Chapter Five: Spilling Over
Craig was back in his father's house. He was sitting on the couch, and everything was wrong. He knew something wasn't right. He knew he was supposed to be living with Joey and Angela. What was he doing there?
Suddenly the kitchen door slammed closed with a loud bang. Craig jumped, and stood quickly. His father appeared then from around the corner then, putter in hand.
"Hey, Craigger!" His father spoke jovially, and Craig took one giant step backward.
"No . . . no this is wrong!" Craig stammered, and a dark look crossed his father's face.
"This is the way things are supposed to be. You belong here Craig, with me. I'll show you that . . . " Albert trailed off, raising the putter in the air.
"No!! No dad, don't!" He screamed, and suddenly found himself sitting in the middle of English class. Everyone was staring at him as he raised his head off the desk. Jimmy looked at him quizzically, eyebrows furrowed. It was just a dream.
"Don't what?" Jimmy asked, and everyone leaned in for the response.
"Huh?" Craig asked, confused.
"You started screaming something about your dad. You didn't want him to do something." Jimmy explained, and Ms. Kwan looked on with interest. Craig shook his head.
"I . . . I don't remember." He finally managed, and the class looked disappointed. Ms. Kwan pressed on.
"If no one minds I'd like to continue the lesson. Mr. Manning, please try to stay awake, I know I'm not THAT boring." She spoke, and the class made a miniscule attempt at polite laughter. It came out sounding nervous, and made Craig even more aware that everyone was still staring at him.
When class was finally out Craig stopped by his locker before heading to lunch. He found Chloe and Ashley in their usual table. As he sat down he attempted a carefree smile, but they both wore looks of concern and he quickly discovered they had both heard about his nightmarish episode in English.
"God, gossip travels fast around here." Craig spoke petulantly, staring off into the distance. Ashley's eyebrows shot up.
"So that's all it is? Gossip? You weren't having nightmares in Ms. Kwan's class?" she asked, and Craig pretended he didn't hear her.
"Craig?!" Chloe punctuated loudly, causing both Ashley and Craig to jump.
"So I fell asleep and had a nightmare! It doesn't mean anything." Craig replied heatedly, standing quickly and storming out of the cafeteria. He bumped Jimmy on his way and continued without apologizing. Jimmy looked momentarily stunned before finding his way to the seat near Ashley.
"Man, something's up with him." Jimmy told them, dropping his lunch heavily on the table and sitting down.
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked, and Jimmy shook his head.
"His dream was pretty heavy."
"I heard you could hear his screaming in the library." Spinner added, sitting down at the table and joining the conversation without prelude.
"What was it about?" Chloe asked. Jimmy thought for a moment.
"He said he couldn't remember but I don't think I believe him. He was yelling, 'Dad, don't' or something like that." He explained, and Chloe's eyebrow dropped with worry. Abandoning her lunch, she stood up and wandered out of the cafeteria.
When she finally caught up with Craig he was halfway down Degrassi Street. She called out his name but he continued his pace. After nearly another block he stopped and fell resignedly onto the curb. As Chloe sat next to him he covered his face and she began to suspect he had been crying. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and they sat together for several minutes in silence. Finally his head rose and he gazed up at the gray and dreary sky.
"I have nightmares about him, Chlo. Every night. I wake up sweating, thrashing, shaking, and screaming. I hate being asleep now almost as much as I hate him. I can't even escape during the day. He always finds me, finds a way to destroy my life. Always." He spoke, shivering profusely. Chloe tightened her arm around his shoulder. "To top it off, I've got to go to court on Friday. They're going to make a ruling about whether or not he's "cured"."
"Do you want me to come with you? On Friday?" She offered, and he looked up at her.
"Would you? Could you? You think your parents will let you?" He asked, and she nodded quickly.
"Of course they will. Craig, you know I'd do anything for you. All you have to do is ask." She replied with a smile, kissing his cheek where a renegade tear had made a dark spot. Chloe stood and offered him a hand up. He grasped it tightly and together they started back to class.
