Rating: I'm going to rate it T because of talk about drug use.
Genre: Romance/Drama
Pairing: Craig/Emma
Author's Note: Originally written for the School Skippers SW contest "Music in Me" on
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or the characters. I also do not own Mariah Carey or the song "We Belong Together".
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Prologue: Craig has been dating Emma for three years now. They've known each other since they were nine, but lost touch after Craig's mom died, and Craig moved in with his dad. When Craig was in grade 10, he was transferred to her school, and they became friends again. A year later, they started dating, and they were inseperable until Craig went to Vancouver to pursue fame and fortune. Craig was honest with Emma before, and told her that he had been doing coke, but stopped. About three months later, he came to Toronto to visit Emma and his friends.
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Emma was laying in her bed, crying. She had broken up with Craig tonight. Not because she wanted to, but because she had to. Emma never thought she would walk in on Craig snorting a line of coke, after he told her he was done with that. Craig knew where Emma stood on things like that. How could he let her down? More importantly, how could he let himself down like that? But, watching Craig doing drugs wasn't what got her this upset. She had never lied to Craig before. But, tonight, she told him the biggest one.
I didn't mean it
When I said I didn't love you so
I should have held on tight
I never should've let you go
I didn't know nothing
Craig laid in his bed at Marco's, just staring at the ceiling. His concentration was broken by a knock on the door.
"Hey, buddy. You alright?" Marco said, opening the door.
Craig looked over at him, and just shook his head.
"You wanna talk about it," Marco asked him.
Craig shook his head again before saying, "She told me she didn't love me. She told me that she's never loved me."
Marco gasped, "Wow. I'm sorry, Craig."
"I need to get myself help. Not for me, not for Joey, but for her. It's always been her," Craig told Marco, sitting up on the bed.
"Did you tell her that?"
Craig shook his head once again, "I've loved her since I was 9 years old, man. That's a really long time."
Marco nodded, "So, what are you going to do?"
I couldn't have fathomed that I would ever
Be without your love
Never imagined I'd be
Sitting here beside myself
Emma sat in her bed, looking at her cell phone. She wasn't sure if she should call him or not. She would start to dial the number, then close the phone. She let out a loud groan, then put her hand with the cell phone down on the bed when it rang. She picked up her hand, and looked at the call display. It was him. She didn't answer it. She couldn't. She couldn't listen to anything he had to say right now. Maybe later, but not now. She clicked on the TV, trying to get her mind off of everything. It wasn't working. Not because of the things she was watching. But, because Craig kept calling. After it stopped ringing, she turned her phone off. She knew it would hurt more to hear his voice, then to not hear it at all.
Guess I didn't know you
Guess I didn't know me
But I thought I knew everything
I never felt
The feeling that I'm feeling
"Please Emma, answer your phone," Craig said to Emma's voicemail, "I need you, Emma. Please answer your phone."
He wasn't having any luck. He knew she was ignoring her. He knew her all too well. He knew she would get over it, but he didn't want her to get over him as well. He figured he'd try to call Manny. Things between Craig and Manny have always been a little awkward. They've never really talked to each other unless it was about Emma, or Emma was right there with them. But, he knew Manny would answer her phone. Even for him. He picked up his phone, and dialed her number.
"Hello?" Manny said, answering her phone.
Craig hesitated before he said, "Manny, it's Craig."
"You really screwed up this time, Craig," Manny told him.
"I know I did. But, I need to know something," Craig said.
"What do you need to know?" Manny asked him.
"Emma told me she has never loved me," he said as he began to cry, "I need to know if that's true."
"Emma has always loved you, Craig. But, you really hurt her. Lying to Emma is the biggest betrayal," Manny said.
"I know."
"Then, what are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to get help. I need to get help."
"Good," Manny replied.
"But, I'm going to need your help, Manny."
"Craig, I'm always going to be one Emma's side, first and foremost."
"I know. But, I need you to tell her that for me. I need her to know that I love her, and I would do anything for her. Will you tell her that for me, Manny?"
"Okay, I will," Manny assured him.
"Can you try to convince her to call me, too? I need to hear her voice. At least, just one more time before I go and get help."
Hear your voice
Or have your touch and kiss your lips
'Cause I don't have a choice
Oh, what I wouldn't give
To have you lying by my side
Right here, 'cause baby
"Craig called me," Manny told Emma, who she still shared a room with.
"What did he say?" Emma asked her best friend.
"He wanted to know if you were truthful when you said you've never loved him," Manny said.
"Please don't tell me that you told him I didn't mean it."
"I had to tell him the truth, Emma."
"Why? It puts him in more pain to know that he screwed this up."
"It might also put him in more pain where he'll go snort another line." Manny said to Emma.
Emma sighed, knowing that she was right, "Did he say anything else?"
