Disclaimer: I don't own Recess. If I did then recess would be all day everyday.
Summary: T.J. lost Spinelli years ago, and it's still haunting him, but now there this new girl and she just happens to look like Spinelli. But Spinelli's dead. It's impossible…isn't it?
Title: Mirror Image
Author: qtloveskittles
Dedication: Ummm...I'm dedicating this to my friend Ashley cuz she encouraged me to write keep writing it.
Author's note: I'm hoping to upload a chapter a day...but I'm not sure if I can so please bear with me if I can't.
Extra info: This story deals with suicide so if that is a problem for you then…please don't read it. I'm not encouraging anyone to commit suicide and I have no suicidal thoughts running through my mind. (Unless (mentally) killing my annoying alter ego counts as suicide... (lolz joking)).
Stuff you need to know:
" "- speech
Thoughts are in italics
ON WITH THE FIC!
~*~
15 yr old T.J. Detwiler walked towards his locker to grab his books for fourth period. He smirked as his lock gave a click and the locker opened. A small note floated to the floor. Surprised he bent down to pick it up. He had stopped getting notes in 8th grade when girls realized it was more 'mature' to just tell the guy you liked that you liked him. And now that girls told you if they liked you he was bombarded by at least 20 "Will you go out with me?"s a day. Just today the most popular girl in school asked him out. The only person to beat him was Vince. Because next to Vince T.J. was the most popular kid in the 9th grade. He had grown taller and more muscular since 4th, though not as much as Vince (who was now taller then Gretchen). He now wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. His cap (which he could never really get rid of hung in his locker. A larger version of his old green jacket was hanging in his locker as well. He opened the note and was surprised to see Spinelli's handwriting. She only wrote him notes if she was going to cut class. And they had a HUGE test in English, she wouldn't miss that. T.J. read the note.
" Teej,
I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry. Don't forget me.
I'll miss you. Bye.
Ashley (Spinelli)"
He dropped the note and was out the door before it hit the floor. He raced his bike to Spinelli's house hoping against all odds that what he thought was happening wasn't. Spinelli had been really down lately. Almost depressed, but he and his friends had never taken it seriously. Her mom and dad had been fighting and she had told T.J how she was worried they'd get a divorce. But that wasn't enough reason too... T.J. shook his head. He shouldn't think the worst. Spinelli had no reason to do something so stupid. I mean with her ebony black hair now loose and framing her face, amazing figure, and mellowed out personality (which just means she wasn't quite so violent) she was the girl everyone wanted, including T.J. He had never really figured out when his feelings for his best friend had become more then friendly. Maybe ever since the 'experiment'. Butch had told them some crazy story about kissing so to find out the truth the group drew straws. He and Spinelli had gotten the shortest. It was his first kiss and, despite what everyone else said, his only. None of the girls he had dated had been right. Because they weren't Spinelli.
He pulled up in front of her house and hoped off his bike. He didn't bother to knock; he just opened the door, raced inside, and called out Spinelli at the top of his lungs. Her mother rushed into the room, tears streaming down her face. And in an instant he knew what had happened. Bob and Flo had finally ended it. That's what Spinelli couldn't take. That's why...
"T.J.?"
"Hehe." He gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry Mrs. S. Do you know where Spinelli is?"
"Well yes. She said she was going to the park and to not expect her home for dinner. Why…T.J.?"
T.J. was already half way to his bike.
"Later Mrs. S. LATER!"
He was already on his way. There was only one park with a bridge for Spinelli to jump from. 7th Street park. It was a huge park that wasn't used anymore because to get to the actually park part of it you needed to cross a bridge that wasn't safe anymore. The bridge Spinelli was going to jump from.
He was right as soon as he pulled up he saw her figure sitting on the rail teetering between life and death the way an egg teeters on the edge of a table. Not safe but not in complete danger. He raced towards her as fast as his legs would carry him. The jump down to the river below was a long one. It was at least 50ft probably more. And the current was so strong and so fast that even if she did survive the fall she would be swept away.
