Spinelli and Carmen were waiting outside for their parents to get out of their meeting with the judge. The judge had done a quick, private meeting with Spinelli. He had asked her questions about herself, her education, etc, and Spinelli had played the role of a normal, "angel" child. She had answered only yes or no questions, and added a few tears for effect. The judge had been convinced that she was "changed" and harmless.
He was now discussing her "future" with her parents, leaving Carmen and Spinelli alone to test her power.
"Ok, I'm going to touch this table, and think one phrase, over and over. After I lift my hand off, I want your hand to touch the same area. Tell me what you get."
Spinelli stared at Carmen, "Um, hello? I thought this thing was triggered by physical contact, not fingerprints or whatever it is your thinking."
Carmen looked exasperated. "Just do it! We want to see what all you can do."
Spinelli rolled her eyes but nodded. Carmen grinned and placed her hands on the table. Spinelli saw her knuckles go white, and she could tell Carmen really wanted this to work. A few moments later she gently lifted her hands off the table and the blood in her hands returned. Looking up at Spinelli, she put on her gloves and pressed her hands on the table.
Spinelli searched in her mind for the familiar humming that meant an up-coming flash. Finding nothing she pressed her mind harder. 'Come on, you've got to work!' She felt deeper into her mind, searching for any sign that might mean a flash.
She was abruptly shaken to her senses. Opening her eyes she saw Carmen, or at least Carmen's fingers. She was snapping them in front of Spinelli's face.
"Snap out of it girl! Your parent's are coming!"
Spinelli bolted onto the chair, trying to ignore the splitting headache the experiment had given her. Turning to Carmen she said, "Does my makeup look ok? I look… normal, right?"
Carmen laughed at Spinelli's frantic state, "Come here. I'll fix it." Spinelli kneeled before Carmen, who got her make up out of her purse. Pulling out a mascara wand she said, "Look up." Spinelli obeyed, and felt the wand slide over her bottom lashes. "Now down." This time it went over her upper lashes. Carmen cupped Spinelli's chin in her gloved hand. "Look at me… now close." Swiping a bit of shimmer powder over her eyes, Spinelli tried not to grimace. She really didn't like make up, but it had its advantages.
'I only wanted enough to make myself look normal, not pale and withdrawn.'
"Hello dears!"
Peeking out from overdone lashes, Spinelli saw her parents coming toward her and Carmen. Her mother wrapped Carmen in a hug, and smiled a little at Spinelli. Her father's reaction was the same, but he had the decency to put a hand on her shoulder before turning back to Carmen. Carmen snuck a quick wink at Spinelli, then pretended to adore being adored.
Spinelli sighed with relief; no one would touch her. No flashes from her parents about how scared they are of her, or how they pity her.
'Thank you Carmen. You're an angel.'
Five minutes later, Spinelli got bored standing around watching her parents praise Carmen. 'It's just like the time when Gretch came over, my parents LOVED her… Only I don't mind it this time.'
"Ahem…" She cleared her throat. All heads turned to her. Her parents looked embarrassed, Carmen grateful. Spinelli put her hands on her hips and glared, "So what did he say?"
Her parents exchanged glances. "Who dear?"
Carmen pulled away from the two to stand next to Spinelli. "The judge!"
Spinelli's mother looked surprised, then laughed. "Oh yes, of course. He said…Bob?"
Bob, Spinelli's dad, looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Well, Ashley…"
Spinelli sighed. Had things really changed so much that her parents no longer called her 'Pookie,' or even 'Spinelli'?
"…He said, well, both Flo and I think that…"
Spinelli was getting impatient. When did her turn into such bumbling idiots? "Would you just spit it out already!"
"Well…" Flo said uncertainly, "He thinks that it would be best for you to return to your old school district. Get back together with your friends, become…used to freedom."
Spinelli knew she desperately wanted to say normal. Then it sunk in. Her old school, old friends, old life. "Oh gosh…" She sunk to her knee's. 'Please, please, no…'
Later that evening she and Carmen were in Spinelli's room. They had made it home without too much trouble, by the time the reporters caught up with them, Spinelli and Carmen were safe at home, and Bob and Flo had been left to deal with them. Spinelli was flopped on her back, up side down on her bed. Carmen was sitting at the mirror, adjusting her make up.
"I can not go back, Carm!" she exclaimed.
Carmen never turned from her mirror. "And why not?" She re-coated her lip-gloss.
Spinelli sighed. "Hmm… lets see. I was sent to Juvi Hall for 5 years for blowing up a school, they'll think I'm some kind of dangerous criminal. And on top of all that, what if I get a flash in the middle of class, or in the muddle of the hallway." She cradled her head in her hands. "I can just hear them screaming 'freak' already."
