The next few days went by quickly. Emma would still not talk to Manny. It
didn't bother Manny as much as it usually would have. There was only one
reason for that: Craig. Manny and him were on very friendly terms again.
They still had yet to plan their date. "How about this Saturday?" Manny
asked Craig. They were sitting at lunch in the zen garden. "Oh! Can't! Joey
is making me babysit til like 10:00." "Um...ok..." "How about Sunday?"
"School..." Manny started to say but Craig interrupted. "Nope. We have
Monday off." "Oh! Well yeah, that sounds great! At like 7:00." "Yeah,
sounds good. I'll get you at your house."
Emma walked past the window. She stopped and watched them. Manny stared straight back at her, not flinching one bit. Emma hesitated and entered. Craig turned and looked. He mouthed soundlessly, looking for the words. "Manny...Craig..." Emma nodded at each of them. "Um...hey EM. I thought you weren't talking to me." "Well, I shouldn't be because you don't deserve it." "Oh..." "But I need to find out what's up with Sean." "Emma, you should go talk to him about it." Craig said. "I've tried. He like put up a request so that I am not allowed in to see him." "Wow. I didn't know they could do that." Manny said. Sean really didn't want to be questioned by Emma, she thought. "I guess it's possible." "EM, I can't tell you. I'm not allowed." "Oh, who said that? Sean?" Emma's tone was turning nasty. "Yes. Why don't you get that if I could I would. I don't like keeping secrets for him EM. Especially from you." "Then why you? Why not me? Why did he choose you?" "He didn't choose me, it was just a coincidence. I was just kind of thrown into his mess."
"Yeah, right." Emma said. "You're just doing this because you like him. It's so obvious, Manny. You always have." Manny rolled her eyes. "No! EM, never as anything more than a friend." "Gee, Manny, isn't it great how you can lie straight to my face?" Craig came to Manny's defense. "Emma, if Manny really liked Sean would she be going out with me this Sunday?" Emma's expression loosened a little bit. When she spoke, it was as if the world had shifted; a complete 180 degree turn. "You guys are going out? That's so great!" "Wha...?" Manny said, confused. Emma's mind seemed to have been completely washed blank of anger and replaced with a new found happiness. Manny couldn't figure it out. Craig seemed to have been perplexed by Emma's reaction also.
"Thanks?" he said in a unsure voice. Just then the bell rang. "Oh, gotta go to class! See you there, Manny, I'll save you a seat?" "Sure..." "Okay, great! Later Craig!" Craig's mouth just hung open. "What was that?" he asked. "I have no idea. But whatever, at least she isn't mad anymore." "Yeah." They stood up. "Soo..." Craig said. "I'll see you after school?" "Totally." he looked down at Manny. She looked so beautiful with her hair down and flowing across her shoulders. "Well...bye Craig." Craig couldn't stop it. He grabbed Manny's arm gently and pulled her back. "What?" she asked. Then, before she could say anything else, Craig gave Manny a nice, unforgettable kiss. When he let her go, she looked up at him, somewhat impressed. "Bye." he said. Manny felt lightheaded. Today could have been easily turning into the best day of her life.
Emma walked past the window. She stopped and watched them. Manny stared straight back at her, not flinching one bit. Emma hesitated and entered. Craig turned and looked. He mouthed soundlessly, looking for the words. "Manny...Craig..." Emma nodded at each of them. "Um...hey EM. I thought you weren't talking to me." "Well, I shouldn't be because you don't deserve it." "Oh..." "But I need to find out what's up with Sean." "Emma, you should go talk to him about it." Craig said. "I've tried. He like put up a request so that I am not allowed in to see him." "Wow. I didn't know they could do that." Manny said. Sean really didn't want to be questioned by Emma, she thought. "I guess it's possible." "EM, I can't tell you. I'm not allowed." "Oh, who said that? Sean?" Emma's tone was turning nasty. "Yes. Why don't you get that if I could I would. I don't like keeping secrets for him EM. Especially from you." "Then why you? Why not me? Why did he choose you?" "He didn't choose me, it was just a coincidence. I was just kind of thrown into his mess."
"Yeah, right." Emma said. "You're just doing this because you like him. It's so obvious, Manny. You always have." Manny rolled her eyes. "No! EM, never as anything more than a friend." "Gee, Manny, isn't it great how you can lie straight to my face?" Craig came to Manny's defense. "Emma, if Manny really liked Sean would she be going out with me this Sunday?" Emma's expression loosened a little bit. When she spoke, it was as if the world had shifted; a complete 180 degree turn. "You guys are going out? That's so great!" "Wha...?" Manny said, confused. Emma's mind seemed to have been completely washed blank of anger and replaced with a new found happiness. Manny couldn't figure it out. Craig seemed to have been perplexed by Emma's reaction also.
"Thanks?" he said in a unsure voice. Just then the bell rang. "Oh, gotta go to class! See you there, Manny, I'll save you a seat?" "Sure..." "Okay, great! Later Craig!" Craig's mouth just hung open. "What was that?" he asked. "I have no idea. But whatever, at least she isn't mad anymore." "Yeah." They stood up. "Soo..." Craig said. "I'll see you after school?" "Totally." he looked down at Manny. She looked so beautiful with her hair down and flowing across her shoulders. "Well...bye Craig." Craig couldn't stop it. He grabbed Manny's arm gently and pulled her back. "What?" she asked. Then, before she could say anything else, Craig gave Manny a nice, unforgettable kiss. When he let her go, she looked up at him, somewhat impressed. "Bye." he said. Manny felt lightheaded. Today could have been easily turning into the best day of her life.