A/N: Hey, do they have Halloween in Canada? Who knows . . . I guess it's
not THAT important!
So what if Craig's father turns into a senseless drunk? It's fiction!
***
Halloween approached much quicker than anyone could have expected. Suddenly all the store windows were filled with pumpkins and ghosts. Even the halls of Degrassi were awash in orange and black. Everyone was gearing up for the Fall Formal. Emma and Manny had come to a grudging truce, and they had gone together to pick out Manny's dress.
Manny arrived at Emma's house right after school. Emma had kept the dress in her closet, so Manny's father wouldn't see it. It was something to see, too. It was black, and fell to her knees. There were several ties in the back, which crisscrossed her shoulders. Once she had it on, she slipped into her heels and Emma went to work on her hair. Once her make-up was on she looked three years older. The doorbell downstairs rang and together they raced to answer it. Craig stood outside, looking charming in his black tux.
"Hey Manny, you look awesome." He spoke, slipping the corsage over her wrist. Manny nodded, and Emma nudged her.
"Uh, yeah! You look really, really good too, Craig!" she cried, laughing hysterically. Craig furrowed his eyebrows.
"Are you, uh, ready to go?" he asked, and Emma dove for the camera.
"Just one picture, before you go." She said, as Manny threw her arms around her date. The picture Emma snapped later developed to show Craig looking extremely panicky, and Manny looking euphoric. The two said their final goodbye to Emma and started off toward the school. Craig hadn't, after all, gotten a limo, so it was a five-minute walk to the dance.
As they approached, they could hear the pounding rhythm of the base as it poured out of the open door. Craig held out an arm with a smile, and Manny clutched it tightly. Together they walked up the stairs. Craig handed the doorman their tickets, and they passed under the arch and into the swirling, shiny gym turned ballroom.
Once inside, they beheld the most amazing sight in Degrassi history. Dozens of couples, twirling around one another, all dressed in black. Black tuxedos, black dresses. Craig was even sure he saw several black corsages. Looking down at his own black tux he shook his head and led Manny over to Ashley and Jimmy, who were sitting at a nearby table.
"Hey guys. Amazing, isn't it?" Jimmy asked, gesturing at the black clad couples.
"A little freaky if you ask me." Manny piped up, looking down at her own black dress and sighing.
"Are Chloe and Spinner here yet?" Craig asked, looking around the crowd for a blonde head. Jimmy shrugged.
"Don't think so." He replied, and Ashley nudged him. Together they looked to the door, and Craig spun quickly to see what they were looking at. Chloe and Spinner had indeed just arrived, making more of a scene than any couple before them.
Spinner wore an all white tuxedo, and on his lapel was pinned a red rose boutonniere. At his side stood Chloe, clad in a sparkly, deep red dress. It fell to her knees, the hem cut on a Spanish bias. The straps were thin and crossed her shoulders, attaching to the back of the dress and creating an X on her shoulder blades. Her blonde hair fell in natural waves down her back, and was pinned on one side with a sparkly rose barrette. They looked amazing, and Craig could feel his pulse pounding jealously in his throat.
Spinner and Chloe moved across the room to where Jimmy, Manny, Craig, and Ashley were sitting. Ashley stood with a broad grin and they wrapped their arms around each other. Chloe kissed Ashley's cheek and they both sat down.
"You look great!" they said in unison, then laughed. Jimmy turned to Spinner.
"Nice tux, Spin. Goodwill?" He joked, and Spinner punched him on the arm.
"Wish I could stay and exchange witty repartee with you, James my man, Miss Chloe and I are long overdue for a dance." He replied, grasping Chloe's hand and twirling her out onto the floor. Jimmy turned to Ashley.
"Repartee?" he asked, and Ashley giggled.
"It's the Chloe influence, works every time." She explained as Jimmy grasped her hand and followed suit.
The dance went on for hours. Craig tried his hardest to avoid dancing with Manny. On her own she was a phenomenal dancer, but pair her with a boy she liked, and she had two left feet. As they danced Craig watched Spinner and Chloe whirling easily around the floor. Finally, his toes were too sore to continue, and he went with Manny to get a drink. As he was pouring two glasses of punch he looked across the room and saw his father arguing with the doorman.
"Manny, stay here." He spoke, walking off quickly toward the door. When he arrived he took his father by the arm and led him out onto the street. His father reeked of alcohol.
