I wish I was the Rain

Chapter Six

IluvJack: Manny, why did you tell Stephanie how I was a heartless bitch?

Ihppn2beadesignr2: Because you kissed Craig! Emma, how could you?

IluvJack: Who told you I kissed Craig?

Ihppn2beadesignr2: I saw you myself! I was going to return Charlie to you, and I SAW you guys. There was even tongue. Don't tell me you didn't.

(Charlie was the fern I lent to her for the runway.)

IluvJack: Okay, we kissed. So what? You were over Craig back in freshman year in High school.

Ihppn2beadesignr2: Who the hell told you that?

And the world ended.

.
"Hey, Emma!" Dan's happy voice rang through the phone.

"Dan!" I said, pleased to hear his voice. "I'm so glad you called!"

"Heh, I'm glad I called too!" He said, happily. "Listen, I was wondering. I was thinking about what you said about Genetically Modified Foods, and I was thinking, you know, maybe we could discuss it further, maybe tomorrow, over a cup of latte?"

"Daniel Cory, are you asking me out?"

"Well, look at that! I am."

"Then I accept. And happily."

"Great, I'll see you at Coffee Canada, then."

I hung up the phone, with a soft click, did a little 'I just got a date!' dance in my socks, before I started singing 'How Lovely to Be a Woman'. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Emma? Emma? Is that...is that a dying raccoon?" Craig called through the door, with another knock, he entered. "Oh, I thought something was dying." He laughed very hard, and I punched him on the arm, before succumbing to laughter myself.

"Well, ready to go?"

I nodded yes.

.
We went to the Zoo this time. I felt more relaxed in Craig's presence, and was able to perform more normally. He took a picture of me pointing to a penguin, up on top of the Lion Statue, and me blowing a kiss at him (he wasted five shots on me doing that). Myself getting refreshed at the mister that was coming out from a random light and a whole bunch that I guess I didn't see.

"You want an ice cream?" Craig asked, finally. I nodded. "Great! Finally, I've been wanting Chocolate with sprinkles all day. Hold on, will you hold Baby for me?"

"Baby?" I said, suspiciously. "You have a little Craiggy running around?"

"Nah, Baby is," he held up his camera. "this awesome piece of artistry right here." He handed it to my waiting hands. "You can take a few pictures if you want." He gave me a short lesson on the workings of Baby.

"So, what do you want me to get for you, vanilla? You seem Vanilla-y to me."

"Swirl, please. With sprinkles," I said, laughing. "I hate vanilla." He put on a shocked face, and I took advantage of the situation by taking a little snippit on Baby.

"Haha! Now I can sell it on Ebay!"

He gave me a twisted smile, and went to go get the ice cream.

When he came back, I took another picture on Baby, and we traded, my ice cream for his Baby.

"So," he said, taking a big bite of his Chocolate-with-sprinkles in a chocolate dipped cone. "Who's this Dan guy?"

"Dan?" I said, swirling my cup of sprinkles-and-swirl around in the Styrofoam cup before delivering the ice cream to my mouth. "Just this guy I met at Coffee Canada. We're going out tomorrow."

"What, you mean, on a date?" he said, looking at the orangutans, which were looking right back at us, and one was licking its lips at me, and making farting noises with it's lips. Unfortunately, we were a little too close to the cage, and it grabbed my hair, and tugged, so my head was against the bars of the cage. I screamed, and dropped my swirl.

"Craig!" I cried.

In some fluid motion that I wasn't able to see, Craig made me release my hair. I rubbed my head, and pulled away fast from the admiring orangutan.

"God damn it!" I cried. I had never really been one to curse, but that HURT. In fact, I had tears in my eyes, but I brushed them away. I looked down at my hand.

A big clump of hair was torn out by the roots.

"Hey," he said, "it's alright," he said, hugging me. "Once, I got attacked by a zebra, I was working on a piece for extra money for National Geographic. It chased after me, and almost killed Baby." I laughed. "There we go, got you laughing."

My hands went from his shoulders to his neck, then I stood on my tip toes, and waited, my eyes closed.

"Emma," he said, kindly but slowly, and I became aware that he released me. "We can't," My eyes opened, and I blushed. "I love Heather... I can't. I'm sorry."

I smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I guess we should get back to work."

Which we did... but it wasn't with the same vigor that we had before. It wasn't until I got home after work, around five o'clock, that I realized that I still had my date with Dan.

.
End of Chapter 6

Okay, I just have to say that I'm going to be in West Virginia to be a camp councilor, so in the near future; there will be no updates for a month. However, I'll try to squeeze in Seven before I leave.

Pray for my soul, people. I might be eaten by rabid hill billies! (Just playing, really!)

Why do I hate Ashley Kerwin, eh? To that... I have no idea. Maybe it's cause I don't think she handled the whole Manny/Craig/Ashley thing well. I would have gotten over him, but you know, without the drama. I much prefer Emma and Liberty (I am most like Liberty :] )