CHAPTER 6: ALL ABOUT US
"Permission to speak, sire?" Gretchen asked half-jokingly as she approached T.J.
"Sure, Gretch," T.J. answered, knowing what she wanted to talk about. After avoiding her all summer, and earlier in the school day, T.J. finally had to explain himself.
"Look, T.J., .....about you and Spinelli......I....."
"Wait, Gretchen," T.J. interrupted. "Before you say anything, let me talk. I lied. Me and Spinelli liked kissing each other......well, I mean, we still like kissing, and we're kinda boyfriend and girlfriend now. The reason why I couldn't tell you last time was because Spinelli was there and,......well, she doesn't want anyone to know."
"Oh!" Gretchen said, both happy and relieved. "So that's why you two were avoiding me all this time! I thought she figured us out and you both couldn't face me."
"Yeah," T.J. replied. "Look, Gretchen, I'm sorry I lied to you. And thanks for helping me with.....you know."
"That's okay, T.J.," Gretchen told him happily. "I'm just glad I could help my two friends...."
Just then, T.J. saw Spinelli walking towards him. Gretchen saw her, too, and got the hint. "We'll talk later, T.J.," she told him as she walked away.
"Hey there, your highness" Spinelli said five seconds later. "You called?"
"Hey, Spinelli," T.J. said with a half-smile on his face.
"So, ya plannin' to give some power to your new girlfriend?" she asked; they both blushed when she said the word 'girlfriend'.
"Aw, come on Spinelli, you know I can't do that without blowin' the whistle on......us," he replied.
"Well, maybe I'm startin' to change my mind," Spinelli told him, sitting beside him and pushing him into the other side of his chair. She then took the crown off his cap and said, "Besides, if I can get to share this big chair with you AND be called 'Queen Spinelli', I guess I can sacrifice some of my rep."
"Whoa, wait a second," T.J. said in surprise. "You mean you want to tell the guys and everyone else about us?! But.....but I thought you were worried about your reputation."
"Well, I know," she replied, putting the crown on her head. "But I think I can sacrifice some of my rep for some absolute power. Besides, if anyone makes a crack about it, I'll be ready to dish out some royal pain!"
"So," T.J. said with a concerned look on his face, "You really think we're ready to tell?"
Spinelli then took his hand in hers and replied, "Teej, I felt weird about a lotta things since that.....kiss. And at first, I thought everything about me was changing. But after I talked to my mom...."
"Whoa," T.J. said in slight confusion. "You mean you already told your mom about you and me?"
"Yeah, she knows," she said with embarrassment. "Man, that was a hard night. You should'a seen her screamin' and jumpin' around and huggin' and kissin' me, "Oh, Ashley, I can't believe it! You have a little boyfriend?! My little girl's in love!". Ugh. And then my dad came in and she told him everything, then he gave me an extra-hard noogie, "What?! You mean my little pumpkin's got a special friend? Atta girl!!"
Before Spinelli went on further, T.J. asked her, "So, why'd you go to your mom?"
"I dunno, I guess I thought she could help me with how I felt....and she did. Teej, all I know is this. The way I think about you and feel about you.....that doesn't say who I am, or change who I am. I'm still the same old Spinelli, so who cares what other kids think? Let's stop sneakin' around and just tell 'em."
At this point, T.J. couldn't be any happier. It would all be resolved soon. They'd announce their new relationship to the gang, Gretchen could act surprised like everyone else, and all the secrecy could stop. But even then, there was still one thing to worry about.
"Y'know, Spinelli, Vince, Gretchen, Mikey, and Gus might be okay with us, but everyone else could really give us a hard time," T.J. warned her.
Spinelli looked at him and simply said "Let's just do it."
Right then, Mikey returned to the throne and spoke to T.J., "Sire, I spoke to Arty Kid about the royal painting. He says it should be ready for you by tomorrow first recess."
T.J. looked down on Mikey and said, "Good. Mikey, call an immediate gathering of the grades."
Mikey, unsure of what T.J. was about to do, just replied "Yes, sire", and called in every kid in eyesight. Vince, who had returned with a bag of cookies, first gave them to T.J., and then went off to help Mikey. Within a minute, nearly every kid in Third Street assembled in front of the throne, murmuring and wondering what was happening.
Spinelli looked hard at T.J., knowing fully what he was about to do, but still not believing it.
"YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE!!" T.J. began. Nearly everyone hushed down.
"I, KING T.J., HAVE SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!"
This time, there was complete silence.
"YOU SEE THIS GIRL SITTING HERE ON MY THRONE, WEARING MY CROWN?"
Everyone looked at Spinelli and wondered why she was sitting in the king's chair. That is, everyone except five people. In the crowd of students, Randall looked at his king with pure hatred. All four Ashleys looked on with unsure faces.
"HER NAME IS SPINELLI, and.....AND SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND!!"
