CHAPTER 7: BAD NEWS
Haley was headed to her last class. She was really worried about Craig. He still hadn't shown up. She went in the class and took her seat ready for another boring hour of algebra. The teacher was sitting at the desk when the bell rang.
He stood up, "Ok class today we'll be learning about the quadratic formula." He said but was interrupted by Mr. Radditch on the loud speaker.
"Sorry to interrupt class but I'm afraid I have some terrible news." Haley felt her stomach jolt in a horrible pain. "One of our students has been in a bad car accident." He continued as Haley got up and ran out of the classroom. She felt like she was going to be sick. "Craig Manning is in the local hospital. He's in critical condition and doctors aren't sure if he's going to make it. That's all the information I have. If you're a friend of Craig's you can come down to the office anytime and we'll give you information about how you can find out more. This is very sad news for everyone here at Degrassi and we all hope Craig will make it through. Again sorry for the interruption, I felt this was something the students should know." Paige thought about what she just heard from her principal and realized why Haley ran out.
"May I please be excused?" She asked.
"Yes, Paige." He answered. Paige ran to the girls washroom hoping she'd find Haley there. She heard something crying in one of the stalls.
"Haley?" She asked.
"What do you want?" Haley answered.
"What's wrong hun?" Paige asked.
"What do you mean what's wrong? Didn't you just hear the announcement about Craig?" Haley asked angrily. How could Paige not know what was wrong?
"Sorry hun. Is there anything I can do?" Paige asked.
"Just leave me alone. I'll be fine." Haley said hoping this would make Paige leave.
"Hun I can't just leave you here. Do you want to go to the office and see if you can go home?" She asked. Haley was disappointed that this didn't work.
"Paige I said I'd be fine. Please just leave. I'll go to the office in a few minutes." With this Paige left, but waited outside the door for Haley to come out. She was sure her teacher would understand that friends are more important than algebra. A few minutes later Haley walked out. "Paige I thought I told you I'd be fine. What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Can I just walk you to the office and then I'll go back to class?" Paige asked hoping she'd agree to this because she wanted to find out more about Craig's accident too and for once it wasn't to gossip. Craig was her boyfriends friend. She wanted to make sure he'd be ok.
"Fine." Haley answered and they walked to the office.
"Hi, we're here to see Mr. Radditch." Paige said to the secretary.
"Ok one moment. He's with another student right now. You can sit there if you want." She said. The two girls sat and neither spoke. After about 20 minutes their principal came out and told the girls to come into his office.
"What can I do for you ladies?" He asked.
"We're here about Craig." Paige answered for both of them.
"Are you friends of Mr. Manning?" He asked.
"I'm friends with him. She's his girlfriend." Paige answered.
"Oh, I'm very sorry for you're loss girls."
"Loss?!" Haley asked.
"Mr. Manning is currently in a coma. The doctors are pretty sure he's not going to make it. I'm terribly sorry girls. If you want to see him you can call his step dad, Joey." he said handing the girls a piece of paper with a phone number on it. "You can either go back to class or go sit in the library before school's over. Again I'm sorry." He said as Haley and Paige stood up.
"I have a feeling you're not up to going back to class." Paige said to Haley.
"No, not really. Where's the library, I haven't been there yet." Haley asked.
"This way." Paige said walking towards the library. Neither girl talked. They just walked. When they got to the library Haley sat at a table with her head in her hands. "I'm really sorry. Even thought Mr. Radditch said he probably wouldn't make it, Craig is strong. He'll pull through, I promise." Paige said giving Haley a promise she wasn't sure she could keep. They sat there until the bell rang and then Haley walked out of the library and down the hall. "Haley wait up. Can I walk you home or something?"
"Sure." She answered not wanting to argue with Paige right now. They both went to their lockers and got their books and then walked out the front doors of Degrassi. They didn't say a word all the way to Haley's.
"Haley do you need anything." Paige asked.
"No Paige, I'll be fine. I'm going to call Joey and find out what I can. I just hope he'll be alright. Thanks for being there for me today Paige." She answered and stood in the doorway.
"No problem hun, anytime. I'm sure Craig will be fine. Like I said he's strong. I'll see you later?" She asked.
"Yeah. Bye." Haley answered shutting the door.
