I feel that the last chapter was somewhat uneventful so I'm going to try and make up for it here with more bonding time between our favorite little terror and his principal. That doesn't happen right away but it does take up a bulk of the chapter so hooray!

Ah folks I wish I can write a chapter everyday (oh how I wish I could) but I can't. I try but I keep thinking about the future of this story and that distracts me even though I'm on my laptop most of the time. I'm going to try to be at least half way through this story by the time school starts back up again because with being on the school newspaper and having a senior level class as a freshman, I might be too busy to update as much as I'd like. But I like to stay up late and we get out in April so it should balance out somehow since writing fanfiction is a stress relief.

This chapter takes place on the following day and I have to say that I'm trying my best with this legal stuff so bear with me here guys. Most of what I know from courts comes from Judge Judy and Judge Mathis. I only have a small amount of experience with courtroom dramas and that came from one assignment in creative writing (which I got a C on).

Read On!


"You all certainly have a case on your hands….."

After being told that they should find a lawyer for their son, as soon as they arrived home they went to work. Because he was the one in need of the lawyer TJ was forced to look for one in the directory while his parents called around and looked online. Of course this tasked bored him almost instantly and soon he wasn't really looking, just turning the pages to make it seem like he was looking. He sat at the kitchen table for the rest of the day and well into the night turning the pages and trying not to get out of his seat and leave. He tried telling his parents that it was school night and he had to go to school tomorrow, but with the school having caught on fire that argument didn't hold up. Around 11 p.m. his parents had managed to find a lawyer that could come over the next morning to discuss what needs to be done.

When the next morning came TJ entered the kitchen to see papers and files all over the table with his parents talking to who he assumed to be his lawyer. Walking past them to get to the cereal he listened to the conversation taking place.

"According to the police report the School Board wants to press charges against him," Said the men that appeared to be the lawyer. "They're going for arson. We have to wait for the preliminary hearing to see if they have enough to press charges and if they do then it's going to be really difficult to build a defense with his record."

"What a preliminary hearing?" Mrs. Detweiler asked him.

"It's when both sides, the defense attorney and prosecutor come together in front of the judge and the prosecutor gives somewhat of a 'preview' of the case they want to bring forward and basically gives both sides to know what exactly is going on. The judge decides whether or not they have a case and if they do, we come back in two weeks for the actual hearing," The lawyer explained. "They haven't set a date for the preliminary hearing yet but when I get the call I'll tell you all right away. But I am more than sure they'll have now problem convincing the judge to let them go forward with the case so I highly recommend building a defense now know that they'll have no problem with their side especially with his record. Until this whole thing is over your son needs to stay out of trouble. Anything he does can and will be used against him and that is the last thing we need to happen."

"I'm not making any promises," TJ said walking out of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal. "I fucking hate promises…." Sitting on the couch in the living room he continued to listen in on the conversation in the kitchen.

"Worst case scenario, they find a way to charge him as an adult," The lawyer said. "Because he's thirteen, it can be done in this jurisdiction. If they do, and I'm not sure if they will, we might have to take a plea bargain. Have him plead guilty and get less time. Let's say they want to put him away for…..five years. If we can reach a plea bargain then it might only be for two or three years. Even if they don't charge him as an adult the need for a plea bargain is still a real possibility."

"How can even blame me for this," TJ said as he put the bowl into the kitchen sink. "I didn't do anything! This is bullshit…" Leaving the three adults aloe he headed upstairs to get dressed. With the school burned down classes were cancelled until the School Board found a new place for everyone to go. After putting on his blue jeans, black shirt and open green button up, he carefully headed out the front door.

~*~LATER~*~

'Dammit, he locked the window.'

Standing outside of a window to him principals house, TJ was looking for a way inside. The window he would normally climb through was locked, as well as all the other windows on the first floor. He knew that the house wasn't empty; there was a car parked in the driveway. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was turn around and go back home, so he searched through the windows for any sign of activity. Not finding any, he decided to do the next best thing: ringing the doorbell. For a few minutes there was no response so he knocked again. This time it opened within seconds.

"What are you doing here, Detweiler?" Principal Prickly asked him. "After setting the school on fire I would think you would be locked up."

"They brought me in for interrogation yesterday, if that's anything," Said TJ. "Can I come in?"

"I don't know," Said the Principal. "Can I trust you?"

"Of course," He said with a smile. After a brief moment of silence passed, Principal Prickly let him come in. "So what's up with the school? It looks bad."

"It's not as bad as it looks," Prickly said. "The foundation is still good, and the burns on the wall are only on the surface. It should be repaired in month or two."

"So no school for two months?" TJ hopefully asked.

"You wish. The students are going to be transferred to another school or the community center until the repairs are done," He said. "Even after the fire there's still going to be school."

"I didn't do it," Said TJ as he roamed through the house. "I don't like the school but I didn't do it."

"I know that, Detweiler."

"….You do?"

"Yes. I know you wouldn't light the school on fire. It's not your style," Principal Prickly said. "I've known you for seven years, even if you do the really bad things I know what you're capable of and setting the school on fire isn't one of them."

"Thanks, I guess," TJ said looking around the room they were currently in. Looking around an old and small picture frame caught his attention. Picking it he wiped off the small amount of dust on the glass. Staring back at him was a boy, around the age of six or seven. His face, hands, and knees had dirt on them, perfectly matching the sloppiness of his black hair. In one hand he clutched the arm of a shaggy teddy bear and the other hand was waving at whoever was taking the picture. "Is this your son?" He asked, handing over the picture. He watched and waited for an answer as Principal Prickly patted off more of the dust.

