Splintered Reflections Chapter Five: Some Angel, Some Devil, a rugrats/all grown up! fanfic

Author's Notes: Ok, well I do not own Rugrats, only Nick does. This story is about what happens with the group enters high school and they've had to grow apart. In Lil's case, she's turned into another Angelica! Ok, now please read and review!

Splintered Reflections

By Heather [TinySweetHeart]

Chapter Five: Some Angel, Some Devil

Some devil is stuck inside of me
I cannot set it free
I wish, I wish I was dead and you were grieving
Just so that you could know
Some angel is stuck inside of me

-- "Some Devil" -- Dave Matthews --

Phil and Kimmi walked into Freshman hallway wordlessly. This was how most of their morning had been actually, awkward and quiet. If they really wanted to say the reason, it was because neither one wanted to be the first to talk about what happened last night. So the blank quiet worked.

"So uh, you do all your homework?" Kimmi finally questioned. She knew the quiet was a little too obvious something was wrong and maybe, she was hoping Phil would talk about what happened last night. The kiss that had left her confused. She was wearing loose white pants and a black tank top with black flip flops, her hair held back in a ponytail.

Phil didn't even look at her as he replied, "Yea. You?" He was dressed in dark jeans and a yellow logo tee shirt. They came to his locker first and he hurriedly opened it, peering in it.

Kimmi leaned against a row of lockers and nodded. "Yup," she said. As Phil glanced around for books, the silence came back heavier then ever.

After a few minutes, they heard someone call out, "Hey, guys!" They turned their heads to see Tommy coming down the hallway, smiling to them sleepily. He was wearing jeans and a gray long sleeved shirt.

"Hey," they each greeted in turn as Tommy came to stand by Kimmi. They were quiet again, Phil shoving his head back into his locker and Kimmi staring down at her bare toes.

Tommy wrinkled his brow and commented in a confused tone, "Ok, weird."

Phil glared over at him and asked innocently, "What?"

The boy looked from Phil and Kimmi suspiciously. "There's actual silence. You guys are never quiet," he retorted matter-of-factly.

Kimmi bit her lip and suggested weakly, "I'm tired."

Phil immediately started nodding. "Yea, me too. So tired. Like dead tired. Really really tired," he rambled hurriedly.

Tommy raised his eyebrows questioningly and merely responded, "Uh... Ok. Anyway."

The other boy was quick to change topics and smile over at Tommy as he rummaged through his locker. "Hey, what you do to my sister yesterday?" he asked.

Now it was Tommy's turn to play dumb as he raised his shoulders and responded bluntly, "What?"

Phil slammed his locker shut, hefting his backpack up higher on his shoulders. He smirked at Tommy and rolled his eyes. "I know about your study date, pal. She came home last night in a freaking Ice Queen mode and when I asked her where she was and what had crawled up her butt to die, she said she was at your house, trying to help you with Chemistry. And that it was the biggest mistake of her life, or something like that. So again, what you do? Because whatever it was, bravo, buddy. I've been trying to piss her off like that for months," he explained.

Tommy just shook his head and threw up his hands. "I didn't do anything! She was the one who was trying to act all friendly to me again, like nothing even changed. And then, get this, she even told me it was our fault! Because we didn't call her over the summer or anything. Give me a break," he snorted, even when he felt a little guilty ping in his stomach.

Phil narrowed his eyes and shot angrily, "What a whiny liar! I lived in the same house with her; I think I had to talk to her once in awhile. She can't blame us for getting brainwashed, it's all her own fault."

Kimmi face fell and she looked ahead, thinking to herself. "Wait. You guys, I don't know. I mean, did any of us really call her or ask her to hang? Because I know I'm not the girliest person and Lil and I never really were into shopping trips or anything. Phil, Tommy, and I would just go off to play sports and well, she was left behind. With my brother, who, while I love him, is content with just sitting at home and reading a book. Maybe... maybe she's right," she relinquished softly.

Phil whirled his head to glower at her disbelieving. He cracked, "What! Ok, are you becoming an Angelica-bot too? Because I refuse to take the blame for what happened with Lil. Its not like we were the one's making her join cheerleading and going to all those drinking parties and everything."

