Ooh, let's see who else likes T.J.! Okay, well, Spinelli actually said quite the contrary, but will she stick to that?

Yeah, she will. Until the bitter end and then some…

But don't worry, aside from the three (well, okay, more like two) girls fighting over T.J., there'll be more complications. It's kinda weird, this story…

For the most part, it switches between the three girl's POVs… And I can honestly say that I hate writing this POV the most… Argh. I'm used to Spinelli… And the other one's kinda fun and easier, but… Argh!

Anyways, so they kinda go together, you see… Because one picks up practically where the previous one left off… So, this one starts at school. Which means it'll take forever for a day to pass, like in a soap opera, but whatever.

I don't own Recess, the girl's POV, or T.J. Oh, there's a lot of references to episodes in this fic… Whatever…

Ah, another day has begun and I feel extraordinary. Okay, well, I don't exactly feel extraordinary. As a matter of fact, I was up rather late last night pondering certain issues. I believe that I covered them rather well, but my findings were unsatisfactory.

I was ruminating over my companions and analyzing them, of course, as I do once every week.

Generally I do this for a few minutes, but this time, for some reason, my mind had planned a more thorough, in-depth scrutiny of the characters that are featured prominently in my life.

My discoveries were rather unfortunate, for I was thinking and I realized that, well, I had been completely unaware of latent feelings I possess for one of my best friends. I understand that I should be glad to even be capable of possessing these feelings at all and that I should celebrate them rather than rue their existence. However, there are more circumstances involved in my little problem.

For example, our friendship would likely be ruined if I ever mentioned these emotions to him. You cannot find love, like, whatever this feeling is called, in fifth grade. It only results in mockery, embarrassment, and heartache, as demonstrated by Spinelli's crush on Johnny V. and Jeffrey's crush on me.

I know that there's no possible way I could maintain my sanity without him as a friend. It would be so awkward between us that all the others would see, and then I couldn't be friends with them either. They have more loyalty to him than me. After all, he's the glue that holds us all together.

Really, when you think about it, we do all belong in different groups. I should be a pale kid, a "geek". Spinelli should hang out with the criminals and bullies. Vince should be a jock. Gus would be with the younger kids, or maybe he'd be a pale kid like me. Mikey would hang out with Guru Kid or maybe some younger kids. T.J. would be, well, I don't really know where he'd be. Maybe he'd hang out with the Ashleys; perhaps he'd be King Bob's bodyguard. I'm glad we'll never know, to tell the truth.

I suppose opposites attract.

Not to mention that, aside from distressing myself with thoughts of losing all my friends if I told him, there's another person involved.

She likes him too.

Her mother said so, and I believe her now, after going over certain occurrences.

I also think, after debating it for a while, and replaying memories that I now wished I could delete from my memory repeatedly, that he likes her back.

A part of that thought breaks my heart, but of course, another part offers me large options. It gave me a most interesting flush of ideas that will both thrill me and hurt me.

Is it not ironic that even though we both have feelings for the same boy, yet I can be happy AND heartbroken at seeing them together?

Of course, I'll have to help with that. He's very clueless and she's rather closed off about her emotions. My utter lack of quixotic girlish fantasies perturbs me a little; when did I become so altruistic?

After all, one should be jovial when young, instead of resigned and disparaging.

Perhaps it is best that I should just sit here, knowing this knowledge that I do now, and ignore it, attempting to resume life as it was. Denial, however, isn't cathartic. I know exactly what to do. I will let nothing on, and do nothing unless it is asked of me.

But first, I suppose, I ought to talk to Spinelli.

Yes, there, okay?

I like Theodore Jerome Detweiler.

There! No convoluted words, no hints. There it is, the truth lying bare on the table.

Oh, goodness, I have to leave! School… And T.J. awaits.

I snatch my backpack, flinging it over my shoulder, and dashing outside. I simply cannot be late today. It's only 8:15.

Hey, there's Spinelli and the guys! Hmm, Spinelli looks very tired. T.J. too. I race up to them, panting.

"Hi, guys," I reply breathlessly.

Then I pivot to face Spinelli before they can even reply. She gives me a quizzical look.

"Spinelli, may we talk for a short period of time?" I ask politely.

