CHAPTER 2: CONFESSION
Finally, the last day of the school year arrived. At eight-thirty, it was a beautiful sunny morning that hinted of the warm summer days ahead. After just arriving in school, Gretchen found T.J., sitting alone at the benches with a dreamy, content look on his face. Curiously, she approached him.
"Good morning, T.J." Gretchen said to him. As if he saw a ghost, T.J. jumped with a surprised look on his face, also giving Gretchen a start.
"Oh," T.J. said, holding his chest, "Gretchen, don't do that! Jeez, you scared me half to death!"
"Sorry, T.J.," she apologized,"but I couldn't help but notice the look of pleasure on your face."
T.J. then gulped like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Uhh, really?" he asked nervously.
"Why, yes," Gretchen responded, "Ahh, you were probably thinking about your good days ahead as king of the playground, am I right?"
"Huh?" T.J. said half-relieved. "Oh, oh yeah, yeah! I can hardly think about anything else! Boy, I sure can't wait 'till after summer...uh, so I can start bossin' people around!...huh...heh, heh..."
Gretchen, being the brain that she was, immediately picked up on T.J.'s save and went on the attack. "Wait a second..." she pondered, "...Okay, T.J., seriously...what were you REALLY thinking about?" then she gave him an accusing glare.
T.J. wasn't about to give up yet. He immediately said, "What are you talkin' about, Gretchen? I just told you..." and then his nervousness set in, "...you know...the king...and I...can't...wait..."
But Gretchen's glare was so strong and so sure that it finally broke T.J. He knew for a fact that there was no possible way to fool a brain like Gretchen's. His loud sigh showed his defeat.
"All right, Gretchen, follow me" T.J. whispered. He looked around and walked in the direction of the school dumpsters. Gretchen had no idea what she was about to be told, but she followed her friend. Once they were behind the dumpsters, Gretchen watched as T.J. sighed again, slowly turned to her, and looked at her with intense eyes.
"Gretchen...what I'm about to tell you...must stay between - and ONLY between these four ears of ours" he told Gretchen in a serious tone.
"Why, of course, T.J.," she said reassuringly. "I'm your friend. You can trust me."
"Good," T.J. said. "Now, I didn't say anything to the guys because I was afraid they'd laugh at me...but..."
"Okay, but shouldn't we wait for Spinelli at least, T.J.?" Gretchen interrupted, a bit nervous. She really didn't feel comfortable hearing what he had to say alone.
"It's ABOUT Spinelli!" T.J. said in a slightly raised voice, then he looked to the ground and sighed. Genuinely perplexed, Gretchen asked, "What is it?". Then T.J., eyes still downward, shared his secret.
"I...I think I......I think I'm in love with Ashley Spinelli", he said, as if he was being forced to.
Gretchen gave a little gasp. She looked straight at T.J., who was still eyeing the ground in embarrassment. Neither one of them spoke for about a minute. Then Gretchen finally spoke up.
"Wow.....uh, T.J.......I don't know what to..."
"It's really weird, y'know?" T.J. said, looking at Gretchen again. "For the longest time, I always saw her as just my tough friend from kindergarten."
Gretchen could tell that T.J. was about to pour his heart out, something that he rarely did.
"But now...now, whenever I'm around her, I find myself trying my best to not talk to her, or look at her...because....well, I feel funny around her."
Gretchen did notice how T.J. lately made a habit of talking casually to everyone but Spinelli, but she always thought it was a coincidence. T.J. continued.
"I can't help it, Gretchen. I can't stop thinking about those big black eyes of hers, her little nose, her...her lips....and I know she always acts tough, and I don't know why, but that makes me want to be with her even more, just to see if she's really like that, y'know?"
Both T.J. and Gretchen smiled at this point, T.J. because he liked thinking about Spinelli, and Gretchen because she gushed at her friend's unusual take on love...and Spinelli. She had never heard anyone describe Spinelli like that, especially not a boy. T.J. continued still.
"Gretchen, it's the weirdest thing. Whenever I look at her, or even hear that hoarse voice of hers, my heart starts beating like crazy...my hands get sweaty...I get nervous all over! I was always able to ignore it before, but lately I've been thinking about her more and more. In fact, I haven't been acting normal around her ever since that experiment you did with us back in fourth grade."
