Quick Note!: This may seem a little cliché-ish at the end, but it's for the
"dramatic" effect! And this chapter is a little longer…
Ok, I realize that many people are expecting it to be Spinelli on the other end of the line, but sorry guys and gals. This is a drama/angst thing and it was kinda certain that Spinelli died when she fell to those jagged rocks. But if you guessed Spin, you were close…
PAST
"What am I even doing here?" muttered TJ to himself. He was waiting inside Coffee Connection, the newest Internet café. She wasn't going to show. Was she?
"TJ Detweiler."
TJ held his breath and turned around. Well, she did show. And she had definitely changed from back in 4th and 5th grade. Her brown hair was now long and shiny and done in a ponytail. She wore bright blue polyester/spandex pants (from Limited Too) and a short-sleeved tie-dyed blue shirt with a fancy design of a heart on it. She still had glasses except they weren't wired framed anymore. They were blank framed 1950 styled ones. She also wore a bit of…make-up. Cute, but not the Gretchen Grundler he remembered.
"Gretchen," TJ said standing up. "Wow, you look…different."
"And you look lonely," Gretchen scoffed. TJ looked at her puzzled. "Oops, sorry. Reflex."
"What are you talking about?" TJ asked.
"Before I tell you, tell me what happened with you? When you moved here and didn't tell anyone? Are you…okay?" Gretchen listened as TJ told her as best as he could about how his dad got transferred and how he kept to himself. Never "socializing", just thinking about his past life. How he never wanted to go back.
Then Gretchen told her story.
**************************************************************************** **********
"I can't believe he's not gonna be here for 5th grade," Vince muttered. "Or Mikey either. Too bad he moved to France."
"TJ must be going through a lot. He'll probably be here tomorrow or next week," said Gretchen.
"Guys! Guys!" Gus called from the payphone he was using. "Come listen to this!"
Gretchen and Vince gathered around the phone that Gus held out and listened to the message on the Detweiler's answering machine.
*Beep.* Hi, you have reached the Detweiler's residence. We can't take your call right now but you can call us at our new number 782-2517…in Boston, Massachusetts. Have a nice day! *Beep.*
"Boston, Massachusetts?" Gretchen asked after Gus hung the phone back up. "But that means…"
"Yep," Vince said bitterly. "TJ moved and didn't bother to tell anyone."
"And he's not coming back," Gretchen whispered.
**************************************************************************** **********
"But that doesn't explain what happened to you," TJ pointed out.
"I'm getting there," Gretchen snapped. "Oh, sorry again," she said wincing. "Well, you're not going to believe this but in 6th grade, Vince and Gus both left Third Street."
"Why?"
"Gus went off to Jr. Military School and Vince moved to California. I was by myself at Third Street with another 'abandoned' girl."
**************************************************************************** **********
"Gretchen?"
Gretchen turned around and saw Ashley Armbrewster standing behind her. Gretchen wasn't feeling particularly "chatty" because the 6th grade had just started and her friends had left and Spinelli was…gone.
"What is it Ashley A.? I don't feel like talking or doing your summer book report for you right now."
"No, it's not that. Its just…remember on Purple Day? When I wore yellow and I forgot to wear purple?" Ashley A. asked.
"Oh yeah. Purple Day, the day all of you Ashleys met and was all wearing purple. You violated the law about wearing purple on your 'anniversary'. So?" Gretchen recollected.
"Well, I remembered how you and I, you know, hung out. And how we used to be friends when…"
Gretchen put a hand over Ashley's mouth. "Shhh! You said you didn't want anyone to know!" Gretchen hissed.
"But I have no friends anymore!" cried Ashley suddenly. Gretchen froze. Ashley A. without the other Ashleys?"
**************************************************************************** **********
"You mean you and Ashley A. became friends?" asked TJ disbelievingly.
"Best friends," Gretchen corrected. "She really is okay."
"And that's why you look like her, act like her, and dress like her," TJ scowled.
Gretchen sighed. "This is what I've become TJ. And you know what? I like it. But maybe I would've been different if you hadn't left. Or if you had at least managed to notify one of us you're leaving."
"I couldn't stay Gretch," TJ said. "I couldn't. I missed Spinelli so much that I couldn't tell you guys either."
"Spinelli's death was hard on all of us!" yelled Gretchen standing up. "But we didn't run from it without telling anyone and hiding away like a phantom. Do you think that I don't care that Spinelli is dead? Of course I do! But I moved on and she would've wanted you to move on too!"
TJ stared down at the floor. He got up and faced Gretchen. "What could I have done? It's my fault Spinelli is dead."
"If you cared about her you would've come to her funeral," Gretchen said harshly. "You would've showed up instead of staying at home. But you didn't care did you?"
