*Summary: When Craig takes a summer photography workshop, he gets more then he bargains for...a romance with the teacher!
Part One:
School had just gotten out for the summer, and Joey walked into the living room to find his stepson, Craig, lying on the couch and staring at the TV. He almost looked dead. "Um...Craig."
"Eh?" Craig barely moved to look up at his stepfather. "Hey, Joey," he mumbled lazily, turning to stare at the television again. "The Price is Right" was on.
"Craig, are you gonna spend your whole summer like this?" Joey asked impatiently, taking a seat in a chair next to the couch.
"Yes." Craig didn't even look at him: he was watching as the models presented the prize showcases: a brand new boat, a convertable, a kitchen set...
Click. Joey turned off the TV. "Dude!" Craig yelled. "I was watching that!"
"You looked like the TV was gonna suck you in!" Joey replyed, looking half amused and half annoyed. "I did you a favor, man."
"Whatever." Craig turned on his side to stare at the ceiling. Joey took this minute to examine his stepson. It had been only a few weeks since his real dad had died. Joey had had high hopes for Craig's quick recovery: he'd gone to school right away, and had even taken the girl he liked, Ashley, to the end of year dance...and gotten crowned king! But as soon as school had let out, he'd slipped into a sort of depressed state. Joey was concerned.
"Why don't you call Ashley up? Maybe you two can go out tonight."
"Nah," Craig said indifferently. "She's probably busy with her friends or something."
"Well, maybe you can have the guys come over," Joey said, getting desprate. "I can take Angela to her grandmother's. And I have plans, so you guys can have the house to yourselves."
But that didn't work, either. Craig sat up and sighed. "I'm just not feeling too good today, Joey. I think I'm gonna go to be for awhile." Joey watched sadly as his stepson trugged up the stairs. What can I do for that boy? He needs a distraction, Joey knew. Something to take his mind off what's happened...
Later that day, Joey was rifling through the mail, when he found a letter for him from Degrassi. It read, TO THE PARENT/GUARDIAN OF CRAIG MANNING. Joey opened it and read:
DEAR PARENTS/GUARDIANS:
AS A NEW CURRICULUM AT DEGRASSI COMMUNITY SCHOOL, ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED
TO ATTEND ONE SUMMER ACTIVITY COURSE AT THE SCHOOL, TO GO TOWARDS GRADUATION
CREDITS. COURSES ARE FREE OF CHARGE TO ATTEND, AND ALL EXTRA EXPENSES WILL BE
PAID FOR BY THE SCHOOL. PLEASE FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING FORMS, SELECTING THE
COURSE THAT YOUR CHILD WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, AND RETURN TO THE SCHOOL BY MONDAY,
JUNE 15TH. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE SENT AT A LATER DATE INVOLVING COURSE
SCHELDULES AND REQUIREMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
YOURS SINCERLY,
MR. RADDITCH (DEGRASSI PRINCIPAL)
Joey read over the letter. Hmm...a required summer course. That didn't sound too bad...and he wouldn't have to convince Craig to take it, because it was required.
Joey looked over the form, and the list of classes. BEGINNER COOKING? Pass. ARCHERY? No. Joey knew that he should probably have Craig make the choice, so he took the letter up to his stepson's room.
Craig had only been out of the room that day to get some food and pee. He was still lying in bed when Joey knocked and came in. "Craig? I got a letter from your school..."
Craig read it over quickly. "That's so lame," he protested, shoving the letter back to his stepfather.
"Yeah, I know. But it's required."
"Whatever. They can't make me."
"You have to do it so you graduate." Joey could feel his anger start to build up, but he stopped himself from yelling. "Look, just look over the courses and find one that doesn't sound horrible."
Craig looked it over. "There's a photography class," Craig said, not sounding too enthusiastic. "Go ahead and sign me up for that, I guess."
Joey took the forms and filled them out, and dropped them off at the school on his way to work the next day. He was hopeful that this course, which involved the thing Craig most loved to do, would be the thing to get his stepson back on his feet.
