Recess: Freshman Year Chapter 14: Poetic Justice, a recess fanfic

Recess High school years

Freshman Year: The retribution of James Stone

By Ruff Desperado aka King James

(Rated T for Teen)

Season 1 Episode 13 (Season Finale)

Mikey POV

How like a winter hath TJ's absence been. From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year. It's dark dark days. Tutor class has no life in it. Mr Dude looks vaguely into space. Everyone in class doesn't really say a word. Only the odd person asking each other for the time. This and that. It's not just TJ's absence that's caused everyone to feel down. There's no Spinelli to speak out in loud volumes about how she feels. There's no Troy who would hit her back with his loud crass demeanor. There's no Molly with her sweet and sensitive way to ground both Troy and Spinelli down again. Also there's no Maddie, who even though she's lost all recollection of who her friends are, she still knows what they mean to her.

"Mikey, Mikey, hey Mikey," someone whispers at me.

"Yes?" I answer turning my head around.

It's Ashley A. I was day dreaming. It's so quiet in class I can hear her whisper to me from all the way from the other side of the classroom. I get up and sit on Troy's seat. It's the table in front of Ashley A's. I turn the seat around so I'm facing her.

"Where's Troy?" Ashley A asks.

"He's out saving TJ with Spinelli and Gus," I reply.

"Oh," Ashley A goes. "He was supposed to be going to the dance with me. He promised. When will he, I mean, when will all of them come back?"

"I don't know," I reply.

The door of tutor class swings open. "Whoo! Wassup peeps?" Maddie shouts, greeting us all. Nobody reacts to her. "Who died?"

Tutor class eventually comes to a close. I make my way out to the hallway. It's the same thing. Everyone seems dreary. This year has gone too quickly. It's odd how I've changed so much since then. I've lost a ton of weight since the beginning of school. The acne on my forehead has faded. My poetry has become more literal, even if it did put me in trouble that one time, but I think it was worth it.

Maddie is hanging up the banner for the school dance. It's a sock hop dance. It has the theme of the swinging 60's. We're all supposed to wear 1960's clothes if we are gonna attend. Menlo is going up to people with an open jar with some dollars already in it. He goes back to his desk that has been set up in the hallway. The small sign hanging from the cloth covering his table says he's raising funds to get Dogs Pajamas to perform. They used to be an alternate hop-swing band before they turned into Indie disco and funk. Sam and Dave, when they were the Diggers back in Third Street, said that's what Dog's Pajamas genre was, before TJ and Vince shaved their long hair into that mess of a haircut. Fun times.

Menlo, whose sat back down, looks over at passers by. "All donations go to the Dog's Pajama fund!" he goes.

Ashley T and Ashley B come down the hallway to meet Ashley A whose been waiting near me by tutor class.

Ashley B is changing course. She's walking towards me. "Where's that chum of yours, Gus?" asks Ashley B at me. "He wasn't in tutor today. Is he all right? You two are always like, super-glued to each other so I thought I'd ask you."

"Um, with all due sincerity," I reply, "why are you even asking about Gus?"

"Hey!" Ashley B bangs. "I'm friends with Gus. I borrowed a pen from him when I didn't have one once." She storms away from me to go to Ashley A.

I didn't mean to insinuate she's not friends with Gus. I just didn't know she was generally concerned.

Ashley T puts some money in Menlo's jar before she goes to see Maddie on her ladder putting up the sign. She hasn't noticed me yet.

Menlo makes his way up to me. "Can I ask you something, Mikey?" Menlo asks. I nod back to him. "You've talked to Ashley A before."

"Yeah," I reply. "About a minute ago in tutor class."

"Do you know if she's going with anyone yet?" Menlo asks.

"No. She isn't actually. She was supposed to go with Troy but he's not here."

"You know what I think of her," says Menlo.

"Uh, I don't think I do," I reply.

"Well, nothings changed since elementary school. That hair. The way her name sounds. Ashley A. It still rolls off the tongue. She's still first in filings. Still first in my heart."

"That's beautiful, Menlo," I say.

"But what am I kidding? She'd never go to the sock hop with me," he says back, looking at her longingly.

"Love goes by haps, some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps," I say, reciting 'Much ado about nothing' from Shakespeare. "Love is sometimes just about being spontaneous. The fact that Troy is not here is probably fate aligning you two star crossed lovers together."

Ashley T comes up to us both. "Morning, you two," she says sweetly.

"Ashley T?" I ask her. "Would you, um—?"

"Yes!" she blurts out loud almost in a scream. She pauses at me. "You were asking me to the dance, right?" I actually was going to, so I nod back and smile. "Oh my god! That's totally like, cool. That's cool. I need to go back with the girls. We're gonna have such an amazing time."

Menlo turns at me bewildered. "How'd you do that? You didn't even get the question out all the way," he asks me. He looks over at the Ashley's. "All right. I'm gonna go for it." Menlo taps my arm and walks over to Ashley A. "Hey." Menlo calls her.

Ashley A looks back at him confused. "Er? Are you talking to me?" she asks.

"Ashley A. I was inquiring, I mean, more like asking, if there was any chance you'd wanna go to the sock hop dance with me, at all?" Menlo asks.

Ashley T and Ashley B giggle and move away to the side so that Ashley A and Menlo can have some alone time. Vince comes over to me, but he doesn't greet me as he's engulfed on what Menlo and Ashley A are saying too.

"Let me just stop you right there," says Ashley A, putting her hand out in a stop. "I'm gonna assume that you've lost your mind, so let me get you familiar with how its supposed to work. Boys like you don't talk to girls like me, and girls like me don't wanna talk to boys like you."

"Why can't you take a chance with a boy like me?" asks Menlo.

"Because I'm too pretty for you. Because you're weird-looking. Because you're a swell-head suck up snitch. But mostly, because I'd rather open mouth Señor Fusion kiss a homeless guy infected with a fatal disease, than even consider the possibility of touching your wiry, gangrenous, exceptionally vile, bad hair everyday, snaggle gap-toothed, specface. You smell me?"

Ashley A turns around and laughs towards the Ashleys.

Menlo looks embarrassed. He tries to smell Ashley A's hair while she's not looking, but gets too close as he treads on her shoe.

"Sorry," he says.

"Ugh! Did you just step on my Timmy Woos? Loser," Ashley A goes, as she walks off with the other two Ashleys.

Vince goes over to Menlo as I follow him. "Dude?" Vince asks him as he nudges his side.

"Menlo?" I ask. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, certainly," Menlo replies quickly in a clunky manner. He's looking right up at the ceiling.

"You can come with us, man," Vince goes on, rubbing Menlo's arm. "You don't need to be with an Ashley."

"Thanks for the offer," Menlo replies, still looking upwards. "But I have to come anyway, because I'm sorting out the music and entertainment, which I should really be getting back to. I have some paper work to file and my organizing is kind of taking a nose dive too so."

Menlo finally puts his head down straight. Tears flow out of his eyes. He was holding back tears. Menlo speed walks away from his desk where he's raising the funds.

Vince and I look at each other.

Poor Menlo.

It's the end of school. The day went so quickly but at the same time so drearily. I leave Gretchen and Geoffrey as I go to the bus stop. I set out to go towards the apartment side of Arkansas. I don't have to travel as far as I did when I went to River City. Now whenever I meet my dad, it's at a much shorter distance.

I'm here.

The place is really drawn out and dull looking. An abandoned church with a run down hostel right next to it.

Going inside, it has its doors open with people coming in and out. Lots of older people. A lot of backpackers. The residents are the same, if not kinda familiar, to the ones running the protests in River City that one time.

I pass by an open room. It's Dad and Marcus. They have a bedroom with two bunk beds, like a temporary looking one.

"Dad?" I ask him, standing by the doorway.

"Hey, Mikey," Dad replies, lifting his hand out to invite me in. "Once again you bask us with your presence."

"Hello Mikey," Marcus greets as well.

"Uh Dad, and I guess, Marcus?" I ask them both, walking inside their room. "Is there any other way, so we can not do this?"

"No," Dad replies. "Your mom and I both want full custody, but what we can't agree on is who you should live with. I'm not implying that by not picking either one of us you'll never see the other again. But you have to choose, Mikey. You either live with Marcus and I—"

Marcus grins and says, "And you get to have two dad's—"

"Or you live with your mom," Dad finishes. "Let me add. If you do choose us, we will pick out an actual apartment. It's already lined out, actually. If you don't want to live with us then, well, me and Marcus will continue to be drifters flowing our love of anti-war and peaceful protest. It's up to you."

"I need some air," I say.

I leave Dad's and Marcus' room. People walk passed me into other open doors. Backpack travelers of the sought. There's a guy walking passed me. He has a hood over his head. I've seen him before. At school and even further than that. I follow him down the hallway.

He closes his door behind him. I take a second to settle myself. I knock on it.

The door opens. It's James Stone. He looks at me lifeless.

"Heyyathere," I say out in a rush.

It comes out in a jumble.

James Stone doesn't respond. His hood is still over his head. His eyes look beady and tired.

I continue. "I, uh, know it might seem odd that I want to reason with you, but I think there's actually some good in your heart."

James grunts at me, closing his door slowly.

"And I think you feel bad for what you did," I say. James Stone opens his door again, looking intrigued. He has disguises and masks on the ground and hanging around his room. "I just wanted to say that I don't know what you're feeling right now, just like how you don't know how I'm feeling. I don't know your life or what you're going through. So I forgive you for what you did to TJ. I have no bitterness towards you. And if you ever wanted to do the right thing, I think we could find some level ground. So, what do you say?"

James Stone smiles at me. He puts his hand on my shoulder for a second. Could he be really contemplating a new friendship?

He lets go off my shoulder. He slams the door shut on my face. I stand frozen by his door.

I wait.

The door remains closed.

So much for reconciling.

It seems that Geoffrey has waited for me outside school, but everyone else is out here too.

"Mikey!" shouts Geoffrey, running at me.

"Hey, what's with all the commotion?" I ask, as I look at everyone talking amongst themselves.

"Schools closed," Geoffrey says. "Utterly. Completely."

"What you mean completely?"

"It's dead and gone. Kaput. Don't let the good lord hit ya where the good lord split ya. Over."

I walk over to the front of the school. The front entrance of the school is all boarded up with hard wood. On the wood blocking the door shut 'Thaddeus V closed forever' is written in red. There's B.O.E yellow tape around the front door too. Gretchen is bent down reading the notice to herself that's been left there. She looks shocked as she's covering her mouth with her hand as she reads it.

"But I've already bought my 60's style suit," I say.

"You're not the only one," says Geoffrey. "Um. Mikey can I ask you something? Something quite personal?"

"Okay."

"You know how I crushed so hard for Gretch all those years ago in elementary school?"

"Yeah."

"And how I said I think I will never recover from it? On how she swore payback, handcuffed me, and said I had to follow her in science club and help with her frog dissection?"

"Sure," I say, unsure where he's going with this. "You need help asking her to the—?"

"Mikey you're not getting it," he replies, shaking his head. "Okay. Let's imagine a guy lady bird likes another guy ladybird more than just friends, hmm, maybe lady birds are a bad example."

"Geoffrey!" I say, adamant.

"I'm gay, Mikey. I wanna date boys. My whole life flashed before my eyes when Gretchen tricked me into not loving her anymore. You know I still love her as friends, but I've never even liked a girl that way since then. And honestly I think boys are cute. I tried to tell you months ago—"

"That's what you tried to tell me in my garden."

"And again before you said it was a difficult subject for you," he replies. I move in, hug him, then let him go again. "I'm not even gonna go to the sock hop anyway. It's too, I dunno, hetero, like, I mean, I don't know if they'll be accepting if I wanted to go with a boy. That's why I'm not going. I'd be lying to myself if I went with a girl."

"You're like my best friend here," I say. "You have to come."

"You and I both know that's not true. You and Gus. Spinelli, Vince. Gretchen! TJ! Oh, well, you know. Mikey, I'll only go if you come with me. For moral support."

"Okay. Yes. Of course."

Geoffrey leaves.

I look across the high school green and see Ashley T. She lets out a subdued smile across at me.

Um. Uh.

Oh no! Ashley T's my date. I forgot. Why do I keep forgetting these things?

"Uh! Damn it!"

I'm spending time alone with my regrets of what could have been. I fiddle my fingers around my keyboard. Nothing coherent. Just some random notes on the keys. All my inspiration have deteriorated. There's a knock on my bedroom door.

Mom makes her way in anyway, before I even say come in.

"Mikey-baby?" she asks. "Are you just gonna stay in your room all night?"

"I think," I reply.

I turn around at her as I sit on the edge of my bed.

She sits next to me. "I'm sorry your school closed, honey, but you can't blame yourself."

"But Mom," I reply. "I was supposed to have the sock hop tonight. There was only one day of school left. Tomorrow. Now there's no way it's gonna happen."

"Honey," Mom starts. "You know when you came home and told me that you got detention, you know what my first thought was?" I shake my head. "I thought. Wow. My son can actually get in trouble. I was impressed."

"Mom," I laugh.

"Sometimes, honey, things don't always plan out the way you want them to. Sometimes you spend a long time in denial saying to yourself 'it's okay', 'everything will fall into place', but that doesn't always happen. Sometimes you should just do what you need to do, no matter how much you thought you loved that person," Mom says. She pauses and carries on. "This dance you're having means a lot to you. You want that dance, then go have it."

"What?" I ask. "But Mom, it's—"

"Still there," she says, getting up from my bed. "It's closed off but the school is still standing, isn't it? I strongly doubt they could put all three hundred students or so in detention." She takes out my 60's suit and puts it up against her chest. "Besides, you'd look so handsome in this."

I look back at Mom.

She smiles back.

Ready or not I head towards Vince's house. I knock twice on his front door.

Vince reveals himself from around the door. He beams a wide smile back at me.

"Mikey!" he greets out loud.

"Hey Vince," I reply back. "You, erm—?"

"Hol' up," Vince interrupts, putting his hand up in a pause. "Who tagged you in? Was it Wylie?" he asks. He turns around inside. "Aye Wylie! You sore loser!"

"No, I'm here because—"

"Herk sent you?" Vince asks again. "Well, playing with four people with widescreen's just as good."

Vince walks back as he lets me in. I make my way inside his house. What is Vince talking about? I lose my shoes and follow Vince as he goes up his staircase.

I enter his bedroom. The two friends of his he was yelling to from earlier are in here. Herk and Wylie. They all have wireless controllers in their hands, playing video games with a gigantic television in front of them. It's almost too big for the room, let alone the side wall. I wonder how Vince could have afforded this. It must have been a gift for winning the football golden cup or something.

Vince turns over to his friend Herk. "You wanted it to be two on two," he goes. "The scrawny versus the colossus."

"Huh?" Herk replies all confused. "I never called Mikey."

Herk and I have never talked together at high school let alone has he ever called me before.

Vince turns to Wylie.

"Nope," Wylie says sensing Vince look at him but not turning around.

Vince looks back at me.

"I've been trying to say, I've come here on my own accord," I explain to him. "I wondered if you wanted to get the dance back."

Wylie and Herk laugh at me.

Vince doesn't laugh but it looks like he's about to. "Have you heard yourself?" he asks, sitting down on the foot of his bed, picking up his controller. "We dodged a freaking bullet. The dance is dead. That sorta stuff are just for the girls anyway. Just chill with us tonight, man."

"I don't want to. These dances are supposed to be special. A coming together. Not just the awkward chaperoned slow dancing, but the beauty of a banquet."

Wylie looks unconvinced. "Doesn't sound as good as obliterating some intestine-chewing-corpses from beyond the grave," he says.

Herk ignores Wylie and looks at me. "School's closed," Herk reiterates.

"It only will be if we let it," I reply.

"Okay," Vince sighs, dropping his controller. He moves up to his small cupboard, taking out his varsity jacket and putting it on. "Let's open it back up then. I'm sure the team can bum rush the school or something."

