Craig hadn't slept all night. He was trying decide whether or not to tell Joey. *I'll have to tell him. How much is thing going to cost? Will they want me to pay for half of it, even though I'm against it? What about Ash? I'll have to tell her I can't go to the dance. I have to tell her why. She's gonna be pissed. It's probably best I tell her the truth, right?*
He turned down Ashley's street. He had decided to tell her before school, so he could get it over with. He saw her house, and took a deep breath before walking up to the door. He knocked swiftly, and waited for someone to answer.
Ashley swung open the door, and smiled when she saw him, "Hey Craig! You're here early!"
"Ashley, can I talk to you?" Craig could barely recognize his own voice.
She didn't like it when he used her whole name. That usually meant something was wrong. Ashley's eyebrows came together in an expression of confusion, "Sure, come in."
She moved aside so he could get in. He walked into the livingroom and sat down on the couch, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his thighs.
She sat down beside him, and waited for him to say something. Nothing came, "Craig? You're starting to scare me . . . what's the matter?"
Craig let out a shaky breath before turning his head to look at Ashley, "I messed up."
Ashley still wasn't sure what he was talking about. Then it clicked. *Yesterday I almost ran into Manny. She was walking away from him . . .* Ashley's eyes opened wide, "Is this about Manny?"
Craig slowly nodded. He was a little shocked that she knew, "How did you find out?"
Ashley looked away from him, "Craig how could you?"
"I don't know," he hung his head, "I don't know how I could screw up so badly!"
Ashley was surprised by the way he was acting, "Why are you even telling me this? Why don't you just keep it secret like you did last time?"
Craig lifted his head, "Last time?"
"Yeah, last time," by the clueless expression on his face, she asked, "Aren't you seeing Manny again?"
Craig sat up straight, "No, Ash, I'd never do that again!"
Ashley let out a sigh of relief, "Then what is it Craig?"
He fell back into his slouching position. Back to square one, "Manny's . . . Manny's pregnant."
Ashley's head snapped toward him, "What?" She barely whispered.
He nodded his head, "I can't go with you to the dance tomorrow because she has to see a doctor about the abortion."
Ashley was blinking fast, "You, you slept with her?"
"I told you I screwed up," Craig admitted.
She watched as a tear rolled down his face, her anger slowly slipped away, "Craig, are you okay?"
"I don't think she's making the right choice," Craig said.
"Craig she's fourteen! Of course she's making the right decision!" Ashley defended Manny.
"I know, I know. But don't you think it would be better to put it up for adoption?"
Ashley thought about it. *It probably would.* Ashley nodded her head, "But it's her body, so ultimately, it's her decision."
"Yeah, but truthfully? I don't think it was her decision. I think it was her parents'," Craig admitted.
Ashley looked at the clock, "Craig we should get to school."
*Was that it?* Craig wasn't sure what had been decided as he stood up, and was pushed out the door by Ashley.
"Bye Mom!" She called over her shoulder as she closed the door behind them.
"You actually made breakfast?" Sean said, slightly impressed.
Tracker smiled as he flipped the last egg out of a pan and onto a plate, "Yes, and don't sound so surprised. When I say I'm gonna do something, I do it."
Tracker handed Sean the plate, "Unlike you, who was supposed to be home at ten, and . . ."
"Was," Sean interrupted before Tracker could finish, "Well, I was home at about ten. And you would've know that, if you could've kept yourself from falling asleep in front of the TV. You party animal."
"Busted," Tracker replied as they sat down at the table, "You need to hurry up, otherwise you'll be late for school."
"Yeah, I better get going," Sean stood up, not having touched his breakfast.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Tracker called after him, "Sit back down and eat your breakfast!"
"No, I don't have time. I'm going to walk Ellie to school," Sean grabbed his sweatshirt, and left.
"Well that was a waste," Tracker said as he threw his napkin down.
Ellie sat on the livingroom couch, watching the morning news. Last night she and Sean made plans to walk to school together. The whole time she was on the phone with him, she had been snapping the elastic around her wrist. She couldn't tell him about the story Caitlin wanted her to do, even though she was turning it down, because she knew he'd overreact. She realized that Sean would blow up the smallest of things, and right now, he had enough things to deal with.