Gretchen let out another short gasp. She remembered that experiment very well. She remembered when T.J. and Spinelli dressed up, groomed themselves, and kissed in front of all of the then-fourth graders. She remembered how the two gagged and spat out afterwards, clearly indicating that the kiss disgusted them - or so she thought.
"Aw, man," T.J. said. "Why'd this have to happen to me? What's wrong with me? No other boy's going through this stupid 'love' thing!"
"Now, T.J.," she began to reassure him, "There's nothing wrong with you. Everybody falls in love at some time. Remember Jeffrey, who professed his love for me back in fourth grade? Or the romance between Miss Finster and Hank the janitor? Love isn't something you can help feeling, T.J. You have to deal with your feelings, before they control you."
Although she didn't show it, Gretchen was overjoyed at T.J.'s confession. She always knew there was a spark between T.J. and Spinelli, ever since Spinelli's crush on T.J. was revealed to the group by Spinelli's mother, on that fateful parent's night over a year ago. Of course, Spinelli would never admit how she was beginning to feel about T.J.; she was much too proud, and besides, she wanted to avoid the embarrassment she got the last time one of Spinelli's crushes (on a fifth grader, "Baby Tooth" Johnny V.) was revealed to the school. Spinelli always held on to the idea that, just like her crush on Johnny V., her crush on T.J. would eventually go away. Also, neither T.J. nor Spinelli wanted to ruin their already-perfect friendship. But Gretchen could see that T.J. was struggling with his emotions, and all she wanted to do was to help him. She knew what to say to him. She would tell him to keep his feelings to himself, and wait them out until they eventually went away. But before she could, T.J. spoke.
"Gretchen, Do you...do you think that I should ask Spinelli to be my girlfriend?"
Gretchen's eyes widened. She never thought about T.J. and Spinelli actually getting together. For some reason, though, the thought actually made her want to smile. She was the only child mature enough to see that T.J. and Spinelli really liked each other. She then decided to look at the pros of getting them together. They would no longer be uncomfortable around one another. They would be the first official couple of their grade, and would of course be popular. Spinelli would even be T.J.'s queen, much better than some bodyguard. Most importantly, they would both finally be happy. These pros excited Gretchen so much that she didn't even consider looking at the cons. She then made up her mind. She was going to help her friends become a couple. In fact, her brain had already given her a plan on exactly how to do it. Gretchen Grundler had found a new project.
"Gretchen, did you hear me?" T.J. asked. She hadn't spoke after his question.
"T.J., are you sure you want to do that? I mean, we're talking about a pretty big step here."
"Gretchen, before I kissed Spinelli, all that was on my mind was regular kid stuff, like...Senor Fusion and...and Beanie McChimp. Now all I can think about is...being with her. I can't help it, but I know what I feel in my heart."
Gretchen was taken aback. She was so used to hearing T.J. talk about comic books, cartoons, and his famous plans. She'd never heard him talk like this before. But she was determined to help her friend.
"T.J., I have an idea that might make Spinelli want to be with you, too," she blurted out in slight excitement.
"Really?" T.J. asked happily. Before he could say anymore, Gretchen whispered her plan in his ear. T.J. gained an unsure look on his face.
"Uh, Gretchen," T.J. said, "I really don't think Spinelli's gonna go for that again. You know how she is!"
"Trust me, T.J.," Gretchen reassured him, "This will definitely work. But you must make sure that you don't hold back your feelings as well. This encounter has to be as natural as possible. Since your father is always home, and Spinelli's mother is always home, you'll have to do it in my house. My parents won't be home until five o'clock." At that point, Gretchen saw Vince at a distance, who seemed to be looking for them.
"Uh-oh," Gretchen warned, "There's Vince. Don't worry, T.J.; I'll speak with Spinelli as soon as I see her. You just make sure to be at old Rusty after school. I'll tell her to meet you there." (Even though it was actually christened 'New Rusty', the kids still managed to go back to calling it 'Old Rusty'.)
"Done," T.J. responded, "oh, and Gretchen?"
"Yes, T.J.?"
"Thanks.....for, you know....listening to me and...not laughing at me."
Gretchen smiled and said, "Anytime, T.J."
Then the two headed over to Vince who greeted them as they walked to him. They acted as if the conversation had never occurred.