"He wanted me to tell you that he's going to get help, that he loves you, and would do anything for you."
Emma's mind drifted back to the first time that Craig said he loved her. He must have set it up perfectly or something. It was their one year anniversary. They were having a picnic in the park for dinner, and the sun started to set. It looked amazing. Craig looked in her eyes, told her she was beautiful, and then he said it. It was the first time anybody other than her parents had said it to her. Just like it was the first time Craig had ever said it to anyone other then his parents or his sister.
"Emma," Manny said, getting Emma out of her flashback, "are you okay?"
"I need to see him. I can't lose him, Manny," Emma said, getting off her bed, and running up the stairs.
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby please, 'cause
We belong together
Who else am I gonna lean on
When times get rough?
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up?
Who's gonna take your place?
There ain't nobody better
Oh baby, baby
We belong together
Craig tried to go to sleep. It was about midnight, and he knew he had a show tomorrow afternoon. But, he couldn't sleep. Every time he would close his eyes, he would see her face. So, he put on his radio to see if maybe he could fall asleep better that way. He turned it off as soon as he heard the song. It was their song. Couldn't somebody give him a break?, he thought.
I can't sleep at night
When you are on my mind Bobby Womack's on the radio
Singing to me 'If you think you're lonely now'
Wait a minute
This is too deep, too deep
Emma had been driving for about ten minutes now. Marco's place was downtown near the university, so she knew she would be driving for a little bit. But, she didn't mind. It gave her time to think about what she was going to say. She was drawing a blank. She turned on the radio to clear her mind. She changed the channel about three times. They were all love songs, and she didn't want to hear those right now. Couldn't somebody give her a break?, she thought.
I gotta change the station
So I turn the dial
Trying to catch a break
And then I hear Babyface
I only think of you
And it's breaking my heart
Emma pulled into Marco's driveway. She turned the car off, and just sat there. She wasn't sure yet on what to say. Her mind was racing at a million thoughts per minute. I'm going to be okay, she thought. I'm going to go in there, and I am not going to cry, she told herself. Although, she knew that once she took one look at him, she was going to cry. She cried just picturing his face in her mind.
I'm trying to keep it together
But I'm falling apart
Craig sat up in his bed, thinking. If he was ever to see Emma again, what was he going to say to her? Apologizing really doesn't mean anything anymore. Why did I have to lie to her? he said to himself. I screwed everything up, he thought.
"Where are you Emma? I need you," he said to himself.
I'm feeling all out of my element
I'm throwing things
Crying
Trying to figure out
Where the hell I went wrong
The pain reflected in this song
Ain't even half of what I'm feeling inside
I need you
Need you back in my life, baby
Emma walked up to the door, and knocked. It was late, about 12:30am, but she could hear talking inside. The door opened, and Marco was standing there.
"Emma? You were the last person I was expecting to come here," Marco said, surprised.
"Hey. Is he here?" Emma asked him.
"Yeah, he's upstairs in his room. Come on in," Marco said, opening the door to let her inside.
Emma walked upstairs, and made her way to Craig's room door, which was closed. She stood next to it to listen. She heard Craig's voice on the other side. Emma wondered who he was talking to, if not himself.
"Emma. I need you. I need you, Emma," Craig said, crying.
Emma knocked on the door.
"If you're not Emma, go away!" Craig yelled.
Emma opened the door, and only stood there.
Craig looked up, and saw her standing there. He got a big smile on his face, and stood up from his bed. They both walked towards each other, and grabbed each other, as if they were never letting go.
"You knew. You knew I needed you. It was always you," Craig said.
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby please, 'cause
We belong together
"Let's sit down for a sec," Emma said.
They both walked over to Craig's bed, and sat down.
"Craig, you hurt me. It wasn't about the coke, it was the fact that you lied to me about it. How do you expect me to trust you?"
"We can work on that. But, I want you to know that I'm never going to touch that stuff again. It made me lose the most important thing in my life. And, that scared the hell out of me," Craig explained.
Who else am I gonna lean on
When times get rough?
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up?
"Well, the part about earning your trust back, Craig, is that I'm not going to believe everything you have to say," Emma told him, "I mean, I could say okay, then next week find out you're back to it."
"I will be working so hard to fix this, Em. You have no idea," Craig tried to convince her.
"Things aren't going to be the same as they always were," Emma said.
"As long as I'm still with you, nothing else matters," Craig said, grabbing her hands.
Who's gonna take your place?
There ain't nobody better
Oh baby, baby
We belong together
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back, baby, please, 'cause
We belong together
Who am I gonna lean on When times get rough?
Who's gonna talk to me
Till the sun comes up?
Who's gonna take your place?
There ain't nobody better.
Oh baby, baby
We belong together