Mikey walked into the principal's office for the second time this school year. While he has gotten in trouble before going to the principal's office alone was still new to him and the experience made him sick to his stomach. Outside the Principal's office was the main office which often hosted a line of other trouble makers, typically repeat offenders. Today was just like any other day.
"Tell me SB what'll it take?" Mundy sat next to Sue-Bob Murphy and took her hands into his. She quickly pulled away and spat on him.
"Ahh young love. It's wonderful seeing all my peers growing, maturing, and finding themselves." Mikey thought to himself. He surveyed the other hooligans in the room.
"So I told the kid, if you're not going to have any lunch money for me to steal than the least you can do is make me a bagged lunch." Gelman recalled his latest attack on a smaller innocent kid.
"Well maybe not all my peers."
"Like no way and like ew! That would totally ruin my reputation!" Ashley A screeched.
Menlo covered his ears as she threw a tantrum. After she calmed down he put on a puppy dog face and began to beg. "But if you went to the dance with me I can give you anything you want! Another locker, immunity from detention, I could even wipe the non-excused absences from your records. You know you've really accumulated a lot this year after that whole zit incident."
"SHHHHH! You do not speak of that! Ashleys don't get zits! Now if you keep that a secret I'll let you watch me dance to one song from a safe distance of fifteen feet."
"Deal." Menlo offered her his hand to shake but she scoffed an walked out. He held his hand up to his heart and let out a loving sigh. The school bell took him out of his trance, and he remembered he was working. He picked up the sign in sheet and studied the names on the list. "Mikey Blumberg, Principal Thorny will see you now."
Mikey inhaled deeply as he gripped the doorknob. "Principal Thorny, you wanted to see me?"
"Ah yes Michael, take a seat."
Mikey followed his orders and twiddled his thumbs nervously. He watched the man before him stroke his beard as he thought carefully on the right words to say.
"I understand you were the student that orchestrated this protest, am I right?"
"You are correct sir. I did it to save the lives of the frogs."
"And I imagine you heard what happened to the batch of frogs ordered for the dissection."
"I did hear about it."
"And you understand that those frogs are property of Spiro T. Agnew middle school, and that stealing school property is grounds for expulsion."
Mikey's heart skipped a beat. "Pardon me?"
"The school board will be conducting an investigation on the matter, is there anything you would like to share with us before we begin the investigation? Any insights on who could have committed such an act or why?"
Mikey's heart was pounding now. "Does he actually think I did it? I was trying to save the frogs, having the dissection postponed wouldn't solve that."
"Principal Thorny I can honestly say that I do not know who did it, and if I do hear anything I will let you know."
Principal Thorny stopped stoking his beard and stared Mikey down reading all his features to see if he was conducting a lie detector test. After good moment of silence he finally spoke up. "Okay Michael you're free to go, just keep in mind we will find the culprit."
"I hope you do sir. I hope you do."
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"Yo Mikey!" Vince shouted from the steps of the school.
Mikey turned to see his athletic best friend chasing after him. They high-fived when Vince reached him.
"What happened to you today man? You were a no show at lunch and you didn't help us clean up, I know I said that you should take it easy but man I didn't think you'd listen that well."
"I got called down to the principal's office."
"Oh yeah I heard your name get called on the overhead, what happened in there?"
"Principal Thorny thinks I did it."
"NO WAY!" Vince yelled drawing the attention of students nearby.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" Gus greeted as he and Gretchen caught up with them.
"Get this, Principal Thorny accused Mikey of stealing the frogs."
"Gadzooks!"
"What!?"
"Well he didn't accuse me per se... but it was very much implied. When I was leaving his office he made it loud and clear that the culprit would be found."
"But you would never do such a thing!"
"I know Gus but he doesn't know that, and I'm sure the most recent marks on my permanent record doesn't help his impression of me."
"But you didn't do that either."
"He also doesn't have any substantial evidence. I wouldn't worry too much Mikey, science will prove him wrong, It always does."
"Gretchen's right, you don't have much too worry about. Now come on we have a few hours before we gotta get ready for the dance, let's go to my house and watch Beanie McChimp."
