For all of Sunday, Craig didn't do anything but hold the phone in his hands, and stare at it. I should call her. He thought. I should call and apologize to Michelle. But did I really do anything wrong? She was into it just as much as I was. But, as most girls do, she stopped. She wants to save the 'friendship'. Who the hell would be crazy enough to be friend's with me? Maybe she was just letting me down gently. Maybe this was her way of telling me to stay away from her forever. Yeah. That's it. She finally got smart. She caught on quick. To stay away. Forever. Because everyone leaves. She was just quicker than the others. All of a sudden the phone rang and Craig threw it against the wall. No one was home to hear it. So after he was satisfied with it smashing to bits and pieces, like his heart, he laid down on his bed and went to sleep. For the rest of the day.
Over at Michelle's house, she was trying to call Craig. But after her first try, it just stopped going through. I bet no one is home. I just hope Craig isn't angry with me. It's just…I don't have many friends here, and I don't want to lose the best one I've got. He makes me feel so much better about myself. Since I have someone degrading me here at home, and my mom not doing much to help since she is always too busy..I need Craig. I can't let myself develop stronger feelings for him. I just can't. Michelle finally gave up and laid down on her bed, crying herself to sleep.
The next day at school, Craig didn't say a word to Michelle when they saw each other, although it's not as if she was trying to hard to talk to him, either. When they would be at their lockers, she would peak over her door to look at him, and he seemed so…empty. Just shoving books into the locker, and pulling others out. In homeroom, he didn't sit next to her. And in Ms. Kwan's class, Michelle attempted to talk to Craig, but he just got up and moved. At lunch, she caught him looking at her, but he quickly looked away. She had a breakthrough during Science though. A bad one. Michelle walked in and sat at her lab table, and Paige sat across from her.
"hey hun! Something got you down?"
"Nothing I want to talk about."
"Sorry. I was just trying to be polite."
"I don't want any politeness right now Paige. Sorry if I seem rude, I just want to be left alone."
"pfft. What-ev-er."
The bell rang and ended their conversation, thankfully. Michelle didn't know how anything could get any worse. Until Ms. Hatsilakos spoke.
"Okay class! Today, we're going to be doing partner labs! Only I get the joy of hand-picking your partners! Okay…let's see…Ellie, you go with Jimmy, Spinner, with Marco, Michelle, With Craig, Ashley…"
Michelle stopped listening after she heard Craig's name. She was immediately terrified. She had the worst nerves she ever knew of. She felt so sick, like she had just run a mile and then done 500 sit ups. She didn't know what to do, other than to go over by Craig and sit. So she did. Ms. Hatsilakos was still giving instructions on what to do, so that gave Michelle a chance to think of something to say. Unfortunately, Paige had to put her two cents in.
"Oh gee hun," She whispered, but loud enough for everyone except Ms. Hastilakos to hear, " I feel so bad for you. Having to get stuck with a worn out, two faced, cheater like Craig. What a bad class for him to be taking, too. He doesn't have chemistry with anyone. Which makes sense, because he has no friends."
That was the last straw for Craig. As Paige smiled in satisfaction and high-fived Ashley, Craig stood up, kicked his stool across the room, and bolted out of there. Michelle jumped up.
"Dammit Paige! Why do you have to be such a cold bitch?!"
Everyone let out a gasp.
"Excuse me?" She said in shock.
Michelle glared.
"You heard me. Just because Craig made a bad mistake doesn't mean you have the right to remind him of it in the worst ways possible."
"Hun, if you want to defend him, then go run after him. You both are fucked up. You're perfect for each other. Go get him, tiger"
"I think I will."
Just then Michelle brought both hands up and shoved Paige hard. So hard she fell backwards, stumbling over a stool and landing on the floor. Michelle raced out of the room before anyone had a chance to comprehend what just happened. Michelle had no idea where to go to find Craig. Which is why she was so shocked when she found him, in the boys bathroom, hands on the sink, head down.
"Get the hell out of here."
"Craig…"
"I SAID LEAVE!"
He picked his head up and turned to her as he screamed those words.
"Please….just…go…Paige was right…"
Michelle moved closer.
"No, no she was so wrong."
