YAY! I can't believe people actually reviewed this story! It was a sort of
boredom project because I was home sick. Thanks to those who reviewed. It
made me very happy.
Spinelli was unaware of her friend's worries until an awkward silence fell over all of them. It took her exactly three seconds to realize this. Then she looked at Gretchen, Mikey and Vince. They all seemed to be standing around her as a sort of protective shield. Gus, who looked rather confused, left Spinelli's side to help himself to a ham sandwich. Totally baffled, Spinelli tried to break the silence.
"What? Did you all run out of things to say at the same exact second?" She smiled feebly looking from one worried face to the next. Then Mikey sighed, and moved off to the right, which brought into view a new character. One with a devilishly handsome smile, snapping blue eyes, and brown hair that could be impeccably perfect, or mussed in a way that was insanely sexy. A person whose voice had woven throughout all of her adolescent fantasies and whose face had haunted her every dream since she was eighteen years old. TJ. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, as they locked eyes. Spinelli found all the old emotions rushing back to her. Unfortunately for TJ, one of those emotions was loathing. TJ tried to smile, but the glare he was receiving on the other end more than cancelled it out.
"Ummm...hi Spin," he said trying to keep things friendly, while fervently praying that this night would not end with a broken nose. To his immense relief, her face (and fists) relaxed.
"Hey Teej," she murmured not quite looking him in the eye. "You...look good...i guess." Having said her piece, she turned on her heel and walked away with her head down. The rest of the group watched her go for a moment.
"Well, that went better than I had hoped," Vince said after a second. "I had fully expected there to be blood and guts."
"That's kinda what concerns me," said Mikey. "I'm a peace loving person myself, but I've always admired Spinelli's spunk."
"Spunk?" Gus scoffed. "I've always described it as more of a constant murderous rage. But I see your point. Umm, what exactly happened anyway? To make Spinelli hate TJ so much?"
All eyes turned to TJ who looked slightly guilty.
"We should all pull up some grass away from the crowd," Vince said quietly. "It's not like everyone doesn't know, but there's no point in re- exposing to the public." All nodded in agreement and went to a secluded area where they all sat down.
"So what happened?" Gus asked again eagerly. All eyes went to TJ again. But he was busy looking at his hands.
"Well," Gretchen began in a low voice. "It was the biggest scandal ever to happen in the Third Street school district since we accidentally tore down the statue of Thaddeus T Third III....."
Spinelli sat alone. She had dragged a chair to the far end of the crowd of milling former students and she now sat. Although she had thought she was prepared to see TJ again, she had totally underestimated just how fast strong the feelings would return. And these feeling were many. Among the stronges was that of betrayal. Total, mind crushing, heart breaking betrayal. So intense was this emotion that Spinelli was halfway out of her chair and determined that TJ suffer blow for blow what he had put her through. She could actually feel her fist making contact with his sexy face, and the satisfaction that thought brought her could only be equaled by the action itself. But suddenly, the feeling left her, and she sat back down. Her feelings of loathing being quickly replaced by the old feelings of sorrow and heartbreak.
She furiously blinked tears away. She was stronger than tears! Dammit! She refused to cry! 'Jesus TJ, what've you done to me?' she thought. Her mind caressed his face, and she found herself being transported back to a warm night ten years ago. She smiled to herself. She had made it her sole purpose to forget this night, but for once, she didn't crush the memory down. She could see her eighteen-year-old self in her mind's eye.
She vowed to herself that after this night, she would never again wear a gown. But she had had to make exception to her usual standards, because tonight was different and special. In fact, it was so different, that Spinelli actually allowed herself to be made up and have her hair done by Gretchen who had invented her own machine to do all the work. Spinelli preferred to do things the old fashioned way. She had actually gone out and bought a DRESS. It was dark blue, and slender, with a sparkly bodice. She knew she would look great in it. The one thing she did regret was that she would have to leave behind her beloved boots. She looked sadly at where they were strewn on the bathroom floor. They were replaced by strappy heels, and, although she would never admit to it, Spinelli had practiced walking in them for twenty minutes every day for the past week so she wouldn't trip, fall on her face, and embarrass herself in front of TJ.....she sighed . TJ was the whole reason she was going to this stupid thing. He had asked her after being turned down by Ashley A. She had responded cooly, not letting it be seen how excited she was. How much she had been hoping he might ask.
