A special thanks to "lilvickiryan", "Spinelli Woods, Esquire", "Mistress of Balmoral", and "goofy monkey child" for reviewing! Seeing that you guys really like this, makes me really happy!
Chapter Ten: Surviving A Snow Day
Location: At Third Street's cafeteria, around 5 PM
The gang was able to get Spinelli warmed up at Nurse Kramer's office before frostbite or hypothermia could set in. Nurse Kramer had a heating lamp and was able to obtain several hair dryers to help Spinelli's clothes dry off and for her to warm up. Hank was able to provide a portable gas heater from the basement and the room warmed up fast as if an actual fire was heating the place up. Nurse Kramer gave Spinelli several cups of hot cocoa while she warmed up. The process took about an hour and a half and the gang finally decided to sit around the cafeteria. They all sat around a lunch table.
Vince questioned Spinelli, "Are you crazy or something Spinelli?!? I mean you saw how it was....why did you leave like that?" Vince pointed to the tall glass cafeteria windows that revealed the forbidding, mammoth size, ice walls that covered the windows except from a foot from the top of the windows. It made leaving the school inescapable as if they were in a crevasse.
Spinelli had a blanket over her back like a shawl and had both of her hands on a mug of hot cocoa trying to absorb the heat. She felt sheepish and in a slight withdrawn voice, "Sorry guys....I couldn't stand being in there with Finster, Randall, the Ashleys....I mean having to stay any longer there I would of gone crazy!"
Mikey seemed to speak for the gang and comforted Spinelli, "Its okay Spinelli..."
Vince empathized with Spinelli, "Yeah, just be more careful.... This is nothing we've ever seen before."
Spinelli noticed T.J. looking at her with concern next to her at her right side. The look that gave the same warmth and affection that made her feel nervous, and she remembered just two hours ago how she had a small sample of that affection while she was feeling cold. It was a feeling of openness that scared her and made her uncomfortable because she was against leaving any part of herself unguarded. Spinelli leaned and scooted a little to the left where Gretchen was when T.J. wasn't noticing.
Spinelli asked, "So what's happening now?"
Gus entered into the conversation, "Well, since the storm isn't letting up...we have to stay here until it does and the city can finally clear out all this snow!"
Spinelli spit out the cocoa from her mouth and her voice jumped up, "WHAT?!? You mean we have to stay inside school and with Finster?!?"
Gus slowly admitted, "Yeah....looks that way..."
Randall came through the cafeteria doors and saw the gang. He arrogantly approached them and began, "You guys better get back to Ms. Finster's class! She's expecting all of you...especially you Spinelli! After being so stupid and everything...."
Spinelli slammed her fists on the table and shouted, "WHAT WAS THAT YOU LITTLE WORM?!?"
Randall was scared of Spinelli beating him up, but thankfully he noticed that the Lunch ladies were at the cafeteria line and could be witnesses to the fight. Randall cockily replied, "That's right! I mean it took Hank and 2 other janitors an hour just to close that metal door back up! And anyways you guys have to come back to class because the school decided to serve the students dinner because of the snow!"
Gretchen pondered over it and asked, "Dinner?"
Randall annoyed, having to inform the gang, continued, "Yeah, other classes are eating first so we have to wait until then..."
T.J. agreed to follow Randall, "Fine, we'll all go..."
The gang got up from the cafeteria chair and Spinelli returned the hot cocoa mug to the lunch ladies. The gang slowly followed Randall back to their classroom in the hallways but Mikey paused hearing something faint...he couldn't determine what it was...but it was something soft and angelic.
Gretchen noticed Mikey pausing every now and then, asking, "Are you okay Mikey?"
Mikey's artistic and sensitive personality could feel and sense something but he couldn't put his finger on it. He wanted to investigate what it was and he lied to Randall saying, "Randall, I have to go to the bathroom...tell Ms. Finster I'll be there soon..."
Randall being disgusted having to deal with T.J. and his gang was ticked off, "Go ahead! Just be back quick Blumberg!" The rest of the gang looked at Mikey strangely as they continued heading toward Ms. Finster's classroom. Mikey let, his ears and his soul, guide him to where he heard the soft, emotionally powerful sound...
