AUTHORS NOTE: Omg! Hey everyone! It's been a while. I've been taking a lot of time to draw more inspiration for this storyline by reading the stories of others and watching a lot of awesome DTNG reruns at 4am. Please read and review.

This chapter is kind of 'blah' to me, but things will be taking a really interesting turn in the upcomings…

I don't own Degrassi, just…yeah, you know the drill.

"So Craig, how is your band doing?" a coworker of Caitlin's asked, pretending to be interested as he smiled robotically and nodded his head.

"It's going pretty good, we just…" he said, until the man walked away, waving to some blonde bombshell making a grand entrance into the garden. I hate having to wear a tuxedo. Only Joey and Caitlin's engagement party could call for black-and white. Oh my…is that Barbra Walters? Craig thought, itching his collar. Hmm. Where's Callie? Craig glanced around the room for Callie, who was standing by a large marble fountain covered in white Christmas lights. She looks so gorgeous, he thought. Callie was standing cherubically beneath the fountain, and her dirty blonde hair was hanging off her shoulders unevenly and curly. She brushed her hand down her long, white strapless dress, while the crystals on her gown reflected off her eyes and into the water.

Wow.

Callie sat on the edge of the marble fountain, staring into the icy blue water. Alright, so I'm at the most boring party known to man. I can't pronounce any of the food, the music is putting me to sleep, and these earrings are killing me. And to top it all off, there's no one here for me to hang out with. I don't want to hang out with Craig, because we'll just end up fooling around behind a tree somewhere. That and the fact that he has his new piece of meat, Emma. But I really don't feel like hanging out with him. I still don't know what to think about him.

But, oh gosh, he's coming this way. He looks so good, as always.

"Hey gorgeous," Craig said, smiling at Callie and putting his hands in his pockets. He leaned against the vine-covered wall next to the fountain, with his untucked shirt hanging out in a very James Dean kind of way.

"Hi," She said, looking back at him. Just let it slide…the whole Emma thing. I'm sure it was nothing. Just don't worry about it.

"That girl last night was Emma. We were just talking. She has a lot on her mind. I don't think things are so great for her right now," he said, digging his hands deeper into his pockets.

"I can't stay mad at you," she said, lying. Callie wasn't mad, just suspicious. She tried to smile through it, and looked at him calmly.

Manny used to give me that look, like that whole day she lied to me about being pregnant. Scary stuff.

"Are you just as bored as I am?"

"Yep." Callie softly spoke, skidding her fingernail across the water.

"I'm sorry. But I had a feeling that any party thrown by Caitlin would be fancy, boring, and swarming with people from TV," he said, studying the people around him.

"Would either of you two like an hors d'oeuvre?" A tall, lanky waiter then interrupted, holding a tray of cheese in front of them, garnished with spinach.

"Yeah, I'll take one," Craig said, taking a piece of mozzarella.

"And you, miss?" The waiter said, waving the tray beneath Callie's nose.

"No thank you." She said, as the waiter walked away.

"Cal, what have you ate tonight?" Craig asked curiously with his deep brown eyes.

"Enough. Don't worry. Thank you though." She replied, letting out a gentle expression, and lifting her fingers out of the water. Craig than nudged his head very casually, signaling her over to him. She slipped her white ballet flats back onto her feet, and stood up, next to Craig against the vine covered wall. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, resting his head on top of hers. Callie bit her lip with nervousness. Whenever Craig held her, things always felt perfect in a purely chaotic world. But things didn't feel to right in this particular moment – the thought of him being downstairs with another girl the previous night made her cringe. It was nothing. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You're just 'wrong place Callie'. Craig bent his head down and kissed her, smiling. But it didn't feel right to Callie. Usually, whenever they kiss in public, all the sound around her becomes inaudible, and she's swept away in a Disney storybook. But this was different. All Callie could concentrate on was the wind gusting her hair, and the sounds of people talking about why Carson Daly really got fired from MTV – something was truly less magical than usual. So instead of letting him drag it out like she normally does, she gently pulled her lips away.

"What's wrong?" Craig asked quietly.

"Nothing." Liar, she thought, as she put her head on his shoulder and looked up at him.

"Callie, CALLIE! Have you met Evie?" Caitlin said, randomly popping up and dragging a gorgeous girl into Callie's view.

"No, I haven't." Callie said politely. She brushed her head up Craig's lower shoulder, noticing he was stunned at the attractive girl in front of them. She was a little shorter than Callie with long, dark brown hair and mysterious brown eyes. Callie pretended to fall back and stepped on Craig's foot fiercely.

"Oh, sorry honey." She said, pouting her lips, and throwing herself out of his grip.

Ow.

"Callie, this is Evie Campfield, Tomas' daughter. I thought you two would be absolutely perfect for each other!" Caitlin said. "Evie here has…Richard! Richard!" Caitlin shouted, waving her glass in the air and running towards a white tent, leaving Evie standing alone.

"Hi! I'm Callie," Callie said, extending her hand and smiling.

"Charmed blondie, I'm sure," Evie shot back with snootiness. She folded her arms into her chest and rolled her eyes.

