jay, I'm gay."

Jay folded his arms indignantly. "Sheesh. People have no faith in me at all, do they?"

"Could you blame them?"

Jay shook his head. "Fine, fine. Doubt all you want. But for once, I actually have a healthy and mutually amicable friendship with a girl. You think I would screw that up by sleeping with her?"

Alex laughed. "Does a bear shit in the woods?"

Jay sighed in defeat, muttering under his breath.

-o-o-o-o-

Jay spent the rest of the evening with Alex, swapping stories, smoking pot, and reminiscing. Alex had been gone for so long that she even got to experience the less-than-pleasant reenactment of his entire love affair with Manny Santos, and the painful sight of Jay's still-bleeding heart spilling all over the place.

"Man, I leave for a few months, and the next you know, my best friend is a completely different person," Alex lamented gently. She sat curled up on Jay's couch, stoned, eating cheese puffs.

Jay, feeling much more sullen and depleted now that he had moaned and whined about Manny for half an hour, shoved his hands into the bag of cheese puffs. "What do you mean, completely different?" he asked, shoveling in more food than should conceivably fit into anyone's mouth.

"It sounds like someone finally got to you. Someone like Manny Santos, of all people. It's weird. I've never seen you so… vulnerable."

"Iumm not vulnabubble!" Jay exclaimed with his mouth full, spraying cheese puff residue all over the couch.

Alex smiled gently and reached out, stroking his hair. "Don't take it as an insult. It's kind of refreshing to realize you have feelings. It makes it easier to forgive you for stomping all over mine so many times."

Jay pointed his finger accusingly at Alex. "Now you've gone too far! How dare you imply that I have feelings!" He reached for the remote and flipped on the TV, trying to ignore her.

Alex laughed playfully and curled up beside him, placing her head on his shoulder. "Aw. Always the tough guy. I kind of like the new you. And now I get it, too, why you haven't slept with the little girl at the Dot yet."

"Because I've turned into a decent human being?"

"Ha! No."

"Because I have no sexual interest in her whatsoever?"

"Shyah no, not even. I smell sexual chemistry out the ass there."

"Then why, Dr. Phil?"

"Because, Jason, you finally know what it's like to have your heart broken, and you didn't like it. And now you like someone again, and you're keeping your distance because you don't want to get hurt again. Because Jay Hogart is interested in more than just sex for once!" Alex clapped her hands and cackled hysterically even as the words escaped her lips, relishing in the opportunity to tease her long-lost friend.

Jay scowled. "Now that is just… that is just reaching, Alex. You are seriously overestimating my emotional maturity."

"I'm surprised you even know how to use 'emotional maturity' in a sentence."

"Alright, that's it, you're going down…" Jay dove for a powerful tackle, pinning Alex to the couch and tickling her mercilessly. The two could barely hear the television over their wild laughter, but when video footage of the Dot appeared on the screen, it caught Jay's eye. There was a big crowd. And police cars.

Slowly, their wrestling stopped as Jay and Alex were transfixed on the news story, learning that a gunman had held up two Dot employees, one of whom had been shot and taken to the hospital.

"Holy shit…" Alex murmured, watching the screen.

Jay felt his heart stop. His veins went cold. "We need to go to the hospital," he said, immediately reaching for his keys.

-o-o-o-o-

It took at least an hour to get the full story from word-of-mouth, and for Jay to make his way to Spinner's hospital room. In that time, Alex bid him farewell so that he could see his friend in private, leaving him with a hug that was deep and comforting.

On Jay's way into the hospital room, Jane was just kissing Spinner good night, forced by her mother's nagging to finally leave his bedside and come home. He waved gently to her as she nodded, and then he glanced over at Spinner.

He tossed his arms out in disbelief, staring at his friend and the strange sight of him in a hospital bed. "Dude, you got shot!"

Spinner laughed softly. "Yeah man. Crazy, right?"

"Dude, you're like a gangster now." Jay stepped closer to Spinner, shaking his hand in greeting.

Spinner only continued to chuckle as he shook his head, exhausted and disoriented from the insane events of that night. "I wouldn't go that far. Holly J's the real gangster. She saved my life. It was amazing." His mind was hazy with painkillers, and he laughed a little more, smacking Jay's arm for emphasis. "And dude, while she was talking down the guy, she started confessing her secret love for me."

Jay forced a surprised smile. "Oh really? Nice. You going to be robbing the cradle any time soon then? I bet she's…"

"Um, dude, hello? Jane?"

"Ah right. You and your scruples. All that nonsense about no side-play when you're on that 'madly-in-love' bent. Man, I haven't seen you this lame since you were singing campfire songs with Darcy and the Abstinence Brigade."

Spinner smiled and shook his head. "You know, I wanna thank you for coming by to see me, dude. I don't get cable in my room and you're basically the most entertaining thing I've seen all day." The two comrades shared a laugh and settled into a comfortable pause.

"Besides," Spinner continued, glancing carefully towards Jay. "Could you ever think of Holly J that way? She's like a kid sister."

Jay paused for a moment, and he surprised himself with his own hesitation. He cleared his throat awkwardly, masking the pause with a nervous laugh. "No, totally," he answered. "I was just messing around. Seriously, though, who would have thought that little chick had it in her? She talked down a gunman. Don't know many cheerleaders that can do that. Talk about a crazy close call."

Spinner nodded, starting to feel sleepy from all the painkillers. "No shit. I'm glad she was there."

Jay scratched the back of his head. "And um, where is she now?"

Spinner shrugged. "Not sure. I think there's a big dance at Degrassi tonight, she might be there." A giant yawn escaped Spinner's mouth. He reached out his hand to Jay. "Hey dude, thanks for coming by, but I don't think I can keep my eyes open any more."

Jay nodded and gave Spinner's fist a solid bump. "Right on. Take it easy, man."

As he walked across the hospital parking lot, Jay pulled his jacket closer to his body to shield himself from the cold, cutting air. His mind was shaken from the surreal events the night had brought.

He wanted to see Holly J. Even though he knew everything had turned out alright, he still felt like he needed to see her safe and sound. He was startled by how much he cared, how much the idea of Holly J standing in front of a gun horrified him. He was worried about her. In a strictly kid-sister kind of way, he assured himself.

He drove past Degrassi, the entrance of which was decorated in sparkling white Christmas lights and black and white balloons. Sheesh, another dance, thought Jay. Does the Degrassi Community School budget set aside a pocket of cash for balloons alone?

High schoolers dressed in their best flurried across the front steps of the school, all in black and white. It made it that much easier to spot her: Holly J was walking into the building, a splash of bright blue and pink in the monochrome sea of bodies. He slowed down, watching her.

For a moment Jay considered parking and running to greet her, but that urge quickly subsided. What was he going to do, waltz into yet another high school dance uninvited? How lame could you get? He quickly drove away, hoping he hadn't been spotted.

He had to wonder, as he drove home, why he couldn't shake Holly J from his thoughts.