Jo walked out of the washroom after making sure that there were no sign
that she had been crying.
Mr. Simpson didn't make a huge deal about her being late for class, since she was new and still settling in. Jo didn't pay much attention to what her teacher was saying and had started doodling. She started drawing female figures in costumes. She drew dresses from many eras from Medieval, to Renaissance to Colonial to Victorian. It was at this time that Jo had an idea. She shut her note book; she would have to show Paige after class.
~*~
Jo walked down the hall, wearing her dance sneakers. She wanted to stretch out a bit when she got to the auditorium. Spinner was waiting for her at her locker "Hey Red." He smiled.
"Uh hey Spinner, what's up?"
"Not much. What's with the shoes?"
"Dance. Thought I'd get some exercise in the auditorium."
"You should join the spirit squad."
"Squad? You mean cheerleading. That's not really my thing."
"Why not? What's the difference between your dance and Paige's?"
"Well there is no doubt, I'm sure that Paige is a great athlete as all the other girls. But I see cheerleading as a sport. Ballet and Jazz, it's more like art to me."
"Whatever, Red. Dancing is dancing."
"Well what other kind of answer can I expect from a guy? You're so closed minded." Jo shut her locker after putting away her regular shoes. She started toward the auditorium and Spinner fallowed.
"Hey Red! Wait up!"
"It's Jo!" she shouted and kept walking.
"Sorry it's just your hair..."
Jo stopped and turned around to face him "I kind of guessed that Spinner, it's not the first time I've been called that by a guy..."
"Look I'm sorry ok?"
**Flashback**
Jo is surrounded my five older boys at the abandoned bus stop. Not another soul in site or earshot. Jo had never been more scared. She had been tossed about by the boys and was now standing in the middle of their circle. One guy, who seemed to be the leader of the gang, stepped in. Jo didn't dare back away for fear another boy would grab her. The boy who stepped in the circle reached out "You know that's some pretty red hair you got, cutie pie." He said touching Jo's long tresses. He started twirling his fingers in her hair, wrapping it around them. "Bet there are a lot of guys, who wish they could run their hands in that hair, aren't there guys?" The other boys snickered. He turned back to the scared girl "But you won't let them, eh Red? Too good to let a guy touch you?"
"Stop!" Jo tried to turn away, but the boy had a firm grip on her hair now and gave a yank. Jo cried out in pain as she fell into the boy's arms. He held her firm around the waist, trapping her arms against her sides, and when Jo struggled he just hugged her tighter "Look guys, she came right to me!" The boys all hooted and stared whistling and catcalling. "You like this don't you, Red?" he started rubbing against her.
**End of Flashback**
"I'm sorry ok?" Spinner had said.
Jo looked at him straight in the eye. "No Spinner. It's not ok." She turned and continued on her way without breathing another word, leaving Spinner confused.
~*~
"Man, I swear! She just blew up in my face! I mean, what did I do?" Spinner was talking to Jimmy in the boys' wash room.
"Well" Jimmy said. "What did you say? Anything that might have been offensive?"
"I only called her "Red". What's wrong? I meant it as a nick name?"
"Oh God Spin. Never give a girl a nick name unless she gives says you can. She barely knows you yet!"
"Red! What's the big deal? I call Paige "Honey Bee" all the time."
"Spinner! Jo is NOT your girlfriend! Think for one minute! Just one! Maybe when she was little, people made fun of her hair. Have you thought of that? Anything could have happened!"
"Ok, fine. But she could have told me that."
"It's none of your business! She doesn't have to tell if she doesn't want to."
"Well, like it or not, she better get used to it, or no guy will have her as his girl." And with that Spinner left.
~*~
"Past the point of no return
No backward glances.
Our games of make believe are at an end.
Past all thought of "if" or "when"
No use resisting.
Abandon thought and let the dream descend.
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?
Past the point of no return
The final threshold.
What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn,
Beyond the point of no return?"
Jo sang another of her favorites while making up her own dance for it. Paige still wasn't here yet, not that Jo minded the wait too much.
