The Year of the Tyrant
Part One: Equally Ambitious
"This whomps," T.J. Detweiler moaned to his friends on one bright Thursday morning near the beginning of September. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his green jacket and looked down at his new red and white sneakers.
"This super whomps," Ashley Spinelli agreed, folding her arms across her chest. Her features displayed annoyance to great extent, and her actions echoed her gloomy mood as she stomped the ground with her boot.
"What's with those two?" Gus Griswold asked, gesturing with his thumb at T.J. and Spinelli.
"They're always like that at the beginning of a school year," Vince LaSalle explained.
"Nostalgic," Gretchen Grundler added.
"I am not," Spinelli insisted, not completely knowing what nostalgia was.
"Lawson better not be king this year, or I'm gonna change schools," T.J. muttered.
"You seriously mean that, Teej?" Gretchen chided.
"'S'not a bad idea, considering," Vince replied.
"Considering what?" Spinelli asked. Vince pointed to a spot above her, over her shoulder. She turned, the scowl on her face as plain as day. Her chocolate brown eyes narrowed and on instinct, her hands balled into fists. "Oh, great," she said darkly, ready to shred the nearest thing that moved.
"That's it," T.J. exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "I'm calling my parents." Above them, on top of the jungle gym, stood Lawson, donning the slightly modified football helmet crown King Bob had worn the year before. T.J. turned to go inside the building, when Mikey Blumberg reached out and stopped him.
"Look, T.J.," Mikey said, pointing to the crown. Where a decaled "B" once appeared, there was now a blue letter "A". "There isn't an 'L' on the crown."
"Yes, I believe it looks like the letter 'A'," Gretchen added. "But an 'A' for whom? According to my records, there are no current sixth graders with the first initial of 'A'."
"Oh, yes there is," Butch, Third Street's very own legend spreader, spoke up from his leaning post against the cheese box. "Y'ever hear of Alexander Gehrke? Nicknamed Alex the Great from 44th Street. He's the best there ever was or will be." Gretchen paled.
"The ultimate tyrant…" she whispered fearfully.
"Ya got that right, brains," Butch replied. "You's kids are in big trouble." Butch moved off, to find some more unsuspecting kids to frighten with his synopsis on Alex the Great. Gretchen's expression did not change.
"What's wrong, Gretch?" Spinelli asked, looking out for her best friend.
"A-Alex the G-Great? At this school?" she stuttered in disbelief. "Don't you realize how horrible this is?"
"How horrible?" T.J. demanded.
"He's a living devil! I've heard talk that he's the most ruthless king that ever ruled, and there've been rumors circulating that in his sixth year he'll come to a school and meet his match in one of the occupants, meanwhile turning that school's playground into a danger zone."
"Forget rumors. It's more like legends," an unfamiliar voice spoke up. The gang turned to look, their eyes falling on a small fourth grade girl with firey red hair. "My name's Jenna. I was under Alex's rule last year. I really didn't think it was possible for me to end up at the same school as his highness for two years in a row, but I guess I was wrong." She finished her sentence with a bit of a bite.
"Y-you survived Alex's rule?" Gretchen asked.
"Sure, I survived last year," Jenna replied. "But this year, I'm not so sure about. Better cross your fingers and pray like nuts, you guys. He bites hard."
"Huh?" Gus asked.
"I mean, he doesn't let anything go unpunished. All the bad apples better start bein' sweet, if ya know what I mean."
"You really think it's gonna be that bad?" T.J. whispered to Spinelli.
"It was enough to scare Gretchen, wasn't it?" she whispered back, suddenly a believer. "I dunno, Teej, but I think we might be in for a rough year."
______________________________________________________________
Alex "the Great" Gehrke paced on top of his jungle gym, an evil smile lighting his cunning features. "I like you, Irwin, is it?" he said to Lawson, who was standing behind him, taking his crown on and off. "Yes. I really do. How would you like working behind the tyranny instead of for the tyranny?" He pushed some of his unbrushed ginger hair out of his eyes.
"Huh? What're ya talkin' about, sir?" Lawson stuttered, suddenly in full attention as Alex snatched the crown out of Lawson's hands.
"How would you like to be an informant for me, Irwin? Here's the dish. You tell me everything you know about those kids out there," Alex gestured with a wide motion to the kids gathered underneath the jungle gym, "and you'll be rewarded handsomely."
Lawson suppressed a laugh. "Well, sure, I could, but there's a kid out there who knows almost everything about all of 'em. Want me to get 'im?"
"That would be delightful, Irwin," Alex replied, sending Lawson away with another movement of his hand. Lawson was back in under five minutes, dragging a redheaded boy with a hunched-over back with him.
"Sire, this is Randall. He's the school snitch," Lawson explained.
"The school snitch," Alex repeated, as he studied Randall Weems's cowering form. "So you know about these kids?"
"Uh, yes sir," Randall replied.
"Good. Spill it. Tell me everything you know." Alex sat down on his throne and placed the crown on his head.
"Well," Randall said, moving to the edge of the jungle gym and peering over. "I guess I'll start with T.J. Detweiler…"
"Detweiler?" Alex murmured. "I've heard of the name, but I don't know the face. Continue, snitch boy."
"He's in fifth grade this year, and he's got five best friends. They think they're so smart," Randall added, causing Alex to look at him funny before continuing. "Anyway, that's Detweiler." Randall pointed at the boy in his usual red baseball cap, in a circle with his best friends. "Detweiler thinks he can get away with anything. He was the Prankster Prince last year and usually got his way by sweettalking people." Randall scowled. "The boy on his left is Vince LaSalle, who's the best athlete on this playground and self procclaimed cool kid." It was Lawson's turn to scowl. "The girl in blue is Gretchen Grundler, and she's so smart she could probably go to Washington High School right now and understand everything in every class." Alex raised his eyebrows. "Next to her is Gus Griswold, the new kid. He's harmless. The big guy next to him is Mikey Blumberg, but you don't need to worry about him, either. He's strong, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Oh, and that girl in the skicap?" Randall added. "You might want to stay away from her, your majesty. Her name's Spinelli, and she's Third Street's punkette. She could knock you into next week fairly efficiently. I must say, she's probably the most valuable of all the kids out there to have on your side." Randall paused, caught his breath, and continued. "And… hey! I've never seen that kid before!" Randall looked down on the small redheaded girl, a confused look on his face. Alex watched over the edge, a deceitful look washing over his face.
"Don't worry, snitch boy. I know who she is," Alex replied.
"Y-you do? You haven't even been here a day," Randall pointed out, stuttering in disbelief.
"She was under my rule last year," Alex explained. "She's Jenna Platt, and the sooner she makes friends with those six, the better."
"How do you figure?"
