Part Eight:
After talking to Sean, Craig thought he would feel better. But he felt worse...about Ashley, that is.
After his week's grounding was over, Craig went over to Carrie's house...most days. Sometimes he would make up an excuse not to go: it was just getting too intense for him. He said that he didn't Joey to find out what was going on. Carrie would become really quiet after that, and Craig would start to feel guilty all over again.
One afternoon, Craig went to the mall with Sean. He seemed to have really forgiven him about the grounding thing, but he steered clear of talking about Craig's relationship with Miss Roberts. It was too weird to him. One day, he'd tried to tell Craig that he didn't think it was right, but Craig had become defensive. So Sean knew that the subject was off-limits.
The truth was, Craig wasn't sure HOW he felt about Carrie anymore. He still thought she was beautiful, and he enjoyed talking to her about photography and art. And she was fun. But the relationship was becoming really intense. He'd tried to tell her that he was too young for it to go so far, but she would avoid that subject. "Relax, Craig," she would say. "Have a cigarette." He would always refuse.
After a few photography classes, Ellie was back to ignoring Craig. She obviously knew that Craig hadn't called Ashley since his date with her, and was bitter at him. But Craig was too busy taking pictures to care. In one class, they'd taken a bus to downtown Toronto and taken a whole roll of pictures. Craig had gotten great shots: a sleeping homeless man, the glowing sign on a run-down diner, the still-standing Christmas tree in somebody's ground-floor apartment window. He liked all his pictures. So, apparently, did Carrie.
After class, Craig would go home with Carrie. They tried to be really casual about it, in case anyone was watching: Craig would "help" Miss Roberts carry some boxes to her car. Then, he'd climb in, "for a ride home", and they'd head to her apartment for an afternoon together.
But one day, that changed.
In the middle of class, Mr. Radditch came wandering in. They were all currently laying out their favorite photos on the desk: every student was going to make a small collage consisting of the photos they'd taken. Craig looked up as the principal walked in. As usual, he was wearing a suit (in the SUMMER?!). He walked around the room, examining the photos the students had taken carefully. Craig wondered if it were his imagination, or Radditch spent a bit more time hovering over his desk then anyone eles?
Then, the principal went over to Miss Roberts, who was sitting at the desk. They started talking, and Craig wondered if it was his imagination again, but...they kept looking over at him. Miss Roberts had a grim look on her face, and Craig quickly looked down at his pictures as he felt his stomach knot up. Oh, God, oh, God.
After class, Miss Roberts went over to Craig. "Craig, could I see you for a second?"
"Um, sure thing, Miss Roberts..." They went into a corner of the room as the students filed out. Out of the corner of his eye, Craig saw Ellie looking at him as she left the room. Or was he just being paranoid again?
"Craig," Carrie said when everyone had left the room, "I think we may have a problem."
Craig felt his stomach tighten up worse then before. "What did Radditch want?"
"I...think he may know."
"W-what makes you say that?" Craig felt a lump in his throat. He swallowed as Carrie continued.
"He said he wants to see us in his office after class. We better get going."
"Carrie, this may not be about us."
"Craig?" Carrie looked at him. "Call me Miss Roberts."
As they walked down the hall together, Craig felt like he was going to be sick. I'm gonna hurl, gonna hurl, gonna hurl, he told himself. He looked at Carrie...Miss Roberts...but she was staring straight ahead.
They reached the door of Radditch's office, and Miss Roberts knocked. "Come in," the principal called. Miss Roberts opened the door, allowed Craig to walk in, and closed the door behind herself. Radditch looked up from his paperwork. "Ah, yes, take a seat, please." Craig couldn't help but notice that Radditch sounded a bit cheerful for what he was about to say. "Well, you must be wondering what this is about then?" Radditch continued. "Well, I'm sorry that I couldn't stay in your class longer to explain things to you, Miss Roberts, but I had some other teachers to talk to."
"Oh." Miss Roberts face relaxed, and Radditch went on.
"The superintendent wants us to showcase all of our new summer courses. We're going to set up a night next week with the teacher of each class and the selected student from that class to show what they've done that summer. In this case, we'll have you and Mr. Manning here with his photos on display." Radditch turned to Craig. "Only if you want to, of course, son." Radditch knew all about what happened to Craig that past spring, and was still treating him delicately.
"Um...yeah!" Craig said. He was just so realived that this wasn't about him and Carrie. "That sounds cool."
"Good, good." Mr. Radditch handed them both a paper with information on it. "We'll be setting up our displays next Friday, the showcase will be on Friday night."
"Thank you, sir," Miss Roberts said with a smile as they all stood up. "Craig is my most talented photography student, and showing off his work would be an honor for me."
"And me, too," Craig added, realived.
"I saw some of your work in there," Radditch said as he shook Craig's hand. "You've really got a talent with a camera."
"Thanks."
They walked out of the office, silently, back to Miss Roberts room. As soon as they were back there, she let out a whoop. "Oh, my God! What a relief!"
"I knew you were overreacting."
"Oh, yeah!" she said sarcastically, still laughing. "You were practically peeing your pants in there."
Craig grinned, and Carrie smiled at him. "You really are talented, you know."
"Oh, stop," Craig said modestly.
"It's true. And I don't just mean at photography." She had the same look in her eyes now that she had in the bedroom of her apartment. With that, she leaned in and kissed him.
Neither of them saw Ellie this time, as she saw them as she peeked through the window. When she saw them kissing, she turned and ran.