"Dad, what are you doing here? Are you drunk?" Craig asked as his father took grip of his wrist.
"It's none of your business what I do with my life." He slurred, trying to pull his son toward the car.
"Dad, you don't drink!" Craig started, but was interrupted as his father stumbled, sending Craig flying toward a bush.
"I'll do whatever I please. You sound more like your mother ever day, the nagging shrew. Get in the car, we're going home." He replied, opening up the passenger side door and gesturing wildly.
"Craig, don't go." Said a voice from behind him. He whirled around to find Chloe stationed at the top of the steps. Craig's father was furious.
"You! I thought I got you away from my son, you meddling brat!" He garbled, lurching forward to pull his son into the car. Craig moved away back up the steps.
"You can't keep burying your head in the sand, Craig. You've got to stand up for yourself." Chloe spoke, and Craig nodded.
"I'm not going with you, Dad. If you try to force me I'll go inside and tell Mr. Simpson. I'll tell him everything." Craig threatened, and even in his father's drunken stupor the words hit home.
"Fine, you ungrateful wretch, but I'll teach you a lesson tomorrow." He warned, peeling out of the parking lot. Chloe wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, Craig." She spoke, pulling away with a smile. Craig still stood, silent. Chloe frowned. "What's wrong?"
"You should get back to the dance, Chlo. Spinner will wonder where you went." He replied, turning away angrily.
"Spinner?" She asked, then laughed. "Craig, Spinner's just my date, not my boyfriend."
Craig turned, suspicious.
"Really?" He asked, and she nodded.
"To be perfectly honest, I've always sort of had a thing for you." She replied, searching his wide eyes for a clue. A smile blossomed across his face and he laughed.
"Really?" He asked. Chloe nodded and wrapped her arms around him again. This time, Craig kissed her. When they were finished, Chloe pulled away.
"What about Manny?" She asked, and Craig paused in thought.
"I never really liked her, you know that. I'll tell her in the morning. There's no point in ruining tonight for her." He replied, and Chloe nodded.
"And Joey?"
"I'll call him tomorrow." He promised, kissing her again. She smiled widely.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. What about tonight?" She asked teasingly. His smile matched hers.
"Tonight, my dearest Chloe, tonight we dance."
So what if Craig's father turns into a senseless drunk? It's fiction!
***
Halloween approached much quicker than anyone could have expected. Suddenly all the store windows were filled with pumpkins and ghosts. Even the halls of Degrassi were awash in orange and black. Everyone was gearing up for the Fall Formal. Emma and Manny had come to a grudging truce, and they had gone together to pick out Manny's dress.
Manny arrived at Emma's house right after school. Emma had kept the dress in her closet, so Manny's father wouldn't see it. It was something to see, too. It was black, and fell to her knees. There were several ties in the back, which crisscrossed her shoulders. Once she had it on, she slipped into her heels and Emma went to work on her hair. Once her make-up was on she looked three years older. The doorbell downstairs rang and together they raced to answer it. Craig stood outside, looking charming in his black tux.
"Hey Manny, you look awesome." He spoke, slipping the corsage over her wrist. Manny nodded, and Emma nudged her.
"Uh, yeah! You look really, really good too, Craig!" she cried, laughing hysterically. Craig furrowed his eyebrows.
"Are you, uh, ready to go?" he asked, and Emma dove for the camera.
"Just one picture, before you go." She said, as Manny threw her arms around her date. The picture Emma snapped later developed to show Craig looking extremely panicky, and Manny looking euphoric. The two said their final goodbye to Emma and started off toward the school. Craig hadn't, after all, gotten a limo, so it was a five-minute walk to the dance.
As they approached, they could hear the pounding rhythm of the base as it poured out of the open door. Craig held out an arm with a smile, and Manny clutched it tightly. Together they walked up the stairs. Craig handed the doorman their tickets, and they passed under the arch and into the swirling, shiny gym turned ballroom.
Once inside, they beheld the most amazing sight in Degrassi history. Dozens of couples, twirling around one another, all dressed in black. Black tuxedos, black dresses. Craig was even sure he saw several black corsages. Looking down at his own black tux he shook his head and led Manny over to Ashley and Jimmy, who were sitting at a nearby table.
"Hey guys. Amazing, isn't it?" Jimmy asked, gesturing at the black clad couples.