Craig was back in his father's house. He was sitting on the couch, and everything was wrong. He knew something wasn't right. He knew he was supposed to be living with Joey and Angela. What was he doing there?
Suddenly the kitchen door slammed closed with a loud bang. Craig jumped, and stood quickly. His father appeared then from around the corner then, putter in hand.
"Hey, Craigger!" His father spoke jovially, and Craig took one giant step backward.
"No . . . no this is wrong!" Craig stammered, and a dark look crossed his father's face.
"This is the way things are supposed to be. You belong here Craig, with me. I'll show you that . . . " Albert trailed off, raising the putter in the air.
"No!! No dad, don't!" He screamed, and suddenly found himself sitting in the middle of English class. Everyone was staring at him as he raised his head off the desk. Jimmy looked at him quizzically, eyebrows furrowed. It was just a dream.
"Don't what?" Jimmy asked, and everyone leaned in for the response.
"Huh?" Craig asked, confused.
"You started screaming something about your dad. You didn't want him to do something." Jimmy explained, and Ms. Kwan looked on with interest. Craig shook his head.
"I . . . I don't remember." He finally managed, and the class looked disappointed. Ms. Kwan pressed on.
"If no one minds I'd like to continue the lesson. Mr. Manning, please try to stay awake, I know I'm not THAT boring." She spoke, and the class made a miniscule attempt at polite laughter. It came out sounding nervous, and made Craig even more aware that everyone was still staring at him.
When class was finally out Craig stopped by his locker before heading to lunch. He found Chloe and Ashley in their usual table. As he sat down he attempted a carefree smile, but they both wore looks of concern and he quickly discovered they had both heard about his nightmarish episode in English.
"God, gossip travels fast around here." Craig spoke petulantly, staring off into the distance. Ashley's eyebrows shot up.
"So that's all it is? Gossip? You weren't having nightmares in Ms. Kwan's class?" she asked, and Craig pretended he didn't hear her.
"Craig?!" Chloe punctuated loudly, causing both Ashley and Craig to jump.
"So I fell asleep and had a nightmare! It doesn't mean anything." Craig replied heatedly, standing quickly and storming out of the cafeteria. He bumped Jimmy on his way and continued without apologizing. Jimmy looked momentarily stunned before finding his way to the seat near Ashley.
"Man, something's up with him." Jimmy told them, dropping his lunch heavily on the table and sitting down.
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked, and Jimmy shook his head.
"His dream was pretty heavy."
"I heard you could hear his screaming in the library." Spinner added, sitting down at the table and joining the conversation without prelude.
"What was it about?" Chloe asked. Jimmy thought for a moment.
"He said he couldn't remember but I don't think I believe him. He was yelling, 'Dad, don't' or something like that." He explained, and Chloe's eyebrow dropped with worry. Abandoning her lunch, she stood up and wandered out of the cafeteria.
When she finally caught up with Craig he was halfway down Degrassi Street. She called out his name but he continued his pace. After nearly another block he stopped and fell resignedly onto the curb. As Chloe sat next to him he covered his face and she began to suspect he had been crying. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and they sat together for several minutes in silence. Finally his head rose and he gazed up at the gray and dreary sky.
"I have nightmares about him, Chlo. Every night. I wake up sweating, thrashing, shaking, and screaming. I hate being asleep now almost as much as I hate him. I can't even escape during the day. He always finds me, finds a way to destroy my life. Always." He spoke, shivering profusely. Chloe tightened her arm around his shoulder. "To top it off, I've got to go to court on Friday. They're going to make a ruling about whether or not he's "cured"."
"Do you want me to come with you? On Friday?" She offered, and he looked up at her.
"Would you? Could you? You think your parents will let you?" He asked, and she nodded quickly.
"Of course they will. Craig, you know I'd do anything for you. All you have to do is ask." She replied with a smile, kissing his cheek where a renegade tear had made a dark spot. Chloe stood and offered him a hand up. He grasped it tightly and together they started back to class.
