Recess High school years

Prologue: The last recess

By Ruff Desperado aka King James

(Rated T for Teen)

Season 1 Episode (Pilot)

The sun hits the playground's blacktop as the children of all grades wait for King TJ's final act of decree. The throne however, a mud colored arm chair, is left empty. The kids of Third Street school in their own ways, bid farewell to the end of another school year. The Diggers wrap up their final dig, removing their sign of 'china or bust' that's crossed out. Butch, the keeper of the school tales, stands in the shade forewarning unsuspecting six graders that the trials and tribulations of middle school are upon them. The Swinger girl, feeling accomplished by swinging over the top only the third time this year, talks to other girls in her grade. One of them being Upside down girl, who is very much used to using her downside-up peripheral.

At the far end of the playground beyond the sign 'Keep Out' locking away the kindergartners, there is a fire brewing. The body painted tribe frolic around their old dolls, teddies and coloring books as they fuel the flames.

Miss Klemperer bellows, "no, no, no you don't, you little savages!" as she sprays her fire extinguisher to no avail; her neck cast restricts her efforts as it stiffens up her frantic movements.

On the other side of the playground, the Ashleys bundle together in their summer dresses. The Tylers, their younger brothers, have taken over their infamous 'Ashley Clubhouse'. The collage of acceptable boys is replaced with cars, cartoons and comic books. The sophisticated interior décor is now filled with arcade machines and wallpaper with monster trucks on them. The only part of the clubhouse left unchanged is the candy spa, which is still filled with the assortment of the most expensive imported chocolates their Daddy's can buy.

Ashley B stands ahead of the clubhouse. "Oh Ashleys, this like, totally goes against the whole lady code of fashion and accessories, but I regret putting on makeup today," she says as she wipes her tears away, smearing her foundation.

Spinelli steps on to the scene. "Are you powder puffs done crying already?" she asks as she strolls by.

Ashley A lifts her head at her. "We've never seen eye to eye, have we Spin-ugly? But—" she says blubbering her words. "But, but, I'm gonna miss you. Aren't we girls?"

Ashley A begins to hug Spinelli as all the other Ashleys join in. Their faces up, close and personal together.

"Ugh! Get off me!" Spinelli cries, as she lets go of their grasp.

Ashley A looks back at her. "Maybe one day you'll understand the importance of style and fashion," she says straightening her pink frock.

Spinelli is almost awestruck at how serious Ashley A is. "Well, I came over just to say, be ready for King TJ's surprise, its going to be amazing, and, uh." Spinelli pauses looking at her boots. "I guess you big headed spoiled brat barbies are all right."

Surprisingly the Ashleys beam from ear to ear from Spinelli's remark, and quickly hug her again individually. Spinelli makes a wry smile and leaves them as they were standing before. She walks towards the diggers as the relentless force of Miss Finster stops her with her typical deadly stare.

"Miss Finster! I didn't do nothing," Spinelli goes.

"No Spinelli," Miss Finster replies, with a shake of her head. "It's a good thing what you did there. I know you don't like the Ashleys. It's really big of you to hold back your grudges like that."

"Ah, it was nothing really," brags Spinelli, flexing her arm.

"No I mean, I've seen you grow up from a baby to a young woman," Miss Finster says. "There's a big world out there kiddo, just waiting for you to put out your heart, just for it to be spat right back out again. Look, what I'm trying to say is that society may say its wrong for girls to be anything but deity and fragile but remember to be true to yourself. And if you ever need anyone, I'm here."

"Thanks Miss Finster."

"I made a promise to Aggie at Guam to look after her granddaughter."

Randall comes approaching, with that, Spinelli takes that as her cue to leave.

Randall gives a scorning stare at Spinelli as she passes. "I haven't seen Detweiler or his friends all recess, maybe Spinelli knows something," he suggests, stroking his chin.

Miss Finster's scowl flashes back. "Stay vigilant boy. A time of the year like this is just an invitation for hooliganism," she replies, now looking down at Randall. "TJ thinks he can have one over on me but he's unaware of the cavalry I've set up."

"What do you mean Miss Finster?" asks Randall.