"It's sort of like mercy killing, snitch boy. I did the same thing to the rebellion last year. I took all the leader's friends and put them in their place… one by one…" Alex laughed cunningly for a moment, and suddenly serious again, turned to Lawson. "Irwin!" he barked. "Get me as many sixth graders you can find. It's time to start building my army."
______________________________________________________________
"And so that's what happened at 44th Street last year," Jenna Platt concluded, sighing. "He blackmailed 'em all into silence, and if they didn't shut up, he took 'em all to the dodgeball wall."
"You mean that guy was so high strung on his power he did that?" Spinelli exclaimed, shaking her head. Jenna nodded.
"They say as soon as he sees a hint of a rebellion here, he's gonna do the same thing," Jenna added.
"That's inhuman," Gretchen murmured incoherently.
"Oh, cruel fate! Why must you turn our beloved playground into a monstrosity?" Mikey cried out, arms outstretched.
"C'mon, you guys!" T.J. replied. "This isn't gonna be as bad as it sounds, right?"
"I wouldn't count on it, T.J.," Jenna replied. "I'd say there isn't much hope for us."
T.J. was surprised at Jenna's pessimism. "Who says we can't give ourselves hope? We don't have to give up before the fight even starts. C'mon, Spinelli, you'd usually stand by me on this sort of thing." He turned to her, and she searched his deep blue eyes.
"You have a plan," she said slowly.
"Yes, I do," he replied, hints of a grin casting his face a slightly malevolent look. "Jenna, you said King Alex blackmailed the rebellion into silence and sent them to the Dodgeball Wall if they didn't be quiet. Was that written in the Constitution of the Playground that he could do that?"
"No, I don't think so," Jenna recalled uneasily.
"Good. Gretchen, can you copy the part about blackmail from the old Constitutions of the Playground? The ones that were used back in first grade?" Gretchen nodded. "Spinelli, I need you to come with me," T.J. continued. "The rest of you, watch out for what King Alex is doing up there. We're gonna put his highness's law into check."
______________________________________________________________
A while later, still long before the recess bell would ring, King Alex the Great's future army was assembled. "Alright, you sixth graders," Alex addressed them. "This could end up being a very easy year for you. I want to make my mark on Third Street School, and if it means displaying that I am the absolute monarch here, so be it.
"I've heard that there are traces of a rebellion here," Alex continued. "It ends today. You are to report to me immediately if any of those kids down there or any of your fellow sixth graders are thinking about starting a rebellion. Pay close attention to that Detweiler boy and his friends; I assume you all know who they are. Dismissed!" Alex barked, and his sixth grade army scampered away.
It was time for Alex the Great to make himself known to the students of Third Street. "Irwin!" he called, and Lawson joined him. Alex had already decided that Irwin Lawson would make an easily bendable pawn in his game, and therefore had decided to make Lawson his head bodyguard.
"Irwin, it is time the kids are introduced to their new king," Alex said softly, pacing regally with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Uh, yes sir," Lawson agreed. Alex stopped mid-pace and surveyed his new kingdom. His instincts immediately pricked up, and he knew something was wrong. Not wrong, he thought, but missing.
His eyes swept the playground and fell upon Detweiler's friends. Where seven kids once stood, there were now only four, Jenna Platt among them, all looking up into his face. "Detweiler's gone, Irwin," Alex stated forcefully, balling one of his hands into a fist. Lawson peered down at T.J.'s friends.
"So's Spinelli and Grundler," Lawson added.
"What could they possibly be doing already? Planning a rebellion?" Alex pondered aloud. "With that weasel Platt with them, they will probably already know about the shenanigans of last year. See to it they are stopped, Irwin."
"Yes sir," Lawson saluted, and turned to go. Alex caught him by the shirt collar.
"But not before you give me my proper welcome."
"Uh, what?" Lawson stuttered, halting.
"Introduce me to them," Alex hissed, and Lawson gulped as he approached the edge of the jungle gym.
"Kids of the Playground," Lawson shouted, "I present to you this years' king, King Alex the Great!" Alex smiled at his short introduction, and joined Lawson at the edge of the jungle gym.
"Hello, Kids," Alex said gently. "So begins a new year, and my first year in this school as your king. I believe last year you operated under a monarchy, but no more of that. Our new civilization is monarch-totalitarianism, which means, I control your every action. You do not do anything without asking me first. And, if I hear of a rebellion anywhere, my army of sixth-graders will squash you like bugs. Understood?" The kids below him nodded in disbelief. "Good." Alex disappeared from the top of the jungle gym and sat back down. "Find them, Irwin. Find them now."
______________________________________________________________
Ashley Spinelli fell in step behind T.J. Detweiler, lost in thought about what his new harebrained idea could possibly be. Little did she know that he was lost in thought about her, but in a different way. It was true, or else T.J. thought it was, that he was beginning to crush on Spinelli. Sometimes, when he had time alone to think, he flashed back to the fateful day in his fourth grade year when he was forced into kissing her, and remembered how much he had truly enjoyed it. He also berated himself for pretending to have not liked it, and in a desperate attempt to make himself feel better, recalled that she had actually been grossed out by the kiss. Or had she been? It was something T.J. had often pondered, but could never put his finger on.
T.J. must have been in and out of consciousness in the next two minutes, because he realized he had walked right past his destination, and so doing halted in the middle of the hallway. Spinelli crashed into him a moment later; their heads colliding, and the impact seemed to have a dizzying effect on T.J. He stood in the hallway, not fully realizing what had just happened to him, holding his head and mumbling Spinelli's name.
"What? What?" she demanded, holding him up because to her it looked as though he would fall over. "Snap out of it, T.J.," she shouted, snapping her fingers in front of his face.
"Spinelli," he murmured again, before nearly keeling over, falling in Spinelli's arms, and waking up to full consciousness and a splitting headache a moment later.
"This is gonna be one heck of a year," she muttered as T.J. realized he was being held by the very person he wanted to be held by. Embarrassed, he straightened up. "What's wrong with you, Teej? I mean, my head isn't that hard, is it?" T.J. forced a laugh, trying to hide his red face.
"I'm okay," he insisted.
"You'd better be… I always knew you were a little out there, but not like that. And why'd you stop in the middle of the hallway, anyway?"
"What? I didn't stop in the middle of the hallway," T.J. protested. Spinelli just cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Didja lose your short term memory or what, Teej? You did."
"I didn't," T.J. insisted, and then in a sudden burst of confidence grabbed her arm and led her down the hall. "C'mon, we've got work to do."
______________________________________________________________
Menlo, the office boy of Third Street School, was not expecting T.J. Detweiler and Ashley Spinelli to show up in his office on the first day of school, but he had guessed and was right about what they wanted. Menlo had known T.J. before any of his other friends had, and had come to know what T.J. would want, especially when accompanied by punkette Spinelli, who admittedly fascinated Menlo, although he hopelessly crushed on Ashley A.