Wylie laughs still focused on the screen. "Are you joking?" Wylie asks. "We can't just leave and likely get into a heap of trouble just cause Mikey wants a dance."

"Mikey's my best friend," Vince argues, enunciating each word with meaning. "If he needs me, he needs me. End of. Besides, you actually have a date tonight."

"With Susan," Herk finishes.

Vince continues in Wylie's direction. "Anything that can stop your unhealthy infatuation with Ashley Q and move on to a new girl, whose quite cute by the way, is worth getting in trouble for," he says. He looks back at me. "So, what did Gretch say?"

"I haven't seen her yet," I reply.

"'Kay," Vince says very slowly looking stumped I've come to see him first. "You meet her and we'll meet you outside the school." He moves up to me and taps my arm. "We're gonna do this."

Wylie sits there shaking his head, looking beside himself having been so comfortable before I came. Herk gets up himself. Vince parts his head encouragingly for me. I take that as a signal to continue on to Gretchen's. I head back down his stairs. I collect my shoes and leave through his front door.

I carry back on foot.

I walk through the neighborhood.

Gretchen is about four blocks away from Vince's. She really does seem to be the furthest person in proximity away from everyone else in our group. It does make me appreciate when she could go to any school, yet she decides to stay with us.

Working up a bit of a sweat, I reach her house. Good ole' reliable Gretchen. How it used to vex me so how she lives in walking distance of the Floppy Burger. But now that feeling of jealousy has more than subsided.

I ring her doorbell.

She answers it with haste.

"Greetings Gretchen," I say.

Gretchen looks perplexed at me. "Mikey? Are you okay? What you need help with?"

"Specifically?" I ask her. She nods her head. "I need help with opening the school long enough to bring back the sock hop dance."

"Oh," Gretchen sighs. She thinks in deeply and her eyes soften. "Come in." She opens the door for me as I walk inside. She closes the door behind me. She starts pacing around. "Well, I propose you contact the leaders of the different affiliates of school. That can give you less time inviting people and more time getting the school ready. Have you thought of that? The school will need music, decorations, catering and have you thought of how to get inside the school?"

"Vince is doing it," I reply.

"Hmm, okay," Gretchen goes, taking her finger from her chin and stopping her short strides. She looks down along her house. "Mom! I'm going out!"

With an opening of an office door, Mrs Grundler comes out. "Where will that be?" she asks Gretchen.

Gretchen looks back at me and then her mom again. "To the mall," she lies back.

"At this hour?" her mom replies.

"The arcade to be specific," Gretchen adds. "It doesn't close until really late."

Mrs Grundler prompts us to follow her into her office. She takes a picture of Gretchen and pins it on to her large board timetable. There seems to be other pictures of her patients there too. Some I recognize. Maddie from school has a picture on there with a tick by her name saying 'cured'. Bradley from school has a picture with a question mark beside it. She takes a pen up and starts writing.

"Average duration?" she asks, waiting with her pen.

"Three hours or so," Gretchen replies.

"Primary reason?" her mom asks.

"Recreation, you know, hanging out."

Gretchen's mom fills up the information on her board. Her face suddenly shifts into a soft smile.

"Okay," her mom says, popping the marker's cap back on to the pen. "Have fun."

Gretchen and I exit the office again. We wait by the stairs as Gretchen goes up to her bedroom.

I'm left alone with Mrs Grundler.

I smile. She just stares at me. I look away from her. It's a bit awkward.

"So, Mikey," she starts.

"Yes?" I reply.

"Do you have any emotional problems, insecurities or dilemmas you want to talk about?"

"Um," I say, scratching my hair. "None that I can think of."

Now that I think about it. There are. I can solve my own problems for the time being though.

She leaves me and goes back into her office, closing it shut. Gretchen comes back downstairs as she swings her coat on.

We walk outside together.

"I'll meet you at school," says Gretchen. She types on her phone. "These are the addresses of the leaders of every group in high school." She clicks send. She walks ahead of me as I stand still. "Late."

I walk the other direction.

I feel in my pocket the text Gretchen just sent me.

I'm lying to myself. I very do much have a dilemma. Do I let down a great girl who very much is into me? Or do I say no to a friend who needs my help at being accepted? For the time being I'll treat it like a homework assignment and just keep procrastinating.

I go on pursuit for the leaders. My first text direction leads me outside of the Quick-O mart. That can't be right. There's no other doors for any houses or anything.

The sliding doors open up before me. I walk in. This doesn't make any sense.

I go up to the till. Sue Bob Murphy's reading from a magazine.

She looks away from what she's reading. "Hey," she says. "What can I do ya for?"

"I'm in the wrong place, obviously," I reply, shaking my head.

"Huh?" she goes, putting her magazine to the side. "Someone give you the wronguns in the directions? Who was it? I might know him or her."

"You do," I reply. "Gretchen."

Sue Bob Murphy laughs. She stops when she see's me just staring back. "She's always right, and she's not one to play games," she says. "Oh!" She slaps the counter in thought. "Lemme guess. She gave you Jimmy's addy, right?"

I'm too confused to nod. Sue shouts out Jimmy's name. She goes back to what she's reading. With the sound of footsteps from creaking stairs, someone emerges from the back. Jimmy. The former Guru kid, who pretty much governs the United Nerds at school, comes out.

"Yes?" he replies to Sue. She doesn't reply, she just flicks through random pages and grunts, nodding her head towards me. Jimmy finally sees me. "Mikey. Hello?"

"Hi," I reply, jaggedly.

I didn't expect someone to live inside of a store like this. Or least, upstairs from it. Jimmy looks back at me expectantly.

"Um," I continue. "I'm getting everyone together. From school. The dance is back on."

"Okay, sounds good, liberating even," Jimmy says, "I'll be sure to tell the others."

I smile back. Jimmy goes back upstairs where I can hear more of his family up there. I walk back up to the store's entrance.

Sue Bob Murphy clears her throat at me. "Excuse me!" she says.

I turn back around.

"You're not gonna invite me?" she continues.

"Sorry, it's only really supposed to be for us, the students at Thad High," I reply.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," she goes, flicking harder through her magazine until she reaches the end of it and starts from the beginning again. "Would be nice to give me a heads up or something."

I apologize but Sue doesn't forgive me. She doesn't say anymore as she serves other customers who come up to her.

I leave the store and continue back on foot.

I pass through a set of houses. A nice modest looking house. My next text leads me to this house. The garden looking well kept. Better than the front of my house. I get up to the door and hit doorbell on it. The house buzzer plays a really joyful tune.

A cheery-looking lady and opens it up for me. "Hello?" she asks me.

"Hi ma'am," I reply, unsure where to go with this as there's no indication on whose house this is. "I'm sort of here from Thad high, and I'm—"

"Oh, okay," she says, cutting me off. She puts her hand by her mouth. "Oh, Noah!"

Noah? I don't think a Noah comes to my school.

Happy giggling little children come by the lady's side. The ages of elementary and middle school children. The older father of the family comes out too trying to listen in. They're all holding board game cards. Almost an entire family is in front of me. All of them flourishing in blonde and brunette hair.

Drake comes out begrudgingly. A slow dead pace like he always has. His hair is dyed black again. He looks over at me. He almost smiles. Drake's a Noah.

"Hi, um, Noah," I start.

"Drake," he corrects, back at me. He screws his eyes back at his family. "Well, you people just gonna eaves on my convo or what?"

His family move away from the door. It's just me and Drake, from the emo kids, alone with each other by the door.

"I won't tell anyone at school," I say, noticing this must be embarrassing for him.

"What?" Drake replies, looking confused and so apart from his family. "Just don't call me Noah, Mikey, that's all. So, you come to switch families?"

"Not today," I reply with a chuckle. Drake's face doesn't change from his sulk. I make a straight face too. "The school dance. We're gonna do it now, so I wanted to tell you in person."

"Great," Drake says back to me, still in his lazily monotone voice. "I'm ecstatic. I'll tell my friends. They'll be happy too."

He closes the door at me.

I head back on my travels to the next house.

The house is multicolored in green, yellow and red. It's a lot more of a smaller house than Drake's, I mean Noah's, or even mine, Jimmy's too, but to be fair, Jimmy lives above the Quick-O mart and I didn't get to really see it.

I knock against the door of this shack.

Fingers Malloy answers the door. "Mikey Blumberg. What is good, my man?"

He lets me inside. His house is really nifty. The doors have bead curtains coming down in front of the open doors.

I explain to Fingers what I'm here for.

"All right," he says nodding his head at me. "Sounds feasible."

I head to my final house. It's no secret on who it's going to be. Well, not right now as I can see. There's only one person it could be now. Deshay. The last place to go is the school itself. Not just because that's where I'll meet Gretchen and Vince, but because that's where the accommodation for the tech kids are.

It's a big suburban home. The garden looks straight and perfect like at the football field at school. If an Ashley lived in a smaller house than the mansions I've heard they live in, it would be like this.

I press the doorbell. No answer. I do it a couple more times to no avail.

I don't like to bother people too much. But I don't care. There's no time to dwindle. There's still a school dance to organize. I look through the windows of the house to see if there's any life. I can't see anyone. I can just hear the sound of drums, guitar riffs, and piano keys coming from the garage on the side of the house. Maybe that's why they can't hear me.

I knock on the garage door.

The door lifts open. It's Deshay. Behind him is another guy on drums, a guy on a keyboard, and a girl with a guitar hanging from her strap as she fiddles with her microphone stand.

"Hi," I say to Deshay, who treats me like I'm not even here.

"Aiight, lets just freestyle something," Deshay says to his band. "Jam a little."

The girl, who looks like a vocalist, unwinds the cords from her arms. "I'll do, um, spin the bottle," she says.

"I'll rap this time," Deshay says.

His band members moan.

"Hey," Deshay says at them. "We can do pop this time, aiight? I'll put my freaking hatred of it to the side for once, okay?"

"Okay," she replies. "I guess we'll do the same thing for your rapping." She air quotes with her fingers.

The drummer hits a ba dum tss straight after she says that. Ba dum of the snare drum, and Tss of his cymbal.

Deshay sighs. The three of them fiddle a bit with their instruments until coming together with a similar sort of sound. The guy on the keyboard plays out synths from the chords. The drummer hits out a beat. A groove assimilates from them both. The girl in the band ignores her guitar for the moment and moves to her microphone.

"Spin the bottle," she sings, in auto-tune.

The music gets faster into a groove. The sounds are spacey and almost futuristic like. It makes me feel forward to summer.

"We put the—" she sings in her natural singing voice, before being cut off by Deshay.

"Uh, Deshay on the rise,

South side of the ark, mister beating the rhymes,

This time got me rocking on a mainstream track,

The flow starts then we both start following that,

Co-stars and the dote starts flowing from that,

They call me one trick pony, they didn't know I could rap,

I don't even write rhymes, they just throw on a track,

The whole writing thing was holding me back,

She said "hell nah!" to a date, spraying with mace,

A world without me is like food without taste,

A world without me is like you without a face,

I used to daydream and fall towards space,

Shooting to be a star,

Music will take you far away,

When destined to be the one, less Finn than Rey,

So let it go, let it go, like Queen Arendelle would say,

The world is a stage, there's parts to play,

Gon' kill it. Come on," Deshay goes, now finally indicating the girl vocalist to sing.

She sings, "I'm like lightning in the niiight,

Put this lighting in you're eeeyes,

Bottles gon' keep on spinning, till we're kissing, it's all right with meee, yeah,

Put the lighting in the bottle, spin it."

"Heeell yeah!" they all go.

"Put the lighting in the bottle, spin it," she sings back.

"Heeell yeah!"

"Put the lightning in the bottle, lightning in the bottle, lightning in the bottle, spin it, yeah, yeah."

They continue to jam until the song dies down.

That was amazing. It was really passionate in areas and it took me away. The great rhythm and percussion was mesmerizing.

"That was—" I begin to say.

"Pure suckage?" the girl singer asks.

"I thought it was good," Deshay goes.

I agree with him.

"You have to take over all the time," she says.

"Who bought you guys all these instruments?" Deshay asks all of them. They don't respond. "Yeah. Me." He continues as they all look at the instruments they're holding. "Whose garage are we using to practice? Yeah. Mines. Who drives us to different talent shows? Yeah. I do."

"Well, actually," goes the guy on the keyboard. "Your mom does."

The drummer does a Ba dum tss again.

Deshay walks away from his band and leaves through a door that looks like it leads inside house. He slams it shut. His band members don't even look fazed.

"Looks like we're a band member short," the girl singer says. She looks at me. "Can you play?"

"Um," I go.

I ponder what it would be like to be in a band.

Deshay returns back from the door. "Mikey!" he shouts at me. "Come!"

I smile back at his band members and go through the door.

Deshay's home is pretty big. The wooden floors are shiny. Deshay's disappeared again so I take initiative and just go up his large staircase.

I hear some music coming from an open room playing out loud. I go inside. Deshay is sitting on his bed, facing up, scrolling though his phone. I notice the music is coming from a spinning vinyl record. His room has a lot of old memorabilia in it.

"Nice room," I say.

Deshay doesn't reply.

I hold up the case for the record that's playing. It's a Steely Dan vinyl called 'Can't buy a thrill.'

"This sounds really good," I say, listening to it. "Hey. We could play this at the school dance."

"What?" Deshay says, sitting upright. "Is that why you came over? It's coming back?" I nod. "Well, its from the seventies not the sixties, so." He goes back on his bed. He chuckles. "A 60's style sock hop dance. You know, back then, that's when the hipsters were actually a serious movement. If everyone's gonna be dressed for the sixties its just gonna fall on the hype train again. I think I was born in the wrong decade sometimes." I nod and smile. Deshay rolls over to face me again. "Okay, I know I try too hard with this stuff. I just wanna be different, you know?"

"I understand."

"I'll tell the rest of the hipsters about the dance," he sighs.

I leave to the door. "I'll see you later," I say.

"Mikey!" Deshay shouts back. "I'm probably not gonna come. Cause, uh, you know." He avoids my eye contact. "Those damn posers at school, right? Everyone's gotta like the 60's now."

I walk back and pat him on his arm. I make way down his staircase and reach his front door. That's odd. I can only hear the music coming from Deshay's room now. The garage is silent. The band has stopped playing without him. Only the seventies music playing.

'You go back Jack do it again,

Wheel turnin' 'round and 'round,

You go back Jack do it again.'

I leave through the front door.

I reach the school. The big reinforced thing on the door of the school has been caved in. It must've been the jocks. They couldn't wait. It's all over the ground with a big hole where it must have been charged into.

Wow. This is really happening.

I walk inside the school. I walk passed the lockers. I take a glimpse in the gym. Gretchen is talking with the fourteen or so jocks. I make an eye exchange with Gretchen. She smiles back at me and flicks her eyes for me to carry on with what I'm doing. I walk out through the doors to where we have recess.

I go passed the bleachers. There's a building where the foreign students live. I walk inside the accommodation. There's short hallways with nice carpet. It's much more well kept than the hostel Dad lives in with Marcus. It reminds me of a college campus.

The tech kids walk passed me with bags on their backs, and rolling their luggage. They say quick byes to me as they walk to where I just entered. Am I too late? There's only one door left with luggage all packed sat beside it. Kumiko comes out of that door. She raises her head with a nod at me. She closes the door behind herself.

"Hello Kumiko," I say to her. "What's going on?"

"We're being kicked out of school, that's what's going on," Kumiko moans, taking her bag.

"You think you can make the sock hop dance?" I ask her. "We've decided to do it now. I've been round my friend's houses, so we know—"

"Mikey," she says, stopping me. "Please tell me I'm the first person you went to come see?" Kumiko asks back, rather than answering me.

"No, I mean—"

"You're not Santa Clause, Mikey. You're not going to hit up every house before the dance," she says. She puts her hand out. "Give me your phone."

"Erm, but why?"

