Chapter 7

I didn't understand how someone could hate Craig. He was a sweetheart. I believe in forgiveness but apparently others didn't. Although Ashley Kerwin and her friends didn't think it was a good idea that I date Craig, they still accepted me as a person. I got along with them; we just saw things differently.

So here I was sitting at lunch still thinking about Craig. The song was amazing and made my heart skip a beat. I glanced over to Craig's table noticing he was looking back at me. He winked at me.

"Autumn? Did you hear me?" Paige Michalchuk asked snidely. Paige was the most popular girl in school. If you didn't hear her, she didn't see you.

I turned back to her. "No, I spaced out for a minute."

She scoffed at me. "I was saying that it's a complete waste of time to try and change him. Believe me people have tried. There's nothing you can do."

"Manny tried. They really cared about each other but after she had the abortion he had no will to be friend with her," Hazel Aden, Paige's best friend, added.

Ashley put a hand on my arm. "Let me warn you from personal experience: he's a liar. Don't believe anything he tells you. When says 'You're the only one for me,' you say..."

"Bullshit," Hazel and Paige said in unison.

"Face it Autumn: he's not worth it. No man is worth you're time, unless he's gay in which case Craig is not gay." Ashley shot a glance at Craig.

I took a bite out of my bagel. "Why can't you believe people can change? Let me ask you something: he hasn't had a girlfriend in over a year, right? Well, who's to say he hasn't changed?"

All the girls shook their heads. "Okay, I see your point. Autumn, you're new here and we are your friends. We're just looking out for you. We don't want you to get hurt," Paige placed her hand over mine sympathetically.

I didn't want to sound like a bitch because they were my friends but I had to say something. "Guys, I'm a big girl. I can stand up for myself and if I need someone I have Sean. I moved here knowing that people would want to baby me, but I can handle the real world." I couldn't argue with them anymore. I grabbed my lunch and started packing up my books. "I got to go."

"Don't come crying to us when he breaks your heart!" Paige yelled at my back.

I ignore her and the looks I got from the rest of the junior class. I crossed the black top walking for my destination. "Can I sit here?"

Craig, Spinner Mason, Marco Del Rossi, and Jimmy Brooks all looked up at me. Craig and Marco made room for me. "Sure, honey. What happened over there?"

I squeezed in resting my head on his shoulder. "Nothing, I just wanted to sit by you. It's been a long day. I just needed a hug."

"Don't worry about them. They like to make people upset," Spinner said.

Craig squeezed me and put a light kiss on my head, "its okay. You'll always have me."

In my head I heard Ashley, Paige, Hazel and even Ellie say, "Bullshit." I didn't let the voices get to me. I shook them off snuggling into Craig's arms. I loved feeling his arms around me and holding me near. Sometimes I think that if it weren't for him holding onto me, I would just float away. I needed something to believe in, and for the moment being Craig was it. No matter what anybody else had to say about him, I wouldn't let it bother me. But that voice would always be in the back of my head. Okay, so I had lied; I couldn't completely forgive Craig for what he did. The only time I forgot about his past was when he held me in his arms and the kisses he left me. I truly believed that he would change. So I promised myself that I wouldn't let Paige, Hazel, Ashley and Ellie ruin my relationship.