Kimmi nodded slightly and went on to say, "I know. I was just saying, maybe we didn't make her feel like she was a part of us anymore. I mean, I use to call her all the time at night to just talk, about school and stuff. And then it seemed like we had less and less to talk about before, well, I just stopped calling."

Tommy stayed quiet during the exchange but he was caught up in a storm of doubt. Had he even... really started feeling anything for Lil, before she became Lillian? Before she changed and everyone else started noticing her too? Did he like her when she was just a tomboy with a ponytail and dirty jeans? He told himself he had, that he always had, but there was a stillborn doubt pushing into him that said he didn't. He finally remarked to quiet his fears, "It's not our fault. She was one of my best friends and now, she acts like she's too popular to know me. That's not my fault."

They stayed staring at each other for a moment before Tommy noticed Lillian walking down the hall. He couldn't help his eyes from following her and Phil and Kimmi both looked behind them to see her. Lillian gazed over at them and her breath caught in her throat a little and her petal lips parted slightly. She was dressed in dark jeans and a stripped blouse with short sleeves. Her hazel eyes snagged onto Tommy's and she blinked away the daze. Then she glanced over at Brett to her right and smiled and forced out a laugh. They continued strolling down the hall and she couldn't help her eyes from sliding to the side to glance back at Tommy.

Tommy scowled to himself and shook his head. "I'm going to my homeroom," he said unreadably and then walked away.

Phil stared ahead, knowing full well what was bothering Tommy. Then his glance shifted to Kimmi and he started to say to fill the space, "So, uh..."

Kimmi met his eyes and hurriedly replied, "Look, Phil, what happened yesterday, we need to talk about it. Because this awkwardness is killing me and I want to be friends with you still."

Phil nodded in agreement and rushed out, "Yea me too. So what happened yesterday, didn't. Ok. Because I wouldn't want to risk our friendship over some stupid thing. Right?" His voice sounded less then certain but he was sure it was what she'd say anyway, because I mean, they were a stupid idea. There was no they, Phil and Kimmi would always just be good friends. Because anything else would be illogical and wrong and risky.

Kimmi stared with wide eyes and blinked back surprise. "Yea," she breathed.

Phil looked down then and tried to change subjects. "So, we going to get those tickets Sunday?" he asked.

Kimmi was glaring off, at the farthest areas of the hall, at all her hurt and embarrassment. "Yea," she responded painstakingly before finishing, her voice dazed, "I'm going to go." Then she pushed past him to their homeroom, hoping he wouldn't follow. Another boy who just wanted to be friends, she'd always be just a friend. Kimmi Finister, every boy's "just friend". Other girls could be complete snobs and jerks and they got every guy, like Lillian and Angelica who didn't even have to try. But Kimmi was nice and easy to get along with and funny and "just a friend". Suddenly she didn't want to be in her own skin any more.

Phil watched after her and thought how strange it was he'd just done that to spare their friendship and now he got the feeling it had still been damaged. He decided then that whatever happened, he couldn't let this occur again. Because harming Kimmi felt like the worst thing he could do and if he never got to be her friend again that would be too hard. What had happened, that was just stupid and him not thinking and it couldn't happen again. He swallowed down all his mixed feelings and walked away.

Chuckie was tunneling his way through the masses of students in the hallway, trying to not trip. He was dressed in faded jeans and a black band shirt that had actually belonged to his dad when Mr. Finister was a teenager and into his rock stage. He heard some snickering and a girl call out snidely, "Hey, Freckles Finister, where'd you get that outfit? Salvation Army or out of someone's trash?" This was of course followed by more splutters of giggles.

The boy turned around, rolling his eyes. As suspected, Angelica and her gang of cheerleaders all stood near some lockers, stifling their smirks at him. Remembering his newfound courage, he sighed loudly for everyone to hear, "Angelica, why don't you go get a hobby or something? Because making fun of me is getting old. And here's an idea, I don't actually care what you or your giggling ditz friends say about me. So, yea, sink that into your half-brained head -"

As he spoke people stopped to gawk at him. Was someone actually telling off Ms Priss and her groupies? That was unheard of! Angelica's blue eyes exploded wide and she stormed foreword, gripping his upper arm and yanking him into the nearest doorway, the hallway girls' bathroom. Luckily there was no one in it at this time, which was usually the case, and Angelica shoved Chuckie up against the wall by the door, her nails still digging into him. "Ok, what the Hell do you think you're doing!" she shouted, her face close to his. She was wearing black pants and a red frilly blouse, her blonde hair down in waves.

