Title: Must Get Out
Rating: PG-13 for language and themes
Characters: Ellie, Spinner, Paige, Ashley, Marco…(pretty much everyone, eventually)
Pairings: Spinner/Ellie, Manny/JT, not sure about any other pairings
Summary: Slight AU. She thinks he's an immature, self-centered pig. He thinks she's a weirdo, gothic freak. What happens when they start to care? Ellie/Spinner shipper fic.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Don't sue. The song '1979' belongs to The Smashing Pumpkins.
A/N: Well, to tell you the absolute truth, I didn't think this chapter was going to come out for at least a month. But I decided that would be mean. And plus, I had Thursday and Friday off of school because of hurricane Isabel and I also have tomorrow off, so lots of free time on my hands. Not to mention I needed something to keep me occupied so I don't go insane. I haven't played volleyball in 4 days and it's making me crazy. Volleyball is becoming my life…and that's sad. Well, onward![ Ashley, 9-21-03 ]
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Chapter 4: Shakedown 1979, Cool Kids Never Have the Time
"So meet me in the lobby after school?" Ellie asked Manny as the bell rung.
"Okay," Manny said gathering her things. "See you then."
"Alright, bye," Ellie bid farewell to Manny and the two girls went their separate ways.
'Ah, free at last,' Ellie thought as she headed towards the library. 'Off to Study Hall AKA Show up for the first five minutes then go home.'
To make a long story short, Study Hall was one of those bull shit classes that all you have to do is show up to get an A. As long as there were a few people there that actually used Study Hall to study, you could leave and the proctor wouldn't even notice. Half the time, the proctor was either asleep or not even there, so everyone usually left.
When Ellie finally made it to the library, she noticed Marco sitting at a table near the back of the room.
"Hey Marco," Ellie said taking the seat next to him. "I didn't know you signed up for Study Hall."
"Oh, hey Elle," he replied, looking up from the book he had been reading. "I only signed up because my Mom said I should take a break before AP Chemistry."
"AP chemistry?" Ellie said with a humorous whistle. "I could barely get by with a C in standard Chemistry, but Advanced Chemistry? I think you got a little too much sun this summer." Marco laughed.
"Yeah well, just because you suck at Chemistry doesn't mean we all do," he said jokingly.
"Oh, shut up," Ellie laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
Just as the late bell rang, an overweight man with a bored look on his face walked up to the desk in the front of the library and threw his briefcase on top. He had gray hair and thick glasses that magnified his eyes, making them look quite large.
"Alright, I'm Mr. Jar and this is Study Hall," he said in a monotone voice that made Ellie want to put her head down and fall asleep. "The name is exactly what it is. You come here to Study and prepare for any upcoming tests or whatnot. From now on, whenever you come in here you will sign this attendance sheet so I know that you're here. But since it's the first day, I'm just going to pass it around. So sign your name, then pass it on to the next person. After you've signed your name, you are free to roam around the library. If you need me, I'll be at my desk."
As soon as the attendance sheet made it's way to Ellie and Marco, Ellie quickly scribbled her name and started packing up her books that she had taken out for no reason whatsoever.
"Where are you going?" Marco said after he passed the attendance sheet to the next table.
"Duh, somewhere a little less dull then here," she said smacking him lightly on the forehead. "Aren't you coming?"
"Nope, sorry Elle," he apologized. "It's the beginning of the year, I want to get a good start. I'm hoping for a 4.0 this year."
"You are such a nerd," Ellie laughed. Marco grinned.
"Why Ellie, dear. You offend me greatly."
"Don't worry, you're my favorite nerd," she smiled and gave him a peck on the head. "Well, have fun studying. You're the only one I know who can."
"Yeah, yeah. See you later."
"Bye," she waved to Marco and exited the library. She took a right and went out the door in the back of the school. She quickly scanned the parking lot until she spotted her '96 barf green Toyota. She headed over to her car and checked her watch.
