Thanks for reviewing StillSomeone, Classic Vision, Astronomer Always, Guest, and NatalieJ-101. I love reading your opionions and predictions, they've also helped me realize that I was missing a little something that kept the characters true to themselves. So I really appreciate the reviews. Thank you all and enjoy :P
"How bout mini golf?" Tj and Spinelli were in the cafeteria eating lunch and making plans for Spinelli's birthday the next day.
"Uh how bout no?" She laughed at Tj's lame suggestion.
"Well so far you've shot down all of my ideas, can you think of anything better?"
"Nope." Spinelli sighed. "It's just going to be the two of us, we don't have to do anything special."
"No we don't have to do anything special." He smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She returned the smile but it faded when she saw some unwanted guests arrive at their table.
"What do you want?" Spinelli crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
Tj turned to face the visitors and instantly froze. Mundy pulled up a chair and forced himself between Tj and Spinelli. Tj was about to protest but was distracted when Skeens, Lazy Kid, Sue-Bob Murphy, and Kristin Kurst a.k.a 'Kurst the worst', joined the table.
He hadn't seen Mundy or his cronies since that day at Kelso's when he punched him in the face. Mundy's nose was slightly swollen and bruised, he was sure Mundy was there to strike his revenge so he mentally prepared himself for a fight and another suspension.
"So Detweiler, have you made up your mind about joining forces? I hear that you seventh graders have a history test coming up soon, I know a few chums that may be in the market for test answers."
"As I said at our last meeting, we didn't steal the test answers Mundy, and I'm not interested."
Of course Mundy ignored him, he wasn't taking no for an answer. "Come on Detweiler, we've got a sure fire plan here. You see a few days before the test students notice their books are missing from their lockers, me and my crew will take care of that part. All youse need to do is get the answers as you did so well before."
Tj scoffed. "You do know we got suspended for that right?"
"No one is going to get caught this time, cuz we're not going to give everyone all the right answers. The higher the desired grade- the more they pay. I'm thinking 15 bucks for an A, 10 for a B, 5 for a C. Now of course there will be discounts for friends, and we're open to haggling."
"Speaking of friends, I heard you ditched your gang but I had to see it to believe it. Hey you ganna eat that?" Kurst pointed to Spinelli's jello. Spinelli threw it at Kurst's face and it fell to the floor. Kurst scooped it up and mumbled something about the five second rule.
"Yeah I thought Shrimpnelli here would have ditched your gang of goody-two-shoers long ago, but I can see why she stuck around." Sue-Bob nudged Tj's arm.
"Why I outta!" Spinelli ran towards Sue-Bob to cream her but Mundy and Skeens held her back.
"Hey watch it! Holding Spinelli back from a fight is my job!" Tj didn't know why he felt so angry by something so trivial, but he was ready to fight about it.
"Sorry Tj." Mundy and Skeens released Spinelli and shoved her into Tj's arms.
"If you guys don't get outta here you're ganna get broken noses to match Mundy's!" Spinelli growled and Tj nodded in agreement and tightened his grip on her.
"Well if you change your mind Detweiler, here is my card." Mundy tossed him a crumbled up piece of paper with a half completed science quiz on one side and his phone number scribbled on the other.
"He spelled business with a z." Tj laughed.
"Aight they're gone you can let me go now!" Spinelli yelled tried to pull away from Tj.
"Sorry." He said sourly and let her go. He didn't understand what her problem was, she had been acting strange ever since Lawson accused them of dating.
"So word on the street is that you guys are joining Mundy's gang huh?" Randall joined the two as they sat back down to finish their lunch. He adjusted the hat on his head with "press" printed on it. "This news is moist!"
"It's not news, cuz it's not happening! Get away from us you little snitch!" Spinelli stood up from the table, kicked her chair away and left. Tj stayed behind to give her some space and time to cool down.
"I'll see you in science lab Spinelli." He turned to Randall and laughed. "What're you writing gossip in the school paper now?"
"Yup. You know you and Spinelli have been top news since that little stunt you guys pulled with the math test."
Tj rolled his eyes. "Seriously? I'm done talking about this."
Randall held a recorder to Tj's face. "Now tell me what you and your girlfriend are going to cheat on or steal next? A science or history test? Or maybe some personal items from your peers lockers? I know Spinelli has had her eyes on Swinger Girl's Walkman."
"We never stole anything, and we're never going to steal anything. Especially another kids stuff!" He shook his head when he saw Randall write something down in his notebook. Then he realized what he called Spinelli. "Did you start that rumor that me an Spinelli are dating!? Because all of a sudden everyone thinks that she's my girlfriend, we're not dating!"
