Chapter Two: The Element of Surprise
~*Craig*~
I couldn't believe it.
Sitting there right in front of me, there she was. Bianca Taylor. The one that got away.
I should probably back up and explain myself at this point.
Before I moved and came to Degrassi, I lived in BC, and attended St. Perpetua Community School. I had grown up in BC all my life, and attended school with the same tight knit group of friends. It was in first grade that I first met Bianca. The pretty, quiet girl with the red pigtails that sat in the corner by herself. It wasn't until we both discovered a mutual love for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that we even became friends. Most girls were into My Little Pony and Barbie dolls, but Bianca liked the Power Rangers and rock music like me. Summers were spent perfecting our psuedo- karate moves, and during the winter months, when the snow got too much to bear, we'd spend our days inside with MTV or MuchMusic blaring, lip- synching to the latest Aerosmith or Nirvana video.
In seventh grade though, things started to change with Bianca. Two things actually. The left one, and the right one. She seemed to go from training bras to a C cup overnight. Pretty soon, Bianca had turned into a full-blown babe, and I wasn't exactly interested in playing Power Rangers with her anymore.
So I asked her out, at the Valentine's dance, and she said yes. And for the next two years, we were inseparable. Until that one fateful day...
~*Flashback*~
"Craig, stop." Bianca said, pushing me off her.
"What? Bianca, come on." I said, kissing her neck.
"Craig, I said stop!" she said, more forcefully, sitting up and turning her back. I looked at her, confused.
"Whoa. What's wrong with you today?" I asked.
She sighed. "I have to tell you something."
"Then tell me." I replied. Then I noticed the tears dripping down her cheeks. "Bianca, what is it? Whatever is it, it can't be that bad."
"My dad got transferred." She replied softly.
I reeled back as if I had been slapped. "What?"
"My dad got trans—"
"I heard what you said." I interrupted. "Where? When?"
"California. Next week." She said sadly. "Craig, I'm so sorry..."
"No, it's fine. I mean, what can you do about it, right?"
"You're not mad?" Bianca asked.
"No, why would I be mad?" I replied. I looked at my watch. "Listen, I was supposed to be home for dinner like fifteen minutes ago, so I'll call you later, alright?"
"Okay." Bianca said.
I got up off Bianca's bed and headed towards the door as quick as my legs could carry me, when she said the phrase that shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.
"Craig, I love you."
"You too." I choked out before running down the steps and out the door.
As I walked outside, the lump in my throat seemed to get bigger and bigger. I walked down the sidewalk until finally my legs gave out and I sat down and wept like a child. It was like a floodgate. My best friend, my girlfriend, my partner in crime, my confidant. She was about to be ripped away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it.
~*End flashback*~
Like I said, I couldn't believe it. It took me nearly a year to get over that girl, and now, here she was, back in my face again. It took every ounce of strength I had in my body not to grab her and start crying all over again. I finally found my voice and asked again,
"What are you doing here?"
"My dad was transferred here. What are you doing here?"
"Same thing." I replied.
Jimmy, Spinner, and Manny were all looking at us inquisitively.
"What's going on?" Manny asked, smiling good naturedly. "Do you guys know each other?"
"Yeah. Manny, we used to, uh...."
"Go to high school together." Bianca finished. "Before I moved to California."
I stared at her in shock. Why would she deny what we had together? Recovering quickly, I looked at Manny and smiled.
"Yeah, we had a bunch of classes together, went to school together from first grade all the way up."
"Wow." Manny said. "Small world, huh? I'm Manny Santos, Craig's girlfriend. It's nice to meet you."
Bianca smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Manny. You've definitely got good taste in guys, I'll give you that."
Manny laughed. "So, how do you like Degrassi so far?"
"It's nice. Jimmy has been nice enough to let me sit with him at lunch."
Suddenly, I pieced it together. Bianca was the "hot new girl" Jimmy had been talking about. The one he and Spinner were competing over. She was currently sitting between them, and they were both looking at her like she was a piece of meat. I took a deep breath and tried to avoid lashing out at them.