He had no idea.
Part One:
School had just gotten out for the summer, and Joey walked into the living room to find his stepson, Craig, lying on the couch and staring at the TV. He almost looked dead. "Um...Craig."
"Eh?" Craig barely moved to look up at his stepfather. "Hey, Joey," he mumbled lazily, turning to stare at the television again. "The Price is Right" was on.
"Craig, are you gonna spend your whole summer like this?" Joey asked impatiently, taking a seat in a chair next to the couch.
"Yes." Craig didn't even look at him: he was watching as the models presented the prize showcases: a brand new boat, a convertable, a kitchen set...
Click. Joey turned off the TV. "Dude!" Craig yelled. "I was watching that!"
"You looked like the TV was gonna suck you in!" Joey replyed, looking half amused and half annoyed. "I did you a favor, man."
"Whatever." Craig turned on his side to stare at the ceiling. Joey took this minute to examine his stepson. It had been only a few weeks since his real dad had died. Joey had had high hopes for Craig's quick recovery: he'd gone to school right away, and had even taken the girl he liked, Ashley, to the end of year dance...and gotten crowned king! But as soon as school had let out, he'd slipped into a sort of depressed state. Joey was concerned.
"Why don't you call Ashley up? Maybe you two can go out tonight."
"Nah," Craig said indifferently. "She's probably busy with her friends or something."
"Well, maybe you can have the guys come over," Joey said, getting desprate. "I can take Angela to her grandmother's. And I have plans, so you guys can have the house to yourselves."
But that didn't work, either. Craig sat up and sighed. "I'm just not feeling too good today, Joey. I think I'm gonna go to be for awhile." Joey watched sadly as his stepson trugged up the stairs. What can I do for that boy? He needs a distraction, Joey knew. Something to take his mind off what's happened...
Later that day, Joey was rifling through the mail, when he found a letter for him from Degrassi. It read, TO THE PARENT/GUARDIAN OF CRAIG MANNING. Joey opened it and read:
DEAR PARENTS/GUARDIANS:
AS A NEW CURRICULUM AT DEGRASSI COMMUNITY SCHOOL, ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED
TO ATTEND ONE SUMMER ACTIVITY COURSE AT THE SCHOOL, TO GO TOWARDS GRADUATION
CREDITS. COURSES ARE FREE OF CHARGE TO ATTEND, AND ALL EXTRA EXPENSES WILL BE
PAID FOR BY THE SCHOOL. PLEASE FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING FORMS, SELECTING THE
COURSE THAT YOUR CHILD WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, AND RETURN TO THE SCHOOL BY MONDAY,
JUNE 15TH. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE SENT AT A LATER DATE INVOLVING COURSE
SCHELDULES AND REQUIREMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
YOURS SINCERLY,
MR. RADDITCH (DEGRASSI PRINCIPAL)
Joey read over the letter. Hmm...a required summer course. That didn't sound too bad...and he wouldn't have to convince Craig to take it, because it was required.
Joey looked over the form, and the list of classes. BEGINNER COOKING? Pass. ARCHERY? No. Joey knew that he should probably have Craig make the choice, so he took the letter up to his stepson's room.
Craig had only been out of the room that day to get some food and pee. He was still lying in bed when Joey knocked and came in. "Craig? I got a letter from your school..."
Craig read it over quickly. "That's so lame," he protested, shoving the letter back to his stepfather.
"Yeah, I know. But it's required."
"Whatever. They can't make me."
"You have to do it so you graduate." Joey could feel his anger start to build up, but he stopped himself from yelling. "Look, just look over the courses and find one that doesn't sound horrible."
Craig looked it over. "There's a photography class," Craig said, not sounding too enthusiastic. "Go ahead and sign me up for that, I guess."
Joey took the forms and filled them out, and dropped them off at the school on his way to work the next day. He was hopeful that this course, which involved the thing Craig most loved to do, would be the thing to get his stepson back on his feet.
He had no idea.