A/N: I finally kept my promise! A look back to fifteen years ago, when everything fell apart. What happened all those years ago? What really tore the best of friends apart? It's a long chapter too...please don't let that scare you away though!
Thanks to the one person who reviewed chapter 4, TheNextPoliticalDynasty...I was somewhat dissapointed that one person reviewed it...but that's okay! Thanks for reviewing TheNextPoliticalDynasty, read on and find out what one mistake led up to the hate between the gang. Oh, and 'cause I haven't thanked xXxSarahxXx for reviewing, thank you.
Here's Chapter 5, enjoy.
Chapter 5: Lunch At Kelso's
Kelso's was nothing more than a small crevice along the sidewalk. It seemed to be a large glass pane painted with the word "Kelso's" on it, with a simple brick wall, and a swinging door that hit a bell and rang "ding" whenever it was swung open. It seemed unimportant, unnoticeable, like nothing special. Passer-bys overlooked it, more often than not, never seeing the special-ness within. To every kid, Kelso's was a retreat, a hideaway from the outside world. A place where a good milkshake, or a delicious ice-cream cone, or a ball of Beanie McChimp gum could be attained for a reasonable sum of money, never exceeding the amount a small kid gains during allowance time. Perhaps the most memorable part of Kelso's was Kelso himself, the kindly old man that always offered a gentle smile to the kids and a good listening ear should there be a problem needing to be told. He never outright judged the children, and always gave them a chance. He offered them a home away from home, a place where kids could relax, hangout, and enjoy their youths.
TJ parked the rented car next to the curb outside of Kelso's, Spinelli seated beside him. Like all things in the small town, Kelso's awed them, bringing about a respectful silence. Spinelli laid her head against TJ's shoulder, kissing it lightly.
"I wonder if Kelso still runs the place," she said. TJ turned the car off and pulled the key from the ignition.
"Let's go," he told her, with a heavy sigh. TJ hadn't slept well that night. As predicted, the damn trolley bed was rather uncomfortable, not to mention his mom kept coming down and checking on him. She had said that she always did nightly checks, but TJ was certain she was only making sure he hadn't snuck up to his room to be with Spinelli. Not that the thought hadn't crossed his mind. It had, afterall, been five years since he and Spinelli hadn't shared a bed, excluding the rare times they'd gotten in fights and one of them ended up taking the couch. Even in those cases, they ended up fighting over who took the couch which usually brought about how stupid their original fight was and they both ended up in bed or the couch; wherever they were closest.
Together, TJ and Spinelli stepped out of the car and entered Kelso's. The place was fairly empty and Kelso, or any store attendant, was nowhere in sight. They walked a length in before seeing a familiar redhead sitting uncomfortably at a booth. Farther down they could see another youth, a tall young black man sitting near the jukebox sipping on a fountain drink. Both of the store's occupants turned scowling faces towards the newcomers.
"I don't believe this," Spinelli spat. She turned to head for the door when it opened and a lumbering hulk walked in. He stared down at her uncertainly.
"S...Spin...Spinelli? Wha...what's going on here?" the large young man asked, glancing about the room and immediately frowning, "Gretchen...Vincent...Theodore...? Why are you all here?" he demanded.
"Mikey?" Vince gapped, then shaking his head back to the situation at hand, "I came for a soda," he snapped, "I didn't know that this place was off limits to me. Maybe one of us needs to draw up a rule book, a map of where they're going to be at what time so I know where not to go."
"I was asked to meet someone here," Gretchen mumbled, glancing angrily at Spinelli before turning up her nose, "But that's none of your business."
"Well, I have been coming here everyday since my return, so I have more right to be here than any of you," Mikey growled. Gretchen promptly stood up, as did Vince.
"Well, if that's how you see it. Than by all means," Gretchen said making her way for the door, followed by Vince and then Spinelli.
"Wait!" TJ cried. Everyone turned to him and he paled. "I mean...I...uh..."