Randall smiled smugly. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Maybe I have evidence of you two frogging."
"Frogging?"
"It's a British word for...you know!" Randall made a kissy face and raised his eyebrows up and down. Tj shoved him slightly to stop him.
"That's snogging Randall."
"So you admit that you two were snogging!" Randall smiled with an evil grin.
"Tj pulled Randall up by his collar. "Write one more lie about me and Spinelli, and you're history." He dropped Randall on the ground and left the cafeteria before he lost his temper.
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Gretchen's POV
I felt a little nostalgic as I walked the halls of Spiro T. Agnew middle school. Sure I haven't been a student here long enough to create many memories, the feelings of nostalgia arose when I passed each of my peers in the hallway, that's when all the memories of kindergarten through sixth grade came back to me.
The Ashleys strut past nudging me slightly. My center of balance was thrown off a tad and I found myself falling into a locker. I recalled a time when the Ashleys were actually nice, when Ashley A. was kicked out of the clique and all of them fought to be my friend. I loved how wanted that made me feel but in the end I missed my friends and was glad to be unpopular again.
I heard giggling as I struggled to climb out of the locker. Someone offered me their hand but I rejected the help. "Ew Geoffrey. Of course it had to be his locker." He had the biggest crush on me in fourth grade, back when being a "boy liker" or a "girl liker" made you an untouchable in the playground hierarchy.
In middle school it almost seemed acceptable to have feelings for someone of the opposite gender, I noticed students all around were starting relationships. Mikey was showing obvious signs of having a crush on a girl named Tara in one of his classes. The Eighth grader formally known as "King Freddie" was dating one of his fanner girls. Lawson's friend Chucko was dating a chick from their grade, even Johnny V is dating upside down girl. Hmmm now that Spinelli knocked the baby tooth out of him he's actually quite handsome. Egad! Did I really just think that? I wonder if Spinelli still likes him...
Spinelli... thinking of her brought back a whole other mess of memories. As the only girls in our gang we became pretty close. There were just some things that we couldn't talk to the guys about. I helped her pick out her first bra when she started to develop, and I know she'd be there to help me when and if I ever reach that stage of life. She'd kill me if I told people this but she was pretty well read. We had numerous sleepovers where we exchanged our opinions and feelings about the books we were reading, our other friends didn't enjoy literature like us. I really miss how close our gang was and I wish I could still be friends with Tj and Spinelli. Fighting with them whomps, but I cannot forgive them for what they did. When I first heard the news that they stole the test answers I thought 'no way, they've never been the dishonest type.' but the collected evidence proved otherwise.
I waved to Vince as I passed his locker, he was too busy chatting it up with his fellow team mates to notice. He's been spending a lot of time with them lately, other than the occasional chats on America Online Instant Messaging, I haven't talked to him much in the past couple of weeks. Same goes for Mikey, I cannot recall the last time I chatted with or even saw Gus.
"Yo Gretch!" Vince startled me, I wasn't expecting him to leave his friends just to catch up with me.
"Hey Vince, how have you been?"
"Oh you know same old same old. What's going on with you?"
"Well, I was just on the way to the office to get a copy of my transcript."
"Getting a head start on those college apps already?" He laughed. The gang always teased me for being too prepared for college, I don't think that's actually possible.
"Well not exactly." I paused for a moment. I wasn't sure how I wanted to break the news to one of my oldest friends, but then again we don't talk much anymore it shouldn't be that hard... "I was accepted to Oppenheimer middle school."
Vince replied, but I couldn't hear it due to the fire alarm going off. Vince and I headed to where the students meet up in the case of a fire drill. Once we were outside we sat down in the grass and watched the entire student body vacate the building.
"So you're leaving?" He looked a little saddened by the news.
I nodded.
"How come?"
"I've come to the conclusion that I'm not being challenged enough. I mean I came to that conclusion back at Third Street, but that was different, I had a great group of friends whose company I enjoyed and who needed my tutelage."
"Yeah you were a great tutor, if it wasn't for you I would have never learned cursive."
"Thank you." I blushed. "Things were never dull with you guys around, I really appreciate that and your friendship."
Vince gave me a quick and awkward hug. "So when's your last day here?"
"November second."
"So you'll still be here for the Halloween dance."
"I will. I'm not sure if I'll be going to though, none of my friends from any of the clubs seem to be interested."
"You should go, we'll have one last hoorah before you leave. We could get the gang together for it... errr what's left of the gang."
"That sounds great, I'll invite Mikey, do you think you can get a hold of Gus?"
Vince laughed, I joined in knowing his task might be a tad bit challenging. "If I can find him, where has that kid been lately?"
"Who knows."
