@}~~{}~~~
The week passed by quickly. Manny pretended like nothing was happening. She tried to avoid everyone at all costs. She refused to face reality. When reminded of Craig, she would burst into tears and sleep for hours on end. Emma hated to see her in this state of mind. She left Manny alone for the most part, but had to remind her about meals and class. Manny spent countless hours under the tree where she and Jer first talked. She longed not to hurt anymore and needed someone to talk to.
Manny sat up against the tree, skimming through a magazine. She had been there for two hours and the sun was setting. "Manny.........I'm sorry for what I said," Jer said walking up to her. She looked up and locked eyes with him.
"No, I'm sorry," she said putting her magazine down. "I overreacted. It's.......just so hard to let go. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do. My ex-girlfriend back in high school left me for a college guy. I was devastated. I told myself I would never love anyone as much as I loved her. I shut myself out from the world. I didn't go to my senior prom even though I was nominated for prom king. I kinda gave up for a while," he said thinking back.
"So, what did you do? You know......to start trying again?" Manny asked with hopeful eyes.
"A good friend told me that.......the magic of first love is that ignorance that it will never end. So many of us fall into that........magic.........that hope. I wished every day that she would come back to me........realize she was wrong. But she never did. I had to stop looking to the past. Because my future was looking pretty bright and I would be missing out on all the wonderful things and people around me," he said.
"Wow. I'm sorry you had to go through that," Manny said sadly.
"I'm not," he said smiling at her. "I'm a better person because of it. And I got to meet some pretty great people. I got to meet you." She smiled. He leaned in to kiss her and she closed her eyes. It was only a short peck on the lips. "I hope you find out what you want Manny," he said leaving her alone. The wedding was tomorrow. Manny knew what she had to do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"After the wedding, can I take you away for the rest of the weekend?" Matt asked Emma at dinner.
"Take me away?" Emma asked laughing. "Isn't there an endangered species talk this weekend? What did you have in mind?"
"Well, my parents have a cabin up at Big Bear....." Matt started to say. "It'll be fun."
"Are Manny and Jerry coming?" she asked eating her salad.
"Um......I'll ask them," Matt said. "But if they can't come, will you still go with me?" Emma thought about it for a second.
"Sure," Emma said. "It sounds like fun!"
"Good," Matt said smiling.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Manny braced herself before knocking on Craig's door. Emma was right. She was supposed to be his friend. She was being so selfish and childish about the matter. She gave the door three soft taps and then started to walk away. Craig opened the door. "Manny?" he asked confused. Her back was turned to him.
"Craig. Hi," she said turning around. "How are you?"
"Do you want to come in?" he asked hopefully.
"Um, just for a second," she replied.
"Have a seat," Craig said offering the couch. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?"
"I'm fine," Manny said. "I just need to get something off my chest."
"Alright," he said sitting down beside her.
"I'm sorry for avoiding you the past couple of weeks," she said unable to look him in the eye.
"I know. That Jerry guy right?" he asked sadly.
"Um........no," Manny said. "I......." but her thoughts were interrupted upon seeing the guitar she gave him. "You still have that?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "It's my favorite gift ever." Manny had done chores for months to buy it.
"I just thought.........with you getting married and all.......never mind," Manny said. She picked up the guitar and turned it over. She traced her fingers over the writing on the back. Craig didn't know what to say. "It was a mistake coming here," she finally said. She started to cry, but wiped her tears on the back of her hand.
"What's the matter Manny?" Craig asked walking up to her. He tried to hug her, but she pushed him away.
"Why'd you stop calling me?" she said in tears. "I know school is tough, but you could have called me! You just stopped.......out of nowhere." She kept trying to wipe her tears away. "I thought you.......I thought we......never mind."
"I wanted to Manny," Craig said fighting back his tears. "Believe me. I wanted to," he said with pleading eyes.
"You know what! I don't need this. I'm tired of you lying to me," she said walking towards the door. He grabbed her arm.
"Manny, I'm not lying to you," he said. "It's just........"
"You forgot about me when you got with Lina," she finished. "I should have known," she said breaking free from his grasp. She grabbed the knob.
"No. Manny I could never forget you. I'm in love with you," he said in desperation. Manny's eyes grew wide. She couldn't believe what he had just said. She let go of the door and turned to face him. "It's true. I never stopped loving you. Not for one second of one hour of one day." He was embarrassed, but she had to know the truth.
"Why are you saying these things?" she yelled. "What's wrong with you? Can't you just get on with your life without having to make mine miserable?"
"I don't understand," he said shaking his head.
"If you love me so much why did you stop calling me? If you love me so much why are you marrying someone else?!" she yelled again.
"I don't have an answer for you," he said. "But I wanted to call you more than anything.......I wanted to hear your voice. I missed you so much. You have to believe me Manny," he said crying.
"Craig," was all Manny could say. She was so confused. Mixed emotions were overcoming her senses. She was angry, sad, confused and happy all at once. "I love you more than you can ever know," she said softly. He went up to her and held her. He wiped her tears away. Then, he kissed her....softly at first......then passionately. He wanted to taste her, to feel her, to love her. She wanted to be loved. It felt so good.....so right. She pulled away and caught her breath. "I can't do this. You're getting married tomorrow," she said shaking her head.
"Manny......" Craig said but he was interrupted.
"I can't........not after Ashley. I just........I can't.....good bye," she said. She let herself out and cried. He sat down on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. He wiped his tears away and fought back the tears to come. His heart ached and his mind raced. What was he doing? What did he get himself into?