"Look dear boy," says Miss Finster as she points towards the school roof, the doors and all around the playground. "I have organized all the hall monitors from Spirow T. Agnew middle school to govern the playground to stop any miscreants before they try anything." She gives a menacing wince. "Any person caught will have a disciplinary hearing so long, their children's children will feel it."

Spencer, the second grader, looks around to see if the coast is clear. At the very bottom of the jungle gym he steps up to the tic-tac-toe panel. He gives it five spins and one longer whirl in the middle, unlocking the code combination to unveil a secret passageway. He slides down to the bottom with his whole crew waiting for him. The clubhouse is full of water balloons, stink bombs, and some even more elaborate props.

King TJ took power to overthrow King Freddy in the big 'Dirt-clod revolt' last year, that will forever be part of Third Street school history. Many students had to see the nurse that day. King Freddy's madness of power became unfathomable and he had to be stopped. The bubble gum tax had kids at the point of stealing money from their own parents to survive. There were sheds of violence with noogies, wedgies and Chinese burns. TJ and the fifth graders prevailed and restored order. One of TJ's first acts as king was to change the 'Fifth and Sixth Graders Club' to a free-for-all getaway for everybody. He renamed it 'Crazy Monkey Kidz', on the grounds that visitors can only join if they want to participate in planning and executing a prank.

"I got the walkie talkies!" Spencer announces to the group.

TJ waves Spencer in, being the only one to acknowledge him. Hector is asking Gus for advice. Gilbert is stretching his hamstrings and calves with Vince. Dylan is making a strap for his dual water guns as Mikey stirs a pot full of tomato surprise. Emma is building a mechanical device with Gretchen, and Cindy is concentrating perched on a plastic stool as she's continuously squeezing a doll toy, making it's tiny eyes bulge out.

TJ continues his full attention on Spencer. "I called Wacko's Circus & Emporium with the phone I pinched off Menlo," he explains, moving his head over at the big cordless phone on the table. "They'll be here in about twenty minutes."

"How did you ever get Wacko to just drop his things and come to Third street?" asks Spencer.

"It wasn't that hard really. I just said that I'm a really big fan and that some of us are dying kids," TJ says, making a funny face. "I can see why they call him Wacko, he has really high pitched voice."

Cindy stops and sits upright. "Yeah, I think he swallowed a squeaky toy when he was a baby," she says putting down her doll.

Gretchen makes herself heard. "That's just an urban legend," she corrects, taking her attention off her machine.

Near the blackboard Gus and Hector finish up.

Gus continues his talk. "My dad says that moving quietly is the most important part of stealth, we already know our terrain, that's good, but if they catch us, then whamo, its game over," he explains to Hector, looking at the board to see if he's missed anything.

Dylan finishes strapping his water guns and puts ropes on his side like a a cowboy with a lasso.

"Hey Dyl!" Gretchen calls, as she and Emma finish build their clock winding contraption. "If you have any spare rope, remember African tribes have used ropes for Centuries as snare traps on their victims. Lemme show you." She sets him aside and pulls Dylan in with her insight.

The backdrop on the board show the original planning of their pranks. It is completely covered with blueprints and the school map. Pictures of Finster, Randall and Principal Prickly are all crossed off with a red magic marker. 'Operation: Ultimate Super-Tendor Sendoff.' The plan has three different ways to choose from. The sneaky way of putting stink bombs in the vents to stink out the monitors and enter the school with gas masks, courtesy of the Hustler kid. The clever way of disguising some of the gang as hall monitors with masks, makeup and clothes with help from Artsy kid. The all-out way, which is circled, is to attack head on with BARF guns and Duper Drenchers.

Spinelli slides down to the clubhouse. "Okay, I've told everyone! So lets get this show on the road people!" she says, clapping her hands in urgency.

TJ gets back up on his feet. "The plan is set with your code names Black mamba, Athena, the Prince, BFG and Sergeant Looney pants, but I'm," he starts, looking at Spinelli, then Gretchen, then Vince, then Mikey and Gus in turns. He removes his crown to scratch his head momentarily. "I'm gonna let the new guys have this one."

