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?
Two days had passed, and suddenly Wednesday is upon the kids of Degrassi Street. Craig was stressing because, though he had already given Ashley a bouquet of half-wilted flowers, a box of chocolates, and recently, an assortment of helium balloons shaped as hearts in pink and red, he still hadn't had the 'Mack-daddy present of them all' for their actual anniversary day. He had already planned out a card to give Ashley for the next day, and then a big, brown teddy bear for Friday. But today, he still was frustrated because he didn't know what the hell to give her for Saturday, other than, well, his virginity.
So, Craig sat down in the MI Lab and put on a serious face. Many ideas ran through his head—lingerie [Nah, he thought. She wouldn't be pleased], a Ramones shirt or CD [Got that covered on the three month anniversary, he reminded himself], maybe some time a studio, just the two of us, working on songs and such [But that costs money, and I already am on the 'broke' side because of all these pre-anniversary gifts.]
After much deliberation, Craig decided to get an excellent, and not to mention expert source of information for this situation.
"Dude, I need your help, seriously," Craig told Spinner. He leaned against the locker next to Spinner's while Spinner gathered all his books.
"Yeah, you said that already," Spinner responded, looking up at Craig. "So, what is so major that you need to ask me for advice on right at this moment?"
"I, uh, I don't…well, um, are you…what do you think I should get Ash for our anniversary on Saturday?" Craig finally said.
Spinner shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know. She's your girlfriend."
"I know that!" Craig said in frustration. "I just…I don't know what she wants."
"Then why don't you ask her yourself, so you know what to get her, and so she can have the satisfaction of getting what she wants," Spinner responded.
"I can't do that."
"Why not? It's genius."
"Yeah…if I want to ruin the element of surprise." Craig banged the back of his head against the locker. "What am I going to do?"
"Dude, dude, relax, okay?" Spinner told him, holding his arms out, as if they would automatically stop Craig from giving himself a headache. "I'll ask Paige to ask what Ash wants for your anniversary, so you won't go out of your damn mind just thinking of something, all right?"
"Yeah, Spin. Have your girlfriend ask my girlfriend what she would like to our anniversary sounds peachy," Craig spat out sarcastically. "There's no sentiment in that."
"Craig, you are so lame, you know that?"
"Speak for yourself, Mr. Baby-Talk, Mr. 'Oh Paige, my little Pumpkin Bunny'."
"Ha-ha," Spinner said in a dry and monotone voice.
"Anyway, I'm going to go and see Marco," Craig said, as he started to walk away. "I'm thinking he can help me more than you can."
"Fine, whatever," Spinner said, shrugging your shoulders.
On the other side of campus were Ashley, Ellie, and Marco, sitting outside of DCS, eating lunch and exchanging stories of many things. The topic at the current moment was the fact that one of Ashley's heart balloons, the one that's pink and decorated with a half-naked, flying baby with a bow and arrow with a heart as its tip, was putting Marco in danger of being beaten to death by it.
"Ash, it's either you're going to have to deflate that balloon, as it has evil intentions to kill me and, more tragically, ruin my hair, or I'm leaving the table," Marco jokingly said.
Ash and Ellie looked at each other, unable to hold in their giggling.
"Well, then, Elle and I are going to miss you very much, Marco," Ashley laughed as she lowered the balloon and his it under the table.
"So, the 'big night' is in three days, huh?" Ellie asked, doing that whole 'quote-un-quote' finger thing.
Ashley turned to her. "Yeah, it is. I'm pretty excited, but nervous too."
"Why nervous? It's only dinner with Craig, and then a night of hanging out, right?"
Ashley shrugged her shoulder. She had never told any of her friends what she and Craig had planned to do on Saturday. Neither did Craig tell his friends. At least, Ash hoped he didn't.
"I guess. But, I just want that day to be spectacular, you know? I don't want it to go horribly wrong," Ashley explained. "I mean, I love Craig…I guess."
"You guess, or you know?" Marco asked, leaning toward the two girls.
"I know." Ash smiled sheepishly.
"Have you gotten him anything yet?" Ellie asked her.
"Oh shit!" Ashley gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth. "Oh crap! Oh bugger! Oh damn it!" She turned to Ellie. "I haven't gotten him anything." She then turned to Marco, shaking her head in disbelief in her foolishness. "I haven't gotten him anything!"
"Ash, Ash…it's okay!" Marco and Ellie told her.
"It's all right, Ashley," Ellie said. "You have three more days."
"I know…but what if I get something that's crap? I mean, I'm pretty sure he's going to get me something pretty nice. But I can't even get him something nice myself. Crap!"
"Ash, it's okay. We can go down to the mall today, no problem. You, me, and Ellie—just the three of us chaps, shopping and hanging out at the mall, okay?" Marco suggested. "Ash?"
"Are…you okay?" Ellie asked, tapping her friend on the shoulder.
After much hyperventilation, worrying, nodding of the head, and flapping of the arms as if she were some silly, flightless chicken, Ashley calmed down.