Except for the Ashleys and Randall, everyone let out a collective gasp and just stared at Spinelli and T.J. on the throne. Most shocked of all were three boys: Gus in the crowd, and Vince and Mikey, right beside T.J..
Before anyone could respond to what he just said, T.J. dropped another bombshell.
"AND ON THIS DAY, IT IS MY DECREE THAT SINCE SHE'S THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE KING, THAT MAKES HER QUEEN!......technically."
Still not a word was uttered from the crowd before him.
Still, T.J. continued, "AND WITH THAT SAID, I ORDER YOU TO GIVE A GRAND WELCOME.....TO 'QUEEN SPINELLI'!"
At first, no one knew what to make of what the king just said. Many of them whispered to one another along the lines of "They're together?" and "I don't believe it. That's disgusting!". T.J. was starting to feel really nervous, but then, someone in the crowd fearlessly showed their support. Everyone quieted down and turned to see a little fourth-grade girl furiously clapping with a huge smile on her face. It was Theresa LeMays, better known as Gus' little friend, Corn-chip Girl. T.J. and Spinelli looked at their young friend with smiles of appreciation on their faces. Before anyone else could react, someone else started clapping hard too. It was Guru Kid.
"Wise is the king who bares his soul to his subjects, for in time, they will come to love and respect him for it," he said calmly, but loudly.
Everyone looked at the half-naked advice-giver in confusion. Finally, being frustrated with the students not understanding what he was saying, he sighed, then blurted out, "Well?! What are you waiting for? Our new ruler deserves applause!"
And with that, starting with loud cheers and clapping from guards Mikey and Vince (they were still a bit shocked, but realized the bravery of their friend to reveal such information about himself), everyone slowly but surely began cheering for the new royal couple. It didn't take long for chants of Spinelli's name to be heard. T.J. let out a long-contained sigh of relief, not sure what everyone's feelings were about him and his girl, but glad that they were at least cheering now. He motioned for Spinelli to join him, and she did, putting his arm around her and waving to everyone.
The Ashleys, absolutely ticked off about the attention their enemies were getting, quickly left the scene, as did Randall, who this time, left with a smile on his face, knowing that T.J. would soon suffer, thanks to him. However, as T.J. continued enjoying the cheers, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw another girl running away from the crowd at top speed, as if she was scared.....or really sad about something. He didn't get a good look at her; all he noticed was that she had brown hair, in pigtails. T.J. thought, "Do I know her from somewhere?"
"Permission to speak, sire?" Gretchen asked half-jokingly as she approached T.J.
"Sure, Gretch," T.J. answered, knowing what she wanted to talk about. After avoiding her all summer, and earlier in the school day, T.J. finally had to explain himself.
"Look, T.J., .....about you and Spinelli......I....."
"Wait, Gretchen," T.J. interrupted. "Before you say anything, let me talk. I lied. Me and Spinelli liked kissing each other......well, I mean, we still like kissing, and we're kinda boyfriend and girlfriend now. The reason why I couldn't tell you last time was because Spinelli was there and,......well, she doesn't want anyone to know."
"Oh!" Gretchen said, both happy and relieved. "So that's why you two were avoiding me all this time! I thought she figured us out and you both couldn't face me."
"Yeah," T.J. replied. "Look, Gretchen, I'm sorry I lied to you. And thanks for helping me with.....you know."
"That's okay, T.J.," Gretchen told him happily. "I'm just glad I could help my two friends...."
Just then, T.J. saw Spinelli walking towards him. Gretchen saw her, too, and got the hint. "We'll talk later, T.J.," she told him as she walked away.
"Hey there, your highness" Spinelli said five seconds later. "You called?"
"Hey, Spinelli," T.J. said with a half-smile on his face.
"So, ya plannin' to give some power to your new girlfriend?" she asked; they both blushed when she said the word 'girlfriend'.
"Aw, come on Spinelli, you know I can't do that without blowin' the whistle on......us," he replied.
"Well, maybe I'm startin' to change my mind," Spinelli told him, sitting beside him and pushing him into the other side of his chair. She then took the crown off his cap and said, "Besides, if I can get to share this big chair with you AND be called 'Queen Spinelli', I guess I can sacrifice some of my rep."
"Whoa, wait a second," T.J. said in surprise. "You mean you want to tell the guys and everyone else about us?! But.....but I thought you were worried about your reputation."
"Well, I know," she replied, putting the crown on her head. "But I think I can sacrifice some of my rep for some absolute power. Besides, if anyone makes a crack about it, I'll be ready to dish out some royal pain!"
"So," T.J. said with a concerned look on his face, "You really think we're ready to tell?"
Spinelli then took his hand in hers and replied, "Teej, I felt weird about a lotta things since that.....kiss. And at first, I thought everything about me was changing. But after I talked to my mom...."