The week passed by quickly. Manny pretended like nothing was happening. She tried to avoid everyone at all costs. She refused to face reality. When reminded of Craig, she would burst into tears and sleep for hours on end. Emma hated to see her in this state of mind. She left Manny alone for the most part, but had to remind her about meals and class. Manny spent countless hours under the tree where she and Jer first talked. She longed not to hurt anymore and needed someone to talk to.
Manny sat up against the tree, skimming through a magazine. She had been there for two hours and the sun was setting. "Manny.........I'm sorry for what I said," Jer said walking up to her. She looked up and locked eyes with him.
"No, I'm sorry," she said putting her magazine down. "I overreacted. It's.......just so hard to let go. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do. My ex-girlfriend back in high school left me for a college guy. I was devastated. I told myself I would never love anyone as much as I loved her. I shut myself out from the world. I didn't go to my senior prom even though I was nominated for prom king. I kinda gave up for a while," he said thinking back.
"So, what did you do? You know......to start trying again?" Manny asked with hopeful eyes.
"A good friend told me that.......the magic of first love is that ignorance that it will never end. So many of us fall into that........magic.........that hope. I wished every day that she would come back to me........realize she was wrong. But she never did. I had to stop looking to the past. Because my future was looking pretty bright and I would be missing out on all the wonderful things and people around me," he said.
"Wow. I'm sorry you had to go through that," Manny said sadly.
"I'm not," he said smiling at her. "I'm a better person because of it. And I got to meet some pretty great people. I got to meet you." She smiled. He leaned in to kiss her and she closed her eyes. It was only a short peck on the lips. "I hope you find out what you want Manny," he said leaving her alone. The wedding was tomorrow. Manny knew what she had to do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"After the wedding, can I take you away for the rest of the weekend?" Matt asked Emma at dinner.
"Take me away?" Emma asked laughing. "Isn't there an endangered species talk this weekend? What did you have in mind?"
"Well, my parents have a cabin up at Big Bear....." Matt started to say. "It'll be fun."
"Are Manny and Jerry coming?" she asked eating her salad.
"Um......I'll ask them," Matt said. "But if they can't come, will you still go with me?" Emma thought about it for a second.
"Sure," Emma said. "It sounds like fun!"
"Good," Matt said smiling.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Manny braced herself before knocking on Craig's door. Emma was right. She was supposed to be his friend. She was being so selfish and childish about the matter. She gave the door three soft taps and then started to walk away. Craig opened the door. "Manny?" he asked confused. Her back was turned to him.
"Craig. Hi," she said turning around. "How are you?"
"Do you want to come in?" he asked hopefully.
"Um, just for a second," she replied.
"Have a seat," Craig said offering the couch. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?"
"I'm fine," Manny said. "I just need to get something off my chest."
"Alright," he said sitting down beside her.
"I'm sorry for avoiding you the past couple of weeks," she said unable to look him in the eye.
"I know. That Jerry guy right?" he asked sadly.
"Um........no," Manny said. "I......." but her thoughts were interrupted upon seeing the guitar she gave him. "You still have that?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "It's my favorite gift ever." Manny had done chores for months to buy it.
"I just thought.........with you getting married and all.......never mind," Manny said. She picked up the guitar and turned it over. She traced her fingers over the writing on the back. Craig didn't know what to say. "It was a mistake coming here," she finally said. She started to cry, but wiped her tears on the back of her hand.
"What's the matter Manny?" Craig asked walking up to her. He tried to hug her, but she pushed him away.
"Why'd you stop calling me?" she said in tears. "I know school is tough, but you could have called me! You just stopped.......out of nowhere." She kept trying to wipe her tears away. "I thought you.......I thought we......never mind."
"I wanted to Manny," Craig said fighting back his tears. "Believe me. I wanted to," he said with pleading eyes.
"You know what! I don't need this. I'm tired of you lying to me," she said walking towards the door. He grabbed her arm.
"Manny, I'm not lying to you," he said. "It's just........"
"You forgot about me when you got with Lina," she finished. "I should have known," she said breaking free from his grasp. She grabbed the knob.
"No. Manny I could never forget you. I'm in love with you," he said in desperation. Manny's eyes grew wide. She couldn't believe what he had just said. She let go of the door and turned to face him. "It's true. I never stopped loving you. Not for one second of one hour of one day." He was embarrassed, but she had to know the truth.
"Why are you saying these things?" she yelled. "What's wrong with you? Can't you just get on with your life without having to make mine miserable?"
"I don't understand," he said shaking his head.
"If you love me so much why did you stop calling me? If you love me so much why are you marrying someone else?!" she yelled again.
"I don't have an answer for you," he said. "But I wanted to call you more than anything.......I wanted to hear your voice. I missed you so much. You have to believe me Manny," he said crying.
"Craig," was all Manny could say. She was so confused. Mixed emotions were overcoming her senses. She was angry, sad, confused and happy all at once. "I love you more than you can ever know," she said softly. He went up to her and held her. He wiped her tears away. Then, he kissed her....softly at first......then passionately. He wanted to taste her, to feel her, to love her. She wanted to be loved. It felt so good.....so right. She pulled away and caught her breath. "I can't do this. You're getting married tomorrow," she said shaking her head.
"Manny......" Craig said but he was interrupted.
"I can't........not after Ashley. I just........I can't.....good bye," she said. She let herself out and cried. He sat down on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. He wiped his tears away and fought back the tears to come. His heart ached and his mind raced. What was he doing? What did he get himself into?