Brake information Options

[Zaish]

Hello!

First off i would like to appoligize for any stupid questions this topic may bring due to fact im not 100% sure i understand the braking system in the celica's


So i have a:

99 gt stock

My q is:

1.My car today was driving fine than all of a sudden the back of my car sounded like a piece of metal scrapping a chalk board... (it was so bad i stoped driving for fear of messing my car-but i was far from home) So after pulling over and seeing if i got something stuck in my tire's i went home with this horrible noise trying to drive as slow as possible... On the way i smelt like something was burning but since i was in a residental area i thought it was a cookout.... and the fact that the noise stoped. So im at home and start to look in more detail and than i realize the smell was coming from my brakes.... so my first thought is to just clean it out... so i fill a glass with hot water and pour it on my brake... so much steam came out of it and i realizez that those werent rust spot but the pads were bright orange....


So i know my pads must be bad but what i dont understand is the rear of a fwd car is the emergency brake? well im very carefull not to do anything to my car like pulling my e-brakes unless it is dire emergency.. so why would my pads be gone?

And why all of a sudden it made noise... didnt even know it was a problem(let alone go from quiet cruise to flamming orange)