Later that week, Spinelli and Gretchen had decided to have a
sleepover. While doing Spinelli's hair and make-up Gretchen was
chattering about school, although Spinelli really wanted to talk about
was TJ. When Gretchen finally stopped talking, Spinelli decided to
bring the subject up.
"So Gretch, have you noticed anything a little off about TJ lately?"
Spinelli asked as she closed her eyes to allow Gretchen to put on
some blue glitter eyeshadow.
"Nope, he's acting like his normal weird self," Gretchen replied,
concentrating more on the make-up then the conversation.
"Come on Gretchen hes been acting weird all week!" Spinelli
argued.
"Yeah. And like I said. His normal weird self. TJ's always been
weird."
"But this week he's been extra wierd," Spinelli informed her,
emphisizing on the word extra.
: "How?" Gretchen asked, now applying some gloss to Spinelli's lips
and tacky lipstick color.
"Well, he keeps running away when i come near him and in gym
class Wednesday I swear I noticed something," Spinelli said,
frowning at her horrible makeover results.
"What was it?"
"Well," Spinelli said blushing not sure if she should continue. After
all, it was Gretchens cousin she was talking about
"Well what?" Gretchen asked, adding more and more make-up to
Spinelli's face, thinking that if her science career didn't work out,
she
could always go into cosmetology.
"Well he was in gym shorts and well, it seemed like, well you know"
"HE WET HIMSELF DIDNT HE?" Gretchen asked a little too loud.
She was thinking about all the blackmailing she could do to get what
she wanted when Spinelli snapped her out of her daydream.
"What the heck, no Gretch, what are we five? Just because he did it
once on the storytime rug in kindergarten doesnt mean he still does!"
Spinelli yelled impaitently.
"Oh, well then what else could he do. I mean its not like hes a girl
so
it cant be anything other than wetting his pants could it?" Gretchen
said in her scientific voice.
"Oh, my gosh," Spinelli shook her head. "For someone so smart, you
sure do have a lot of Jessica Simpson moments. I half expect you to
ask me if Chicken of the Sea is really tuna!" Spinell was a little
annoyed that Gretchen was acting so stupid.
"Well then what did he do if I am so stupid?" Gretchen shouted back,
annoyed that she was being seen as dumb.
]"Think about it!" Spinelli shot back.
"TJ's really a woman and got a visit from Aunt Flow?" Gretchen
asked, confused.
"NO. ITS NOT THAT. THINK ABOUT IT. SOMETHING ONLY A GUY
CAN DO! USE YOUR HEAD GRETCHEN!"
Gretchen thought for a moment, trying to make sense of Spinelli's
dramatics.
"Okay Gretchen. I'll give you a clue. It happens when a guy gets
really turned on," Spinelli said as if she were talking to a
kindergardener.
"When a guy gets really turned on?"
"Urgh THINK ABOUT IT GRETCH. HE "LET" HIMSELF OUT!" Spinelli
yelled trying to make her see what she was talk! ing about.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Speak English!" Gretchen
yelled back.
"Girls, whats going on up there?" Mrs Grundler called from
downstairs.
"Nothing, Mrs. Grundler. We are... uh.. practicing for the next play
at
school. Do you think we will make it?" Spinelli said, giving Gretchen
a look saying '
Go along with it.'
"Um, thats right mom!" Gretchen lied.
"Well.. just keep it down girls. The neighbors probably dont want you
all yelling," Mrs. Grundler told them.
"OK that was close, now tell me what the hell is going on with my
cousin!" Gretchen hissed.
"Well Wednesday in gym we were doing that self defense right?
Well I got him on the ground but he pulled me down with him and
scooted closer to me and then tried to kiss me. Then i noticed him
trying to hide.. well.. yeah this problem he was getting."
"He ate the onions the cafeteria was serving and was worried about
his bad breath?" Gretchen guessed, now straightening Spinelli's
hair.
"NO think about the lower part of his body.. i mean low. Now think of
something a guy does when he..um. feels good!"
"Um you dont mean..." Gretchen asked, finally beginning to catch on
"Oh, heck just tell me what in bloody hell happened ASHLEY!"
"IM NOT TELLING YOU UNLESS YOU STOP CALLING ME
ASHLEY!"
"Fine Spinelli, just tell me!" Gretchen was getting sick of the
guessing game.
"He "LEt himself go! Let himself out! Umm i dont know how to say it.
Little TJ! Little TJ came out!" Spinelli screamed, turning red
"Are you serious? I wonder who he has feelings for?" Gretchen
asked.
"I dont know, how can we find out?"
"Well maybe we can call him," Gretchen suggested with a sly grin
"Are you nuts?" Spinelli squealed, looking at her friend as if she had
grown another head.