Marco was just coming down the hall when he heard singing. He peeked, his head, through the door and saw Jo. He quietly stepped inside and watched her. Jo twirled around and into a great leap, and landed gracefully. Then she broke into a tap dance. She didn't stop moving when she saw Marco watching her, she just smiled and continued. After a few minutes she started talking while still moving "You like it, Marco? Why don't you try it?"
"Nah, I couldn't."
"Sure you could! Jimmy told me you won a dance contest!"
"Yeah but that was break dancing! But ballet?"
"Come on! At least you danced before! It's not like you have two left feet. Trust me I even managed to get my brother to dance with me. Now HE has two left feet. Come on Marco its fun!"
Jo took Marco's arm and pulled him into the middle on the room. "Ok now fallow me. This is an easy step, just shuffle your feet." Jo stood in front of Marco and demonstrated for him. She tapped her toes and Marco noticed that she did it all in one rhythm, making it easy for him to fallow.
Jo had decided to teach Marco a dance she knew very well. A couple dance from West Side Story called "Dance at the Gym". They were about halfway through it when Paige finally came.
"Well look who decided to grace us with her lovely presence." Jo said smiling. Paige wasn't very happy, she just had an argument with Spinner. "I'm sorry I'm late, I had a problem with Spin." She said. Jo frowned, she hadn't forgiven Spinner for what he called her. Jo knew she was being unfair to him because he didn't know, but her memories were so painful that she didn't care.
"Hey Jo, I should go now. Thanks for the dance lesson, it was fun." Marco headed for the door. Jo smiled again "We need to finish it! So come back soon!"
"Yeah ok!" Marco said bye to her and Paige and left.
Paige sat down on the stage, her hands in her lap. Spinner had told her what happened between him and Jo. She had stood up for Jo and agreed that he shouldn't have called her that, but Spinner made such a fuss. Paige felt bad for two reasons, one she felt that Spinner doesn't listen which could lead to a downfall in a relationship, two why would Spinner get so worked up over Jo? Did he like her? Paige and Spinner's relationship had been shaky at times but she never thought that he might leave her for another girl. Did Spinner plan to cheat on her? Paige looked up at Jo. She was pretty, her style of clothes may need a little work but she was most definitely pretty. Jo was still dancing a bit. Paige smiled lightly as Jo made a pretty twirl.
Jo stopped when she saw Paige staring at her. She smiled but then Paige turned her eyes back to her lap. Jo went sat next to her. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"I don't know. Jo you wouldn't ever-..I mean, you wouldn't like go off with Spinner, would you?" Paige asked slowly and stuttered.
Jo looked at her then laughed. "Spinner?? You think I would date SPINNER?! Ha NO way! Not happening!"
Hearing this Paige felt her spirit lift. She knew Jo couldn't have been lying, for there was no way that those laughs could have been forced. So now she knew that Jo wouldn't ever hurt her, but would Spinner? Paige was quiet again.
"Now what's wrong?" Jo asked.
"He seemed so angry at me, for what I said to him. It's like he wont admit I was right."
"Paige, don't worry about him. By now he's probably forgotten about it, probably playing basket ball outside with Jimmy."
"I just worry, like I'm not spending much time with him."
"But aren't the other things you do important?"
"Yes! Very! I mean there are my grades to think about, the spirit squad, Ashley, Hazel, Terri, my family, and now you-"
Jo smiled. "You see? You have a life too. And Spinner needs to know that you can't be with him 24,7."
"I know I just-, it gets very overwhelming."
"You need break, some time to breath."
Paige sighed and leaned against Jo's shoulder. Jo stiffened at first, she hadn't expected that yet. But she soon relaxed and put her arm around Paige's shoulder in a friendly hug "I must be in heaven." She thought.
"Yeah Jo your right. I need to stop thinking so much."
Paige and Jo stayed silent for a while, still close together. Although Paige didn't think about it much at the time, she felt very comfortable in Jo's arms. Jo was much more gentle then Spinner.
