So Toonami is coming back, which brightened my day.
Seems like cartoons channels are finally gaining some sense and showing their old programs. About time. Let's get Disney to join the bandwagon and maybe TV will become descent again.
Read On!
Crushing the red Crayola crayon in her hand, Spinelli sat in her seat, and held back the urge she had to march over to the table where TJ was sitting. She wasn't surprised when she came into her Art class and saw him sitting at the round table in the corner of the class. Following the rest of the class, she sat anywhere BUT that table, but that didn't keep her front watching her. She blamed it on having spent some time in juvie with him.
She was working on a picture she had started on the previous Friday. It was a simple drawing of a tube of red paint being squeezed out, but the shading was giving her more trouble than she had expected. Having drawn pictures much more complicated than this one, she didn't think it would take longer than one class to finish it, but that was proving to be wrong.
By the looks of it, Spinelli didn't expect it to be finished for a while, having just crushed the crayon in her hands.
"Psst, Spinelli, are you okay?" Asked Clarissa, the former Swinger Girl. The two of them sat at the same large and round table, along with Mundy. "You look like you're ready to kill someone."
"Uh-huh, I'm fine," Spinelli said, brushing the wax off her hands. "Just a little pissed."
"Oh. About Detweiler, right?" Clarissa asked, keeping her eyes on the sheet of paper she was drawing on. Keeping her aviator goggles from elementary school, she now wore a pair of baggy khakis, a green t-shirt with a fighter jet on it, and a pair of black shoes. "Tell me you guys have a plan for this. I want to join the Air Force before I die."
"We're working as fast as we can. Jesus," Spinelli said, going through the small bucket on the table searching for another red crayon. "Give us some time, okay? It's gonna take a while. Dammit, where's all the red ones?"
"We're lucky we have any at all," Mundy grumbled. "The schools art department doesn't get a damn dime. Meanwhile, the football field gets new turf, the baseball team gets new equipment, and the basketball team gets new uniforms. Last time I checked, they were all doing fine with what they had." With a neater Mohawk than the one he maintained when he was younger, he wore a black t-shirt, earns with holes ripped at the knees, and jean jacket with the sleeve ripped off. "Bullshit."
"Yeah, it sucks, but what are gonna do about it?' Spinelli asked him. "Sitting her and bitching about it isn't gonna solve anything. It's not going to solve this problem, and it's not going to solve that." She said, pointing across the class to TJ. "How many you have lunch after this?"
"I had lunch before this class," Mundy told her.
"I have lunch next." Said Clarissa said. "Why?"
"Me and he others are going to try and think of something at lunch," She said. "I know everyone's going to come and run over to us. It would help if they didn't. Think you can get the word out to leave us alone at lunch?"
"No problem," Clarissa said, taking out her cellphone and starting to text. "Everyone wants you guys to do something. I think that if you all need to be left alone, then everyone will do it."
"You guys have any red crayon?" Spinelli asked the people sitting at the table next to hers. They all shook their heads, no. "God! What's with all the reds missing?"
"You haven't asked him," Mundy said, pointing with his crayon over to where TJ was sitting. "You and Francis spent time with him in juvie. It should be easy. Or are you scared shitless like the rest of us?"
"First of all, I'm not scared of him. Let's get that straight right now," Spinelli said, glaring at Mundy. "Second of all, I think I will go over and see if he has any, just to prove my point." Getting out of her seat, Spinelli walked across the room, gaining the attention of the entire classroom. Scoffing at their stares, Spinelli did her best to ignore them during the short walk. She understood why they were 'scared shitless' as Mundy put it, but it was beginning to get old. Being in juvie with him gave her an idea of what he was like. It wasn't TOO long ago, so she hoped that much hasn't changed that would have her idea about him being wrong.
"Uh, hey," She said, reaching TJ's table. He looked up from what he was drawing to her. "Do you have any red crayons? I broke the only one we had over there."
"I saw," He said, pushing the bucket over to her. "There's one in there somewhere. Take it. I don't need it."
"Thanks," She said, going through the colors. Finding five red crayons, she left the rest on the table and turned to leave before she saw the picture he was drawing. "Is that a rabbit?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"Is that the rabbit you had back in juvie?"
