Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't. These characters aren't mine. They all belong to the creators of all the Degrassi series and yeah, you know that, right?
Author's Note: This is my take on the whole Ashley/Craig/Manny love triangle. Craig hasn't cheated on Ashley—yet—and they're doing fine and spiffy for a while. It's supposed to be set around the time of "Should I Stay or Should I Go?". It might be too AU, but I'm willing to take that chance. And after all, this is a fan fiction.
Summary Reboot: Craig and Ashley spend their five-month (go with me on this one) anniversary in a special way [wink, wink…nudge, nudge]. But after Ashley gets the wrong signal from Craig after their special night, she decides to take a break, and their high school romance spirals downwards from there. But, what goes down must come back up, right? {Mainly and Ash/Craig story, obviously}.
"Has it really been that long since we've been going out?" Ashley Kerwin asked her boyfriend of five months, Craig Manning. She turned her attention from her locker to him, who was standing behind her.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," he said, trying to calculate the months they have been dating. His eyes darted side to side, just thinking about it. "Ever since the end of ninth grade, right? At the year-end dance?"
"Oh, right. So, I think that might be about five months…it's October, right?" Ashley asked.
"That's right…but you still have to wait six more day, milady," Craig said, leaning against the locker next to Ashley's.
"I hate waiting," she complained.
"I know," Craig told her. He pulled out something from his bag, which crinkled a little bit. He presented them in front of Ashley's hand, as she was about to grab her Algebra book in her locker, so she caught it just in time. "They're for you. They, uh, weren't as wilted this morning. It must've been something in my bag."
Ashley just held them in front of her, studying them.
"I know, it sucks, and I'm sorry. But I have six more days to make up for this, right?"
"That's right, you do. And it's okay, Craig. There are a few carnations in here that are still alive—sort of. But that's not the point, right? It's the thought that counts," Ashley said, closing her locker and taking Craig's hand in hers.
"That's very cliché of you, Miss Kerwin," Craig joked. He kissed Ashley's cheek before the two started to walk to Mr. Simpson's classroom.
"So how are things with the band?" Ashley asked. Lately, Ashley had been missing the guys' band practice because of commitments with SITE and everything.
"Um, we're doing a little better. Spinner's finally gotten used to the beat of the song we're trying to work on. And Marco's picking up the bass pretty well, you know," Craig explained as they turned the corner.
"Did I just hear my name?" Marco said as he joined the two.
"Hey, Marco," Craig and Ashley said in unison.
"Hey guys, you two are looking cuter and cuter everyday." Marco fell into step beside Craig and looked over at Ashley. "You're looking rather lovely today, Ash. And might I add, you look very ecstatic."
Ashley held up her bouquet of flowers and turned them so that Marco could see the reason behind her happy self. "Craig got them for me. He shoved them in his bag and now they're dying a bit…"
"But it's the thought that counts, right, Ash?" Craig finished up.
"Right you are." Ashley puckered her lips, and Craig planted a gentle kiss on them.
"All right, PDA? I'm not up for it," Marco said, rushing into Simpson's class to avoid the whole scene.
Once it was just the two of them, Ashley pulled Craig aside.
"All right, so we've been going out for five months now. How do we plan on spending this momentous occasion?" she asked him.
"Well, I was thinking maybe a date to the movies or to the mall. You could come over for band rehearsal on Friday again, since you've been missing it so much," Craig suggested.
"Uh-uh. We've invaded the movies more times than the average moviegoer. The mall is not my favorite place to be, unless it's for something important. And as much as it's tempting, I wanted to do something that involves you and me, and just us," Ashley told him.
The two of them just stood there for the longest time, looking at various items, thinking of ways to spend the their anniversary together. Then, finally, the light bulb clicked on in Craig's head.
"Well, this Saturday, Joey and Angie will be gone to spend a weekend with Sydney. They're going to Montreal to do some things, don't ask me what. And Joey finally trusts me alone in the house for the weekend once again, thanks to much persuasion by Caitlin, of course," Craig said. "So, I don't know if you want to come over and, you know, just hang out."
"Sounds rather lovely," Ashley agreed. "Besides, I was thinking…"
"Of?"
"Well, I was thinking that I'm ready to, you know."
"Ash, what are you trying to say?"
Ashley pulled Craig closer to her so that she could whisper in his ear. "That maybe I am ready to…have sex…with you."
"Wha—? Oh…OH! I see. Well then, Miss Kerwin, I think it's a date. This Saturday, you and me, babe."
"Sounds like a plan, Mister Manning, you sexy man, you."
The two laughed at each other's dorkiness and then kissed each other. Just then, the bell rang and Ashley and Craig both piled into class with the rest of the tenth graders.
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