"Now," Kumiko orders.

I dig in my pocket and give her my phone. She looks oddly at it, then looks at me. She's not impressed by my cheap phone by the looks of it. She flicks through it with lightning fast fingers.

"Wait," she goes, looking confused at my phone. "Don't you have Whaddown?"

"No," I reply. "I just use text."

"Amateur."

She downloads the app and the updates for me. She explains that she's connecting every person in school into a group chat, with the dance as the subject, and me as the admin. She hands it back.

"We'll come," she says, affirmatively.

She's probably speaking on the tech kids behalf.

I turn back around. I feel a deep rumble in my pocket.

"Ow!" I go, reaching for my phone and taking it out.

I'm getting a hundred notifications. It's like Kumiko put my phone's vibrations on the highest settings too.

"And Mikey?" Kumiko sighs. "You could go to one more house. Maddie Feldman. She may be a dumb, big-mouth, lesbian, chauvinist. But she's good."

I look in front of the mirror. I fix my lapels. There's still time. Everyone knows about the dance by now. The suit feels snug on me.

I go downstairs. Mom looks back at me as she waits by the door. She gives me a hug and lets me go. It the sort of the feeling I got when I grew out of Bonkies for the second time and I started taking the school bus without her.

I head to the bus stop. It's been helping me get from house to house so far. But the later it's getting, the longer the waiting times are becoming. I stand in my 60's suit. No bus is in sight.

I car drives slow in front of me. I've seen that car before, especially the guy that's driving it. It's Spinelli's older brother, Joey. He stops in the middle of the road.

"Hey," Joey greets gleefully, not even batting an eye at me with a huge grin. He finally has a look at me. "What you doing?"

"I'm waiting for the bus," I reply.

"Yuh, I can see that," he goes. He peeks out his window and emphasizes with his head looking from left to right with no bus coming at all. "Jump in."

"It's all right. I'm already—"

"Just get in, man."

"You really don't have to," I say, stepping forward towards him as he looks so calm, as other cars start driving around him. "What if where I'm going isn't on the way you're going—?"

"Mikey," Joey tuts, shaking his head. "Think about it. If I was standing on the side of the road, and you pull up in a nice-ass car like mine, would you offer me a ride?"

"Yes of course."

"Then shut up and get in," he says. He pauses and smiles. "Homie."

I get in to the passenger side. Joey drives on.

"You look all spruced up," he says. "What's with the get up? Was your connecting bus a time machine?"

"It's for the dance," I explain.

I tell Joey all about what I've been doing this afternoon.

"Taking it by the scruff of the neck," Joey goes. "Me likey. So, where's the next destination for ya?"

"Maddie Feldman," I reply. "She lives—"

"29 Rockville ave," Joey says on the fly. "Yeah. I know all my sisters friend's houses by now. The tall blonde one that can't shut up."

He drives me there. I sit in the car just outside Maddie's home. I don't move.

"What's up?" Joey asks.

I confide in Joey about my dilemma. Not whether I'm gonna choose my mom over my dad to live with or vise versa, but my other problem I've dug myself in. Promising to go to the dance with two people.

"Well, I've dated two people at the same time before," Joey says, looking through his car's window. "But it ain't even like that, is it? It's either your lady friend or your homie. Hmm, well, it would be no problem for me, I'd choose the young honey every time. She's rich, you know?"

"Yeah, but if I don't go with Geoffrey it would feel like I'm not supporting what he's going through," I say.

"Then go with your friend," Joey says. He's not that much of a help in this. "You'll figure it out. Or you won't, and you'll just go to the dance with both of them at the same time until they both find out. Same diff."

I get out the car with a sigh.

"Don't sweat it, big fella," Joey says, "I'll be right here when you get back."

He relaxes as he puts his arm out the window. Just like Spinelli, they have the uncanny ability to be super relaxed about almost everything, but with a short temper that's ready to snap at any moment.

I head up to Maddie's house and knock on her door. No answer. I do it a few more times. I'm a lot more earnest today, like a salesman. I guess I have been selling the idea of everyone going to the sock hop tonight.

"Mom! The door!" I hear being yelled from inside.

There's no answer again except for Maddie shouting.

"Mom!" Maddie shouts again. "Someone's at the door! Do I have to do everything around—!" She opens the door and notices it's me. "Oh, hey Mikey. Nice suit."

"Thank you," I reply. "I don't know how to really ask you, so here it is. I need—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Maddie says, waving her hands. "Hey now, you know I'm a girl that likes girls. I'm just putting it out there."

"Yeah, I know that, Maddie," I say, still standing outside with Maddie by the door. "I need someone to organize the sock hop dance, and I thought—"

Maddie gasps covering her mouth saying, "And you thought of me. Thank you. That's so sweet of you. But to be honest there's not really anyone else that could do it, but I'm still honored." She pauses. "Okay. Lets go. No time to lose." She takes her coat from the hanger and shuts the front door behind her.

She walks ahead of me.

"Hey!" I shout, as I catch up to her. "Aren't you supposed to tell your mom where you're going?"

"Shotgun!" Maddie says, as she goes in the front seat of Joey's car. I head to the back seat. "My mom's too busy with her yoga classes to know I've gone. It's no problemo."

Joey trades a smile with me off the reverse mirror. He begins to drive off again.

"Have you read the sort of things that they're saying on the Whaddown group chat?" Maddie asks. She caries on before I can answer. "There's over three hundred people on it. It's insane. People who don't even say two words with each other at school are now saying the most banging banter like they've been hanging out together all year. Which we know they haven't. The whole school's trading off in gossiping and junk. I must've screen snapped two or three pages already. I can see how the old Maddie was now. You know?"

Joey looks confused when she says, 'old Maddie'

Maddie brainstorms ideas to herself saying, "The Ashleys can order the catering on speed dial." She turns to me. "Hows you and Ashley the-nice-one doing? We going to her place next?"

Joey and I trade glances again.

"I promised her and Geoffrey that I'd go with both of them, and they both don't know I promised to go with the other," I reply.

"Shut up!" Maddie gasps.

Maybe telling Maddie was the wrong idea.

"Well, you have to tell the truth, Mikey," says Maddie. "If you go to the person you're not going with first, you can save the good news for the other. It would be a lot easier that way. The worst thing you could do is not tell them. It crosses a bond of trust when you're lying that you may be unlikely to put back together so easily."

I'm surprised. Maddie actually said something really mature. Joey looks shocked as well by that.

We're outside school. Maddie gets out of the car. I make my way out too.

"No," Maddie says, leaning by the car's window at me. "What you think you're doing?"

"Sorting out the dance," I reply.

"Uh uh," Maddie goes, like the sound for a wrong answer on a buzzer. "You have to explain to them face to face. It's the only way."

I get out of the car. I stand up against Maddie. She narrows her eyes and crosses her arms.

I get back in the car.

Joey doesn't look when he says, "Good choice."

Joey drives me until I'm outside Geoffrey's house. I leave the car with a soft shut of the door. I head towards his home and ring his door bell.

Geoffrey reveals himself. "Hey, Mike the mauler," he says. "No, I'm joking. Kindergarten was a long time ago, weren't it?"

"I have something to tell you," I begin.

"I'm so glad we're going together. I know it's weird. Way out of nowhere. But you're doing so much for me. My family knows I'm gay now. The whole shebang. I couldn't have done this without you."

"That's great, it's just—"

"I don't know what I 'd do if I didn't have this. The last time we'll all be together. I don't know what I'd do if something would change that. I think that's what really freaked me out about Drake's poem all those months ago. It reminded of me of self harming myself. I was so far gone. This dance now is actually everything. So what did you come over to say, pal?"

"Um," I say, lost with what to say. "I'll see you there."

Geoffrey smiles and closes the door on me.

I trudge back to the car and sit next to Joey.

I sit in silence.

"So," goes Joey at me. "How'd he take it?"

I just look back at Joey and don't say anything. I think he took that as, I blew it.

He drives outside of Ashley T's house, nonetheless.

The rumors were true. It hits me in the face. Ashley's T's house is a mansion.

I go towards her house. The cars parked outside of the house look so expensive. Everything looks as if a server has cleaned everything, and that's just the outside parts so far. I press her doorbell.

I slowly feel all wrong. I don't wanna hurt lovely Ashley.

The door swiftly opens.

It's Ashley T's little brother. Tyler Tomassion. He looks up at me. He must be, twelve, and be in the seventh grade by now. I think. He looks me up and down eating 'a million dollar' bar. Twice as expensive as any other candy bar.

I smile at him. "Hi there," I greet.

Tyler just eats his chocolate bar, staring back at me.

"Is Ashley in?" I ask.

Tyler walks away as he leaves the door open behind him.

Ashley T looks at Tyler and goes around him as he enters inside, having not noticed me yet. "Why are you leaving the door open like that?" she says, heading over to close it.

I waltz inside.

Ashley T pauses mid stride with her mouth slightly gaping open at me. She runs up to me and hugs me. "What are you doing here?" she asks.

She takes me by the arm. My shoes squeak against the marble floor of the house. The front door is left open. I'm lead inside her kitchen.

"Mom, Dad," Ashley says to her parents, "this is Mikey."

Her father greet me first saying, "How do you do?"

He takes my hand to shake.

"Hello dear," Mrs Tomassion says, before kissing each of my cheeks.

"It's a pleasure," I reply, scratching my hair, feeling out of place. "Your lovely abode mirrors perfection."

Mr Tomassion says, "Hm, okay." He looks back at his daughter approvingly. He turns to me again. "So, I hear your school has fallen to the unfortunate mishap of Thaddeus' mismanagement."

Mrs Tomassion nods her head in agreement, saying, "Tragic, really."

A girl, older than Ashley comes in, saying, "Could you guys at least try not to sound so posh whenever we have guests?"

"Mikey, this is Cece," Ashley says, "my sister."

Older sister? That can't be right? Can it? She does very much look like Ashley with their shared eyes and complexion. Except Cece's hair is straight where as Ashley has wavier hair.

Cece looks odd at me. "You're Ashley's date?" she asks. "And you two actually study in the same year?" She looks over at Ashley as she takes a muffin from the table. "You sure can pick 'em, sis."

Ashley takes me by the arm again. I follow her inside her house. There's so much room. We enter a room with a dim light. I think Ashley's bringing me here to kiss, but I see Tyler and her younger sister Brittany are already there. Tyler is back at eating his chocolate bar.

It's a theater room. Her cinema screen has got Vince's TV screen beat. They're in the middle of watching a Billy Blaisedell movie.

Ashley sits on the sofa. She puts her hands under her chin and stares right at me.

I look back at her. "I thought all the Ashleys shared the uncanny similarity of all having one younger brother and one even younger sister with the same names," I say.

"Sure we do," replies Ashley.

"Shh!" Brittany goes with her finger on her lips.

Tyler ignores them both and just puts the volume up higher.

Ashley carries on moving closer to me. "But you don't expect all us Ashley's to be exactly the same do you?" she asks.

"No," I reply. "I guess not."

Ashley T takes a popcorn from the table in front of her before she goes on. "Ashley A just has a brother and a sister, but she pretty much acts like she's an only child. Ashley B was an only child until her parents adopted Brittany and Tyler from an orphanage. And as for Ashley Q, she has the biggest family. Two or three older brothers and sisters. I can't really remember. A big, you know, Irish family, that's her. But we don't wanna be those mean girls anymore. I actually try to count my like usages now."

"Don't," I say, "I think it's cute."

Ashley moves in even closer.

Tyler makes a noise watching the movie.

"I need to get changed if I'm ever going to get to the dance on time," says Ashley, getting up on her feet. "I should of started getting dressed an hour ago. You can stay here. Pig out in the kitchen. Our maid's somewhere. Or you can, like, walk around the house. It's so big, by the time you come full circle, I might be dressed by then."

"Erm, Ashley?"

"Yeah?"

I bite my lip. "Nothing," I say.

"Okay," she replies smiling wide. "I have to go. You're a guest. So anything you want, just ask Salbatora."

I watch the movie for a second. I get up.

The family lets me explore the house. It's gigantic. Different rooms seems to cater for different events. There are three or so dining rooms so far. A chandelier in the hallway. A swimming pool in the back garden doesn't seem to have any water in it though. Still, there's a lot of space. A lot of green for a back garden. It's like a forest.

I enter one of the empty rooms.

There's a grand piano. I haven't been next to one of these for a long time. Just my keyboard I fiddle with at home. I take seat by it.

I sit still in deep thought. The phone eventually goes silent. I've got over a thousand notifications. Good grief!

I feel my fingers on the piano, putting my phone to the side. I think of everything that's happened. Everything that could happen later tonight. Thinking I need to change schools soon and hold on to my best friend's for dear life. I hit the piano keys with soft reverb but harsh precision. Constructing patterns in space and time. Trading with both my fingers. Sharing tunes off of the black and white stripes. From my mind to my heart. My soul to my body. Like how I need both Mom and Dad in my life. Like how I need both Geoffrey Luciario and Ashley Tomassion in the dance.

My phone goes crazy. It spazes around the table uncontrollably. It's a message from Maddie.

I press down the keys hard. Letting all my disappointment, my nerves, my ache, leave my body in music. Feeling each one hit one after the other.

I drag my finger across the black and white keys.

I snatch up my phone.

I walk back to the front of the house. I look back up at the open stair case. Cece and Mrs Tomassion are putting on Ashley T's dress from the back zipper. I let out a sigh. I have one last look at her and leave through the front door.

I meet Joey again in his car.

He needs no indication.

He drives me back towards school.

Joey stops the car a little bit of a distance away from the school. Maybe I can have a little think with a brisk walk. Joey puts his fist out for me. I bump his knuckles with mine.

I love Spinelli's big brother, Joey. He's everybody's big brother.

"Do the damn thing tonight, big fella," Joey says to me, as I step out of his car. I look back at him. "You got this. It's you man. It's you." He gives me one more parting look. "I'll see you around, Mikey."

He drives away.

I let out a sigh and breath in and out.

I take a walk down the road. Staring down at my feet and then walking straight putting my chest out more.

The sun goes down and into night around me. It pans perfectly as the backdrop as I walk. It's as if the universe has decided to crowd around me and this dance. Everything's dimming into the evening.

It's the middle of May of the very last shades of the day. I see that nobody's kids anymore, well, we look that way with no teachers. Some teens glide on their bikes as they ride passed me. Honking at me. People from school. Tech kids. Emos. Hipsters. United Nerds. Doing wheelies. Rolling on scooters. Ones who have they're hover boards have them glowing in colors from underneath. Shining against the night.

I head to the front of the school.

I stop.

I can't believe what has bestowed before me. There's a queue of people waiting to get inside of the school. They're all standing against the side behind some red rope. It's as if the dance has turned into a club. I get closer. The red rope holding the teens are people that don't even go to our school. Herk is dressed as a bodyguard with shades on.

I walk up to him still in awe of everything that's happening. People from school park their bikes up and head inside.

"Hey!" Herk says to me, calling me over. "It's Mikey, isn't it?"

"Yes," I reply.

"Well, come in," Herk goes, lifting the red rope up for me, patting me on the back. "You go to school here."

I look to the side with people giving me frustrated looks.

I walk inside.

The hallway is decorated with stringers, balloons, with the sock hop banner back up. Two students are making out quite passionately on the side. Ruffling each others hair as they do it. An emo and a hipster. I can hear the music is getting much louder as I go up to the gym.

I can't believe it.

This is unbelievable.

The dance is fully underway. I didn't think the gym was this big. Everyone from school is in here. Some have kept with the style with frilly dresses. Gretchen's wearing a lovely polka dot dress. Vince is in a suit with a fedora hat. There's a table serving snacks and punch. A jukebox in the corner. Confetti on the ground. Deshay has changed his mind as his band is setting up on stage.