"I knew it," Spinelli says.

Mikey stands astonished. "This is quite valiant of you TJ, even if it is a tad crazy and unexpected," he says, looking worried for a second at Dylan.

Spinelli lifts her palms out, pondering. "I was walking back thinking, once us, the sixth graders leave, the school's gonna need another group to replace us when we're gone," she says, looking at the worried faces of the second graders.

TJ smiles. "Now that that's been established. Does everyone know what to do, and feel that they're still capable of pulling this off? Spence? Cindy? Gil? Dylan?" TJ asks at the kids closest in ear shot to him.

Dylan nods. "Yes, I'm ready, King TJ," he says, strapping on his dual water pistols to his back filled with the acidic tomato surprise soup. "I'm not exactly tubby anymore."

"Yeah," Spenser replies back. "I remember as well in kindergarten, I used to eat paper and think toys were candy."

Everyone laughs as it breaks the tension.

Cue the music. The new gang get into their positions. Cindy enters the cheese box as a lookout, equipped with her binoculars. Dylan prepares himself behind the trashcan heap outside the cafeteria. Hector and Emma get by the fire escape ladder. Gilbert gets to his spot before Spencer as he peeks around a wall next to two first graders playing pat ball. A fiery sprayed on image of Finster is behind him, with her lizard tongue out, tagged 'Finster is a nefarious dega'.

Spencer's walkie talky scratches on. "This is King Wizard. Everyone in position?" asks TJ, as the six respond back to it. "Good. Goldy-Spock take it away."

"What?" Spencer asks into his walkie talkie, catching up to Gilbert.

"I want you to take over the operation completely, if you need me, just call me by my code-name. Over and out," TJ says, twiddling his golden yellow hockey helmet crown in his hands.

"Thanks TJ, I won't let you down. Over," Spencer replies, looking excited at Gilbert.

Cindy tells Spencer, from her hiding place, that she spots the monitors covering the roof and the school doors. Spencer tells Gilbert that he should do the first phase himself, seeing as Gilbert is more than twice as fast as he is. Spencer stays by the wall as Gilbert takes off his backpack near where most of the hall monitors are congregating. He lights his firecrackers, throwing some at the guards as the crackers bang and hammer against the monitor's sashes.

"Catch me if you can, you lame-brain teacher pets!" Gilbert shouts as five hall monitors sprint after him, leaving the entrance of the school unguarded.

Spencer enters the school tentatively because its so eerily quiet compared to the upbeat and loud playground. "Okay, next phase," he whispers. "Sly Trooper, I want you to get your way through the restricted area on the roof and get the keys off Lance the AV kid. Oh, and bring Madame Uranium back with you when the coast is clear. Over."

Hector's voice responds, "wouldn't it make more sense to bring Madame Uranium with me first time? Over."

"No, if the worst happens, we can't lose both of you. Over and out."

Gilbert slows down so the monitors can catch up to him. He reaches the bin heap dead end.

"No where to go blue-hair kid," says one of the hall monitors at Gilbert. "Give up."

Dylan climbs out of his hiding place to see them.

"Who are you supposed to be?" asks another hall monitor. "Look guys, it's Lieutenant porker reporting for doodie," he says, as he mimics an army salute and then nudges his allies to laugh with him.

"Bon Appetit, dumbwads," Dylan goes, whipping out his water guns from his back strap.

He sprays the tomato surprise in their eyes, causing them all to fall in a heap on the ground. Dylan and Gilbert take one look at each other, and at the squirming eighth graders. They tie them up with rope, and drag the two who were laughing at Dylan into the kindergartner's pen.

On the roof, Hector shadows his way passed some guards. His light-up shoes are unaffected by the afternoon sun. He hides, fading in and out of position, until he reaches the air vent. He crawls through the dust infested vent passed Hank the janitor, solving a geometric equation on a board and returning back to moping. Passed the teachers smoking in the teacher's lounge; the lunch ladies carrying secret ice cream to the freezers; to Lance the AV kid whistling away in the bathroom, using the hand dispenser as hair gel. Lance's keys, that can open every door in the entire school twice, is hanging by his side. Hector pokes out his long reach T-Rexisizzor robot claw toy out the gap of the vent.