"Uhh you guys go on. I'll meet you at the dance, I gotta go... uh... clean my snake's cage! See ya!"
Gretchen and Vince stood back and laughed as they watch Gus run off in the wrong direction of his house. Mikey looked on worriedly knowing well what is dorky best friend was up to
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Tj looked at his annoyed reflection in the mirror as his mother slowly combed, gelled, and styled his hair.
"Mom you've been working on my hair for over twenty minutes now, come on I'm going to be late."
"Sorry dear, I just wanted everything to be special for my boy's very first date." Janice Detweiler straightened Tj's tie and cape.
Tj rolled his eyes. "It's not a date mom, it's Spinelli. We've been best friends since we were four."
She sprayed some weird musky cologne on him. "Okay it's not a date, you are just going to the dance with your long time crush dressed up as Senor Fusion and his girlfriend Femme Fetale, but it's not a date I get it."
Tj let out an annoyed groan. "Femme Fetale is Senor Fusion's sidekick they're not together." Pffft parents they don't know nothin'.
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The doorbell rang at the Spinelli house hold.
"Ashley! Tj's here!" Bob Spinelli called for his daughter before opening up the door to let the neighbor boy in.
Before he could greet Tj, Spinelli came running up from behind him grabbing Tj's arm and pulled him outside. Bob acted fast and picked up his daughter and pulled her back in.
"Hold your horses Pookie we gotta get pictures first."
"Why must you guys get photographic evidence of everything?" Spinelli grunted as she escaped from her father's hold.
Tj laughed as he watched her struggle. "Sorry Spinelli but my mom wants pictures too."
Spinelli rolled her eyes. "Alright let's get this over with. MA GET OUT HERE I'M TRYNA LEAVE!"
Flo made her way down the stairs with a camera in hand. She stood by Janice and the two started snapping pictures with no sign of stopping. Bob and Sam Detweiler stood behind their wives and watched them torture their children.
"Tj dear put your arm around her!" Janice ordered her son.
"Pookie uncross your arms and try to smile."
"Hey how bout we get a picture with the moms?" Tj suggested.
"Okay well you don't want to be late." As quickly as the cameras were whipped out they were put away.
"Have fun tonight you two, be home by 10."
The mothers hugged their children and did some last minute primping much to their chagrin.
Sam patted his son on the back as Bob kissed his daughter's forehead and pulled her into a hug. "Aww you look beautiful Princess." Bob teared up a little.
Spinelli rolled her eyes. "Dad..."
Finally Bob shook Tj's hand an offered them a ride to the dance, but they turned it down in favor of walking. In reality they couldn't take much more of the coddling and embarrassment and were ready to have fun.
As the view of the Spinelli residence disappeared Tj wrapped an arm around Spinelli's shoulders, she smiled enjoying the familiar comfort.
"So your costume..." Tj started but for some reason couldn't get anymore words out.
"My costume?" Spinelli raised an eyebrow. She waited for him to respond but he just had a blank stare and his mouth was agape. She flicked his nose.
"It's nice." He managed to spit out. "You look... beautiful as Femme Fetale." He felt instant regret as soon as he said this, but it was true she looked amazing. Her hair had been down and curled with a big red flower on top. Like Senor Fusion Femme Fetale was a Spaniard who embraced her culture. She was a Flamenco dancer so Spinelli's costume was styled to allow for dance. The costume was a long red spaghetti strap dress which hugged her body tightly. The helm in the front stopped at the knees, but continued to flow off in a trail in the back. She even traded in her boots for a pair of black heals for this one occasion.
"Thanks Teej." She blushed. "You look great yourself."
He blushed back. Senor Fusion's crime fighting outfit was a matador costume. Tj was dressed in a blue matador's suit with a pink shirt and pink socks. He wore a blue mask to hide his identity, though he opted out of wearing Senor Fusion's hat and kept his own iconic red hat.
"I hope Mikey's doing better, he was really upset about the frogs."
"And I'm sure getting called to the Principal's office didn't help him feel any better."
"Yeah I wonder what that was about."
"Well why don't we ask him HEY MIKEY!"