A/N: Thank you all for the reviews!
OH and thanks to punkxrawker for reminding me of what Toby's dad's name was! ;)
Chapter Nine- SlimFast and Experiments
"Just drop your stuff in the living room," Ashley told Ellie as they entered her house after school.
Ellie did as instructed, and helped herself to the kitchen. She scanned every cabinet and the inside of the pantry.
"What IS all this?" Ellie demanded, holding up a Slim-Fast packaged meal.
Ashley laughed slightly. "Oh. Heh. Jeff's on a health food diet spree this month."
"Okay, last months fishing obsession was one thing, but THIS? Please tell me you have some real food somewhere."
"We have some popsicles in the freezer," Ashley suggested.
"It'll have to do," Ellie said, opening the door to the freezer, and pulling out the box. She handed one to Ash and grabbed another for herself.
"So, want to get started on that MI homework?" Ashley asked, taking the box from Ellie and putting it back.
"Um, no."
"Come on, El. I NEED a good grade in that class. Simpson has been on my case since last marking period. Let's just get it over with," Ashley said.
"Mr. Simpson has been on everyone's case lately. But if we must," she replied, unenthusiastically.
They both walked into the study, and Ashley booted up her computer as Ellie pulled up another chair. She noticed her sign onto her AIM.
"Oh, yeah, we're really getting this homework done," Ellie mumbled sarcastically.
"I just want to see who's on."
Ellie rolled her eyes, and waited as Ashley IMed the one and only Craig Manning.
overXposed- Hey [insert wink smiley face here]. What's up?
pictureperfect- Just attempting to work on a project with Ellie. Call me later?
overXposed- sure thing. [insert ANOTHER wink smiley face here].
Ashley put up an away message and minimized everything.
"Let's get started, shall we?" she said.
"Yeah, whatever."
After twenty minutes of working, Ellie declared that she was sick of it and wanted to take a break. So, they went outside and sat on the porch steps after grabbing another popsicle.
"So..." Ashley said. "How are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked, biting off the tip of her popsicle.
"I mean, you know..." her voice trailed off, and she was staring at her wrists.
"Ash!"
"What? I'm just wondering!"
"You sound exactly like Paige. It's been months. I'm fine, okay?" Ellie told her.
"Okay, okay, I was just curious. Things have been looking up for you, haven't they?"
"Not especially..." Ellie mumbled under breath.
"No, I mean things with you and Jimmy," Ashley said, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Shut up. We're friends. I just can't believe it won't bother you if he's with someone else, considering all of your past history."
"El, I've moved on. He needs to move on too. Come on, I mean, we were together in grade eight and, for what? Not even a week in grade nine. It's over," Ashley explained. "We're two different people."
"Last year, maybe. This year? You seem to have a lot more in common than you did last year," Ellie said.
"How?"
Ellie just shrugged. "Never mind. Let's go, the MI homework calls. We're not even half-way done."
------
"Okay, class," Ms. Hatzilakos said, Tuesday morning, "I want you paired up with person at your lab table, and we're going to conduct the experiment I was talking about earlier. I HOPE you were all paying attention."
JT looked across the room at Manny, who was sitting next to Sean Cameron.
He better not put any moves on her, he thought jealously.
"JT, hello?" came the voice of his lab partner. Liberty Van Zandt.
"Um, yeah?" he said, not taking his eyes off Manny.
"Want to go get the supplies or would you rather I do it?" she asked.
He said nothing. He just sat there, staring as Manny got up.
"JT!" she exclaimed, getting annoyed. "Fine. I'll do it!"
She stomped up to the front of the room, pushing past people anxiously. She lived for science.
Ten minutes into the experiment, Mr. Raditch paid the class a visit.
"Ms. H, can I please borrow Manny Santos for a moment?" he asked. Once he said that, the class began ooh-ing and ahh-ing.
"Sure, Mr. Raditch. Manny?" Ms. Hatzilakos said.