Spinelli nods, yawning.

"Sure, Gretch, lay it on me," She mumbles, yawning yet again.

Here, in front of everyone? I look around, feeling extremely self-conscious. Hmm, I wonder why T.J. is giving Spinelli such a weird look.

This is incredibly weird because Spinelli's actually blushing.

It can't be because of the double entendre behind her words, can it? Ten and eleven are ages a little too young for comprehension of that, right?

They couldn't have…

Or could they?

After all, they are next-door-neighbors.

No…

You know, I just need to converse with Spinelli alone.

That will be best.

"Let's talk away from all these eyes, Spinelli," I respond, stoic.

As if I can let any of them hear this conversation. Yet, where can I go? There's Randall and the Ashleys to worry about, and they're everywhere.

I suppose that the Cheese Box will have to do then. I drag a befuddled Spinelli inside it. She looks rather pugnacious to tell the truth. Oh well.

"What'd ya hafta drag me in here for, Gretch?" Spinelli snarls.

Spinelli is definitely not a morning person, but today she seems to be even worse. It might be because she looks so exhausted.

"How long have you adored T.J.?" I question bluntly.

Spinelli's eyes are wide. Poor thing. She looks uncomfortable. Oh well. She's going to have to deal with this painful discussion just like me.

"What're you talkin' about! I don't like T.J.!" Spinelli snaps, apparently shocked I even asked this.

Oh, come on… Seriously. D-e-n-i-a-l.

"Right, Spinelli. Oh, come on. You did kiss him, you know," I remark sarcastically.

Spinelli rolls her eyes. Uh oh, I'm getting her angry.

"Look, it coulda happened to anyone. Besides, that was a long time ago last year!" Spinelli yells.

I'd better back up. This could become very unpleasant rather quickly.

"Then why did your own mother interject that you have an infatuation with him on Parent's Night?" I question, slightly afraid.

But, fortunately, Spinelli doesn't completely understand what I said. However, I think she got the gist of it.

"My ma thought I liked him 'cause he's my best friend, and so, ya know, I talk about him. You know parents, ya talk about a boy, they think ya like him. I don't like Teej," Spinelli explains, for once, somewhat calmly and rationally.

Wow. No violence. I'm extremely impressed. This is a rather stunning turnout, especially since she looks very tired and it's about 8:15 in the morning.

"Why're ya even askin' me this, Gretchen?" Spinelli inquires suspiciously.

Uh oh. I hadn't thought she'd ask why. What am I supposed to tell her? Maybe I can just use big words and bluff my way through it.

"Um, well, I mulled the situation over in my cranium for a while and resolved that I should unearth the nature of your perspective of T.J. because I ascertained at some time hovering in between today's dawn and yesterday's twilight that there were specific sentiments directed towards T.J. that could be interpreted in a less friendly manner, if perhaps, you catch my drift. I could no longer stand the endless pondering, and so I opted to question you about those sensations as soon as I was possibly able to do so, which happened to be now, in this Cheese Box, for privacy," I expatiated awkwardly.

Fortunately enough for me, Spinelli had no clue about what the heck I'd just said, and she didn't seem to want to. I felt a slight grin cross my face at the situation.

"Spinelli, you said something, and then T.J. gave you this look and you blushed. I was wondering why you blushed. Did something happen between you two?" I questioned, trying not to sound so desperate.

I can't believe it. Spinelli's looking away and not meeting my eyes. Something did happen!

"Nah, Gretch, nothing happened. Why would you think something had? And besides, I don't blush. I just had a sunburn, that's all," Spinelli explained in a rush.

I can't believe she's just lying to me like that. I have to find out what's going on. I'm not going to just let this go.

"If you say so, Spinelli."

She shoots me a weird look, but we leave anyways. What a long day this will be.

"So, why do you look so tired?" I ask, stupidly thinking that that's a safe topic.

Apparently it isn't, due to the way her eyes darken. She's scowling now, and for the first time I can see just how tired she actually is. It's rather frightening actually. I'm sort of afraid that in her grouchy state she's going to get annoyed by my inquisitiveness and hurt me.

However, Spinelli keeps her tired temper in check. She blinks several times before turning her bloodshot eyes up at me.

