Life Changing Events
By: Meghan

Jo was a fourteen-year-old girl from the Bronx who had just moved to Peakskill, New York to attend Eastland School For Girls along with Blair, Natalie and Tootie. All girls were under the care of Edna Garrett.

Jo: Blair get out of the bathroom, it's an all girls school there's no one to impress!
Blair: Yes, there is. I have to impress everyone. I have to look the best.
Jo: We wear uniforms!
Blair: So I can still do my hair and make-up.
Jo: Well do it somewhere else! I gotta shower!
Blair: This is our only mirror dummy.
Jo: It's also the only shower!
Blair: Give me five.
Jo: I'll give ya five seconds, four, three, two, one. Times up! Opens the door Get out!
Blair: All right I'll go use a plate.
Jo: Don't break it we have to use them.
Blair: Yeah, yeah.
Jo: Now get out!

Blair leaves and Jo takes her shower and comes out, ties her wet hair back into a ponytail and goes down to the kitchen.

Jo: Sorry Mrs. G. Blair took forever in the bathroom.
Mrs. Garrett: Your excused. Go put the tablecloths on and then run to the mailroom and get ours.
Jo: Got it Mrs. G. She goes into the dining room then to the mailroom and is back as the other girls are starting to file in before their first class One for me and the rest is Mrs. G.
Blair: Who wrote to you?
Jo: A friend from home what's it to ya?
Blair: Figures,
Jo: What's that supposed to mean?
Blair: Only person who will write to you is someone who has put up with you all their life and doesn't know any better.
Jo: Shove it.
Mrs. Garrett: Both of you "shove it."
Jo: Sorry Mrs. G. she got in my face.
Mrs. Garrett: I don't care! Jo help Natalie and then Tootie and Blair work together.

Ten minutes later Jo gets a chance to escape upstairs to read her letter.

Jo,
Hey baby, I miss you so much, I'm miserable here without you. Why did you parents have to send you there? What was wrong with the high school here? Any way I'll be up there this weekend to be with you as you already know and I hope you'll be able to get away from there and have time for us. Anyway see you Friday afternoon. I'll come to the cafeteria around 4.
Love You Always and Forever,
Derek

Blair: Jo! Come on we need to go!

Jo: Coming! Shoves the letter in her Biology book and runs downstairs and they go to class

Blair: What's that piece of paper hanging out of your book?

Jo: Nervous Uh, nothing, just the homework.

Blair: Please say that's not due today.

Jo: I hope not cause I just have Chapter 1 homework written down.

Blair: Any plans for the weekend?

Jo: Derek's coming up.

Blair: Oh, there's a party at Bates I was going to set you up.

Jo: Blair you know I'm taken.

Blair: Jo, your fourteen, it's weird that your serious about someone.

Jo: Why cause I know what I want? I think its good that I'm not wasting my time looking.

Blair: I, personally, have fun looking.

Jo: Whatever suits you. They go into class and sit down at desks in the middle

Throughout the class while Blair is busy taking notes she can't help but notice that Jo isn't, that she's just staring at that piece of paper that she said was homework and smiling. Blair ignores it for the time being and continues taking notes then the bell rings.

Blair: That is not homework.

Jo: What?

Blair: That piece of paper it's not homework!

Jo: So what if it isn't?

Blair: Why didn't you take notes?

Jo: What's it to ya?

Blair: Your not borrowing mine.

Jo: I can take my own notes.

Blair: What'd she talk about today.

Jo: You were there didn't you pay attention?

Blair: I did, you didn't.

Jo: So what, we have to go to P.E.

Blair: Please tell me your going to pay attention in there.

Jo: What's it to ya?

They go into the locker room and they all change into their uniforms and go into the gym except for Blair who is going exceptionally slow and once they're all gone she opens Jo's locker and gets the note out of her book.

Blair: Oh that's just sick! She hears footsteps coming and quickly throws the note into the locker and heads for the gym as Jo is coming in

Jo: What's taking you so long?

