Somehow Craig managed to make it to lunch without another scene from either Ashley or Manny, concerning Thanksgiving. He grabbed an extra milk, and turned to search for an empty table. His eyes fell on Ashley, who was waving him over to sit with her. He smiled and began to make his way through the crowded cafeteria towards her table.
Just then Paige and Terri came up to her and began to talk to her fervently about something. Paige caught sight of Craig and gave him a withering look. Then they both grabbed Ashley by the arms and led her out of the lunch room, leaving her lunch sitting on the table.
Craig was unsure of what was going on, but he was afraid he had an idea. Manny was a cheerleader. Paige was a cheerleader. Manny talks too much.
Craig sat down in the empty chair across from Ashley's abandoned lunch, and stared at his mushy-looking apples. Please God, he prayed, let Manny have kept her mouth shut about me inviting her.
Just then there was a loud bang at one end of the cafeteria, at the door Ashley had disappeared through. She suddenly reappeared, and he realized the bang had been the door hitting the wall when she had slung it open.
The cafeteria grew silent as she approached him. Craig gulped and squirmed in his chair, embarrassed to be stared at. Ashley stopped in front of him and picked up her tray of lunch.
Craig closed his eyes and waited. Then he felt hot gooey stuff dripping down his neck, and in his hair and face. He stood, and opened his eyes. Ashley was standing there, furiously breathing hard, with a now-empty lunch tray in her hand. Her face was red and angry.
"Ash…" he began, but it was futile. She was not going to hear him.
"No, Craig." She was still fuming. "I don't care what your excuse is. And I don't care if you spend every holiday alone for the rest of your life."
Craig's eyes were pleading. "Ash, don't, please…"
But Ashley's eyes were hard. "I take back my invitation. And I don't want to write a song with you after all. Looks like you already have a muse."
Craig watched helplessly as Ashley stormed away, trailed by a smug-looking Paige and Terri. Then he picked up a chair and threw it across the room.
Later on, at home, Craig had showered and was sitting on the couch, looking at the TV but not really watching anything.
He dreaded Joey coming home, and he knew he'd be grounded for life. But for some reason, he couldn't seem to think of anything but Ashley. He wondered what would happen if he called her. "What have you got to lose?" he asked aloud, and reached for the phone.
As he dialed the numbers, he suddenly wondered what he was going to say. He heard it ringing electronically in his ear, and began to panic. A female voice answered, "Hello?" and he lost his nerve completely and hung up. The phone rang immediately after he put it down, and he jumped a foot into the air.
"He-hello?" he stammered into the receiver.
"Craig Manning. I have caller ID." It was Ashley.
"What do you want?" he asked, before he could stop himself.
"Me?!" Ashley was getting mad all over again. "What do I want? You called me!"
"I…ah…I wanted a chance to explain myself. Ash, you wouldn't listen to me in the cafeteria." Craig replied, feeling his panic rising again.
Ashley paused. "That's true. Do you want to come over? But only for a second! Just long enough to tell me what the heck is going on."
Craig felt relieved. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute."
"Then you have to leave though!"
"Okay!"
Craig ran a hand through his unruly curls, and shifted the guitar case on his shoulder. He had brought it with him in hopes that Ashley would forgive him enough to work on their song together. He rang the doorbell with high expectations.
But his high expectations were shattered when Ashley opened the door. There, plastered on her face, was an expression that was forlorn and angry at the same time. Craig thought he must really have hurt her, and it puzzled him because he didn't think it was that major of a problem. I didn't sleep with Manny, he thought to himself, I just accidentally invited her to my house.
Ashley stood with her arms folded over her chest. She didn't even invite Craig to come inside. "Well?" she asked coldly.
Craig looked at her strangely. "Well, Ashley, it was an accident. I was going to invite you, and I was trying to tell her that. She, well…"
"Go on," Ashley prompted him.
Craig sighed and threw his hands up. "She took it the wrong way and assumed I was inviting her. She looked so happy, I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth."
Ashley softened somewhat. "I see." She cleared her throat. "So what are you going to do?"
Craig looked puzzled. "Do?"
Ashley sighed in exasperation. "Yes, Craig, do. You have to tell her the truth. Do you want me to be there?"
Craig nodded. "More than anything, Ash."
"Then you have to tell her that. Be honest, she'll understand. Everyone knows we're a couple anyway."
Ashley went back inside and shut the door, without another word, leaving Craig and his guitar to think about the conversation. He stood there a full minute, then turned and walked thoughtfully away.
"The truth, huh?" he asked himself aloud. "Yeah, like it's ever that simple!"