"Yep."
"Oh. Do you still have it?"
"Uh-huh."
"It's a nice picture."
"Right."
Knowing she wasn't going to get anything else out of him, Spinelli went back to her seat.
"How'd it go?" Mundy asked her.
"I'm alive, aren't I?" She snapped. "It was fine. I got what I went over there for."
"Says the girl who was in juvie with him."
"Yeah that helped," She admitted. "Look, I just want to finish my picture, alright? We have what, twenty minutes of class left. That's twenty minutes until lunch, and twenty minutes until anything will get done…" She paused to look back across the room where she was standing just a few minutes ago. "If it makes you feel any better, the only advice I can give you is to stay out of his way, but you and everyone else is already doing that." Ending the conversation, she looked back down at her unfinished picture and started to work on it. Considering herself weak on shading, Spinelli took the picture she was working on as 'practice.'
Ever since she drew the large chalk mural on the blacktop, Spinelli had uncovered a love of art she did not know she had. It was a less violent alternative to fighting that kept her out of the trouble, besides the one time in middle school where paint was thrown back in forth between her, the others, and the Ashley's in a fight that was waiting to happen. She was quite good at it (aside from the trouble she had with shading), and after a few years of practice she improved.
~*~V~*~
"Yes! We made it!" Gus declared as he and the others entered the cafeteria together. The time moved agonizingly slow, and once the bell rang, a wave a relief poured over them. They all met up before going into the lunch room for protection, both from the inevitable crowd that they expected to attack them for answers and TJ., but he was nowhere in sight.
"Yeah, we made it, Gus. I don't know about you guys, but all this anxiety is making me hungry," Vince said, walking over to the lunch line. "What's for lunch?"
"Pizza!" Mikey said, pointing at the next student to come out of the front of the lunch line. "When was the last time we had pizza for lunch? I can't remember…."
"The beginning of the school year, I suppose," Said Gretchen. "Either way, I'm in the mood for pizza, too." With everyone agreeing, they all got in line. Afterwards they sat at their usual table, and spotted TJ sitting at his own table in the corner.
"So we all have a class with him," Gus said. "All of us. Out of all the other classes, he's with us. Any ideas before we get hurt?"
"How about someone go over and talk to him?" Mikey suggested between bites. "We won't know anything until someone talks to him."
"I'm not going over there," Said Gus. "Bad enough I have to tutor him. What about you, Spinelli? You said you talked to him in juvie. You have more experience that all of us."
"So? That doesn't mean anything," Spinelli told him. "I talk to him a little bit in my last class already. I did MY part."
"You talked to him already?" Gretchen asked, surprised. "What did you two talk about?"
"Nothing, really. I just went over to his table to ask for a red crayon, that's all," she said. "He was drawing a picture of a bunny he had back in juvie. All I know from being in juvie with him is that if you leave him alone he probably won't do anything, but that was there. I don't know if that's because he had nothing against the inmates in there, or if that's the case for all of us."
"Hey guys." They all turned to see Theresa coming over to their table. "How's everything going?"
"Bad," Gus told her.
"Why bad? This is still about TJ, isn't it?" They all nodded. "If you all are so worried, then go over and talk to him!"
"We are, eventually," Said Vince. "We're debating which one of us should be the first one to go over there."
"He doesn't look THAT threatening," She said, looking across the cafeteria. "I think you guys are worrying over nothing." Turning away from the table, Theresa walked away and towards the subject of the conversation. Gus, being her (now) overprotective boyfriend, jumped out of his seat and tried to stop her.
"What are you doing?" He asked, stopping her. "Are you crazy? You can't go over there!"
"Yes I can. Calm down, Gus. I'll be fine," she reassured him with a kiss on the cheek. "If you're that scared you can watch from over here and save me if he does anything. But I doubt he will."
"Your girlfriend is bold, man," Vince told Gus.
"Too bold."
~*~MEANWHILE~*~
'I can't believe how much I miss vegetables,' TJ thought as he took another bite out of his salad. Forgoing the pizza that was being served in the lunch line, he went for the salad bar and piled a plate full of it. The so called 'vegetables' served to him in Duval didn't come anywhere close to the ones he was eating now. 'Think I might become a vegetarian just 'cause.' As he chewed his food, he as finished is trigonometry homework. He wanted to get it done so he had more time to play with Zack when school was over.