(A/N: Review! I'll update soon.)
Mr. Simpson didn't make a huge deal about her being late for class, since she was new and still settling in. Jo didn't pay much attention to what her teacher was saying and had started doodling. She started drawing female figures in costumes. She drew dresses from many eras from Medieval, to Renaissance to Colonial to Victorian. It was at this time that Jo had an idea. She shut her note book; she would have to show Paige after class.
~*~
Jo walked down the hall, wearing her dance sneakers. She wanted to stretch out a bit when she got to the auditorium. Spinner was waiting for her at her locker "Hey Red." He smiled.
"Uh hey Spinner, what's up?"
"Not much. What's with the shoes?"
"Dance. Thought I'd get some exercise in the auditorium."
"You should join the spirit squad."
"Squad? You mean cheerleading. That's not really my thing."
"Why not? What's the difference between your dance and Paige's?"
"Well there is no doubt, I'm sure that Paige is a great athlete as all the other girls. But I see cheerleading as a sport. Ballet and Jazz, it's more like art to me."
"Whatever, Red. Dancing is dancing."
"Well what other kind of answer can I expect from a guy? You're so closed minded." Jo shut her locker after putting away her regular shoes. She started toward the auditorium and Spinner fallowed.
"Hey Red! Wait up!"
"It's Jo!" she shouted and kept walking.
"Sorry it's just your hair..."
Jo stopped and turned around to face him "I kind of guessed that Spinner, it's not the first time I've been called that by a guy..."
"Look I'm sorry ok?"
**Flashback**
Jo is surrounded my five older boys at the abandoned bus stop. Not another soul in site or earshot. Jo had never been more scared. She had been tossed about by the boys and was now standing in the middle of their circle. One guy, who seemed to be the leader of the gang, stepped in. Jo didn't dare back away for fear another boy would grab her. The boy who stepped in the circle reached out "You know that's some pretty red hair you got, cutie pie." He said touching Jo's long tresses. He started twirling his fingers in her hair, wrapping it around them. "Bet there are a lot of guys, who wish they could run their hands in that hair, aren't there guys?" The other boys snickered. He turned back to the scared girl "But you won't let them, eh Red? Too good to let a guy touch you?"
"Stop!" Jo tried to turn away, but the boy had a firm grip on her hair now and gave a yank. Jo cried out in pain as she fell into the boy's arms. He held her firm around the waist, trapping her arms against her sides, and when Jo struggled he just hugged her tighter "Look guys, she came right to me!" The boys all hooted and stared whistling and catcalling. "You like this don't you, Red?" he started rubbing against her.
**End of Flashback**
"I'm sorry ok?" Spinner had said.
Jo looked at him straight in the eye. "No Spinner. It's not ok." She turned and continued on her way without breathing another word, leaving Spinner confused.
~*~
"Man, I swear! She just blew up in my face! I mean, what did I do?" Spinner was talking to Jimmy in the boys' wash room.
"Well" Jimmy said. "What did you say? Anything that might have been offensive?"
"I only called her "Red". What's wrong? I meant it as a nick name?"
"Oh God Spin. Never give a girl a nick name unless she gives says you can. She barely knows you yet!"
"Red! What's the big deal? I call Paige "Honey Bee" all the time."
"Spinner! Jo is NOT your girlfriend! Think for one minute! Just one! Maybe when she was little, people made fun of her hair. Have you thought of that? Anything could have happened!"
"Ok, fine. But she could have told me that."
"It's none of your business! She doesn't have to tell if she doesn't want to."
"Well, like it or not, she better get used to it, or no guy will have her as his girl." And with that Spinner left.
~*~
"Past the point of no return
No backward glances.
Our games of make believe are at an end.
Past all thought of "if" or "when"
No use resisting.
Abandon thought and let the dream descend.
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?
Past the point of no return
The final threshold.
What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn,
Beyond the point of no return?"
Jo sang another of her favorites while making up her own dance for it. Paige still wasn't here yet, not that Jo minded the wait too much.