Lance is focused on the bathroom mirror. "Looking good Lance, oh why thank you Ashley Q, I do floss," Lance says to himself, looking back at his reflection, using the liquid soap to spike up his hair.

Hector's dinosaur head chops at his keys.

"Sorry, I take my job oober seriously, whats that?" Lance continues, making an imaginary conversation with himself. "No ladies, don't fight over me. Yes Ashleys, there's all of Lance to love."

Hector delicately snatches the keys, retracting the claw back inside the vent, and journeys back on course. He goes by Principle Prickly's office as he's putting a put shot wide, as someone knocks on his door, and enters by the invitation of his grunt.

"What is it now, Miss Lemon?" Prickly asks.

"The kindergartners are causing a ruckus, sir," Miss Lemon starts. "What do you recommend we—?"

"Talking dog movies," Prickly says, not moving his gaze away from his artificial grass golfing strip. "Kindergartners love talking dog movies."

That's Lance's job, Hector thinks. To get the kindergartners occupied with films. Without his keys, this is not going to end well for him.

Hector moves quickly and finds his way into a classroom. He ghosts his way inside until, a sixth grader Douglas, takes the walkie talky out of his hands. Douglas, Randall's counterpart snitch, stomps on it, smashing it into three pieces.

"Miss Finster. I've found them, well, one at least," Douglas says on to his earpiece, as he is grabbing hold of Hector's shirt by the V neck.

"Let me go!" Hector cries, avoiding eye contact, focusing on the remains of his walkie talky.

He can hear Finster respond on Douglas' earpiece that she is on her way.

Back on the playground, Emma keeps trying to contact Hector.

"Sly Trooper? Sly Trooper?" asks Emma, as she tries several more times. "Spence, er, I mean Goldilocks or whatever, I've lost connection to Hector. I can't hear him." She grips harder to her machine.

Spencer contemplates calling TJ. He contemplates calling Cindy. He leans against the wall off the hall way.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" a hall monitor shouts, walking at the far end catching Spencer's eye, strapped with a water gun bazooka.

Spencer barges into a classroom. He drags out a table into the hallway. He flips it into cover. The hall way monitors fire water along the hall way.

The monitors talk amongst each other. "This is a 2, 14! I need back up! Some kids are coming from the front!"

The front of the door of the school slams open. Spencer's heart stops. Gilbert appears. His blue hair shines off the sun outside. He shuts the door again behind him.

Gilbert slides next to Spencer. "Thought you might need some help, pal," Gilbert pants, rushing into crouching cover on his side.

"Where's Dyl—? The backpack—we need some ammunition if that's okay with you, dude?" asks Spencer with a relieved grin.

"Nope, that won't be okay," Gilbert replies, as Spencer only now notices Gilbert is unarmed. "See, me and Dylan had this great idea with my backpack."

Gilbert feels Spencer in as water balloons smash against the table.

Vince, Gretchen, TJ and Spinelli stay dormant at the clubhouse. Most of the attention is on TJ's walkie talkie that is standing upright in the middle of the table.

Vince now looks over at TJ. "I hope you know what you're doing, Teej," he says. "He's only in the second grade."

"Of course I do," TJ replies, with a big grin. "He reminds me of myself. Besides, Spencer will be in the third grade next year, just like the Dude when he became King."

Gretchen adjusts her glasses. "In history it's actually not uncommon to have young kids in power," she says. "Tutankhamun became Pharaoh when he was only eight."

"Exactly Gretch," says TJ, all thankful at her. "I remember when we had to look after most of them when they were our peewee pals. They've come a long way since then."

"Yeah," Spinelli says, giggling, now taking a seat at the round table. "You remember the time Spencer dropped cream chowder all over Becky Benson, when she was trying to cheat the spelling bee?" The other three nod in approval. "She was getting corn out of her hair all week."

"He's the perfect replacement," TJ assures.

Gretchen asks, "so is this it?"