'Hm…an hour and 45 minutes to do whatever I want,' Ellie thought with a satisfied grin on her face. 'Oh, the possibilities.'
She took out her keys and got in the car. She put the key in the ignition and started 'her' up. Only problem being, 'she' didn't want to be started up. Ellie tried again only to get an agonizing screech back.
"Oh come on! Don't do this to me!" Ellie said starting her up one more time, but no luck. "Shit!" She banged her head on the steering wheel, only to have a very loud horn scare her half to death. Once she finally calmed down, her heart once again started racing because someone had decided to knock on her window that very second. She tilted her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes.
'Damn it,' Ellie thought, knowing for sure it was Raditch. 'Busted, twice in one day.'
But when Ellie saw who it was on the other side, she wasn't sure whether she should be pissed or relieved. She rolled down the window and glared at the person.
"Mason, what the hell do you want?" she asked angrily. Spinner just grinned at her.
"I noticed you were having car problems," he said tapping the car's hood.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Ellie said wanting nothing more to run over the boy that made her life miserable.
"Well, I just happen to know a lot about cars. I am, in fact, the assistant manager of Max's Auto Body Shop," he said with a smirk.
"That's great and all, but oh yeah. Maybe you forgot," Ellie said sarcastically, "I really don't give a shit."
"Well maybe you will give a shit if I offer to fix your car up in no time. And now that I have, what do you say?"
"I'd say you must think I'm a real idiot if you actually think I'll buy that," Ellie said with a roll of her eyes. "What's the catch?"
"No catch, I just need you to drive me to the mall and back to school," Spinner said hopefully.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Ellie said with a laugh.
"Come on? Please?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to say no to that one," she said starting to roll up her window.
"Alright, fine. But if you don't have a car, how will you get home?" Spinner asked casually. He put a hand to his chin and made it look like he was thinking. "Oh, I know. You could always ride the bus. I'm sure the smelly kid with the Digimon book bag would be happy to sit next to you. Or, you could catch a ride with Cory the Headgear Kid and his mom. But Cory always gets shotgun, riding in the back makes him carsick."
'Oh man,' Ellie thought with a cringe. 'He's right, and that never happens! And what about Lain? She won't be able to go to work. And I told Manny I'd drive her home. Oh…crap!'
"Fine," Ellie said stubbornly.
"Great," Spinner smiled. "Give me ten minutes, and she'll be fixed in no time."
Ellie had doubted him at first, but found that Spinner was indeed a man of his word. He was, as he said he would be, done in ten minutes. Maybe even less. Ellie had to admit she was impressed, but that didn't mean she had to tell him that she was.
Once he was finished, Spinner wiped his oily hands off on the inside of his shirt, much to Ellie's dismay.
"Gross," Ellie said, scrunching her face up in disgust as Spinner sat in the passenger's seat. "The least you could do was go back inside and wash your hands." She put her foot on the gas and they were off.
"It's not like anyone's going to be looking at the inside of my shirt. Well, anyone who would see the inside of my shirt probably wouldn't care much at the time anyways," Spinner said suggestively with a wink. Ellie rolled her eyes.
"Alright, there is a one lame, perverted joke limit in this car and you just used yours," she said. Spinner laughed.
"But you still have yours," he said. "Better use it wisely. If I had known that there was a limit, I would've given you one ten times funnier. I'm the king you know."
"I'm sure," Ellie laughed and Spinner laughed with her.
'Oh my God. I'm laughing with him, not at him. This is way too weird. Back to School weirdness sinking in I guess,' Ellie thought, trying to convince herself.
"So, why do you need to go to the mall?" Ellie said, changing the subject. "Not that I care or anything, but it's my gas you're wasting, so it had better be important."
"It's Paige's birthday tomorrow and it's the first year I haven't forgotten," Spinner started. "I worked double shift and everything just so I had enough money to get her something nice for once."
"I'm wasting gas money on Paige?"