"Bye hun." Paige said and walked home.
Haley was headed to her last class. She was really worried about Craig. He still hadn't shown up. She went in the class and took her seat ready for another boring hour of algebra. The teacher was sitting at the desk when the bell rang.
He stood up, "Ok class today we'll be learning about the quadratic formula." He said but was interrupted by Mr. Radditch on the loud speaker.
"Sorry to interrupt class but I'm afraid I have some terrible news." Haley felt her stomach jolt in a horrible pain. "One of our students has been in a bad car accident." He continued as Haley got up and ran out of the classroom. She felt like she was going to be sick. "Craig Manning is in the local hospital. He's in critical condition and doctors aren't sure if he's going to make it. That's all the information I have. If you're a friend of Craig's you can come down to the office anytime and we'll give you information about how you can find out more. This is very sad news for everyone here at Degrassi and we all hope Craig will make it through. Again sorry for the interruption, I felt this was something the students should know." Paige thought about what she just heard from her principal and realized why Haley ran out.
"May I please be excused?" She asked.
"Yes, Paige." He answered. Paige ran to the girls washroom hoping she'd find Haley there. She heard something crying in one of the stalls.
"Haley?" She asked.
"What do you want?" Haley answered.
"What's wrong hun?" Paige asked.
"What do you mean what's wrong? Didn't you just hear the announcement about Craig?" Haley asked angrily. How could Paige not know what was wrong?
"Sorry hun. Is there anything I can do?" Paige asked.
"Just leave me alone. I'll be fine." Haley said hoping this would make Paige leave.
"Hun I can't just leave you here. Do you want to go to the office and see if you can go home?" She asked. Haley was disappointed that this didn't work.
"Paige I said I'd be fine. Please just leave. I'll go to the office in a few minutes." With this Paige left, but waited outside the door for Haley to come out. She was sure her teacher would understand that friends are more important than algebra. A few minutes later Haley walked out. "Paige I thought I told you I'd be fine. What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Can I just walk you to the office and then I'll go back to class?" Paige asked hoping she'd agree to this because she wanted to find out more about Craig's accident too and for once it wasn't to gossip. Craig was her boyfriends friend. She wanted to make sure he'd be ok.
"Fine." Haley answered and they walked to the office.
"Hi, we're here to see Mr. Radditch." Paige said to the secretary.
"Ok one moment. He's with another student right now. You can sit there if you want." She said. The two girls sat and neither spoke. After about 20 minutes their principal came out and told the girls to come into his office.
"What can I do for you ladies?" He asked.
"We're here about Craig." Paige answered for both of them.
"Are you friends of Mr. Manning?" He asked.
"I'm friends with him. She's his girlfriend." Paige answered.
"Oh, I'm very sorry for you're loss girls."
"Loss?!" Haley asked.
"Mr. Manning is currently in a coma. The doctors are pretty sure he's not going to make it. I'm terribly sorry girls. If you want to see him you can call his step dad, Joey." he said handing the girls a piece of paper with a phone number on it. "You can either go back to class or go sit in the library before school's over. Again I'm sorry." He said as Haley and Paige stood up.
"I have a feeling you're not up to going back to class." Paige said to Haley.
"No, not really. Where's the library, I haven't been there yet." Haley asked.
"This way." Paige said walking towards the library. Neither girl talked. They just walked. When they got to the library Haley sat at a table with her head in her hands. "I'm really sorry. Even thought Mr. Radditch said he probably wouldn't make it, Craig is strong. He'll pull through, I promise." Paige said giving Haley a promise she wasn't sure she could keep. They sat there until the bell rang and then Haley walked out of the library and down the hall. "Haley wait up. Can I walk you home or something?"
"Sure." She answered not wanting to argue with Paige right now. They both went to their lockers and got their books and then walked out the front doors of Degrassi. They didn't say a word all the way to Haley's.
"Haley do you need anything." Paige asked.
"No Paige, I'll be fine. I'm going to call Joey and find out what I can. I just hope he'll be alright. Thanks for being there for me today Paige." She answered and stood in the doorway.
"No problem hun, anytime. I'm sure Craig will be fine. Like I said he's strong. I'll see you later?" She asked.
"Yeah. Bye." Haley answered shutting the door.
"Bye hun." Paige said and walked home.