Chuckie shook her hand off him and shrugged to annoy her. "Trying to get to class," he retorted.

Angelica's eyes slanted dangerously and she seethed, "You know what I mean, idiot! You use to be such a sniveling, little... wimp! What happened? Why'd you suddenly, you know, grow a backbone?"

Chuckie met her gaze fearlessly and responded coldly, "I didn't change, I'm finally just realizing what I should have known all along and what you'd be well to find out too. That you're really not as scary and tough as you think you are."

This only made the girl's eyebrows swing up like arcs and her voice rise with frustration and vulnerability. "Stop! Stop this right now, this whole talking back thing and standing up for yourself!" she snapped.

Chuckie grabbed her arms then gingerly and swerved her around so her back was now pressed to the cold tile and her body was under his. She tried to shrink from his touch and pull as far from him as possible, trying to pretend like his grip was revolting. "No can do, Princess," he said with a smirk. His eyes locked with hers before he pulled back and started walking towards the door. "Your car fixed yet?" he questioned abruptly.

Angelica was still standing against the wall, trying to hide her breathlessness. "No," she spat at him.

The boy nodded and responded simply, "Then I'm giving you a ride home."

Angelica's crimson lips slipped with a taunting smile and she scoffed, "Yea right. In your dreams, Finister."

Chuckie just looked back and grinned slightly. "Don't flatter yourself, Angelica, and stop making everything difficult. I'm driving you home," he replied.

Then he passed through the swinging door and Angelica watched him leave with a burning glare. Yes, she was sure of it now, he was the most annoying boy on the face of the planet. What was he trying to prove by standing up to her? How dare he, didn't he know his role? Well, she'd show him. She'd broken tougher guys then Finister and she was sure it was only a matter of time.

At football practice that afternoon, the sun was obstructed by tiptoeing gray clouds. The taste of a dying summer was in the air as the boys hustled around a drying field. The cheerleading squad practiced nearby and watched them. They were playing against their teammates and Tommy had been doing pretty good until he got tackled hard by a bigger Senior. Their coach shouted, "Pickles, the bench! Now!"

Tommy grimaced and ran over to the bench, sitting down and sliding off his helmet. He could hear the cheerleaders sneering behind him and then his cousin's voice as she remarked, "Oh look, its the team's official bench warmer."

He turned around to glare at them and the girls all hid their giggles behind their hands. Angelica just smirked at him openly and raised her shoulders. Lillian was by her side and her face was a mask of cold when she called out abruptly, staring at him the whole time, "I know. Guys like him shouldn't even be on the team." It wasn't true and she knew it and she just wanted to make him feel pain, the kind she'd been sinking in lately.

Tommy's eyes shifted to meet her gaze and he retorted, "Don't you have some type of cheer to do? Practice spelling or something." Suddenly he realized this was turning into some kind of verbal war between them, see who could inflict the most wounds on the other.

Lillian's stare was challenging and hurtful. "Sure do. L – O – S – E – R. What's that spell? Loser," she responded flatly. The other girls around her creased in giggles and Lillian ignored them, still locking eyes with Tommy.

"Practice's over! Let's work on this defense next time, ladies," the coach suddenly shouted, ending the skirmish. Tommy turned and grabbed up his helmet, standing to walk towards the parking lot. He could hear his other teammates far behind and then someone's footsteps over the grass. Lillian neared him and saddled up to his side, her pom poms slack in her arms.

"You think I'm a snob? Fine, I'll prove you right then, Tommy," she said in a hushed voice before she walked past him. She glanced back at him once, her moss eyes pressing with hardness, before she turned again. She walked over to Brett who was waiting for her up ahead, dressed in his football uniform. He smiled at her and said something Tommy couldn't hear before he slid an arm around her waist and they headed off to the parking lot together. Tommy glared down at the ground and the shapes of shadows.

After they dropped off Tommy, the silence was still lingering in the car. Angelica remained staring out the window and they did not speak for stretching minutes. Finally she sighed exaggeratedly and glared at him sharply. "Ok, look, fine. You need to think you've suddenly hit puberty and are a man? Good for you. Just no smart remarks in front of my friends," she abruptly stated.

