'Ashley.' he thought, as he made his way to her locker. She looked so
beautiful in his eyes. Looking into her locker. Her bangs in her face.
"Ashley?" Craig croaked. It pained him so much to see her hurt, to watch
the tear roll down her cheek. He reached out to wipe it away, but she
flinched to the side and momentarily glanced at him. Her red-rimmed green
eyes broke his heart.
"What do you want, Craig?" Ashley sighed. Purposely not looking at him, she busied herself putting and taking items in and out of her locker. He gulped, his heart seemed to the clogging his throat. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Holding out the bouquet of a dozen red roses, he smiled at her. "For you." She wouldn't even look at him. She wouldn't even touch the roses. "Please, Ash. Sweety, take the roses. They're for you."
Ashley stiffened, slamming her locker shut she turned away from Craig. He grabbed her arms. Violently she pulled her arm away. "Don't you ever touch me again! Don't you ever lay one finger on me!" she screamed, the vacant hallways echoing her voice. Her tear-streaked face shook as she glowered at him. "You lost your privilege to touch me the moment you ever thought of Manny as anything more than a friend." This time she whispered in a harsh tone, unlike her usual joyful self.
"Ashley, please." he painfully spoke as she backed away. "Let me explain. I am so sorry." Craig dropped to his needs, the red roses falling to the floor as Ashley turned away from him. Every click of her shoes stomped on his heart a little more than the one before it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Ashley? Are you ok?" Paige quickly ran to her friend's side. Spinner followed slowly. "He. He." Ashley stammered. She pressed her face into Paige's shoulder. "Shhh. What did he do Ash?" Paige could feel the pain emitting from Ashley. Her eyes screamed sorrow. For a moment, Ashley pulled her face away from Paige. Looking from her to Spinner she whispered. "He brought me roses." She weakly smiled quickly. "Beautiful red roses. He asked me to take them. But I wouldn't." Angering she spat. "I will never take anything from that person again. I walked away from him, and he grabbed my arm. I screamed at him. I made him cry. And it felt good to hurt him." Silently. "I wanted him to cry. To feel how I feel."
Paige held her tight. "It's ok, Hun. Spinner and I are here for you. And I promise. Craig, and Manny as well, will both hurt. For you." Menacingly, Paige gazed over to Spinner. Personally, Spinner was quite uneasy about the whole thing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There was a tapping on the window of Mrs. Kwan's room. Everyone in grade ten looked up for a moment. The bell was going to ring at any second, who could be knocking at the door? Glancing, unknowingly at the window, Craig saw Manny waving at him. 'Oh God. No. Not this. Not now.'
The bell rang and everyone headed out the door. He gazed longingly at Ashley, now was not the time to try and talk to her. Surround by her close friends, not a good moment to make a scene. Cringing at the thought of what would happen if Ashley saw him talking to Manny, he took a breath and made his was out as well.
Ashley and Manny exchanged dirty looks at each other. "Slut." Ashley whispered under her breath. "Bitch." Manny retorted. Never had the hallways of Degrassi ever been icier.
Spinner and Paige kissed goodbye, "I'll see you in a few. I'm going to go with Ash to her locker." Turning to talk to Ashley, Paige spotted Craig walking out of the room. Manny looking eagerly at him. Quickly, she poked Ashley, pointing at the drama that might just unfold in front of them. Ashley turned slightly, only so she could see through one eye. Her bangs hung low, her hands were halfway in her locker.
"Manny, leave me alone." He whipped away from her.
"Come on, Craig." Manny smiled seductively as she grabbed his hand. "We can fix this. I promise."
"I don't want to fix things with you. I don't love you." He snapped. Gazing at Ashley for a moment, taking her away from her transfixed state. Manny looked over at Ashley, angering. Then feeling Paige's glares, turned away sharply.
"Don't give me that crap, Craig. I know you want me. Could she make you moan the way I did? Make you hot?" Manny stepped in closer. She breathed on Craig, making his straighten for a moment. Bang! The sudden crash of a locker took him away from his stupefied gaze. He looked over to Ashley; she had been the one to slam the locker. And SHE was the one staring at him. Sizing him up with her eyes. Cursing him with ever blink.
"Manny, get away from me." He pushed her away. Turning she grabbed his hand.
"Come on, Craig. You want me. If SHE wasn't standing there. Staring at you, you wouldn't hesitate a moment. You want to be with me. I can give you want. What you need. She would never, ever give you what I can." Manny licked her lips, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened.
Roaring, he shoved her away. "GET AWAY FROM ME MANNY!!" He glowered down at her water filled eyes. "YOU'RE the reason this is all happening to me! You're the one who followed me home like a sick little puppy. Who begged me to come to that stupid rave."
