It was Monday afternoon before Craig saw Chloe again. She was
sitting in the courtyard with Ashley and Jimmy. He was just crossing over
to see her when Manny popped up in front of him. He looked bewildered for
a moment before smiling at her.
"Hey Manny. Sorry about having to bail on you last week, Chloe needed to get home. Did you have fun after I left?" He asked, and Manny smiled dreamily. She didn't reply and Craig gazed at her, confused. "Manny?"
"Oh, yeah!" She cried, snapping out of her dream state and smiling up at him. "I had a good time, yeah."
"Well, sorry again for ditching you." He spoke, looking to move past her and sit with Chloe, Jimmy, and Ashley. He made it almost halfway before she called him back.
"I know how you could make it up to me." She told him, batting her eyelashes. He turned back to her.
"How?"
"You could take me to the movies. Or I could take you. Either way, we could go together." She finally stammered out, and Craig weighed his options. She deserved something; he had left her dateless at the party. Finally he nodded, and Manny cheered. "Great! Today then, after school? My dad won't let me stay out past five, so it'll have to be a short movie . . . " she started, about to launch in to a long winded explanation of her father's policies and procedures. Craig continued on to his friends.
"That's fine, Manny. I'll see you after school." He interrupted, finally reaching the wall where his three friends sat talking. Ashley and Jimmy were holding hands, and Chloe was beaming.
"I'm so happy for you guys." She cried, hugging them both. Craig smiled as he watched.
"What's going on?" he asked, sitting down next to Chloe. Ashley and Jimmy smirked at him.
"We're back together!" They cried in unison, then laughed at the cheesiness of it all. Craig's smile widened.
"That's great, you guys." He replied, and Jimmy shook his head.
"Forget about us, man. What about you? I heard Manny was going to ask you out. Has she gotten around to doing it yet?" he asked, and Craig colored. Chloe and Ashley both looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Could it be love?"
Normally, Craig wouldn't have thought twice about Jimmy's comment. Now, sitting next to Chloe and feeling as he did, he couldn't take it.
"I don't love Manny, okay! I just said yes because I felt bad!" He cried, standing up and stalking off. Jimmy and Ashley looked to Chloe, who merely shrugged. Nearby, Emma took off to find Manny and tell her what she'd heard. She found her friend in MI, typing 'Craig + Manny = LOVE' on her screen over and over again. When Manny saw her friend her face brightened and she began to talk rapidly.
"Emma! Guess what? Craig and I are going on a date! This will be our second date this week; I really think he likes me. Do you think he'll ask me to the Fall Formal? I'll have to go look at dresses. I know the dance is only for seniors but I think you can get in if your date is one. Do you want to come with me this weekend, and pick out a dress? I was thinking something in a yellow, cause I like to be happy, or maybe an icy blue . . . " she chattered, before Emma could work up the nerve to speak.
"Manny, stop! Craig doesn't like you! He just said yes to your date because he felt bad!" she spat out, and Manny's eyes narrowed.
"You're just saying that because you want him for yourself. Craig would never do something like that!"
"Yes, he would. I heard him telling Chloe, Ashley, and Jimmy that he wasn't in love with you." Emma replied, and Manny shook her head.
"I never would have expected this from you, Emma. I thought you were a better friend than that." Manny spoke, turning on her heel and marching off to the washroom.
"Hey Manny. Sorry about having to bail on you last week, Chloe needed to get home. Did you have fun after I left?" He asked, and Manny smiled dreamily. She didn't reply and Craig gazed at her, confused. "Manny?"
"Oh, yeah!" She cried, snapping out of her dream state and smiling up at him. "I had a good time, yeah."
"Well, sorry again for ditching you." He spoke, looking to move past her and sit with Chloe, Jimmy, and Ashley. He made it almost halfway before she called him back.
"I know how you could make it up to me." She told him, batting her eyelashes. He turned back to her.
"How?"
"You could take me to the movies. Or I could take you. Either way, we could go together." She finally stammered out, and Craig weighed his options. She deserved something; he had left her dateless at the party. Finally he nodded, and Manny cheered. "Great! Today then, after school? My dad won't let me stay out past five, so it'll have to be a short movie . . . " she started, about to launch in to a long winded explanation of her father's policies and procedures. Craig continued on to his friends.
"That's fine, Manny. I'll see you after school." He interrupted, finally reaching the wall where his three friends sat talking. Ashley and Jimmy were holding hands, and Chloe was beaming.
"I'm so happy for you guys." She cried, hugging them both. Craig smiled as he watched.
"What's going on?" he asked, sitting down next to Chloe. Ashley and Jimmy smirked at him.
"We're back together!" They cried in unison, then laughed at the cheesiness of it all. Craig's smile widened.
"That's great, you guys." He replied, and Jimmy shook his head.
"Forget about us, man. What about you? I heard Manny was going to ask you out. Has she gotten around to doing it yet?" he asked, and Craig colored. Chloe and Ashley both looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Could it be love?"
Normally, Craig wouldn't have thought twice about Jimmy's comment. Now, sitting next to Chloe and feeling as he did, he couldn't take it.
"I don't love Manny, okay! I just said yes because I felt bad!" He cried, standing up and stalking off. Jimmy and Ashley looked to Chloe, who merely shrugged. Nearby, Emma took off to find Manny and tell her what she'd heard. She found her friend in MI, typing 'Craig + Manny = LOVE' on her screen over and over again. When Manny saw her friend her face brightened and she began to talk rapidly.
"Emma! Guess what? Craig and I are going on a date! This will be our second date this week; I really think he likes me. Do you think he'll ask me to the Fall Formal? I'll have to go look at dresses. I know the dance is only for seniors but I think you can get in if your date is one. Do you want to come with me this weekend, and pick out a dress? I was thinking something in a yellow, cause I like to be happy, or maybe an icy blue . . . " she chattered, before Emma could work up the nerve to speak.
"Manny, stop! Craig doesn't like you! He just said yes to your date because he felt bad!" she spat out, and Manny's eyes narrowed.
"You're just saying that because you want him for yourself. Craig would never do something like that!"
"Yes, he would. I heard him telling Chloe, Ashley, and Jimmy that he wasn't in love with you." Emma replied, and Manny shook her head.
"I never would have expected this from you, Emma. I thought you were a better friend than that." Manny spoke, turning on her heel and marching off to the washroom.