"So what brings you here?" Menlo asked, deciding not to tell them what he thought they were there for.
"We need you to add something to the Constitution of the Playground, Menlo," T.J. said strongly, but could already tell that Menlo would refuse.
"I'm sorry, T.J., but that's not my job. You'll have to take it up with the new king."
"That's the problem, Menlo," T.J. replied. "We're going around the new king."
"You can't do that," Menlo insisted, shuffling his newest stack of papers.
"Listen, Menlo," Spinelli said, following T.J.'s lead, "this new king blackmailed kids into shutting up at his old school, and if they didn't shut up, he beat the snot outta them. You want that to happen here?"
"Spinelli, I'm sorry, but I can't-"
"Yes you can," Spinelli cut him off, "and yes you will." She shoved her fist in his face and he backed away uneasily.
"Alright. What do you want me to add?" T.J. and Spinelli exchanged knowing glances.
"A law that says that kings are not allowed to blackmail," T.J. explained. Menlo nodded, and pulled up the Constitution of the Playground on his computer screen. After a few minutes of typing and thinking, he printed it off and handed it to T.J. "Good job, Menlo. All you have to do is say that it was re-added to the Constitution this summer."
"Re-added?" Menlo repeated, slightly confused.
"Right," T.J. replied. "Back in first grade, that law was in effect, and King Sid took it away at the beginning of his rule." Menlo seemed to understand.
"But do remember that King Sid removed it because eighty percent of the kids on that playground thought it would be okay to get rid of the rule. Since then their hasn't been a king who's tried it yet. If this new king ever wants to remove the law, it takes a playground wide vote with a majority of eighty percent to pass."
"Thanks, Menlo, I'll remember that," T.J. replied.
"I won't always do this for you, T.J.," Menlo said stiffly.
"Don't worry, Menlo, old buddy," T.J. comforted. "This is more than enough for now."
______________________________________________________________
King Alex the Great found Detweiler, Spinelli and Grundler before Irwin Lawson did. They all re-entered the playground at close to the same time, each of them holding rolls and sheets of paper. "They're planning something," Alex muttered to himself, before calling on Randall Weems, who he had appointed Royal Snitch.
"Snitch boy," Alex said as Randall stood beside him, "I need you to find out what Detweiler and his friends are up to. After that, get me some dirt on that punkette Spinelli girl. She's going to go first, considering she seems to be the one Detweiler likes the best."
"Uh, sir?" Randall spoke up. "There's a reason he likes her better, you know." Alex perked up.
"There is, eh? Like what?"
"We-ell," Randall said slowly, looking around to make sure no one was listening, "last year Grundler came up with this idea that one boy and one girl should kiss to find out what it was like. And-"
"Detweiler kissed Spinelli," Alex finished for Randall. Randall nodded. "So I suppose they like each other now, but are too afraid to admit it."
"Probably," Randall agreed.
"That's good, snitch boy," Alex praised, "but I need something deeper than that. Spinelli got a first name?"
"It's Ashley, but everyone already knows that. But you'll know you really have put her in her place if you can call her by her first name and get away with it."
"Why's she so touchy about her name?" Alex pondered.
"Why, you ask?" Randall replied. "Those four girls are why." Randall pointed at four girls, each dressed a different color with the most high class threads of anyone on the playground. "Those are the Ashleys. They're so different from Spinelli it's not even funny. Anyway, when they found out her first name was Ashley, they tried to make her into a real girl. You know, makeup, tea, girly junk, the works."
Alex laughed. "Oh, I would have loved to be here for that. Anything else I should know about her?"
"She once called her teacher from last year 'mama'," Randall added, "but because of Detweiler she lived it down, so it's probably something you can't use anymore."
Alex rested his chin on his hands. "Is there anything about her personal life you can find out from the school records?"
"Probably," Randall replied. "I'll see what I can do."
______________________________________________________________
As T.J. Detweiler had expected, the Old Constitution of the Playground still contained a law saying that the king of the playground was not allowed to blackmail his subjects. "Perfect, Gretch. Good work." Gretchen smiled.
"So what's the plan, Teej?" Vince asked.
"Me and Spinelli went and had a little talk with Menlo," T.J. said coolly. He unrolled the new copy of the Constitution of the Playground. At the top were the words 'Revised on June 4 of this Year'.
"June 4th?" Jenna asked. "Why not today's date?"
"Because if it would have been today's date, King Alex up there would know we changed it. But having an earlier date on the thing means that all he can accuse us of doing is going to get a copy of the new Constitution," T.J. explained. "So now all we have to do is wait for him to try blackmailing one of us, and we can report him to Miss Finster, no harm done."
"It also puts a roadblock on King Alex's ability to force the rebellion into silence," Gretchen added. "He can still send us all to the dodgeball wall, but mind you, that's never suppressed us before."
"Right," T.J. agreed. "The rebellion stands. There's not a thing in the world he can do."
______________________________________________________________
Randall returned to King Alex's throne ten minutes later, near the end of recess, with a file containing the confidential information on a certain Ashley Spinelli. Breathless, he handed the folder to his new king.
Alex looked through it with mild fascination, laughing out loud at some things. "There's enough dirt in this folder to sow that girl up in a pillow for eternity," he exclaimed, delighted. "You've done well, snitch boy. At next recess, I'm going to bring Ashley Spinelli to my side."
"There's another benefit to that too, Your Highness," Randall pointed out.
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Alex questioned, giving Randall a slightly amused stare.
"You get to break Detweiler's heart," Randall stated. "I happen to know that if Spinelli doesn't have a crush on Detweiler, at least he has a bad one on her."
"He does, does he? How'd you acquire this information?" Alex inquired. Randall pulled a sheet of paper from his back pocket. Written all over it, in T.J. Detweiler's handwriting, was 'Spinelli + T.J. = love forever'.
"I found it in his desk one day last year while he was outside at recess," Randall explained, raising his eyebrows. "Knowing Detweiler, he probably has a ton more of 'em tacked on his bedroom wall."
"This is perfect. This is absolutely grand, snitch boy. I can blackmail Spinelli into working for me, and then… yes! That would be positively sinful." Alex was grinning like a madman.
"What, sire?" Randall chided.
"When I'm sure I've got her for good, I can make her my girlfriend and show her this," he held up the scrap of paper, "while Detweiler's standing there. I'm certain it will fold him, if he crushes on her as bad as you think he does."
"I know he does," Randall replied. "There's even living proof." Then two evil laughs went up, one King Alex's, and the other his apprentice Randall Weems's. They were plotting to turn the playground upside-down, but little did they know their plans would come crashing to a halt.
______________________________________________________________
At the beginning of the next recess, T.J. Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Gretchen Grundler, Vince La Salle, Mikey Blumberg, Gus Griswold, and Jenna Platt were all called up to see King Alex, who looked, to Jenna, happier than she'd ever seen him. He clasped his hands and eyed the group.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Beginner's Rebellion. And their spy," he spat at Jenna. She looked away. "You know I don't like you. Any of you. So I'm giving you a choice now to break up, or you will be forced to break up."