Carmen spun around. Before Spinelli could stop her Carmen had slapped her across the face, hard. She held up one gloved finger and stuck it in Spinelli's face. "Don't let me ever…EVER…hear you use that phrase about yourself.
I swear to you, if I do I will grind you down into the dirt so hard…"
Spinelli sat up on the bed and held her hands up. "Woah there," Then she started crying, a thing she hadn't done for over 7 years. "Oh gosh. How am I going to face them? I mean I'm CRYING for goodness sake!" She gave a bitter laugh. "I haven't seen them for nearly 6 years. And I come back insane? They'll freak!"
Carmen crossed her arms and glared at Spinelli. "What is with you girl! I've never known you to be a chicken, and this is beyond belief! I'd slap you again, but I don't think a bruise on your face on your first day back would be a good idea. And as for your friends freaking out…" she put on an evil grin. "…True, there is nothing we can do about that. BUT, since we can't avoid it…"
Spinelli looked at Carmen's face and leapt off the bed. Backing up she slowly made her way to the door. Holding her hands out in front of her she made a definite 'no' gesture. "Carmen…" Carmen stood there, looking as innocent as can be, which is why Spinelli was so scared.
"Trust me Ashley."
Spinelli winced at the sound of her real name. "What do you mean, 'trust me'?"
Carmen sighed and sat down on the bed closest to the door. "Listen, you said that you didn't want to go back and be called a freak, etc. Well, we can't change that, people are GOING to talk, no matter what we do." She shrugged. "I just think we should give them something to talk ABOUT."
Spinelli crossed her arms and glared at Carmen. "And what do you propose? Me dressing up like a goth and dying my hair bright green?"
Carmen smiled again. "Something like that."
Spinelli finally caught on. "A makeover…it has possibility's."
Carmen laughed a little. "So you in?"
Spinelli frowned. A make over meant make up, but it also meant the chance to change. Besides it might be fun… "Alright, but one condition."
Carmen stood up and faced her, a puzzled expression on her face. "Sure, you name it."
Spinelli grinned, "You have to SWEAR that you will never call me Ashley again!"
"Deal."
Authors Note:
Ok… chpt4 will be the makeover, and possibly her first day of school.
I know this is getting a little bit OOC, but bear with me; she's in high school now!
What do you guys think?
I need suggestions! Please! What should I do with Spinelli's makeover???????
He was now discussing her "future" with her parents, leaving Carmen and Spinelli alone to test her power.
"Ok, I'm going to touch this table, and think one phrase, over and over. After I lift my hand off, I want your hand to touch the same area. Tell me what you get."
Spinelli stared at Carmen, "Um, hello? I thought this thing was triggered by physical contact, not fingerprints or whatever it is your thinking."
Carmen looked exasperated. "Just do it! We want to see what all you can do."
Spinelli rolled her eyes but nodded. Carmen grinned and placed her hands on the table. Spinelli saw her knuckles go white, and she could tell Carmen really wanted this to work. A few moments later she gently lifted her hands off the table and the blood in her hands returned. Looking up at Spinelli, she put on her gloves and pressed her hands on the table.
Spinelli searched in her mind for the familiar humming that meant an up-coming flash. Finding nothing she pressed her mind harder. 'Come on, you've got to work!' She felt deeper into her mind, searching for any sign that might mean a flash.
She was abruptly shaken to her senses. Opening her eyes she saw Carmen, or at least Carmen's fingers. She was snapping them in front of Spinelli's face.
"Snap out of it girl! Your parent's are coming!"
Spinelli bolted onto the chair, trying to ignore the splitting headache the experiment had given her. Turning to Carmen she said, "Does my makeup look ok? I look… normal, right?"
Carmen laughed at Spinelli's frantic state, "Come here. I'll fix it." Spinelli kneeled before Carmen, who got her make up out of her purse. Pulling out a mascara wand she said, "Look up." Spinelli obeyed, and felt the wand slide over her bottom lashes. "Now down." This time it went over her upper lashes. Carmen cupped Spinelli's chin in her gloved hand. "Look at me… now close." Swiping a bit of shimmer powder over her eyes, Spinelli tried not to grimace. She really didn't like make up, but it had its advantages.
'I only wanted enough to make myself look normal, not pale and withdrawn.'
"Hello dears!"
Peeking out from overdone lashes, Spinelli saw her parents coming toward her and Carmen. Her mother wrapped Carmen in a hug, and smiled a little at Spinelli. Her father's reaction was the same, but he had the decency to put a hand on her shoulder before turning back to Carmen. Carmen snuck a quick wink at Spinelli, then pretended to adore being adored.