"What's going on out here?" a voice asked, as a short well-built young man walked out from the back. He bore a crew cut, a light green shirt, and loose jeans, as well as thick black-rimmed glasses. The young man took in the scene around him. "You're all early," he finally said.
"Sorry about that, Gus," TJ shrugged at the young man. Spinelli raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't believe you," she said, narrowing her eyes at him, she straightened, obviously confused and frustrated and headed for the door, "I'm leaving. And you're in deep shit when we get home, TJ."
"Spinelli, wait," TJ called, grabbing her hand. "Look...I wanted to tell you before, but you'd never have come. That's why I wanted to get here so fast, before Gretchen, Vince, and Mikey got here, so I could tell you then."
"You said you weren't tricking me," she argued, "That you just wanted a milkshake." TJ shrugged.
"I lied."
"I thought we talked about that last time," she hissed.
"No, you hit me last time," he smiled uncertainly.
"And don't think I won't hit you this time," she growled, pulled her hand from his, "Now tell us why the hell we're here, and this better be good."
"No, I'm not sticking around for this," Vince snapped, going for the door, "I'm not playing games with you, man. I don't have time for this. I'm a basketball star, I have practice to get to."
"Not that you need it," Gretchen said sarcastically.
"Yeah, not that I...stay out of this," he yelled.
"Will you guys stop?" Gus cried from the side, "This was my idea, not TJ's. I wanted you all to come here."
"You expect us to believe that?" Mikey demanded.
"No, but it's the truth," TJ interrupted, "Gus called me last night. I was suspicious at first, but he made a lot of sense. So I agreed to help him bring us all here. I called your parents, Vince, and told them to convince you to come here today."
"And Gretchen, I was the one you were here to meet...not some government agent with scientific findings," Gus said sheepishly.
"I was a little doubtful when you said you wanted to meet at Kelso's," Gretchen said, sounding exceptionally ticked.
"And since I'd been helping Kelso out in the back since I moved here again, I knew that Mikey came in every morning around this time," Gus explained.
"How come I never see you?" Mikey questioned, annoyed.
"I'm always in the back when you come, unloading boxes," Gus replied matter-of-factly.
"And yeah, I tricked you Spinelli," TJ whispered to her, "But can you please forgive me."
"No," she stated firmly.
"Come on," he mumbled, kissing her forehead, "I promise I won't do it again."
"Teej..." she grumbled, as he softly traced the contour of her jaw.
"I know how to make you forgive me," he mumbled, gently pushing her hair behind her ear, "I know for a fact, you can't resist..."
"Okay, Teej! Okay! Just not the ear," she cried, squirming away from him and covering her ears with cupped hands, "I forgive you...begrudgingly" As though they'd slipped into their own world for a moment, they seemed brought back to their surroundings as they looked around blushing at their company; who were all trying to appear as though they weren't paying attention.
"So...Spinelli and TJ...?" Mikey began.
"Seems that way," Gretchen replied, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"Why are we all here?" Vince questioned, glaring at Gus and more specifically TJ.
"Alright, when I learned that everyone was back in town, I gave TJ a call," Gus started.
"We got all of that already," Spinelli snapped, "Why are we all here?"
"If you would keep your mouth shut for longer than five seconds, Ashley Spinelli, we would find out," Mikey told her pompously.
"Thanks, Mikey..." Gus said.
"Just keep explaining," Mikey snarled.
"Right...you see...when my dad was relocated to Greenland...I had a lot of time to think about things away from this place. I was so angry with everyone...well...not so much angry as...I hated all of you. I didn't know why. And I bet none of you guys can think of a good reason as to why you all hate each other too."
"Because of what happened...because they're to blame," Vince started counting off on his fingers.