Maddie hasn't changed yet, still in her hoody, as she blows up a balloon with her face blushing. Beside her is someone I recognize. I think it's the Library kid from Third street. She's all dressed up beautifully. Another girl is by Maddie too, whose filling balloons straight from a gas container. I don't know who she is though.

Maddie waves me over. "Yes Mikey!" she says with a high pitch voice. The gas container must have helium in it. "Whoa! Oh my god!"

Maddie lets go of the balloon as it swirls and flies away from her hand. She's focused on someone behind me.

I turn around.

It's a girl standing before me. A green dress fitting the theme. Brunette hair going by her—his shoulders?

"Geoffrey?" I ask.

Geoffrey has turned up cross dressed as a girl.

"Hey, man," he replies walking up to me with heels.

Maddie puts her hand in the air and gives Geoffrey a high five. She starts laughing really hard. "I'm sorry—I—I. I can't believe—What? What are you—?" She wipes a tear away from her eyes. She sounds so insensitive. "I can't believe you're actually pulling it off."

"Really?" Geoffrey replies.

The Library kid and the other girl filling balloons comes over.

"Yeah," Maddie reaffirms.

Library kid nods her head. "Not any guy can just where a dress like that," she says.

It's not even brunette hair. It's a wig. He does actually fit into his dress. Like a girl.

The girl I don't know smiles at Geoffrey. "You look very pretty," that girl says, complimenting him. She turns to Maddie. "So, where am I supposed to put my nitrous oxide?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Maddie responds back to her. "Put it back in the science lab where you took it."

"But this is mine," she replies. "I bought this from home."

"Yeah whatever, Felicia," Maddie replies. She goes up to Geoffrey, wraps her arm in between his, and leads off with him. "So Geoffrey, what's with the sudden change? You trying to prove the truth that all boys—"

"Dude!" Vince goes, standing next to Gretchen, noticing what's going on and walking up to us. He claps hands with Geoffrey. "You're wild, man. You're wild."

Gretchen shakes her head. "Vince, what are you doing?" she goes at him. She puts her hand out for Geoffrey. "Hi, I'm Gretchen. Nice to meet you."

I look at her. "Gretch?" I say.

Vince makes a face and sighs, "Give her a minute."

Maddie looks likes she's about to laugh again. "For a smarty pants, you can be really slow sometimes," she says.

Geoffrey stares back at Gretchen. "I already know you, Gretch, and vice versa," he replies.

This leaves Gretchen looking completely and utterly confused. She pauses. Her mouth opens in shock for a moment when she looks likes she figured out it's him.

A girl walks up to us.

"Hello, Third Street people," this girl sighs.

Wait. I know her. It's Ashley Q.

"Hey Vince," Ashley Q goes. "Gretchen, Maddie, Felicia." She nods at the rest of us as she walks into the dance.

"Gees," Vince goes. "How many people are gonna turn up tonight?"

Library kid looks to the side. "Maddie?" she asks with her eyes screwed.

"Uh-huh," Maddie replies.

"Did you accidentally send the party on public again?"

"Pfft!" Maddie goes, blowing out with her cheeks. She checks her phone. "How dumb do you really think I am?" She stops scrolling through her phone. "Oops."

Vince and Gretchen go back to the dance. The gym is filling up with people from outside our school. The jukebox plays away with sixties music. People are mingling rather than dancing. Boys standing by the wall. Girls talking in groups looking over back at the boys. In the distance, Deshay is debating with his band on something.

Geoffrey, Maddie, her date Paige, and I walk together. That's the Library girl's actual name I guess. Paige. It's odd how as kids we've relied on these nicknames instead of learning all of our real names. Maddie and Paige talk about being each others dates and what it feels like being a gay teenager as us four walk around the sock hop dance. People give Geoffrey weird looks and the odd double take. Geoffrey doesn't seem to care anymore and he's embracing it. I guess I've made the right choice, well, until Ashley T turns up.

"Geoffrey," Maddie says at him. "You didn't answer my question."

"That's cause you never finished it," he replies.

"Do you think it's true that deep down every boy what's to dress up as a girl?" she asks.

Geoffrey looks at me and smiles. He looks back at Maddie. "No, why would you think that?" he asks.

Maddie goes for some punch, takes a sip, and stuffs her free hand in her hoody pocket. "Cause girls are awesome," she says.

Paige looks at Maddie's hoody and jeans. "Are you gonna change any time soon?" asks Paige.

Maddie shrugs. "I'm not trying to impress anyone."

I look away from her. I look away from everyone. The Ashleys are here. Maddie may not be trying to impress but the Ashleys surely are. All their clothes are dripping with designer. Coordinating with the color scheme they used to have at Third Street. Pink, yellow and Green. I can't take my eyes off of Ashley T. She's stunning. Her dress sparkles off her make-up.

I don't even think beautiful can best describe her.

Ashley T comes up to me.

"Ashley," I say to her. "You look. Pulchritudinous."

"Uh? What?" she replies, flexing her eyebrows looking utterly confused.

"I'm too poet savvy," I say, apologizing. "That word might sound like it would best describe some dirty, disgusting, diseased thing, but it's the best way to describe you."

"Why's that?" she asks.

"Cause pulchritudinous, it means you're breathtaking. Heartbreaking. Beautiful."

"Wow," she gasps, looking around fluttering her lashes. "Okay. Okay. Um, let's get some punch before I faint."

Oh, Geoffrey. I look to the side for him. He's been talking to Maddie and Gretchen all this time. Ashley B goes with Vince. Perhaps everything will fall into place.

Ashley T and I go to the table where the drinks are. Ashley A is there by herself.

"This is bull crap!" Ashley A says, sulking.

Vince goes up to her taking a cup. "You're not having a good time, Ashley A?" he asks.

"A good time?" she asks. "This dance is about as good as a tit punch." Ashley T chuckles to that. Spinelli's the only person whose said the phrase 'tit punch' before. That's where she must have got it from. "Oh, and FYI, you and I both know you're talking to me. You don't have to add the A at the end of my name, every time you talk to me."

"Sorry," Vince goes, as he takes his filling of punch. He walks away from her and over to his friends. "Threads are tight, man. I saw this, er—"

Ashley A stands alone again by the table with Ashley T and I watching. Ashley Q walks over to get a drink and stands beside her. Ashley A and Q both don't say anything to each other. They show disdain with each other. Both mirroring each other with crossed arms. If it weren't for their flamboyant dresses they would look like a pair of emos.

Wylie goes over to the two girls. "You wanna dance?" he asks.

Ashley A rolls her eyes at him. "Well—"

"No," Ashley Q says, cutting in.

It was Ashley Q Wylie was indeed talking to in closer inspection.

"Wylie, I will never ever dance with you," Ashley Q goes.

Susan comes up. "Wylie," she says to him, "You came with me."

Wylie looks at them two. "Hey, Ashley, I'd dump her in a heartbeat for you."

"Ugh!" Ashley Q goes, before storming away from the table. "You're so weird!"

Ashley Q walks away from Wylie as he goes after her. Susan goes the other away looking hurt.

Ashley A's by herself again.

Ashley T is hooked on all of this like some dramatic teen TV show is being showcased. We both look at Menlo organizing with his clipboard. Ashley A notices who we're looking at. Ashley A sighs and walks up to Menlo. Ashley T and I exchange looks and smile at each other.

Ashley A walks right up to Menlo. "Okay, this a one time deal," Ashley A says, as she puts her arm over Menlo's shoulders. Menlo drops his clipboard on the floor in shock. "Don't touch me, breath on me, or even look at me for longer than three seconds, you got that?"

"Um," Menlo goes, hovering his hand over her waist looking unsure whether to touch her or not.

"Ugh! Come on," Ashley A says, putting Menlo's hand around her waist.

Geoffrey comes up to Ashley T and I. "Good for him," says Geoffrey.

"Oh my gawd!" Ashley T goes, covering her mouth at shock at Geoffrey, seeing him cross dressed for the first time perhaps.

Geoffrey smiles at her then me. "You already got a drink, Date," he goes.

"What is he talking about?" Ashley T asks me. She looks over at Maddie. "You're such a tomboy!"

Ashley T makes her way over at Maddie.

"She looks great," says Geoffrey looking at Ashley T leave, taking a sip. "I would have bet you two would have gone to the dance together."

Ashley T returns back to our direction. I gotta think quick. It looks like Deshay's band is about to perform. I take Geoffrey by the hand and go through the crowd. I leave Ashley T looking on the side all confused, as Geoffrey and I get lost with all the people surrounding the stage in front of us.

"We're Spanish Fleek," Deshay announces to everyone on his microphone.

All the lights dimmer. The lights focus on to the stage. The girl of the band strums the strings of her guitar. The drummer hits the beat of his drums slow and melodically. The pianist hits a tune that synths with everything together. Deshay raps a verse a lot more slower with more feeling than he did earlier in his garage. He goes back and forth on the stage grabbing his chest a few times. People nod their heads to it. Others put their phones lights on and wave them in the air.

The female singer goes, "Again and again and again and again. Dooo it again, dooo it again. Again and again and again and again. Doooo it again, dooo it again. Again and agaaain-uh."

"Long drives call for dashboard confessions,

Learn that you a student, teacher life's lessons,

Your mental health care, that's what's in question,

Keep acting obscure, you'll keep on guessing,

Sometimes I feel like sin is a blessing,

They need the naked truth, so I'll keep undressing,

I wonder if she'll ever get the message,

You can make mistakes without making messes,

Bad relationships end in exes. Oh. I guess there's no more hugs and kisses,

I bet a lot of people didn't get it, sometimes less focus can help you see the image,

Who ever said the sky is the limit, must've never seen the stars,

How could you forget 'em?

Sea shells play the shore if you listen, but with my senses I can see what I'm listening," Deshay raps in a second verse.

Deshay and his band mate trade glances as they bond well with the rapping and singing. Meeting a mutual harmony. She repeats the chorus again. I don't know what I've missed, but they've come back together. Their music really works now.

There's a commotion. Girls screaming. I look to the side. Some older guys come up to where we're standing. Four older men all dressed in tuxedos holding instruments in cases. People shout at them. People try touching them and giving hand shakes. They head towards Menlo. It's the band Dog's Pajamas.

"Who's Menlo?" asks a suave looking man wearing a lean tuxedo.

Menlo takes his arms from around Ashley A and puts his hands out looking all surprised. "I am," he says, with his eyes widened.

Ashley A looks shocked at the older guy. "You're Mayer Hawke. I love you," she mouths.

"You're a very determined, young cat," replies Mayer, from Dog's Pajamas, shaking Menlo's hand. "You more than convinced me that this dance meant a lot for you guys. So we're all aboard." Mayer looks at Ashley A and back at Menlo. "This your girlfriend?"

Menlo shakes his head.

Mayer smiles towards Ashley A. "Bag him. He's a good one," suggests Mayer, complimenting Menlo.

Ashley A looks at Menlo. She looks at him more differently.

Ashley T comes over to see me. I move away before she reaches me with Geoffrey. I ditch them both. I'm terrible. She looks around for me. Geoffrey slowly grasps I've departed. I move over to where Vince is. He's on the side by himself.

Dog's Pajamas and Spanish Fleek combine together to make a super band by the looks of it. They get up on stage. They talk amongst themselves.

"Having fun?" Vince asks me, standing on the side.

I lean the back of my head on the wall.

The music starts. It's a lot more livelier. It's way more professional with Dog's Pajamas. Mayer sings the chorus as the lights sway on to the stage again.

"No matter what your circumstance, just turn and watch the dance,

Watch the dance, watch the dance, dance,

The movement puts you in a trance, just turn and watch the dance,

Watch the dance, watch the dance,

Forget about that dull romance, just turn and watch the dance,

Watch the dance, watch the dance, dance,

You may not get another chance, just turn and watch the dance,

Watch the dance, watch the dance," Mayer sings with his band giving backing vocals.

Everyone begins to dance now. Ashley B comes up to Vince and pulls him in. Vince gives me a look as Ashley B takes him on to the dance floor.

I stand awkward with the other boys who are too afraid to dance.

I see Ashley T looking around for me. I suck up all the shame. I make my way through and tap her on the shoulder. Ashley T turns around. Her eyes sparkle off her dress. I hold her hands. Her smile spreads wide. More people join into the dance. Gretchen is dancing with a boy from the tech kids. Everyone seems to have a partner.

I spin around. It's Geoffrey dancing on my side. I change partners. This is awkward. This isn't gonna end up well.

"What are you doing?" Ashley T asks, walking over to us.

"It's okay, you can take over, I guess," Geoffrey goes.

"I mean Mikey came with me, so—"

"But he said he'd come with me."

"What? Mikey, what's going on?"

The music dies down. Everyone is staring back at us three.

I'm stuck in between them. "I meant to tell you but I couldn't," I say.

Ashley T looks down. "I thought you liked me," she says, looking upset. "You said I was—I can't remember what, but, you called me beautiful. I thought. I should of known you were, you know." She looks at Geoffrey and I. "With the poem you gave Ashley A to give to me and you know—"

I shake my head. "I do like you," I say, holding Ashley T's hands. "Like a lot. Like, I like-like you." I turn around at Geoffrey. "You said you didn't think I was your best friend, but that's not true. I'm sorry, I should of been like a friend, be honest and say no straight away, even if I forgot at first." I turn back at Ashley T. "I'm supposed to be good at writing poetry, but look at me. I've used more likes than you do." Ashley T chuckles. "These likes I'm using are for like, for saying likes and not for similes. I should've—"

"You should have, what?" Ashley T asks.

Her face is right up, peering at mines. I can't speak. Nothing eloquent can come out. I feel my lips against hers. A few people gasp around us. I've been feeling nervous and nauseous through this whole ordeal. But now my body is calm as if I'm melting and merging with her. Her lips on mine can tell her better than all my stumbling words can.

"Mmm mm!" someone says out loud.

I stop kissing Ashley T.

I look around.

It's Troy.

"That was hot!" says Troy, smiling broadly in his jock varsity jacket. "Legit 11.28 seconds of lip on lip action."

TJ, now in a hooded sweatshirt, looks over at Troy. "As if you could actually tell how long that kiss was," TJ laughs.

"TJ?" I whisper in awe.

"Nope," Gus says answering TJ, checking intently at his watch. "Troy's right. Right to the two decimal points and everything."

Spinelli glares at the three boys she's with. "You lot are such the epitome of lame," she moans. "It's astounding."

Ashley T walks away from me. "TJ!" she shouts out. "You're back!"

Everyone who has been silent up to this point run up to them. Everyone is ecstatic. All the students go up to TJ, talking to him, and asking him different things all at once. I go through the crowd. TJ, Gus, Spinelli and Troy are getting completely crowded out. I reach them. I hug three of them individually off the ground.

Now I hug TJ.

TJ pushes himself immediately off me.

I look at TJ. His face is straight and stone cold. Has TJ changed? Is he not as nice as he once was anymore?

TJ smiles at me. "Hey Mikey, check this out," he says.

TJ holds me off the ground just with his strength. No one has ever done that before. TJ puts me back down.

Vince reaches us. "Whoa, man!" gasps Vince. "If you can pick Mikey up like that, you must be benching something like, 200 pounds or more."

"I dunno," TJ goes, "I don't really keep note of that."

Gretchen pushes her way to us. "Move over," she says. "I'm so glad you've made it here in one piece." She goes over and hugs TJ. "Those degenerates weren't too rough on you?"

"Not really," replies TJ. "Don't worry. And you lot, don't get so gaga over me." TJ pauses and has a long look around the gym. "This place looks amazing, who did all this?"

I say, "It was Maddie, really."

Vince taps my arm. "Don't be so modest, man," says Vince. "It was all Mikey's idea. School was shut down yesterday but it was Mikey's idea to round us all up, hire a catering team and decorate this place in time for us to have the dance."

"Really?" TJ goes looking impressed. "Mikey, that's awesome." TJ turns to everyone. "It's good to see all of you again, but I gotta have a talk with the gang in private."

