Craig sat there nervously, “Ellie, would you like to go out to a movie?” He just sat there in silence for a few minutes. Banging his head on his steering wheel, “No…no that sounds all wrong.” To him it just didn’t sound right, he felt like this needed to be perfect.

He was finally going to take Joey’s advice and just go for it. He wanted someone who understood him, every part of him. He truly believed that that someone was Ellie.

Craig spotted Ellie as he got out of his car in front of Degrassi. That’s when it hit him, what if she didn’t feel the same way he did, that she only wanted to be friends. Maybe she still had feelings for Sean or even for someone else. He couldn’t take the rejection right now; perhaps he should just rethink the whole thing.

“Hey Craig,” she said as she walked over to him. Her smile shone brighter as she looked at him. He always seemed to be able to do that to her lately. She could be having a bad day but when he came around, he made everything seem so much better.

“Hey Ellie, how’s it going?” The way she smiled at him made him weak in the knees. She just had that type of an effect on him, since they started becoming friends.

“I’m good, a little tired though,” she said as she began to yawn.

“Why’s that?” putting his arm around her as they strolled down the path.

“Marco talked to me about his trip to Africa until almost 1am. I tried hinting many times that I needed to go, but he didn’t listen. Then when I actually got to bed, I had too much on my mind to sleep. Therefore, by the time I got to sleep it was past 2am.”

“What were you thinking about?” he asked. Could it have been about me, he thought, but then he thought that there was no reason that she would. Who would want him when he was crazy?

“Just things that have been going on in my life,” trying to avoid eye contact.

“Anything you would like to share?” he nudged her. He was curious to know what she had her thinking non-stop.

A little unsure if she would, grinning slightly, “No I don’t think so.”

Liberty walked down the hall towards JT who was standing with Toby talking; she put on a fake smile as she got near.

“Hey sweetie,” JT said. He leaned in to give her a peck on the lips, but she just turned her head, and he ended up getting her cheek instead. “What’s the matter?”

“We need to talk,” she said softly, not making any eye contact with him. She couldn’t look at him or she might cry.

“So talk,” not thinking that it could be too serious.

“No not here, somewhere in private,” she didn’t want to do this in public, where fellow students could hear.

JT followed her into the empty classroom across the way. She shut the door behind them. He was beginning to think something was awfully wron;, he didn’t like what he was feeling in his gut.

They stood there in silence; Liberty didn’t know where to begin. She didn’t even want to tell him, but she had no choice.

JT couldn’t take it any longer, “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

“JT…I don’t know how to say this…but I’m…moving,” allowing her breath to finally escape her body.

A frown replaced the smile that he once had on his face. He was in shock, “What! Why?”

Looking to the ground before looking back at him, “My dad took an offer in BC, so we’re moving …tomorrow.”

“Why so soon?” If he just found out, should they not give him more of a notice?

She was hoping to avoid this question. How could she tell him? “Um…I’ve known for a few months now.” She just stared at the ground in shame.

“Yet you didn’t have the decency to tell me,” his voice began to rise. He couldn’t believe she had kept this for this long.

“I’m sorry,” she said as tears began to dampen her face.

“Sorry…do my feelings not count in this?” he was outraged, hurt, he couldn’t control his emotions anymore.

“Yes they do,” she pleaded. “I just didn’t know how to tell you. And I was hoping that my dad would change his mind, and tell them he couldn’t move.”

JT couldn’t sit and listen to this; he couldn’t stand to be in the same room as her. “Whatever, if you loved me you would have thought of me.” He opened up the door and stormed out, not allowing any time for Liberty to respond.

******

Marco walked up behind Craig as he stood at his locker emptying his stuff from his backpack into it.

“So did you ask her?” Marci asked, curious to know if he backed out of it. He really hoped that Craig didn’t because he seen the difference that Craig had made in Ellie’s life. He’d never seen her this happy, not even with Sean.

“Ask who what?” trying to avoid answering it. He didn’t feel like telling Marco that he had chickened out of it.

