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Craig walked down the halls with Sean, walked by Manny and saw her smile at him. He smiled back and Sean smirked. "Manny's pretty cute," he said and Craig nodded. Then he walked by Ashley and she smiled, too. Ashley had short spiky black hair, purple lipstick, charcoal eye shadow. He'd been talking to Ashley in some of their classes together, and she was so mature. He liked that. She was different from Manny, but he liked them both. He had options.

Courage

Manny walked next to Emma, waiting to see Craig and nearly walked right into him. Could only smile when he said hi. She whined to Emma about liking him and so why didn't he ask her out? Emma looked down at Manny and told her girls can ask boys out, her mom did. Her mom asked Simpson to marry her and Manny swallowed, looked down. That didn't seem romantic to her, that didn't seem right. Craig should be asking her, like he asked her to dance. That was the correct order of the universe.

But the universe was on its head and she'd never felt this way before, she'd never wanted to so completely devour somebody like she wanted to devour him and if it meant asking him to the movies then that's what it meant. And Emma was telling her to, and how did she know? Maybe Emma was just God's messenger or the secret voice of the trees all humming together, the great beyond giving her marching orders. Ask him. So she screwed up every once of courage she had and walked over to his locker. Ashley was leaving in her black vampire dress. He had been talking to Ashley. Manny closed her eyes for a second so she could ignore that.

"Craig, I like you," she said, and then wanted to die. What was she doing? She couldn't breath. His eyes were wide and she looked at them, could see the specks of brown and green and blue. His eyes were all colors at once and she felt sick. Wished she could turn back time. Damn Emma, what did she know?

"I like you, too," he said, still looking surprised, but she thought maybe it was okay. Asked about the movies Friday night and he agreed. She squealed in happiness and then covered her mouth, felt like a child again. Told him when and where to pick her up as she walked backwards away from him, and then she spun around and ran to tell Emma.

Like step-father like son

Craig brushed his hair in front of the mirror, put on his fancy blue shirt and nice new jeans. Manny asked him out and he had to smile. She was so sweet and cute. It would be fun. Went down stairs and found Joey in the kitchen with Angela.

Joey fussed over him, fixing the collar of his shirt and he was reminded of his mother.

"So you finally asked that Ashley girl out?" Joey said, and Craig shook his head.

"No, actually, Manny asked me out," Joey frowned. He knew Manny quite well, Emma's little friend. Emma was so young but Manny acted younger and Craig just seemed older than they were. Not just by one year but by several years. He saw Manny and Emma as kids.

"Isn't she a little young for you?"

"Just by 11 months, Joey," Joey smiled because Craig was so defensive. He knew she was too young, too. Oh well let him make his own mistakes.

"Okay. Age ain't nothing but a number,"

Picture Perfect

Manny felt light headed, kept taking little shallow breaths. She could feel the make-up sitting heavy on her face. Could feel the mascara move every time she blinked. Emma was smiling at her indulgently and had helped her get ready. Manny had been watching her cautiously, finally satisfied that she was over her little crush on Craig. It wasn't really real with Emma. Emma was more in love with Sean, if she'd just admit it, which she wouldn't, she was stubborn. It was her, Manny, who was in real love with Craig. Real love, like get married love, like have kids love, like spend the rest of your life together love. Ashley was a fly in the ointment.

Knock on the door, and she saw Craig's silhouette, and she felt so deliriously happy and scared and just alive. She ran and hid while Emma answered the door and she heard his voice. Closed her eyes until Emma came and got her.

Subjective Reality

It hadn't gone well at all. Craig thought maybe Joey was right and Manny was too young. She'd talked and talked and she was so…young seeming and sounding and he didn't quite know what to do with her. She was so pretty, especially with the make-up which he liked, and dressed up a little like she was. But she had this energy that was like a child's, and she kept pulling him along and seemed to be trying to act grown-up and missing the mark. And he'd thought of what it would be like to be out with Ashley. Probably better.

She'd gone to kiss him after he'd sat down because she knocked him on the head with that ball. He knew, although he'd never really kissed any girl before, saw her eyes starting to close and the head lean and he almost closed his eyes. Almost kissed her, let her kiss him, despite the fact that he hadn't had fun and she was too immature. Then he opened his eyes and jerked his head away. He couldn't kiss her. It would be like kissing a child.

The One

If she hadn't known for sure before she knew now. Craig was the one. It had been great. The carnival. The toy he won for her. The almost kiss. She frowned. How she had wanted to kiss him, how it had almost happened. But he'd said he didn't want her to be late getting home and maybe that was all it was. Maybe he was scared to kiss her, like she was a little scared. Next time. Next time for sure.

Reckoning

He'd been avoiding her. Saw her from the corner of his eye, explained to Jimmy and Spinner how bad the date had gone. Said that she reminded him of his five year old sister, and his friends made faces of shock and disgust but it was true. She was pretty but prettiness wasn't everything. They were in different places.

Walking and talking with Ashley and he felt it with Ashley, felt that she could get him. That she wouldn't, something. Throw herself at him, look at him with that adoration that he didn't quite know what to do with. And then his locker all decorated and Manny was there and his heart just sunk, and Ashley looked at him with amused pity and said she'd see him later.

Manny was reading the writing on the wall, but she stared after Ashley and then turned to him, her face set.

"I don't want you talking to her anymore," she said, and Craig said, "But she's in my class," and Manny shook her head, dismissing that.

"You're moody again," she said, and then, "your locker, you don't like it?"

She was nearly delusional and Craig felt bad, didn't want to tell her what he had to tell her. She'd feel bad, he knew. He understood that but couldn't help it.

"It's not my locker I don't like. Manny. It's you,"