Vince looks around at them and asks back, "of us you mean?"

"I mean the odds of us staying friends is astronomical," Gretchen explains.

The four of them sit in silence for a second.

TJ lets out a sigh and says, "I don't mind if you guys wanna go to camp again like in the fourth grade. There's no need to stay behind with me like last year."

Spinelli lets out a smile. "Come on, Teej," she says. "We're not gonna leave you behind again."

"Oh, how I'm gonna miss this playground," Mikey says. "The bountiful joy. Being in tune with nature. Recess is a true testament to what being a kid is all about."

"No kidding," Gus replies, hardly listening.

A sweet, nice and loving girl moves up to Gus.

"Hi Gus," Cornchip girl says, wiping off chip crumbles off her fingers on to her dress.

"Hi Cornchip, I guess this is goodbye isn't it?" replies Gus, with his hand digging in his pockets.

"It doesn't have to be, even though are dads never get along, we could still hang around this summer," she insists. "I just wanna thank you for always standing up for me and junk."

"That's no problem, it was nothing. I mean, you know its always good to—" Gus gets interrupted as Cornchip girl pulls him down to her level and kisses him on the cheek.

Gus now in shock, desperately looks for Mikey whose in deep conversation with the Hustler kid.

"That'll do it. Three thousand six hundred and sixty three," the Hustler Kid counts, giving Mikey a box filled with Winger Dingers. Mikey thanks him and hands one back to him. "No thanks. Even though it had to be in installments, I keep my word."

"We don't even call Dylan, Tubby, anymore," says Mikey, in between bites of his Winger Dinger.

"Neither is there anymore of the kindergarten derby," mutters the Hustler kid in a growl. "Go figures."

"Okay," Spencer says, on his walky talkie. He ruffles his blonde hair as he sketches the school blueprint in his head. "Princess darkness, get into the school from the roof and find Sly, I think he's near the fifth grade science class. It's nearest to the room behind the clock. Uranium follow Darkness."

"Got it, Spock," Cindy replies, leaving her binoculars and making her way to the roof of the school on the other side from Emma.

It is a particular hard decision for Spencer to make. It is important that the clock never reaches two o'clock, because it will indicate the end of recess. Time is running out as the end of recess is near and Cindy is the wild card of the group. One time during the year, Cindy was just supposed to retrieve a bunch of stolen marbles. Take them from the Brittanys, the sisters of the Ashleys, and return them back to their rightful owners. It ended with Cindy forcing all the Brittanys to watch her rip their dolls heads off. She then got offended by something the owners of the marbles said, and she ended up giving all the boys severe titty twisters.

Cindy, who lacks any covertness, is spotted almost immediately.

"Hey little girl, what are you doing all the way up here?" asks a monitor.

In Cindy's head she has already punched and whaled the crap out of all them, throwing half of them off the roof, but asks, "I was wondering if you'd play dollies with me?"

The monitor who asked, gets closer as the others on the roof get out of position.

"Sorry little girl, I have orders to protect the premise," he replies.

Cindy begins to cry and says, "but I got a pretty flower for you." She puts a sunflower up to the hall monitors face. "Smell?"

The hall monitor looks back as the other four of them laugh at him. He puts his nose down to give it a smell. Cindy forces her sunflower right up into his face, completely blurring his vision. The other monitors start spraying their water guns at Cindy. She holds the arm of the eighth grader behind his back and blocks the water. She runs towards the others using the monitor as a human shield knocking each of them to the ground. Ruffling up one of the monitor's hair, she smashes his head repeatedly on the roof. She strangles a monitor's neck with his own tie. She tries to throw one off the roof, but he just hits his head against the outside vent, denting it.

A single hall monitor is left standing. He sprays his water gun at Cindy with her back turned. But its ran out of water.

"You know what?" says the hall monitor putting his hands up, dropping his gun. "I didn't sign up for this, and extra credit is overrated anyway. You win."

With that, he leaves his gun and makes his way off the roof. He walks down the ladder looking eye to eye at a frightened Emma.

"It's all yours," he says to Emma, taking off his hall monitor sash.