Meanwhile, back at Mr. Johnson's classroom. He was a little more lenient with his students and allowed them to play in the gymnasium for sometime except one student decided not to go there. Stacey decided to go to the music room... to seclude herself back to her world and to the world of music. She wasn't much of a person to talk to whenever it came to discussing her problems, not even if her own parents asked. After what happened to her father's business and seeing her parents so distraught, she felt the last thing they needed to be bothered with was her problems. She talked with the music teacher and was allowed to use one of the booths normally used for instrument practice, but she wasn't planning to use an instrument. This glass booth as with the others was in a room, which was down a hallway away from the normally used music classrooms used for choir or instrument playing.
She felt relieved that no one was there in the small booth room (which had about 6 booths) or that anyone was really in the music department area except for that one music teacher, who was down the hallway and in the choir room. She entered the room and into the booth...it was her own private secluded and solitary world. A place were she felt she could be herself but in a place of emptiness.
She placed in the tape cassette player (used to record a student's performance) a blank tape. She was going to record her voice for her vocal coach back at Detroit and find ways to improve her voice. She knew what song to sing and changed the lyrics a little to fit what she felt, nevertheless, the song still deeply related to how she felt.... She took her lyrics and placed them aside to read while singing. She took a CD player of the actual song and got ready to play the tape and CD at the same time.
She sighed to herself thinking this was kind of dumb, but she knew that her vocal coach, back in Detroit, encouraged her to sing and that Stacey knew that this song could reveal her vocal potential since the song struck an emotional chord with her. She was being beaten down with so many thoughts of how dumb this was...but she just had to do it...at least it could make her feel better.
She sighed, put on the CD headphones, and hit both the record button on the tape player and played the CD track. She looked at her lyrics and took a deep breath knowing that she would be tapping her inner emotions. The music then played... (The bold in the italics are the modified lyrics Stacey put in; if you play the song at the same time and read it...it will help you, the reader, to understand the emotional depth of the moment.)
She began singing slowly and softly, trying to build up her vocal strength for the song,
"I've spent all my life
On a search to find
Someone who won't want to hurt me
A friend where I can just be me
But when I turn around
Again friendship has knocked me down
My heart got broke and oh it hurts so bad
I'm sad to say friendship wins again..."
She started amplifying her voice. A voice as seductive as Beyoncé Knowles, as sweet as Mya, and as soulful as Toni Braxton being only 10 years old, but she had an extraordinary talent from within and pressed on,
"So I placed my heart under lock and key
To take some time and take care of me
But I turn around and you're standing here?
How did you get here
Nobody's supposed to be here
I've tried that friendship thing for the last time
My heart said no, no...
Nobody's suppose to be here
But you came along and changed my mind? (my mind, my mind..)"
The last line she couldn't really relate to. She was pessimistic finding anyone who could really just enjoy her company, yet something deep inside of her yearned for at least someone...someone miraculous out there in the world....to change her world of deep, cold, heart-wrenching loneliness. She started to close her eyes and her insides were churning as the lyrics continued to pin her condition down,
"This time I swear I'm through
But if only you knew
How many times I've said those words
Then I get hurt, when will I ever learn?
Knowing these tears I cry
There's probably black butterflies
Must still take a chance
And spread my wings
Emotions can make ya do some crazy things
So I placed my heart under lock and key
To take some time and take care of me
But I turn around and you're standing here"
Stacey's voice began to shake and she slowly was beginning to choke up as she reflected on the several years of hurt that she had experienced on trying to make friends. She knew it was illogical to believe that everyone would be hurtful toward her, but with her horrible past and endless betrayals...it was difficult to try again. As difficult as a beaten, abused puppy. She knew that her extreme cold emotions of loneliness made her desperate for friendships...'friendships' that eventually took advantage of her.... She courageously sang on,
"How did you
How did you get here
Nobody's suppose to be here
--"
She couldn't take the overflowing and overwhelming memories of how painful it was and started to break down. She gasped and cried bitterly on how for 5 years she never had any true friends whatsoever. Her mind tried to compose her outward behavior and criticized her on how stupid and weak she was right now... and she felt kind of dumb for feeling that way...but it's just that going to school everyday in the past for her with no one asking her how she was doing and how they teased her harshly just kept 'chipping' away at her. She was thankful to have a wonderful, caring family but she had no peers she could talk to, have fun, and just know how it felt to be a kid....
