Ever since we found out, it's been different around here. Craig usually didn't feel good, sometimes he would just go in his room and punch something for a while. Either that or he'd threaten to do something. It was a constant battle for the entire family. Dad was reading books constantly. Books about bipolar disorder, books about child abuse. It was scary around here. But after a while, things got a lot better. Less to worry about.
It's been eight years since Craig was diagnosed bipolar. It's been eight years, which means I'm sixteen, and Craig's coming back from his tour of Canada and half the US today. He's twenty-five. Oh, and my boyfriend, Leroy, is a huge Craig Manning fan. But what Leory doesn't know is that my half-brother IS Craig Manning. See Craig is Leroy's hero and his favorite musician.
"So your brother's coming today, right Angie?" Leroy asked me in the hallway. I was on the way to Kwan's room.
"Uh, yeah, he is." I bit my lip and sighed. Moment of truth, I thought to myself.
"Okay, Leroy?" I asked, turning to him in front of Ms. Kwan's room, "You know Craig Manning, right? Duh, course you do. Well, um… he's kinda my half-brother." I turned, going into the classroom, just leaving him there out in the hall. After class, I tried to pass Leroy's class, but he caught me.
"Ang, you can't just tell me that my HERO is your brother and then walk away!" He yelled at me.
"Yes I can, and don't yell at me like that, Leroy Vincent Bird!" I said back. He smiled, "Sorry, I just can't believe it." He shook his head. What I saw behind Leroy scared me. It was Craig, but he looked different somehow. He hadn't shaved much that day, I could tell by the five o'clock shadow on his face. His sunglasses were on crooked and his hair was a little messed up. He was doing his normal fast walk toward me.
"Ang!" he called out. I grinned at him and ran towards him yelling, "Craig!" Leroy just stared at him in awe. He picked me up, hugging me.
"Sup Angela!" he asked, and kissed my head. I grinned at him and pointed to Pete.
"Craigy, meet Leroy, Leroy, Craig." I introduced the two. Craig put me down on the ground again and shook the amazed Leroy's hand.
"Hello, Leroy." Craig laughed. "Dating my sister?" I hit Craig in the shoulder, "Shut up! Is Ellie in the car?" I asked. He nodded and I ran out to the car, while my brother and Leroy talked music.
Ellie Nash was in the front passenger seat of my older brother's red convertible. She and Craig had been dating since his twenty-first birthday. She was pretty, with long, dark red hair and green eyes. She and I were very close, especially when Craig was on tour without us. I slid into the seat in back of her, smiling and said, "Hi Ellie." She turned to me. She was a year younger than Craig, at the age of twenty-four.
"Hi Angie. You miss your brother?" she asked. I laughed, "Oh yeah! And I know for a fact that you missed him!" Ellie nodded and smiled.
"I always miss him when he goes on tour." She sighed, "I just wish I could go with him." Ellie sat in thoughts of Craig and I reached over and turned on the radio.
That night, at dinner, my dad, his girlfriend, Diane, Ellie and I sat around the table, listening to one of Craig's "on-the-road" stories.
"So my drummer, Daniel, pulls up to this drive-thru window, and you know we're in a huge bus, and he can barely talk to the speaker. So he orders a couple of cheeseburgers and he says, 'Um, yeah…. Super Size that.'" Craig rolled his eyes, "He was also a little drunk, though." We all laughed. When Craig tried, he could be pretty damn funny.
"Um... Craig?" Ellie asked, putting her hand on his arm. He smiled and turned to her.
"Yeah, babe?" he asked patiently. Ellie smiled at him too.
"Can we tell them, please?" she asked. He sighed.
"Okay guys, real announcement time." He smiled and stood up. We all sat in anticipation, eager to know what he was going to say. He took Ellie's hand as he said, "Ellie's pregnant!" We all looked at Craig in absolute awe.
"Congratulations? Anytime!" he waved his hand at us. We still stared at him, until Dad spoke up.
"You're not even married!" he yelled, Diane touched his hand. Craig just looked at him.
"Yeah and you weren't married when mom got pregnant with Angie!" he yelled right back, pointing to me. It wasn't a question… it was an accusation, and it hurt. I turned out of my chair and ran up the stairs to my room. Craig had called me a mistake, at least that's what I had heard. I cried silently, looking at the framed picture on the wall of my mother, Julia. I couldn't believe that he had said that it was my fault that Dad was angry. But I was sure that Ellie could calm him down.
About an hour later, Craig knocked on my door, but I didn't want him to come in. I turned up the Ramones CD in my boom box so I couldn't hear him.
"I GAVE YOU THAT CD ANGELA ELIZABETH JEREMIAH!" he yelled through my door. I sighed and turned it off, and let him into my room. He stood there, tall and apologetic. I didn't look at him.
"Ang… look at me." Craig said. I sighed and looked up at him. He kissed me on the forehead.
"I love you Angela Jeremiah!" He grinned at me and opened his arms for a hug. I smiled and hugged him.
"I'm sorry Angie," he said, holding me, "I really am." I nodded and smiled at him.
"I know Craig. I love you too."