Chapter 11

Spinelli POV

O my god! My head is pounding. Please let there be Tylenol in here. Searching through my back pack frantically; my hand finally feels the small container and I let out a small groan of joy.

I had woken up last night after an hour of sleeping with an idea for a statue. I had wanted to get just the basics down on paper before I forgot any of them. Unfortunately before I knew it the sun had been rising and I had done several sketches trying to get it exactly right. When I had heard Hank getting up to get ready for work I jumped back in bed and pretended to have fallen asleep with my light on knowing full well that if he caught me awake he would tell Muriel who would have a hissy fit that I needed to get more sleep especially on a school night.

And so here I was now at the beginning of lunch on the second day of school with a headache from hell and needing to get to the library for more math help. I felt like a walking zombie all of my actions were sluggish at best. I was some what of an insomniac and could run on very little sleep but obviously I needed more sleep then I had gotten.

Swallowing the pill I left the bathroom and headed to the library to look for Gretchen.

Unfortunately for me she wasn't there yet. How did I beat her here? I was under the impression this was Grundler's second home. Looking down at my watch I sighed… okay so I had made fairly good time. So if she had to go to the cafeteria to get lunch then she'll probably be here in ten minutes or so.

Alright I'll just try to work out some of these problems on my own……

"Hey Elli, Elli wake up. Your going to be late for class if you don't wake up"

What the hell. Someone was shaking me. Hank and Muriel never shake me……. I open my eyes and see Gretchen leaning over me. She grins down at me.

Okay I'm the first to admit that when I first wake up I am not at my best. I'm a little disoriented, grouchy and well I think you get the picture. My parents used to call me their little bear in the morning. And my brothers, depending if they had a death wish, used to stay as far as they could from me until I was fully awake and functioning properly.

So when I lifted my head of my text book and found Vince, TJ and Gretchen looking down at me with their eyes filled with amusement I can say honestly that I was not amused and also extremely confused.

"What" I snapped but much to my disgust it wasn't very effective since my voice was still groggy. They all grinned at each other then back at me.

"Come on sleeping beauty we have to go to class" TJ said lightly closing my book and reached to put it in my bag, I snatched the book from him and growled a little. This of course made Vince and Gretchen snicker.

I grabbed my bag out his hand and scowled at Gretchen. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"I tried Elli, really I did. When I saw you had fallen asleep on your math text book I figured you had come in here to get a little help but when I tried to wake you up you told me to go to hell" Gretchen looks down at me sympathetically but the laughter is still in her eyes.

Damn that sounds vaguely familiar. Turning I look at Vince and TJ.

"What are you guys doing here this doesn't seem like your typical hang out" Vince's grin gets bigger as Gretchen looks at them curiously obviously wanting to know as well. TJ looks lost for words and shoots a glare at Vince.

"I had to do some research, when we came in and saw you and Gretchen we thought we'd join you for a bit. Then we got talking about old times and kind of lost track of time." Vince finally answered to which TJ gave him a look of gratitude? What the?

Before I could reply the warning bell rang. "Shit" I yelped as I jumped out of the chair and slung my bag over my shoulder running out the door. It would so not look good if after skipping English yesterday I was late today.

I got there before the rest of the students. That's one good thing about being small I could weave in and out of the hall way traffic quickly. I walked up to the teacher and introduced myself and apologized for missing yesterday's class making up an excuse. Ah yes the art of BS.

By the time she had given me all the hand outs I had missed the rest of the class had arrived. Turning around I looked for a seat. The front row was filled with the over achievers with their pencils at the ready. The next couple of rows were filled with the people who sat with their cliques chatting amongst themselves. I spotted Lawson and was barely able to suppress a shudder as he leered at me with the look any girl can identify…. He was undressing me with his eyes… Gross, yuck, o god I feel dirty.

Alright can not sit over there. I glanced at the other side of the room and was surprised to see TJ. He grins at me holding up my math text book that he had tried to put away earlier before I had grabbed my bag. He motions to the seat beside him and I begin to move towards it when another kid catches me eye in the back of the room.

He was huge. Not fat so much although he was fairly large in width as well but he was bigger boned more then anything. He had fair skin and blond messy hair. He looked like someone that you wouldn't want to get in a fight with. And by the looks of the seating arrangement people mostly stayed away from him. I began once again to walk to TJ when the giant kid looked up at me.

Mikey! He looked so sad. So alone. Kids had left a space on either side of him and ignored him completely.

No Elli you do not need this right now. You've already taken to many chances that someone will recognize you. You do not need to add Mikey to that list.

Why am I walking towards him. Feet I demand you to stop. I look at him and he gives me such a hopeful look. Hell.

"This seat taken?" he just shakes his head looking at me with a mixture of joy and disbelief.

"Hi I'm Elli"

"Mike" Okay note to self another person who has changed there name even if only slightly.

I grin at him trying to put him at ease. What had happened to the care free poet I had known?

"Hey Elli, you forgot this in the library" I look in front of me and find that TJ has changed desks.

"Thanks, guess I forgot it in my rush to get here"

"Yeah you must have had a lot of extra energy to burn off after your nap"

What was the big deal about taking a nap in school, we all used to do it. Okay so yes we were in kindergarten at the time, big deal. For the most part I think we need the nap time more now then we did then.

The class flew by. I had tried to pay attention but when the teacher begun to babble I tuned her out and began to sketch.

"Alright class I'd like for you to get in groups of three or four for a group project"

The sound level goes up as people begin to work out their groups. Someone calls to TJ who just turned around and to face us.

"How about the three of us?"

"Sounds good to me, Mikey?" I say as I turn to Mikey. His head whips around to look at me with surprise making me realize my mistake.

"Sorry I used to have a friend called that" I stammer.

"Its okay I used to be called that all the time. Yeah the three of us works fine" I grin at him and he gives me a small smile.

"Alright how about we meet tomorrow in the library" I almost groan at this suggestion. Three days in row hanging out in the library. Who'd a thought that one day Ashley Spinelli's hang out would be the library? Art room yes, library no.

But instead of complaining I nod "Sounds like a date" TJ smiles at me then turns back to face the teacher to learn more about the project… did he blush before he turned away?