"No!" Gus shouted, "Those aren't good enough reasons. While I was gone I traveled a lot, all over the world. Right after I graduated high school I joined the Peace Corp. I saw a lot of kids, a lot of faces. I saw a lot of pain and unhappiness. But mostly, I saw friendships struggling to survive in the harshest of environments. And my hate...it faded...it became sadness."
"That is good, Gus, that you can change how you feel like that. But I still feel the same way. Pure and utter loathe," Gretchen told him, though her rough voice had softened a notch.
"But don't you get it, Gretch? When I first came here in the fourth grade, you guys were the best of friends, and I thought nothing could separate you," Gus went on, "But now, because of one little mistake fifteen years ago...now...because of that...because of what happened."
"Gus, we can't talk about that," Vince yelled.
"No, we can. And we have to," Gus argued, "You use it as an excuse to hate the best friends you ever had, yet you refuse to talk about it. It's not right. We have to talk about it."
"Gus...I don't think that this is the time..." TJ started, "What about...?"
"The pact? Screw the pact. What about our friendship? Or the friendship we used to have? Yes, I think now is the time to talk about it...It may be late, but now is the perfect time."
--------Nearly Fifteen Years Ago: The Story of the Pact and the One Forgotten--------
"Okay kids, settle down," Miss Finster said, walking into her fifth grade classroom. She glanced about the room as every kid took their seat, and paused only to glare down the resident troublemaker TJ Dettwieler. The young boy was sporting his usual red cap, turned backwards, and was sitting next to one of his five best friends Ashley Spinelli, dressed in her usual pigtails and leather jacket. Seated directly Behind TJ was Vince LaSalle, another of TJ's best friends. LaSalle was sporting a green basketball jersey and his winning smile. Beside Vince sat Mikey Blumberg, tall, large, and smiling innocently. And beside him was, of course, Gus Griswold, who sat behind Gretchen Grundler. Six inseparable friends smiling disarmingly up at their glowering teacher.
"Why, Miss Finster, what ever is the matter?" TJ asked, his grin widening.
"While I can't directly connect you to the disappearance of today's Lunchroom Surprise, resulting in the emergency call to the Pizza Shack, do not doubt that you are number one on my suspect list," Miss Finster scowled.
"Something happened to the Lunchroom Surprise?" TJ questioned, a mock look of shock and despair crossing his face, "Man, that truly whomps, and I was so looking forward to it today. I guess my stomach will just have to settle for pizza." The class covered their snickers as Miss Finster narrowed her eyes at TJ and walked away grumbling something about "hooligans" and how unfair the policy of "innocent until proven guilty" was.
"Alright, let's get started," Miss Finster snapped, "First things first, kids. We have a new student joining our class," Miss Finster announced then muttered under her breath, "Not that I don't have enough kids in here..." She made her way to the door, opening it and allowing a small girl to make her way in.
The girl was short, probably around Spinelli or even Gus's height. She wore a sweet smile and was missing one of her front teeth, her skin was pale milk white and she had long blond hair tied into a braid falling down her back. Deep golden eyes stared out at the class before her. She was dressed in a light yellow sundress, and clutching an eerie porcelain doll in her hands. The doll itself wasn't incredibly peculiar, just the fact that it looked so much like the young girl. It had long blond curls, fluttering about its cherubic face. Its eyes were golden as well, and the lips were painted an almost blood red. It wore a powder blue dress, and was quite lovely. Of course, this girl was a fifth grader still carrying around a doll, which earned frowns of disapproval from basically everyone in the class.
"Students, this is Mary Anna James, she comes from...was it Louisiana?" Miss Finster looked down at the small girl.
"Yes, ma'am," she replied.
"Why don't you take a seat next to..." Miss Finster glanced about the room.
"I see a desk is empty next to that boy," Mary Anna spoke up, pointing towards TJ. Indeed, the desk next to TJ beside the window was empty.
"Right...well, I guess you can sit there," Miss Finster mumbled, "Now get to your seat. We have learning to do."
