Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Degrassi: The New
Generation. I only own any character that I produce through my own
imagination.
Craig drags himself out of bed. He is still wearing the clothes he had on yesterday. They are crumpled and his hair is messy and covering his face. He changes his clothes and runs his fingers through his hair before running out the door without so much as a good morning to either Joey or Angie.
On his way to school, scenes from yesterday play continuously in his mind. What would he give for it not to be true. But he knows without a doubt it is. He reaches the front doors of Degrassi and hesitates before opening them.
"Hey Craig."
"Hey Paige."
Craig stands there without expression listening to whatever Paige is saying. He nods at all of Paige's plans for the next school dance.
"Listen Paige, I've got to go see you around."
"Oh, bye Craig."
Craig walks to his locker and is immediately greeted by Spinner and Jimmy.
"Craig!"
"Hey."
They all look at him strangely, but Craig doesn't quite notice anything abnormal. They shrug at each other.
"So where's Evonne today? You guy are always together."
Craig shrugs and walks away. He leaves behind two very confused people. Craig wanders into the media immersion room. He sits down at a computer and logs in. He finds himself writing an email to Evonne even though she is not there.
Evonne,
Where are you? Why are you hiding? Come back, okay?
Craig
Ashley walks up behind Craig and sits down at the computer next to him. She debates in her mind whether to say hello to him.
"Hey Craig."
"Hey Ash."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Even though Ashley knows that Craig is lying she doesn't push the matter further. She finds it strange that Evonne isn't with him though. She and Craig have practically been glued together since Evonne first came to Degrassi.
Craig seems to pass through the day in a dream like daze. Everything that was said to him and that involved him passes over his head like a wave. People whisper about him behind his back, there's something wrong with him.
Normally he might have cared what they were saying about him but today was different. Craig walks past the music room. For a second he thinks that he can hear music but alas, when he opens the door there is no one there.
The only thing in the music room are a few instruments, a keyboard, some plastic chairs stacked up in piles and sitting alone in the middle of the room is the piano. It black panels gleam as Craig turns on the spotlights.
He sits down at the piano and runs his fingers lightly over the keys. He presses each key in turn letting each sound resonate around the room. Someone else is standing at the door watching him. She can tell something is wrong and she wants to figure out what.
"Craig?"
Craig turns around sharply almost falling off the piano stool. There standing in front of him is Manny. He hardly hides his surprise to see her of all people standing there.
"Are you okay?"
Craig relaxes slightly but doesn't attempt to answer Manny's question. Mann moves towards him and sits down on the platform next to a keyboard. Manny watches him and for a moment, they both sit silently lost in their own thoughts.
"Why are you here Manny? You should be angry at me."
Manny smiles and laughs, her laughter seems fake and hollow to Craig's ears.
"I should be, but I'm not, that's why I'm here."
For a brief moment, Craig flashes his iridescent smile but a split second alter it disappears.
"Craig, you're still my friend regardless of whether you broke my heart or not."
"Thanks Manny."
Craig gets up and leaves; Manny sits in the abandoned music room in silence. She listens to the doors of the school slam shut and she too gets up and walks out.
Craig reaches the front door of Evonne's house. He tries the doors handle but it is locked. He looks around there is a lattice structure attached to the side of the house. He climbs up the structure. It doesn't even occur to him that it is not stable and could collapse under his weight.
He carefully edges his way toward Evonne's bedroom window. He tries to open it and to his surprise, it opens easily from the outside. He climbs in and looks around the room. Evonne's room is almost unusually bare. However there is one wall covered with photos.
Craig walks over to the wall. He sees Angie, Paige, Terri, Hazel, Spinner, Jimmy, Marco, Ellie, Ashley, Sean, Emma, Manny, JT and Toby. He sees everyone except him. For a fleeting moment, his chest hurts. He sits on the bed for a moment and then he realizes why he didn't find his photo. The bedside table is bare except for three things: a book, an alarm clock and a frame. Craig picks up the frame his picture is there, he puts it down carefully.
He climbs out the window. He is less then a meter away from the ground when the lattice gives way and he falls to the ground. Craig lies on the ground for a moment. He stares up into the sky that is gradually turning a bright shade of pink.
