Recess – The New Girl
Chapter 1 – The New Girl
Spinelli sat on the bench watching the others have an early morning game of Kickball against Lawson. She'd hurt her ankle the previous week and wasn't able to run properly yet so she had decided to sit this one out. She was enjoying herself until a girl with blonde hair in ribbons wearing a pink top with a bow on it and a pink skirt sat down next to her. She put a black bag down on the floor.
"What do you want?" said Spinelli.
"I mean like, that is so totally rude," said the girl, "I only like, wanted to talk." The words were Ashley words, but there was something else like she was hiding behind them, she just didn't have the tone of voice for them.
"Shouldn't you be with the Ashley's," said Spinelli.
"They wouldn't let me join," said the girl, "All because my name isn't Ashley, I mean, like how rude is that?"
Spinelli suddenly noticed the girl seemed to be transfixed on a car by the entrance. Suddenly the car drove off.
"Finally," said the girl taking the top off and shoving it into the bag, she had been wearing a blue t – shirt underneath the top, "I thought they'd never leave." She turned to Spinelli. "You couldn't show me where the girls toilets are could you, I just have to get out of this skirt."
"Sure," said Spinelli a little shocked, she got up and hobbled away a little, she turned to see the girl behind her, "Are you coming or what?"
The girl jumped up and walked next to Spinelli. They got to the toilets and the girl went inside a stall to change, when she came out the ribbons had gone and the skirt had been replaced with a pair of jeans. Spinelli also noticed that the girl had been wearing trainers all the time instead of the expensive shoes the Ashleys wore.
"So how's this then Ashley?" said the girl.
"Better," said Spinelli before her brain caught up with her ears, "How'd you know my name was Ashley?"
"I asked the Ashleys if there was another Ashley on the playground," said the girl, "You're bound to be better to hang with than those prissy idiots anyway."
Spinelli couldn't help but laugh. "No one calls me Ashley, everyone just calls me Spinelli," she said, "So what's your name then? I know it's not Ashley, so what is it?"
"Rebecca," said the girl, "But everyone just calls me Becky."
"Rebecca what?" said Spinelli as the bell rang.
"I'll see you later," said Becky, "I've got to see the Principle."
"Principle Prickly," said Spinelli, "He'll look you up and down and then get someone to walk you to your class, don't worry about him."
"Who said I was worried?" said Becky slinging the bag over her shoulder.
In the class Miss Grotkey took the register before someone knocked in the door.
"Come in," said Miss Grotkey.
The door opened and Becky was rudely shoved in with a cry of, "New kid."
"Ahh," said Miss Grotkey, "You must be Rebecca Carlson."
"Call me Becky," said Becky.
"Ok then Becky," said Miss Grotkey, "I see the seat next to TJ is free."
Becky took the seat with a slight air of nervousness. She was sat between TJ and the window at the back, Spinelli was sat in front.
"Hey," said TJ, "Glad to meet you."
"Likewise," said Becky. She placed the bag on the floor with a thud.
"Now," said Miss Grotkey, "Onto our Maths class, I see our new students records from her old school already reflect some good grades…"
Whilst they were doing work Spinelli turned to Sarah. "I'll introduce you to the rest of the gang at recess," she said.
"Ok," said Becky bent over her work.
At recess the gang all sat on the benches as they heard why Becky had come to 3rd street.
"My parents thought that my friends from my old school were a bad influence on me," said Becky, "Instead of growing up how they wanted me too, I became someone I wanted to be. So they thought that they could get a decent influence from this school."
"How did they want you to grow up?" said Gus.
Becky jerked her thumb over her shoulder to the Ashley clubhouse.
"Believe me," said Becky, "I thought my room was as pink as it got until I saw inside that."
"They let you in dressed like that?" said Vince, "I'm confused, I thought they'd never let anyone like you in."
Becky pulled the pink dress out her bag. "This is what my parents think I'm wearing now," she said.
The gang recoiled from the dress as though it was poison. Becky dug in the bag a bit more and produced some candy.
"Want some?" she said.
They each took some of the candy and ate it.
"Hey," said TJ, "This is like the stuff the Ashley's have in the clubhouse."
Becky had begun laughing at a book she had pulled out her back, it was surprising large with a brown cover. The gang recognized it instantly, it was the Ashleys rulebook, TJ dived forward and blocked the view of Becky from the Ashley clubhouse.
"Put that away," he hissed, "If the Ashleys see you with that, they'll kill you."
"How'd you get that?" said Gretchen in a state of shock.
"Easy," said Becky, "They really ought to keep a better eye on their things, thanks to this rulebook I can undermine them from within."
"You stole it?" said Mickey.
"Well they didn't hand it to me on a silver platter," said Becky, "Anyway, I have a plan to undermine the Ashleys group already."
"A plan," said TJ, "What does it involve?"
"Rule number 378," said Becky, "A non – Ashley may be dubbed an honorary Ashley if they can prove to be more fashionable than an Ashley."
"How is that done then?" said Vince.
"Rule number 456," said Becky, "A non – Ashley is more fashionable than an Ashley if they own more fashion magazines than an Ashley, or if they are related to a fashion designer."
"How do we find out how many magazines they have?" said Spinelli.
"Glad you asked," said Sarah, "Rule 2, An Ashley may not hold any information involving fashion from an Ashley."
"Wait a moment!" said Spinelli, "You mean I have to go and ask the Ashleys how many fashion magazines they have."
"Yes," said Becky.
"This isn't worth it for me," said Spinelli, "I mean, a bit of fun with the Ashleys is all well and good but I'm not talking to them."
"If it works then the clubhouse will fall down around their ears," said Becky.
"Where are the Ashleys?" said Spinelli, "I have to find out how many fashion magazines they have."
"Well don't look now," said Mickey, "But they're headed this way!"
Everyone glanced at the Ashleys and glanced back at Becky, the book and dress were already in the bag.
"Who's this?" said Ashley A indicating Becky, "She's the second new kid we've seen today."
"Becky," said Spinelli.
"Oh right," said Ashley Q, "Hey, Spinelli, have you seen the other new girl Rebecca today, we read about a Rebecca in one of our fashion magazines and thought it might be the same one."
Spinelli saw Becky behind the Ashleys backs shaking her head vigorously.
"Um, no," said Spinelli.
"Ok," said Ashley B, "If you see her then tell her we need to talk to her."
"Yeah," said Ashley T, "If it is her, this would be, like, the coolest thing to happen to this school ever."
"Sure," said Spinelli, "I'm doing a project on magazines anyway, could you guys say how many fashion magazines you have each?"
"I don't know," said Ashley A.
"Fashion Magazines come under the heading fashion," said Ashley B with a grimace.
"I mean," said Spinelli, "If you guys don't want to be declared as having the most fashion magazines in the school then…"
"6416," said Ashley A instantly.
"4856," said Ashley B.
"About 3000," said Ashley Q.
"2640," said Ashley T sheepishly.
Spinelli could see Becky suppressing a laugh behind the Ashleys. "Thanks for that," said Spinelli.
"No problem," said Ashley B with a grimace, "Lets get away from these dorks anyway."
After the Ashleys had gone Becky rolled on the floor laughing.
"What's so funny?" said TJ.
"Only that many?" said Becky, "My mother has over ten thousand dating back to the 60s."
"You think you can pass as an Ashley," said TJ.
Becky sat up straight.
"I mean, like, that is so totally scandalous!" she exclaimed doing such a perfect impression of Ashley A it had the gang in stitches.
"Ok," said TJ after he'd recovered, "Operation Ashley Takedowns a go. So what's the plan Becky?"