Chapter Twelve

Spinelli Back at School

"You okay with this Spinelli?" TJ asked as he walked into Spinelli's room Wednesday morning to pick her up for school.

"Of course I'm not okay with this Teej," Spinelli snapped at him, "I'm blind and I have a week and a half's work to make up, which I can't do because I can't write, because I'm blind. And I know everybody says the teachers will make the proper adjustment and all that crap. But I don't want adjustments TJ, I want to be able to hand in my work like everybody else. And also I had to learn how to read brail in like, one week so I can read the books they got me. TJ, being blind sucks."

"But remember Spinelli," TJ tried to sooth her, "It's supposed to be temporary blindness. You'll be back the way you were in no time."

"Let's hope so," Spinelli muttered, "Let's go. Its now or never."

TJ felt sad as he guided Spinelli out of her room and down the stairs, out the door and to his car. He knew Spinelli most feel more helpless than she ever had in her life. Furthermore, today was Lawson's first day back as well. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he had a feeling something bad was going to happen. And he had a feeling he was going to be part if it, TJ was angrier at Lawson right now than he had ever been in his life. Not only for his causing of the wreck and the death of King Bob and the blindness of Spinelli, but he was still mad at Lawson for giving up Spinelli in the hospital. Just dropping the bomb shell on her after she had learned that she was blind.

"TJ?" Spinelli asked, "Are we ever gonna go to school?"

TJ looked down and realized he was sitting in his car, but he hadn't started it yet, so he quickly turned the key in the ignition, "Yah, sorry, kinda wondered off there for a minute."

"Spinugly! We can see that your back now," Spinelli heard Ashley A. say behind her as she walked in the school, Spinelli guessed followed by the other Ashley's and probably Vince as well.

"Hi Ashley," Spinelli greeted, not even bothering turning around as TJ started leading her to her locker.

"Where's my usual insult of the morning Spinelli?" Ashley A. commanded to know. As he guided Spinelli around to face Ashley A.'s voice, TJ watched as Vince winced from were he stood behind Ashley A.. Which means Vince had an idea of what was coming. Just then Gretchen, Mikey, and Gus came up to them. TJ didn't know if he was imagining it or not, but Ashley B. looked at Gus and Mikey with a lot more hatred than usually filled her eyes.

"Shut up Ashley," Spinelli said calmly. She could feel Gus, Mikey, and Gretchen standing near her.

"Oh wait," Ashley A. said, coldly, "I forgot that little Spinellikins is blind now. She can't see. Which means she can't trade insults with me because most of her insults have the words, I'm going to beat the crap out of you if you don't move tagged along with them."

"Just shut up Ashley," Spinelli said again, TJ could hear her gritting her teeth.

"Is the poor little Spinelli having a hard time accepting that she's blind," Ashley A. said harshly, as if she was talking to a baby, "Well, you are blind, you'll never be able to see again. You'll never be able to beat anybody up, play basketball, pool. Never see a movie. Anything normal people do. See, you were never normal Spinelli, now everybody else just knows it. You're a handicapped now. A retard. An idiot. A moron. You are and always will be Spinugly. You are now ..,"

"Stop Ashley! That's enough!" Vince spoke up, "You're starting to sound like Lawson back in junior high."

Ashley turned on him, "What did you just say to me?"

Then a slow smile registered on her face, that TJ could tell was pure evil. This girl had the soul of the devil, as did the other Ashley's. Ashley turned back to Spinelli with the pure evil look on her face, and TJ was glad Spinelli couldn't see this because it would kill her.

"And you want to know something else?" Ashley asked, "I heard that Lawson left you. He decided he didn't want to be with you. You were blind. You won't have anything left Spinugly. Lawson has figured out who you really are. You're blind, he doesn't want someone who's blind. You'll never be able to have a normal date again. They'll always have to read the menu for you, do this and that for you. See, Spinelli your whole life is ruined. And I'm laughing every step of the way."