Mary Anna crossed the room, tilting her head slightly and giggling at TJ whose brow furrowed in confusion. She sat down, setting her doll up in a sitting position in front of her on the desktop. She glanced over at TJ than leaned toward him a bit.
"Might'n I ask your name?" she whispered.
"Uh...TJ."
"That's a cute name," she giggled softly and a blush crept across TJ's cheeks.
"Um...thanks...but could you keep quiet, I mean, I don't want to get in anymore trouble right now," TJ replied.
"Oh...I don't think the teacher is paying attention anyways. This is Clara, she thinks you're kind of cute," Mary Anna said, touching her doll softly. TJ glanced at his friends for help.
"That's great...um...but I really think that..."
"Dettwieler!" Miss Finster snapped, "I won't have you dragging little Miss James into your troublemaking ways. You'll be serving lunch detention today."
"But Miss Finster..." TJ pleaded.
"Do you want to try for a week? I didn't think so. Pay attention!"
-0-0-0-0-
"Can you believe her? Getting TJ in trouble like that," Vince was complaining as the gang sat around the Cheese box in the playground during recess.
"Yeah, that new girl is a real creep," Spinelli agreed, "I heard her yapping on and on, then letting Teej take the blame. Makes me so angry, I think I should teach her a real lesson she'll never forget."
"Cool it, Spin," TJ said, entering the Cheese box having just gotten out of his fifteen minutes of lunch detention for "disrupting class". He sat down next to Vince and Gus and glanced around at the gang. "Let's not spend the rest of recess talking about that girl, I've already lost fifteen precious minutes because of her. Besides, during detention I had plenty of time to think up the perfect prank."
"Who's our unsuspecting target?" Gretchen inquired, pulling out Galileo just in case he would be needed.
"The Ashleys, who else?" TJ said, then scooted in, "So here's the plan..."
"Hi, y'all," a cheerful chirrup came from outside the box, "Why don't ya' introduce me to your friends, TJ." TJ froze, turning around to the smiling face of Mary Anna, sticking in through one of the holes in the Cheese box.
"Do you mind?" Spinelli demanded.
"This is a private conference," Gretchen told her.
"Meaning you weren't invited so get lost," Spinelli snapped.
"Oh...sorry," Mary Anna said disheartened, "I'll see you then...TJ." She disappeared across the playground leaving them.
"Man, I can't believe her," Vince cried, between gritted teeth.
"Now friends," Mikey soothed, "We mustn't judge her. She is new and attempting to befriend us. I for one would much rather extend..."
"She's talking to the Ashleys," Gus reported, glancing outside of the box.
"That little worm!" Spinelli cried, "She must have heard us talking and decided to squeal on us. Let me handle this," she tried to pull herself out of the box but Vince and Mikey held her back.
"Spinelli, TJ just got back from detention," Vince cried, "We don't need you getting yourself landed in there."
"Fine, fine...I'll cream her after school," she grinned menacingly, sitting back down on the sand.
"I guess we can't risk the prank on the Ashleys," Gus sighed.
"On the contrary, Gus," TJ said, "We'll just have to save it for another time. For now, let's just go play some kickball."
"Sounds good to me," Vince said. Rousing agreements from the entire gang.
But the days continued like that. Mary Anna James seemed to get in the way of everything the gang planned on doing, growing progressively more annoying. She also continued to get TJ in trouble, talking to him during class, passing him notes that he had no intention of reading, following him around on the playground, and even inadvertently letting slip his planned pranks for the day.
"I can't take this anymore!" TJ cried. The gang was hiding in the Ashleys clubhouse, having gained permission with a hefty amount of candy.
"Tell me about it, that doll totting gal is getting on my nerves," Spinelli agreed.
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about that new girl would you?" Ashley A. asked, sitting on a lounge chair with the other three Ashleys beside her.
"I thought you were gonna give us some privacy," Spinelli snapped at them.