Chuckie kept looking ahead and raised an eyebrow. "Huh, that sounded close to a bargain to me. You afraid the word will get out? That you're not a monster after all," he responded with a slight grin.

Angelica was not amused and narrowed her eyes at him, exclaiming, "Fine have it your way! You wanna challenge me, Chuckie Finister? Because you haven't even seen me mad yet, pal!"

The boy rolled his mahogany eyes and remarked, "I'm so scared. Whatya gonna do? Attack me with your pom poms?"

Angelica fixed him with her stare of death before leaning over to reach towards the radio huffily. Chuckie quickly interjected, "Angelica, I told you to leave that alone. It's my radio and my car and I'll listen to the music I want."

The girl swirled her eyes back on him to release what sounded like a growl but she slid back into her seat, crossing her arms dejectedly. "You call this music? All I hear is one guitar and a guy whining," she spat.

Chuckie stared out the windshield and laughed, "Right. And what great music do you listen to? Britney Spears?"

Angelica looked at him flatly and huffed, "No! Well... That's not all I listen to alright. I have a Death Cab For Cutie cd and the newest Dashboard Confessional ok. I'm eclectic. So shove that in your pipe and smoke it." Ha, that should throw him for a loop.

The boy nodded approvingly and raised his eyebrows. "Ok, ignoring the out-dated comeback from the 1950s, I am mildly impressed. You just stumble onto that music while looking for an N'Sync album?" he inquired.

She shook her head of flaxen hair and retorted, "No, alright. One of my ex boyfriends was into all that crap, ok. I'm not proud of that."

Chuckie sniggered to himself and said, "Wow, amazing you'd even date him. So what, he bought you those cds?"

Angelica turned to gaze out the window, at the passing flickers of white sun. "No. After we broke up... I bought them. Because a lot of the songs reminded me of him," she responded, breathing in deeply. Ok, and why had she just said that? Yuck, no one should find out about that, like ever. It had been that guy she dated who was a college Freshman, and he was into all that alternative and punk and stuff. Before he cheated on her and left her, before she realized she had been in love with him. Before she thought she'd never want another boyfriend again because it hurt too much and it made you feel too much.

Chuckie glanced at her in surprise and then smiled. "Alert the media, Angelica does have a heart!" he proclaimed.

Angelica turned back to him to glare with loathing and pouted, "Shove it, Finister. If you tell anyone about that I'll kill you. Really painfully."

He drove up her driveway and put the gear in park. As he did so he chuckled and teased, "I'll die a slow death of chocking on glitter and going insane from watching Legally Blonde one and two."

She was looking at him through her gilded eyelashes when she responded in a low voice, "I hate you."

Chuckie met her gaze and smiled faintly. "I know," he replied.

God, that stupid smirk. She just wanted to wipe it off his face, and before she knew what she was doing, she was leaning over and pressing her lips to his. He stared ahead with wide eyes and she did as well, not believing what she was doing. It was just a brushing of lips against lips, his shocked release of breath spilling over her skin. Well at least that stupid smirk was gone now. Then she pulled back quickly and her eyebrows were near her hairline when she blurted, "I uh... That didn't happen!" Then she opened the door and sprinted from his car as fast as her legs would take her, slamming the door in his face.

Closing Notes: Yes and I'm not trying to make Angelica all sappy or anything. I actually rather like her a little snobby and mean. I have decided to make Chuckie braver and able to stick up for himself, I'd like to think he would as he grew up. Kimmi and Phil are deciding on the friend route for now, let's see how long that lasts. I have to say, awww poor Kimmi! Hee. And Lillian and Tommy aren't even friends! He's beginning to wonder if he even noticed her before she became who she is now or if he's just as bad as everyone else. (Also, I am not making up any excuses for Lillian and how she became a snob. There will not be any "Ooo it's not her fault! They didn't try hard enough to keep her as a friend." Sorry no, its her actions and she had a choice. That doesn't mean her old friends can't start to feel a little guilty but yes, that will pass. I just wanted to clear that up because there is no way I'd do that, I'd hate to have to read a story like that myself.) More to come shortly! Please review this, it makes my day you guys.