Finally, the last day of the school year arrived. At eight-thirty, it was a beautiful sunny morning that hinted of the warm summer days ahead. After just arriving in school, Gretchen found T.J., sitting alone at the benches with a dreamy, content look on his face. Curiously, she approached him.
"Good morning, T.J." Gretchen said to him. As if he saw a ghost, T.J. jumped with a surprised look on his face, also giving Gretchen a start.
"Oh," T.J. said, holding his chest, "Gretchen, don't do that! Jeez, you scared me half to death!"
"Sorry, T.J.," she apologized,"but I couldn't help but notice the look of pleasure on your face."
T.J. then gulped like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Uhh, really?" he asked nervously.
"Why, yes," Gretchen responded, "Ahh, you were probably thinking about your good days ahead as king of the playground, am I right?"
"Huh?" T.J. said half-relieved. "Oh, oh yeah, yeah! I can hardly think about anything else! Boy, I sure can't wait 'till after summer...uh, so I can start bossin' people around!...huh...heh, heh..."
Gretchen, being the brain that she was, immediately picked up on T.J.'s save and went on the attack. "Wait a second..." she pondered, "...Okay, T.J., seriously...what were you REALLY thinking about?" then she gave him an accusing glare.
T.J. wasn't about to give up yet. He immediately said, "What are you talkin' about, Gretchen? I just told you..." and then his nervousness set in, "...you know...the king...and I...can't...wait..."
But Gretchen's glare was so strong and so sure that it finally broke T.J. He knew for a fact that there was no possible way to fool a brain like Gretchen's. His loud sigh showed his defeat.
"All right, Gretchen, follow me" T.J. whispered. He looked around and walked in the direction of the school dumpsters. Gretchen had no idea what she was about to be told, but she followed her friend. Once they were behind the dumpsters, Gretchen watched as T.J. sighed again, slowly turned to her, and looked at her with intense eyes.
"Gretchen...what I'm about to tell you...must stay between - and ONLY between these four ears of ours" he told Gretchen in a serious tone.
"Why, of course, T.J.," she said reassuringly. "I'm your friend. You can trust me."
"Good," T.J. said. "Now, I didn't say anything to the guys because I was afraid they'd laugh at me...but..."
"Okay, but shouldn't we wait for Spinelli at least, T.J.?" Gretchen interrupted, a bit nervous. She really didn't feel comfortable hearing what he had to say alone.
"It's ABOUT Spinelli!" T.J. said in a slightly raised voice, then he looked to the ground and sighed. Genuinely perplexed, Gretchen asked, "What is it?". Then T.J., eyes still downward, shared his secret.
"I...I think I......I think I'm in love with Ashley Spinelli", he said, as if he was being forced to.
Gretchen gave a little gasp. She looked straight at T.J., who was still eyeing the ground in embarrassment. Neither one of them spoke for about a minute. Then Gretchen finally spoke up.
"Wow.....uh, T.J.......I don't know what to..."
"It's really weird, y'know?" T.J. said, looking at Gretchen again. "For the longest time, I always saw her as just my tough friend from kindergarten."
Gretchen could tell that T.J. was about to pour his heart out, something that he rarely did.
"But now...now, whenever I'm around her, I find myself trying my best to not talk to her, or look at her...because....well, I feel funny around her."
Gretchen did notice how T.J. lately made a habit of talking casually to everyone but Spinelli, but she always thought it was a coincidence. T.J. continued.
"I can't help it, Gretchen. I can't stop thinking about those big black eyes of hers, her little nose, her...her lips....and I know she always acts tough, and I don't know why, but that makes me want to be with her even more, just to see if she's really like that, y'know?"
Both T.J. and Gretchen smiled at this point, T.J. because he liked thinking about Spinelli, and Gretchen because she gushed at her friend's unusual take on love...and Spinelli. She had never heard anyone describe Spinelli like that, especially not a boy. T.J. continued still.
"Gretchen, it's the weirdest thing. Whenever I look at her, or even hear that hoarse voice of hers, my heart starts beating like crazy...my hands get sweaty...I get nervous all over! I was always able to ignore it before, but lately I've been thinking about her more and more. In fact, I haven't been acting normal around her ever since that experiment you did with us back in fourth grade."