The crowd die down and move back to the dance floor.

The band play once more as the music goes back up.

Ashley T is ecstatic with the other Ashley's, even Ashley Q is with them too, as they all giggle together. Just like old times.

The party continues. TJ, Spinelli, Troy and Gus make their way down the hallway. Gretchen, Vince, Maddie and I follow them to tutor class. We head to it, but the door is locked. Spinelli picks the lock open with her hair pin.

We make our way inside.

TJ sits on the side of a table. "What's all this about the school getting shut down?" he asks.

Gretchen turns to him. "Tad White has been extorting money from principal Third," she explains.

"He's a heartless fiend," I say.

Spinelli looks like she's thinking. "He's that judge, right?" she asks.

Gretchen nods back at her. "All the CCTV's, the uniforms, the frequent B.O.E visits. With a little resistance and now it's closed. Can't you see? Tad White is abusing his power to make Thad high slowly turn into a—"

Gus adds, "Detention center," before she could finish.

There's a noise at the door. Everyone spins their heads around. Someone's twisting the door handle. It's Molly. She's dressed in a nice white dress. Her hair is full pink again.

TJ turns around at her. "Hey Molly," greets TJ. "I wondered where you were. You okay?"

"TJ," goes Molly, "I am so sorry."

"For what?"

"It's my fault you we're in juvie. I put the 'I did it!' signed TJ along the lockers that day. I understand if you hate me and don't wanna be friends anymore."

"Oh," TJ sighs. "Well, you weren't the only one."

Gretchen puts her hand up a little bit. "Can I interject?" she asks.

"No, I got it," TJ replies to Gretchen. He holds Molly's hands. "Molly, look at me. You weren't the only one, okay? We all did bad stuff. I was guilty for doing all of the pranks except the one dangerous one. Vince joy ride-ed a car—"

"Joy ridden," Gretchen corrects.

"Yeah that," TJ goes. He turns head on with Molly again. "We all made mistakes because James Stone manipulated us. He plotted something bad in our brains. We thought we were helping other people or even ourselves but he had an ulterior motive. We can't help that. What we can do is stick together. I don't know about you, but there's only one person I want converting me into a unitard and watch My Fuzzy Unicorn with." He takes his dark grey sweatshirt hoody off. TJ's wearing his white T shirt. He rolls up his shirt and shows her a unicorn tattoo on his arm.

Molly hugs him.

"You're the best," she says. Molly caresses TJ's face. "And your face. Its sunken in. Chiseled but still chubby in the best way."

Spinelli cuts in saying, "All right, that's enough."

"But his arms, Spinelli. Have you seen them? He's like muscular and totally amazing looking now."

TJ laughs. "Molly, I get it."

She's all over him, feeling up his arms and his chest.

It's getting kinda awkward with everyone watching. I pull Molly away from TJ and put her next to Gus.

"Okay," TJ goes, in front of us all. "It's no good if we let James Stone get away all olly olly oxen free either. Now that I'm out, I can't just lay low and let them turn the school upside down."

TJ looks over at Maddie.

"What?" goes Maddie. "Why you looking at me?"

"Turn the school upside down," TJ words out. "You used to be upside down girl—"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sorry Teej," Spinelli goes. "I forgot." Spinelli punches Troy hard on his arm. "We forgot to mention that Maddie lost her memory, but she's gaining it back, but backwards."

TJ looks back at Maddie. "Do you remember me?"

"Yeah," Maddie replies. "TJ Detweiler."

Troy stops rubbing his arm. "You remember me by now, though?" Troy asks her.

"Nope," she says.

"Aw, come on!" Troy moans.

Gretchen clears her throat. "So, just to enlightened you, TJ," she starts. "Maddie lost some of her memory from staying upside down every single recess. Spinelli had a little crush on Mr Dude when she was influenced on Ritalin. Vince won the football golden cup. Principal Third changed the color scheme for the Hogs. That explains why all the lockers are red now and are no longer purple, and his statue got replaced. Bradley got admitted to our school, just to disappear after a jet engine fell from the blue and on to his bedroom. Geoffrey has now felt comfortable enough to cross dress like a girl. And, yep, I think that's it."

"High school," TJ mouths out. "You miss a little, you miss a lot." He pauses and thinks. "Um, uh, wow. Well, now that I'm here, I'm not gonna play it safe and stay in hiding. I wanna tell Tad White that I'm here, so we're taking him down too. I have a plan. It's gonna need everyone's involvement. Not just us but everyone in the school. The school being cancelled indefinitely like this is the last crazy-straw. I'm not gonna have it. I've worked too hard to get in here and I'm not giving up the best friends I've ever had. This is a school by the teens and for the teens. They wanna shut down the entire school? Then let's shut down the entire state." He turns to Spinelli. "Spin, IM everyone in the dance that we need their help. The UN. The wall street kids. The hipsters. The emos. Everyone."

"Already on it, Teej," says Spinelli, texting wildly on her phone, quicker than I've seen her have before.

"Gretchen, contact the pale kids," TJ orders.

"Aw, do I have to?" goes Gretchen.

Troy smiles. "It's all right, Teej," Troy says, reaching for his phone in his pocket. "I can call you Teej, right? It seems weird to, but everyone else seems to. I have the pale kids on my phone. All of them."

Maddie coughs, "Felicia too?"

"Shut up, Mad," Troy goes.

"All right," TJ chuckles. "I don't even know what that's supposda mean." He looks around. "Spinelli, could you break into Bradley's locker and see if he has any green laser pens?"

"Huh?" goes Spinelli, as she stops typing. "I can pick locked doors but not lockers. Those are impossible."

Gus joins in saying, "Not really, I can show you." He looks apologetic at Molly.

Gretchen looks over. "How would you like me to contribute?" she asks.

"I need that bad Gretchen back. So, I need you to bring all those scientific stuff you used on Halloween. That hacky sack cannon thing was sweet. You got any other projectiles?" TJ asks.

Gus goes, "Teej? I've got BB gun pellets in my locker."

"Hm, okay," TJ ponders. "Get them. So, we've got ammo. There's bikes and scooters lined up outside. Hey Gretch, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Gretchen stops to wonder something. "You wouldn't," she says at TJ.

TJ smiles back at her. "Hey ya Maddie. Are you prepared to take a few police officers out if I ask you to? I don't wanna strain you. Seeing as Spinelli and Gretch spelled out your condition."

"TJ, TJ," Maddie says, shaking her head. "You had me at 'Hey ya'."

"Tender-roni."

Everyone leaves the classroom. Troy, Vince and Maddie go one way. Gus and Spinelli run the other direction. Gretchen and Molly go somewhere else.

"What about me, TJ?" I ask.

"Mikey, I almost forgot about you," says TJ. "You have the most important thing to do. I'm gonna need you to pull that fire alarm."

TJ's right next to me. He's actually here. And it's like no time has really passed even when we've all missed him so much.

In the hallway, TJ's trying to convince the Wall Street kids and the tech kids to work together, and to use weapons. Being a peaceful activist I might need some convincing myself.

"We're the trench coat clique, not the trench coat mafia," Fingers Malloy complains at TJ, standing in front of the lockers with his group around him.

"We have no choice," TJ protests, taking a sip from the water fountain before facing Malloy and Kumiko. "You can't let Tad White put Thaddeus T Third the fifth's money into something that's not worth investing in. You more than anyone should understand that?"

Kumiko looks on. "You're right," she goes. She faces Malloy when she says, "I'll put the fact that you're a materialistic yuppie puppy to the side, if you will?"

"Hey!" goes Fingers. "TJ, you hearing this?"

"Come on, guys," TJ says at them. "Mikey, tell them."

All the tech kids, Wall Street kids and TJ look back at me. I've tried to bring peace with Kumiko and Fingers before. That just made things worse. What change will it do if I do it now?

"If we work together, we get our school back," I say to them all. "It's as simple as that."

TJ looks back at them with his eyebrows raised.

Fingers sticks his hands out with distaste. Kumiko smiles as they both bitterly shake hands in a truce.

I pull the fire alarm. The siren sounds screams out. Everyone walks out casually outside to the front of the school. Some guys checking on their phones. Some girls checking their reflection in mirrors. TJ looks around at the students and chuckles. Any time a fire alarm goes off in a school usually, everybody panics and run around saying 'we're all gonna die', as we all forget to act calm when we're supposed to follow each other in a single file.

"TJ?" I shout at him, as we all head outside of the school. "What if I call Mort Chalk? The news anchor! I got his number from the River City protest! I didn't think I'd ever need to use it! But if we need the attention—!"

"Yeah!" TJ says, stopping still, nodding heavier with more realization. "That's a great idea! It will give us news coverage!"

Spinelli comes up to us with a cardboard box full of green laser pens.

TJ takes a pen out for himself and chucks me one. "Gus!" TJ says, taking the box from Spinelli and giving it to him. "I want you to hand one to each person!"

Gus does just that. Spinelli takes her phone from her orange woolly hat and goes outside without any push on what to do.

We all go outside.

Gretchen is on her knees working on an invention. TJ jogs up to her. I've never seen a weapon like this before. When I look closer I realize what it is, or rather, what it once was. It's a bike that's been made into a machine gun.

TJ high fives Gretchen and moves the gun on to the grass.

Kumiko and the tech kids look over at it.

"What is that?" asks a tech kid.

"A spinning wheel," TJ explains.

Kumiko curls her mouth looking impressed. "Not bad," she says, checking it over and inspecting it. "I can make it even better, though. We can get all the bikes, oh, we can also use the scooters and our hover boards and transform them into weapons too."

The tech kids go about with their fixing as they unveil tools that seem to be always on them.

Coming towards us are the Pale kids. They turn up with Vince and Troy amongst them. Felicia is annoying Troy by trying to hold his hand.

"Everyone!" TJ shouts, putting his arms out, as he quiets us all down.

TJ sets all the students out in formation. He involves the new kids who don't go to school here too. We stand surrounding TJ as he sets out his plan. Everyone's engaged. He pumps all of us up and gets us ready to go to war. He sets out the tougher kids, such as the jocks, to stay on the grass to use real weapons. The people prepared to use real weapons as well, are put in the middle section of the school to aim outside the windows. All the kids who are pacifists are moved to the roof as he tells Gus to give them all the green laser pens instead.

"TJ!" shouts someone from behind the crowd. The crowd departs slightly. It was a tech kid. "We're finished!"

The tech kids show the weaponry.

"Whoa!" TJ gasps looking at what they've made.

All the bikes, scooters and hover boards are our arsenal now. He picks up a scooter that's made into a crossbow.

"私はいくつかの花火が転がっ持っています (I have some fireworks laying around,)" says a tech kid unzipping their luggage bag, showing it's full of firework rockets.

"I think these will do," TJ says, smiling.

All the bikes are now machine gun contraptions on the ground level. The jocks and the Wall Street kids have Gus' BB gun pellets as the ammo ready to go. The tech kids have their hover boards strapped with BB guns on it next to the others on the ground outside. The hipsters and the emos use the scooters-turned-crossbows, aiming them through the class windows. The emos have lighters to light the fireworks if needed be. The people who don't want to be involved with the violence are on the roof. The cheerleaders and the United Nerds.

We're ready. Thad High is our fort. Nothing can go through us now.

Firetrucks turn up on the road.

A fireman comes out with a swift slam of his car door. "What's—?" he asks looking at us. More firemen come out with him. "What's going on? Is there even an emergency?"

The B.O.E cop cars brake hard in front of the fire trucks. The officers come out all armored. They have BB guns, shields, tasers and batons on them. All of them aim at us. They slowly move towards us. But they're still outnumbered by us.

An officer brings out a microphone, "All right! Playtime is over! Put all your toy weapons down and step away from our property!"

We shout back. We hold our ground.

Troy, Spinelli, Vince, TJ, Maddie, Gus and I stand in front of the school with everyone else behind us. We stand in a strong line. Gretchen makes her way in between us. She parts through the middle of the gang. She's holding a bubbling test tube.

"Molly!" Gretchen shouts, calling her to her side. Molly jogs up next to her. "Pour some of your pixie dust in."

Molly puts her sugary sweets into the tube. The chemicals reacts more. It glows bright pink. It shines a big light. Gretchen's test tube is rocking from side to side in her hand. Her hair waves in the air. The shine reflects against her face. She looks mean and vicious like a mad scientist.

"Back up!" Gretchen threatens walking up to the B.O.E. "Back up! With the right amount of sugar and potassium chlorate I can blow up the whole southern side of Arkansas!"

This is off the cuff. No one saw this coming. We stand united behind her.

TJ nods his head at Gretchen. He moves forward as our leader. The B.O.E leader comes out too. The man who closed down our school. The guy who we're fighting against. Superintendent Tad White. TJ and Tad White stand head to head. Both of their armies ready to go behind each of them. The school cops lower their guns down slightly.

"Howdy White," TJ says, with a wide smile.

"I should of known a little juvie couldn't hold you," Tad White replies.

"It was fun," TJ says, casually stuffing his hands in his hoody's front pockets. "I guess being an agent of the board wasn't good enough for you? Was it, Superintendent?"

"People grow up, TJ. Something you and your little friends no nothing about," Tad sneers. He moves his head towards the rest of the students. "All of you have one more chance! Surrender now, and I'll promise, you won't get punished!" Tad waits. Nobody moves. Not even a murmur or someone looking unsure. "All right! I'm putting cases on all you children! Especially the tech-y Japanese kids! We have a connected flight waiting for you to go home! I hope you all will like coach!"

Kumiko leans forward on her hover board. She takes over a jock's spinning wheel gun. She shoots a BB pellet through the wheel. Tad White dodges it. Bang! Head shot. She hits a pellet into an officer. It hits his temple head on. The officer falls backwards on to the ground. He's out. Cold.

The B.O.E pull their guns back up at us.

Vince jerks his head. "Okay that right there. That's why we can't have nice things," moans Vince, shaking his head.

TJ gets serious, "Now!" he shouts.

All the teens from the roof point their green laser pens. Green dots shine on to the officer's bodies. The B.O.E put their hands up. As Gretchen has made all of the officers back off, they can't see we are only using laser pens.

Troy moves away from the gang and joins alongside TJ. "Feeling froggy, Pink Slime?" Troy asks Tad White.

Troy pats fists with TJ without looking as if they're telepathic with each other.

TJ doesn't move his eyes away from Tad White. "I wanted to play fair, White," TJ sighs, shaking his head at him. "But you got me messed up."

TJ puts his hand out behind himself to signal the imaginary legion of wielded guns on the roof to cease fire. Tad White retreats back to the adult's side. It's like there is an imaginary line in between us that he cannot cross. Gretchen puts her test tube out too. As she does, the pink light fades out in front of us. Now the only lights are the stars, the firetrucks sirens and the police blue flashing lights.

Maybe peace and non-violence isn't the way to go. If you want something you have to take it. I wasn't even scared when Gretchen threatened to blow us all up. We had something to die for. Pure poetry in motion.

There's a mysterious figure looking at us. He moves up to us from the adult's side. A hoody covering this person's face.

Gretchen fixes her glasses looking closer. "Bradley?" she ponders out loud.

He's face to face with the gang. It's someone we all know. From long ago and during the school year.

James Stone.

The 46 year old spy walks up to us. "I, uh, I wanna help," he says.

The gang and I look at each other confused.

This revolution will be televised.

It's late into the night. Helicopters hover high in the sky. The 'Big Story News' vans are parked outside of the school.

TJ gets Menlo to go over to the opposition with his clipboard. Menlo hands over our combined list of demands to the officers.

There is the news anchor reporting live. "This is Mort Chalk big story news," he says into his mic in front of his cameraman filming. "We interrupt this program for a special report. A situation is unfolding at Thaddeus T Third high school. We're live with all the students of the school being engaged with a standoff against the board of education." Mort pauses as he holds his earpiece. "I'm hearing the students are negotiating with the police. They are demanding for three hundred comic books, one hundred and fifty Floppy burgers, a dozen anime DVDs and a, um. And a robotic girlfriend?" He looks over to his cameraman. "Uh, Ron? Does that sound right to you?"