They had been friends since kindergarten. Had kissed as an experiment. Had gone out in the eighth grade. Had broken up but still remained friends. They had been through heaven and Hell together, and Spinelli had fallen hard. She was tired of pretending that she was content being just his friend! She intended to use all of her charms to woo him this night, and if that included torture sandals and a curling iron, then so be it! Spinelli let out her pent up feelings in a loud sigh that Gretchen mistook for anger.
"I'm sorry Spinelli, but prom night night has long been a tradition that involves girls getting themselves into fancy clothes. I never really minded such things, but..."
"No it's not that," Spinelli interrupted. "It's him.." She broke off staring into space, and Gretchen frowned.
It was too soon, and not soon enough when Gretchen's front doorbell rang. Spinelli drew in her breath, suddenly engulfed with butterflies in her stomach. This was it!
"Now remember, don't do anything I wouldn't," Gretchen cautioned. Spinelli snorted.
"That would mean that I'm not allowed to do anything bigger than dancing two feet apart? I don't think so!" Gretchen rolled her eyes. She was going with Mikey, who she knew would not try anything. She could not say the same for georgous TJ who was the object of many girls' attentions, and a known womanizer. Gretchen answered the door, and all the air left Spinelli's lungs. There he was, in a suit! Oh God. And he was looking at her as though she was the most beautiful thing in the world. He held out his hand to guide her down the stairs. Spinelli's own hand was trembling violently as she placed it in TJ's. The car horn honked, and the moment was lost. Mikey and Gretchen were alreasy in the limo that they had all chipped in to rent. Spinelli smiled shyly, and they went together down the stairs into the waiting vehicle.
AN: Don't worry, the R rating will probably come into play in the next chapter.
Spinelli was unaware of her friend's worries until an awkward silence fell over all of them. It took her exactly three seconds to realize this. Then she looked at Gretchen, Mikey and Vince. They all seemed to be standing around her as a sort of protective shield. Gus, who looked rather confused, left Spinelli's side to help himself to a ham sandwich. Totally baffled, Spinelli tried to break the silence.
"What? Did you all run out of things to say at the same exact second?" She smiled feebly looking from one worried face to the next. Then Mikey sighed, and moved off to the right, which brought into view a new character. One with a devilishly handsome smile, snapping blue eyes, and brown hair that could be impeccably perfect, or mussed in a way that was insanely sexy. A person whose voice had woven throughout all of her adolescent fantasies and whose face had haunted her every dream since she was eighteen years old. TJ. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, as they locked eyes. Spinelli found all the old emotions rushing back to her. Unfortunately for TJ, one of those emotions was loathing. TJ tried to smile, but the glare he was receiving on the other end more than cancelled it out.
"Ummm...hi Spin," he said trying to keep things friendly, while fervently praying that this night would not end with a broken nose. To his immense relief, her face (and fists) relaxed.
"Hey Teej," she murmured not quite looking him in the eye. "You...look good...i guess." Having said her piece, she turned on her heel and walked away with her head down. The rest of the group watched her go for a moment.
"Well, that went better than I had hoped," Vince said after a second. "I had fully expected there to be blood and guts."
"That's kinda what concerns me," said Mikey. "I'm a peace loving person myself, but I've always admired Spinelli's spunk."
"Spunk?" Gus scoffed. "I've always described it as more of a constant murderous rage. But I see your point. Umm, what exactly happened anyway? To make Spinelli hate TJ so much?"
All eyes turned to TJ who looked slightly guilty.
"We should all pull up some grass away from the crowd," Vince said quietly. "It's not like everyone doesn't know, but there's no point in re- exposing to the public." All nodded in agreement and went to a secluded area where they all sat down.