~*~
Spinelli looked down at the dark river and almost laughed. In 5th grade she had been dared by Lawson to walk across the rail to prove she wasn't scared of anything. She had looked at the raging waters like an enemy then. But now they were like a friend. Ready to take all her pain away and all she had to do was move further one more inch.
But she wasn't going to make it seem like she slipped. She wasn't going out the cowards' way out (a/n: Even though suicide is the cowards way!). She shivered as the wind blew against her. Today was a cold day without any sun. It had seemed like the perfect day to jump. She stood up and gave a small smirk as she felt raindrops land on her head. It seconds flat it became an all out downpour. She lifted her head up and gave a meek:
"Why?"
Suddenly two strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pressed her against someone's chest.
"Don't do it Spinelli!"
She gasped as she recognized T.J.'s voice.
"Teej?"
He pressed her closer to him.
"Please don't do it."
Tears mixed with raindrops as she turned to look at him.
"And why not!?"
"Because people care about, they need you. So your mom and dad got a divorce. You'll get through this. Someone can help."
"NO THEY CAN'T!"
T.J. was taken by surprise when she yelled.
"Why not?"
"Because..." Her crying had become sobbing by now. "Because no one can make you love me! I saw you say yes to that girl and I..."
T.J. was, if possible, even more surprised.
"Spinelli she was asking if we had Science homework, I mean she asked me out too but I was only saying yes to the "Do we have homework in Science?" question."
"What?"
"Spinelli…just please don't jump. People need you...I need you. I...I love you Spinelli."
Now it was her turn to look shocked.
"Yo...you do?"
"Ever since I can remember. So please...please...don't." He also had tears running down his face.
Spinelli looked at T.J. and then at the river.
"I won't. I promise I won't."
He hugged her closer to him.
"Those are the best words I've ever heard."
She turned around to climb off. As she started to step off her shoes slipped on the slick surface of the railing. She fell backwards away from T.J. and towards the river.
"Teej!" She sighed as she felt his hand grab her arm.
"Don't worry I got you." He tried pulling her up but he wasn't strong enough, the wind was making him numb.
"Hold on I'll get my cell phone and call Vince. He'll come help me get you up."
"Okay."
T.J. fumbled for his phone. He finally got it out of his jacket pocket and scrambled to open it. He cursed silently as his one hand, numb from wind and rain, refused to cooperate. Then he cursed out loud as the phone slipped from his hand and plunged into the river.
Spinelli gave a gasp.
"What'd we do now?" She seemed close to tears again.
"I umm...I...I don't know! I'll think of something. Just hold on."
"But Teej...I can't."
"What...? Why not?"
"I...I can't feel my hands anymore. I'm too numb."
T.J. knew exactly how she felt. He couldn't feel his hand in hers. The only thing that reassured him that she was still hanging on was her voice.
"Don't worry Spinelli. Everything's gonna be fine."
"Teej I can see it. My hand's slipping. I can't feel it. But I can see it."
"No! Hold on just a little longer! School's out now. Vince and them will realize that I'm not at school and they'll find us."
"Teej...I'm sorry."
"Spinelli don't talk like that."
"Teej, just let go of my hand."
"NO!"
"T.J. I know that you can't feel my hand in yours and you know I can't feel yours. Neither of us can hold out much longer. Please don't make this any harder than it is."
"I won't let go."
"T.J. just let me go!"
"NO!"
"Please. I don't want this to happen either. But I don't want to make this any harder. Please. Just please."
T.J. shut his eyes. Spinelli was right. No she wasn't right, but he could see his hand slipping. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to live happily ever after... He was just barley hanging onto her hand now and he knew that there was no way around it. But he wouldn't let go.
"Teej..." Her voice was a whisper. "Please."
Before he could answer her hand slipped from his grasp and she was falling towards the river.
"T.J.!" Her voice surrounded him as he watched her fall, her hand still held out forward as if something was going to grab it.
T.J. fell to his knees, empty eyes starring down at the river where the current had already carried Spinelli out of sight.
~*~
Thanks for reading. Remember all writing and no reviews makes me a dull author...so review!!! Lolz! Oh and remember this too...
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