"Rough night. My brother Joey's back in town 'n' I hadta make sure that Vitto from gettin' put in the slammer too. Jus' as I was gettin' back inta bed, my stupid alarm rings," Spinelli mutters, already half asleep.

Oh brother. Did anyone get a good night's sleep, I wonder. But we walk to class nonetheless and it strikes me that something happened. Something she's not telling me. Maybe I ought to ask T.J.

But can I even talk to T.J.? I mean, after the things I unearthed within my own mind last night? I'm not sure.

Oh, come on, Gretchen, you can do this. You've talked to him many times before. This is just like all of those times.

Except I like him now.

This situation whomps.

Out of all the guys on the playground, why did it have to be him?

Vince, Mikey, Gus… I could deal with liking them. But T.J.? I'm doomed. How on earth am I supposed to concentrate in class now? Same way you always do, Brain.

The class passes by in a blur and soon it's Recess. I thought long and extensively about it, and I came to only one conclusion. I have to at least ask T.J. or I'll regret it.

Suddenly, I realize that everyone's leaving. If I don't put a move on, I'm not going to be able to talk to him.

So, naturally, I too speed out of the door, hoping to snatch him away from kickball for a minute.

Aha! There he is. Okay, now what are the others doing? Vince is trying to find a ball, Mikey's talking to Kurst the Worst, Gus is beating up Gellman, Spinelli is drawing in the sand… Yep, nothing unusual afoot.

"Um, Teej, can I, uh, talk to you for a minute?" I ask nervously.

Wow, I can't believe that I actually managed to express that in words. Maybe someday I'll tell him how I feel. Whoa!

Seriously, how imbalanced are my hormones? Too much estrogen flowing. But, you know, puberty is approaching.

His tired face is somewhat confused, but he nods anyways.

"Sure," He mumbles nonchalantly, and we walk over towards the stairs.

How do I put this exactly?

"T.J., I like to think that I am not blind, and, as I am not blind, I would like to know exactly what happened between you and Spinelli," I blurt.

Did I just say that? I think I did. What the heck am I thinking? Oh, that's right, I was not thinking. That sounds incredibly rude. Even to my prejudiced ears.

T.J. himself looks rather shocked, and, I should say, understandably so. He gapes at me for a minute, and I can't help thinking that it would feel really nice to have that stare directed at me under better circumstances.

Fortunately for me, he recovers fast.

"Why do you think anything happened?" He blurts, obviously avoiding my question.

I'm sick of this game. I want some straight, non-convoluted answers for once.

"Because you're dodging the subject. Now answer, Teej," I snap bluntly.

I didn't know I could be so harsh and cutting. My words are strangely cool and calculated. He looks taken aback himself. But that doesn't change the fact that he still needs to answer. I must be more tired than I thought.

"What do you mean by anything?" He asks, slightly teasingly.

However, I do not have any more patience left for this.

"T.J.!" I bellow, perhaps more loudly than I should have.

He sighs. Maybe he'll tell me now.

"Okay, it wasn't really anything. We just had a little bonding experience, and it was kind of weird," T.J. explains honestly, adjusting his baseball cap.

I love that baseball cap. It really brings out the blue in his eyes. Wait a minute, what am I thinking?

"What do you mean by bonding experience? Do you mean like a shared experience, a date, or something physical?" I question, a little too excited for my own good.

T.J. makes a face, punching me in the shoulder. Ouch.

"Gretch, are you feeling okay? Something physical? Ew," T.J. says, sounding slightly worried for my sanity, as I fear, am I.

Yet somehow, his words calm me. Goodness, I am losing my mind. I force a smile, turning to leave.

"Thanks for um, clearing that up for me," I mutter, not quite knowing what to say.

He nods, slightly puzzled, and I walk off. I have some thinking to do.

Loren ;

I must say, she gets less long-winded, more girly, and more understandable in her next chapter. Oh, and I was using a list of SAT words while writing this one… Points if you list all the SAT words I used…lol…

And it's funny, 'cause this fic has an adult twist… But it's kinda subtle… Like when Spinelli and her brothers almost swear… Fun stuff like that… And when Gretchen was all: "Why is Spinelli blushing?" But yeah…lol…