This takes place right after the ep "Holiday".
Disclaimer: I own nothing! NOTHING!
Ch. 1- Consequences
The alarm clock buzzed loudly, jarring Craig out from his safe dream world back into the harsh reality of his own life. He sighed, recalling a day where he would have been almost eager to get up and go to school. He had to admit that his life had gotten pretty good. The summer had been rough after his father's death, but with some counseling and the support of Joey and Ashley, he had pulled through.
But he didn't have Ashley anymore. He didn't have Manny either. He didn't even have Joey right now as he had gone away on a vacation with Caitlin.
With another sigh, Craig rolled out of bed. He groggily went through his usual morning routine then headed downstairs. Angie was staying with her grandmother until Joey returned that evening so he had the house to himself. He contemplated skipping school that day again, but decided against it. He knew he would already be in trouble for cutting yesterday.
Craig trudged through the snow to the bus stop where Sean and Marco were waiting. They said their usual greetings but things were strained among them. Craig knew they had seen Ashley slap him; everyone had seen it.
"Listen, guys," Craig started in a low voice. Immediately, Sean and Marco leaned in, obviously eager to hear the story. "I know you must be wondering what happened between me and Ash." He took a deep breath. "Long story short, I was an idiot and cheated on her and she found out."
Both boys were shocked.
"No way," Sean said. "That was the last thing I expected."
"Yeah," Marco agreed. "We were trying to figure out what happened. Our best guess was that you ran over her dog or something."
"Yeah I wish that was all I had done. In that case, she might have forgiven me." He looked away to see if the bus was coming. When he turned back, his friends were staring at him expectantly. "What?"
Marco and Sean looked at each other then back at Craig.
"Hello? Who's the mistress?" Marco asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down mischievously.
"Um, well.it was.M-Manny."
Sean chuckled. "Shoulda guessed."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come on, you don't see the way she looks at you? She's obviously got it bad for the Craig-man." Sean shook his head. "Probably since last year."
Just then, the bus pulled up and Craig was unable to question Sean further about his comment.
Craig took a deep breath before climbing aboard. Ashley was there, sitting towards the front next to Terri. Both girls glared at him before continuing their conversation. Craig winced, looking away as he headed towards the back and collapsed into an empty seat. Marco sat beside him while Sean stretched out on the seat across the aisle.
"Man that look could have rivaled Medusa's," Marco murmured.
Craig didn't answer, just leaned his head against the window, watching as the snow began to fall.
+++
Craig had been dreading seventh period all day. It was the one class he shared with Manny. Despite being in different grades, they were both in the same art class. He recalled the days before everything fell apart with a mixture of nostalgia and guilt. They sat next to each other and would often draw silly cartoons of each other. Craig still had one Manny had drawn of the two of them ice-skating.
Craig entered the room cautiously. Manny hadn't arrived yet. He took his usual seat and fixed his eyes on the door. At the bell, Manny finally entered and Craig caught his breath. She had somehow gotten even prettier over the vacation. Her hair was sprinkled with red highlights and her skin was tan. She wore a new white fur jacket that set off her sparkling brown eyes.
She surveyed the room and upon seeing him, a small smile played across her lips. It was so quickly replaced with a set jaw that Craig thought he had maybe imagined the smile. She squared her shoulders and strutted across the room to take her seat beside him. Craig was unsure if he should say anything but opted against him. She wouldn't even look at him.
"Today we are going to discuss perspective," Mrs. Lyle began. "What you see when you look around you and what the person next to you sees are two very different things."
Yeah tell me about it, Craig thought, glancing at Manny who was doodling in her notebook. He thought of what he could say to her. Manny, I'm really sorry I hurt you and Ash. I was just afraid. I didn't know what to do and it was wrong to lead both of you on. In his mind, Manny smiled and accepted his apology. Ashley entered the room also and told him that she forgave him too.
"Craig?"
Manny's voice broke into his daydream. "Huh?" He blinked and noticed that she was handing him a box full of markers.
"You're supposed to pick a color. You know, make a choice." Her voice was icy cold and Craig meekly took the box.
He pulled out a green marker and stared at his paper until the bell rang. Mrs. Lyle came to stand behind him. "Craig? You do know you were supposed to be using that marker."
"What? Oh sorry. I-I'm just a little distracted. It won't happen again."
Mrs. Lyle shook her head. "I'll assume that you still have some residual laziness from vacation. But tomorrow I'm expecting you to work."
Craig nodded with a quick smile then hurried off to English class. He slid into his seat just as the bell rang.