"Well, Manny and I are gonna take off, we have....things to do. Studying in the library and all that." I said.
"We do?" Manny asked, looking at me.
"Yeah, we do." I replied. "C'mon."
"Bye guys." Manny said. "Nice meeting you, Bianca."
Bianca nodded. "You too. Bye Craig."
It hurt me just to hear her say my name, so I did the only thing I could do.
I ignored her.
~*Spinner*~
"Wow, I can't believe you and Craig know each other. That's really weird." I said, trying to make conversation.
"Yeah." Bianca said softly.
Jimmy looked at her, concerned. "You okay? You look like something's bothering you."
"No, I'm fine, thanks." She replied with a smile.
"So, Bianca, what do you do for fun?" I asked.
"Um, I like to write music, sing, play guitar."
"Seriously?" I asked.
"Yeah, why?" she replied.
"You can definitely tell she and Craig were friends." Jimmy replied.
Bianca smiled. "Yeah. We used to jam together back in the day."
"That's cool. You know, we have a band." I said.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah. Me, Jimmy, Craig, and Marco."
"That's cool." She said.
Jimmy cleared his throat. "So, uh....Bianca. Did you leave anyone behind in California? Like, a boyfriend?"
Bianca shook her head. "No. I've been single for awhile now."
"No way. A gorgeous thing like you?" Jimmy asked, flirting openly with her. I rolled my eyes. Subtlety wasn't one of Jimmy's greatest virtues.
Bianca blushed. "Thanks. So how about you guys?"
"Nah, I don't have a boyfriend." I joked.
Bianca giggled. "You know what I mean. Girlfriend?"
I sighed. "Kinda. Paige. We're kind of having problems right now."
Bianca gave me a sympathetic look. "That sucks. What about you, Jimmy?"
"Nope. Single and ready to mingle."
Jimmy gave me a Look and I rolled my eyes. Fine. If he wanted to raise the competition bar, then let it be raised, but I wasn't going to lose to Jimmy Brooks this time.
~*Craig*~
I couldn't believe it.
Sitting there right in front of me, there she was. Bianca Taylor. The one that got away.
I should probably back up and explain myself at this point.
Before I moved and came to Degrassi, I lived in BC, and attended St. Perpetua Community School. I had grown up in BC all my life, and attended school with the same tight knit group of friends. It was in first grade that I first met Bianca. The pretty, quiet girl with the red pigtails that sat in the corner by herself. It wasn't until we both discovered a mutual love for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that we even became friends. Most girls were into My Little Pony and Barbie dolls, but Bianca liked the Power Rangers and rock music like me. Summers were spent perfecting our psuedo- karate moves, and during the winter months, when the snow got too much to bear, we'd spend our days inside with MTV or MuchMusic blaring, lip- synching to the latest Aerosmith or Nirvana video.
In seventh grade though, things started to change with Bianca. Two things actually. The left one, and the right one. She seemed to go from training bras to a C cup overnight. Pretty soon, Bianca had turned into a full-blown babe, and I wasn't exactly interested in playing Power Rangers with her anymore.
So I asked her out, at the Valentine's dance, and she said yes. And for the next two years, we were inseparable. Until that one fateful day...
~*Flashback*~
"Craig, stop." Bianca said, pushing me off her.
"What? Bianca, come on." I said, kissing her neck.
"Craig, I said stop!" she said, more forcefully, sitting up and turning her back. I looked at her, confused.
"Whoa. What's wrong with you today?" I asked.
She sighed. "I have to tell you something."
"Then tell me." I replied. Then I noticed the tears dripping down her cheeks. "Bianca, what is it? Whatever is it, it can't be that bad."
"My dad got transferred." She replied softly.
I reeled back as if I had been slapped. "What?"
"My dad got trans—"
"I heard what you said." I interrupted. "Where? When?"
"California. Next week." She said sadly. "Craig, I'm so sorry..."
"No, it's fine. I mean, what can you do about it, right?"
"You're not mad?" Bianca asked.