"We're not breaking up," T.J. said stubbornly.
"Ah, yes. T.J. Detweiler. The living, breathing example of rebellious leadership at any cost. You've got a lot in store for you, boy, so I wouldn't be going and making me mad, now."
"Like what?" T.J. asked coolly.
"Whether you like it or not, by the end of this year these six won't be your friends anymore. That's a promise."
"You can try to break us up, your highness," Spinelli said, putting sarcasm in 'your highness', "but you won't be able to."
"And you," Alex replied, turning to her and eyeing her up and down, pleased with what he saw up close. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Detweiler steaming as he checked out Spinelli. His attention back on her, Alex realized she was almost as mad as Detweiler for this. "You're the punkette." He folded his arms across his chest as he studied her face. She was admittedly beautiful for someone who tried not to be, with thick raven black hair pulled into two pigtails. Her eyes were an intense chocolate brown, and her lips were full and red. Alex could tell without even seeing her smile that her smile was radiant, probably with near perfect teeth. As he gazed at her, Alex felt a feeling he'd never felt before. He realized that he wanted to have Spinelli as his girlfriend, not just to fold Detweiler, but to love. And it struck him like a blow to the chin. He had just fallen in love with Ashley Spinelli.
Trying to swallow the feeling, he spoke again. "You know you're very pretty, Spinelli," he complimented. Her eyebrows lowered.
"Take it back," she demanded.
"Why should I take back something that's true?" Alex questioned. "You are very pretty - beautiful, even - with a serious model capability."
"Been there, done that," Vince muttered. Spinelli elbowed him.
"Why do you act like a tomboy when you could be better than those four girls you love to hate?" Alex knew he had captured Spinelli's attention. Meanwhile, Detweiler was practically burning up as he witnessed Alex lay the moves on her. Alex probably guessed that he was the first boy Spinelli's age to tell her she was pretty. Alex knew he'd have to keep beating Detweiler in that department, even if Detweiler was the first to kiss her.
"I'd never be able to beat them at their own game. I don't have the guts enough to start acting like a girl," she admitted, although she was by no means bringing down her defenses. She looked a bit peeved and her lips were still pursed, and all Alex could think of was kissing her.
"I could help you, you know," Alex offered, twirling a lock of her black hair around his finger. She looked as though she wanted to punch him, but didn't for the sake of not going to the dodgeball wall. "Why don't you just lose these loser friends of yours?"
"I would never do that," she replied, very angry once again. Alex was at least a foot taller than Spinelli and her head barely met his mid-shoulder, so he knelt in front of her so they could see eye to eye. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and she tried to back away, but Alex held her in place.
"I could make this year miserable for you, or it could go very easy. The only way it goes easy is if you join up with me and lose these six," he pleaded, looking up into her chocolate brown eyes that stared back into his green ones with utmost hate.
"I'd rather take the misery if it means being with my friends," she rejected.
"You wouldn't be with your friends either way," he replied coldly.
"What makes you so sure that I would think that you weren't using me? Say, to make my friends weaker because they wouldn't have someone with the capability to kick a little butt?"
"I don't want to use you. I want to make you great, Ashley," he replied and knew instantly he had made a huge mistake. She stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief, and a second later had knocked him over and was prepared to beat the stuffing out of him. It was Detweiler that came to his rescue, simply by pulling Spinelli, who was very light in weight, off of him and holding her firmly in his grasp. She squirmed and tried to free herself, but by the looks of it, Detweiler had grown accustomed to holding a very angry Spinelli close to his body.
"Don't ever call me that again," she said firmly. "Ever!" Alex held up his hands as an apology, standing up and dusting himself off. Spinelli relaxed, arms folded, still locked inside Detweiler's arms. Detweiler knew better than to let her go, especially when it took her at least five minutes to calm herself down. By the looks of it, though, Spinelli looked contented in a small context that it was Detweiler holding on to her and not someone else. Likewise, Detweiler looked ecstatic that Spinelli had almost beaten the crap out of Alex and was allowing Detweiler to hold her.
"So I take that as a no," Alex stated. Spinelli tapped her foot impatiently. "Then you leave me no choice, Spinelli," he continued. "I'm gonna have to blackmail you into leaving your friends." For some odd reason, Detweiler smiled.
"You can't," he said simply, still holding onto Spinelli with one arm while with the other pulled a roll of white paper from his pocket. He handed it to Alex, and put his arms back around Spinelli. Alex unrolled the scroll and scanned it quickly.
"And why can't I?" he demanded.
"There's a very simple reason for that," Gretchen Grundler, the one with the big brain, answered. "I'll show you." She pointed out a section of the scroll, which was the Constitution of the Third Street Playground, under blackmail. Alex read it again and scowled.
"When did that law go into effect?" he demanded, wanting to rip it to shreds because the law stated that he, the king, was not allowed to blackmail his subjects.
"June fourth of this year," Detweiler replied matter-of-factly. "And it can't be changed, either."
"Well, technically, it can be," Grundler replied, "but unlikely that it will be. It takes a playground wide vote, with a majority of eighty percent to pass." Alex scowled.
"And, if you try blackmailing any of us," Detweiler added, "there's someone down there that can get you kicked off the throne before you can snap your fingers."
"So leave us alone, or else you'll regret it," Spinelli finished, pointing a finger at him as Detweiler's grasp broke free. "Let's go," she said to her friends, and one by one they slid down the jungle gym slide. Spinelli and Detweiler were the last to go, and Alex saw Detweiler put his arm around Spinelli and squeeze her shoulder gently before disappearing down the slide.
"You had a chance, Spinelli," Alex told her mournfully. "I could have made you into a great beauty."
"Sorry, Alex," she replied, purposely not addressing him as 'your majesty', "but there's someone down there who already thinks I am a great beauty."
"It's Detweiler, isn't it? You love him, don't you?" For a moment, Alex thought he might be scrapped again, but Spinelli just stared at him.
"I don't know," she replied, biting her lip before sliding down the slide and out of sight.
Alex's heart ached; he knew Spinelli's answer to his final question was a 'yes' and she just didn't want to admit it. He also knew that with Detweiler feeling the same way about her, it was only a matter of time before they… before they what? Began to display their affections for each other publicly? Alex had already seen some of that today. He knew in a flash that he had to divide and conquer - immediately - or else he might never have a chance with his new love.
"Alright, if that's the way Detweiler and his gang want to play it, then the ball's in my court. I'm the king, and I'm going to add a rule." Alex smiled cunningly. The months ahead were guaranteed to be wonderful.
TO BE CONTINUED…
© 2001 KD WILD. All rights reserved.