"Hey man," Jimmy said. "So I heard about you and Ash." He shook his head. "Gotta say that wasn't cool what you did. I mean, I know how it feels, you know?"
"I know, okay? It was dumb and I wish I could take it back, but I can't." Craig's words came out harsher than he meant them to and Jimmy was taken aback. Before he had a chance to respond, Mrs. Kwan began to speak.
"I expect all of you have your poems ready for today. I need a volunteer to read theirs aloud. Okay, Ashley."
Craig cringed as his ex-girlfriend stood up and began to read, staring directly at him.
Selfishness brings only pain You wanted it all
And ended with nothing
Words can't break bones
But they can break hearts
Those tiny white lies
Stay by your side
And now you're all alone
+++
As soon as he got home from school that day, Craig collapsed onto his bed. The day had grown progressively worse as he failed a Physics pop quiz and slipped on ice as he got off the bus. He rubbed his sore knee as he thought. He had to do something about Ashley and Manny. He couldn't stand the fact that they despised him. Various ideas floated into his head. Calling them? They would hang up on him. Showing up at their houses? They wouldn't let him in. Emailing them? They might just delete it.
After a while, Craig fell asleep. He was woken up a few hours later by Joey's arrival at home with Angie.
"Craig!" Angela jumped on top of him, grinning.
"Hey there." He gave her a kiss on the cheek then got up and headed into the kitchen. "Hey Joey. How was Montreal?"
"Fantastic." Joey flipped through the mail. "How was everything over here?"
"Fine."
Joey put down the mail and looked at Craig. "How's things at school? You know, with, uh, Ashley and Manny?"
Craig shook his head, sitting down at the table. "As bad is it gets without them actually shooting me. I don't know what to do, Joey. I want to apologize. I don't want them to hate me."
"Well, you're gonna have to give it time. They're not going to get over it right away. Give them a little while to cool down and then try to talk to them."
"I guess." Craig paused. "Do you think they'll forgive me?"
Joey shrugged. "It depends. You have to genuinely be sorry, Craig, or else they'll see right through you."
"I know, I know." Craig picked up a napkin and began folding it into a tiny square. "It's just hard to be patient." He suddenly had an idea. "Uh, thanks for the help, Joey." He hurried back into his room and shut the door.
A letter. A letter was more personal than an email and he didn't run the risk of accidentally sending it to the entire school.
Craig immediately set to work composing the two letters.
Ch. 1- Consequences
The alarm clock buzzed loudly, jarring Craig out from his safe dream world back into the harsh reality of his own life. He sighed, recalling a day where he would have been almost eager to get up and go to school. He had to admit that his life had gotten pretty good. The summer had been rough after his father's death, but with some counseling and the support of Joey and Ashley, he had pulled through.
But he didn't have Ashley anymore. He didn't have Manny either. He didn't even have Joey right now as he had gone away on a vacation with Caitlin.
With another sigh, Craig rolled out of bed. He groggily went through his usual morning routine then headed downstairs. Angie was staying with her grandmother until Joey returned that evening so he had the house to himself. He contemplated skipping school that day again, but decided against it. He knew he would already be in trouble for cutting yesterday.
Craig trudged through the snow to the bus stop where Sean and Marco were waiting. They said their usual greetings but things were strained among them. Craig knew they had seen Ashley slap him; everyone had seen it.
"Listen, guys," Craig started in a low voice. Immediately, Sean and Marco leaned in, obviously eager to hear the story. "I know you must be wondering what happened between me and Ash." He took a deep breath. "Long story short, I was an idiot and cheated on her and she found out."
Both boys were shocked.
"No way," Sean said. "That was the last thing I expected."
"Yeah," Marco agreed. "We were trying to figure out what happened. Our best guess was that you ran over her dog or something."
"Yeah I wish that was all I had done. In that case, she might have forgiven me." He looked away to see if the bus was coming. When he turned back, his friends were staring at him expectantly. "What?"
Marco and Sean looked at each other then back at Craig.
"Hello? Who's the mistress?" Marco asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down mischievously.
"Um, well.it was.M-Manny."
Sean chuckled. "Shoulda guessed."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come on, you don't see the way she looks at you? She's obviously got it bad for the Craig-man." Sean shook his head. "Probably since last year."
Just then, the bus pulled up and Craig was unable to question Sean further about his comment.
Craig took a deep breath before climbing aboard. Ashley was there, sitting towards the front next to Terri. Both girls glared at him before continuing their conversation. Craig winced, looking away as he headed towards the back and collapsed into an empty seat. Marco sat beside him while Sean stretched out on the seat across the aisle.
"Man that look could have rivaled Medusa's," Marco murmured.