Ashley T. quietly watched as Ashley A. rambled on and on, dissing on Spinelli. It was getting too much for her. Especially with the whole Lawson bit. Not to mention about her laughing every step of the way. Then, when Ashley A. started to speak again, Ashley T. decided she had had enough.

"Ashley," she said calmly, stepping forward.

"What?" Ashley A. asked, turning to her.

"Shut up," Ashley T. commanded, punching her friend in the nose.

"Ashley T.!" Ashley A. screamed, covering her nose as it began to bleed, "You just broke my nose!"

"Oh well," Ashley T. brushed off, "Just get another fake one."

"You just better hope I don't sue you," Ashley A. shouted.

"Like I'll care if you do," Ashley T. said, "Besides, Spinelli here could counter sue."

"What is going on here?" the hall monitor said as he ran down the hall, seeing Ashley A. bleeding.

"She hit me!" Ashley A. shouted, sounding exactly like a little baby.

The hall monitor looked between the two Ashley's, then at the other Ashley's. Finally, he looked at TJ, as if to confirm the story. TJ slowly nodded.

"OK, um, Ashley T.," the hall monitor said, "You're gonna have to come with me to the office."

"Wait, did an Ashley just defend me?" Spinelli asked as Ashley T. followed the hall monitor down to the office. While the rest of the Ashley's went down the opposite direction.

"I think so," TJ confirmed for her, he then looked at Vince.

"Ashley T.'s really nice," he weakly said, "I'm really sorry. I didn't think giving her that idea about Lawson would give her more to say to you. I thought she might stop."

"It's okay," Spinelli muttered. Vince then turned and walked away, in the same direction as Ashley T., his hands in his pockets. TJ was about to call after him, but just decided to talk to him later.

"Hey Vince," TJ said as he approached Vince's locker later that morning.

"Look, I said I was sorry," Vince said, grabbing his book out of his locker, "I didn't think Ashley A. would say all of that. I dumped her this morning. What more do you want?"

"To be friends again," TJ admitted, "You were my best friend, heck, I need my best friend again right now."

"You really want to be friends with me again?" Vince asked, looking at TJ, trying to see if he was playing a trick on him.

"Yah," TJ said, "Now, Gretchen, she won't be as easy to get to forgive you."

"Lawson," Vince said. TJ turned and saw Lawson coming in the direction they were standing.

"Man, that guy gets on my nerves," TJ said, "I hate him."

"What are you looking at?" Lawson snapped at him as he passed.

"Hey Lawson," TJ said. Lawson turned and looked at him and TJ swung a fist at him. Lawson lost his ground and quickly got back up.

"What the hell was that for TJ?" Lawson asked. Before Lawson had time for anymore questions TJ hit him again and the two boys began a fight. Vince grabbed TJ off of Lawson and slammed him into a locker to hold him back.

"Dude, what are you doing?" TJ yelled at Vince.

"You have to stop this," Vince yelled back at him, "Lawson did do a bunch of crap wrong. But Teej, it easily could have been me that had that wreck. That killed King Bob. I was drunk too. You can't blame him. If you did that then you'd have to blame every drunk person at the party."

"No, trust me, I can just blame him," TJ shouted, "He was the one who broke up with Spinelli."

"Did you think I wanted to break up with Spinelli?" Lawson shouted, "Dude, I loved her, but I won't be able to be there for her when she needs me."

"She needs you know, you could have at least stuck with her for a little bit," TJ yelled at him.

"Teej," Vince whispered softly, "I know you're mad because he made Spinelli cry. And that he killed King Bob. But you can't fight him, not like this. Spinelli wouldn't like it, besides he is right about not being there for Spinelli. You have to stay there for Spinelli. So, you just need to walk away from this."

Vince let go of his grip on TJ, who straightened up his shirt and with one last look at Lawson turned around and walked off. Knowing that by walking off, Vince behind him, he was walking away from Lawson, fighting with Lawson, forever.