Marco was just coming down the hall when he heard singing. He peeked, his head, through the door and saw Jo. He quietly stepped inside and watched her. Jo twirled around and into a great leap, and landed gracefully. Then she broke into a tap dance. She didn't stop moving when she saw Marco watching her, she just smiled and continued. After a few minutes she started talking while still moving "You like it, Marco? Why don't you try it?"
"Nah, I couldn't."
"Sure you could! Jimmy told me you won a dance contest!"
"Yeah but that was break dancing! But ballet?"
"Come on! At least you danced before! It's not like you have two left feet. Trust me I even managed to get my brother to dance with me. Now HE has two left feet. Come on Marco its fun!"
Jo took Marco's arm and pulled him into the middle on the room. "Ok now fallow me. This is an easy step, just shuffle your feet." Jo stood in front of Marco and demonstrated for him. She tapped her toes and Marco noticed that she did it all in one rhythm, making it easy for him to fallow.
Jo had decided to teach Marco a dance she knew very well. A couple dance from West Side Story called "Dance at the Gym". They were about halfway through it when Paige finally came.
"Well look who decided to grace us with her lovely presence." Jo said smiling. Paige wasn't very happy, she just had an argument with Spinner. "I'm sorry I'm late, I had a problem with Spin." She said. Jo frowned, she hadn't forgiven Spinner for what he called her. Jo knew she was being unfair to him because he didn't know, but her memories were so painful that she didn't care.
"Hey Jo, I should go now. Thanks for the dance lesson, it was fun." Marco headed for the door. Jo smiled again "We need to finish it! So come back soon!"
"Yeah ok!" Marco said bye to her and Paige and left.
Paige sat down on the stage, her hands in her lap. Spinner had told her what happened between him and Jo. She had stood up for Jo and agreed that he shouldn't have called her that, but Spinner made such a fuss. Paige felt bad for two reasons, one she felt that Spinner doesn't listen which could lead to a downfall in a relationship, two why would Spinner get so worked up over Jo? Did he like her? Paige and Spinner's relationship had been shaky at times but she never thought that he might leave her for another girl. Did Spinner plan to cheat on her? Paige looked up at Jo. She was pretty, her style of clothes may need a little work but she was most definitely pretty. Jo was still dancing a bit. Paige smiled lightly as Jo made a pretty twirl.
Jo stopped when she saw Paige staring at her. She smiled but then Paige turned her eyes back to her lap. Jo went sat next to her. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"I don't know. Jo you wouldn't ever-..I mean, you wouldn't like go off with Spinner, would you?" Paige asked slowly and stuttered.
Jo looked at her then laughed. "Spinner?? You think I would date SPINNER?! Ha NO way! Not happening!"
Hearing this Paige felt her spirit lift. She knew Jo couldn't have been lying, for there was no way that those laughs could have been forced. So now she knew that Jo wouldn't ever hurt her, but would Spinner? Paige was quiet again.
"Now what's wrong?" Jo asked.
"He seemed so angry at me, for what I said to him. It's like he wont admit I was right."
"Paige, don't worry about him. By now he's probably forgotten about it, probably playing basket ball outside with Jimmy."
"I just worry, like I'm not spending much time with him."
"But aren't the other things you do important?"
"Yes! Very! I mean there are my grades to think about, the spirit squad, Ashley, Hazel, Terri, my family, and now you-"
Jo smiled. "You see? You have a life too. And Spinner needs to know that you can't be with him 24,7."
"I know I just-, it gets very overwhelming."
"You need break, some time to breath."
Paige sighed and leaned against Jo's shoulder. Jo stiffened at first, she hadn't expected that yet. But she soon relaxed and put her arm around Paige's shoulder in a friendly hug "I must be in heaven." She thought.
"Yeah Jo your right. I need to stop thinking so much."
Paige and Jo stayed silent for a while, still close together. Although Paige didn't think about it much at the time, she felt very comfortable in Jo's arms. Jo was much more gentle then Spinner.
(A/N: Review! I'll update soon.)