At lunch, Craig sat with his usual group of friends. Marco, Jimmy, and Spinner. Sometimes they had others come join them to talk about something, but they were the main ones at that table. Craig couldn't stop thinking about the fight he had with Michelle that morning. Although hw had apologized, he still didn't feel right. He was hurt. Deeply hurt. He knew he said some awful things to her, but she said some awful things right back. But he was okay with it. Somehow, he was okay with it. The pain in his heart let him know…it let him know that he still had a heart. And that he cared what Michelle thought of him. He turned his head to look at her, but when he looked over at Paige's table, she wasn't there. Figures. He thought. After all that happened that morning she wouldn't sit with Paige and Ash. I just know she wouldn't. But then where is she? She always knows she can sit with me… Craig looked around. He looked over by Emma, and caught Manny staring at him, but didn't think much of it. Michelle wasn't over there.

"I'll be right back," Craig said to his friends. He got up and slowly walked to the bathroom. As he was walking he was looking around. She wasn't anywhere to be found. Instead of going to the bathroom, he went out in the hallway. He didn't know where to look, so he just headed for his locker. Then he saw though the glass doors that Michelle was outside, sitting on the steps. He opened the door quietly, he hadn't decided if he should make his presence known or not. So he just stood a couple feet behind her. He could hear her crying. He wanted it to stop. He wanted her pain to stop. He sat down next to her.

"Michelle…"

"It hurts, Craig. It hurts so much." She said through the sobs.

"What? What hurts?"

"Life. Living. I can't stand it. I see these people who get everything they want even though they are bad people. And then I try to be a good person, and all the bad shit still comes."

"Bad things happen to bad people. Bad things happen to good people, too."

"Maybe I'm just not a good enough person."

"Don't say that Michelle. You are a wonderful person. You care about people you don't need to. You care about people who aren't worthy. You care about me."

Michelle lifted her head to look at Craig. He saw that her eyes were read and puffy. Her cheeks stained with the trail lines of many tears.

"It stabs me like a thousand knives to see you crying. If I could, I would suffer the worst pain possible just so you never even had to feel the hurt of a paper cut. And I know that can mean anything since I can't do that, but-"

"Craig. It means the world to me."

"But it won't change anything."

"It makes me feel a litle bit better."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry…I'm just so sorry…"

"For what? You didn't do anything to me."

"Yes, I did. For acting so strangly. For listening to your problems but then cutting myself off emotionally. You were right, you know."

"About what?"

"Whenn….when you asked me….when you asked me if I was anorexic."

"Oh…I….why? You're beautiful. I have thought that since the first time I saw you."

"I don't see what you see Craig. But I know it's bad, and I'm going to get help. My mom has been noticing. And she doesn't notice anything, so that tells me that I have a problem."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it?"

"I don't know. There has been tension between us. I didn't want to make a conflict between us."

"Michelle, I could never get in a conflict with you."

That made Michelle smile. She gave Craig a hug. She slowly pulled away, until her face was an inch in front of Craig's. He knew she was going to kiss him.

"Michelle, what about what you said? What about being friends?"

"We'll always be friends, Craig. I can feel that. I can also feel that this is right. Isn't it?"

"It is."

And Michelle kissed him. And Craig kissed her back. Michelle was crying as she kissed him. This is it, she thought. This is what I needed to feel loved. But what if I'm not? She needed to know. She broke the kiss. Craig didn't know why.

"What is it?"

"I think I love you."

Craig was in total shock. He didn't know what to do. Or what to say. Because he loved her, too. But he was afraid. He felt that if he made the commitment of telling her he loved her, she might leave him. And he couldn't take that. But I love her. And she loves me. She deserves to know. I just…need to have…to have…

"Faith." Michelle whispered.

"You need to have, faith." She smiled.

Craig knew she hadn't read his mind, just his face.

"Craig, you don't need to say it. Because I know you do."

Craig grabbed her hand and the stood up. So hand in hand, they walked back into school, and into the lunch room, just in time to hear the bell ring. They smiled at each other. This is what they both needed. To find each other. To finally be happy. They went and stood by their lockers, just holding hands and staring at each other. As people walked by, they all had different reactions. Emma and JT came running up to them.

"Craig! Is this what I think it is? Are you..ahh!" Emma said in delight.

"Craig my man, way-to-go. You definitely got a good one." JT said in a sly way, patting Craig on the back.

"Well, we have to get to class, see you two love birds later." Emma said as she and JT walked away. Manny was watching Michelle and Craig from afar. No, she wasn't watching. She was glaring. Hoping that the harder she glared, the bigger the chance they would both burst into flames.

"Let it go, hun." Said a familiar voice. Manny looked over her shoulder and saw Paige standing behind her.

"Craig is long gone, and won't be coming back to you. Look at him. He's actually happy."

"He doesn't deserve to be happy, Paige."

"Duh. Craig is a jerk. But there is nothing you can do about it."

"Watch me."

Manny started walking over to Craig, but stopped dead in her tracks. What am I doing? She thought to herself. I ruined things before, I don't need to do it again. She took in a deep breath and turned the other way. Paige shook her head.

"Girl has to learn sometime…" She said to no one in particular.

With fingers interlaced, Craig and Michelle walked down the hallway, and sadly seperated as they both had to go to different classes.

"See you."

"Yeah.." Craig said. And he started walking away. Then he stopped and turned around. Michelle was far down the hall. So he yelled.

"Michelle! I love you!" Michelle heard him, but she just kept walking and laughed. Craig knew she heard, so he laughed too, realizing how embarrassed he was. Ashley had a look of disgust on her face as she walked to class with Ellie.

"He makes me sick."

"Ash, I know you hate him, but he isn't going to be single forever. Obviously."

"But he shouldn't be happy. Not after everything he did."

Ashley and Ellie sat side by side. Then, Michelle walked inbetween their desks and knelt down so she could talk to them.

"I'm screwing things up here at Degrassi, I know. And I have barely been here a month. And I'm so sorry Ash, but I can't help the way I feel. It is okay if you forgive me, I don't expect you to. I wouldn't. I just…I don't know. I hate the feeling of knowing that someone doesn't like me."

Ashley looked down at her.

"We warned you, Michelle. You are only going to get hurt. I don't hate you, but…I'm just not comfortable around you anymore. You should go."

Michelle's face fell.

"I guess that's fair. See you guys later."

Michelle went and sat in her seat. She felt very alone. Even though she finally had Craig, she was afraid she no longer had any friends left. And that was a scary feeling for her. She didn't know what to do, she was so confused. But part of her was very happy. Because she was in love. And she was loved back.

For the next three weeks, Michelle and Craig spent every day together. Michelle finally introduced him to her mom, and unfortunaltey, her brother. Although her brother was an asshole as usual, her mom seemed to like Craig very much, and was pleased that Michelle was happy. At school, Craig and Michelle were, for the most part, isolated. Ashley, Paige, Ellie, Hazel, Manny, and almost every other girl at Degrassi hated them both. They hated Craig because he was a player, and they hated Michelle because she accepted him that way. Occasionally, Emma and her friends would talk to them, and Spinner, Marco, and Jimmy didn't turn on them, although Marco felt very guilty for confusing everyone. And Craig held that against him every now and then. But Michelle and Craig were okay with all of this, because they had each other. They understood each other, and listened to the others problems. When Craig was on the brink of doing something stupid and irrational, Michelle could talk him out of it. She could make him feel alive again. She could almost make him forget about all the horrid things he did. Almost.