Part One: Equally Ambitious
"This whomps," T.J. Detweiler moaned to his friends on one bright Thursday morning near the beginning of September. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his green jacket and looked down at his new red and white sneakers.
"This super whomps," Ashley Spinelli agreed, folding her arms across her chest. Her features displayed annoyance to great extent, and her actions echoed her gloomy mood as she stomped the ground with her boot.
"What's with those two?" Gus Griswold asked, gesturing with his thumb at T.J. and Spinelli.
"They're always like that at the beginning of a school year," Vince LaSalle explained.
"Nostalgic," Gretchen Grundler added.
"I am not," Spinelli insisted, not completely knowing what nostalgia was.
"Lawson better not be king this year, or I'm gonna change schools," T.J. muttered.
"You seriously mean that, Teej?" Gretchen chided.
"'S'not a bad idea, considering," Vince replied.
"Considering what?" Spinelli asked. Vince pointed to a spot above her, over her shoulder. She turned, the scowl on her face as plain as day. Her chocolate brown eyes narrowed and on instinct, her hands balled into fists. "Oh, great," she said darkly, ready to shred the nearest thing that moved.
"That's it," T.J. exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "I'm calling my parents." Above them, on top of the jungle gym, stood Lawson, donning the slightly modified football helmet crown King Bob had worn the year before. T.J. turned to go inside the building, when Mikey Blumberg reached out and stopped him.
"Look, T.J.," Mikey said, pointing to the crown. Where a decaled "B" once appeared, there was now a blue letter "A". "There isn't an 'L' on the crown."
"Yes, I believe it looks like the letter 'A'," Gretchen added. "But an 'A' for whom? According to my records, there are no current sixth graders with the first initial of 'A'."
"Oh, yes there is," Butch, Third Street's very own legend spreader, spoke up from his leaning post against the cheese box. "Y'ever hear of Alexander Gehrke? Nicknamed Alex the Great from 44th Street. He's the best there ever was or will be." Gretchen paled.
"The ultimate tyrant…" she whispered fearfully.
"Ya got that right, brains," Butch replied. "You's kids are in big trouble." Butch moved off, to find some more unsuspecting kids to frighten with his synopsis on Alex the Great. Gretchen's expression did not change.
"What's wrong, Gretch?" Spinelli asked, looking out for her best friend.
"A-Alex the G-Great? At this school?" she stuttered in disbelief. "Don't you realize how horrible this is?"
"How horrible?" T.J. demanded.
"He's a living devil! I've heard talk that he's the most ruthless king that ever ruled, and there've been rumors circulating that in his sixth year he'll come to a school and meet his match in one of the occupants, meanwhile turning that school's playground into a danger zone."
"Forget rumors. It's more like legends," an unfamiliar voice spoke up. The gang turned to look, their eyes falling on a small fourth grade girl with firey red hair. "My name's Jenna. I was under Alex's rule last year. I really didn't think it was possible for me to end up at the same school as his highness for two years in a row, but I guess I was wrong." She finished her sentence with a bit of a bite.
"Y-you survived Alex's rule?" Gretchen asked.
"Sure, I survived last year," Jenna replied. "But this year, I'm not so sure about. Better cross your fingers and pray like nuts, you guys. He bites hard."
"Huh?" Gus asked.
"I mean, he doesn't let anything go unpunished. All the bad apples better start bein' sweet, if ya know what I mean."
"You really think it's gonna be that bad?" T.J. whispered to Spinelli.
"It was enough to scare Gretchen, wasn't it?" she whispered back, suddenly a believer. "I dunno, Teej, but I think we might be in for a rough year."
______________________________________________________________
Alex "the Great" Gehrke paced on top of his jungle gym, an evil smile lighting his cunning features. "I like you, Irwin, is it?" he said to Lawson, who was standing behind him, taking his crown on and off. "Yes. I really do. How would you like working behind the tyranny instead of for the tyranny?" He pushed some of his unbrushed ginger hair out of his eyes.
"Huh? What're ya talkin' about, sir?" Lawson stuttered, suddenly in full attention as Alex snatched the crown out of Lawson's hands.
"How would you like to be an informant for me, Irwin? Here's the dish. You tell me everything you know about those kids out there," Alex gestured with a wide motion to the kids gathered underneath the jungle gym, "and you'll be rewarded handsomely."
Lawson suppressed a laugh. "Well, sure, I could, but there's a kid out there who knows almost everything about all of 'em. Want me to get 'im?"
"That would be delightful, Irwin," Alex replied, sending Lawson away with another movement of his hand. Lawson was back in under five minutes, dragging a redheaded boy with a hunched-over back with him.
"Sire, this is Randall. He's the school snitch," Lawson explained.
"The school snitch," Alex repeated, as he studied Randall Weems's cowering form. "So you know about these kids?"
"Uh, yes sir," Randall replied.
"Good. Spill it. Tell me everything you know." Alex sat down on his throne and placed the crown on his head.
"Well," Randall said, moving to the edge of the jungle gym and peering over. "I guess I'll start with T.J. Detweiler…"
"Detweiler?" Alex murmured. "I've heard of the name, but I don't know the face. Continue, snitch boy."
"He's in fifth grade this year, and he's got five best friends. They think they're so smart," Randall added, causing Alex to look at him funny before continuing. "Anyway, that's Detweiler." Randall pointed at the boy in his usual red baseball cap, in a circle with his best friends. "Detweiler thinks he can get away with anything. He was the Prankster Prince last year and usually got his way by sweettalking people." Randall scowled. "The boy on his left is Vince LaSalle, who's the best athlete on this playground and self procclaimed cool kid." It was Lawson's turn to scowl. "The girl in blue is Gretchen Grundler, and she's so smart she could probably go to Washington High School right now and understand everything in every class." Alex raised his eyebrows. "Next to her is Gus Griswold, the new kid. He's harmless. The big guy next to him is Mikey Blumberg, but you don't need to worry about him, either. He's strong, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Oh, and that girl in the skicap?" Randall added. "You might want to stay away from her, your majesty. Her name's Spinelli, and she's Third Street's punkette. She could knock you into next week fairly efficiently. I must say, she's probably the most valuable of all the kids out there to have on your side." Randall paused, caught his breath, and continued. "And… hey! I've never seen that kid before!" Randall looked down on the small redheaded girl, a confused look on his face. Alex watched over the edge, a deceitful look washing over his face.
"Don't worry, snitch boy. I know who she is," Alex replied.
"Y-you do? You haven't even been here a day," Randall pointed out, stuttering in disbelief.
"She was under my rule last year," Alex explained. "She's Jenna Platt, and the sooner she makes friends with those six, the better."
"How do you figure?"
