OKAY SIDE NOTE: IF YOU START THINKING "MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING" AFTER YOU
READ THIS CHAPTER.....DON'T!! BUT.......YOU'RE NOT ALONE. I KNOW I DID WHEN I
REREAD THIS!! HAHAHAHAHAHA. WHATEVER.......LET'S PRETEND THAT MOVIE WASN'T
MADE.......J/K IT WONT END UP LIKE THAT........AT LEAST I THINK IT WONT......WELL,
JUST FORGET ABOUT THE MOVIE AND ENJOY! SORRY FOR THE SLIGHT SIMILARITY......IT
WASN'T INTENTIONAL!
@}~~{}~~~
'Fiancé? Fiancé? Craig is engaged?' Manny thought feeling her heart drop to the floor.
"These are our friends Matt and Jerry," Emma said eyeing Manny's look of utter disgust.
"Nice to meet you guys," Craig said shaking their hands. "Any friend of these two is a friend of mine."
"Do you two want to join us?" Jerry asked.
"Oh, we don't want to intrude," Craig answered shaking his head.
"We insist," Matt said pulling up two more chairs.
"Is it alright with you Lina?" Craig asked.
"I would love to get to know your friends," she said sincerely.
"Then, I guess we're........" Craig said as Manny ran out of the restaurant. Everyone was shocked not knowing what to say or do. Emma got up to run after her.
"Excuse me," Emma said feeling her friend's pain. "Manny!" Emma yelled after stepping outside. "Wait up!" Manny had already ran half a block.
"What do you want?" Manny said wiping the tears from her eyes and stopping.
"I'm sorry," was all Emma could muster. "I know how you must feel."
"No!" Manny screamed. "You don't! You can't possibly know how I feel!" Manny sat down on the curb burying her head in her hands. Emma sat down and put her hand on Manny's shoulder. "I love him Emma. I love him so much......I can't believe how stupid I am. I'm such a fool for believing we were meant to be." Emma hugged her friend tight and let her cry on her shoulder. There was a minute of silence and tears.
"Emma?" Craig said walking up to them. "Can I talk to Manny alone?" Emma nodded. She walked to the restaurant and looked at them before entering the door. "Manny, what's the matter?" Craig asked concerned.
"Nothing," Manny said wiping her tears and trying to smile.
"I hope this isn't awkward for you," Craig said. "I mean......are you okay with me........with this?"
"Of course," Manny said lying. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just.....I thought maybe you were upset about......Lina," Craig said trying to find the truth.
"No. Is that what you think this is about?" Manny said laughing. "I know that was bad timing. I'm sorry. I just......a lot's been going on with my family and I'm really into that guy Jerry and I'm not sure how he feels. I'm just kinda emotional right now. I'm happy for you Craig.....really really......happy." Craig smiled and hugged her.
"I'm so glad you're okay with everything. This is great. My best friend here with me again. It'll be like old times," he said socking her lightly on the shoulder. "Joey, Angela and Caitlin will be happy to see you." He paused. "I mean it Manny, you're like family to me and I wouldn't change that for anything." She wanted to kiss him and had to gather every ounce of willpower not to. Looking in his eyes made her weak.
"Let's get back inside. I bet my food's all gross and cold now," Manny said walking away from Craig.
~*~*~*~
This time around, Manny let Jerry put his arm around her. She laughed at all his jokes and paid little attention to anyone else in the room. Emma knew it was wrong, but she felt bad for Manny. It's not everyday you find out the love of your life is engaged.
"Jer, you are so funny," Manny said touching his chest lightly. Craig eyed Jerry's hand. It was inching closer to Manny's thigh.
"How long have you all known each other?" Craig asked still fixated on Jerry's hand.
"We just met this afternoon," Matt answered.
"But it feels like.......forever," Manny said biting her lip and looking up at Jerry. "Jerry's a surfer. Tell them Jerry," Manny said feeling Jerry's bicep. Craig rolled his eyes.
"That's really cool," Lina chimed in. "Craig gets burned at the beach. Don't you Craigy?" Craig pretended to smile at her comment while everyone chuckled. "Do you surf a lot Jer?"
"Yeah, I hardly have the time anymore though........with school starting and all," Jerry said modestly. "I mean........my engineering classes are killer. I really have to stay on top of everything."
"Engineering eh?" Craig asked crossing his arms. "I'm taking bio- engineering this quarter. I heard that's a really tough class," Craig said feeling a bit competitive. "Most of my buddies barely passed."
"It is pretty tough. Well, if you need a hand.....I'm actually the tutor for that class," Jerry said trying to helpful.
"Isn't he great?" Manny asked feeling Emma's heated gaze. Jerry's wandering hand inched even closer to Manny's........
"Yes! Great!" Craig shouted loudly startling everyone. Jerry took his hand off Manny's leg to wipe the Coke she accidentally spilled on his shorts. Craig sighed in relief.
"What on Earth is wrong with you tonight Craig?" Lina said handing Jerry more napkins.
"I'm so sorry," Craig said biting his tongue so he wouldn't laugh.
"Me too Jer," Manny said embarrassed.