She heard her mom stumbling to the bathroom and couldn't help but want to be out of there. *Sean, where are you?*
Her question was answered when she heard a knock at the door. She jumped off the couch, and ran to the door.
"Hey, are you ready to go?" Sean asked Ellie.
She nodded her head, and grabbed her coat and backpack that were sitting by the door as they walked out.
"So . . . any tests today?" Sean asked as he held Ellie's hand.
She shook her head, "No, not today."
"Do you wanna skip?" Sean asked hopefully. *I managed to stay away from the guys yesterday, but maybe I won't be so lucky today.*
Ellie smiled, "I have detention after school, and just because I don't have any tests, doesn't mean I can afford to miss school."
Sean nodded, "Yeah, what was I thinking."
There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Sean let Ellie's hand drop from his. *Eventually they'll forget about me. I mean, why waste their time beating up me, when they could be out getting arrested?*
Sean heard a snapping noise, and turned to look at Ellie. She was pulling at the elastic band around her wrist, "Does it help?"
Ellie let go of the rubber band, and glanced at Sean, "Does what help?"
"The elastic therapy?"
Ellie smirked, "I guess it does, I didn't notice I was doing it."
Sean took her hand again as they came to the crosswalk. Ellie saw Jimmy and Hazel standing in front of a poster for the upcoming dance. *They're probably going to the dance together. That's so cute.*
Sean noticed where Ellie was looking, "What are you thinking about?"
Ellie was pulled out of her happiness for them, and realized who was talking to her. *He wouldn't want to go to the dance with me. That's not the type of thing Sean would want to do.*
Ellie put on a disgusted face, "I was thinking about how dumb this "Winter Wonderland" dance is. I mean, we're at school for seven hours a day, and they actually expect us to come back to watch as all the girls cry because a certain boy won't dance with them. That right there is bad enough, but then you have the lack of uniqueness in the title of "Winter Wonderland". And don't even get me started on . . ."
"Ellie, do you wanna go to the dance?" Sean interrupted her.
"Yes."
Sean smiled at her as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders.
"I'm turning into such a girl!" Ellie laughed as they entered the school building.
He turned down Ashley's street. He had decided to tell her before school, so he could get it over with. He saw her house, and took a deep breath before walking up to the door. He knocked swiftly, and waited for someone to answer.
Ashley swung open the door, and smiled when she saw him, "Hey Craig! You're here early!"
"Ashley, can I talk to you?" Craig could barely recognize his own voice.
She didn't like it when he used her whole name. That usually meant something was wrong. Ashley's eyebrows came together in an expression of confusion, "Sure, come in."
She moved aside so he could get in. He walked into the livingroom and sat down on the couch, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his thighs.
She sat down beside him, and waited for him to say something. Nothing came, "Craig? You're starting to scare me . . . what's the matter?"
Craig let out a shaky breath before turning his head to look at Ashley, "I messed up."
Ashley still wasn't sure what he was talking about. Then it clicked. *Yesterday I almost ran into Manny. She was walking away from him . . .* Ashley's eyes opened wide, "Is this about Manny?"
Craig slowly nodded. He was a little shocked that she knew, "How did you find out?"
Ashley looked away from him, "Craig how could you?"
"I don't know," he hung his head, "I don't know how I could screw up so badly!"
Ashley was surprised by the way he was acting, "Why are you even telling me this? Why don't you just keep it secret like you did last time?"
Craig lifted his head, "Last time?"
"Yeah, last time," by the clueless expression on his face, she asked, "Aren't you seeing Manny again?"
Craig sat up straight, "No, Ash, I'd never do that again!"
Ashley let out a sigh of relief, "Then what is it Craig?"
He fell back into his slouching position. Back to square one, "Manny's . . . Manny's pregnant."
Ashley's head snapped toward him, "What?" She barely whispered.
He nodded his head, "I can't go with you to the dance tomorrow because she has to see a doctor about the abortion."
Ashley was blinking fast, "You, you slept with her?"
"I told you I screwed up," Craig admitted.
