Disclaimer: I do not own Recess or any of its characters.

Authors Note: I really like Recess. And I had this idea one day in, probably Humanities class.

Chapter One

*Examining the Classroom*

You can learn a lot from examining a classroom. Not the chalkboard or the desks. Not even the teacher who seems to drone on about any subject until the bell rings.

You learn from examining the students. You can see the lazy ones who don't care that lean back and put their feet in the chair in front of them. The bullies by the way they thump the kid in front of them every so often. The smart ones by how attentive they are to answer any question the teacher asked, sitting straight up in their chair. And the ones in between, who kind of slouch and write notes and doodle all the time.

In this particular classroom there are twenty students. In the very front row sits a girl who is watching and listening very intensely to their teacher talk about World War II. She has long, flowing hair and looks to be about six feet tall. You can tell she is smart, not by this look on her face that says she's better than everybody else there's just something about this girl, in her eyes that tells you she is more intelligent than most. This girl is Gretchen Grundler.

The seat behind her is occupied by a tall, lanky Vince LaSalle. LaSalle is close to hitting 6'8", and he has his feet stretched far below Gretchen's desk. He is an athlete, a basketball player, just by the way some of the students around him are looking at him in awe. Looks of respect permanently on their faces for this basketball player. He could miss all of his shots in the next three games and he will still be the big man on campus. But right now he was just bored. He is doodling a play he has been working on all week to perfect.

Next to Vince is, of course, TJ Detweiler. TJ still wears a baseball cap backwards on his head, giving him the appearance of being more lazy than he actually is. TJ is sitting in much the same way as Vince with his feet sprawled out under the desk in front of him. He is carelessly playing with the girl's hair that sits in front of him. She doesn't mind though because TJ is the man. The guy at school that everybody likes. But while playing with this girl's hair he seems to be distracted by something else. Actually, someone else, his gaze is locked on the person sitting on the other side of him.

Sitting next to TJ was Ashley Spinelli. Spinelli lets off the air of one of the lazy students. She has her feet up on the empty seat of the desk in front of her. She also has her head in one of her hands. She had been up late the night before, but it didn't matter because she has plenty of time to make up for it in World History. The teacher won't even bother waking her up, thinking she is a lost cause. Thinking she'll never learn anything anyways. So, Spinelli got by just for being lazy and not trying.

Behind Spinelli is Mikey Blumberg. He has lost weight, yet he's still the same Mikey. He has a dreamy look on his face and every so often he looks down at a piece of paper and writes a line. The guy behind Mikey pokes him in the back, whispering that Mikey is gay and faggots shouldn't be allowed in this school. Mikey, always one to avoid confrontations when necessary, just ignores the boy and continues to write his poem, having hopes of someday being the next Robert Frost.

On the other side of Mikey, behind TJ, sat Gus Griswald. He is 6'6", and stronger than the rest of his group. He also has a dreamy expression on his face. But it is not because of a poem in his head, it is because of his teacher that he is falling madly in love with. Ever since he had stepped foot into this classroom he had thought Ms. Wereen was hot. Yet, he isn't too into daydream land that he doesn't hear the guy behind Mikey call Mikey a faggot. He glares at the guy and wonders back into daydream land, vowing to teach this guy a lesson after school today.

Just as Ms. Wereen is finishing her lecture the bell rings. TJ gently shakes Spinelli to wake her up as the students hurry to leave the class.

"This class isn't over already, is it?" Spinelli groaned as she stood up.

"Come on Spin, we have to get to gym," Gus urged her, walking with her out of the classroom. Followed by Mikey and Gretchen, who were headed to Biology.

Vince and TJ headed slowly out the door. They didn't really have anything to worry about, there next class was Geometry with Coach Caltren, who loved Vince so much that he would have counted Vince there even if Vince had been out drinking during his class. And since TJ was Vince's friend, as long as he was with Vince, then the Coach didn't care.

"Teej, where should I take Gretchen for our one year anniversary?" Vince asked TJ as they began walking slowly towards their lockers.

"What do I know?" TJ said bitterly, "I can't keep a girlfriend for longer than a month."

"Yeah, but that's just because you're pursuing all the wrong ones," Vince said matter-of-factly.

"Oh really, and do you happen to know the right ones I'm supposed to be pursuing?" TJ asked sarcastically.

"Spin," Vince simply said.

"Come on LaSalle, Spinelli and I are just friends," TJ said.

"Please, friends do not stare at each other in the fashion you were staring at her in World History," Vince said, with a snort, "Or how you've been staring at her since kindergarten."

TJ cringed, "Is it that obvious that I like her?"

"Well, let me see, I've noticed, Gretch has noticed, Mikey's noticed, Gus has noticed, and about half the school has noticed," Vince said, "But I don't think its obvious."

This time TJ glared at his friend, "Well, if its that obvious that I like her, what about her liking me?"

Vince remained quiet for a moment, "She did like you, back in grade school, I know that for a fact. But I think that she has moved on. To other people. Not better people, just other people."

"Lawson," TJ groaned.

"Lawson," Vince confirmed, "Slimy, two-faced Lawson."

"My question is why like him? He hasn't changed at all since fourth grade," TJ said.

"But Spin has," Vince quietly said.

***

"Oh Gus, here comes Lawson!" Spinelli said hurriedly as Lawson hurried down the hall towards them. Gus threw his friend a disgusted look.

"I'm supposed to be happy about this?" Gus asked, but he only muttered it under his breath. He may have been stronger than Spinelli now, but he was still scared of her sometimes and he knew insulting the guy she liked would result in one of those times he was scared out of his mind of her.

"He-llo Ashley Spinelli," Lawson said as he stopped to talk to her. Gus rolled his eyes before continuing on to gym class.

"Tell the coach I had to go to the nurse's office if he asks," Spinelli called after him.

"He won't even bother asking," Gus thought. Spinelli had ditched every day this week, saying she had to go to the nurse's office, to hang out with Lawson.

As soon as he was out of ear shot Lawson asked, "What is up with that friend of yours? You would've thought that getting stronger he would've also got braver."

Spinelli didn't try to defend Gus, instead she looked down at her shoes.

"So, Spin, would you like to accompany me to dinner and a movie this Friday?" Lawson asked, sensing that he had touched a nerve.

"Sure," Spinelli said, with a grin, "Come on, lets cut class."

The two walked down the hall towards the double doors, together.