Michelle put a hand on Craig's shoulder. She began to speak softly, but she never finished what she was going to say. Craig whipped around.
"DON'T TOUCH ME! DAMMIT! How can you even bare to look at me?"
"Craig, I don't know how you feel about yourself, but you obviously have it all wrong." Michelle was scared, so she began slowly backing away.
"oh, do I? I always do. Dumb ass Craig always has it wrong. You haven't even known me that long and you can already see that." Craig was walking towards her with every step she took backwards. She felt her back hit the wall. Oh shit.
"Craig, listen to me. I care for you. I really do. I think you're a great guy, and just made a mistake in the past, but--" Craig took a huge step forward and put his hands on Michelle's shoulders, squeezing them, hard. She winced.
"So it is that easy for you to forgive me for everything I've ever done wrong? For staying with my abusive father just because he gave me money, for cheating on my girlfriend, for getting Manny pregnant, and for still wishing they all hadn't just left me in the dust?! You can forgive me that easily?!" Michelle noticed the tears forming in the corner of Craig's eyes. She knew this was her chance, her only one. She put her hands on the sides of his head. She made him look her in the eye.
"People don't like being left alone, Craig. It hurts. It haunts. It feels like you're dying, only you're not, but you wish you were. I know, Craig. I get it. I FINALLY get it. And it's okay. Everything is okay."
Craig began to cry.
"No, not it's not! Look at me! I'm fucking crying! I'm such a wuss!"
"Craig…stop…"
He dropped his head and released his grip on Michelle's shoulders. Michelle removed her hands from his head only to wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist. And she just let him cry. They stood there for the longest time. And in that time, Craig could actually feel his cold heart melting. He was letting someone in, after all this time. He was letting Michelle in. She gets it. She really gets it…she's perfect…I fear I'm in love….I also fear…that I'm loved. By her. Michelle was relieved that she got Craig to calm down. She was also relieved by something else. This is me. What I said…that's how I feel. Craig just has what it takes to show it. He's so strong. And has so much pain. I care so much…. They both felt so lucky in that moment. To have finally found someone, with no strings attached, that knew what they felt. When they finished, Michelle was the first to speak.
"Come on, let's go home. We can talk. My mom and brother won't be home until four, which gives us a lot of hours."
Craig didn't say anything, he just followed her out the door, to their lockers to grab coats, and then they left. Neither was worried about school. Neither even acknowledged the fact they were supposed to stay. They just needed to be free. And this was a start.
Over at Michelle's house, she was trying to call Craig. But after her first try, it just stopped going through. I bet no one is home. I just hope Craig isn't angry with me. It's just…I don't have many friends here, and I don't want to lose the best one I've got. He makes me feel so much better about myself. Since I have someone degrading me here at home, and my mom not doing much to help since she is always too busy..I need Craig. I can't let myself develop stronger feelings for him. I just can't. Michelle finally gave up and laid down on her bed, crying herself to sleep.
The next day at school, Craig didn't say a word to Michelle when they saw each other, although it's not as if she was trying to hard to talk to him, either. When they would be at their lockers, she would peak over her door to look at him, and he seemed so…empty. Just shoving books into the locker, and pulling others out. In homeroom, he didn't sit next to her. And in Ms. Kwan's class, Michelle attempted to talk to Craig, but he just got up and moved. At lunch, she caught him looking at her, but he quickly looked away. She had a breakthrough during Science though. A bad one. Michelle walked in and sat at her lab table, and Paige sat across from her.
"hey hun! Something got you down?"
"Nothing I want to talk about."
"Sorry. I was just trying to be polite."
"I don't want any politeness right now Paige. Sorry if I seem rude, I just want to be left alone."
"pfft. What-ev-er."
The bell rang and ended their conversation, thankfully. Michelle didn't know how anything could get any worse. Until Ms. Hatsilakos spoke.
"Okay class! Today, we're going to be doing partner labs! Only I get the joy of hand-picking your partners! Okay…let's see…Ellie, you go with Jimmy, Spinner, with Marco, Michelle, With Craig, Ashley…"
Michelle stopped listening after she heard Craig's name. She was immediately terrified. She had the worst nerves she ever knew of. She felt so sick, like she had just run a mile and then done 500 sit ups. She didn't know what to do, other than to go over by Craig and sit. So she did. Ms. Hatsilakos was still giving instructions on what to do, so that gave Michelle a chance to think of something to say. Unfortunately, Paige had to put her two cents in.
