VI. Honeymoon Song

Never knew that a day
like today lay before us.
I've got the sun in my heart
and my heart's in the sun.
Skies are as bright
as your eyes,
the horizon is open.
Love is the ceiling,
feelings are reelings
free as the air.
Forever on and forever,
forever on side by side.
who ever knew that we two
could be free as we'd fancy,
fancy is free
but are we bound
to each other by love,
to each other by love?
Who ever knew that we two
could be free as we'd fancy,
fancy is free
but are we bound
to each other by love,
to each other by love,
to each other by love,
to each other by love?

A pom-pom whirls past my head as I take my seat, and flip open my notepad. I can't believe I offered to cover the last sporting activity of the year. There were so many other good assignments: what seniors were planning to do after school, the blood drive, the annual interview with Ms. Hatzilakos. But no, I was surrounded by peppy teens in short skirts and athletic gear. We were celebrating the softball team's championship win over Bardell. The only person I knew on the team was Spinner, and he wasn't that good.

I was still reeling from my conversation with Ellie in a good way, and from my conversation with Mom in a bad way. Secretly hoping Craig would still call yesterday, I stayed up until about midnight just staring at my phone. A couple of times, I thought about calling myself, but I didn't even know where to begin. I think I heard Toby talking on the phone through the wall. I can't believe his love life is progressing faster than mine. It's so annoying.

Emma walks up the bleachers and hands me a camera.

"Peter needs it back before semi-formal," she says.

"Thanks," I say.

"You might want to snap some pics when the cheerleaders first come on," whispers Emma with a smile.

"Why?" I ask.

"Let's just say there may be a surprise in the works," answers Emma, pointing to Joey and Caitlin.

"What are they doing here?" I say.

Emma's gone before I finish my question. My notepad is so empty. I should be writing people who I can interview, or what the gym, decked out in blue and gold streamers and balloons, looks like. Some journalist I was going to be.

I feel a warm pair of hands cover my eyes, hands I've felt before. Immediately, I place the feeling. It was before the hotel room opened and I saw the rose petals on the floor. With my luck, it's probably Toby covering my eyes so J.T. can slip ice down my shirt.

"Avert your eyes from the peppiness," says the voice I was hoping for.

"I'm pretending it's a Tori Amos concert," I say, hopefully not showing that I'm too thrilled. "Or Evanescence."

"In which case, I'd vomit," jokes Craig, taking a seat beside me.

My heart keeps beating faster, so fast I'm afraid Craig will notice. He's still the most attractive guy I've ever seen in a leather jacket, and the only guy that can make a goofy grin hot. But he's no pin-up. Sometimes his hair is askew, and his pants are ruffled, but I can't help but love those little things. He can't really dance that well, but I don't mind. He has the weirdest taste in food, like gravy on fries and mayonnaise mixed in with macaroni, but he looks so happy eating them, you'd swear it was the best food invented. He doesn't like every band I like, but he would still listen to them and tell me why he didn't think they were all that.

"Ha ha," I say, sarcastically.

"I called you," he says, casually smiling.

"Yeah...Mom interference," I say, turning a deep shade of red I'm sure.

"Ah, Kate Kerwin, my biggest cheerleader," says Craig, nodding. "If I got her some pom-poms, do you think she'd do a cheer for me like Paige did for Kevin Smith?"

I laugh. "Paige told me it stank, so yeah, my mom would definitely do a bad cheer for you."

"Good to know," says Craig. "Well, if it's any consolation, she was just confused on the phone, not rude at all."

"She's confused about a lot of things..."

Craig gives me a look, but pretty much gets that I won't say anything else.

"Why are you here?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"I think you're about to find out," hints Craig, grinning widely at me.

I grin back, but then turn to see the cheerleaders jogging, whooping, and getting the audience in a frenzy. Manny leads the pack, doing three cartwheels in succession. I cast a quick look at Toby, who looks utterly entranced, as if she were the missing microchip in his computer. Gross. Darcy and the other cheerleaders do simultaneous kicks and hand springs, as Danny, the mascot this year, clicks on a stereo.

For goodness sake, I got the hippy happy shakes. For goodness sake, I got the hippy hippy shakes...

The girls dance around for a bit, shimmying, boogeying, whatever it is they do. I don't know the terms. Manny shimmies the hardest, while they all turn to Joey and Caitlin, laughing and clapping happily while they perform.

"Beatles," identifies Craig. "It's Caitlin's guilty pleasure song. It took me forever to get that info out of her."

"Awww," I say, and snap a couple pics.

The lens totally captures their happiness. I can't believe all they've been through, some of which I don't even know. I only know what Craig told me, that he cheated on her, that Caitlin needed to find herself in L.A., that when they met again, there were only tears and smiles, not anger. Now, I see Joey hugging her from behind, and know they've conquered so much, no matter what anyone said or thought.

Danny shuts off the stereo and Manny takes center stage.

"One...two...three...four," yells Manny.

She's followed by a boisterous cheer and some more shimmying:

He sponsored our sports teams, she brought a movie here,

And we just want you all to lend us your ears,

To let you know that if there's a fairytale that's in the makin',

It'd be Degrassi's definition of true love, Joey and Caitlin!

They end with a loud "Wooo!" and lots of jumping around, high kicking everywhere. Toby stands up and applauds, then yanks up J.T. so he can applaud too. Manny flashes Toby a smile, while the other cheerleaders go over and receive hugs from Caitlin. Craig gives me a smile, and I stare down at my shoes, turning more red.

Ms. Hatzilakos stands behind a microphone and hushes the cheering crowd.

"I personally want to wish Mr. Jeremiah and his bride-to-be my sincerest best wishes," she says. "And a round of congratulations to Mr. Simpson, Emma Nelson, student body president, and Manny Santos, captain of the Spirit Squad, for pulling that off without my knowledge."

Emma gives Manny a high five as the audience laughs.

"Well, I'm all for celebrations, and I'm extremely excited that our own Degrassi varsity softball team, the champion Panthers...," begins Ms. Hatzilakos.

She's interrupted by thunderous applause and lots of shouting. I decide to tune her out and finally get the courage to look at Craig.

"You do know I want us to talk, right?" I say.

Craig nods. "I want to talk to...but of course, you knew that...sorry."

"So let's pick a time and a place," I say. "I mean, you can."

"Oh! Ummm...today? After the rally?"

I nod excitedly. "Today."

"You know where they're going for their honeymoon?" asks Craig.

"No...where?"

"Europe. They're doing a two-week tour."

"Wow. Well, I know some decent hotels in London."

"Hotels? I thought that was our thing."

My mouth drops open, and he winks.

"I better start writing," I say, and I know my face has reached its full redness.

Craig pats my knee and makes his way down the bleachers. I wish we had talked right then, but it was so loud and crowded. I just wanted to be with him in a quiet room, to hear everything and collect my thoughts. I jot down a few notes, not really thinking about how the article will turn out. Who cares? My heart does a silent cheer as tons of strands of blue ribbon fly over our heads across the gym.