Emma, all confused, slowly climbs up on to the roof. She looks at all the boys sprawled on the roof.

"What happened?" Emma asks, tiptoeing around the bodies.

"I'll tell you later, lets finish the operation first," Cindy replies, putting her hand out for Emma.

Cindy and Emma make their way through the school vent and meet Hector with Douglas still holding his shirt.

"Let go of him now!" Cindy orders, narrowing her eyes at Douglas.

"Pffft!" Douglas blows out his mouth. "The day I turn up to school wearing makeup like a wussy dumb girl like you, I'll let him go."

Cindy grabs Douglas' ear, making his back jerk, causing him to lose his grip on Hector's shirt. "Get out of here you two," she says to Hector and Emma, now looking directly at Douglas. "You don't wanna see this."

Dylan is now next to Gilbert and Spencer as the water continues to splash against their table. He feels through his reddish hair. "What do we do now?" asks Dylan.

Spencer lets out a breath in and back out again.

"We fight," Spencer replies.

Gilbert runs out of cover, getting hit immediately by oncoming water balloons. Spencer has a better look and notices it's actually three of them against two.

"Let's go!" Spencer goes, pulling Dylan's arm to drag his body out of cover.

Spencer and Dylan run full on as the other hall monitor notices them advancing. As the monitor sprays, Spencer and Dylan slide on the puddles of water in the hallway. They kick the monitor's shins, making him drop his gun. Dylan picks up the gun and chucks it to Spencer.

"Don't move," Spencer says, aiming the gun directly at the other monitor's head.

His partner is holding his shin in pain.

Dylan runs back to Gilbert whose laid out on the floor with his eyes shut. His shirt completely drenched.

"Gilbert, speak to me," Dylan says, looking over him.

Gilbert doesn't move.

"Gilbert?"

Gilbert opens his eyes wide and grabs Dylan by his arm, "stop being dramatic, it's only water."

Spencer lets Dylan and Gilbert take control of the monitor as he races into the school to find Emma and Hector. He goes on the highest level of the school. Right at the end of the hall are his two friends waiting patiently.

"You miss me?" Spencer asks, running up to them.

"Like heck," Emma smiles.

Hector looks awkwardly between Emma and Spencer who haven't stopped their gaze with one another, "I guess I'll, uh, leave you two to it."

Spencer blinks hard twice and looks back at Hector and says, "yeah dude, it's safe downstairs."

Hector gives Emma AV kid's keys before he makes his way down the flights of stairs. Spencer and Emma enter the attic of the school. It's the darkest part of the school with an undeniable constant ticking of the school clock inside of it. Emma looks out of the window and sees all the kids playing outside, all of them unaware of anything.

Spencer looks up at the big clock and says, "we're running out of time."

With a leap, Spencer holds on to the clock's hand as it continues to move, with fifty seconds left till the recess buzzer goes off and the mission fails. Emma connects the machine on to the clocks mechanism as she recites everything that Gretchen told her.

"Don't mean to rush you, but could you hurry up," Spencer says at Emma, losing his grip.

"I am, I am," she replies, pushing button after button.

Fifteen seconds.

Spencer tries to pull the hand downwards with all the strength in his seven year old body can muster.

"I think, yes, I got it," says Emma.

The long old English arm of the clock starts to slowly move back twenty minutes. Spencer moves anti-clockwise and looks at Emma for her affirmation. Similarly to how a student would wait for his answer to be corrected by a teacher.

"Don't worry Spence, its gonna reset every nineteen minutes back to 1:40, just like when recess starts."

"Cool," Spencer says, sighing, dropping down from the clock. "Now I can change my pants after almost pissing myself."

Emma laughs. She looks down to see Spencer's pants are actually wet.

"That's from a water gun fight, right?" she asks, staring at his soaked jeans.

"Yeah," he replies.

Emma laughs again.

"Yes Ems, I was just joking before."

Wacko's Circus & Emporium turn up to the school to the surprise of all the kids of the playground who are expecting recess to be over.

King TJ finally arrives on his throne on top of the jungle gym.