As he gets up he feels a sharp pain in his ankle but he ignores it and begins to walk home. When he arrives, he crashes on the sofa and holds his ankle for a moment. The pain surges up his ankle and through his leg. Craig reaches over and turns on the television.
He glances quickly at the clock it says 6:00 it is news hour. Craig doesn't really mind anything to take his mind somewhere else will do. He watches blankly at the screen. There sits a Caucasian lady her hair and make up in place. Her expression hardly changes as she announces the death rate in the recent war.
Then something she says makes him sit up and listen. It is about the local news. Craig reaches over to the remote and turns the volume up louder.
"A 13 year old girl from Toronto has been reported missing. She was kidnapped at around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon after coming back from school at Degrassi Community School. Police are continuing the search. No ransom note has been found and the parents of the girl have yet to be found. If you have any information please call crime stoppers."
Craig knows they are talking about Evonne. He feels like screaming at the news anchor but he doesn't he sits in silence. Joey and Angie arrive home and they glance over at Craig.
Craig tries to stand up but he immediately falls back down on the sofa in pain. Joey and Angie run over to him.
"Craig, are you alright?"
Craig is holding his ankle in pain. Joey carefully pries Craig's fingers away from his ankle. Craig's ankle has swollen up and is coloured a strange mixture between slightly purple and bright pink.
"I think you've rolled your ankle."
Joey walks away and comes back with an ice pack. He places it gently on Craig's swollen ankle. Craig cringes with pain but that soon subsides.
"Angie stay here and look after Craig okay?"
"Okay!"
Joey walks out and Craig is left with Angie. She sits in front of him on the floor. She is watching Without a Trace. He can't for the life of him figure out what time it is or why he is letting Angie watch this show but nothing catches his attention until they show the end credits.
"Evonne!"
Craig frowns what is Angie saying. He turns his body towards the television and in an instant; he knows what Angie is saying. There on the screen is Evonne's picture. For some reason the police department sent her picture in as a missing, persons file.
For a second he is shocked he wonders where they got her picture. Then he recalls Evonne telling him about witness protection even though she wasn't suppose to. Of course, they would have her picture. But if she were in the program why would they show it on national television? There were so many questions and Craig had so few answers.
Craig drags himself out of bed. He is still wearing the clothes he had on yesterday. They are crumpled and his hair is messy and covering his face. He changes his clothes and runs his fingers through his hair before running out the door without so much as a good morning to either Joey or Angie.
On his way to school, scenes from yesterday play continuously in his mind. What would he give for it not to be true. But he knows without a doubt it is. He reaches the front doors of Degrassi and hesitates before opening them.
"Hey Craig."
"Hey Paige."
Craig stands there without expression listening to whatever Paige is saying. He nods at all of Paige's plans for the next school dance.
"Listen Paige, I've got to go see you around."
"Oh, bye Craig."
Craig walks to his locker and is immediately greeted by Spinner and Jimmy.
"Craig!"
"Hey."
They all look at him strangely, but Craig doesn't quite notice anything abnormal. They shrug at each other.
"So where's Evonne today? You guy are always together."
Craig shrugs and walks away. He leaves behind two very confused people. Craig wanders into the media immersion room. He sits down at a computer and logs in. He finds himself writing an email to Evonne even though she is not there.
Evonne,
Where are you? Why are you hiding? Come back, okay?
Craig
Ashley walks up behind Craig and sits down at the computer next to him. She debates in her mind whether to say hello to him.
"Hey Craig."
"Hey Ash."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Even though Ashley knows that Craig is lying she doesn't push the matter further. She finds it strange that Evonne isn't with him though. She and Craig have practically been glued together since Evonne first came to Degrassi.
Craig seems to pass through the day in a dream like daze. Everything that was said to him and that involved him passes over his head like a wave. People whisper about him behind his back, there's something wrong with him.
Normally he might have cared what they were saying about him but today was different. Craig walks past the music room. For a second he thinks that he can hear music but alas, when he opens the door there is no one there.
The only thing in the music room are a few instruments, a keyboard, some plastic chairs stacked up in piles and sitting alone in the middle of the room is the piano. It black panels gleam as Craig turns on the spotlights.
He sits down at the piano and runs his fingers lightly over the keys. He presses each key in turn letting each sound resonate around the room. Someone else is standing at the door watching him. She can tell something is wrong and she wants to figure out what.
