Chapter 35 Walking On Sunshine

This was the first time Craig had woken up extremely early. His nerves had been killing him the night before, he knew he only had a couple of days before Kevin or one his cronies would call asking for the final addition of the great song that would put his movie and Craig on the fast track to stardom. What would Kevin do if he didn't have a song?Craig knew he wouldn't be terribly angry but just a little disappointed, Craig promised the song would be ready at the end of the summer and it was ending in only a couple of weeks. True, he could ask for an extension but three months was more then enough time to write a song he could've written a whole soundtrack in that amount of time and even more if he was off his me- but he wasn't going to get off it especially with Jimmy breathing down his throat plus daily text message remainders sent by Joey he had no choice but to take his meds even though he needed the boos-no he wouldn't think that, he had to take his medication.

The weather was nice as usual when he woke up and looked out of the large oval shaped window in his room. The birds were chirping cheerfully, the sun was shining and the manicured grass looked lush and green. "Maybe I should go for a walk, later on." Craig thought. The day was so perfect and he wanted to be apart of it, he spent so much time in the music room he didn't even get a chance to enjoy his vacation and it would've been quite boring if Jenny wasn't there with him coaching and encouraging him whenever he felt down.

"I wonder where she is?" Craig mumbled. He looked at his watch and knew she was probably still sleeping it was pretty early barely eight o'clock. Craig looked out the window for a few more minutes and just as he was going to get up and start his day he noticed someone was tip-toeing softly in the grass. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things but noticed there was someone,a girl to be precise,tip-toeing in the grass and holding hot pinks heels in her hand. "Jenny." Craig whispered softly. "She's never up this early." Craig thought. But there she was tip-toeing and then when she realized the coast was clear she walked a little faster until she had reached her destination, the pool-house. "I wonder why she would go in there," He said out loud to himself. Craig wanted so badly to follow her but thought it would make him look suspicious not to mention he had major morning breath and b.o. that wouldn't be the way he wanted to greet a girl, even if they were only friends, it would still be quite offensive.

It took Craig a couple of minutes to find a pile of fresh towels were laid out for him on the stand by the pullout bed. Craig pushed the bed back into the treble shaped couch and folded the comforter neatly on the side of the bed, he picked up the towels and went into the bathroom. After taking a very long relaxing hot shower and blow drying his hair he wrapped a towel around his hips and opened up the bathroom door. He couldn't believe he had forgotten to close the door last night but he must have forgotten when he went downstairs to get a glass of water during his many interruptions while sleeping last night, he slowly closed the door and grabbed his clothes on the table by the bathroom. He was grateful he had ironed and laid out his clothes last night because he wanted to have enough time to enjoy the morning before the rest of the gang woke up he needed a couple of minutes of peace and quiet and if he met up with Jenny while on his walk it would be even better maybe she would give him some tips or they could take a quick stroll along the beach. The more he thought about it the more romantic it seemed he hoped Jenny wouldn't take it that way he liked her but he didn't like like her well he at least he hoped he didn't and he knew the feeling was mutual for Jenny not to mention he never officially broken up with Ashley sure most people would have given up and thought what she did was a breakup but there relationship wasn't like most people he needed to hear it from her that they were officially ov-. Craig stopped his thought in mid-sentence they weren't over he knew they weren't Ash just needed sometime alone and school was starting soon so she would return soon and things would go back to normal it would be like she never left.

Craig threw his clothes on a chair by his bed, he pulled out his meds which were in his bag next to the chair, laid it on top of his clothes and just as he was going to take off his towel and change he noticed that he wasn't alone. "What the-" Craig thought. "Manny." He whispered softly so he wouldn't disturb her while she was sleeping soundly on the couch,the large quilted comforter draped lazily around her. Craig didn't know if he should leave or stay or none of the above. Just as he was going to grab his clothes,hide his meds and tip toe slowly to the bathroom, he realized he was wearing nothing but a towel and suddenly wanted to hightail it out of there that's when Manny moaned softly before opening her eyes and realizing who was staring at her.

"Wake up." Jenny banged on a pot with a wooden spoon she had picked up in the kitchen.