She watched as a tear rolled down his face, her anger slowly slipped away, "Craig, are you okay?"
"I don't think she's making the right choice," Craig said.
"Craig she's fourteen! Of course she's making the right decision!" Ashley defended Manny.
"I know, I know. But don't you think it would be better to put it up for adoption?"
Ashley thought about it. *It probably would.* Ashley nodded her head, "But it's her body, so ultimately, it's her decision."
"Yeah, but truthfully? I don't think it was her decision. I think it was her parents'," Craig admitted.
Ashley looked at the clock, "Craig we should get to school."
*Was that it?* Craig wasn't sure what had been decided as he stood up, and was pushed out the door by Ashley.
"Bye Mom!" She called over her shoulder as she closed the door behind them.
"You actually made breakfast?" Sean said, slightly impressed.
Tracker smiled as he flipped the last egg out of a pan and onto a plate, "Yes, and don't sound so surprised. When I say I'm gonna do something, I do it."
Tracker handed Sean the plate, "Unlike you, who was supposed to be home at ten, and . . ."
"Was," Sean interrupted before Tracker could finish, "Well, I was home at about ten. And you would've know that, if you could've kept yourself from falling asleep in front of the TV. You party animal."
"Busted," Tracker replied as they sat down at the table, "You need to hurry up, otherwise you'll be late for school."
"Yeah, I better get going," Sean stood up, not having touched his breakfast.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Tracker called after him, "Sit back down and eat your breakfast!"
"No, I don't have time. I'm going to walk Ellie to school," Sean grabbed his sweatshirt, and left.
"Well that was a waste," Tracker said as he threw his napkin down.
Ellie sat on the livingroom couch, watching the morning news. Last night she and Sean made plans to walk to school together. The whole time she was on the phone with him, she had been snapping the elastic around her wrist. She couldn't tell him about the story Caitlin wanted her to do, even though she was turning it down, because she knew he'd overreact. She realized that Sean would blow up the smallest of things, and right now, he had enough things to deal with.
She heard her mom stumbling to the bathroom and couldn't help but want to be out of there. *Sean, where are you?*
Her question was answered when she heard a knock at the door. She jumped off the couch, and ran to the door.
"Hey, are you ready to go?" Sean asked Ellie.
She nodded her head, and grabbed her coat and backpack that were sitting by the door as they walked out.
"So . . . any tests today?" Sean asked as he held Ellie's hand.
She shook her head, "No, not today."
"Do you wanna skip?" Sean asked hopefully. *I managed to stay away from the guys yesterday, but maybe I won't be so lucky today.*
Ellie smiled, "I have detention after school, and just because I don't have any tests, doesn't mean I can afford to miss school."
Sean nodded, "Yeah, what was I thinking."
There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Sean let Ellie's hand drop from his. *Eventually they'll forget about me. I mean, why waste their time beating up me, when they could be out getting arrested?*
Sean heard a snapping noise, and turned to look at Ellie. She was pulling at the elastic band around her wrist, "Does it help?"
Ellie let go of the rubber band, and glanced at Sean, "Does what help?"
"The elastic therapy?"
Ellie smirked, "I guess it does, I didn't notice I was doing it."
Sean took her hand again as they came to the crosswalk. Ellie saw Jimmy and Hazel standing in front of a poster for the upcoming dance. *They're probably going to the dance together. That's so cute.*
Sean noticed where Ellie was looking, "What are you thinking about?"
Ellie was pulled out of her happiness for them, and realized who was talking to her. *He wouldn't want to go to the dance with me. That's not the type of thing Sean would want to do.*
Ellie put on a disgusted face, "I was thinking about how dumb this "Winter Wonderland" dance is. I mean, we're at school for seven hours a day, and they actually expect us to come back to watch as all the girls cry because a certain boy won't dance with them. That right there is bad enough, but then you have the lack of uniqueness in the title of "Winter Wonderland". And don't even get me started on . . ."
"Ellie, do you wanna go to the dance?" Sean interrupted her.
"Yes."
Sean smiled at her as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders.
"I'm turning into such a girl!" Ellie laughed as they entered the school building.