So, thanks for the review, yearh i liked the suggestion, and i will use it in this chapter. Glad you liked the stuff i put in the story, with them hiding in the clubhouse, and Spinelli not completely wearing red, but that red is still a part of the outfit. As for them liking Gretchen, well it could happen, you'll just have to keep reading. Now onto the chapter.

Chapter 36: Tea time

A few days had passed since picture day, and Spinelli was busy getting ready to meet with Ashley A and her parents for tea. Ashley A had invited the Spinelli family to her house where the others Ashleys and their parents would be too. Spinelli had informed her parents about it and her mom had gleefully accepted. According to the Ashleys, her parents needed to receive investment and proper dressing advice.

Spinelli was currently in the process of getting dressed. She was wearing a white dress with a red cardigan, white headband and red flats to match her white stockings. She sported little makeup and styled her hair to the match the Ashleys' preferred style.

"Ashley, we're ready to leave!" Her mom called to her from downstairs.

When Spinelli descended the staircase, she noticed that her parents hadn't changed into clothing these new families would consider to be appropriate. Her parents didn't exactly have a decent sense of style, at least according to Ashley A, and Spinelli was slowly agreeing with them.

She wasn't going to admit it either, but she was getting closer to letting go of her individuality entirely. It seemed easier to let the Ashleys think for her, but there was still a tiny part of her that was resisting. However, it was diminishing with each passing day.

They were now in the car. Bob had been driving for several minutes until they reached the more opulent part of town. When they pulled up to Ashley A's house, her parents were impressed by the size. They parked the car and then walked up to ring the bell. A few minutes later, it was opened by a servant who let them inside where they were quickly greeted by Ashley A and her parents.

"Ashley S, I'm, like, so glad that you and your parents could, like, make it. Hello again Mr. and Mrs. Spinelli, these are my parents." Ashley A greeted them cordially. She tried to hide her disgust at Bob and Flo's clothing. It wasn't exactly appropriate, but it was a problem that could be easily fixed.

"Hello again Ashley A. We're very happy to be invited." Flo said as she looked over to Ashley A's parents. They, too, weren't content with Bob and Flo's clothing but they kept their opinions to themselves.

"Hello there, my name is Flo, and this is my husband Bob."

"Nice to meet you, Bob and Flo." Heather greeted them. "I'm Heather and this is my husband Richard. Well, we can start off with a tour of the house while we wait for the other guests to arrive. They should be here any minute. The adults will be having their tea in the dining room. Ashley, that means that you and your friends can have tea in your bedroom."

"Thanks, Mom." Ashley A smiled.

"Ashley, you can show Ashley S to your room?"

"Yeah. Like, come this way, Ashley S."

When the girls were gone, Flo spoke up. "When is the tour starting Heather?"

Heather laughed. "Oh, the tour can wait. Since the girls are having their own party, we figured we should begin our discussion too. We invited you here because we wanted to talk business with you. Well, the men will be discussing investments and a possible new job for your husband while us women will discuss fashion and politics."

Eventually all the other families came, the girls were directed upstairs, and everyone else entered the dining room. Bob told the men his current qualifications. It wasn't enough to secure him a high paying job, but he and Flo were given some good investment advice. Bob was also urged to start eating healthier. Heather recommended some good meals options for both of them to follow. Bob was also given a workout routine to follow. Flo, meanwhile, was asked to join the other women for a future shopping trip. They would also frequent a salon afterwards.

The parents of the Ashleys knew their daughters wanted to remain friends with Ashley S, but her parents needed a lot of guidance concerning their appearance, income, exercise and lifestyle. They all believed they were doing the Spinelli family a favour.

Flo and Bob took their advice to good use, hoping that maybe Bob could find a better paying job from their suggestions.

Returning to the Ashleys, they had another reason for inviting the Spinelli family to Ashley A's home. Aside from a tea party, they intended to remove the last bit of Spinelli's individuality. They believed that if her parents started earning more money, changed their appearances and maybe moved into a better neighborhood that it might eradicate the last of Spinelli's individuality. They were almost there after all; they could sense it. They only needed to push Spinelli a bit further before she cracked entirely. She was already walking, talking and acting like a true Ashley. She had even begun to sit like them, drink and sip her tea like them, and enjoy gossiping. It was her destiny to join them and their destiny to help her become the best Ashley she could be. Spinelli needed to be destroyed so that Ashley S would take her place. The loudmouth tomboy who had her own opinions was too dangerous. It was critical that Spinelli lost all sense of individuality because if people learned she was an Ashley later, it could ruin them all. The thought was too much too handle.

Everyday since they began phase 8, they started to plant small ideas into Spinelli's head. They hoped that it would cause her to stop thinking for herself, so they could do it for her.

Besides, maybe it was a good idea. Spinelli's old friends never bothered to call, so maybe it would better to just forget all about them and live her life as an Ashley.

Eventually Spinelli and her parents said their goodbyes and drove home. Hours passed and before Spinelli knew it, she was heading to bed. Later that night she had another dream.

She was once again standing on the playground where there were two sides of her. One was being the perfect Ashley, who was drinking tea with her fellow Ashleys, while the other Spinelli was wearing her riding outfit. As the two sides came closer to each other, she briefly saw the mix between her tomboy-self and her Ashley-self painting off to the side.

Spinelli herself was wearing a very feminine red dress, identical to what the Ashleys are wearing. She also sported a red hairband, white stockings with black shoes. However, her hair wasn't styled, she wasn't wearing makeup and she didn't have a necklace with a crystalized 'A' on it encasing her neck.

She thought about where to go for several minutes. She thought about going to the mix with her retaining her individuality, but something stopped her from walking towards that side. It was quickly disappearing too, leaving only the other two sides of her that were quickly moving closer towards each other.

Spinelli then woke up, feeling much better about being an Ashley than she had before. There was no individuality left aside from the fact that she still wasn't saying "scandalous" or using the word "like" in her sentences. She could still remember being Spinelli the loudmouth tomboy, but other than that, nothing of her old self remained. That voice inside her head was protesting, but as always, she ignored it.

Next chapter: a new phase can begin

So, that's it for chapter 36, hope you liked it, and if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know

As always please R/R and let me know what you think

And as always i do not own recess or its characters.

Thanks to my beta SheikahLover for editing the chapter.