"It's sort of like mercy killing, snitch boy. I did the same thing to the rebellion last year. I took all the leader's friends and put them in their place… one by one…" Alex laughed cunningly for a moment, and suddenly serious again, turned to Lawson. "Irwin!" he barked. "Get me as many sixth graders you can find. It's time to start building my army."
______________________________________________________________
"And so that's what happened at 44th Street last year," Jenna Platt concluded, sighing. "He blackmailed 'em all into silence, and if they didn't shut up, he took 'em all to the dodgeball wall."
"You mean that guy was so high strung on his power he did that?" Spinelli exclaimed, shaking her head. Jenna nodded.
"They say as soon as he sees a hint of a rebellion here, he's gonna do the same thing," Jenna added.
"That's inhuman," Gretchen murmured incoherently.
"Oh, cruel fate! Why must you turn our beloved playground into a monstrosity?" Mikey cried out, arms outstretched.
"C'mon, you guys!" T.J. replied. "This isn't gonna be as bad as it sounds, right?"
"I wouldn't count on it, T.J.," Jenna replied. "I'd say there isn't much hope for us."
T.J. was surprised at Jenna's pessimism. "Who says we can't give ourselves hope? We don't have to give up before the fight even starts. C'mon, Spinelli, you'd usually stand by me on this sort of thing." He turned to her, and she searched his deep blue eyes.
"You have a plan," she said slowly.
"Yes, I do," he replied, hints of a grin casting his face a slightly malevolent look. "Jenna, you said King Alex blackmailed the rebellion into silence and sent them to the Dodgeball Wall if they didn't be quiet. Was that written in the Constitution of the Playground that he could do that?"
"No, I don't think so," Jenna recalled uneasily.
"Good. Gretchen, can you copy the part about blackmail from the old Constitutions of the Playground? The ones that were used back in first grade?" Gretchen nodded. "Spinelli, I need you to come with me," T.J. continued. "The rest of you, watch out for what King Alex is doing up there. We're gonna put his highness's law into check."
______________________________________________________________
A while later, still long before the recess bell would ring, King Alex the Great's future army was assembled. "Alright, you sixth graders," Alex addressed them. "This could end up being a very easy year for you. I want to make my mark on Third Street School, and if it means displaying that I am the absolute monarch here, so be it.
"I've heard that there are traces of a rebellion here," Alex continued. "It ends today. You are to report to me immediately if any of those kids down there or any of your fellow sixth graders are thinking about starting a rebellion. Pay close attention to that Detweiler boy and his friends; I assume you all know who they are. Dismissed!" Alex barked, and his sixth grade army scampered away.
It was time for Alex the Great to make himself known to the students of Third Street. "Irwin!" he called, and Lawson joined him. Alex had already decided that Irwin Lawson would make an easily bendable pawn in his game, and therefore had decided to make Lawson his head bodyguard.
"Irwin, it is time the kids are introduced to their new king," Alex said softly, pacing regally with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Uh, yes sir," Lawson agreed. Alex stopped mid-pace and surveyed his new kingdom. His instincts immediately pricked up, and he knew something was wrong. Not wrong, he thought, but missing.
His eyes swept the playground and fell upon Detweiler's friends. Where seven kids once stood, there were now only four, Jenna Platt among them, all looking up into his face. "Detweiler's gone, Irwin," Alex stated forcefully, balling one of his hands into a fist. Lawson peered down at T.J.'s friends.
"So's Spinelli and Grundler," Lawson added.
"What could they possibly be doing already? Planning a rebellion?" Alex pondered aloud. "With that weasel Platt with them, they will probably already know about the shenanigans of last year. See to it they are stopped, Irwin."
"Yes sir," Lawson saluted, and turned to go. Alex caught him by the shirt collar.
"But not before you give me my proper welcome."
"Uh, what?" Lawson stuttered, halting.
"Introduce me to them," Alex hissed, and Lawson gulped as he approached the edge of the jungle gym.
"Kids of the Playground," Lawson shouted, "I present to you this years' king, King Alex the Great!" Alex smiled at his short introduction, and joined Lawson at the edge of the jungle gym.
"Hello, Kids," Alex said gently. "So begins a new year, and my first year in this school as your king. I believe last year you operated under a monarchy, but no more of that. Our new civilization is monarch-totalitarianism, which means, I control your every action. You do not do anything without asking me first. And, if I hear of a rebellion anywhere, my army of sixth-graders will squash you like bugs. Understood?" The kids below him nodded in disbelief. "Good." Alex disappeared from the top of the jungle gym and sat back down. "Find them, Irwin. Find them now."
______________________________________________________________
Ashley Spinelli fell in step behind T.J. Detweiler, lost in thought about what his new harebrained idea could possibly be. Little did she know that he was lost in thought about her, but in a different way. It was true, or else T.J. thought it was, that he was beginning to crush on Spinelli. Sometimes, when he had time alone to think, he flashed back to the fateful day in his fourth grade year when he was forced into kissing her, and remembered how much he had truly enjoyed it. He also berated himself for pretending to have not liked it, and in a desperate attempt to make himself feel better, recalled that she had actually been grossed out by the kiss. Or had she been? It was something T.J. had often pondered, but could never put his finger on.
T.J. must have been in and out of consciousness in the next two minutes, because he realized he had walked right past his destination, and so doing halted in the middle of the hallway. Spinelli crashed into him a moment later; their heads colliding, and the impact seemed to have a dizzying effect on T.J. He stood in the hallway, not fully realizing what had just happened to him, holding his head and mumbling Spinelli's name.
"What? What?" she demanded, holding him up because to her it looked as though he would fall over. "Snap out of it, T.J.," she shouted, snapping her fingers in front of his face.
"Spinelli," he murmured again, before nearly keeling over, falling in Spinelli's arms, and waking up to full consciousness and a splitting headache a moment later.
"This is gonna be one heck of a year," she muttered as T.J. realized he was being held by the very person he wanted to be held by. Embarrassed, he straightened up. "What's wrong with you, Teej? I mean, my head isn't that hard, is it?" T.J. forced a laugh, trying to hide his red face.
"I'm okay," he insisted.
"You'd better be… I always knew you were a little out there, but not like that. And why'd you stop in the middle of the hallway, anyway?"
"What? I didn't stop in the middle of the hallway," T.J. protested. Spinelli just cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Didja lose your short term memory or what, Teej? You did."
"I didn't," T.J. insisted, and then in a sudden burst of confidence grabbed her arm and led her down the hall. "C'mon, we've got work to do."
______________________________________________________________
Menlo, the office boy of Third Street School, was not expecting T.J. Detweiler and Ashley Spinelli to show up in his office on the first day of school, but he had guessed and was right about what they wanted. Menlo had known T.J. before any of his other friends had, and had come to know what T.J. would want, especially when accompanied by punkette Spinelli, who admittedly fascinated Menlo, although he hopelessly crushed on Ashley A.