"Hi." Hearing a soft voice in front of him, he looked up. He saw a short, brown haired girl in a navy blue uniform standing in front of him. He recognized her from earlier; the girl who drop her money and he gave back to her.
"You're the girl from earlier, right?" He asked her. "The one who dropped her money."
"That's me," she said. "Do you know who I am, though?"
"Am I supposed to?"
"I'll take that as a no," She said as she sat down. "I know you remember me. You helped my dad and Gus's dad get over their feud so we could be friends. Remember that?"
"…..Cornchip Girl?" TJ said after taking a few seconds to remember. "Oh, shit. I didn't even recognize you."
"That's okay. It's been a long time since you saw me, or any of us," She sad with a smile. "But i go by my first name now; Theresa."
"Okay then, Theresa. Is there any reason you came over here? Did they send you over here to talk to me?"
"No, they didn't send me. Gus actually tried to stop me. Me and him are dating now," She said. "I came over to prove to them you're not as bad as they're making you out to be. Am I right?"
"Yeah, you are. Finally someone in this school has some sense. They're overreacting," Said TJ. "I'm just waiting for the person with the biggest balls to come talk to me. Congratulations, you have bigger balls than your boyfriend, which isn't surprising. Gus almost shit his pants when he saw I was in one of his classes."
"He's just worried. You know how Gus is sometimes. It's understandable why we all would be."
"Looks more scared than worried. If they all had half a brain they would know I'm not gonna do anything. I'm out on parole. I get in trouble three times and I get thrown back in jail."
"Makes sense. But everyone's anxiety isn't going away anytime soon. You might want to tell them that before they all start carrying fire extinguishers with them."
"I'm not going over there. I'm not the one with the problem," He said. "They can come over here if they're really concerned."
"That's what I keep telling them, but they won't listen," Theresa said. "I heard they all had one class with you so far. What's your next class?"
"Gym. Teacher's name is Mr. Heinz. Know him?"
"Yep. Gus, Spinelli, Vince, Mikey, Gretchen, and just about everyone from your Fourth grade class has gym with him. I have gym next too, and all three of the gym classes are bunched together. Today's Monday, so we're playing dodgeball."
"Dodgeball, huh? Sounds fun."
~*~MEANWHILE~*~
"Nothing's happening. Maybe she was right this whole time," Gretchen said and she and the others watched Theresa from where they were sitting. They were ready to leap out of their seats and go over there if what they expected to happen happened, but it hadn't.
"I don't think TJ's that dangerous," Mikey said, paying only half attention. "He looks harmless."
"He looked harmless four years ago, Mikey," Vince said. "Look what happened."
"I'm back," Theresa said as she came back over to them.
"How'd it go? Did he hurt you?" Gus asked her, concerned.
"I'm okay, Gus. He didn't do anything. He's harmless."
"Harmless?"
"Fine, mostly harmless. Happy?" She said. "He said that if you want to know anything about him, than you guys have to talk to him. He also said I had bigger balls than you because I went over there first. If it helps, he likes food. Try taking him out for pizza or burgers or something. Oh, and we all have gym with him next period."
"Gym? We can't have gym with him! We're playing dodgeball today!"
"I know. He says he can't wait."
"Great. We won't die in a fire. We'll just get beaten to death."
"You all are overreacting; he said that too. I bet he won't even throw a single ball."
~*~LATER~*~
"C'mon now everyone! Time's a'wastin'! Someone throw a ball!"
As the teacher of one of the classes yelled out for someone to make a move after five minutes of inaction, no one stepped forward to take initiative. The three gym classes that took place at the same time were put together for what the teachers assumed would be a giant game of dodgeball. However, 99 percent of the students were on one side of the basketball court, and the remaining 1 percent, TJ, stood on the other. The balls they were supposed to be throwing back and forth remained on the line separating the two 'teams.'
"Go ahead, Griswold, make a move," Ashley A. said from the crowd behind him and his friends.