"I'm—I'm fine…I need to recover from this," she answered, fanning herself. "All this time Craig has been spoiling me, I can't believe I forgot that I had to give him something in return."
"Well, at least you remembered before it's too late," Marco pointed out.
"I know, and I have Ellie to thank for that," Ashley said, turning her body to face Ellie, whom she hugged.
"Oh, speak of the devil…" Marco said abruptly.
And as abruptly as Marco made his affirmation, Craig took a seat next to Marco.
"Hey, I need to talk to you," he said in a hushed voice, ignoring Ellie and Ashley, sitting opposite the two of them.
"About?" Marco asked.
"It's about Ash and this Saturday night. I need your help with…"
"A-hem," Ashley and Ellie coughed. As Marco and Craig looked at the two of them, Ash and Ellie sat still, their hands clasped in front of them. Ashley tilted her head toward the right, slightly, just staring at him. "With what, Mr. Manning?" she asked mischievously.
"Um…hey, love," Craig said, getting up to slide next to Ashley. He kissed her neck. "Um, is it all right if I talk to Marco privately?"
"I don't know, it depends on what the topic is about," Ashley said, pulling her head away from Craig's, so as to not view him with a crossed-eye way. "If it's about the band, then I'll stay. If it's about the gang, I'll stay. If it's about me, maybe I'll leave. If it's about girls, I'm definitely staying."
"It's about Saturday night, Ash," Craig said, tipping his head low.
"Oh. So do you want to take Marco away, or would you like Ellie and I to leave?"
"It really doesn't matter," Craig said.
"All right, then," Ashley said, getting up. She grabbed her balloons from under the table and turned her head so that she could kiss Craig's cheek. "See you later, guys."
"Are we meeting up after school?" Craig asked, puling Ashley's head back for more.
"Um, no. Ellie, Marco, and I have already made plans," she answered after pulling away from Craig's lips. Then, their lips pulled together again.
"Plans for what?" Craig asked, their lips apart again.
"Nothing," Ashley said, shaking her head. She didn't want him to know that they were going to buy his anniversary present, for it shamed her for him to see how forgetful she tends to be. "Well, Ellie and I have to be going. We don't want the two of you two not talk today, right?"
Ashley grabbed Ellie's hand and pulled her away from the table, so that they could both exit quickly and without Craig's suspicion.
"Bye," Ellie said to the two guys, waving her free hand and displaying a look of 'Help me, please.'
Craig watched the two of them go, shaking his head as if they were insane. Once he was sure they were both gone, he turned to Marco, leaned in close to him and said, "What should I get Ash for Saturday?"
"Well, I don't really…" Marco began.
"Please, Marco! I need your help. I've already asked Spinner, and he was no help. I found Jimmy somewhere in the cafeteria and asked his advice, but he gave me none, just that 'Ash was a difficult person to buy gifts for', and I would ask either Paige, Ellie, or Terri, but I somehow don't trust them, as they might tell Ash." Craig stopped to take in a deep breath. "You need to help me."
"Craig, calm down," Marco said, finally being able to get in his words. "You're totally overreacting."
"Well, I can't help it! I want to get Ash something special, something nice. But I don't know what to give her."
"Well, a simple necklace or bracelet would do."
"Marco, I've already given her that, last month, remember?"
"Oh, right. Well, what are you looking for?"
Craig bit his lower lip, deep in thought. "Well, I was thinking Ash could do with something that she can keep forever, something that's hers, and hers alone. I want her to be able to see how I really feel about her, which is very deeply, I can tell you that," Craig explained. "I want it to be special, for her and me."
"Well, why don't you write her a song?" Marco suggested.
"A song? Seriously?" Craig answered, unsure.
"Yeah, a song. It's totally original; it's going to be by you. You're going to be writing it, so you can pour all your emotions and feelings into it. Then, you can either play it acoustic—or with the band, it doesn't matter—and you could record it on a tape and give it to her, so she can listen to it for all her life."
Craig sat there, staring at Marco, contemplating this thought. He bit his lower lip again, and tapped his thumbs on the table.
"You are one total freaking genius, Marco!" Craig finally said, slapping his hand down on the table. Apparently, he loved the idea. "You are a bloody savior and a total genius, you know that?"
"Don't you think I do?" Marco asked with a smile on his face. "Need help with anything else?"
"Well, I was thinking…maybe you could possibly help me out with the cooking department."
"What?"
"Well, I planned on having this candle light dinner thing with Ash, and since Joey and Angie will be gone, I was thinking that maybe you could come over my house for the day and help me prepare dinner for Ash—complete with candles, rose petals, and the entire Beatles collection," Craig pitched.
"Just say the time and I'll be there," Marco said, spreading out his arms and cocking his head to the side, as if he were some kind of hotshot.
"Kick ass! Thank you so much!" Craig said, reaching his arm over so that he could pat Marco's shoulder.
"And that's why it's good to have gay guy friends," Marco gloated with a smile.