"Yes. Becuase if you shut-up then I can ask him like your not even
here. He'd have no idea your part of it"
"But Gretch, no..." Spinelli protested as Gretchen began to dial.
"Hi Aunt Linda, is TJ there?" Gretchen asked, giving Spinelli a 'be
quiet' look.
"NO GRETCH! GIVE ME BACK THE PHONE!" Spinelli yelled as loud
as she could.
"Hi, TJ I was wondering..." Gretchen began as Spinelli snatched the
phone from her.
"Hi Tj is your refrigerator running?" Spinelli asked in her best Darth
Vader voice.
"Huh? Gretchen are you there?" TJ said, confused.
"Spinelli give me the phone!" Gretchen yelled trying to get the phone
from her.
"NO WAY!" Spinelli yelled, hearing TJ on the other end saying hello
over and over again.
"TJ you have just been punked!" Spinelli said quickly and hung up.
"Why did you do that?!?" Gretchen asked, feeling very annoyed that
her friend didnt want to know.
"Well anyways, I already know who he likes already."
"Ashley A, like almost every other guy?" Gretchen guessed,
momentarily forgetting that Spinelli avoided her question.
"No way. Who do you think. He had almost kissed me in gym on the
floor and would have if the coach hadn't blown his whistle at
us!"Spinelli told Gretchen, "You might be a genius when it comes to
school but you are not a genius when it comes to guys and make-
up!"
"So you think he actually likes? you?' Gretchen asked
"Why else would he want to kiss me on the gym floor?? He was this
close to me," Spinelli added showing with her hand just about 1
centemeter.
"Good point, but maybe we should do something to make sure"
"Whats the plan?" Spinelli asked, afraid it might mean something
either embarrassing or something that might mess up her and TJ's
perfect friendship.
"What about another expriment?" Grtechen suggested.
"No way! If we did this TJ would deffinately not agree."
"Unless we trick him into it," Gretchen said with a sly grin.
"So whats the idea?" Spinelli asked, getting into the idea of having a
second experiment.
"Well,' Gretchen quickly explained her idea, hoping Spinelli would
agree.
"Hm. Its so bad that it might actually work? But wont it be a little
obvious is we are the only 3 there?"
"We'll get the rest of the gang to come too. And I'll do your hair and
makeup," Gretchen offered.
"NO!" and then a quietly said," I'll do it if you promise I can do my
own hair and make-up, deal?"
"Deal" gretchen agreed as they continued to discuss plans for the
experiment
sleepover. While doing Spinelli's hair and make-up Gretchen was
chattering about school, although Spinelli really wanted to talk about
was TJ. When Gretchen finally stopped talking, Spinelli decided to
bring the subject up.
"So Gretch, have you noticed anything a little off about TJ lately?"
Spinelli asked as she closed her eyes to allow Gretchen to put on
some blue glitter eyeshadow.
"Nope, he's acting like his normal weird self," Gretchen replied,
concentrating more on the make-up then the conversation.
"Come on Gretchen hes been acting weird all week!" Spinelli
argued.
"Yeah. And like I said. His normal weird self. TJ's always been
weird."
"But this week he's been extra wierd," Spinelli informed her,
emphisizing on the word extra.
: "How?" Gretchen asked, now applying some gloss to Spinelli's lips
and tacky lipstick color.
"Well, he keeps running away when i come near him and in gym
class Wednesday I swear I noticed something," Spinelli said,
frowning at her horrible makeover results.
"What was it?"
"Well," Spinelli said blushing not sure if she should continue. After
all, it was Gretchens cousin she was talking about
"Well what?" Gretchen asked, adding more and more make-up to
Spinelli's face, thinking that if her science career didn't work out,
she
could always go into cosmetology.
"Well he was in gym shorts and well, it seemed like, well you know"
"HE WET HIMSELF DIDNT HE?" Gretchen asked a little too loud.
She was thinking about all the blackmailing she could do to get what
she wanted when Spinelli snapped her out of her daydream.
"What the heck, no Gretch, what are we five? Just because he did it
once on the storytime rug in kindergarten doesnt mean he still does!"
Spinelli yelled impaitently.
"Oh, well then what else could he do. I mean its not like hes a girl
so
it cant be anything other than wetting his pants could it?" Gretchen
said in her scientific voice.
"Oh, my gosh," Spinelli shook her head. "For someone so smart, you
sure do have a lot of Jessica Simpson moments. I half expect you to
ask me if Chicken of the Sea is really tuna!" Spinell was a little
annoyed that Gretchen was acting so stupid.
"Well then what did he do if I am so stupid?" Gretchen shouted back,
annoyed that she was being seen as dumb.
]"Think about it!" Spinelli shot back.
"TJ's really a woman and got a visit from Aunt Flow?" Gretchen
asked, confused.