"What the." Spinner jumped up out of the soft pallet he had made on the couch. "Jenny are you insane?"

"I was just trying to give you guys a wake up call."

"Why couldn't you just call us; it would've been more convenient not to mention not as noisy." Spinner dug in his ear.

"I tried to call you guys twice but someone turned the volume down on the receiver, I just checked, not to mention you turned your cell off."

"Oh." Spinner uttered.

"You're up now." Jenny walked into the kitchen,opened up the cupboard and pulled out a dog food can and opened it with the electric can opener and just like magic Jefferson appeared in the living room and licked his lips ready for his breakfast. "Jefferson needs his breakfast." Jenny put dog food in a bowel and laid it on the floor. "So, where's your other half?" Jenny smiled.

"Probably sleeping, I don't think he heard your alarm, his doors closed"

"Speak of the devil." Jenny replied as Jay lazily walked into the living room.

"What's all that noise?" Jay asked.

"Wake up call." Jenny held up the pot and wooden spoon.

"I thought I heard the can opener. Are you cooking breakfast?" Jay ran into the kitchen and froze when he saw Jefferson finishing the last of his breakfast before looking up and growling fiercely."What's Kujo doing here?"

"He's taking over for you guys." Jenny bent down and rubbed his head and noticed Jay was still frozen in place, his muscles tensing more and more by the moment.

"Can you call him off," Jay mumbled.

"Don't worry, he won't attack, unless I order him too." Jenny gently patted Jefferson on the tummy. Jefferson licked Jenny's face happily before lapping the water bowel Jenny had sat down near his empty food bowel.

Jay walked back-wards, slowly, until he was out of Jefferson's eyesight. "Why are you here so early?"

"Don't tell me you forgot already?" Jenny put her hand on her hips.

"What are you.." Spinner paused before remembering. "Ohhh, I completely forgot but I thought you said we didn't have to leave until later."

"You do, but I wanted to make sure you guys were dressed, you have to be out of here before the gang is up, I need you two to go into town, you have to help me, remember."

"Yeah, yeah we'll help you." Jay replied. "But at least give us a chance to take a shower. Jenny you forgot to turn on the a/c last night I was sweating like a pig and..." Jay sniffed under his arms. "..I smell like one too I'm not use to leaving the house reeking of b.o like Spin over here."

"Shut up." Spin replied.

"Okay, make it quick, you guys don't have time to argue, hurry up." Jenny said before taking off her heels putting them in her right hand and closing the door before opening it up again, putting her fingers in her mouth and blowing the loudest whistle they had ever heard. Jefferson jumped up from his water bowel and galloped to Jenny. "I'll put Jefferson back in his dog house until you guys are ready to leave and make it snappy." Jenny closed the door.

"I'm going first." Jay picked up some fresh towels on the kitchen counter and walked towards the bathroom. "Spin, This may take a while because of the do." Jay pointed at his hear."Why don't you go out back and freshen up, I think there's a hose out there." He closed the bathroom door behind him.

"Very funny." Spinner mumbled. He knew that Jay took more time then most people in the shower and there was no way he was going to use the hose. Spin sniffed himself and nearly gagged. "I can't go out smelling like this, what if I meet a girl not to mention Jenny would nearly vomit after smelling me." Just then Spinner got the brightest idea he knew a place where he could take a shower and he also knew no one would notice him. He grabbed a pile of towels, pulled out an outfit stuffed in his bag and tucked it underneath his arm. Spinner glanced at the clock on the wall and knew he had just enough time to go there, take a shower and leave without anyone being the wiser.

"Craig." Manny moaned softly she smiled sweetly before realizing that she wasn't in her bedroom in fact she wasn't on a bed at all. "Oh my God." Manny jumped up from the couch quickly so fast she almost tripped over a comforter she hadn't a clue where it came from and Craig who nearly had enough time to move out of her way before being knocked down in the process. She kicked the comforter from underneath her feet, paced around and tried to explain although it was hard for Craig to comprehend, Manny was talking a hundred miles a minute.

