Part Seven:
I ended up going to the mall and wandering around on my own. I window-
shopped, but didn't really go into any stores: I didn't have any money,
and I didn't want to deal with annoying sales-women.
"Manny!" I heard someone say. I turned around, and nearly had a heart-
attack. There was Sean...and CRAIG! The guy I'd messed up with. I'd been
so immature on our date, and now he barely spoke to me. But I smiled and
went over to them. "Hi, Sean. Hi, Craig," I said, trying to be cool.
"You're here on your own?" Sean asked. "Where's Emma?" He was still in-
terested in her. I politely explained that Emma and I weren't talking right
then.
"You wanna hang out with us, then?" Craig asked. "We were just about to
get something to eat." He wanted me to hang out with him? (and Sean, but
whatever). I shrugged. "Sure, but I already ate at home."
"That's cool," Craig said. "Just get a drink or something."
"Flat broke," I said, smiling again. I'm very proud of my smile: it's the
only part of myself that I'm not ashamed of. It draws attention away from
my fat cheeks.
"No problem, I've got it," Craig said with his nice smile. *Sigh* He
laughed. "I have to pay for Sean's dinner, anyway!"
"Hey, I paid for yours last time," Sean growled. I knew he was embarressed,
since he was poor.
"Yeah, yeah, details," Craig said.
So we hung out. And then Sean said, "I gotta go, you guys. Tracker wanted
me to come home early and work on a bike with him." He smiled a little.
"It might be my bike, when I'm old enough."
I was alone with Craig. "I better go, too..."
"No, wait," Craig said. "Hang out for awhile."
Well, I didn't really want to go home, because I knew that Father was
waiting to yell at me again. Maybe me and Craig can work things out! I
thought. "Sure," I said. "No problem."
We walked around, and he said, "Sean told me about Emma's report." I wanted
to die: Did he know that she'd written it for me? I hated Emma, and Sean,
right then. "Manny, I talked to her the other day, after I got home from
work." I remembered that Emma babysat Angela now, since I had to go home
right away. "She's worried about you, you know?"
"Why?" I demanded harshly. I was almost shaking with rage.
"Manny, you were small as it is," Craig said. "But lately...you look like
you were in a concentration camp for a few weeks, you know?"
Why did he keep saying "you know"? I didn't know. But I didn't say anything,
and he continued: "I understand what's going on, Manny. Emma told me how
your dad is controlling. My dad was that way too, and he beat me up, too.
But you can't take it out on yourself."
"What am I supposed to do, Craig?" I could feel my eyes welling with tears.
"She has no business talking about my personal life. And it's not all his
fault. She's part of it. She tries to control me, too." I turned around.
"And she's wrong. There's nothing wrong with me. She's the one with the
problem. She's jealous." And I left.
I walked around Toronto until late that night. I was sure that the police
would come and find me. At one, I snuck into my room. My parents weren't
awake. But I would have to face them in the morning.
What was I going to do?
Read and review. Thanks!
I ended up going to the mall and wandering around on my own. I window-
shopped, but didn't really go into any stores: I didn't have any money,
and I didn't want to deal with annoying sales-women.
"Manny!" I heard someone say. I turned around, and nearly had a heart-
attack. There was Sean...and CRAIG! The guy I'd messed up with. I'd been
so immature on our date, and now he barely spoke to me. But I smiled and
went over to them. "Hi, Sean. Hi, Craig," I said, trying to be cool.
"You're here on your own?" Sean asked. "Where's Emma?" He was still in-
terested in her. I politely explained that Emma and I weren't talking right
then.
"You wanna hang out with us, then?" Craig asked. "We were just about to
get something to eat." He wanted me to hang out with him? (and Sean, but
whatever). I shrugged. "Sure, but I already ate at home."
"That's cool," Craig said. "Just get a drink or something."
"Flat broke," I said, smiling again. I'm very proud of my smile: it's the
only part of myself that I'm not ashamed of. It draws attention away from
my fat cheeks.
"No problem, I've got it," Craig said with his nice smile. *Sigh* He
laughed. "I have to pay for Sean's dinner, anyway!"
"Hey, I paid for yours last time," Sean growled. I knew he was embarressed,
since he was poor.
"Yeah, yeah, details," Craig said.
So we hung out. And then Sean said, "I gotta go, you guys. Tracker wanted
me to come home early and work on a bike with him." He smiled a little.
"It might be my bike, when I'm old enough."
I was alone with Craig. "I better go, too..."
"No, wait," Craig said. "Hang out for awhile."
Well, I didn't really want to go home, because I knew that Father was
waiting to yell at me again. Maybe me and Craig can work things out! I
thought. "Sure," I said. "No problem."
We walked around, and he said, "Sean told me about Emma's report." I wanted
to die: Did he know that she'd written it for me? I hated Emma, and Sean,
right then. "Manny, I talked to her the other day, after I got home from
work." I remembered that Emma babysat Angela now, since I had to go home
right away. "She's worried about you, you know?"
"Why?" I demanded harshly. I was almost shaking with rage.
"Manny, you were small as it is," Craig said. "But lately...you look like
you were in a concentration camp for a few weeks, you know?"
Why did he keep saying "you know"? I didn't know. But I didn't say anything,
and he continued: "I understand what's going on, Manny. Emma told me how
your dad is controlling. My dad was that way too, and he beat me up, too.
But you can't take it out on yourself."
"What am I supposed to do, Craig?" I could feel my eyes welling with tears.
"She has no business talking about my personal life. And it's not all his
fault. She's part of it. She tries to control me, too." I turned around.
"And she's wrong. There's nothing wrong with me. She's the one with the
problem. She's jealous." And I left.
I walked around Toronto until late that night. I was sure that the police
would come and find me. At one, I snuck into my room. My parents weren't
awake. But I would have to face them in the morning.
What was I going to do?
Read and review. Thanks!