"Me? Why me?" Gus said turning around to face her.
"You're El Diablo. Taking him out should be simple for you!" Mundy held at him. "Get to it. Before he takes us out first!"
"These people must be crazy," Gus whispered to the other.
"They have a point though, Gus," Gretchen told him. "Out of all of us, you would be the most likely to actually hit him, especially with your reputation as a fantastic dodgeball player."
'That doesn't mean shit,' Gus thought. "I'm not doing it. Isn't it enough for you people that I'm going into the Army?"
"What if we all throw a ball at the same time?' Vince suggested. "That way he can't tell that you were the one that aimed for him."
"Better, but you all have to actually try to hit him. You guys aren't gonna throw me under the bus. This should be an equal opportunity death."
"Fine, whatever! Let's go already!" Spinelli said, walking up and taking one of the balls off the line. Enough students stepped forward to grab the 12 others.
~*~TJ's POV~*~
I have a hangnail.
I hate hangnails. Hurts like a bitch, too. I can't even pull it out 'cause that'll make it worse. Damn. You never have a nail clipper when you need one.
When are they going to throw a ball? I want to play dodgeball. I played it once in juvie. Lasted for two hours. TWO HOURS! I think I gave a couple of guys a concussion and a broken nose. Fun times.
But I'll tone it down for these guys. Just a little.
I'm not even gonna hit them. I'm not.
Well, I'll hit Gus. What kind of boyfriend doesn't stop their girlfriend from doing something that they presume to be dangerous? If he thinks I'm so bad, he should've stopped her, or at least come with her.
Little bitch.
How much time left in this class? It hasn't been fifteen minutes since gym started. I mom and dad texted me earlier and asked me to pick Zack up from daycare because they were going to be held up at work. I don't mind. More time I get to spend with him. I have to take him to his tumbling class afterwards. It's not like I have anything else to do. Hmm….maybe I'll take him out for burgers after. I'm getting hungry again.
Finally, it looks like they're about to throw something.
….
…..
And none of them hit me. Surprise, surprise.
~*~End TJ's POV~*~
"What the hell was that?" Spinelli screamed at the others who threw their balls across the gym. "None of came close to hitting him! Not even you, Gus!"
"You didn't hit him either, Spinelli," Said Vince.
"Are you crazy? I'm not gonna hit that guy."
"And you all wanted me to take the fall," Gus mumbled. "And now, he has every single ball on his side. We all knew his was going to happe—" He was cut off by a round red rubber ball hitting his face with the force of what he believed to be equal to a 16 wheeler truck. He fell back six feet before hitting the ground and sliding back five more. His glasses were thrown of his face by the sheer force and landed across the floor, bent out of shape.
Everyone saw, and was waiting for any sign of life from him.
Dazed, fifteen seconds passed before Gus attempted to get back on his feet. When he did, he stumbled over his own feet before falling to the ground again. He touched his face where he was struck and winced at the pain he felt. He spotted his glasses nearby, reached, and put them back on the best he could without them falling off. Seeing the others looking at him, he looked across the court to see the person who had threw the ball at him, then everyone else followed suit.
TJ was holding another ball, appearing to look for his next target.
"I thought you aid he was harmless!" Gus said to his girlfriend.
"Mostly harmless," Theresa told him. "Mostly."
"Shit is getting too real in here for me," Francis said, stepping away. "I'm forging doctors notes for the rest of the year."
"I think I have a loose tooth, now," Gus moaned. "My whole face feels broken—" He was cut off again by another ball hitting him and sliding him back another five feet. "Why does he keep hitting me?"
"I dunno, man. But if I were you, I'd start running before he gets his hands on another ball," Vince warned him. Putting his glasses back on, Gus saw TJ going to pick up another ball to throw at his face. Not taking his chances, he got back on his feet and ran to the locker rooms to hide. He didn't make it, however, because he was hit again. He was hit two more times, all of which sent him to the floor, before he made it to the locker rooms.
May 26, 2012 marks the return of Toonami. Mark your calendars folks; this is a legendary moment we're experiencing.
Sorry this chapter ends sort of abruptly. I want to get it done and out of my hands so I can work on the next one, which will come in the next few days.