“Oh come on I know you know who I’m talking about.”

Taking a deep breath, “No,” pausing as he noticed Marco’s disappointed face, “don’t look at me like that.”

“Come on man, stop stalling…ask her.” If it was Manny or Ashley he liked he would have gone for it by now, why was he waiting with Ellie?

“But what if she says no,” making more excuses, not letting out the real reason.

“Oh come on, I saw you two together after school yesterday…you practically have your own language.”

“I just don’t know.”

“Arh…you are utterly impossible,” he said, taking off in a huff. What was he so afraid of?

As Craig took the last notebook out of his backpack, something slipped from between the pages onto the ground. He leaned down to pick it up; he just sat there staring at it for a moment. It was a photo of Ellie and him at the water park, the day they had taken Angie. While he was spinning Ellie around, Angie grabbed his camera, and took a photo of it.

He traced Ellie’s face with his thumb, oh how happy she looked. She had a radiant beauty that seemed to shine out. Why had he not seen it sooner?

******

JT sat in the cafeteria just staring at his food. He couldn’t believe the news. It seemed like his life was falling apart. Love just never seemed to work out with him; something always ruined it. He had fallen in love, and now it was had been torn from him. The worst part was that she hadn’t even thought of his feelings in this situation.

“So what’s got you down?” Manny asked as she sat down next to him on the bench.

“Well my life has turned into shambles,” he said sarcastically.

“Ok come on, it can’t be that bad. I mean yesterday I was rudely booted from an audition,” rolling her eyes, “I so didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

“Oh trust me, I can top that. Liberty told me today that she’s moving to BC…”

“Oh...” putting her hand to her mouth, “I’m sorry,” feeling sorry that he was going to lose her, knowing how much that he cared for her.

“Oh, but that’s not the worst part of it. She’s leaving tomorrow, and she’s known for while now.”

“Harsh…so what are you going to do?”

“Nothing…cause at this point I don’t really care what happens to her,” that really wasn’t true, but he tried to convince himself otherwise. “I’m through with girls and their crap.”

Manny was offended by that remark, and hit him, “James!”

“Well you don’t know how she could be at times,” trying to find ways to hate her.

“What do you mean?” because to her it seemed like they were happy; if he wasn’t, why stay?

“She treated me like a baby at times, not letting me make decisions for myself.”

“Then why did you stay with her?”

“I don’t know,” shaking his head. “Yes I do…I loved her, and just didn’t know how to let her go.”

“Well maybe you should talk to her.”

“Why?”

“You need closure. Plus if this is breaking your heart then imagine what it’s doing to her,” she smiled.

******

“Oh Craig where’s your lady?” Not giving him any time to respond, “Oh that’s right she left you. I guess you’re not worth her time,” Jay shouted as he past Craig in the cafeteria.

Spin felt for Craig, he really wished Jay would stop badgering his friends. It seemed like Jay really got a kick out other people’s miseries.

Craig didn’t say a word; he wouldn’t let him win even if those words hurt a lot.

“So what…you’re not going to say anything.” Noticing Ellie sitting pretty close beside him, and Craig glaring back at him, Jay said, “Well I guess this must be the real reason she left. You cheated on her again, with the lovely Ms. Nash.” To Ellie, leaning over her shoulder, “I guess I know why you want him; Sean left and broke your heart, and he was the only guy friend of yours that wasn’t gay. But I just don’t think he’s worth another heartache.”

It took all of Ellie’s strength not to hit him. Craig wasn’t like how Jay put it; he was real sweet. He’s just made a few mistakes on the way.

Spinner had heard just about enough of it. He wasn’t going to stand and watch any longer. “That’s enough,” Spin roared. “You have no right to treat them that way.”

“Why would you care; they’ve been treating you like this for months.”

“I don’t care. Why don’t you stop treating others like dirt just because that’s the way you feel.”

“You know what, I don’t need this, I’m out of here,” he said as he began to walk off. He turned around for a second, “And you can kiss our friendship good-bye.”