His cameraman shrugs with his eyes focused recording.

The gang is looking on from behind Mort Chalk making funny faces. Gretchen, Vince and I walk away from it and head back to TJ.

I look over at them two. "Don't these demands sound a shred unnecessary?" I ask.

"On the contrary, this is exactly the enabler we need," Gretchen replies.

Vince looks a bit confused. "Who demanded the robot girlfriend?" he asks as TJ emerges in front of us.

TJ's squatted down. "Who'd ya think?" TJ mutters, feeling the dirt not looking back at us. "Frank Sedgewick and the other Pale kids."

TJ lifts his head up to look at James Stone. James Stone's been standing there waiting for us to react to him since he's come. TJ hasn't said anything yet to him nor has he left his side. He gets up on to his feet and faces James. We can sense the tension between them two. After all, the reason TJ went to juvie is because of him.

"All I want," TJ starts. "Is for us to get justice and for you to go back to jail. Come on. We can't trust you." TJ has a moment to think as he looks at James. All of us wait and give TJ his space. TJ looks over at Troy. "Hey Troy. You said, it's all about that offbeat strategy, right?"

"Yeah," Troy answers unsure.

"One thing I've learned from you, honest Abe," TJ says, looking up at the night sky as he fiddles his cap. "Is that the best way to destroy an enemy, is to make that enemy a friend." He looks back at James Stone. "Also, the horrible Señor Fusion movie reboot had a point."

Spinelli comes closer. "What are you saying, Teej?" she asks.

"We can't do this ourselves," he replies. "We need to be more grounded. We need a grown up. We need Thaddeus T Third the fifth."

Gus looks back. "But nobody's seen him for ages."

"What are you saying, Gus?" asks TJ. "We have a Thaddeus right here."

TJ spins his head at James Stone.

James Stone looks befuddled.

TJ heaves up some mucus. He spits it on to his hand. He lifts it out in front of James. "You Promise. You promise you're not with them?" TJ asks with his hand out, looking over at the police.

"Yeah, but—" James goes, repulsed at TJ's hand.

Spinelli cuts in. "Do it," she jeers. "If you're one of us. Do it."

James looks back at Spinelli. He looks at TJ's spit. He sighs and lets out a wad of spit on to his own hand. TJ and James Stone spit handshake. It's beautiful. The whole gang embraces him. Spinelli nods her head in approval. Vince pats James' shoulders. Troy ruffles James' head making his hoody fall off. Maddie and Molly give him quick hugs. He looks back at me looking dazed with a little smile. I smile back.

We make our way into school with him.

Gretchen leads all of us. She opens the door to the science lab for her AP classes. We guide James Stone on to a stool. TJ, Vince and Troy slowly emerge carrying something. I leave the classroom to help them. We come back holding the statue of Thaddeus from downstairs up to the first floor. We straighten up the life sized statue, so it's standing straight.

I think I know where they are going with this, but I'm not entirely sure.

TJ, Spinelli and Gus leave to go back to command our fort. It's such a big evolution from defending fort Tender from Lawson and his friends.

Gretchen prepares her work area on the table. She gathers her materials together. Molly and Maddie stand next to her as she explains to them what she's doing. I go to listen in but I notice James Stone's been left there on a stool. Troy and Vince have pulled up a stool talking amongst themselves. They give James little looks away from their phones then and there. They are pretty much ignoring him.

I give James a wave. He widens his eyes in response. The greet is awkward to say the least. Last time I saw him he slammed his door in my face.

Gretchen pours water and powder into her mixing bowl. She uses her fingers to swirl the lumps around in it.

"Boys!" Gretchen shouts out.

Vince and Troy don't notice.

She repeats herself.

"Yeah Gretch?" Vince replies.

"We need a ladder," Gretchen goes. "To reach Third's face so we can put the gloop on it."

Troy laughs looking at Vince's phone. "Yeah, in a minute," he replies.

"No," Gretchen goes. "We have ten minutes to get the alginate casting solution on Third's face before it dries."

Vince taps Troy's shoulder and leaves the classroom on a pursuit for a ladder with him.

I look back at James. "Why'd you do it?" I ask him.

James Stone looks away and sighs. "Look, I'm not about to pour my heart out to you or something. I was given the chance to leave the insane asylum I was locked in, get back at you kids, finally have a little money in my pocket for my acting chops, and bada bing bada boom, I got everything that I've ever wanted."

"Then what made you want to help us now?" I ask him.

"I was bored," James replies, he says quickly staring away from me.

"Remember when I said, I don't know what you're feeling right now, just like how you don't know how I'm feeling," I say, as James remains looking uninterested. "Well, maybe I do. I acted too in something. At school. I played Santa, and, I was the last one in my group of friends to grow out of believing in him. I still thought he was real but I learned the hard way that he wasn't. Anyway, I quit acting in the play and I wanted to just give up. I learned that just because you can't see something with your eyes or hear it with your ears didn't mean it's not real. If I could believe in my heart Santa was real then so does everything else he stands for like giving, selflessness and friendship. I realized I had to go back to acting in the school play because it's what I had to do. I had to give everybody that belief back."

James Stone gives me a blank stare.

I move away. "Sorry for bothering you," I apologize.

"Stop," James says. "You're right. You're really cheesy, but you're right. I was with you guys this year. I could see how much all of you love this place. I'm crazy, but it's not like Tad White or anyone's ever helped me with it. So I guess, if anyone's ever really cared enough for me to bring back belief and the importance of friendship, then, it's all of you."

James and I trade a genuine smile together.

Vince and Troy come back with a ladder. They set it up against the statue.

Gretchen climbs up the ladder and applies the gloop on the statue's face. The gloop tries to fall off but she pulls it back up. Maddie helps with her hoody getting messy.

"We have a limited time," Gretchen explains, guiding Maddie. "It's better to get the whole face covered even if it's a little uneven."

Molly is by the table cutting plaster strips. She dunks them in water and passes them to Maddie who lays them on the Third's gloopy messy face.

James proceeds to go on his phone. He explains he's gonna binge watch all of Thaddeus' speeches on Yourvids.

I leave the girls with what they're doing.

I go back downstairs.

Uh. That smell. Oh my god. Floppy burgers. A couple of Floppy burger workers are walking through the hallway handing in burgers. They're heading into the gym. There's live music in here once again. Everyone is being merry.

The front doors of the school are wide open. The weapons are still drawn outside. It seems people are taking turns on keeping down the fort. The teens enjoy themselves with food, and using soda from the vending machines for drinks. The soda machines have been tampered with and they're available for free with a simple push. No money is needed. By the side, some people are reading through comic books. They're several wheel barrels full of them.

On the table is a food platter. Just like we wanted. One hundred and fifty Floppy burgers.

My mouth is watering uncontrollably. I take one. I flick through the burger. It's perfect. Maybe I'll take another one. And another one. I am hungry. I'm already taking ten burgers into my arms. Oh food. How I've missed thee. I shouldn't kid myself. Food is life. I gorge until I feel that familiar comfort hit my stomach again.

People start taking what they want from the burger buffet.

The four Pale kids come through to the gym. "Why does everybody get all of their demands, yet we are still minus a robotic girlfriend?" complains Frank.

Spinelli is leaning by the door. "Wow!" she says, as she goes up to them. "I don't know why you four mooses can't just talk to a normal girl."

The cheerleaders are gathered round. "Isn't it obvious?" says one of the girls.

Troy goes up to the conversation too. "So, you guys just want one girlfriend?" he asks.

Rodney, from the Pale kids, adjust his glasses. "Yeah," he replies, as the other Pale kids laugh. "We're not greedy. One anatomically correct interactive girlfriend is sufficient. Steve's done his research. The robot girlfriend we want is programmed to match human facial expressions, body and mouth movements. She can even offer services based on cloud technology and can position herself independently."

Troy looks on. "But you all just want one," Troy goes.

"Yeah," says all the Pale kids in unison.

Vince is intrigued too. "One girlfriend to share with all four of you?" Vince asks.

"Yep."

The cheerleaders all go, "Gross!" at the same time.

Troy laughs out loud. "So you dudes share everything, even have sloppy seconds, tacky thirds and even filthy fourths."

People eventually disperse to do different things. Some enjoy music. Others are watching some anime or reading the library of comic books. We spend our time continuously changing positions to go back outside to protect the school.

Time passes.

I get a message from my Whaddown group chat with just the gang. Not the three hundred or so kids that are in the school right now, but the group of nine. It's a message to go to the art class.

I head to it.

The gang's already in here.

Molly is breaking open a big caste like a gigantic peanut egg. She slowly reveals the mask they've made. It's a perfect silicone face of Thaddeus.

"Whoa!" Spinelli goes.

Vince looks shocked too. "Did I ever fail to mention you girls rock?" he asks.

The three girls stand proud looking at themselves. Maddie and Gretchen thank Vince before going downstairs. This is impossible. Gretchen must of used some specialized method or chemicals to make the process go faster.

The gang leave Molly here.

Molly puts her apron over her dress and places the mask on James. There's adhesive already on his face. She stretches her fingers. Taking her paint out on her pallet, she starts to work her magic. Her tongue's stuck out as she focuses. Humming as she blends Third's skin tone on to our actor. She begins attaching little hairs for his mustache. Trading glances with her picture of Thad to help her make it look accurate.

I go back outside as I let Molly continue with her model.

I'm with my friends again. Something has been going on since I've been gone. Spinelli and Tad White are exchanging heated words. TJ stands near Spinelli, trying to stop her from doing something silly. The cameraman is recording all of this.

Tad makes a sly look at her. "Must feel bad with your father being in the C.I.A and everything?" he goes.

"What?" Spinelli says.

TJ puts his hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to him," warns TJ.

"Yeah," I say, moving in closer. "He's trying to get you mad."

Tad is loving how he's getting Spinelli more incensed. "Aw, didn't your daddy tell you?" asks Tad, looking at the camera and then back at her. "Oh. Oh no. He's been a secret agent for Twenty odd years and he never told you? Oh no. And now he's watching this on TV and knows now that you know. Aw, now you're just gonna have to live with this moment forever of me revealing something you were so desperate of him telling you. Your daddy was too chicken to tell you the truth that Rome was where he was assigned to have your family be under my witness protection programme. Never-mind, why would he tell you? You're just a baby. So, Ashley, hows that hitting for you?"

"I don't know," Spinelli replies, clenching her fists and then releasing them again. "Coming from someone who failed to be a secret agent himself, it's hitting as hard as when your punching, or when you're bonking your woman."

"Oooow!" everyone goes from all around the school.

Every single person shares a scream and shout. All the teens, the news people, the firemen, even the B.O.E.

Tad swears to himself. He forfeits with wide eyes and walks away with his hands on his waist.

Vince slightly looks at Spinelli in disbelief and stares around at everyone laughing. "Gawd daaamn!" Vince bangs out, hugging Spinelli tight.

Spinelli has a wide smile on her face as she's smothered into Vince's chest.

More time passes.

TJ and I walk back to the front of the school. Geoffrey's by himself looking content. He's changed. He's back looking like his old self. He's wearing his normal clothes again.

"Geoffrey!" I say, calling him. "You've changed back into boys clothes."

"Dressing up as a girl is tiring," Geoffrey goes, feeling his own hair again.

"Hmm," TJ ponders. "I wonder how James is getting along dressing up himself."

The gang gather up together and make our way to the auditorium. We step down in between the slopped seats to the front stage. Molly is putting the final touches on James. We can't see him as we climb on stage. The back of his head is facing us.

Molly stops.

TJ looks on. "Well?" he asks.

Molly sighs putting on her final touches. "I don't wanna be really full of myself, but I think I'm the next big thing, you guys. Like, art wise."

"Let's see," goes TJ.

She spins James' chair round. It's Thaddeus T Third the fifth. It's uncanny.

Maddie covers her mouth and gasps, "oh my friggin' freakin' god!"

Gus rubs his glasses with his shirt over and over and says, "it's perfect!"

Vince mouth hangs open before spurting out, "that's what I'm talking about!"

Spinelli rubs both of her eyebrows and asks, "art can do this?"

TJ goes up to him. "How you doing, sir?"

"I'm fine," James replies. We stare back at him. "Oh. Hows this?" He clears his throat. "Uh, okay. Excuse me young people, I'm the rich and rightful principle of this high school that you are attending. Lend me your ears and your mind. I know fundamental excellence. Everyday, I pretend my mustache doesn't itch."

"Okay," Spinelli sighs. "We get it, you're the bomb, don't kill it."

Some emos come on to the stage carrying something. "Molly, I'm giving you props," says one of them.

"Thanks, I do try," Molly replies, with a little twirl of her dress.

"No, I'm giving you props," the emo emphasizes, handing over a stitched up fat suit.

They strap the fat suit on to James. Not huge. Not small either. The right size of our principle.

The four Ashley's join us too. Ashley Q seems to be hanging out with them now. For the time being anyway. They have Third's real clothes on them.

"Oh my god!" Ashley A goes. "You can totally do make-up tutorials on your Yourvidz channel now, Molly. This is like—"

"Retardedly good?" Spinelli asks her.

"Exactly," Ashley A replies. She flattens out Third's real clothes and tests it on him. "Girls. Lets accessorize."

It's the early hours of the morning. We're back outside with everyone refreshed. A couple officers yawn, drinking coffees in filter cups. Some parents are watching behind the police barriers. Mom and my two dad's are there. They are separated and nowhere close to each other, but all three of them wave back at me.

We're waiting for James Stone to come out as principle Third.

Spinelli nudges TJ. "When is he coming out?" she asks.

"These things take time, Spin," TJ replies.

Gus runs out in front of us. "Guys! Guys! He's coming!"

We turn to face the front of the school.

"No," Gus goes, making us turn around. "The Ashley's are using an expensive Hummer plug-in Hybrid for his entrance."

Vince goes, "entrance?"

A long stretched limousine hummer, like Gus described, drives up to the school. An official personal aide goes over to the passenger side. He opens the door. A leg steps out. It's our Thaddeus T Third the fifth coming out. My idea of it being another person has flown right out the window. He gets closer up to everyone.

"What is the meaning of this?" he cries.

Tad white stands frozen still. The real Thaddeus T Third could always hold everyone's attention in a room.

Mort Chalk, puts his coffee away, going back on his mic, being recorded live on TV. "A big turn of events has taken place here at Thad High. Mr Thad High himself, Thaddeus T Third the fifth, has come from being missing, last seen in his private jet, to now becoming the centerpiece of this standoff."

"TJ Detweiler, shouldn't you be incarceration?" James goes, lowering his head in TJ's eye level. Everyone is kinda shocked at how good his impression is. He winks at TJ and turns back the other way. "Whose in charge here?"

A B.O.E officer steps up and says, "Mr Third, sir, um."

"Are you pointing guns at my students?" James asks.

Tad White answers saying, "It's the children that are in the wrong. They're using firearms against the board."

"You're blaming children?" James shouts. "The sole purpose of the board is to put the students best interests in mind! If I were to give you a piece of my mind I wouldn't let you work in this town again!"

James walks into the school.

The PA system switches on. "Can Tad White make his way to the principal's office. I repeat. Can Tad White make his way to the principles office, thank you," Menlo goes.

Everyone goes, "Oooh!"

All of us are treating Tad White like he's a student getting in trouble. Tad disappears into the school.

Vince sighs. "We should of asked James to give us more demands," Vince says, "like when Prickly thought he was six and we got him to pretend to be the principal."

Spinelli ignores Vince looking back at the school. "How are we supposed to know what they're even saying?"

"So tell me—" James Stone goes from his office.

His voice is being amplified from the PA system thanks to Menlo leaving it on. Spinelli and Vince high five each other.