She took a deep breath and continued singing but with tears slowly streaming down her cheeks,
"How did you get here
Nobody's supposed to be here
I've tried that friendship thing for the last time
My heart said no, no
Nobody's suppose to be here
But you came along and changed my mind (my mind, my mind)"
Suddenly the room door opened but Stacey wasn't paying attention as she continued singing, slowly crying, with her eyes closed tightly trying to force herself to continue on,
"How did you get here
Nobody's supposed to be here
I've tried and tried that friendship thing for the last time
My heart said no, no
Nobody's suppose to be here
But you came along and changed my mind (my mind, my mind)..."
(Lyrics from Deborah Cox's "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here (Dance Mix)")
The music then quickly ended just like it began and she swallowed her sadness and hurt as she looked down trying to gather all of her things. She took her lyrics sheet, took out the recorded tape, turned off the recording equipment, and turned off the light. When she closed the door and turned to walk away....she stood stiff...absolutely mindless on who was standing just ten feet away.
It was Mikey...he opened his mouth in awe and amazement over what he just witnessed. The soft, angelic voice he heard from the hallways led him here. The girl he thought that didn't like music was singing beautifully and soulfully and opened her emotions up. His eyes were watery and he sniffled saying, "Stacey....I never knew you had such a beautiful talent from within and that your soul was so burdened and pained...." And Mikey gasped, "What happened to your cheek?" He referred to the bandage on Stacey's cheek.
Stacey blinked her eyes several times and quickly tried to wipe away the path of her tears. She tried to appear that everything was okay, and cheerfully smiled trying to avoid Mikey's suspicion of her condition. She tried to bubbly say, but her throat was kind of dry, "Mikey....it's nothing....I'm fine...really....you know...."
Mikey's arms were stretched out in front and he tried to plead with Stacey, "But Stacey...I know you are hurting inside...what happened to you where you have, alas! given up friendship?!?"
Stacey avoided Mikey's glance and she just tried to smile again, even with her blood shot eyes, and quickly said, "A...I just have to go Mikey...sorry...." She quickly ran out of the room and out into the hallways of Third Street. Mikey just stood there, back in the room, trying to ponder over what had made Stacey to give up on ever receiving kindness from anyone or at least why she avoided it when he tried to be kind to her....
Chapter Eleven: You Don't Understand At All...
Location: Just a few minutes afterward at the hallways of Third Street
Stacey continued running away from the music room. She didn't want anyone to see her break down and she felt like such a weakling for feeling so sad, especially when Mikey observed her. She continued running and running and then without looking she accidentally slammed into Randall... Randall fell down on the floor and his wrist bothered him since it broke his fall.
Stacey quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry...I didn't see you there....I was just, just..." She tried adjusting her glasses.
Randall started brushing himself off and snapped back at her, "Hey watch it lady!"
Stacey's eyes were becoming wet again as her mind began to panic because she didn't want to upset anybody. Stacey's hurriedly said, "I'm really truly sorry...I didn't know....I was just trying to rush back..."
Randall angrily and shouted, "Hey! You're Stacey Reluve from Mr. Johnson's class....aren't you?"
Stacey looked down on the floor and curiously asked, "Why? What's wrong?"
Randall rubbed his hands together and smugly said, "Mr. Johnson called everyone back to his class 5 minutes ago! Where were you?"
Stacey sputtered, "I was at.... the bathroom! ....I was just heading back to class! I'm sorry..."
Randall gave a sinister smile and said, "Yeah sorry you are missy! Mr. Johnson told me that anyone who arrived late gets a detention! Go to the Student Study Center right now!"
Stacey pleaded, as her pulse rushed on in extreme worry, "Please I'm sorry! I didn't mean too...I was just..."
Randall shouted back and pointed toward the direction of the study center, "No excuses! Huh!"