Blair: Nothing, nothing. Doesn't look her in the eye as they go out to the gym

After P.E. in the locker room

Blair: So when's Derek coming?

Jo: This afternoon.

Blair: You excited?

Jo: Thrilled.

Blair: How old is he?

Jo: Eighteen.

Blair: He's outta high school?

Jo: Almost.

Blair: Jo, that's not right.

Jo: What's so wrong about it?

Blair: He's almost out of high school your just starting that's what's so wrong. As a matter of fact, it's illegal.

Jo: Not if we're not having sex its not.

Blair: Who knows how much longer that'll be.

Jo: I do.

Blair: At some point in time, he's going to want to and he's going to threaten to leave you if you don't. And I don't wanna watch you fold under pressure like that.

Jo: Blair, just drop it.

Blair: Does Mrs. Garrett know?

Jo: That he's eighteen? No way.

Blair: Why not you scared?

Jo: No, she just doesn't need to know how old he is.

Blair: How old did you tell her he was?

Jo: Sixteen. That's the only way she'd let me go with him. And if you tell her anything you'll be picking up your teeth!

Blair: We better get back to the cafeteria. They tie their ties and leave

Kitchen, Blair and Jo walk in

Mrs. Garrett: There you two are, start taking food out to the cafeteria.

Jo: Gotcha, Her and Blair grab things of food and take them into the cafeteria as girls start lining up for lunch they start serving as Tootie, Natalie and Mrs. Garrett bring the other stuff out

That afternoon at four o'clock a tall, dark, handsome guy walks into the cafeteria and Blair notices him right away

Blair: Hi, I'm Blair Warner, who might you be?

Guy: I'm Derek, is Jo here?

Blair: Oh yeah she's upstairs, I'll go get her. Blair goes upstairs and a minute later Jo comes down

Jo: Derek! Runs over to him and they hug and kiss I missed you.
Derek: I missed you too. You look great.

Jo: Thanks, you look good too.

Derek: You ready?

Jo: Yeah, let me tell Mrs. Garrett. Opens the kitchen door Mrs. Garrett, I'm leaving.

Mrs. Garrett: Be back by curfew.

Jo: Okay, bye. Goes back to Derek and he puts his arm around her and they walk out

In Derek's car

Derek: Jo I really have missed you. Things just aren't the same at home.

Jo: I know but mom wanted to get me away from you.

Derek: Didn't work.

Jo: There's not too much that could keep us apart.

Derek: No there's not. They stop at a stoplight and he kisses her I love you.

Jo: I love you too.

Derek: I wish you'd let me prove it to ya.

Jo: Derek, I cant get pregnant, mom, pop, Mrs. G., Blair, they'd all have a hand in killing me.

Derek: We'll be careful.

Jo: Let's just go back to your hotel room and hang out. And if I change my mind. You'll be the first to know.

Derek: I'd hope so.

At eleven-thirty that night Derek drops Jo off

Derek: You were amazing, babe.

Jo: I was nervous.

Derek: Next time will be better I promise you.

Jo: Okay. They kiss I better go, I'm late for curfew.

Derek: See you tomorrow?

Jo: Of course. Bye. Gets out

Derek: Love you.

Jo: Love you too. Goes inside and sneaks upstairs without Mrs. Garrett noticing opens the bedroom door and Blair jumps up

Blair: There you are. You're late.

Jo: So.

Blair: You've been gone since four.

Jo: So.

Blair: You were with him that whole time weren't you?

Jo: Yeah.

Blair: You didn't did you?

Jo: Yeah I did.

Blair: What! You had sex with him!
Jo: Keep it down hey, I don't what Natalie or Tootie knowing or Mrs. G.

Blair: But you could get pregnant.

Jo: No I wont.

Blair: How do you know?

Jo: Because I was there. And I know me.

Blair: So did he use protection?

Jo: No.

Blair: Then yes, you could get pregnant!

Jo: I'm not going to get pregnant okay! Now drop it I'm tired and I'm going to bed! Jo changes clothes and gets into bed and the camera shows Tootie with her eyes wide open