“Fine with me,” he hollered to him.

******

Craig had left upset, while the two had gotten into it. What Jay said was right, he wasn’t worthy of having anyone because he always messing up; maybe love wasn’t worth having; someone always ends up hurt.

“Are you okay?” Jimmy asked as he wheeled towards him.

“No…but Jay’s right, I don’t deserve any girl,” tearing down himself.

“That’s not true,” hating that he was letting a jerk like Jay get to him.

“Yes it is…I caused so much pain, that’s why I in return am getting hurt now.” He blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong in his relationships.

“Craig I know Ashley hurt you, and you hurt her, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have someone.”

“Even if that’s true, who am I going to have?” still believing that no one would want him.

“Ellie, I’ve seen the way you look at each other, you definitely have something there.”

He sighed, “Now you sound like Marco.”

“So I’m right, you do have a thing for her.”

“Yes, but I’m so afraid of getting hurt, or me even hurting her, that I just keep prolong asking her.”

“Craig my man, you need to give love a chance, otherwise you’re going to end up a very lonely guy in the end,” after that word he left Craig to think about what he said.

Craig just leaned against his locker, he knew what Jimmy was saying was right. He knew he just had to find the courage, and not let anything make him back down this time. He needed to give love a chance.

******

“Hey Liberty,” JT said as he walked up the driveway of her place, to where the last of their stuff was getting loaded in the truck.

“JT…” amazed to see him right in front of her. “I didn’t think you would come.” She was glad he did because she didn’t want their last meeting to be their last memory of each other. She had wanted to actually have a real good-bye.

“I wasn’t going to, that is until someone knocked some sense into me.”

“I’m so sorry, I never told you. I know what I did wasn’t fair…”

JT covered her mouth so she couldn’t get a word in. “It’s alright…I totally understand why you did it.” Grabbing her hands, “I’m just sorry this is where our story had to end.”

Holding hands, “I wish there was a way we didn’t have to break-up, but I don’t want to hold you back from anything,” she said, while tears stained both their cheeks.

“Me either, just remember that I love you,” leaning his forehead against hers.

“I love you too,” she kissed him softly on the lips.

JT let go of her hands, “I guess this is good-bye.”

“No…it’s just so long,” she replied as she watched him drifted from her life.

******

Craig lay on his bed was strumming on his guitar in his room; just thinking of the advice that everyone had given him the past few days. A knock on his door interrupted his line of thought. “Come in.” The moment he saw who it was his face brightened up.

“Hey,” Ellie said, smiling. She hadn’t seen him since the lunch incident. She just wanted to make sure he was all right, and that he also knew that she didn’t believe that he was anything like that.

“Hey.” He was so glad that she was here, standing in front of him.

“I wanted to see how you are doing, and to give you this,” handing him a box.

“What’s this for?”

Sitting next to him on his bed, “Well I know your birthday isn’t until Friday, but I thought I would give it to you early.”

He opened up the present only to find a framed photo of them in it. “What’s this?”

“A picture of us from the Simpson’s BBQ they had this summer. I thought that it would show to you that I will always be around, by your side.” She hoped that he would also get her point, that it should be her and him all the way, together forever.

“Thanks I really needed this, you always seem to know what I need,” putting his hand on her leg.

It made Ellie’s body tingle at his very touch, she felt a sudden urge to just go and kiss him. If she didn’t do it now she might not have the courage to do it again. She leaned in slowly, kissing his lips softly, and then backed out just so she could read his eyes to see if this is what he wanted.

Craig couldn’t believe that she had just done that, he was in shock. He just gazed at her, wishing that she hadn’t stopped that kiss.

Ellie began to get up from the bed, “I guess this was a mistake,” you could hear the hurt in her voice.

Craig grabbed her arm so she couldn’t leave, and pulled her towards him. And this time he was the one to initiate the kiss, putting his hand behind her neck; he leaned in and kissed her hard, biting her lower lip. He didn’t have to ask her out for he already had his answer; it made him smile.