"Well aren't you just a breath of fresh air." Callie muttered, staring at her coldly.

"Whatever. You and your swell little preppy boy here just look like you're having a peachy keane time, so I'll just leave," She said, walking away.

Callie followed slightly behind.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To a real party. Call me if you ever want to hang out with some real people, Blondie."

Charming. Just charming.

The rest of the night rolled on endlessly – time stretched longer by the second, and with every hand that ticked past the clock the night grew more mind numbing and dull. Callie and Craig were now sitting on the step outside the backdoor, romantically next to a dumpster. Callie's shoes were slid off and Craig's tie was undone, as they both stared up at the starry sky. Callie tilted her head up to the bright oblivion.

"Its so beautiful," she muttered.

Even though we're right next to a gigantic trash can.

"Yeah, like you." He said, trying to lean into kiss her. Callie let him kiss her for a moment, and he pushed his fingers through her silky hair.

She pulled away.

"Do you think we can go like five minutes without you putting your hands all over me?" He doesn't honestly think I'm going to forget about Emma that easily, does he? We kissed before, but he's not getting away with the same crime twice.

"Excuse me?" He said, appalled.

"Don't you have all these other chicks at your beck and call for that?" Callie shot back, secretly referring to Emma, and even in a sense, Manny.

Is she PMSing?
"That's ridiculous! Cal, I love you – what the hell? You're kind of my girlfriend, remember? You sure didn't mind a few days ago." He said, rising up from the concrete step and walking into the parking lot.

Hold up. This isn't right, HE should be chasing after ME.

"Craig! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Craig shook his head out, and bit his lip, turning around.

"You're so cold, you know that?"

"What?" she said, walking towards him.

"You have this CRAZY idea that no one can be trusted – we're not all like Sean. Or your step dad. Manny even. I thought that by now you would have figured out THAT I'M NOT LIKE THAT CALLIE! I love you! But you're so god damn cold that you won't let anybody 'in'."

Oh my god, that was so random. Why is he blowing up at me? Is it so wrong that I won't make out with him for like a second because my lips are chapped and have a permanent indentation in them? That permanent indentation kind of gets to you after while. Whenever we get…ahem…lost in the moment…he always nibbles on my lip. But that's beside the point.

"Oh what tough guy, and you're not cold either?"

"No, I'm not."

"Please. Craig, I saw you with my own eyes throw a table across a room and shatter into a million pieces. Jimmy told me how badly you flipped out at," Callie hesitated. "Your party. You're just like me, if not worse. Just go run back to Emma. I'm sure she'd be THRILLED to make out with you."

"Whatever."

"Whatever? No Craig, wrong. Wrong again. You're a man whore!"

"Callie, I don't understand you at all – where is all this coming from…man whore? What? I am not!" He said, confused and angry.

"Craig, you got a girl pregnant last year!" She screamed. "And then, you went back to THE SAME GIRL and got all up on her at YOUR OWN PARTY. I don't know what to think of you anymore," Callie said as Craig walked away.

"Excuse me?" He shouted back, whirling around. "You don't know what to think of me? Of me? Please. Just please Call!" He said, running up to her and grabbing her by the arms. "I pour my heart out to you, put my life on the line to fucking run away with you, and this is how you repay me? By fighting with me? God Callie you have some serious mental issues. What is your…" he trailed, until Joey bursted through the door.

Callie looked at Craig with no feeling. Just a look in her eye that was on the brink of tears and toughness. She wanted him to not be doing this right now – it really, really hurt. She could feel red bruises scarring into her bone. Being such a small weight since she last got diagnosed with an eating disorder, her two arms accounted for a lot of her body. Callie could barely breathe as Craig squeezed her. So very slowly, she raised her eyebrow up and down resiliently. He was really, truly angry, and gripping her arms tightly, showing it. She didn't want to cry, apologize, or struggle to let go. She just let him let it out, and stared at him and his enraged face.

"CRAIG!" Joey said, running over to him and pulling him off of Callie, who stumbled back a little bit, relieved. Joey grabbed him by the arm, and threw him back.

"Joey! You're hurting me!" Craig said, trying to get out of Joey's hold.

"Oh and like you weren't hurting her?" He said, pushing him back. "Chill dude, chill. I heard some screaming from the bathroom, I thought somebody was…Craig, calm down!" Joey pushed Craig away, and turned his head to Callie.

"Callie, Caitlin will take you back to the house. She's," Joey said, pushing harder on Craig as he tried to free himself, "Over in the front, by the guest tables."

Callie looked at both of them strongly. Don't let him see he got to you.

"Thanks Joey."

She walked inside, and Joey heaved Craig against the wall.

"Dude, what were you thinking? Throwing your girlfriend around like that? What's your problem?" Joey asked, his scream echoing around the parking lot and through the night.

"My problem? MY PROBLEM? She thinks I'm cheating on her, Joey. Can you believe her? When she's the slut who…" Than at that moment, Craig was slapped. Hard.

"You do not treat any girl like that, EVER. Do you hear me?" And suddenly, things came into perspective. Craig looked at his red, throbbing hands and realized what he just did.

"I don't want you under my roof tonight. You're going to Marco's."