"No problem guys.....it's just soda," he said smiling. "Nothing a little tide won't get out. I hardly liked these shorts anyway. Not a big deal."
Manny looked at him intently. He was a really great guy. She was just blinded by her love for Craig. She found herself honestly wanted to get to know him better. Emma saw this and smiled. She also saw Craig eyeing Jer the whole night. 'This was going to an interesting four years' Emma thought.
@}~~{}~~~
'Fiancé? Fiancé? Craig is engaged?' Manny thought feeling her heart drop to the floor.
"These are our friends Matt and Jerry," Emma said eyeing Manny's look of utter disgust.
"Nice to meet you guys," Craig said shaking their hands. "Any friend of these two is a friend of mine."
"Do you two want to join us?" Jerry asked.
"Oh, we don't want to intrude," Craig answered shaking his head.
"We insist," Matt said pulling up two more chairs.
"Is it alright with you Lina?" Craig asked.
"I would love to get to know your friends," she said sincerely.
"Then, I guess we're........" Craig said as Manny ran out of the restaurant. Everyone was shocked not knowing what to say or do. Emma got up to run after her.
"Excuse me," Emma said feeling her friend's pain. "Manny!" Emma yelled after stepping outside. "Wait up!" Manny had already ran half a block.
"What do you want?" Manny said wiping the tears from her eyes and stopping.
"I'm sorry," was all Emma could muster. "I know how you must feel."
"No!" Manny screamed. "You don't! You can't possibly know how I feel!" Manny sat down on the curb burying her head in her hands. Emma sat down and put her hand on Manny's shoulder. "I love him Emma. I love him so much......I can't believe how stupid I am. I'm such a fool for believing we were meant to be." Emma hugged her friend tight and let her cry on her shoulder. There was a minute of silence and tears.
"Emma?" Craig said walking up to them. "Can I talk to Manny alone?" Emma nodded. She walked to the restaurant and looked at them before entering the door. "Manny, what's the matter?" Craig asked concerned.
"Nothing," Manny said wiping her tears and trying to smile.
"I hope this isn't awkward for you," Craig said. "I mean......are you okay with me........with this?"
"Of course," Manny said lying. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just.....I thought maybe you were upset about......Lina," Craig said trying to find the truth.
"No. Is that what you think this is about?" Manny said laughing. "I know that was bad timing. I'm sorry. I just......a lot's been going on with my family and I'm really into that guy Jerry and I'm not sure how he feels. I'm just kinda emotional right now. I'm happy for you Craig.....really really......happy." Craig smiled and hugged her.
"I'm so glad you're okay with everything. This is great. My best friend here with me again. It'll be like old times," he said socking her lightly on the shoulder. "Joey, Angela and Caitlin will be happy to see you." He paused. "I mean it Manny, you're like family to me and I wouldn't change that for anything." She wanted to kiss him and had to gather every ounce of willpower not to. Looking in his eyes made her weak.
"Let's get back inside. I bet my food's all gross and cold now," Manny said walking away from Craig.
~*~*~*~
This time around, Manny let Jerry put his arm around her. She laughed at all his jokes and paid little attention to anyone else in the room. Emma knew it was wrong, but she felt bad for Manny. It's not everyday you find out the love of your life is engaged.
"Jer, you are so funny," Manny said touching his chest lightly. Craig eyed Jerry's hand. It was inching closer to Manny's thigh.
"How long have you all known each other?" Craig asked still fixated on Jerry's hand.
"We just met this afternoon," Matt answered.
"But it feels like.......forever," Manny said biting her lip and looking up at Jerry. "Jerry's a surfer. Tell them Jerry," Manny said feeling Jerry's bicep. Craig rolled his eyes.
"That's really cool," Lina chimed in. "Craig gets burned at the beach. Don't you Craigy?" Craig pretended to smile at her comment while everyone chuckled. "Do you surf a lot Jer?"
"Yeah, I hardly have the time anymore though........with school starting and all," Jerry said modestly. "I mean........my engineering classes are killer. I really have to stay on top of everything."
"Engineering eh?" Craig asked crossing his arms. "I'm taking bio- engineering this quarter. I heard that's a really tough class," Craig said feeling a bit competitive. "Most of my buddies barely passed."
"It is pretty tough. Well, if you need a hand.....I'm actually the tutor for that class," Jerry said trying to helpful.
"Isn't he great?" Manny asked feeling Emma's heated gaze. Jerry's wandering hand inched even closer to Manny's........
"Yes! Great!" Craig shouted loudly startling everyone. Jerry took his hand off Manny's leg to wipe the Coke she accidentally spilled on his shorts. Craig sighed in relief.
"What on Earth is wrong with you tonight Craig?" Lina said handing Jerry more napkins.
"I'm so sorry," Craig said biting his tongue so he wouldn't laugh.
"Me too Jer," Manny said embarrassed.
"No problem guys.....it's just soda," he said smiling. "Nothing a little tide won't get out. I hardly liked these shorts anyway. Not a big deal."
Manny looked at him intently. He was a really great guy. She was just blinded by her love for Craig. She found herself honestly wanted to get to know him better. Emma saw this and smiled. She also saw Craig eyeing Jer the whole night. 'This was going to an interesting four years' Emma thought.