"Kids of the playground!" TJ announces. "When we wanted ice cream in the cafeteria, Principle Prickly said no! When we wanted trips to Gonzo World, they laughed at us! We had to stay in school, making our brains turn to mush! So, now guys and gals, its time for us to have some fun!"

The kids cheer one after the other as the circus music increases in crescendo. Contortionist's unraveling themselves out of suitcases. Stalls for free cotton candy, popcorn and ice cream open up. Acrobats come flipping out from the trucks on to the monkey bars.

Emma and Spencer meet the rest of their gang. The six of them celebrate together with hugs and high fives as the circus takes full force. The new gang meet each other with beaming smiles and celebrate with a group huddle.

Hector voices in. "There's just one thing," he starts, still in their huddle, turning to Cindy. "What did you do with Douglas?"

Cindy smirks with blonde hair slightly covering her vision and replies, "well, all I'm gonna say is, eyeliner looks good on him."

Gilbert and Spencer meet each others eyes and laugh, with Dylan scratching his head, confused on what Cindy meant. Finster, out of nowhere, takes hold of Spencer and rips him away from the huddle.

"You're just like TJ Detweiler," Finster pants, taking Spencer away from his friends. "Another ne'er-do-well rapscallion."

"Hey!" Gilbert goes running up to them, blocking them off. "He didn't do anything. If you take him, you have to take all—"

"No Gil, its okay," Spencer says, putting his hand out.

Spencer. The child martyr sacrificing himself for an almost perfectly executed prank.

Finster holds Spencer as she walks him further away. "When Principal Prickly finds out, he's gonna really throw the book at you," she says, as Spencer is lost for words.

Spencer thinks about replying with something to counter act against Finster. Maybe, 'I get in trouble but Principle Prickly gets to go target practice on my head with a few textbooks?' Meh. What's the point. He was so sure that everything was going to fall into place. Maybe punishment won't be so bad? Maybe they'll let him off with a warning? Boys will be boys?

Finster stops in her tracks. She spots a backpack full of assortments next to a pile of leaves. "Well looky here. Further evidence to add to your list of imprudence," she sneers, grabbing tighter to his arm.

"No, it's not mine," pleads Spencer.

Finster lets go of Spencer's arm and swaps it for the backpack, as a whirling sound sweeps from the leaves she treads on. Instantly Finster goes flying upside down with a rope tied tightly around her ankle. Spencer picks up the backpack and puts it over his shoulder. Finster screams at him, with her gown covering her vision slightly.

"I told you this isn't mine, its Gilbert's," says Spencer, walking away.

"Get back here this minute! Let me down from here! I'm getting nauseous! All the blood is going to rush to my head!" Finster yells.

Upside down girl hangs upside down like she always does. "You'll get used to it," she goes nonchalantly, as she drops down from the monkey bars in ear shot of Finster. Her blonde ponytails still sticking up in the air, she joins everyone else in the circus festivities.

The Hustler kid is selling some of his merchandise to the carnys. Cornchip girl is gnawing down her own body size in cotton candy. The cannon daredevil lets Swinger girl wear his American flag patterned helmet.

Spencer returns back to his friends. His gang makes their way to the top of the King's jungle gym. TJ hugs Spencer as the original gang of recess give him appreciation too. TJ calls the kids of the playground, as the music takes its cue to die down. Spencer falls on to the throne chair in awe.

"Picking Spencer wasn't difficult," TJ starts. "He's the reason the circus came at all today. So, do you Spencer, swear to be a noble king of all the grades, who will never ever ever ever sway in the way of a dictator?"

"I do," Spencer says, with his hand up in a promise.

"Then, I hereby confer upon you the holy scepter of power," TJ goes, handing him the hockey stick. "The most high imperial crown." He places the yellow football helmet on Spencer's head. "And the royal plastic ring. So, with all of these most radical symbols of authority there's nothing else more to say but—hail hail King Spencer!"

The kids repeat it in unison and a large cheer erupts.

The PA system screeches on. "TJ Detweiler, this is Principal Prickly. Come to my office immediately, that is all."

"Why always me?" TJ smirks, with his arms out.