"Hold it, Spinelli," TJ told her, stepping forward to address the Ashleys, "What if we are?"
"Frankly, we're sick of her," Ashley A. explained.
"Yeah, her and that creepy doll," Ashley Q. added.
"She's always following us around."
"Always butting in where she doesn't belong."
"And she has no fashion sense whatsoever."
"Hey, is that how you all feel?" TJ questioned.
"It's not just us," Ashley B. said, "She's getting on everyone's nerves in our class."
"Really," TJ said, raising an eyebrow mischievously and rubbing his hands together.
"I know that look, Teej," Spinelli said, "What's the plan?"
"First, we need to get some people together."
-0-0-0-0-
The final bell rang that day, but several students remained behind. TJ made his move, sidling up next to Mary Anna James and watching as his friends ran to take their positions.
"Hey, Mary Anna," TJ greeted her, "I wanted to show you something."
"Really," she smiled, "Where is it?"
"The back of the school, just stick with me," TJ told her. She walked beside him, slipping her hand into his.
"Just so I don't get lost in the crowd," she explained, smiling, clutching her doll tighter to her chest. TJ frowned, blushing slightly, as a few of the students dispersing from the school pointed at him and grinned humorously.
"Cute girlfriend, Dettwieler," Lawson called after them. TJ frowned, concentrating on the task at hand. He winked at a hidden figure in the crowd.
"The cat is in the bag, I repeat, the cat is in the bag," the figure whispered into a handheld radio.
"What's that mean, anyways?" came an angry static-filled reply.
"They're headed your way."
TJ led Mary Anna out of the school, flipping thumbs up to two kids seated on the swings. He led her into the gym at the back of the school. Led her to the trap.
-0-0-0-0-
"That was awesome," Spinelli cried, slapping TJ a high-five and kicking at the porcelain shards scattered across the blacktop.
"I must agree, that was a truly excellent and well deployed prank," Menlo agreed, standing slightly away, "I'm just glad I was able to get her in time to view it in motion."
"I can't believe she fainted," TJ laughed.
"That was an added bonus," Ashley A. agreed, laughing.
"I hope she'll be alright," Mikey said, glancing through the glass window of the gym, though he couldn't see the sprawled out form of Mary Anna James.
"Nice job, everyone," TJ praised, glancing around at all the kids encircling him. Butch and Francis the Hustler Kid were chatting and Francis laughed uproariously about whatever Butch had told him. The Ashleys shared a moment to spout their catchphrase "Scan-da-lous", Menlo straightened his glasses, and the Diggers shared a chuckled at Mary Anna's expense.
"Hey, you guys!" a voice squealed, while a short boy with brown curls ran over to them, "Miss Finster's all taken care of, she's leaving for the day. How'd it go?"
"Everything went according to plan, Randall," TJ said.
"Let's hope she learned her lesson. Trying to take my job as playground snitch," Randall laughed, glancing in the gym and removing a key from his pocket, "An added bit of fun," he explained, locking the gym door.
"That may be going too far, Randall," Vince spoke up.
"I agree, what if she were to be locked in there the entire night?" Gretchen questioned.
"Oh, don't worry. Hank has to mop the gym tonight," Randall chuckled, "He'll find her before six, at the very latest."
"I can vouch for that," Menlo took Randall's side, "Hank is scheduled for a complete wipe down of the gym, and Hank never misses his appointed cleanings."
"Alright, alright, if it will teach her not to bother us," Ashley A. said.
"Even if this experience taught her nothing," Spinelli laughed, "At least her creepy doll is gone." She bent down, picking up the body of the doll with the golden locks, its face bashed in.
"I do kind of feel bad about that," TJ mumbled, "I mean, I didn't mean for her property to be destroyed."
"Oh, get over it, Dettwieler," Ashley B. told him, "What's done is done."
"Yeah, she like, totally got half our make-up collection confiscated, she so deserved it," Ashley Q. agreed.
