Chapter Seven: I Can Blame it On You

"Damn it!" Craig yelled, throwing his red plastic cup on the floor, not thinking about the fact that he was wasting perfectly good alcohol.

"Whoa. What's up with you Manning? Finally lost it?" Claire joked, sitting down next to him. "You know, I never pegged you for a lunatic, but that's cool. Lunatics can be sexy." She whispered as Craig looked at her confused. He could not figure this girl out. She was so wishy-washy, ever-changing, and—

"Did you chase Ash away for good?" She asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"Yeah."

"Oh. Too bad." Claire gave him fake sympathy. "Jimmy told me about how hard you guys have been trying to make it work."

"Yeah, but she just doesn't trust me at all. It's not like she didn't make the same mistake with someone else." Craig sighed as Claire leaned in towards him, whispering, "Do you want to go upstairs?"

"What?" Craig almost shouted, unable to believe what was happening.

"We don't have to do anything. I mean, I'm not even planning on it. I just can't … think out here." She covered, realizing that she might have just lost her chance at the hottest guy in Degrassi.

"Yeah. I'll be there in a little bit." Craig responded as Claire smiled, satisfied, and he looked behind them and towards the window. He could've sworn that he had seen something moving … or maybe it was someone. Craig shrugged and turned around. He had a serious issue to debate.

"I thought she would never leave." Manny said, feeling uneasy about standing outside of a party that she wasn't invited to. Everyone in there hated her anyway.

"Yeah, well, I'm about to do something great for you." Stephanie informed her. "Psst! Craig!" Stephanie tapped on the window, trying to get Craig's attention.

"Steph, what the hell are you doing?" Manny questioned, embarrassed.

"I'm getting his attention for you." Stephanie turned back to the window. "Whoo-hoo! Come on boy!" She started calling him like dog.

"You are so weird." Manny shook her head in disbelief.

"But he's coming, is he not?" Stephanie wondered as Craig turned around suddenly. "GOOD BOY!" She continued, ducking out of the way and sneaking off before Manny could even realize that her presence was no longer there. Manny herself, was too busy watching Craig, how unsure and alone he looked … exactly the way that she had been feeling a lot lately.

"What? He is coming? How do I look?" Manny wondered, but Stephanie had already disappeared.

"Manny? Is that you?" Craig asked through the glass.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you come in?"

"I wasn't invited." She explained, wondering why she ever let Stephanie talk her into this.

"You're crashing?" Craig smiled.

"Something like that but … I don't want to come in …"

"Oh. Do you want me to come out there and sneak you in?" Manny nodded nervously unable to believe that one half-way decent conversation between the two of them and she was ready to fall to pieces all over again.

"Will you?" Craig rushed out the front door, unable to believe his luck. The one girl that he had been thinking about all night, next to Claire, was outside waiting for him.

"So … you want to come in?" Craig asked, after finding Manny sitting on the outside porch.

"I don't know if I can."

"Yeah, it's cool." Craig pointed towards the door.

"Maybe you should go back in, I mean I think I've stolen you away for long enough." Manny explained even though they'd barely talked for two minutes.

"Why don't we go for a walk instead?" She nodded in agreement.

"So, how's Ange?" Manny wondered, trying to keep this conversation as platonic as possible. In reality, all she wanted to do was fall to pieces in his arms, but she was just ready to clear the air and get rid of her 'slut' image.

"She's doing really good." Craig answered as Manny nodded. "She um, misses you." He added quietly.

"No. She just misses me bringing my little sister around." Manny responded as the conversation because more and more calm and relaxed. It felt so … natural and she liked it this way. "So, what else is going--" Manny was cut off by the ringing of Craig's phone. He, himself had been so into what she was saying, noticing how beautiful she looked tonight. She was beautiful all the time, in his eyes, but to say so would sound like a line and they were beyond that.

"Aren't you going to get that?" She wondered as he snapped out of his trance.

"Yeah." Craig sighed. It was Ashley. "Hey babe." He answered, trying to keep his voice low. "You know I'm sorry about tonight." Craig continued as Manny inched away, feeling more and more out of place, being caught in a situation where she was coming between two people that evidently loved one another.

(A/N: Let's start reviewing so that I can get some feedback and write better chapters … then finish sooner! Let me know what you want to happen. –NL)