"Well, it's better than driving home with Cory the Headgear Kid," Spinner said nudging her in the arm.
"I guess so," Ellie agreed.
'Did he just touch my arm?' Ellie thought to her self as she tried to concentrate on the road. 'What is his problem? He's acting like we're friends or something'
Ellie shifted uncomfortably before turning on the CD player to ease the awkward silence that was forming. Smashing Pumpkin's "1979" filled the air and was the only sound heard until they reached the mall.
"So what are you planning on getting her?" Ellie asked him as they strolled past the Young Miss section.
"I don't know, I was thinking maybe a CD or something," Spinner said with a shrug. Ellie stopped dead in her tracks.
"Okay, first you tell me you worked double shift so you could get her something nice and you want to get her a CD?" Ellie asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Spinner said. He had a disappointed look on his face, until his eyes lit up. "Oh, I know! She likes cheerleading, I could get her pom-poms or something. Or maybe one of those cone shaped things they yell into. What are they called?"
"You are unbelievable," Ellie shook her head as they walked past the lingerie section. "I actually feel sorry for Paige. She has the biggest jackass in the world for a boyfriend."
"Paige doesn't have a boyfriend," Spinner told her in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Um, yeah she does," Ellie said, obviously confused.
"No, if she did, she would definitely tell me," Spinner informed her.
"What are you talking about? You're her boyfriend!" Ellie blurted out, making a few of their fellow shoppers look at her funny.
"I'm not Paige's boyfriend," Spinner told her with a raised eyebrow.
"What? You two have been going out for like two years, you're Degrassi's hottest couple," Ellie said, realizing just now that everything she had heard or thought about Spinner and Paige was probably wrong.
"Well if we are, someone forgot to tell me. Yeah, we went out for a while back in Grade 10, but we're just friends. You do have a chance after all, Nash," he said with a smirk.
"Oh stop, you're making me blush," Ellie said sarcastically in a plain tone, not unlike that of a certain Daria.
"But you may have to wait. There will be a very long line ahead of you," Spinner laughed. Ellie bit her lip to keep from smiling and rolled her eyes.
"You keep telling yourself that."
In the end, Spinner decided on an expensive silver charm bracelet that he found in Express, which Ellie refused profusely to go in. After buying the gift, the pair started wandering around the mall.
"Well, we still have like a half an hour before fourth period starts," Ellie said, giving Spinner a time check.
"Man, that means I missed lunch," Spinner said.
"We can eat here if you want, but you're paying," Ellie said, feeling hungry herself.
"Why do I have to pay?" Spinner whined childishly while walking towards the ice cream stand.
"Because I was a nice girl and drove you here," Ellie said sweetly as she stepped in line with him to get ice cream. "And if you don't, I'll leave you here."
"How nice," Spinner said sarcastically.
When they got to the cashier, they both gave their orders, which happened to be the same thing. A one scoop strawberry ice cream on a cone with sprinkles on the top.
'Well that was disturbing,' Ellie thought as they made their way to a table after they got their ice cream.
"So what were you doing skipping anyways?" Spinner said, interrupting her thoughts.
"I have Study Hall third period," Ellie shrugged. Spinner nodded in understanding.
"I have Child Development Study third period. I decided that one class probably wouldn't make a difference," Spinner rolled his eyes.
"You take CDS?" Ellie laughed. Spinner blushed.
"Shut up. My mom made me take it," Spinner said, suddenly becoming very interested in the table. "She said if I ever did have unprotected sex, she wanted me to be prepared."
"Oh my God!" Ellie exclaimed and started cracking up. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Spinner said, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"Spin?" someone from behind Spinner said.
"Paige, what are you doing here?" Spinner asked, standing up. Ellie stopped laughing and considered hightailing it out of there as soon as possible, knowing that this wouldn't be pretty.
'Just need to find the nearest exit,' she thought, looking around.
