The next day at school, Manny was miserable. Emma kept pestering her about
her whereabouts the night before. It took almost all of Manny's energy to
keep Emma off her back, so she was also very tired. "Manny, why won't you
tell me what's wrong with you?" "I can't EM. Besides it doesn't matter
anyways, you wouldn't be interested." Emma gritted her teeth in
frustration. "Come on, Manny! You're my best friend, I want to know what's
going on that's making you so weird!" Emma's mouth was wide open to
continue, but Manny stopped her short. "I gotta go to my locker and get
some things. I'll see you in there." Emma just rolled her eyes.
Manny was looking at the floor while she walked to Media Imersion. She bumped right into someone, hard, and their books fell to the floor. "Manny!" Craig said aloud in an irritated voice. "What's wrong with you!" He asked as he bent down to retrieve his things that were now strewn across the tiled floor. "Sorry, Craig!" She bent down to help him. They both reached for his red binder. Their hands brushed for a moment before Manny pulled hers quickly away. She grabbed a different notebook. "Here." she said, handing Craig the notebook. "Thanks." Craig caught a glimpse of her face and there was something about her eyes. They were glassy...almost fogged over, like she wasn't really there. "Hey, is there something wrong?" he asked, this time using a different tone, almost as if he was really concerned about her.
"No. Why would you think that?" Manny asked shortly. "No real reason, calm down. You just seem distracted, that's all." Manny gave a short, nervous laugh. "Yeah...well..." Both Manny and Craig stood up. Manny looked up into his eyes...such deep brown, she thought...and for a second, Manny could have sworn that she had seen a glimpse of concern twinkle in his eyes. She wondered if maybe she had been a little rude to him. After all, she had knocked into him, not the other way around. "Sorry, Craig. Yeah, I'm a little distracted. Something happened and I'm having a hard time concentrating." "Well...what is it? Maybe i can help." "You can't." "Why not?" Then, a thought popped into Manny's head. "Actually, scratch that. I think there is something that you can do." "Okay..." Craig said, a little confused now. "How about you meet me out front after school?" "Great." Manny said. "Thanks, Craig." "No problem. See ya." He gave her the irresistible grin that had captured her heart earlier that year. "Bye."
A smile spread across Manny's face. Sean's picture in her head was starting to float to the back of her mind and Craig's face, and that grin, was becoming ever so clear. The rest of the day went by slowly. Manny was quivering with excitement. The butterflies in her stomach were doing major sumer salts. She was meeting Craig to spend some time with him! They hadn't really hung out since their one and only date that seemed oh so long ago. Her feelings for Sean still remained but hopefully not for long. Finally, after what seemed ages, the end of school bell rang. Manny walked and waited for a minute at the front entrance. "Manny!" Manny turned to see not Craig, but Emma. "Hey, EM." "Hey. Why did you run out like that? I thought you would wait for me." "Oh...sorry, but I've got to meet someone." Manny gave a casual smile as if this was an every day occurrence for her. Just then, Craig appeared. "Hey ladies." he said smoothly. Emma looked at him and then back at Manny. "Manny, you're not meeting Craig, are you?" "Um...yeah, I am, actually. Come on Craig. Bye EM." Manny grabbed his arm and dragged him down the steps. Emma was left there, dumbstruck. Emma didn't want to go home so early. She decided to go to Sean's and visit him.
Manny was looking at the floor while she walked to Media Imersion. She bumped right into someone, hard, and their books fell to the floor. "Manny!" Craig said aloud in an irritated voice. "What's wrong with you!" He asked as he bent down to retrieve his things that were now strewn across the tiled floor. "Sorry, Craig!" She bent down to help him. They both reached for his red binder. Their hands brushed for a moment before Manny pulled hers quickly away. She grabbed a different notebook. "Here." she said, handing Craig the notebook. "Thanks." Craig caught a glimpse of her face and there was something about her eyes. They were glassy...almost fogged over, like she wasn't really there. "Hey, is there something wrong?" he asked, this time using a different tone, almost as if he was really concerned about her.
"No. Why would you think that?" Manny asked shortly. "No real reason, calm down. You just seem distracted, that's all." Manny gave a short, nervous laugh. "Yeah...well..." Both Manny and Craig stood up. Manny looked up into his eyes...such deep brown, she thought...and for a second, Manny could have sworn that she had seen a glimpse of concern twinkle in his eyes. She wondered if maybe she had been a little rude to him. After all, she had knocked into him, not the other way around. "Sorry, Craig. Yeah, I'm a little distracted. Something happened and I'm having a hard time concentrating." "Well...what is it? Maybe i can help." "You can't." "Why not?" Then, a thought popped into Manny's head. "Actually, scratch that. I think there is something that you can do." "Okay..." Craig said, a little confused now. "How about you meet me out front after school?" "Great." Manny said. "Thanks, Craig." "No problem. See ya." He gave her the irresistible grin that had captured her heart earlier that year. "Bye."
A smile spread across Manny's face. Sean's picture in her head was starting to float to the back of her mind and Craig's face, and that grin, was becoming ever so clear. The rest of the day went by slowly. Manny was quivering with excitement. The butterflies in her stomach were doing major sumer salts. She was meeting Craig to spend some time with him! They hadn't really hung out since their one and only date that seemed oh so long ago. Her feelings for Sean still remained but hopefully not for long. Finally, after what seemed ages, the end of school bell rang. Manny walked and waited for a minute at the front entrance. "Manny!" Manny turned to see not Craig, but Emma. "Hey, EM." "Hey. Why did you run out like that? I thought you would wait for me." "Oh...sorry, but I've got to meet someone." Manny gave a casual smile as if this was an every day occurrence for her. Just then, Craig appeared. "Hey ladies." he said smoothly. Emma looked at him and then back at Manny. "Manny, you're not meeting Craig, are you?" "Um...yeah, I am, actually. Come on Craig. Bye EM." Manny grabbed his arm and dragged him down the steps. Emma was left there, dumbstruck. Emma didn't want to go home so early. She decided to go to Sean's and visit him.