"Whoa," T.J. said in slight confusion. "You mean you already told your mom about you and me?"
"Yeah, she knows," she said with embarrassment. "Man, that was a hard night. You should'a seen her screamin' and jumpin' around and huggin' and kissin' me, "Oh, Ashley, I can't believe it! You have a little boyfriend?! My little girl's in love!". Ugh. And then my dad came in and she told him everything, then he gave me an extra-hard noogie, "What?! You mean my little pumpkin's got a special friend? Atta girl!!"
Before Spinelli went on further, T.J. asked her, "So, why'd you go to your mom?"
"I dunno, I guess I thought she could help me with how I felt....and she did. Teej, all I know is this. The way I think about you and feel about you.....that doesn't say who I am, or change who I am. I'm still the same old Spinelli, so who cares what other kids think? Let's stop sneakin' around and just tell 'em."
At this point, T.J. couldn't be any happier. It would all be resolved soon. They'd announce their new relationship to the gang, Gretchen could act surprised like everyone else, and all the secrecy could stop. But even then, there was still one thing to worry about.
"Y'know, Spinelli, Vince, Gretchen, Mikey, and Gus might be okay with us, but everyone else could really give us a hard time," T.J. warned her.
Spinelli looked at him and simply said "Let's just do it."
Right then, Mikey returned to the throne and spoke to T.J., "Sire, I spoke to Arty Kid about the royal painting. He says it should be ready for you by tomorrow first recess."
T.J. looked down on Mikey and said, "Good. Mikey, call an immediate gathering of the grades."
Mikey, unsure of what T.J. was about to do, just replied "Yes, sire", and called in every kid in eyesight. Vince, who had returned with a bag of cookies, first gave them to T.J., and then went off to help Mikey. Within a minute, nearly every kid in Third Street assembled in front of the throne, murmuring and wondering what was happening.
Spinelli looked hard at T.J., knowing fully what he was about to do, but still not believing it.
"YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE!!" T.J. began. Nearly everyone hushed down.
"I, KING T.J., HAVE SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!"
This time, there was complete silence.
"YOU SEE THIS GIRL SITTING HERE ON MY THRONE, WEARING MY CROWN?"
Everyone looked at Spinelli and wondered why she was sitting in the king's chair. That is, everyone except five people. In the crowd of students, Randall looked at his king with pure hatred. All four Ashleys looked on with unsure faces.
"HER NAME IS SPINELLI, and.....AND SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND!!"
Except for the Ashleys and Randall, everyone let out a collective gasp and just stared at Spinelli and T.J. on the throne. Most shocked of all were three boys: Gus in the crowd, and Vince and Mikey, right beside T.J..
Before anyone could respond to what he just said, T.J. dropped another bombshell.
"AND ON THIS DAY, IT IS MY DECREE THAT SINCE SHE'S THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE KING, THAT MAKES HER QUEEN!......technically."
Still not a word was uttered from the crowd before him.
Still, T.J. continued, "AND WITH THAT SAID, I ORDER YOU TO GIVE A GRAND WELCOME.....TO 'QUEEN SPINELLI'!"
At first, no one knew what to make of what the king just said. Many of them whispered to one another along the lines of "They're together?" and "I don't believe it. That's disgusting!". T.J. was starting to feel really nervous, but then, someone in the crowd fearlessly showed their support. Everyone quieted down and turned to see a little fourth-grade girl furiously clapping with a huge smile on her face. It was Theresa LeMays, better known as Gus' little friend, Corn-chip Girl. T.J. and Spinelli looked at their young friend with smiles of appreciation on their faces. Before anyone else could react, someone else started clapping hard too. It was Guru Kid.
"Wise is the king who bares his soul to his subjects, for in time, they will come to love and respect him for it," he said calmly, but loudly.
Everyone looked at the half-naked advice-giver in confusion. Finally, being frustrated with the students not understanding what he was saying, he sighed, then blurted out, "Well?! What are you waiting for? Our new ruler deserves applause!"
And with that, starting with loud cheers and clapping from guards Mikey and Vince (they were still a bit shocked, but realized the bravery of their friend to reveal such information about himself), everyone slowly but surely began cheering for the new royal couple. It didn't take long for chants of Spinelli's name to be heard. T.J. let out a long-contained sigh of relief, not sure what everyone's feelings were about him and his girl, but glad that they were at least cheering now. He motioned for Spinelli to join him, and she did, putting his arm around her and waving to everyone.
The Ashleys, absolutely ticked off about the attention their enemies were getting, quickly left the scene, as did Randall, who this time, left with a smile on his face, knowing that T.J. would soon suffer, thanks to him. However, as T.J. continued enjoying the cheers, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw another girl running away from the crowd at top speed, as if she was scared.....or really sad about something. He didn't get a good look at her; all he noticed was that she had brown hair, in pigtails. T.J. thought, "Do I know her from somewhere?"