Straightening, she looked him square in the eye. Breathing hard, she whispered. "Yeah. Well you were the one who kept coming back for more." The whisper was like a scream in the silent, still hallway.
"What do you want, Craig?" Ashley sighed. Purposely not looking at him, she busied herself putting and taking items in and out of her locker. He gulped, his heart seemed to the clogging his throat. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Holding out the bouquet of a dozen red roses, he smiled at her. "For you." She wouldn't even look at him. She wouldn't even touch the roses. "Please, Ash. Sweety, take the roses. They're for you."
Ashley stiffened, slamming her locker shut she turned away from Craig. He grabbed her arms. Violently she pulled her arm away. "Don't you ever touch me again! Don't you ever lay one finger on me!" she screamed, the vacant hallways echoing her voice. Her tear-streaked face shook as she glowered at him. "You lost your privilege to touch me the moment you ever thought of Manny as anything more than a friend." This time she whispered in a harsh tone, unlike her usual joyful self.
"Ashley, please." he painfully spoke as she backed away. "Let me explain. I am so sorry." Craig dropped to his needs, the red roses falling to the floor as Ashley turned away from him. Every click of her shoes stomped on his heart a little more than the one before it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Ashley? Are you ok?" Paige quickly ran to her friend's side. Spinner followed slowly. "He. He." Ashley stammered. She pressed her face into Paige's shoulder. "Shhh. What did he do Ash?" Paige could feel the pain emitting from Ashley. Her eyes screamed sorrow. For a moment, Ashley pulled her face away from Paige. Looking from her to Spinner she whispered. "He brought me roses." She weakly smiled quickly. "Beautiful red roses. He asked me to take them. But I wouldn't." Angering she spat. "I will never take anything from that person again. I walked away from him, and he grabbed my arm. I screamed at him. I made him cry. And it felt good to hurt him." Silently. "I wanted him to cry. To feel how I feel."
Paige held her tight. "It's ok, Hun. Spinner and I are here for you. And I promise. Craig, and Manny as well, will both hurt. For you." Menacingly, Paige gazed over to Spinner. Personally, Spinner was quite uneasy about the whole thing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There was a tapping on the window of Mrs. Kwan's room. Everyone in grade ten looked up for a moment. The bell was going to ring at any second, who could be knocking at the door? Glancing, unknowingly at the window, Craig saw Manny waving at him. 'Oh God. No. Not this. Not now.'
The bell rang and everyone headed out the door. He gazed longingly at Ashley, now was not the time to try and talk to her. Surround by her close friends, not a good moment to make a scene. Cringing at the thought of what would happen if Ashley saw him talking to Manny, he took a breath and made his was out as well.
Ashley and Manny exchanged dirty looks at each other. "Slut." Ashley whispered under her breath. "Bitch." Manny retorted. Never had the hallways of Degrassi ever been icier.
Spinner and Paige kissed goodbye, "I'll see you in a few. I'm going to go with Ash to her locker." Turning to talk to Ashley, Paige spotted Craig walking out of the room. Manny looking eagerly at him. Quickly, she poked Ashley, pointing at the drama that might just unfold in front of them. Ashley turned slightly, only so she could see through one eye. Her bangs hung low, her hands were halfway in her locker.
"Manny, leave me alone." He whipped away from her.
"Come on, Craig." Manny smiled seductively as she grabbed his hand. "We can fix this. I promise."
"I don't want to fix things with you. I don't love you." He snapped. Gazing at Ashley for a moment, taking her away from her transfixed state. Manny looked over at Ashley, angering. Then feeling Paige's glares, turned away sharply.
"Don't give me that crap, Craig. I know you want me. Could she make you moan the way I did? Make you hot?" Manny stepped in closer. She breathed on Craig, making his straighten for a moment. Bang! The sudden crash of a locker took him away from his stupefied gaze. He looked over to Ashley; she had been the one to slam the locker. And SHE was the one staring at him. Sizing him up with her eyes. Cursing him with ever blink.
"Manny, get away from me." He pushed her away. Turning she grabbed his hand.
"Come on, Craig. You want me. If SHE wasn't standing there. Staring at you, you wouldn't hesitate a moment. You want to be with me. I can give you want. What you need. She would never, ever give you what I can." Manny licked her lips, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened.
Roaring, he shoved her away. "GET AWAY FROM ME MANNY!!" He glowered down at her water filled eyes. "YOU'RE the reason this is all happening to me! You're the one who followed me home like a sick little puppy. Who begged me to come to that stupid rave."
Straightening, she looked him square in the eye. Breathing hard, she whispered. "Yeah. Well you were the one who kept coming back for more." The whisper was like a scream in the silent, still hallway.