"Don't you dare say I didn't care about her!" TJ hissed. "I loved her. I would've done anything for her. And I tried to save her but I couldn't. Okay? I loved Ashley Funicello Spinelli!" He took a deep breath. "I figured you changed Gretchen Grundler, but not like this." TJ turned and walked out of Connection Coffee without turning back.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Ok, I realize that many people are expecting it to be Spinelli on the other end of the line, but sorry guys and gals. This is a drama/angst thing and it was kinda certain that Spinelli died when she fell to those jagged rocks. But if you guessed Spin, you were close…
PAST
"What am I even doing here?" muttered TJ to himself. He was waiting inside Coffee Connection, the newest Internet café. She wasn't going to show. Was she?
"TJ Detweiler."
TJ held his breath and turned around. Well, she did show. And she had definitely changed from back in 4th and 5th grade. Her brown hair was now long and shiny and done in a ponytail. She wore bright blue polyester/spandex pants (from Limited Too) and a short-sleeved tie-dyed blue shirt with a fancy design of a heart on it. She still had glasses except they weren't wired framed anymore. They were blank framed 1950 styled ones. She also wore a bit of…make-up. Cute, but not the Gretchen Grundler he remembered.
"Gretchen," TJ said standing up. "Wow, you look…different."
"And you look lonely," Gretchen scoffed. TJ looked at her puzzled. "Oops, sorry. Reflex."
"What are you talking about?" TJ asked.
"Before I tell you, tell me what happened with you? When you moved here and didn't tell anyone? Are you…okay?" Gretchen listened as TJ told her as best as he could about how his dad got transferred and how he kept to himself. Never "socializing", just thinking about his past life. How he never wanted to go back.
Then Gretchen told her story.
**************************************************************************** **********
"I can't believe he's not gonna be here for 5th grade," Vince muttered. "Or Mikey either. Too bad he moved to France."
"TJ must be going through a lot. He'll probably be here tomorrow or next week," said Gretchen.
"Guys! Guys!" Gus called from the payphone he was using. "Come listen to this!"
Gretchen and Vince gathered around the phone that Gus held out and listened to the message on the Detweiler's answering machine.
*Beep.* Hi, you have reached the Detweiler's residence. We can't take your call right now but you can call us at our new number 782-2517…in Boston, Massachusetts. Have a nice day! *Beep.*
"Boston, Massachusetts?" Gretchen asked after Gus hung the phone back up. "But that means…"
"Yep," Vince said bitterly. "TJ moved and didn't bother to tell anyone."
"And he's not coming back," Gretchen whispered.
**************************************************************************** **********
"But that doesn't explain what happened to you," TJ pointed out.
"I'm getting there," Gretchen snapped. "Oh, sorry again," she said wincing. "Well, you're not going to believe this but in 6th grade, Vince and Gus both left Third Street."
"Why?"
"Gus went off to Jr. Military School and Vince moved to California. I was by myself at Third Street with another 'abandoned' girl."
**************************************************************************** **********
"Gretchen?"
Gretchen turned around and saw Ashley Armbrewster standing behind her. Gretchen wasn't feeling particularly "chatty" because the 6th grade had just started and her friends had left and Spinelli was…gone.
"What is it Ashley A.? I don't feel like talking or doing your summer book report for you right now."
"No, it's not that. Its just…remember on Purple Day? When I wore yellow and I forgot to wear purple?" Ashley A. asked.
"Oh yeah. Purple Day, the day all of you Ashleys met and was all wearing purple. You violated the law about wearing purple on your 'anniversary'. So?" Gretchen recollected.
"Well, I remembered how you and I, you know, hung out. And how we used to be friends when…"
Gretchen put a hand over Ashley's mouth. "Shhh! You said you didn't want anyone to know!" Gretchen hissed.
"But I have no friends anymore!" cried Ashley suddenly. Gretchen froze. Ashley A. without the other Ashleys?"
**************************************************************************** **********
"You mean you and Ashley A. became friends?" asked TJ disbelievingly.
"Best friends," Gretchen corrected. "She really is okay."
"And that's why you look like her, act like her, and dress like her," TJ scowled.
Gretchen sighed. "This is what I've become TJ. And you know what? I like it. But maybe I would've been different if you hadn't left. Or if you had at least managed to notify one of us you're leaving."
"I couldn't stay Gretch," TJ said. "I couldn't. I missed Spinelli so much that I couldn't tell you guys either."
"Spinelli's death was hard on all of us!" yelled Gretchen standing up. "But we didn't run from it without telling anyone and hiding away like a phantom. Do you think that I don't care that Spinelli is dead? Of course I do! But I moved on and she would've wanted you to move on too!"
TJ stared down at the floor. He got up and faced Gretchen. "What could I have done? It's my fault Spinelli is dead."
"If you cared about her you would've come to her funeral," Gretchen said harshly. "You would've showed up instead of staying at home. But you didn't care did you?"
"Don't you dare say I didn't care about her!" TJ hissed. "I loved her. I would've done anything for her. And I tried to save her but I couldn't. Okay? I loved Ashley Funicello Spinelli!" He took a deep breath. "I figured you changed Gretchen Grundler, but not like this." TJ turned and walked out of Connection Coffee without turning back.
TO BE CONTINUED…