"I suppose," TJ muttered, glancing unhappily at the doll.
"Let's go home," Vince said, slumping an arm over TJ's shoulders and leading him away, "We'll go get an ice cream at Kelso's for a job well done."
"I'm all for that," Gus cried, as the rest of the gang fell into step behind them and the rest of their partners-in-crime dispersed.
It was late that evening when TJ arrived home to find his mother and father sitting on the couch watching the news. He shut the door quietly behind him, but his mother still heard, jumping from her seat and running to him, throwing her arms about him.
"Oh, TJ!" she cried.
"What's going on, mom?" he asked, struggling to escape her grasp.
"I was so worried. When you didn't come home...and what with the news saying..."
"Saying what?"
"There was a fire at the school, son," TJ's dad said, getting up and placing a comforting hand on his boy's shoulder.
"The gym burned down and the news anchor is saying that a child may have been in the building," TJ's mother wept, tightening her hold on her son, "And when you didn't come home..."
"The gym..."
-0-0-0-0-
"Why are we all here, TJ?" Ashley A. questioned, huddled beside the other Ashleys by the fence outside of Third Street Elementary.
"Yeah, Teej, you sounded like you saw a ghost on the phone," Spinelli said. There they all stood, the conspirators, gathered around the playground.
"You probably all heard about the gym burning down," TJ told them, "Well...I went to the James' house, Mary Anna hasn't come home."
"What?" the group inquired in blurry unison.
"What are you trying to say, TJ?" Digger Dave asked, finding his voice where the others couldn't.
"I can't say it," TJ choked, "I just...you all know what..." he closed his eyes, trying to find what to say, "Did you bring it, Spinelli?"
"Yeah," she told him, opening the bag she had flung over her shoulder and pulling out the broken doll, "I tossed it in the dumpster, so it's a little dirty."
"That explains the smell," Ashley Q. said, turning up her nose, "You, like, so went in after it didn't you." The Ashleys all plugged their noses and glared at her in disgust.
"Now's not the time for making jokes," TJ snarled at them, "We may be responsible for..."
"Us, responsible? No way," the diggers cried in unison.
"Yeah, TJ, it was your idea," Vince said, as the kids turned their glares on him.
"We did not come here to gang up on, TJ," Mikey spoke up, standing beside the short young man whose pallor was pale, "Speak your mind my friend."
"We have to take some action," TJ told them, "We have to do something."
"I say we bury whatever evidence ties us to this and forget about it," Digger Sam stepped forward.
"Yeah, this kind of thing can ruin a life, or sixteen lives in our case," Francis spoke up.
"If that's what you want to do..." TJ mumbled.
"We vote," Gretchen said, "All those who feel we should...ah...bury the evidence...raise your hands." TJ watched as one by one each person standing around him raised their hand. Finally, Spinelli, glancing almost apologetically at him, lifted her hand in the air. TJ sighed and gave in, raising his hand as well. He didn't know what else there was to do, and frankly, he didn't think anyone else did either.
"We'll make it official," Menlo said, "I'll draw up a pact."
"And beware," Butch told them all, "Whoever breaks a pact, pays the ultimate price." The group shared a gulp.
"Where will we bury the stuff?" Digger Dave questioned.
"Near the remains of the gym," TJ suggested, "We'll bury it, and forget about it."
So they buried it and signed the pact, but they didn't forget about it.
END A/N: An odd place to end the chapter, I know, and I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, where we get into the real details behind their animosity towards one another, as well as the emotions they each are feeling at Kelso's as well as after the event fifteen years ago.
I didn't go into detail of the actual prank, either, for those who are dissapointed about that, only because it's not important yet.
Thanks for reading, and please, please, please, please, please, please review. I don't like to beg...but please!
Oh, and as usual, I apologize for any grammatical or typing errors. I can't, however, apologize for crappy writing on my part because that's unavoidable.