Wearing a pair of low-rise short shorts and a spaghetti strapped, stomach-revealing, low-cut tank top, she stood up and walked out of the classroom with the principal.
"What do you think that was about?" JT asked Liberty, as if she'd have the slightest clue.
"No idea, but my guess is it isn't something good," Liberty snapped.
"What's your problem with Manny? Didn't you guys used to be friends or something?" JT asked her.
"Friends? That's pushing a little, don't you think? Anyways, she's just changed. I don't need to associate myself with her."
"That's a little harsh," he said, getting defensive.
"I don't think it's harsh enough. Look at who she's become. But I don't think you would understand that," Liberty said to him. "Okay, look, we need to get back to the experiment."
"I wouldn't understand?" JT asked, curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Just forget it."
JT sighed, and began helping Liberty with the experiment, trying to forget about what she had said.
----
The bell rang and each student filed out of Mr. Armstrong's class. Ellie walked out, heading for her locker. Lunch time. She wasn't hungry at all, but she figured it was only twenty-five minutes to sit through.
She entered the lunchroom, and went to find a seat when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.
"Ellie!"
She turned her head. It was Marco. She headed over in his direction. She noticed him sitting with Ashley and Craig.
"Aren't you going to get anything to eat?" Ashley asked her as Ellie sat down and propped her head up with her hand.
"I'm not hungry," she replied.
"Here, take some of my fries," Marco said, handing her a few.
Ellie rolled her eyes, and accepted the food.
It was three minutes before the bell rang. Her eyes scanned the room in boredom. She stopped and stared as Paige, Spinner, Hazel, Terri and Jimmy sat at a table near theirs. Jimmy. He hadn't spoken a word to her at all since homeroom.
He has his own life, remember? She thought to herself.
But part of her wished he would come over and talk to her.
He's got better things to do than talk to you ALL day, she thought viciously.
He had said all those great things to her, though.
She didn't even know why she cared so much. But she did. What was wrong with her?
[A/N: Hope you like it. Just to let you know, the JT/Manny thing is the subplot, so you most likely won't be seeing them in EVERY chapter.]
OH and thanks to punkxrawker for reminding me of what Toby's dad's name was! ;)
Chapter Nine- SlimFast and Experiments
"Just drop your stuff in the living room," Ashley told Ellie as they entered her house after school.
Ellie did as instructed, and helped herself to the kitchen. She scanned every cabinet and the inside of the pantry.
"What IS all this?" Ellie demanded, holding up a Slim-Fast packaged meal.
Ashley laughed slightly. "Oh. Heh. Jeff's on a health food diet spree this month."
"Okay, last months fishing obsession was one thing, but THIS? Please tell me you have some real food somewhere."
"We have some popsicles in the freezer," Ashley suggested.
"It'll have to do," Ellie said, opening the door to the freezer, and pulling out the box. She handed one to Ash and grabbed another for herself.
"So, want to get started on that MI homework?" Ashley asked, taking the box from Ellie and putting it back.
"Um, no."
"Come on, El. I NEED a good grade in that class. Simpson has been on my case since last marking period. Let's just get it over with," Ashley said.
"Mr. Simpson has been on everyone's case lately. But if we must," she replied, unenthusiastically.
They both walked into the study, and Ashley booted up her computer as Ellie pulled up another chair. She noticed her sign onto her AIM.
"Oh, yeah, we're really getting this homework done," Ellie mumbled sarcastically.
"I just want to see who's on."
Ellie rolled her eyes, and waited as Ashley IMed the one and only Craig Manning.
overXposed- Hey [insert wink smiley face here]. What's up?
pictureperfect- Just attempting to work on a project with Ellie. Call me later?
overXposed- sure thing. [insert ANOTHER wink smiley face here].
Ashley put up an away message and minimized everything.
"Let's get started, shall we?" she said.
"Yeah, whatever."
After twenty minutes of working, Ellie declared that she was sick of it and wanted to take a break. So, they went outside and sat on the porch steps after grabbing another popsicle.
"So..." Ashley said. "How are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked, biting off the tip of her popsicle.