"So what brings you here?" Menlo asked, deciding not to tell them what he thought they were there for.
"We need you to add something to the Constitution of the Playground, Menlo," T.J. said strongly, but could already tell that Menlo would refuse.
"I'm sorry, T.J., but that's not my job. You'll have to take it up with the new king."
"That's the problem, Menlo," T.J. replied. "We're going around the new king."
"You can't do that," Menlo insisted, shuffling his newest stack of papers.
"Listen, Menlo," Spinelli said, following T.J.'s lead, "this new king blackmailed kids into shutting up at his old school, and if they didn't shut up, he beat the snot outta them. You want that to happen here?"
"Spinelli, I'm sorry, but I can't-"
"Yes you can," Spinelli cut him off, "and yes you will." She shoved her fist in his face and he backed away uneasily.
"Alright. What do you want me to add?" T.J. and Spinelli exchanged knowing glances.
"A law that says that kings are not allowed to blackmail," T.J. explained. Menlo nodded, and pulled up the Constitution of the Playground on his computer screen. After a few minutes of typing and thinking, he printed it off and handed it to T.J. "Good job, Menlo. All you have to do is say that it was re-added to the Constitution this summer."
"Re-added?" Menlo repeated, slightly confused.
"Right," T.J. replied. "Back in first grade, that law was in effect, and King Sid took it away at the beginning of his rule." Menlo seemed to understand.
"But do remember that King Sid removed it because eighty percent of the kids on that playground thought it would be okay to get rid of the rule. Since then their hasn't been a king who's tried it yet. If this new king ever wants to remove the law, it takes a playground wide vote with a majority of eighty percent to pass."
"Thanks, Menlo, I'll remember that," T.J. replied.
"I won't always do this for you, T.J.," Menlo said stiffly.
"Don't worry, Menlo, old buddy," T.J. comforted. "This is more than enough for now."
______________________________________________________________
King Alex the Great found Detweiler, Spinelli and Grundler before Irwin Lawson did. They all re-entered the playground at close to the same time, each of them holding rolls and sheets of paper. "They're planning something," Alex muttered to himself, before calling on Randall Weems, who he had appointed Royal Snitch.
"Snitch boy," Alex said as Randall stood beside him, "I need you to find out what Detweiler and his friends are up to. After that, get me some dirt on that punkette Spinelli girl. She's going to go first, considering she seems to be the one Detweiler likes the best."
"Uh, sir?" Randall spoke up. "There's a reason he likes her better, you know." Alex perked up.
"There is, eh? Like what?"
"We-ell," Randall said slowly, looking around to make sure no one was listening, "last year Grundler came up with this idea that one boy and one girl should kiss to find out what it was like. And-"
"Detweiler kissed Spinelli," Alex finished for Randall. Randall nodded. "So I suppose they like each other now, but are too afraid to admit it."
"Probably," Randall agreed.
"That's good, snitch boy," Alex praised, "but I need something deeper than that. Spinelli got a first name?"
"It's Ashley, but everyone already knows that. But you'll know you really have put her in her place if you can call her by her first name and get away with it."
"Why's she so touchy about her name?" Alex pondered.
"Why, you ask?" Randall replied. "Those four girls are why." Randall pointed at four girls, each dressed a different color with the most high class threads of anyone on the playground. "Those are the Ashleys. They're so different from Spinelli it's not even funny. Anyway, when they found out her first name was Ashley, they tried to make her into a real girl. You know, makeup, tea, girly junk, the works."
Alex laughed. "Oh, I would have loved to be here for that. Anything else I should know about her?"
"She once called her teacher from last year 'mama'," Randall added, "but because of Detweiler she lived it down, so it's probably something you can't use anymore."
Alex rested his chin on his hands. "Is there anything about her personal life you can find out from the school records?"
"Probably," Randall replied. "I'll see what I can do."
______________________________________________________________
As T.J. Detweiler had expected, the Old Constitution of the Playground still contained a law saying that the king of the playground was not allowed to blackmail his subjects. "Perfect, Gretch. Good work." Gretchen smiled.
"So what's the plan, Teej?" Vince asked.
"Me and Spinelli went and had a little talk with Menlo," T.J. said coolly. He unrolled the new copy of the Constitution of the Playground. At the top were the words 'Revised on June 4 of this Year'.
"June 4th?" Jenna asked. "Why not today's date?"
"Because if it would have been today's date, King Alex up there would know we changed it. But having an earlier date on the thing means that all he can accuse us of doing is going to get a copy of the new Constitution," T.J. explained. "So now all we have to do is wait for him to try blackmailing one of us, and we can report him to Miss Finster, no harm done."
"It also puts a roadblock on King Alex's ability to force the rebellion into silence," Gretchen added. "He can still send us all to the dodgeball wall, but mind you, that's never suppressed us before."
"Right," T.J. agreed. "The rebellion stands. There's not a thing in the world he can do."
______________________________________________________________
Randall returned to King Alex's throne ten minutes later, near the end of recess, with a file containing the confidential information on a certain Ashley Spinelli. Breathless, he handed the folder to his new king.
Alex looked through it with mild fascination, laughing out loud at some things. "There's enough dirt in this folder to sow that girl up in a pillow for eternity," he exclaimed, delighted. "You've done well, snitch boy. At next recess, I'm going to bring Ashley Spinelli to my side."
"There's another benefit to that too, Your Highness," Randall pointed out.
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Alex questioned, giving Randall a slightly amused stare.
"You get to break Detweiler's heart," Randall stated. "I happen to know that if Spinelli doesn't have a crush on Detweiler, at least he has a bad one on her."
"He does, does he? How'd you acquire this information?" Alex inquired. Randall pulled a sheet of paper from his back pocket. Written all over it, in T.J. Detweiler's handwriting, was 'Spinelli + T.J. = love forever'.
"I found it in his desk one day last year while he was outside at recess," Randall explained, raising his eyebrows. "Knowing Detweiler, he probably has a ton more of 'em tacked on his bedroom wall."
"This is perfect. This is absolutely grand, snitch boy. I can blackmail Spinelli into working for me, and then… yes! That would be positively sinful." Alex was grinning like a madman.
"What, sire?" Randall chided.
"When I'm sure I've got her for good, I can make her my girlfriend and show her this," he held up the scrap of paper, "while Detweiler's standing there. I'm certain it will fold him, if he crushes on her as bad as you think he does."
"I know he does," Randall replied. "There's even living proof." Then two evil laughs went up, one King Alex's, and the other his apprentice Randall Weems's. They were plotting to turn the playground upside-down, but little did they know their plans would come crashing to a halt.
______________________________________________________________
At the beginning of the next recess, T.J. Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Gretchen Grundler, Vince La Salle, Mikey Blumberg, Gus Griswold, and Jenna Platt were all called up to see King Alex, who looked, to Jenna, happier than she'd ever seen him. He clasped his hands and eyed the group.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Beginner's Rebellion. And their spy," he spat at Jenna. She looked away. "You know I don't like you. Any of you. So I'm giving you a choice now to break up, or you will be forced to break up."