"Craig?"
Craig turns around sharply almost falling off the piano stool. There standing in front of him is Manny. He hardly hides his surprise to see her of all people standing there.
"Are you okay?"
Craig relaxes slightly but doesn't attempt to answer Manny's question. Mann moves towards him and sits down on the platform next to a keyboard. Manny watches him and for a moment, they both sit silently lost in their own thoughts.
"Why are you here Manny? You should be angry at me."
Manny smiles and laughs, her laughter seems fake and hollow to Craig's ears.
"I should be, but I'm not, that's why I'm here."
For a brief moment, Craig flashes his iridescent smile but a split second alter it disappears.
"Craig, you're still my friend regardless of whether you broke my heart or not."
"Thanks Manny."
Craig gets up and leaves; Manny sits in the abandoned music room in silence. She listens to the doors of the school slam shut and she too gets up and walks out.
Craig reaches the front door of Evonne's house. He tries the doors handle but it is locked. He looks around there is a lattice structure attached to the side of the house. He climbs up the structure. It doesn't even occur to him that it is not stable and could collapse under his weight.
He carefully edges his way toward Evonne's bedroom window. He tries to open it and to his surprise, it opens easily from the outside. He climbs in and looks around the room. Evonne's room is almost unusually bare. However there is one wall covered with photos.
Craig walks over to the wall. He sees Angie, Paige, Terri, Hazel, Spinner, Jimmy, Marco, Ellie, Ashley, Sean, Emma, Manny, JT and Toby. He sees everyone except him. For a fleeting moment, his chest hurts. He sits on the bed for a moment and then he realizes why he didn't find his photo. The bedside table is bare except for three things: a book, an alarm clock and a frame. Craig picks up the frame his picture is there, he puts it down carefully.
He climbs out the window. He is less then a meter away from the ground when the lattice gives way and he falls to the ground. Craig lies on the ground for a moment. He stares up into the sky that is gradually turning a bright shade of pink.
As he gets up he feels a sharp pain in his ankle but he ignores it and begins to walk home. When he arrives, he crashes on the sofa and holds his ankle for a moment. The pain surges up his ankle and through his leg. Craig reaches over and turns on the television.
He glances quickly at the clock it says 6:00 it is news hour. Craig doesn't really mind anything to take his mind somewhere else will do. He watches blankly at the screen. There sits a Caucasian lady her hair and make up in place. Her expression hardly changes as she announces the death rate in the recent war.
Then something she says makes him sit up and listen. It is about the local news. Craig reaches over to the remote and turns the volume up louder.
"A 13 year old girl from Toronto has been reported missing. She was kidnapped at around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon after coming back from school at Degrassi Community School. Police are continuing the search. No ransom note has been found and the parents of the girl have yet to be found. If you have any information please call crime stoppers."
Craig knows they are talking about Evonne. He feels like screaming at the news anchor but he doesn't he sits in silence. Joey and Angie arrive home and they glance over at Craig.
Craig tries to stand up but he immediately falls back down on the sofa in pain. Joey and Angie run over to him.
"Craig, are you alright?"
Craig is holding his ankle in pain. Joey carefully pries Craig's fingers away from his ankle. Craig's ankle has swollen up and is coloured a strange mixture between slightly purple and bright pink.
"I think you've rolled your ankle."
Joey walks away and comes back with an ice pack. He places it gently on Craig's swollen ankle. Craig cringes with pain but that soon subsides.
"Angie stay here and look after Craig okay?"
"Okay!"
Joey walks out and Craig is left with Angie. She sits in front of him on the floor. She is watching Without a Trace. He can't for the life of him figure out what time it is or why he is letting Angie watch this show but nothing catches his attention until they show the end credits.
"Evonne!"
Craig frowns what is Angie saying. He turns his body towards the television and in an instant; he knows what Angie is saying. There on the screen is Evonne's picture. For some reason the police department sent her picture in as a missing, persons file.
For a second he is shocked he wonders where they got her picture. Then he recalls Evonne telling him about witness protection even though she wasn't suppose to. Of course, they would have her picture. But if she were in the program why would they show it on national television? There were so many questions and Craig had so few answers.