"Oh gee hun," She whispered, but loud enough for everyone except Ms. Hastilakos to hear, " I feel so bad for you. Having to get stuck with a worn out, two faced, cheater like Craig. What a bad class for him to be taking, too. He doesn't have chemistry with anyone. Which makes sense, because he has no friends."
That was the last straw for Craig. As Paige smiled in satisfaction and high-fived Ashley, Craig stood up, kicked his stool across the room, and bolted out of there. Michelle jumped up.
"Dammit Paige! Why do you have to be such a cold bitch?!"
Everyone let out a gasp.
"Excuse me?" She said in shock.
Michelle glared.
"You heard me. Just because Craig made a bad mistake doesn't mean you have the right to remind him of it in the worst ways possible."
"Hun, if you want to defend him, then go run after him. You both are fucked up. You're perfect for each other. Go get him, tiger"
"I think I will."
Just then Michelle brought both hands up and shoved Paige hard. So hard she fell backwards, stumbling over a stool and landing on the floor. Michelle raced out of the room before anyone had a chance to comprehend what just happened. Michelle had no idea where to go to find Craig. Which is why she was so shocked when she found him, in the boys bathroom, hands on the sink, head down.
"Get the hell out of here."
"Craig…"
"I SAID LEAVE!"
He picked his head up and turned to her as he screamed those words.
"Please….just…go…Paige was right…"
Michelle moved closer.
"No, no she was so wrong."
Michelle put a hand on Craig's shoulder. She began to speak softly, but she never finished what she was going to say. Craig whipped around.
"DON'T TOUCH ME! DAMMIT! How can you even bare to look at me?"
"Craig, I don't know how you feel about yourself, but you obviously have it all wrong." Michelle was scared, so she began slowly backing away.
"oh, do I? I always do. Dumb ass Craig always has it wrong. You haven't even known me that long and you can already see that." Craig was walking towards her with every step she took backwards. She felt her back hit the wall. Oh shit.
"Craig, listen to me. I care for you. I really do. I think you're a great guy, and just made a mistake in the past, but--" Craig took a huge step forward and put his hands on Michelle's shoulders, squeezing them, hard. She winced.
"So it is that easy for you to forgive me for everything I've ever done wrong? For staying with my abusive father just because he gave me money, for cheating on my girlfriend, for getting Manny pregnant, and for still wishing they all hadn't just left me in the dust?! You can forgive me that easily?!" Michelle noticed the tears forming in the corner of Craig's eyes. She knew this was her chance, her only one. She put her hands on the sides of his head. She made him look her in the eye.
"People don't like being left alone, Craig. It hurts. It haunts. It feels like you're dying, only you're not, but you wish you were. I know, Craig. I get it. I FINALLY get it. And it's okay. Everything is okay."
Craig began to cry.
"No, not it's not! Look at me! I'm fucking crying! I'm such a wuss!"
"Craig…stop…"
He dropped his head and released his grip on Michelle's shoulders. Michelle removed her hands from his head only to wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist. And she just let him cry. They stood there for the longest time. And in that time, Craig could actually feel his cold heart melting. He was letting someone in, after all this time. He was letting Michelle in. She gets it. She really gets it…she's perfect…I fear I'm in love….I also fear…that I'm loved. By her. Michelle was relieved that she got Craig to calm down. She was also relieved by something else. This is me. What I said…that's how I feel. Craig just has what it takes to show it. He's so strong. And has so much pain. I care so much…. They both felt so lucky in that moment. To have finally found someone, with no strings attached, that knew what they felt. When they finished, Michelle was the first to speak.
"Come on, let's go home. We can talk. My mom and brother won't be home until four, which gives us a lot of hours."
Craig didn't say anything, he just followed her out the door, to their lockers to grab coats, and then they left. Neither was worried about school. Neither even acknowledged the fact they were supposed to stay. They just needed to be free. And this was a start.