"I mean, you know..." her voice trailed off, and she was staring at her wrists.
"Ash!"
"What? I'm just wondering!"
"You sound exactly like Paige. It's been months. I'm fine, okay?" Ellie told her.
"Okay, okay, I was just curious. Things have been looking up for you, haven't they?"
"Not especially..." Ellie mumbled under breath.
"No, I mean things with you and Jimmy," Ashley said, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Shut up. We're friends. I just can't believe it won't bother you if he's with someone else, considering all of your past history."
"El, I've moved on. He needs to move on too. Come on, I mean, we were together in grade eight and, for what? Not even a week in grade nine. It's over," Ashley explained. "We're two different people."
"Last year, maybe. This year? You seem to have a lot more in common than you did last year," Ellie said.
"How?"
Ellie just shrugged. "Never mind. Let's go, the MI homework calls. We're not even half-way done."
------
"Okay, class," Ms. Hatzilakos said, Tuesday morning, "I want you paired up with person at your lab table, and we're going to conduct the experiment I was talking about earlier. I HOPE you were all paying attention."
JT looked across the room at Manny, who was sitting next to Sean Cameron.
He better not put any moves on her, he thought jealously.
"JT, hello?" came the voice of his lab partner. Liberty Van Zandt.
"Um, yeah?" he said, not taking his eyes off Manny.
"Want to go get the supplies or would you rather I do it?" she asked.
He said nothing. He just sat there, staring as Manny got up.
"JT!" she exclaimed, getting annoyed. "Fine. I'll do it!"
She stomped up to the front of the room, pushing past people anxiously. She lived for science.
Ten minutes into the experiment, Mr. Raditch paid the class a visit.
"Ms. H, can I please borrow Manny Santos for a moment?" he asked. Once he said that, the class began ooh-ing and ahh-ing.
"Sure, Mr. Raditch. Manny?" Ms. Hatzilakos said.
Wearing a pair of low-rise short shorts and a spaghetti strapped, stomach-revealing, low-cut tank top, she stood up and walked out of the classroom with the principal.
"What do you think that was about?" JT asked Liberty, as if she'd have the slightest clue.
"No idea, but my guess is it isn't something good," Liberty snapped.
"What's your problem with Manny? Didn't you guys used to be friends or something?" JT asked her.
"Friends? That's pushing a little, don't you think? Anyways, she's just changed. I don't need to associate myself with her."
"That's a little harsh," he said, getting defensive.
"I don't think it's harsh enough. Look at who she's become. But I don't think you would understand that," Liberty said to him. "Okay, look, we need to get back to the experiment."
"I wouldn't understand?" JT asked, curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Just forget it."
JT sighed, and began helping Liberty with the experiment, trying to forget about what she had said.
----
The bell rang and each student filed out of Mr. Armstrong's class. Ellie walked out, heading for her locker. Lunch time. She wasn't hungry at all, but she figured it was only twenty-five minutes to sit through.
She entered the lunchroom, and went to find a seat when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.
"Ellie!"
She turned her head. It was Marco. She headed over in his direction. She noticed him sitting with Ashley and Craig.
"Aren't you going to get anything to eat?" Ashley asked her as Ellie sat down and propped her head up with her hand.
"I'm not hungry," she replied.
"Here, take some of my fries," Marco said, handing her a few.
Ellie rolled her eyes, and accepted the food.
It was three minutes before the bell rang. Her eyes scanned the room in boredom. She stopped and stared as Paige, Spinner, Hazel, Terri and Jimmy sat at a table near theirs. Jimmy. He hadn't spoken a word to her at all since homeroom.
He has his own life, remember? She thought to herself.
But part of her wished he would come over and talk to her.
He's got better things to do than talk to you ALL day, she thought viciously.
He had said all those great things to her, though.
She didn't even know why she cared so much. But she did. What was wrong with her?
[A/N: Hope you like it. Just to let you know, the JT/Manny thing is the subplot, so you most likely won't be seeing them in EVERY chapter.]