Spinelli stepped off the bus and looked around at her peers. They saw her and whispered behind their hands to each other, but Spinelli heard what they were saying. "Do you think it's true? That Detweiler really kicked her out of the group?"
Trying to keep the pain off of her face, Spinelli slowly made her way to the cheesebox, where her friends, or ex-friends, stood whispering. She heard her name several times before speaking up.
"Hi guys, uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. They looked at her, then turned back to each other and continued to whisper. "Can I at least talk to Gretchen? My mom said she'd understand," Spinelli said.
"Go on, Gretch," T.J. said. "If it'll get her to leave us alone." T.J.'s coldness made Spinelli shudder. Reluctantly, Gretchen stood up and came over to Spinelli, the look on her face as cold as T.J.'s words.
"What do you want?" she said.
"Gretch," Spinelli said, her voice sounding panicky before she could stop it, "I'm changing."
"Obviously it's a change for the worse," Gretchen bit angrily. "You had no right to hit T.J. like that!"
Spinelli hung her head in shame. "I know," she conceded. "But, Gretch--"
"They're all furious with you, Spinelli," Gretchen continued. "And so am I. You could have broken his nose! I think you'd do well to stay far away until we all cool off."
"Gretch, I'm not done," Spinelli protested. She paused, took a breath, and continued. "Last night I talked to my mom about why I feel so angry lately--"
"Lately?" Gretchen scoffed.
"Gretch, you know what I mean. Anyway... I think she thinks I might be growing."
"So?"
"I mean... you know that puberty thing Ms. Grotke was talking about last year? Well, my mom thinks I may be, uh, getting there, and she said you'd understand."
"Well I just can't understand why you'd act like this," Gretchen replied. "And I don't want to understand. Spinelli, our friendship is over!"
"Gretch!" Spinelli protested.
"Save it, Spinelli. Your words will fall on deaf ears," Gretchen snapped as she pranced away.
"At least do me one more favor," Spinelli called, defeated.
"What?" Gretchen called back.
"Let me talk to T.J." Gretchen waved her hand dismissively, but said something to T.J., who, looking angry, stood up and came over to Spinelli.
"What do you want?" he repeated Gretchen in the same icy tone.
"Well, I wanted to apologize," Spinelli replied quietly. "And ask you to forgive me."
"Why should I?" T.J. snipped. "You nearly broke my nose, and you expect me just to forgive you?"
"No, I'm not," Spinelli replied. "But it never hurts to ask."
T.J. humphed, but let Spinelli continue. "I just wanted to say, T.J., that no matter what you think about me, I'll always..."
"Always what?" he prodded, looking midly curious.
"Always love you, T.J." Spinelli replied, her own words suprising her. "I love you, and nothing will change that."
For some odd reason, T.J. looked smug. "So sorry I can't return your affections," he replied oily, his voice full of sarcasm, "but I've got a new love in my life."
"What?" Spinelli demanded. To her horror and shock, Ashley A slid up to T.J., putting her arm around his waist. He took her affectionately into his arms, and before Spinelli knew quite what was happening, the new couple was making out right in front of her. As the world around Spinelli dissolved, she felt a sensation come back to her she'd not felt since she was seven years old... Ashley Spinelli had wet herself.
Trying to keep the pain off of her face, Spinelli slowly made her way to the cheesebox, where her friends, or ex-friends, stood whispering. She heard her name several times before speaking up.
"Hi guys, uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. They looked at her, then turned back to each other and continued to whisper. "Can I at least talk to Gretchen? My mom said she'd understand," Spinelli said.
"Go on, Gretch," T.J. said. "If it'll get her to leave us alone." T.J.'s coldness made Spinelli shudder. Reluctantly, Gretchen stood up and came over to Spinelli, the look on her face as cold as T.J.'s words.
"What do you want?" she said.
"Gretch," Spinelli said, her voice sounding panicky before she could stop it, "I'm changing."
"Obviously it's a change for the worse," Gretchen bit angrily. "You had no right to hit T.J. like that!"
Spinelli hung her head in shame. "I know," she conceded. "But, Gretch--"
"They're all furious with you, Spinelli," Gretchen continued. "And so am I. You could have broken his nose! I think you'd do well to stay far away until we all cool off."
"Gretch, I'm not done," Spinelli protested. She paused, took a breath, and continued. "Last night I talked to my mom about why I feel so angry lately--"
"Lately?" Gretchen scoffed.
"Gretch, you know what I mean. Anyway... I think she thinks I might be growing."
"So?"
"I mean... you know that puberty thing Ms. Grotke was talking about last year? Well, my mom thinks I may be, uh, getting there, and she said you'd understand."
"Well I just can't understand why you'd act like this," Gretchen replied. "And I don't want to understand. Spinelli, our friendship is over!"
"Gretch!" Spinelli protested.
"Save it, Spinelli. Your words will fall on deaf ears," Gretchen snapped as she pranced away.
"At least do me one more favor," Spinelli called, defeated.
"What?" Gretchen called back.
"Let me talk to T.J." Gretchen waved her hand dismissively, but said something to T.J., who, looking angry, stood up and came over to Spinelli.
"What do you want?" he repeated Gretchen in the same icy tone.
"Well, I wanted to apologize," Spinelli replied quietly. "And ask you to forgive me."
"Why should I?" T.J. snipped. "You nearly broke my nose, and you expect me just to forgive you?"
"No, I'm not," Spinelli replied. "But it never hurts to ask."
T.J. humphed, but let Spinelli continue. "I just wanted to say, T.J., that no matter what you think about me, I'll always..."
"Always what?" he prodded, looking midly curious.
"Always love you, T.J." Spinelli replied, her own words suprising her. "I love you, and nothing will change that."
For some odd reason, T.J. looked smug. "So sorry I can't return your affections," he replied oily, his voice full of sarcasm, "but I've got a new love in my life."
"What?" Spinelli demanded. To her horror and shock, Ashley A slid up to T.J., putting her arm around his waist. He took her affectionately into his arms, and before Spinelli knew quite what was happening, the new couple was making out right in front of her. As the world around Spinelli dissolved, she felt a sensation come back to her she'd not felt since she was seven years old... Ashley Spinelli had wet herself.