"A little freaky if you ask me." Manny piped up, looking down at her own black dress and sighing.
"Are Chloe and Spinner here yet?" Craig asked, looking around the crowd for a blonde head. Jimmy shrugged.
"Don't think so." He replied, and Ashley nudged him. Together they looked to the door, and Craig spun quickly to see what they were looking at. Chloe and Spinner had indeed just arrived, making more of a scene than any couple before them.
Spinner wore an all white tuxedo, and on his lapel was pinned a red rose boutonniere. At his side stood Chloe, clad in a sparkly, deep red dress. It fell to her knees, the hem cut on a Spanish bias. The straps were thin and crossed her shoulders, attaching to the back of the dress and creating an X on her shoulder blades. Her blonde hair fell in natural waves down her back, and was pinned on one side with a sparkly rose barrette. They looked amazing, and Craig could feel his pulse pounding jealously in his throat.
Spinner and Chloe moved across the room to where Jimmy, Manny, Craig, and Ashley were sitting. Ashley stood with a broad grin and they wrapped their arms around each other. Chloe kissed Ashley's cheek and they both sat down.
"You look great!" they said in unison, then laughed. Jimmy turned to Spinner.
"Nice tux, Spin. Goodwill?" He joked, and Spinner punched him on the arm.
"Wish I could stay and exchange witty repartee with you, James my man, Miss Chloe and I are long overdue for a dance." He replied, grasping Chloe's hand and twirling her out onto the floor. Jimmy turned to Ashley.
"Repartee?" he asked, and Ashley giggled.
"It's the Chloe influence, works every time." She explained as Jimmy grasped her hand and followed suit.
The dance went on for hours. Craig tried his hardest to avoid dancing with Manny. On her own she was a phenomenal dancer, but pair her with a boy she liked, and she had two left feet. As they danced Craig watched Spinner and Chloe whirling easily around the floor. Finally, his toes were too sore to continue, and he went with Manny to get a drink. As he was pouring two glasses of punch he looked across the room and saw his father arguing with the doorman.
"Manny, stay here." He spoke, walking off quickly toward the door. When he arrived he took his father by the arm and led him out onto the street. His father reeked of alcohol.
"Dad, what are you doing here? Are you drunk?" Craig asked as his father took grip of his wrist.
"It's none of your business what I do with my life." He slurred, trying to pull his son toward the car.
"Dad, you don't drink!" Craig started, but was interrupted as his father stumbled, sending Craig flying toward a bush.
"I'll do whatever I please. You sound more like your mother ever day, the nagging shrew. Get in the car, we're going home." He replied, opening up the passenger side door and gesturing wildly.
"Craig, don't go." Said a voice from behind him. He whirled around to find Chloe stationed at the top of the steps. Craig's father was furious.
"You! I thought I got you away from my son, you meddling brat!" He garbled, lurching forward to pull his son into the car. Craig moved away back up the steps.
"You can't keep burying your head in the sand, Craig. You've got to stand up for yourself." Chloe spoke, and Craig nodded.
"I'm not going with you, Dad. If you try to force me I'll go inside and tell Mr. Simpson. I'll tell him everything." Craig threatened, and even in his father's drunken stupor the words hit home.
"Fine, you ungrateful wretch, but I'll teach you a lesson tomorrow." He warned, peeling out of the parking lot. Chloe wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, Craig." She spoke, pulling away with a smile. Craig still stood, silent. Chloe frowned. "What's wrong?"
"You should get back to the dance, Chlo. Spinner will wonder where you went." He replied, turning away angrily.
"Spinner?" She asked, then laughed. "Craig, Spinner's just my date, not my boyfriend."
Craig turned, suspicious.
"Really?" He asked, and she nodded.
"To be perfectly honest, I've always sort of had a thing for you." She replied, searching his wide eyes for a clue. A smile blossomed across his face and he laughed.
"Really?" He asked. Chloe nodded and wrapped her arms around him again. This time, Craig kissed her. When they were finished, Chloe pulled away.
"What about Manny?" She asked, and Craig paused in thought.
"I never really liked her, you know that. I'll tell her in the morning. There's no point in ruining tonight for her." He replied, and Chloe nodded.
"And Joey?"
"I'll call him tomorrow." He promised, kissing her again. She smiled widely.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. What about tonight?" She asked teasingly. His smile matched hers.
"Tonight, my dearest Chloe, tonight we dance."
