Learning to Fly

School was over and Craig and I were at the fair. He'd beaten me by 120 points in Skeeball, and I kicked his ass at Whack-a-Mole. We'd both made fools of ourselves aon the Dance Dance Revolution game. We shared funnel cake and cotton candy. We giggled at forty-something broads wearing age-inappropiate clothing in flammable fabrics, and the beer-bellied men who beer-oggle them. But there was something I had to tell him something on the ferris wheel.

"Craig," I've been meaning to tell you something.

"What?"

"I'm going away."

"I know."

"But there's more. I signed up for this teen trip for the summer where we go across Europe and Australia."

He was silent.

"Be happy for me, Craig."

"That's..." He started. "Awesome!" he blurted out.

I didn't believe it for one second. Words that express excitement sound so weird coming out of his mouth. He is especially bad at expressing enthusiasm for others when he obviously doesn't feel it himself.

"It's a fantastic opportunity."

"Awesome. Wow. Awesome."

"You are a terrible liar." I said.

"How do you expect me to react? I thought we were going to have all of this time together his summer, and to find out we aren't is just..."

"Craig..."

He looked into his lap. "Why... didn't you tell me?"

I turned to face him directly, causing the car to quiver. "Because I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. I knew what if I told you before I knew for sure, you would try to persuade me to go because it's 'the right thing.' And I didn't want my decision to be based on what you thought was the best thing for me, but what I thought was the best thing for me."

"How do you know that I wasn't going to beg you to come on the road trip with me and Jimmy and Spin?"

"Because I know you."

"So when do you leave?"

"Well that's the thing." I paused. " I'm leaving next week."

"Next week? As in seven days from now."

"Six, actually."

"Six."

"Yes, Thursday." I say as I watch a frat boy try to urinate into a trash can.

"So we won't even have the summer?"

"No," and then very calmly i said: "But Craig, We have all the time in the world."

I truly believe this. I believe we have our whole lives together. Forever.

Craig and I leave the fair and he drives me home. I turn to him and hand him an envelope.

"Don't open it until you get home. Call me tomorrow." and I get out of the car and walk inside.

The letter says, 'I O.U., Craig Manning, one (1) round-trip airplane ticket from Ontario to London, completely paid for , during your next school vacation or at any other time that may be suitably convient for you during said flight, which ticket will be purchased immediately upon the phone call made to Miss McKenzie three (3) weeks before departure.'

I left a week later, sobbing, not wanting to let Craig go, but remembering I would be back in September for Amanda's birth.

"Don't forget me. Call every other day, write once a week." He said.

"Promise." he hands me a package and whispers,"Don't open this until you're on the plane."

I wave and grab my backpack, and blow kisses to everyone.

Once I'm on the plane, I open the present and find a CD of songs Craig's written for me. I open my backpack and grab one of his sweatshirts, brought along in case I get cold. On the cover of the CD he's written, 'Although what you are about to see is a work of fiction, it should nevertheless be played at maximum volume.'

"David Bowie," I whisper, tears rolling down my face. Craig knows I'll be back. I don't know when, or why, but sometime in the future. The future is now.

[A/N: SEQUEL ALERT! SEQUEL ALERT! if you want me to write one, post. I had a lot of fun writing this story, Ashbo, thank you for all of your positive comments!]