CHaPTeR FiVe - THe KiSS
Third Street Elementary, following Wednesday, before school
T.J. Detweiler waited silently in the shadows of the building, like Butch the Legend Spreader always did, moping around in corners, hiding in the shadows, although T.J. that day had a very different purpose than Butch did. On that morning, T.J. had agreed to kiss Ashley Spinelli to try and save the playground from turmoil.
T.J. prepped himself for what he was about to do, but no prep time would ever be enough for this. His time was cut short - Ashley S was approaching.
As she passed the shadows, T.J. reached out, fluidly catching her around the waist with one arm and clamping his hand over her mouth with the other before she could let out a scream. He dragged her back into the shadows, pushing her up against the wall, releasing his grip around her waist but keeping his hand over her mouth. "Hear me out," he said softly. She nodded, eyes wide with some sort of fear.
"All this time… since Friday… you've been acting like an Ashley… you've been an Ashley… and I can't handle that - and none of the guys out there can. You gotta come back," T.J. pleaded. Ashley S shook her head no.
T.J. took a deep breath. "I didn't wanna have to do this, but…" He let his hand drop to her shoulder, and before she could make a sound had placed his lips on hers. She didn't believe it for the first few seconds, but after a long moment and T.J. still had not pulled away, she began feeling her life, her old life, coming back to her. And she realized, all the while feeling T.J.'s kiss (which, she thought, was rather good for only a second time kisser), that she hated the makeup, and the pink clothes, and the girly junk, and wanted nothing more than to go back. She closed her eyes and returned his kiss, knowing that when their lips parted she would no longer be Ashley S, but Spinelli again.
At long last, the moment came when T.J.'s lips left Spinelli's, and he looked into her eyes and saw the beautiful sparkle he once saw when she was Spinelli, and knew he'd won her back. "That was gross," she stated, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked at him for a moment longer, and then without warning, Spinelli planted a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away a few seconds later, as though she were shy.
"I thought you said that was gross," T.J. said, grinning.
"It was," Spinelli replied, also grinning.
"So why'd you kiss me again?"
"Do I have to give you a reason for everything I do? Now let me go," she said, walking around him out into the open daylight. Momentarily worried, T.J. followed her until she reached the Ashley Clubhouse. "Hey, you Ashleys!" Spinelli yelled. "You can run your stupid boy camp without a fifth counselor - either that or don't run it at all! I'm blowin' this popsicle stand and it ain't gonna be pretty if you try and stop me!" And Ashley Spinelli stormed away from the Ashley Clubhouse, vowing to never be one of those preppy girls again… And she never did.
She came to a stop beside T.J. They both stared at the Ashley Clubhouse, where the Ashleys were scowling at Spinelli. She shrugged and turned to T.J.
"T.J.?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Don't ever let me do that again," he told him.
"What? Kiss me?" T.J. asked.
"No, that part I don't mind so much… Don't ever let me stand on a gravestone again," Spinelli replied.
"I think I can handle that… Ashley," T.J. replied, grinning.
"The name's Spinelli, and don't you forget it," she replied forcefully, shaking a fist at him while a delicate smile played on her lips. The two smiled at each other, knowing that in the months ahead, there would be some romantic developing in store for them.
From behind them came Irwin Lawson, still bent on his "power" over Spinelli. "How are you doing, Ashley?" Lawson mocked, prancing around, trying to act like a prima donna. Spinelli just smiled at him, and then without warning, reared back and delivered a left to his eye so hard it knocked him to the ground, out cold.
"I'm just fine, Irwin," she replied, smirking.
Third Street Elementary, following Wednesday, before school
T.J. Detweiler waited silently in the shadows of the building, like Butch the Legend Spreader always did, moping around in corners, hiding in the shadows, although T.J. that day had a very different purpose than Butch did. On that morning, T.J. had agreed to kiss Ashley Spinelli to try and save the playground from turmoil.
T.J. prepped himself for what he was about to do, but no prep time would ever be enough for this. His time was cut short - Ashley S was approaching.
As she passed the shadows, T.J. reached out, fluidly catching her around the waist with one arm and clamping his hand over her mouth with the other before she could let out a scream. He dragged her back into the shadows, pushing her up against the wall, releasing his grip around her waist but keeping his hand over her mouth. "Hear me out," he said softly. She nodded, eyes wide with some sort of fear.
"All this time… since Friday… you've been acting like an Ashley… you've been an Ashley… and I can't handle that - and none of the guys out there can. You gotta come back," T.J. pleaded. Ashley S shook her head no.
T.J. took a deep breath. "I didn't wanna have to do this, but…" He let his hand drop to her shoulder, and before she could make a sound had placed his lips on hers. She didn't believe it for the first few seconds, but after a long moment and T.J. still had not pulled away, she began feeling her life, her old life, coming back to her. And she realized, all the while feeling T.J.'s kiss (which, she thought, was rather good for only a second time kisser), that she hated the makeup, and the pink clothes, and the girly junk, and wanted nothing more than to go back. She closed her eyes and returned his kiss, knowing that when their lips parted she would no longer be Ashley S, but Spinelli again.
At long last, the moment came when T.J.'s lips left Spinelli's, and he looked into her eyes and saw the beautiful sparkle he once saw when she was Spinelli, and knew he'd won her back. "That was gross," she stated, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked at him for a moment longer, and then without warning, Spinelli planted a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away a few seconds later, as though she were shy.
"I thought you said that was gross," T.J. said, grinning.
"It was," Spinelli replied, also grinning.
"So why'd you kiss me again?"
"Do I have to give you a reason for everything I do? Now let me go," she said, walking around him out into the open daylight. Momentarily worried, T.J. followed her until she reached the Ashley Clubhouse. "Hey, you Ashleys!" Spinelli yelled. "You can run your stupid boy camp without a fifth counselor - either that or don't run it at all! I'm blowin' this popsicle stand and it ain't gonna be pretty if you try and stop me!" And Ashley Spinelli stormed away from the Ashley Clubhouse, vowing to never be one of those preppy girls again… And she never did.
She came to a stop beside T.J. They both stared at the Ashley Clubhouse, where the Ashleys were scowling at Spinelli. She shrugged and turned to T.J.
"T.J.?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Don't ever let me do that again," he told him.
"What? Kiss me?" T.J. asked.
"No, that part I don't mind so much… Don't ever let me stand on a gravestone again," Spinelli replied.
"I think I can handle that… Ashley," T.J. replied, grinning.
"The name's Spinelli, and don't you forget it," she replied forcefully, shaking a fist at him while a delicate smile played on her lips. The two smiled at each other, knowing that in the months ahead, there would be some romantic developing in store for them.
From behind them came Irwin Lawson, still bent on his "power" over Spinelli. "How are you doing, Ashley?" Lawson mocked, prancing around, trying to act like a prima donna. Spinelli just smiled at him, and then without warning, reared back and delivered a left to his eye so hard it knocked him to the ground, out cold.
"I'm just fine, Irwin," she replied, smirking.