Craig didn't answer, just leaned his head against the window, watching as the snow began to fall.
+++
Craig had been dreading seventh period all day. It was the one class he shared with Manny. Despite being in different grades, they were both in the same art class. He recalled the days before everything fell apart with a mixture of nostalgia and guilt. They sat next to each other and would often draw silly cartoons of each other. Craig still had one Manny had drawn of the two of them ice-skating.
Craig entered the room cautiously. Manny hadn't arrived yet. He took his usual seat and fixed his eyes on the door. At the bell, Manny finally entered and Craig caught his breath. She had somehow gotten even prettier over the vacation. Her hair was sprinkled with red highlights and her skin was tan. She wore a new white fur jacket that set off her sparkling brown eyes.
She surveyed the room and upon seeing him, a small smile played across her lips. It was so quickly replaced with a set jaw that Craig thought he had maybe imagined the smile. She squared her shoulders and strutted across the room to take her seat beside him. Craig was unsure if he should say anything but opted against him. She wouldn't even look at him.
"Today we are going to discuss perspective," Mrs. Lyle began. "What you see when you look around you and what the person next to you sees are two very different things."
Yeah tell me about it, Craig thought, glancing at Manny who was doodling in her notebook. He thought of what he could say to her. Manny, I'm really sorry I hurt you and Ash. I was just afraid. I didn't know what to do and it was wrong to lead both of you on. In his mind, Manny smiled and accepted his apology. Ashley entered the room also and told him that she forgave him too.
"Craig?"
Manny's voice broke into his daydream. "Huh?" He blinked and noticed that she was handing him a box full of markers.
"You're supposed to pick a color. You know, make a choice." Her voice was icy cold and Craig meekly took the box.
He pulled out a green marker and stared at his paper until the bell rang. Mrs. Lyle came to stand behind him. "Craig? You do know you were supposed to be using that marker."
"What? Oh sorry. I-I'm just a little distracted. It won't happen again."
Mrs. Lyle shook her head. "I'll assume that you still have some residual laziness from vacation. But tomorrow I'm expecting you to work."
Craig nodded with a quick smile then hurried off to English class. He slid into his seat just as the bell rang.
"Hey man," Jimmy said. "So I heard about you and Ash." He shook his head. "Gotta say that wasn't cool what you did. I mean, I know how it feels, you know?"
"I know, okay? It was dumb and I wish I could take it back, but I can't." Craig's words came out harsher than he meant them to and Jimmy was taken aback. Before he had a chance to respond, Mrs. Kwan began to speak.
"I expect all of you have your poems ready for today. I need a volunteer to read theirs aloud. Okay, Ashley."
Craig cringed as his ex-girlfriend stood up and began to read, staring directly at him.
Selfishness brings only pain You wanted it all
And ended with nothing
Words can't break bones
But they can break hearts
Those tiny white lies
Stay by your side
And now you're all alone
+++
As soon as he got home from school that day, Craig collapsed onto his bed. The day had grown progressively worse as he failed a Physics pop quiz and slipped on ice as he got off the bus. He rubbed his sore knee as he thought. He had to do something about Ashley and Manny. He couldn't stand the fact that they despised him. Various ideas floated into his head. Calling them? They would hang up on him. Showing up at their houses? They wouldn't let him in. Emailing them? They might just delete it.
After a while, Craig fell asleep. He was woken up a few hours later by Joey's arrival at home with Angie.
"Craig!" Angela jumped on top of him, grinning.
"Hey there." He gave her a kiss on the cheek then got up and headed into the kitchen. "Hey Joey. How was Montreal?"
"Fantastic." Joey flipped through the mail. "How was everything over here?"
"Fine."
Joey put down the mail and looked at Craig. "How's things at school? You know, with, uh, Ashley and Manny?"
Craig shook his head, sitting down at the table. "As bad is it gets without them actually shooting me. I don't know what to do, Joey. I want to apologize. I don't want them to hate me."
"Well, you're gonna have to give it time. They're not going to get over it right away. Give them a little while to cool down and then try to talk to them."
"I guess." Craig paused. "Do you think they'll forgive me?"
Joey shrugged. "It depends. You have to genuinely be sorry, Craig, or else they'll see right through you."
"I know, I know." Craig picked up a napkin and began folding it into a tiny square. "It's just hard to be patient." He suddenly had an idea. "Uh, thanks for the help, Joey." He hurried back into his room and shut the door.
A letter. A letter was more personal than an email and he didn't run the risk of accidentally sending it to the entire school.
Craig immediately set to work composing the two letters.