I don't own Degrassi
Strange Fire, Chapter Four
The minute Marco closed the door behind him on his way out of the house Craig spoke. He knew he didn't have too long, because Joey would be up to check on them. "Why me?"
"Why not you?" Coralie didn't even have to ask what he meant by his statement. "You're smart, funny, cute...why wouldn't I want you to father my child?"
"Because of my father? Because of my past...when I was in grade 10 I was almost a father. She had an abortion." This was something Craig had never mentioned to Coralie when they had been involved that spring. He hadn't thought it was important, because they only had a sexual relationship. He did, however, know Coralie knew about his father, but he didn't know how. She'd mentioned it once, two years prior, and he'd always assumed Caitlin had told.
"You never told me."
"It wasn't important."
"It is now." Coralie knew that this meant that Craig may want to have more to do with the baby than she'd planned. Then again, when had things with Craig Manning ever gone according to plan? "I don't want you to make a hasty choice. This is something you have to think about."
"We have to think about, you mean." Coralie raised her eyebrows at him, but Craig continued. "I have feelings for you. Feelings more than friendship, more than physical attraction. I can't explain them--but I know that I've had them for two years. I've dated since you left, but not seriously. I've been waiting for you. I wanted to find you...the minute I turned 18 I wanted to contact you, but I never did. But now you're here, and you're asking for this huge thing from me. I can't just impregnate you and leave."
Coralie sighed. "Maybe this was a bad idea. Asking this from you. I should have just found a donor."
"Coralie...I understand what you want from me, but I don't know if I can be detached."
"I don't know if I can handle you being attached."
"So you have no feelings for you."
This made Coralie laugh. She laughed for what seemed to Craig to be ten minutes, but couldn't have been more than two. "Craig...kid...Craigo." She stood up then and left the room. Craig heard her entering Angie's room and looking for something. She came back with her wallet, wich she threw at him. "Look in here."
Craig looked, and just behind her ID, he found something he never expected to see again. It was the fake ID she had made for him not long after they had met. "You kept it?"
"Yeah, I did." Craig took it out of the slot and played with it for a long time, not looking at Coralie. "Craig, you're 18. No matter what else I feel for you, you're 18."
He looked up, mind suddenly putting two and two together. "This isn't about me. This is about your marriage. You think that because you married young and it didn't work that this won't work because of my age."
"Partially. Craig, I want a child."
"You want my child. I know you Coralie, you'd go find some guy at a club or find a sperm clinic or something--you don't just want the child do you."
"I want the child. And I wanted a chance to be with you again. But I can't handle you being so very involved...What would Joey and Caitlin say?"
"I want you to remember that I'm an adult." Craig just looked at Coralie. "I can handle Joey and Caitlin."
"Craig?" COralie sighed. "Maybe we should table this talk until after the wedding."
"Why?"
"Because I need some time to think." That seemed to satisfy Craig, who agreed.
Strange Fire, Chapter Four
The minute Marco closed the door behind him on his way out of the house Craig spoke. He knew he didn't have too long, because Joey would be up to check on them. "Why me?"
"Why not you?" Coralie didn't even have to ask what he meant by his statement. "You're smart, funny, cute...why wouldn't I want you to father my child?"
"Because of my father? Because of my past...when I was in grade 10 I was almost a father. She had an abortion." This was something Craig had never mentioned to Coralie when they had been involved that spring. He hadn't thought it was important, because they only had a sexual relationship. He did, however, know Coralie knew about his father, but he didn't know how. She'd mentioned it once, two years prior, and he'd always assumed Caitlin had told.
"You never told me."
"It wasn't important."
"It is now." Coralie knew that this meant that Craig may want to have more to do with the baby than she'd planned. Then again, when had things with Craig Manning ever gone according to plan? "I don't want you to make a hasty choice. This is something you have to think about."
"We have to think about, you mean." Coralie raised her eyebrows at him, but Craig continued. "I have feelings for you. Feelings more than friendship, more than physical attraction. I can't explain them--but I know that I've had them for two years. I've dated since you left, but not seriously. I've been waiting for you. I wanted to find you...the minute I turned 18 I wanted to contact you, but I never did. But now you're here, and you're asking for this huge thing from me. I can't just impregnate you and leave."
Coralie sighed. "Maybe this was a bad idea. Asking this from you. I should have just found a donor."
"Coralie...I understand what you want from me, but I don't know if I can be detached."
"I don't know if I can handle you being attached."
"So you have no feelings for you."
This made Coralie laugh. She laughed for what seemed to Craig to be ten minutes, but couldn't have been more than two. "Craig...kid...Craigo." She stood up then and left the room. Craig heard her entering Angie's room and looking for something. She came back with her wallet, wich she threw at him. "Look in here."
Craig looked, and just behind her ID, he found something he never expected to see again. It was the fake ID she had made for him not long after they had met. "You kept it?"
"Yeah, I did." Craig took it out of the slot and played with it for a long time, not looking at Coralie. "Craig, you're 18. No matter what else I feel for you, you're 18."
He looked up, mind suddenly putting two and two together. "This isn't about me. This is about your marriage. You think that because you married young and it didn't work that this won't work because of my age."
"Partially. Craig, I want a child."
"You want my child. I know you Coralie, you'd go find some guy at a club or find a sperm clinic or something--you don't just want the child do you."
"I want the child. And I wanted a chance to be with you again. But I can't handle you being so very involved...What would Joey and Caitlin say?"
"I want you to remember that I'm an adult." Craig just looked at Coralie. "I can handle Joey and Caitlin."
"Craig?" COralie sighed. "Maybe we should table this talk until after the wedding."
"Why?"
"Because I need some time to think." That seemed to satisfy Craig, who agreed.