"It's lunch period for me and you know I wouldn't be caught dead eating anything Shelia serves," Paige said folding her arms across her chest. "I think the real question is, what are you doing here? And with her?" She nodded towards Ellie. Ellie rolled her eyes.
"I needed a ride to the mall, and she was the only one around," Spinner told her.
"Oh, so I wasn't your first choice?" Ellie said in mock angry voice. Paige glared at her.
"Hun, stay out of this, okay?" she told her snottily. After sending her a death glare which Ellie happily returned, she turned back to Spinner. "Why on earth did you need to go to the mall?" Spinner thought for a minute, then let out a dramatic sigh.
"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise," Spinner said, handing her the Express bag, "but Happy Birthday." Paige took the bag, looked inside it and squealed. Ellie grimaced at the sound.
"You remembered!" Paige said happily, putting the charm bracelet on. "I love it! Thank you so much, sweetie!" She gave him a hug. Ellie sat there awkwardly, watching the exchange.
'Yeah, now would be a great time to leave,' she thought to herself.
"Well, I hate to interrupt this little Kodak moment, but fourth period calls," Ellie said standing up.
"Spin, you can get a ride with me," Paige said, linking arms with him.
"Um, okay. Thanks, Nash," he said before he was dragged away by Paige.
"Anytime, moron," Ellie shook her head and laughed. "Anytime."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Wow, I'm done. I hope you liked it. I felt the need to put a Smashing Pumpkin's song in at least one of my fics. Well, review and tell me what you think. Speaking of reviewers:
Afradeofthedark: I'm glad you like it. Sorry I'm not updating very often, but I try to update whenever I can. Thanks for reviewing.
Solus Nemo: Oh wow, thank you so much. I am a big fan of your work, so I was really excited when I saw that you reviewed my story. Your review really made me smile ^-^ Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Care bear1017: I'm glad you like it, and I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reviewing.
PsYcHoJo: Why thank you, dearie. LOL. And who knows, maybe someone will end up smacking Claire. Thanks for reviewing.
Cinnamon Curls: LOL, I'm glad you love, love, love my story, and I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you so much for reviewing.
Chocl8chps: I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Spinner/Ellie would be cute. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you liked this chapter.
No-halos: Thanks for the review! I'm happy that you like my story, and I hope you liked the new chapter.
Ellectra: I like the old season, too. But I've only seen the School's Out movie. Wow, your friend is an extra? That's awesome! Thanks for reviewing. And I agree, Spinner is very hot! LOL.
Emmy-bone-kat: LOL, you used a two-dollar word! Golden star for you. Anywho, thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter.
Kittie06: Hey there. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I think you're referring to the summary where it says "He thinks she's a weirdo, gothic freak." I put that because both Spinner and Ellie have judgmental opinions of each other. Ellie sees Spinner as a jock, but he really isn't. Spinner sees Ellie as a Goth, but she really isn't. They are both giving each other labels based on what they think about each other. I hope that cleared things up. Thanks for reviewing.
TearsOfTheStars: Yes, getting hit by a soccer ball in the face does hurt. Getting hit in the face with a basketball and volleyball hurts as well. LOL. I guess it was a tribute to anyone who has ever been hit in the face with any time of ball. LOL. Anywho, thanks for putting me under you Favorite Stories list ^-^ And thanks for reviewing.
EvenAngelsFall22: Thank you for reviewing. I can tell by your stories (which I love, by the way) that you are a big Spinner/Paige shipper, so I'm glad you gave this story a chance. Oh, and the whole Gym teacher/Beef Jerky Spice thing was based off my gym teacher in 9th Grade. She was…scary. LOL. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter.
Thanks you guys. Gold stars for all of you. Wow, I just read Degrassi spoilers for season 3. And if they are true, whoo boy…this should be one interesting season. If your like me and can't wait, the spoilers are at the Degrassi The Next Generation yahoo group. Well, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. Bye.
[ Ashley, 10-12-03 ]