"Why shouldn't I ban you from my school?" James continues.

"Look, Mr Third," Tad White goes. "You have to understand, there was a line in the contract which states that if any student does get out of line, I have free will to dictate the school."

"I remember no such thing."

"I assure you it's true."

"Look here, Superintendent," James says with authority, sounding perfectly like Third. "This school is called Thaddeus T Third the fifth high school, not Tad White high school. I know what you did. You repeated what the previous Superintendent did like a forefather. You thought you could release a crazy individual from an institute to barrage my students. Have him do your dirty work. And trade it off as the children behaving badly. Well, you're sadly mistaken. I will not hesitate to push my busy schedule to the side in order to have you dropped from the board tonight. Get the board out of here. Our contract is hereby terminated."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," replies Tad White, sounding overly confident.

"Huh? Um. Come again? You confess to what you did, though, right?" says James.

"Oh yes. Everything you said is true. I released an insane prisoner. I had Theodore Detweiler sentenced unfairly. And I shut down this school. And I'd do it all again, and you know why?"

"Um. No."

"Because I hate you. I despise you. Rich people like you who think that just because they have an allegiance with the higher ups they can automatically dictate everything from the government to the educational system. Well, I work hard to get where I am. And that contract stays with me, so as long as you want to sue me for your negligence of not reading in between the lines of our agreed contract, the only way you're getting it back is from my cold dead hands."

There's a long pause. Tad White returns outside. He walks with a pompous smug. We all stare back at him. The students, the news, the B.O.E, the firemen and all the parents. He slowly gathers that we've heard him confess. He turns and notices the PA system sound off. All the B.O.E face their guns at Tad White.

They're gonna arrest him. Tad stares back at the B.O.E. They turn their guns back at us, the students.

"What?" TJ goes. "Point it at him! He's guilty!"

"You stupid boy," Tad says. "They don't listen to you. They work for me. I've had enough of this parade. Arrest them all."

James Stone comes back out throttling Tad by his collar. "You! I'll get you for this!"

"James?" Tad asks, looking him deep in the eyes.

"Huh?" James replies.

"Hold on here," says Tad. "You—You're." He takes the mask off his face. James' face is revealed. "Well, I'll be damned. You're on their side."

TJ pulls them away from each other. "You're nothing but tricking guys and deceiving people," TJ slams. "All of the board of ed are corrupt!"

"Grow up," Tad White says, fixing his suit. "This is the real world. All of you kids are in big trouble. Sure, you're not the real Thaddeus, but without money, you have no power."

"Wait!" goes someone from the Wall Street kids. "TJ, look up your stock app on Thad high Incorporated."

TJ looks back. He digs in his jeans pocket and checks his phone. He laughs to himself.

"What is it you find so amusing?" Tad asks.

"He didn't forget us," TJ says, flicking through his phone. "Thaddeus T Third invested all his money in our stocks. We have his money. He put all his shares in our name."

"You can't be trusted with that sort of money to put it where it needs to be," Tad says.

"We have a class president. She can."

CJ Rottweiler, the class president, waves from behind us.

"You can't run the school by yourselves," argues Tad.

"We have teachers," says TJ.

"You don't have a principal."

TJ thinks to himself. He slowly lifts his head back up and says, "Me."

"What are you talking about?" asks Tad.

"Me," TJ repeats. "I can be the principal."

"You?" Tad White laughs. "A child? Have all those sodas killed off your brain cells?"

"I've been a principal before. At Third Street I was principle for a day. Look it up."

"All right. I'll tell you what. I'll allow you to be principal if I have a say with what happens here."

Spinelli shouts out, "No dice, deuce!"

"Watch it!" Tad shouts.

"You said it yourself," TJ says. "With Third as principle and him signing the contract you have full control. But by ripping James' mask off just now you've proved he isn't really him. I will be principal—"

"For one day."

"Huh?" everyone says at the same time.

"That's right," Tad says, circling his stare around at all the students surrounding him. "You want a juvenile delinquent as your leader. Fine." He focuses back on TJ. "The first day of the new school year, you'll be a king for a day. But on that second day, I choose who your new principal will be. I already know who it is."

"I don't care who the heck it is," says TJ, with all of us around him. "We'll be ready."

Tad White and TJ shake hands.

"You win today, Theodore," Tad White goes, letting go of their hand shake. "As for me, right now, I resign as Superintendent. I don't need this. I was enjoying trying to make Arkansas a brighter safer place but all of you children are so ungrateful. And as for you TJ, you're nothing but a—what you kids say, a fun sponge. Enjoy your school."

Tad White walks away from us. TJ stands still with us. The news people disperse. The firemen drive away. The B.O.E reverse away from the school.

Gus turns to TJ. "Is it over?" he asks.

"Yeah Gus," TJ replies, "it's over." He looks over at everyone behind us. "Thanks, you guys! For having my back!"

Everyone is congratulating each other. I hug everyone I can. Troy joins me as we head to the entrance of the school. Where the hipsters and the emos are coming downstairs from aiming their crossbow scooters.

Troy taps Deshay. "Aye Deshay! Your band killed it tonight" he says, complimenting him. "You're one hell of a blipster."

"What does that mean?" Deshay asks, as he dismantles his crossbow back into a scooter.

"Blipster, it's a black hipster," Troy explains, "cause you're black and a hipster. Blipster."

"Blipster," Deshay replies, nodding, "I like that."

Everyone's ignoring the emos, so I go over to thank them.

"You all did well too," I tell them.

"No we didn't," says an emo. "We were just on standby half the time."

Drake adds, "even if we did make a difference, we hate ourselves too much to even care."

"You shouldn't," I say. "You should love yourselves."

The emos look at each other.

Troy and Gus come my way. Gretchen, Vince and the rest stand outside. All nine of the gang stand together. We all have a final look as Tad White gets back in his car. His chauffeur drives him away.

Spinelli nudges TJ and says, "kind of a hollow victory, huh, Teej?"

Schools out, in exactly thirty seconds.

TJ, Spinelli, Troy and Molly are back in tutor for the last day. Gus too. All of us are back in our own clothes. Everyone in school is trying to be in our class, with all the doors open for the tutor classes. Vince, Gretchen and Geoffrey have seats next to our desks instead of in their tutor class. Mr Dude's class is over crowded. We're embraced in the beauty of our undeniable friendship.

Mr Dude looks over at TJ. "I just wanna say thanks. Not just me, all of the faculty appreciate what you, what all of you guys did. You saved our jobs."

"No doubt, Dude," TJ smiles back from his seat at him.

"It was just so empowering to see it all unfold like it did, and just to be that teacher who was the one to see you everyday made me feel so proud and—"

Troy coughs out loud with a grunt. "Dude?" Troy asks.

"Yes Troy?" Mr Dude asks.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but—" Troy goes, pointing at the clock behind him.

There's ten seconds till summer vacation.

Mr Dude turns around at the clock. "Oh, it's that time," he says. "Go crazy."

Everyone starts the countdown together. We all go. "Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

We all cheer out loud together. Raising our arms up in the air. Throwing papers in the air from our desks. The cheerleaders throwing their pom poms in the air too.

I get up from my desk from the side of the room. Spinelli jumps on her desk. She holds me from behind and does a piggy back ride on me. I say goodbye to Mr Dude and shake his hand. Molly comes up and hugs me. She then speeds up to Mr Dude and hugs him next. Spinelli gets off from me. It's a big celebration in the hallway. Some tech kids zooming across on their hover boards. The teachers standing on the side saying goodbyes. People running out on to the front of school.

Geoffrey is on the side talking to someone. "Hey Geoffrey," I say, going up to him. "You coming with us?"

"Bud?" Geoffrey goes, looking away from a boy he's talking to and at me. "Would ya mind, I'm—"

Geoffrey is talking to a boy that he's hitting it off with by the lockers.

"Oh," I say. "We'll speak later."

I leave Geoffrey alone. I join the rushing bodies that are leaving through the front. People are hugging each other. Parting away from their friends. With all the "goodbyes" and "see you next year" being exchanged. I can see Ashley T in a hug with a girl she's saying goodbye to.

I walk up to her.

"Hey," I say to her.

"Hey," Ashley T says back.

"So, I'll come over to your house this summer some time?" I ask, trying not to scratch my scruffy hair.

"I'd like that, like, you know. Like."

I don't say anything.

"I'm joking," Ashley T adds, as she smiles letting her grin radiate with the sun.

"Once again I can't fathom the cuteness and jest you seem to showcase before me," I sigh back at her. "But alas, it's the last time I'll be able to see it through the hallways until sophomore year."

Ashley T tilts her head at me. "I can literally listen to you just talk to me like that all day, and this time I'm not joking."

Troy comes out of the school with Vince as they both go passed me. "This summer's gonna be so sweet!" Troy bellows.

Ashley T and I make our parting goodbyes with a hug. She lets go. I watch as Ashley T goes back with the two other Ashley's.

Vince looks back at Troy. "Yeah, but really?" goes Vince. "The Comic Con is always in San Diego! But now it's gonna just so happen switch to Arkansas? Get real!"

The gang quickly find themselves together.

Gus points at the steps of the school. "Here's Teej!" he announces.

TJ comes out with Spinelli. "I'm telling you, Spin," TJ goes, deep in a debate with her. "I knew James was gonna turn around for us, it's called having a little ingenuity. Gut instinct."

"Fine," Spinelli says, "I'm not arguing that. You're trying to say you knew who he was all along, but none of us knew."

Vince turns to TJ. "You ready to go, man?" he asks.

TJ nods back at Vince and carries on his argument with Spinelli saying, "But it's just like Bookham and McVice."

"Oh, here we go," Spinelli moans.

The nine of us finally move away from the school and from all the scenes of the people saying their farewells. There's a snivel of sad sounds next to me. It's Molly. She's crying.

"Are you all right?" I ask her.

"Yeah," replies Molly, with a quick snort as she dries away her tears. "It's just, I'm gonna miss this school."

Troy comforts her. "Remember you got us now, to annoy you all summer," he says to her. "Don't miss school like that. It makes you look really nerdy and unlikable."

"Shut up!" Gretchen says at him. She turns to her. "Molly, you can miss school if you want to."

Maddie smiles wide. "Trust you to say something like that," she giggles.

Troy stops in his tracks. "You know what?" he goes, as he continues to comfort Molly on her arm. "I've got something I wanna ask you, Molly. So, I'll see you guys later."

Troy and Molly stay back near the big scenes outside the school. The seven of us keep walking together down the sidewalk. Gus looks back at Troy and Molly together. He lets out a sigh and carries on walking. Vince senses Gus' grief and pats him on the back. I guess Gus never got to be with Molly anywhere close to romantically this year. Even with all of his lusting.

Spinelli carries on her talk with TJ. "Hypothetically, and I'm being hypothetical here," she goes. "If this year was a TV show like Bookham and McVice, and if anyone was watching us in an outside view—"

Maddie adds, "like reading our fan fiction."

"Sure, whatever," Spinelli groans back. She turns back at TJ. "But if someone was reading us they would have known who James Stone was all along from the beginning like an episode in Bookham and McVice. It would be a boring book to read."

TJ huffs out in frustration. "It's the journey though, that's the whole point," he emphasizes.

TJ and Spinelli keep on arguing. Gretchen is talking with Maddie now. Vince is by my side and I'm next to Gus. We walk in a straight line on the sidewalk. The sun falling down on us. We're ready to welcome the summer with open arms.

We're all going to walk to the Townsedge mall together, most likely.

Probably stop by the Quick-O Mart together first too.

**[PLAY SONG "Gorillaz – Empire Ants" AT THIS POINT]**

Recess High School Years

Freshman Year: The retribution of James Stone

A Fan fic

by Ruff Desperado aka King James

Starred

TJ aka The shabby scoundrel

Spinelli aka Jay walking punk anarchist

Vince aka The golden child

Gus aka The scaredy cat

Gretchen aka Clever clogs

Mikey aka The big softy

Maddie aka Sultress with the loose lips

All the original Recess characters were created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation™

Post-credits scene

Tad White's eyes shoot open as he's taken away from his sordid slumber. He looks directly at the ceiling. He has to wake up early just to make it through. Getting on to his feet, he moves over to the curtains, stretching them wide open. Taking a moment to admire his fine estate. His neat driveway that ravels in a spiral. Two expensive him and her cars. His gates that shut him and his wife away from the low life's of Arkansas. Mrs White rolls over to her side with her sleeping mask still strapped across her eyes. Their gigantic king sized bed afford them to never accidentally touch each other.

"You can sleep in, Taddy," Mrs White says, still in her sleeping position.

Tad ignores her and continues to the bedroom's door knob. Ready to get out of the room and to start his whole routine.

His wife chuckles. "I have energy," she continues, with eyes closed. "You can prove that Ashley Spinelli wrong if you like."

Tad screws his eyes and leaves. He goes to the bathroom. To his distaste he has a little bit of stubble around his jawline. How wreckless, he thinks. He uses his Tushioki hands-free auto-cleaning toilet. Newer technology. He doesn't have to wipe his own ass. The toilet flushes itself. He moves back to the mirror and shaves his beard back to restore some order. He walks into his walk-in shower that turns itself on to a perfectly warm temperature. He applies his imported conditioner from Cambridge. His luxurious soap from Egypt.

Tad walks back into his bedroom. His wife has just risen from their bed. She sits on her side. The room is silent. Tad quietly puts his shirt and pants on.

"What did I do to receive the silent treatment?" Mrs White asks.

Tad White ignores her. He looks at his wardrobe mirror as he dresses himself into his suit.

Mrs White stares at him. "You know those children got away with what they did strictly because of their age?" she goes, crossing her legs on the bed. "If those scoundrels were in any other part of the world they would have suffered severe consequences. Maybe even the death penalty. It's not your fault American children are treated like little angels and little—"

"Stop!" Tad White slams, as he pauses tying his bow-tie. "Let the past be the past. Okay?"

He forces out a smile as he looks back at the mirror at her. He leaves the room yet again. He makes his way halfway down the stairs. Pausing in the middle, he reverses back to his room. He plants a kiss on to Mrs White's forehead. For all the people in the world Mrs White is probably the only person who truly believes in him. Nothing forced, and without agreeing to everything he says. They share a glint of a smile together. The doorbell rings.

Tad's attention gets grasped. He moves back to his opened curtains to spy out whose trying to disturb him this morning. A boy stands by his gates. Is it some child here to patronize him? The boy, who looks high school age, is perched on a bike with a newspaper in hand and more in his duffle bag. The boy presses the door bell again.

"Who is it?" Mrs White asks Tad.

"The paper boy," Tad replies.

It's strange. What on heavens is a paper boy doing, coming to his estate? Tad even has a notice by the wall of his house stressing 'No salesman.' It doesn't directly apply to paperboys, but it's implied. He goes downstairs to inspect it. But. You know what? Tad feels different today. He has a jive in his step. Going upstairs yet again, he fetches his little man purse. Mrs White looks oddly at him. She wonders what has gotten into him.

Tad leaves through his front door. He walks towards the paper boy. He unlocks the gates. The paper boy notices him and just hands the newspaper to him through the bars. Tad has a better look at the boy. The coast is clear. It's no child from Thad High, so there's no chance that this is a foolish attempt of a prank to get at him. Tad takes the morning paper and the boy walks away with his bike.

"Hey, young man," Tad says, walking back to the paperboy. He fiddles in his purse and hands him over two nickels. "Here you go."

"No thanks," the paperboy replies, moving Tad's hand away.

"Okay," Tad says, reaching in his purse for more and handing out four dollar coins and forcing it into the boy's hands. "Take it."

The paperboy looks at the it. He hands it back.

Tad stands there perplexed. He just wants to help the poor boy. Tad thinks of himself like something of a father figure. He's actually in a good mood besides everything that's happened. Tad empties his whole purse of change into the boy's hand. Almost Thirty dollars worth. The boy tries to give it back but Tad won't let him. The paperboy, adamant of not wanting any tip, kneels down and puts the change by Tad's feet.