"We're not breaking up," T.J. said stubbornly.
"Ah, yes. T.J. Detweiler. The living, breathing example of rebellious leadership at any cost. You've got a lot in store for you, boy, so I wouldn't be going and making me mad, now."
"Like what?" T.J. asked coolly.
"Whether you like it or not, by the end of this year these six won't be your friends anymore. That's a promise."
"You can try to break us up, your highness," Spinelli said, putting sarcasm in 'your highness', "but you won't be able to."
"And you," Alex replied, turning to her and eyeing her up and down, pleased with what he saw up close. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Detweiler steaming as he checked out Spinelli. His attention back on her, Alex realized she was almost as mad as Detweiler for this. "You're the punkette." He folded his arms across his chest as he studied her face. She was admittedly beautiful for someone who tried not to be, with thick raven black hair pulled into two pigtails. Her eyes were an intense chocolate brown, and her lips were full and red. Alex could tell without even seeing her smile that her smile was radiant, probably with near perfect teeth. As he gazed at her, Alex felt a feeling he'd never felt before. He realized that he wanted to have Spinelli as his girlfriend, not just to fold Detweiler, but to love. And it struck him like a blow to the chin. He had just fallen in love with Ashley Spinelli.
Trying to swallow the feeling, he spoke again. "You know you're very pretty, Spinelli," he complimented. Her eyebrows lowered.
"Take it back," she demanded.
"Why should I take back something that's true?" Alex questioned. "You are very pretty - beautiful, even - with a serious model capability."
"Been there, done that," Vince muttered. Spinelli elbowed him.
"Why do you act like a tomboy when you could be better than those four girls you love to hate?" Alex knew he had captured Spinelli's attention. Meanwhile, Detweiler was practically burning up as he witnessed Alex lay the moves on her. Alex probably guessed that he was the first boy Spinelli's age to tell her she was pretty. Alex knew he'd have to keep beating Detweiler in that department, even if Detweiler was the first to kiss her.
"I'd never be able to beat them at their own game. I don't have the guts enough to start acting like a girl," she admitted, although she was by no means bringing down her defenses. She looked a bit peeved and her lips were still pursed, and all Alex could think of was kissing her.
"I could help you, you know," Alex offered, twirling a lock of her black hair around his finger. She looked as though she wanted to punch him, but didn't for the sake of not going to the dodgeball wall. "Why don't you just lose these loser friends of yours?"
"I would never do that," she replied, very angry once again. Alex was at least a foot taller than Spinelli and her head barely met his mid-shoulder, so he knelt in front of her so they could see eye to eye. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and she tried to back away, but Alex held her in place.
"I could make this year miserable for you, or it could go very easy. The only way it goes easy is if you join up with me and lose these six," he pleaded, looking up into her chocolate brown eyes that stared back into his green ones with utmost hate.
"I'd rather take the misery if it means being with my friends," she rejected.
"You wouldn't be with your friends either way," he replied coldly.
"What makes you so sure that I would think that you weren't using me? Say, to make my friends weaker because they wouldn't have someone with the capability to kick a little butt?"
"I don't want to use you. I want to make you great, Ashley," he replied and knew instantly he had made a huge mistake. She stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief, and a second later had knocked him over and was prepared to beat the stuffing out of him. It was Detweiler that came to his rescue, simply by pulling Spinelli, who was very light in weight, off of him and holding her firmly in his grasp. She squirmed and tried to free herself, but by the looks of it, Detweiler had grown accustomed to holding a very angry Spinelli close to his body.
"Don't ever call me that again," she said firmly. "Ever!" Alex held up his hands as an apology, standing up and dusting himself off. Spinelli relaxed, arms folded, still locked inside Detweiler's arms. Detweiler knew better than to let her go, especially when it took her at least five minutes to calm herself down. By the looks of it, though, Spinelli looked contented in a small context that it was Detweiler holding on to her and not someone else. Likewise, Detweiler looked ecstatic that Spinelli had almost beaten the crap out of Alex and was allowing Detweiler to hold her.
"So I take that as a no," Alex stated. Spinelli tapped her foot impatiently. "Then you leave me no choice, Spinelli," he continued. "I'm gonna have to blackmail you into leaving your friends." For some odd reason, Detweiler smiled.
"You can't," he said simply, still holding onto Spinelli with one arm while with the other pulled a roll of white paper from his pocket. He handed it to Alex, and put his arms back around Spinelli. Alex unrolled the scroll and scanned it quickly.
"And why can't I?" he demanded.
"There's a very simple reason for that," Gretchen Grundler, the one with the big brain, answered. "I'll show you." She pointed out a section of the scroll, which was the Constitution of the Third Street Playground, under blackmail. Alex read it again and scowled.
"When did that law go into effect?" he demanded, wanting to rip it to shreds because the law stated that he, the king, was not allowed to blackmail his subjects.
"June fourth of this year," Detweiler replied matter-of-factly. "And it can't be changed, either."
"Well, technically, it can be," Grundler replied, "but unlikely that it will be. It takes a playground wide vote, with a majority of eighty percent to pass." Alex scowled.
"And, if you try blackmailing any of us," Detweiler added, "there's someone down there that can get you kicked off the throne before you can snap your fingers."
"So leave us alone, or else you'll regret it," Spinelli finished, pointing a finger at him as Detweiler's grasp broke free. "Let's go," she said to her friends, and one by one they slid down the jungle gym slide. Spinelli and Detweiler were the last to go, and Alex saw Detweiler put his arm around Spinelli and squeeze her shoulder gently before disappearing down the slide.
"You had a chance, Spinelli," Alex told her mournfully. "I could have made you into a great beauty."
"Sorry, Alex," she replied, purposely not addressing him as 'your majesty', "but there's someone down there who already thinks I am a great beauty."
"It's Detweiler, isn't it? You love him, don't you?" For a moment, Alex thought he might be scrapped again, but Spinelli just stared at him.
"I don't know," she replied, biting her lip before sliding down the slide and out of sight.
Alex's heart ached; he knew Spinelli's answer to his final question was a 'yes' and she just didn't want to admit it. He also knew that with Detweiler feeling the same way about her, it was only a matter of time before they… before they what? Began to display their affections for each other publicly? Alex had already seen some of that today. He knew in a flash that he had to divide and conquer - immediately - or else he might never have a chance with his new love.
"Alright, if that's the way Detweiler and his gang want to play it, then the ball's in my court. I'm the king, and I'm going to add a rule." Alex smiled cunningly. The months ahead were guaranteed to be wonderful.
TO BE CONTINUED…
© 2001 KD WILD. All rights reserved.