"NO. ITS NOT THAT. THINK ABOUT IT. SOMETHING ONLY A GUY
CAN DO! USE YOUR HEAD GRETCHEN!"
Gretchen thought for a moment, trying to make sense of Spinelli's
dramatics.
"Okay Gretchen. I'll give you a clue. It happens when a guy gets
really turned on," Spinelli said as if she were talking to a
kindergardener.
"When a guy gets really turned on?"
"Urgh THINK ABOUT IT GRETCH. HE "LET" HIMSELF OUT!" Spinelli
yelled trying to make her see what she was talk! ing about.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Speak English!" Gretchen
yelled back.
"Girls, whats going on up there?" Mrs Grundler called from
downstairs.
"Nothing, Mrs. Grundler. We are... uh.. practicing for the next play
at
school. Do you think we will make it?" Spinelli said, giving Gretchen
a look saying '
Go along with it.'
"Um, thats right mom!" Gretchen lied.
"Well.. just keep it down girls. The neighbors probably dont want you
all yelling," Mrs. Grundler told them.
"OK that was close, now tell me what the hell is going on with my
cousin!" Gretchen hissed.
"Well Wednesday in gym we were doing that self defense right?
Well I got him on the ground but he pulled me down with him and
scooted closer to me and then tried to kiss me. Then i noticed him
trying to hide.. well.. yeah this problem he was getting."
"He ate the onions the cafeteria was serving and was worried about
his bad breath?" Gretchen guessed, now straightening Spinelli's
hair.
"NO think about the lower part of his body.. i mean low. Now think of
something a guy does when he..um. feels good!"
"Um you dont mean..." Gretchen asked, finally beginning to catch on
"Oh, heck just tell me what in bloody hell happened ASHLEY!"
"IM NOT TELLING YOU UNLESS YOU STOP CALLING ME
ASHLEY!"
"Fine Spinelli, just tell me!" Gretchen was getting sick of the
guessing game.
"He "LEt himself go! Let himself out! Umm i dont know how to say it.
Little TJ! Little TJ came out!" Spinelli screamed, turning red
"Are you serious? I wonder who he has feelings for?" Gretchen
asked.
"I dont know, how can we find out?"
"Well maybe we can call him," Gretchen suggested with a sly grin
"Are you nuts?" Spinelli squealed, looking at her friend as if she had
grown another head.
"Yes. Becuase if you shut-up then I can ask him like your not even
here. He'd have no idea your part of it"
"But Gretch, no..." Spinelli protested as Gretchen began to dial.
"Hi Aunt Linda, is TJ there?" Gretchen asked, giving Spinelli a 'be
quiet' look.
"NO GRETCH! GIVE ME BACK THE PHONE!" Spinelli yelled as loud
as she could.
"Hi, TJ I was wondering..." Gretchen began as Spinelli snatched the
phone from her.
"Hi Tj is your refrigerator running?" Spinelli asked in her best Darth
Vader voice.
"Huh? Gretchen are you there?" TJ said, confused.
"Spinelli give me the phone!" Gretchen yelled trying to get the phone
from her.
"NO WAY!" Spinelli yelled, hearing TJ on the other end saying hello
over and over again.
"TJ you have just been punked!" Spinelli said quickly and hung up.
"Why did you do that?!?" Gretchen asked, feeling very annoyed that
her friend didnt want to know.
"Well anyways, I already know who he likes already."
"Ashley A, like almost every other guy?" Gretchen guessed,
momentarily forgetting that Spinelli avoided her question.
"No way. Who do you think. He had almost kissed me in gym on the
floor and would have if the coach hadn't blown his whistle at
us!"Spinelli told Gretchen, "You might be a genius when it comes to
school but you are not a genius when it comes to guys and make-
up!"
"So you think he actually likes? you?' Gretchen asked
"Why else would he want to kiss me on the gym floor?? He was this
close to me," Spinelli added showing with her hand just about 1
centemeter.
"Good point, but maybe we should do something to make sure"
"Whats the plan?" Spinelli asked, afraid it might mean something
either embarrassing or something that might mess up her and TJ's
perfect friendship.
"What about another expriment?" Grtechen suggested.
"No way! If we did this TJ would deffinately not agree."
"Unless we trick him into it," Gretchen said with a sly grin.
"So whats the idea?" Spinelli asked, getting into the idea of having a
second experiment.
"Well,' Gretchen quickly explained her idea, hoping Spinelli would
agree.
"Hm. Its so bad that it might actually work? But wont it be a little
obvious is we are the only 3 there?"
"We'll get the rest of the gang to come too. And I'll do your hair and
makeup," Gretchen offered.
"NO!" and then a quietly said," I'll do it if you promise I can do my
own hair and make-up, deal?"
"Deal" gretchen agreed as they continued to discuss plans for the
experiment