Without hesitation, TJ finds his green cotton jacket he's neglected from behind the throne and throws it on. He pops on his red hat that was sticking out from it's pouch and reverses it. He goes down the slide from the jungle gym and disappears into the school as the music turns back on and the festival gets lively again.

TJ knocks on Principal Prickly's door, once invited in, he sits on the opposite chair leaning back with his feet up on the desk. Prickly is looking out the window, with his arms behind his back.

"How dare you bring this circus into our playground, the board of education are gonna have my head," Prickly says, turning around to face TJ. "I'm lucky I've known Miss Finster for years, so she won't press charges. Now I'm never going to get on the good side of Superintendent Skinner. I can kiss the principal position at Spirow T Agnew middle school goodbye. Two of it's students and Lance Brifowlski were found tied up above fire by the kindergartners, for crying out loud."

"Hey, you can't pin that one on me, those kindergartners can get awfully cranky when they miss their nap time," says TJ.

"You're still the same funny boy aren't you? Well, let me tell you something. You may have your high jinks and your escapades. But there are reasons for order, good behavior and sanitation. It's more than just keeping bad eggs like you in line," says Prickly, now pacing around the office. "But. We are not so different, you and I. What you kids call 'jinx', in the real world it's the people like my brother, who steal your ideas as their own. Opposite days would be, lets say, what us adults call being sarcastic. You don't even wanna know what real cooties are."

"Sir?" TJ replies, taking his feet off the desk.

"Nevertheless," says Prickly, breathing in a huge sigh. "It's been a pleasure."

Prickly raises his hand out for TJ to meet it, "good luck son, you're gonna need it," he says, as he shakes TJ's hand.

"Thank you, sir, the feelings, um, mutual," TJ replies, turning to leave.

"TJ. Please go and clear out your locker. I'm a firm believer that hoarding is a disease. It is contagious," Prickly says, shifting his tone to more stern again.

"But sir, I've already done—"

"Don't back chat with me boy, don't think I can't administer further punishment at the end of the school year."

TJ leaves Prickly's office and debates with himself to even bother go back to his locker. With a slow walk through the hallway he reminisces on his years in Third street. Trips to the cafeteria, building Fort Tender with his friends, pranking King Bob, to saving summer vacation from Philium Benedict.

TJ faces the small set of lockers reserved for the fifth and sixth graders. He opens his locker reluctantly with his combination '10, 23, 8, 8'. It's the Señor Fusion action figure, the figurine, yellow converter gloves and Captain Electricity comics from the golden age sitting in the locker in its official collectors box. A note rests on the top and says:

'To TJ, my favorite pupil,

Don't ever change, live in the moment and always be a kid in spirit for your whole lifetime.

My collection will be more valuable if you keep it. Remember Right is Right. Fusion and you taught me that.

P.S lets golf someday when I retire.

Your friend,

Petie.'

TJ leaves his locker, then runs back and slams it shut. He beams as he runs back to Prickly's office ready to properly thank him, to take him more seriously or maybe less seriously. He doesn't know. TJ knocks his office door with no answer. It's locked. TJ meets Miss Lemon at reception.

"Excuse me, Miss Lemon, where's Principal Prickly?" asks TJ.

"He went to golf," Miss Lemon replies, stacking her typewriter away in a cardboard box. "He was supposed leave half an hour ago, the clocks all over the school aren't working properly."

The circus is still in full swing. Some kids have bought their parents, and the teachers are enjoying themselves. Nobody wants to leave. TJ, ecstatic and disappointed at the same time, goes back outside and climbs to the top of Old Rusty. He has no idea what time it is. Vince stands at the top looking down at everyone.

"What a day, man," says Vince, not turning around as he saw TJ climb up. "Can you believe we're gonna go to middle school and then high school?"

Like a bittersweet reminder it just hits TJ. He will never go to Third Street school ever again.

"Vince?" TJ asks him, making Vince finally turn around. "You promise to stay friends forever?"

"Best friends, man," says Vince, patting TJ on the back.

TJ smiles and looks down at the party with Vince. As the hand on the clock of Third Street school never reaches the end of recess.