Gretchen let out another short gasp. She remembered that experiment very well. She remembered when T.J. and Spinelli dressed up, groomed themselves, and kissed in front of all of the then-fourth graders. She remembered how the two gagged and spat out afterwards, clearly indicating that the kiss disgusted them - or so she thought.
"Aw, man," T.J. said. "Why'd this have to happen to me? What's wrong with me? No other boy's going through this stupid 'love' thing!"
"Now, T.J.," she began to reassure him, "There's nothing wrong with you. Everybody falls in love at some time. Remember Jeffrey, who professed his love for me back in fourth grade? Or the romance between Miss Finster and Hank the janitor? Love isn't something you can help feeling, T.J. You have to deal with your feelings, before they control you."
Although she didn't show it, Gretchen was overjoyed at T.J.'s confession. She always knew there was a spark between T.J. and Spinelli, ever since Spinelli's crush on T.J. was revealed to the group by Spinelli's mother, on that fateful parent's night over a year ago. Of course, Spinelli would never admit how she was beginning to feel about T.J.; she was much too proud, and besides, she wanted to avoid the embarrassment she got the last time one of Spinelli's crushes (on a fifth grader, "Baby Tooth" Johnny V.) was revealed to the school. Spinelli always held on to the idea that, just like her crush on Johnny V., her crush on T.J. would eventually go away. Also, neither T.J. nor Spinelli wanted to ruin their already-perfect friendship. But Gretchen could see that T.J. was struggling with his emotions, and all she wanted to do was to help him. She knew what to say to him. She would tell him to keep his feelings to himself, and wait them out until they eventually went away. But before she could, T.J. spoke.
"Gretchen, Do you...do you think that I should ask Spinelli to be my girlfriend?"
Gretchen's eyes widened. She never thought about T.J. and Spinelli actually getting together. For some reason, though, the thought actually made her want to smile. She was the only child mature enough to see that T.J. and Spinelli really liked each other. She then decided to look at the pros of getting them together. They would no longer be uncomfortable around one another. They would be the first official couple of their grade, and would of course be popular. Spinelli would even be T.J.'s queen, much better than some bodyguard. Most importantly, they would both finally be happy. These pros excited Gretchen so much that she didn't even consider looking at the cons. She then made up her mind. She was going to help her friends become a couple. In fact, her brain had already given her a plan on exactly how to do it. Gretchen Grundler had found a new project.
"Gretchen, did you hear me?" T.J. asked. She hadn't spoke after his question.
"T.J., are you sure you want to do that? I mean, we're talking about a pretty big step here."
"Gretchen, before I kissed Spinelli, all that was on my mind was regular kid stuff, like...Senor Fusion and...and Beanie McChimp. Now all I can think about is...being with her. I can't help it, but I know what I feel in my heart."
Gretchen was taken aback. She was so used to hearing T.J. talk about comic books, cartoons, and his famous plans. She'd never heard him talk like this before. But she was determined to help her friend.
"T.J., I have an idea that might make Spinelli want to be with you, too," she blurted out in slight excitement.
"Really?" T.J. asked happily. Before he could say anymore, Gretchen whispered her plan in his ear. T.J. gained an unsure look on his face.
"Uh, Gretchen," T.J. said, "I really don't think Spinelli's gonna go for that again. You know how she is!"
"Trust me, T.J.," Gretchen reassured him, "This will definitely work. But you must make sure that you don't hold back your feelings as well. This encounter has to be as natural as possible. Since your father is always home, and Spinelli's mother is always home, you'll have to do it in my house. My parents won't be home until five o'clock." At that point, Gretchen saw Vince at a distance, who seemed to be looking for them.
"Uh-oh," Gretchen warned, "There's Vince. Don't worry, T.J.; I'll speak with Spinelli as soon as I see her. You just make sure to be at old Rusty after school. I'll tell her to meet you there." (Even though it was actually christened 'New Rusty', the kids still managed to go back to calling it 'Old Rusty'.)
"Done," T.J. responded, "oh, and Gretchen?"
"Yes, T.J.?"
"Thanks.....for, you know....listening to me and...not laughing at me."
Gretchen smiled and said, "Anytime, T.J."
Then the two headed over to Vince who greeted them as they walked to him. They acted as if the conversation had never occurred.