"I didn't know this was your room so don't think I...I thought it was a rec room you know for like receration...I mean I didn't know this was your bedroom it didn't look like a bedroom it looked like a rec room you know for like rec- ..wait I already said that...I uh. I hope your not really mad and about the comforter did you put that on me or did someone else but who?...I should just leave now you can go back to whatever you were-" Manny paused and saw that Craig was barely dressed. "Oh my god, I'm sooo sorry." Manny turned around and covered the side of her face with her hands to assure Craig she wouldn't take a peek out of her peripheral vision.

Craig paused for a minute he wasn't sure if Manny wasn't finishing talking and he didn't want to disturb her.

"I'm really sorry about this I was soo tired and I oh my god..." Manny said with her hands still covering her face.

Craig smiled while Manny rambled on and just as he was going to tell Manny it was okay and that she didn't have to apologize he realized why she was doing it he didn't have any clothes on unless a towel could be considered clothing. Craig quickly grabbed his clothes and rushed into the bathroom.

"You know this is kinda of funny in a way don't you think Craig..Craig?" Manny turned around and realized she was talking to herself and Craig had probably left minuets ago. "Maybe I should go," Manny mumbled to herself. She picked up the comforter folded it and put it on top of the couch and just as she was about to leave and get dressed herself she heard loud ringing coming from underneath the couch. "What's that?" Manny bent down on the floor and looked underneath the couch until she found what was making that noise. She slowly pulled out a cell phone and if the phone knew she wasn't the owner the ringing stopped. "I wonder who it was?" Manny thought and even though she knew it was wrong her curiosity got the better of her and she took a quick small peek.

"Hey, you're still here." Craig exclaimed he was surprised that Manny was still in his room and even more surprised that she was bending on the floor by the couch. "Is there anything interesting underneath there?"

"Oh," Manny stood up quickly. "I wanted to clean up before I left and I heard ringing underneath your bed and I found this." Manny held up the cell phone before giving it to Craig.

"It was probably my alarm clock on my cell or Joey leaving a message I hope it didn't startle you?"

"No, not really." Manny replied and after that there was a long stretch of silence before Manny spoke. "We'll I better go you might want to-"

Manny didn't finish her sentence because Craig was staring at his cell phone with the most shocked expression she had ever seen on him.

"She called," Craig said before he repeating himself even louder. "She called, Ash called!"

"Yeah, that's great" Manny mumbled.

"I can't believe she called and I...I missed it. Oh man if only I weren't in the bathroom changing I should've been out here if only I were out-" Craig paused and looked at Manny who felt very uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry if I would've found your cell sooner I could have given it to you and..."

"You don't have to apologize." Craig interrupted. "It's not your fault I should've kept my cell in a better place and.."

"We'll maybe she left a message."

"You know what," Craig flipped his cell on. "That's not a bad idea." He dialed his voice mail and smiled she had left message. Craig listened to the message but could only hear static and could make out one sentence before the message ended "I have to tell you something but not on the phone I'm going to.."

"We'll what did she say?"

"I couldn't make it out there was too much static."

"Call her back that's probably what she wants you to do."

"You're right." Craig smiled and dialed her number which was pretty easy since it was on speed dial. He put his ear to the receiver but the phone went dead. "Oh shoot it forgot to charge it last night."

"Oh,"

"But you know what." Craig put his cell down and opened up the door. "Maybe I can find Jenny and ask her if I could use her phone." Craig ran out quickly

"OK," Manny mumbled. This had been one weird morning and she still wasn't even dressed. She walked outside of the room and saw something near the bathroom a brown bottle with what looked like the Ibuprofens her mom took when she got a headache, she wondered if Craig was getting migraines or something from the stress.Manny picked it up and wanted to read the writing on the front to see what it was, "One little peek won't hurt" She thought but she didn't want to invade Craig's privacy any more it was bad enough she already slept in his bedroom, saw him half dressed although she didn't try to look, and peeked at his cell to see who called, peeking at the bottle to see what is was, was going overboard. She put the bottle on a nearby table and walked out of the room praying that Paige wasn't sleeping in her bedroom, she wasn't in the mood to be bothered with her.