"No, why would I be mad?" I replied. I looked at my watch. "Listen, I was supposed to be home for dinner like fifteen minutes ago, so I'll call you later, alright?"
"Okay." Bianca said.
I got up off Bianca's bed and headed towards the door as quick as my legs could carry me, when she said the phrase that shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.
"Craig, I love you."
"You too." I choked out before running down the steps and out the door.
As I walked outside, the lump in my throat seemed to get bigger and bigger. I walked down the sidewalk until finally my legs gave out and I sat down and wept like a child. It was like a floodgate. My best friend, my girlfriend, my partner in crime, my confidant. She was about to be ripped away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it.
~*End flashback*~
Like I said, I couldn't believe it. It took me nearly a year to get over that girl, and now, here she was, back in my face again. It took every ounce of strength I had in my body not to grab her and start crying all over again. I finally found my voice and asked again,
"What are you doing here?"
"My dad was transferred here. What are you doing here?"
"Same thing." I replied.
Jimmy, Spinner, and Manny were all looking at us inquisitively.
"What's going on?" Manny asked, smiling good naturedly. "Do you guys know each other?"
"Yeah. Manny, we used to, uh...."
"Go to high school together." Bianca finished. "Before I moved to California."
I stared at her in shock. Why would she deny what we had together? Recovering quickly, I looked at Manny and smiled.
"Yeah, we had a bunch of classes together, went to school together from first grade all the way up."
"Wow." Manny said. "Small world, huh? I'm Manny Santos, Craig's girlfriend. It's nice to meet you."
Bianca smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Manny. You've definitely got good taste in guys, I'll give you that."
Manny laughed. "So, how do you like Degrassi so far?"
"It's nice. Jimmy has been nice enough to let me sit with him at lunch."
Suddenly, I pieced it together. Bianca was the "hot new girl" Jimmy had been talking about. The one he and Spinner were competing over. She was currently sitting between them, and they were both looking at her like she was a piece of meat. I took a deep breath and tried to avoid lashing out at them.
"Well, Manny and I are gonna take off, we have....things to do. Studying in the library and all that." I said.
"We do?" Manny asked, looking at me.
"Yeah, we do." I replied. "C'mon."
"Bye guys." Manny said. "Nice meeting you, Bianca."
Bianca nodded. "You too. Bye Craig."
It hurt me just to hear her say my name, so I did the only thing I could do.
I ignored her.
~*Spinner*~
"Wow, I can't believe you and Craig know each other. That's really weird." I said, trying to make conversation.
"Yeah." Bianca said softly.
Jimmy looked at her, concerned. "You okay? You look like something's bothering you."
"No, I'm fine, thanks." She replied with a smile.
"So, Bianca, what do you do for fun?" I asked.
"Um, I like to write music, sing, play guitar."
"Seriously?" I asked.
"Yeah, why?" she replied.
"You can definitely tell she and Craig were friends." Jimmy replied.
Bianca smiled. "Yeah. We used to jam together back in the day."
"That's cool. You know, we have a band." I said.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah. Me, Jimmy, Craig, and Marco."
"That's cool." She said.
Jimmy cleared his throat. "So, uh....Bianca. Did you leave anyone behind in California? Like, a boyfriend?"
Bianca shook her head. "No. I've been single for awhile now."
"No way. A gorgeous thing like you?" Jimmy asked, flirting openly with her. I rolled my eyes. Subtlety wasn't one of Jimmy's greatest virtues.
Bianca blushed. "Thanks. So how about you guys?"
"Nah, I don't have a boyfriend." I joked.
Bianca giggled. "You know what I mean. Girlfriend?"
I sighed. "Kinda. Paige. We're kind of having problems right now."
Bianca gave me a sympathetic look. "That sucks. What about you, Jimmy?"
"Nope. Single and ready to mingle."
Jimmy gave me a Look and I rolled my eyes. Fine. If he wanted to raise the competition bar, then let it be raised, but I wasn't going to lose to Jimmy Brooks this time.