"That's him," He said. "That's definitely Zack. Dirty as always."

"He looks like you," TJ said as he sat on the floor. "What was he like?"

"Like you," the Principal said sitting down next to him. "He played pranks, mostly whoopee cushions and hand buzzers."

"I remember when I used that stuff," TJ mumbled. "God I was such a fucking amateur…"

"Watch your language! I don't know what your parents put up with at home but you're not going to swear in my house."

"Sorry, sir."

"Good. Now, he was a lot like you. He played a lot of pranks but it was minor stuff. He was smart and he always tried to make me understand a point of his was trying to make." As he listened to what was being said, for the first time in months TJ sat still and showed genuine interest. For a long time whenever someone tried to tell him something he didn't care about what was being said. He didn't interrupt the entire time.

"I think," Prickly said, finishing off the story. "You two would've been best friends if you were the same age." TJ stayed quiet. "Why do you do the things you do Detweiler? Don't you know that it's bad and that it's hurting people?"

"Well I know it's bad," TJ told him. "And I know it hurts other people. I can write you a list of reasons why it's bad and why I shouldn't do it. But when I do it I don't care at all."

"You don't 'care'?"

"Not when I'm doing it," He said. "I still think its fun though. Why is it so bad that I wanna have fun my way?"

"Because it's hurting those around you," Said Principal Prickly. "Why is so hard for you to behave all of a sudden? You seem to have no problem behaving yourself around me."

"My parents aren't a threat to me anymore," TJ said. "I don't take them seriously. I think they've sort of given up 'cause they wanna send me away. But I'm not worried because the people there are gonna give up to and send me back. But I don't like behaving. I feel limited. I listen to you 'cause you're kinda like a role model and I respect you. You're not a threat. Anyways, what were you planning on doing today? I'm bored and I don't wanna go home."

"I was planning on painting the living room seeing that I don't have to go to work for the rest of the week."

"Oh. So can I help?"

"If you must, Detweiler. C'mon." The two of them stood up from their seats on the ground and headed to the living room where all the furniture was moved into the middle of the room and was covered with a sheet. After mixing the paint and pouring it into the pan they each grabbed a roller pin and began to spread the paint on the walls without saying a word for the first few minutes.

"Do you like being a principal?" TJ asked breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it's alright," Prickly said. "But then there's always that one student that gives you more trouble and headaches than necessary."

"Sorry about that," He said. "About me getting in so much trouble, and giving you headaches, and almost making you lose your job; sorry."

"Apology accepted," Said the Principal. "Just try to focus all the energy you put into something more constructive and everything will be fine."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something that'll reestablish the good side of you. Maybe religion. I hear that works wonders for kids."

"You're kidding, right? Religion? Do you know how much violence is in my religion? I'm Jewish; we killed Jesus. Doesn't get much more violent than that. But….you mean the good and nice parts right? There's a lot of that too. It's a good religion and everything but I guess I have some hostility towards it 'cause it missed out on my Bar Mitzvah."

"What do you mean you missed out? You're thirteen right? Weren't you supposed to have a Bar Mitzvah?"

"Yeah, but I was grounded and since it's basically a party my parents cancelled it. I can still have one but it's supposed to be when you turn thirteen 'cause that when I become a 'man.' At least in the eyes of the church," TJ said. "My arm hurts. Can I sit down?"

"Go ahead," Said Prickly talking the paint roller from him. "It doesn't have to be religion. It could be sports, it could be art, it could be debate, just something for you to focus on that isn't destructive. Or at least curb it. What you're doing now might seem fun, but you might find something else that's more fun than that. And you might be really good at it too. But what you're doing now is going to get you in more trouble than you can imagine and that doesn't have to happen. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here Detweiler?" No answer. Turning around he saw TJ laying on the floor asleep. "If you were going to fall asleep you should've went into the next room. At least then you wouldn't be blocking the wall."

~*~LATER~*~

"How long was I out….?" TJ asked no one in particular as he woke up. Looking at his watch he saw that it was only an hour and a half since he fell asleep. Standing up he saw that the walls of the rooms were now painted, minus the one he was sleeping against. "I would've moved if he told me to wake up…"

"I tried but you were knocked out," Prickly said a came into the room.

"Oh. I didn't get much sleep last night; that's probably why," He said. "I think I should be going home now. My parents probably wanna tell me what's going on with my case. I'll see you later, Principal Prickly."


RandallXSpinelli: I know 'cause it's like 'did he do it and lying about it or is he telling the truth' and you can't tell. D: that's what I was going for though. I've been doing MAJOR research on mental disorders and I think I found something(s) I can use here. I think. I hope you enjoyed the bonding in this chapter. Back when I watched the show when it originally aired (because I don't think it now) I always thought that there was a deeper reason the two of the got along so well (or why when they didn't). I used to have this idea that Prickly had a son but under circumstances that I never bothered to come up with he had to put him up for adoption when his son was still a baby and that baby just so happened to be TJ but neither of them knew it. :) Sound's really out there doesn't it?

Donna nnov: Ahh, those should be enough names, thanks. ;D I feel kinda bad when I do bad things to character (although that never lasts too long) even though they're not real people. But I dunno, they have to suffer I suppose. :D

Please Review!