@}~~{}~~~~
Manny let Jerry slowly into her life. They had been at school for about two months and everything seemed to be getting better. They were good friends now. Of course, he wanted to be more, but her heart was locked away. She was terrified of getting too close to people. She had avoided Craig's calls since the Lina incident and refused to talk to Emma if she mentioned his name. Emma and Matt were starting to date, which frustrated Jer even more. The four spent a typical Sunday "Saving the Whales" or engaging in a hardy beach clean up.
"Why don't you guys get up and do some work?" Emma said nagging Jerry and Manny lying on their beach towels. Matt shook his head kept walking.
"We are," Manny insisted. "We're working on our tans."
Jer laughed and said, "I second that." Emma rolled her eyes and walked away. "Is she always like that?" Jer asked laughing again.
"Since the day I met her," Manny said taking off her sunglasses.
"Hey Manny?" he asked awkwardly.
"Yeah," Manny asked reapplying her sun block.
"Let me help you with that," he said taking the bottle from her.
"Alright," she said moving her hair aside. He proceeded to rub lotion on her back messaging her at the same time.
"I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner tonight," he said quickly.
"Well, yeah......Emma wanted to try this new Thai...." Manny started.
"Well, I was kinda hoping it could be just you and me," he said rubbing her neck. She closed her eyes. He had strong hands.
"Are you asking me on a date Jerry?" Manny asked.
"Well.......yeah. I am," he said putting the lotion down. "What do you say?"
"You know how I feel about that," she said turning around.
"I know," he said. "Craig," he muttered.
"What did you say?" Manny asked feeling her heart stop as she heard his name.
"Nothing," Jer said standing up.
"No. I heard you. You said..........Craig," Manny managed to say.
"I did?" Jer asked.
"Yeah.........who told you?" Manny asked getting up as well.
"No one," Jer said defensively.
"Tell me," Manny demanded. Jerry hesitated.
"I heard Matt talking on the phone with Emma. I'm sorry," Jer said.
"You were eavesdropping!" Manny exclaimed. "How could you?"
"Well, we live together. He talks really loud," Jer said. "Why are you getting mad at me? I'm not the one who hurt you." Manny glared at him then walked away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Craig was sitting in his room strumming his guitar. Manny had given it to him for his birthday three years ago. He had etched "C and M 4ever" on the back. He traced his fingers over the words and sighed. He put his guitar down and started looking through old photographs from Degrassi. He found a picture of him and the band in his old garage. He missed those guys. The whole gang was coming to the wedding and it was going to be good seeing them again. He couldn't believe he was getting married in less than a week. He set it down and found one of him and Manny from a picture booth. He picked it up and smiled. The first shot was the two of them sticking out their tongues at the camera. The next one, they made fish faces. In the third picture, they smiled really big with their eyes closed and the last one was of them kissing. He ran his finger over her face. He always thought it would be him and Manny getting married someday. He wondered why fate would be so cruel; to bring them together like this. He heard a knock at his door. He picked up all the pictures and stuffed them in a box. He shoved in under his bed.
"Who is it?" he called.
"Me," Lina answered. Craig opened the door and she rushed in. "Major problem Craig."
"What now?" Craig asked putting his hand on the back of his neck.
"I gained five pounds," she stated sadly.
"So?" Craig asked confused.
"So?! So........how am I supposed to fit into my dress?" she asked. "This is a nightmare!"
"So, lose five pounds," Craig said. She glared at him.
"You're so insensitive Craig Manning!"
"Sorry, I just don't know about that kind of stuff. I'm a guy," he said taking a seat in front of the television and turning it on.
"Jerk!" Lina yelled and left.
"What was her problem?" Craig muttered to himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Manny was sitting at her desk staring at the pages of her calculus book. Emma walked in and braced herself. "I'm sorry I told Matt," she said.
"Told Matt what?" Manny asked pretending not to know.
"About you and Craig," Emma said taking a seat on her bed. "I didn't think Jer would find out."
"It doesn't matter," Manny said turning her attention toward the unopened wedding invitation on her desk.
"Manny, the wedding's in a week," Emma said trying to knock some sense into her friend.
"That's nice," Manny said pretending to be engrossed in her book. "I hate derivatives."
"You have to go," Emma said.
"When am I ever going to use derivatives in my life?" Manny asked avoiding the topic at hand.
"Manny!" Emma said in frustration. "He's supposed to be one of your best friends. If you really loved him, you'd put your selfishness aside and be happy for him."
"I can't believe you're on his side," Manny said throwing her book aside.
"I'm not on anyone's side. I'm just trying to get you to see you're making the biggest mistake of your life," Emma said.
"No, the biggest mistake I ever made was coming here," she said rushing out of the room and slamming the door.
Manny ran outside as far as she could go before she had to catch her breath. Manny couldn't believe Craig was getting married on Saturday. Craig. Her Craig. The same guy who asked her to dance at the 80's dance back in Jr. High. The guy who took her on her first date. The guy who she lost her virginity to. The same Craig who promised her they would get married one day. The only guy she's ever loved. She sat down and cried into her sleeve.