After talking to Sean, Craig thought he would feel better. But he felt worse...about Ashley, that is.
After his week's grounding was over, Craig went over to Carrie's house...most days. Sometimes he would make up an excuse not to go: it was just getting too intense for him. He said that he didn't Joey to find out what was going on. Carrie would become really quiet after that, and Craig would start to feel guilty all over again.
One afternoon, Craig went to the mall with Sean. He seemed to have really forgiven him about the grounding thing, but he steered clear of talking about Craig's relationship with Miss Roberts. It was too weird to him. One day, he'd tried to tell Craig that he didn't think it was right, but Craig had become defensive. So Sean knew that the subject was off-limits.
The truth was, Craig wasn't sure HOW he felt about Carrie anymore. He still thought she was beautiful, and he enjoyed talking to her about photography and art. And she was fun. But the relationship was becoming really intense. He'd tried to tell her that he was too young for it to go so far, but she would avoid that subject. "Relax, Craig," she would say. "Have a cigarette." He would always refuse.
After a few photography classes, Ellie was back to ignoring Craig. She obviously knew that Craig hadn't called Ashley since his date with her, and was bitter at him. But Craig was too busy taking pictures to care. In one class, they'd taken a bus to downtown Toronto and taken a whole roll of pictures. Craig had gotten great shots: a sleeping homeless man, the glowing sign on a run-down diner, the still-standing Christmas tree in somebody's ground-floor apartment window. He liked all his pictures. So, apparently, did Carrie.
After class, Craig would go home with Carrie. They tried to be really casual about it, in case anyone was watching: Craig would "help" Miss Roberts carry some boxes to her car. Then, he'd climb in, "for a ride home", and they'd head to her apartment for an afternoon together.
But one day, that changed.
In the middle of class, Mr. Radditch came wandering in. They were all currently laying out their favorite photos on the desk: every student was going to make a small collage consisting of the photos they'd taken. Craig looked up as the principal walked in. As usual, he was wearing a suit (in the SUMMER?!). He walked around the room, examining the photos the students had taken carefully. Craig wondered if it were his imagination, or Radditch spent a bit more time hovering over his desk then anyone eles?
Then, the principal went over to Miss Roberts, who was sitting at the desk. They started talking, and Craig wondered if it was his imagination again, but...they kept looking over at him. Miss Roberts had a grim look on her face, and Craig quickly looked down at his pictures as he felt his stomach knot up. Oh, God, oh, God.
After class, Miss Roberts went over to Craig. "Craig, could I see you for a second?"
"Um, sure thing, Miss Roberts..." They went into a corner of the room as the students filed out. Out of the corner of his eye, Craig saw Ellie looking at him as she left the room. Or was he just being paranoid again?
"Craig," Carrie said when everyone had left the room, "I think we may have a problem."
Craig felt his stomach tighten up worse then before. "What did Radditch want?"
"I...think he may know."
"W-what makes you say that?" Craig felt a lump in his throat. He swallowed as Carrie continued.
"He said he wants to see us in his office after class. We better get going."
"Carrie, this may not be about us."
"Craig?" Carrie looked at him. "Call me Miss Roberts."
As they walked down the hall together, Craig felt like he was going to be sick. I'm gonna hurl, gonna hurl, gonna hurl, he told himself. He looked at Carrie...Miss Roberts...but she was staring straight ahead.
They reached the door of Radditch's office, and Miss Roberts knocked. "Come in," the principal called. Miss Roberts opened the door, allowed Craig to walk in, and closed the door behind herself. Radditch looked up from his paperwork. "Ah, yes, take a seat, please." Craig couldn't help but notice that Radditch sounded a bit cheerful for what he was about to say. "Well, you must be wondering what this is about then?" Radditch continued. "Well, I'm sorry that I couldn't stay in your class longer to explain things to you, Miss Roberts, but I had some other teachers to talk to."
"Oh." Miss Roberts face relaxed, and Radditch went on.
"The superintendent wants us to showcase all of our new summer courses. We're going to set up a night next week with the teacher of each class and the selected student from that class to show what they've done that summer. In this case, we'll have you and Mr. Manning here with his photos on display." Radditch turned to Craig. "Only if you want to, of course, son." Radditch knew all about what happened to Craig that past spring, and was still treating him delicately.
"Um...yeah!" Craig said. He was just so realived that this wasn't about him and Carrie. "That sounds cool."
"Good, good." Mr. Radditch handed them both a paper with information on it. "We'll be setting up our displays next Friday, the showcase will be on Friday night."
"Thank you, sir," Miss Roberts said with a smile as they all stood up. "Craig is my most talented photography student, and showing off his work would be an honor for me."
"And me, too," Craig added, realived.
"I saw some of your work in there," Radditch said as he shook Craig's hand. "You've really got a talent with a camera."
"Thanks."
They walked out of the office, silently, back to Miss Roberts room. As soon as they were back there, she let out a whoop. "Oh, my God! What a relief!"
"I knew you were overreacting."
"Oh, yeah!" she said sarcastically, still laughing. "You were practically peeing your pants in there."
Craig grinned, and Carrie smiled at him. "You really are talented, you know."
"Oh, stop," Craig said modestly.
"It's true. And I don't just mean at photography." She had the same look in her eyes now that she had in the bedroom of her apartment. With that, she leaned in and kissed him.
Neither of them saw Ellie this time, as she saw them as she peeked through the window. When she saw them kissing, she turned and ran.