Stacey slowly walked up to the second floor with her weakened spirit. She didn't want to cause any trouble or anything it's just that she wanted to be away from the world...and her emotional music trip seemed to place her into it nevertheless.
After about 10 minutes, Stacey was seated at a student desk and she was the only one in the Student Study Center (the size of a normal classroom used for students to do homework or for group project meetings.) Her head rested on the table and she looked at the deserted room with only numerous big tables and empty chairs surrounding them. She could hear the buzzing of the florescent lights and the constantly gusting winds of the blizzard outside. She sighed to herself thinking....'I wouldn't feel any different now, outside, or if this room was crowded.... I'd still feel lonely....' She gazed upon the computers in the corner, the lights, the weather outside ...just mindlessly looking around...almost dead-like....waiting for Randall.
There was an opening at the door and Randall showed up. He sneered, "Well good evening Stacey!"
Stacey stuttered, "Good evening....a...who are you?" She remembered that she did not know his name earlier back at the first floor hallway.
Randall introduced himself, "Randall Weems...the student that will be giving your punishment. Ah! And yes, I do have administrative power thanks to the faculty. And how might you ask? Well, someone has to tell the faculty what despicable things the students are doing..."
Stacey, feeling tired and just wanted to be alone again, mumbled, "So what is my punishment?"
Randall opened up a manila folder in his hands...and it was Stacey's student records! He looked through the several documents and haughtily snickered, "Well...well...well...it seems like you're in trouble for more than just being tardy to Mr. Johnson's classroom!"
Stacey guiltily admitted, "Yeah..."
Randall chuckled, "GETTING INTO A FIGHT with Ashley T?!? You?!? Ah ha! Oh man, that's rich!"
Stacey's eyes looked around the room, she dully said, "Yeah whatever...."
Randall stopped chuckling immediately and his eyes looked upon her history. He pompously began, "Well...so you're from Detroit, huh?!?"
Stacey had no clue to where this discussion was leading to but slowly spoke, "So..."
Randall forwardly insulted, "So what are you trying to do?!? Trying to bring your ghetto behavior here? Starting a fight and coming late to class?!?"
Stacey froze up hearing that and tried to remain cool because Randall was striking a nerve with her. She smiled and tried to explain, "No...I'm not Randall..."
Randall huffed, "Yeah right....typical thug behavior... I've heard tales of your inner city school kind...trying to cause trouble..." He off-handedly remarked, "ghetto trash...I could teach all you misfits how to behave..." Randall continued searching through Stacey's files....
Stacey snapped and slammed her palms on the desk. Her eyes started to water and she projected her shaking emotional voice, "You....little rat...you have no idea! You don't understand at all what the heck it's like! DON'T YOU DARE say you know what happens because YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT it is! People like you are easily dragged into the alleys and never heard from again..."
Randall, at once, became steamed and vented to her, "Are you trying to threaten me Stacey Reluve? Because you will be sorry...if you ever do..."
Stacey snapped back meeting her face to his, "I'm not threatening boy....I'm just saying you're more ignorant than you know..." She took a big gulp trying to hold back her tears.
Randall saw Stacey's backpack slightly unzipped and saw her CD player. He delighted in seeing this... He quickly spoke back, "And you are as well Stacey!" In an instant, Randall snatched Stacey's CD player and headphones before Stacey could notice and he snickered, saying, "Being ignorant about the rules! How many times do we have to tell you trouble maker thugs! No CD players in school!" He threatened, "You're staying here for 3 hours since you weren't punished for the fight and for this CD player...as for your dinner...well, we'll see... Ha Ha!" Randall slammed the door behind him and locked it.
Stacey fell down on her seat and curled her arms around her head as she broke down again on the table. Her tears began to give burning sensations again to her wounds on her cheek and she wanted to be away from this place badly. This school was very slowly, and beginning to feel cold and harsh to her...and she wished she could be outside where as dangerous as it was...at least she wouldn't have to hurt by the people inside the school again. Her CD player that would offer emotional escapism was gone and she had to bear with her strong, enormous emotions completely.
********************************
To Be Continued…