Manny let Jerry slowly into her life. They had been at school for about two months and everything seemed to be getting better. They were good friends now. Of course, he wanted to be more, but her heart was locked away. She was terrified of getting too close to people. She had avoided Craig's calls since the Lina incident and refused to talk to Emma if she mentioned his name. Emma and Matt were starting to date, which frustrated Jer even more. The four spent a typical Sunday "Saving the Whales" or engaging in a hardy beach clean up.
"Why don't you guys get up and do some work?" Emma said nagging Jerry and Manny lying on their beach towels. Matt shook his head kept walking.
"We are," Manny insisted. "We're working on our tans."
Jer laughed and said, "I second that." Emma rolled her eyes and walked away. "Is she always like that?" Jer asked laughing again.
"Since the day I met her," Manny said taking off her sunglasses.
"Hey Manny?" he asked awkwardly.
"Yeah," Manny asked reapplying her sun block.
"Let me help you with that," he said taking the bottle from her.
"Alright," she said moving her hair aside. He proceeded to rub lotion on her back messaging her at the same time.
"I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner tonight," he said quickly.
"Well, yeah......Emma wanted to try this new Thai...." Manny started.
"Well, I was kinda hoping it could be just you and me," he said rubbing her neck. She closed her eyes. He had strong hands.
"Are you asking me on a date Jerry?" Manny asked.
"Well.......yeah. I am," he said putting the lotion down. "What do you say?"
"You know how I feel about that," she said turning around.
"I know," he said. "Craig," he muttered.
"What did you say?" Manny asked feeling her heart stop as she heard his name.
"Nothing," Jer said standing up.
"No. I heard you. You said..........Craig," Manny managed to say.
"I did?" Jer asked.
"Yeah.........who told you?" Manny asked getting up as well.
"No one," Jer said defensively.
"Tell me," Manny demanded. Jerry hesitated.
"I heard Matt talking on the phone with Emma. I'm sorry," Jer said.
"You were eavesdropping!" Manny exclaimed. "How could you?"
"Well, we live together. He talks really loud," Jer said. "Why are you getting mad at me? I'm not the one who hurt you." Manny glared at him then walked away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Craig was sitting in his room strumming his guitar. Manny had given it to him for his birthday three years ago. He had etched "C and M 4ever" on the back. He traced his fingers over the words and sighed. He put his guitar down and started looking through old photographs from Degrassi. He found a picture of him and the band in his old garage. He missed those guys. The whole gang was coming to the wedding and it was going to be good seeing them again. He couldn't believe he was getting married in less than a week. He set it down and found one of him and Manny from a picture booth. He picked it up and smiled. The first shot was the two of them sticking out their tongues at the camera. The next one, they made fish faces. In the third picture, they smiled really big with their eyes closed and the last one was of them kissing. He ran his finger over her face. He always thought it would be him and Manny getting married someday. He wondered why fate would be so cruel; to bring them together like this. He heard a knock at his door. He picked up all the pictures and stuffed them in a box. He shoved in under his bed.
"Who is it?" he called.
"Me," Lina answered. Craig opened the door and she rushed in. "Major problem Craig."
"What now?" Craig asked putting his hand on the back of his neck.
"I gained five pounds," she stated sadly.
"So?" Craig asked confused.
"So?! So........how am I supposed to fit into my dress?" she asked. "This is a nightmare!"
"So, lose five pounds," Craig said. She glared at him.
"You're so insensitive Craig Manning!"
"Sorry, I just don't know about that kind of stuff. I'm a guy," he said taking a seat in front of the television and turning it on.
"Jerk!" Lina yelled and left.
"What was her problem?" Craig muttered to himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Manny was sitting at her desk staring at the pages of her calculus book. Emma walked in and braced herself. "I'm sorry I told Matt," she said.
"Told Matt what?" Manny asked pretending not to know.
"About you and Craig," Emma said taking a seat on her bed. "I didn't think Jer would find out."
"It doesn't matter," Manny said turning her attention toward the unopened wedding invitation on her desk.
"Manny, the wedding's in a week," Emma said trying to knock some sense into her friend.
"That's nice," Manny said pretending to be engrossed in her book. "I hate derivatives."
"You have to go," Emma said.
"When am I ever going to use derivatives in my life?" Manny asked avoiding the topic at hand.
"Manny!" Emma said in frustration. "He's supposed to be one of your best friends. If you really loved him, you'd put your selfishness aside and be happy for him."
"I can't believe you're on his side," Manny said throwing her book aside.
"I'm not on anyone's side. I'm just trying to get you to see you're making the biggest mistake of your life," Emma said.
"No, the biggest mistake I ever made was coming here," she said rushing out of the room and slamming the door.
Manny ran outside as far as she could go before she had to catch her breath. Manny couldn't believe Craig was getting married on Saturday. Craig. Her Craig. The same guy who asked her to dance at the 80's dance back in Jr. High. The guy who took her on her first date. The guy who she lost her virginity to. The same Craig who promised her they would get married one day. The only guy she's ever loved. She sat down and cried into her sleeve.