"What are you doing?" Tad asks, beginning to lose his patience. "I said take it!"

"Money isn't everything," he goes, he smiles as he lifts his leg over his bike and cycles away.

The boy misses all the other houses and cycles back up the road.

That was peculiar.

He should be wearing a helmet, Tad thinks.

Tad leaves his gates open and returns back inside. He looks at his paper. At least he has some information to digest now.

Time passes as Tad reads his paper. Nothing particular strikes him as important. That's been his attitude to Arkansas since he moved there. His sole intention of reigning down his version of justice on how the educational system should be governed.

Mrs White, now ready to go to work, covers her husband's eyes.

"What are you doing?" Tad asks, sitting on seat still.

She uncovers his eyes. He opens them. There's a wrapped up present in-front of him. They never wrap up presents for each other, and he's not celebrating anything. He picks it up and inspects it further. It's a item, almost book sized, with Christmas wrapping all over it. The tag on it shows, 'To TJ, from Mom and Dad'.

"Go on," Mrs White goes. "Open it."

He opens TJ's present to reveal a video game.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asks.

"Play it, presumably," Mrs White responds.

He looks at the strange thing. He looks at it from back to front.

He screws his eyes at the fine print. "It says this game is only compatible to a ULBX 180," he says. "What is a ULBX 180?"

"Surprise," Mrs White says, nodding her head on the kitchen sill on the side.

Tad notices, for the first time, the box for this corresponding console. He thought it was perhaps a new appliance for the kitchen but in fact it's an application to play this vile thing.

Mrs White swings her purse over her arm. "You have a lot of time on your hands now," she says.

"I'm getting a job right now," says Tad. "Starting today."

"Mhmm," she hums, looking very unconvinced. "That bow tie's not fooling anyone. I gotta dash, dear." She leaves through the hallway. "Don't pretend you're not curious!"

Mrs White leaves through the door.

Tad White walks away from the table. He stands looking at his garden. He stays away from the video game. Going back to the newspaper, he flicks through the jobs listed for a while. There's no job being advertised that matches his caliber. He looks back at the game. He picks it up. 'Final Boss Vendetta 5' is the title of the game. The picture of the art shows a collage. Helicopters, cars, explosions, guns and half naked women. It's rated 18 for adults.

It's typical for parents such as Detweiler's to show such disregard, he thinks.

Tad opens it and picks at the CD inside it. This is foreign to him. He goes to the living room. He sets up the Ultra-box 180 as he reads through the installation manual. Stretching the wires. Plugging in an extension cord. The screen flashes ULBX. The game boots up.

He plays the game for several minutes. On the odd occasion he tries all his might not to enjoy it. Matter fact, the distance from the two joysticks to the four buttons seems miles away from each other. How is someone supposed to hold the controller and press the buttons at the same time? There's buttons on the back of the controller too? He thinks.

He strolls around with his role playing character. Randomly stealing cars and mowing down pedestrians. He buys a gun. Aiming it, he shoots someone. Blood splattering everywhere. A one star rating pops up on the top corner of the screen. He soon realizes he has the option to just open fire on any person in this game.

This is the sort of violence that damages children's minds, Tad thinks.

Tad backtracks. He attempts to follow the objectives that the game is suggesting. This is strange to him. There's actually a story behind all of this anarchy. He's been playing for almost an hour. He's getting used to all the controls. He's dying less times and the main character in the game seems to be an anti-hero with little redeemable qualities, but it somehow works. Not to mention the look of the game is beautiful. It looks hyper realistic. Everything about it has character and personality. Where has this kind of thing been all his life?

It's almost as if this video game is art.

The TV screen turns off. All the electricity shuts off. Tad sits there momentarily helpless. Maybe it's just a power surge and it can fix itself, Tad thinks. The TV switches back on. Tad sighs in relief. He picks up his Ultra-box controller again. He's just getting into his game.

The TV flashes on in bright colors. An odd figure appears on the screen. It's someone wearing an odd Guy Fawkes mask with monkey features. The long face with a mustache and goatee, only it's furry with ape like ears above.

The weird figure tilts it's head. "I would like to speak with you, Tad White," that person says, staring directly at him.

The man's voice is deep and menacing. No voice of any person Tad has encountered before.

"Excuse me?" Tad replies, looking left and right. "What is this? Who am I talking to?"

"I am part of Pseudonymous," the figure responds, as the screen distorts in technicolor and flashing cartoonish glitches. "A new notorious hacking organization, and your actions in court have been bought to our attention."

Tad White stands up. "What is this?" he asks. "Is this some sort of weak attempt of a prank?"

Tad reaches for his TV remote to change what he's watching. It's the same every channel. He moves behind the television and unplugs the cord. It doesn't work. The man on screen remains there, staring at him. The mask is fixed with a self righteous smirk.

"You have disrespected and abused one of our own and now you will pay for it," the man in the mask says. "It will be in your best interest to show me respect. I will need you to follow my instructions, do you understand?"

"I'm not gonna listen to you," Tad replies.

"You will suffer the consequences for your actions. Your manipulation and mind games on the innocent will be tolerated no longer. You thought hiding behind a wall of authority as Superintendent would protect you. It was all fun and games when you sentenced students to time. Well, Tad White, now it's your time, and my game has only begun."

Tad White's car alarm goes off. The alarm bellows out. Tad rushes outside of his house. He turns it off with his keys. His car is in it's usual space. It's behind his private gates. Next to his wife's. Completely separated from potential intruders.

He returns back inside. The man on the screen is still there. He couldn't have done this, could he?

"We are Pseudonymous. We are Copious. We do not Forgive. We do not Forget. Expect us! Tell me, Clive Wickham—"

Tad stands huffing, trying to get his breath back. "How do you know my real—?" Tad asks.

"Do you ever feel like your being watched while your in 23 Cloudy Boulevard?"

"How do you know where I live?" Tad asks, lifting his head around the four corners of his living room, searching for any cameras. "How are you doing this?"

The man flicks off from the screen as it changes into animation. His voice still talks over as he describes everything Tad White did this morning. Waking up early. Getting a newspaper from a paperboy. How many sugars he used for his tea. Taking a Christmas present that belongs to TJ Detweiler.

"We are the ones who are governed by no law. We are the ones who do not beg for justice to take its course. We are the voice of the silent and we are the eyes of the blind. We are Pseudonymous. We know that you have committed these actions, if you would like to feel safe within your own home, listen to my instructions and follow to them to a T, do you understand?"

"No!" Tad says. "I understand, but no. I'm not gonna succumb to some downright malicious punk!"

"You've spied on student's private information, so it's only fair if the same happens to you," the man continues. The screen contorts into more flashing images. "Tad White. Your real name is Clive Wickham. You have worked as a private eye for the B.O.E for many years. You didn't want people to think that that was your real name. You chose 'Tad' because you're a secret agent of the board, but when in reality you've always subconsciously wanted to be like Thaddeus."

"That's a lie!" Tad shouts.

"You're nicknamed "the cleaner," and in doing so, the 'White' in your name was something to signify as clean and lawful. But Clive, that hasn't been true this year has it?"

Tad remains silent.

"We've forwarded to the F.B.I. all the evidence to expose your illegal sentencing, and it's merely one click away. But, this can all be avoided if you do as I say. Firstly, do not refer to me as punk, you will refer to me as sir, do you understand?"

"Yes," Tad replies with distaste.

"Yes what?"

"Yes...sir."

"Secondly, I want you to apologize to each and every parent of the child you wrongfully imprisoned."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You've been busy," the voice says, cheerily. "On the newspaper you received this morning, it has been made uniquely and specially for you. Every number of the parent of the teenager you victimized is on the page for the stock market. We know you don't read those. We thought we might have to remind you."

Tad races back to his kitchen. He picks his newspaper up and flicks it to the NASDAQ. The man's right. Just like he said. In alphabetical order, hundreds of phone numbers with the teenagers on trial are on there. Tad goes back in the living room, paper in hand.

"The teenagers you manipulate are the teenagers you depend on," the man says. "We fix your computers. We wait on you for your meals. We post you your newspapers. We know your internet search history. We know where your food has been. We know where you live. We know more about you than you know about yourself. Do not mess with us."

Teenagers? As in 'we' teenagers? Tad thinks. It's worse than Tad feared. It's not a man trying to hurt, blackmail or even steal his identity. It's a child.

He scours through all the names and numbers of the parents. His finger stops on Mr & Mrs Detweiler. Theodore is still fresh on his mind. He dials the corresponding number and waits.

A gentle voice responds. "Hello, Janet Detweiler speaking, how may I help you?" she asks.

Tad sighs on the receiver.

"Hello, who is this?" she asks again.

"This is Clive—I mean, Tad White," he replies. "I wish to, um." He pauses and looks at the masked teenager on the screen. "Apologize."

"Becky get off the—I have to use the phone now," she says. Her voice comes back more clearer and closer again. "Sorry, for what, may I ask?"

Tad White explains that he was the Superintendent of the B.O.E. His involvement in the stand off outside of the high school a week ago. How he was the judge in court that fateful day when TJ was sentenced four years in a juvenile detention center.

"It's been bought to my attention," Tad starts. He readjusts the phone on his ear. "I mean, it's a truth that's really yet to be acknowledged that, it was really me."

"What?" she asks.

"Okay, the fact of the matter is, your son was innocent."

"Oh, really? That's wonderful. But, didn't you put my son in juvie anyway?"

"Yes, that's right," Tad replies. "He did nothing wrong of the sought. It was entirely me. Everything was my doing. The jury rightfully found him not guilty, but I waved my hand and made it not so. I manipulated and cheated. It was all me."

"I see," she says. She takes a long pause. Tad wonders if she's still on the line, but doesn't say anything. "I've got nothing else to say to you."

"So, do you take my apology?" Tad asks.

The phone makes a droning dial tone.

"Hello? Hello? Hello?" Tad asks over and over. "She hung up on me." He looks back on the newspaper. There's hundreds of numbers to go "I can't." Tad stares back to the person on his screen. "There's too many parents to call."

"It's okay," the person on screen replies. "We'll wait."

"No, I'm not doing this," Tad says. "This is nonsense. I'm not subjecting myself to this, and be debased in my own house."

"So be it."

There's a long moment of silence.

The feint sound of sirens emerge. It gets louder. The screeching brake of cars and trucks are outside. There's a sound of a forced entry. His private gate gets caved in. It's a S.W.A.T team on his private estate, which no longer seems so private. There's knocking on his door.

Tad panics. "Wait!" Tad cries out to the figure on his screen. "Hold on! Please! I'll give you money. Just name your price. I'll pay you. How much do you want?"

"That's where you're wrong, Tad White," the mysterious, so-called teenager on screen says. "This is Pseudonymous. We don't give a whomp about money."

You? Tad thinks.

The S.W.A.T team barge into Tad's house.

"Go! Go! Go!" the S.W.A.T officer shouts.

Tad stands frozen.

"Put the phone down!" another officer yells, pointing a gun at Tad. "Put your hands up!"

Several officers swarm him.

"Get on the ground now! I said, get on the ground now!"

Tad is pushed to his knees and on to his stomach. Real guns are pointed at the back of his head. Tad stretches his neck at the screen again to have a final glimpse. It seems to all make sense now.

The TV turns off.

The mysterious figure adorning the monkey mask sits on a stool in-front of a green screen. He's in an internet cafe back in town. Gretchen puts down her cue cards, TJ having written him everything to say with his marker pen. Troy is still recording behind the camera. Kumiko puts a rest to the effects she's been adding, with Maddie, during the hacking broadcast. Other members of the gang watch on. All the computers in the cafe monitors are recording Tad White's home. One screen shows Tad White being handcuffed and taken away. The person wearing the Guy Fawkes monkey mask takes it off. It's Mikey.

"How'd I do?" Mikey asks, ruffling his hair from looking flat.

Vince leans on the side of a table. "Ten outta ten, man," he says.

Molly fiddles with her earphones and says, "That was sorta frightening."

Mikey's singing voice was perfect for this type of operation. It's several octaves deeper than what he speaks with day to day. A voice changer would have been too simple enough. It would have been too robotic, and lack that emotional crux that would make a deep voiced speaker sound so domineering.

Troy has his eye focused behind the camera. "Uh-huh," says Troy. He gives Mikey a thumbs up. "I think I almost crapped my pants over here."

"Yeah," TJ says, laying down on his back. He pops the cap back on to his marker. "I think me and Mr White have finally squashed our beef."

The gang have a neat set up in the cafe. All the computers are connected together. Spinelli had called her cousin Nick to infiltrate inside Tad's estate, and give him a morning newspaper. TJ talked his way with the owner to reserve the entire shop for two days. Under Gretchen's calculations that would have been the sufficient amount of time it would take for Tad White to apologize to every single person he unlawfully prosecuted.

Spinelli blows out a sigh from the side. "Couldn't we at least hear him out about paying us?" she asks.

Gretchen looks over at her. "No, Spinelli," she says, "blackmail and extortion wouldn't bode well for our organization."

Spinelli remains unmoved as she fiddles with her phone. "What doesn't bode well is my lack of green," replies Spinelli. She helps gather up some loose wires. "Fun ain't free."

Gus turns to her and says, "You could get a job like me, Spin."

Spinelli scrunches up her face, and after a pause rolls her eyes.

Everyone from the gang log their computers off. Mikey takes down the green screen and hands it to Gus who rolls it up. Gretchen rips up the cue cards and bins them. Kumiko gathers up her wires and her laptop. TJ is the last to leave. He turns the sign on the store from closed to open.

They head to the mall together. Gus hands over the folded green screen to Kumiko as she departs until it's the usual nine again. Molly takes the monkey mask off of Mikey and puts it on herself. Her pink hair flows from either side of it.

Spinelli turns to Gus. He's still walking with them to her surprise. "You not going to that terror dome you call work, then?" Spinelli asks him.

"No," Gus replies, as he shakes his head. "I booked a whole day off to do this."

Troy puts an arm around TJ. "Teej, dude," Troy says, feeling more comfortable to call him that now. "Did you really expect White to go and apologize to every parent?"

"Dunno," TJ replies. "More like hoping."

Spinelli smiles. "No disrespect to them," she starts. "But good thing. I wasn't planning to settle down for an all-day-Sirenbucks-sess and hearing Tad White say sorry over and over."

Gus looks over at TJ. "Funny how he chose you out of all those other teens to apologize to, huh?" Gus asks.

"Yeah," TJ replies, as he pushes through the doors of the mall. "I guess so."

"Out of all those to pick, you were the only one. I mean, you have to have been one of his favorites to torture."

"Um," TJ says, as they continue to walk and talk. "Yeah."

"Anyone else see how he opened up your present with no cinch?" asks Gus. The gang doesn't reply. "He didn't hesitate. Gosh. That must've made you feel really crummy. Your mom and dad go out and buy it for you just for him to play it with no care in the world. And then there's the—aah!"

Troy trips up Gus mid sentence, making him fall over on his face.

Molly and Mikey help Gus back up again.

"T!" Vince goes, holding back a grin. "Not cool."

Gretchen on the other hand is much more stern. "You could have just politely asked him to stop talking about it."

Gus nods back at Mikey and says he's, "all right". With that, Gretchen parts away to the Peach electronic store. TJ and Vince have had enough and go towards the QuarterChasers arcade. Maddie and Mikey head to the food court. Gus and Molly head up the moving escalator towards a children's toy store.

The gang are all but used to Troy's shenanigans by now.

Spinelli turns to Troy and huffs out loud. "You'll never change, will you Troy?"

"Come on," says Troy, putting his arms out. "Someone had to shut him up."

Spinelli storms away further into the mall as she straightens out parts of her hair.

"Spinelli!" Troy goes. He jogs after her. "I was only joking. Hey! I was just—Hey!"