Spinelli sighed with relief; no one would touch her. No flashes from her parents about how scared they are of her, or how they pity her.
'Thank you Carmen. You're an angel.'
Five minutes later, Spinelli got bored standing around watching her parents praise Carmen. 'It's just like the time when Gretch came over, my parents LOVED her… Only I don't mind it this time.'
"Ahem…" She cleared her throat. All heads turned to her. Her parents looked embarrassed, Carmen grateful. Spinelli put her hands on her hips and glared, "So what did he say?"
Her parents exchanged glances. "Who dear?"
Carmen pulled away from the two to stand next to Spinelli. "The judge!"
Spinelli's mother looked surprised, then laughed. "Oh yes, of course. He said…Bob?"
Bob, Spinelli's dad, looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Well, Ashley…"
Spinelli sighed. Had things really changed so much that her parents no longer called her 'Pookie,' or even 'Spinelli'?
"…He said, well, both Flo and I think that…"
Spinelli was getting impatient. When did her turn into such bumbling idiots? "Would you just spit it out already!"
"Well…" Flo said uncertainly, "He thinks that it would be best for you to return to your old school district. Get back together with your friends, become…used to freedom."
Spinelli knew she desperately wanted to say normal. Then it sunk in. Her old school, old friends, old life. "Oh gosh…" She sunk to her knee's. 'Please, please, no…'
Later that evening she and Carmen were in Spinelli's room. They had made it home without too much trouble, by the time the reporters caught up with them, Spinelli and Carmen were safe at home, and Bob and Flo had been left to deal with them. Spinelli was flopped on her back, up side down on her bed. Carmen was sitting at the mirror, adjusting her make up.
"I can not go back, Carm!" she exclaimed.
Carmen never turned from her mirror. "And why not?" She re-coated her lip-gloss.
Spinelli sighed. "Hmm… lets see. I was sent to Juvi Hall for 5 years for blowing up a school, they'll think I'm some kind of dangerous criminal. And on top of all that, what if I get a flash in the middle of class, or in the muddle of the hallway." She cradled her head in her hands. "I can just hear them screaming 'freak' already."
Carmen spun around. Before Spinelli could stop her Carmen had slapped her across the face, hard. She held up one gloved finger and stuck it in Spinelli's face. "Don't let me ever…EVER…hear you use that phrase about yourself.
I swear to you, if I do I will grind you down into the dirt so hard…"
Spinelli sat up on the bed and held her hands up. "Woah there," Then she started crying, a thing she hadn't done for over 7 years. "Oh gosh. How am I going to face them? I mean I'm CRYING for goodness sake!" She gave a bitter laugh. "I haven't seen them for nearly 6 years. And I come back insane? They'll freak!"
Carmen crossed her arms and glared at Spinelli. "What is with you girl! I've never known you to be a chicken, and this is beyond belief! I'd slap you again, but I don't think a bruise on your face on your first day back would be a good idea. And as for your friends freaking out…" she put on an evil grin. "…True, there is nothing we can do about that. BUT, since we can't avoid it…"
Spinelli looked at Carmen's face and leapt off the bed. Backing up she slowly made her way to the door. Holding her hands out in front of her she made a definite 'no' gesture. "Carmen…" Carmen stood there, looking as innocent as can be, which is why Spinelli was so scared.
"Trust me Ashley."
Spinelli winced at the sound of her real name. "What do you mean, 'trust me'?"
Carmen sighed and sat down on the bed closest to the door. "Listen, you said that you didn't want to go back and be called a freak, etc. Well, we can't change that, people are GOING to talk, no matter what we do." She shrugged. "I just think we should give them something to talk ABOUT."
Spinelli crossed her arms and glared at Carmen. "And what do you propose? Me dressing up like a goth and dying my hair bright green?"
Carmen smiled again. "Something like that."
Spinelli finally caught on. "A makeover…it has possibility's."
Carmen laughed a little. "So you in?"
Spinelli frowned. A make over meant make up, but it also meant the chance to change. Besides it might be fun… "Alright, but one condition."
Carmen stood up and faced her, a puzzled expression on her face. "Sure, you name it."
Spinelli grinned, "You have to SWEAR that you will never call me Ashley again!"
"Deal."
Authors Note:
Ok… chpt4 will be the makeover, and possibly her first day of school.
I know this is getting a little bit OOC, but bear with me; she's in high school now!
What do you guys think?
I need suggestions! Please! What should I do with Spinelli's makeover???????