"So what happened?" Gus asked again eagerly. All eyes went to TJ again. But he was busy looking at his hands.
"Well," Gretchen began in a low voice. "It was the biggest scandal ever to happen in the Third Street school district since we accidentally tore down the statue of Thaddeus T Third III....."
Spinelli sat alone. She had dragged a chair to the far end of the crowd of milling former students and she now sat. Although she had thought she was prepared to see TJ again, she had totally underestimated just how fast strong the feelings would return. And these feeling were many. Among the stronges was that of betrayal. Total, mind crushing, heart breaking betrayal. So intense was this emotion that Spinelli was halfway out of her chair and determined that TJ suffer blow for blow what he had put her through. She could actually feel her fist making contact with his sexy face, and the satisfaction that thought brought her could only be equaled by the action itself. But suddenly, the feeling left her, and she sat back down. Her feelings of loathing being quickly replaced by the old feelings of sorrow and heartbreak.
She furiously blinked tears away. She was stronger than tears! Dammit! She refused to cry! 'Jesus TJ, what've you done to me?' she thought. Her mind caressed his face, and she found herself being transported back to a warm night ten years ago. She smiled to herself. She had made it her sole purpose to forget this night, but for once, she didn't crush the memory down. She could see her eighteen-year-old self in her mind's eye.
She vowed to herself that after this night, she would never again wear a gown. But she had had to make exception to her usual standards, because tonight was different and special. In fact, it was so different, that Spinelli actually allowed herself to be made up and have her hair done by Gretchen who had invented her own machine to do all the work. Spinelli preferred to do things the old fashioned way. She had actually gone out and bought a DRESS. It was dark blue, and slender, with a sparkly bodice. She knew she would look great in it. The one thing she did regret was that she would have to leave behind her beloved boots. She looked sadly at where they were strewn on the bathroom floor. They were replaced by strappy heels, and, although she would never admit to it, Spinelli had practiced walking in them for twenty minutes every day for the past week so she wouldn't trip, fall on her face, and embarrass herself in front of TJ.....she sighed . TJ was the whole reason she was going to this stupid thing. He had asked her after being turned down by Ashley A. She had responded cooly, not letting it be seen how excited she was. How much she had been hoping he might ask.
They had been friends since kindergarten. Had kissed as an experiment. Had gone out in the eighth grade. Had broken up but still remained friends. They had been through heaven and Hell together, and Spinelli had fallen hard. She was tired of pretending that she was content being just his friend! She intended to use all of her charms to woo him this night, and if that included torture sandals and a curling iron, then so be it! Spinelli let out her pent up feelings in a loud sigh that Gretchen mistook for anger.
"I'm sorry Spinelli, but prom night night has long been a tradition that involves girls getting themselves into fancy clothes. I never really minded such things, but..."
"No it's not that," Spinelli interrupted. "It's him.." She broke off staring into space, and Gretchen frowned.
It was too soon, and not soon enough when Gretchen's front doorbell rang. Spinelli drew in her breath, suddenly engulfed with butterflies in her stomach. This was it!
"Now remember, don't do anything I wouldn't," Gretchen cautioned. Spinelli snorted.
"That would mean that I'm not allowed to do anything bigger than dancing two feet apart? I don't think so!" Gretchen rolled her eyes. She was going with Mikey, who she knew would not try anything. She could not say the same for georgous TJ who was the object of many girls' attentions, and a known womanizer. Gretchen answered the door, and all the air left Spinelli's lungs. There he was, in a suit! Oh God. And he was looking at her as though she was the most beautiful thing in the world. He held out his hand to guide her down the stairs. Spinelli's own hand was trembling violently as she placed it in TJ's. The car horn honked, and the moment was lost. Mikey and Gretchen were alreasy in the limo that they had all chipped in to rent. Spinelli smiled shyly, and they went together down the stairs into the waiting vehicle.
AN: Don't worry, the R rating will probably come into play in the next chapter.