Engagement Party

"Hey, this is Sunshine FM, I'm Jason Smith, and you're waking up to a rainy Sunday morning."

TJ Detweiler, now an adult, got out of his bed. He showered and got dressed into a casual T-Shirt, jeans, socks that didn't match and a back-to-front red baseball cap. The cap that was one of the reasons why he was famous.

TJ was now a stand-up comedian. He lived in a different town- he moved out of where he used to live after the 'incident' with Spinelli. Spinelli got her wish- she never saw TJ again. But it didn't mean that TJ never thought about her.

TJ hadn't spoken to any of the rest of the gang, either- though he'd heard a lot about how they were doing. He hadn't heard from or about Gus, but Vince, Mikey and Gretchen were famous. Vince was a pro basketballer and Mikey had starred in Broadway shows, but it was Gretchen everyone was talking about- because Gretchen had invented a time machine- so, naturally, she was a multi-millionaire.

TJ was watching cartoons- he'd somehow never outgrown them- when his phone began to ring.

TJ's heart leapt just as it did every time the phone rang. He raced to answer it. "Hi, this is TJ," he said, but it wasn't Spinelli.

"Hey TJ!" A low voice he didn't recognise said.

"Um… hi. Who is this, please?"

"Gus."

TJ's jaw dropped.

"Gus Griswold?"

"That's me!"

"Wow. When did your voice break, Gus?"

"Junior year. I was getting kinda worried because I was sixteen and I'd gotten all tall and muscular and everything, but I was still stuck with the wimpy kid voice. Luckily I don't sound so wimpy anymore," Gus chuckled.

"Yeah."

"Gustav, get to the point," a familiar voice said in the background.

"You listening in on my phone calls again?" Gus said.

"Hey, someone's gotta check up on you. Tell TJ I said hi."

"Will do. TJ, Gretchen says hi."

"Hi, Gretchen."

"Alright, Gretchen, I'm getting to the point!" Gus said. "Anyway Teej, I was just calling to ask you if you're busy on Saturday night."

"No, why?"

"Good! Because it's me and Gretchen's engagement party."

TJ's jaw dropped a second time.

"You and Gretchen are engaged?"

"Ah-huh."

"When did you start dating?"

"Junior year. Everything happened in junior year. Too bad you weren't there, Teej. We missed you. Where'd you go?"

"My dad got transferred to another town, it was kinda last minute," TJ said. It was the very day things had gone wrong with Spinelli. It was quite lucky it happened when it happened- TJ didn't want to face the wrath of Spinelli and Byron. But maybe if it had been a day sooner, things would be fine with Spinelli again.

"Well, I gotta go now TJ, but see you Saturday!"

"Yeah. Nice talking to you, Gus. Bye."

It was Saturday- the day of Gus and Gretchen's engagement party. TJ parked his car outside their huge house. It was impressive, TJ thought, but then again, it was paid for by the woman who invented the world's first time machine. Gus and Gretchen must have been rolling in it.

TJ knocked on the door and the inventor of the time machine herself answered it. Gretchen was pretty much the same as usual and this reassured TJ. He smiled brightly.

"Gretchen! I haven't seen you in years! Well- in person. I've seen you on the news and stuff."

"Me too," Gretchen said, giving TJ a hug. "Thank you for coming."

"Whoa, no way!" Another familiar voice said, and there was Vince, six foot one, lean, fit, muscular, but the same old Vince. "It's TJ!"

"Ah, sweet reunions with childhood friends!" Mikey looked- and talked- exactly the same as he always did. But when TJ saw Gus in person, he was stunned.

Gus was right about being tall and muscular. He made even Vince look small. He had his blond hair in a skinhead style and had stubble and some very impressive muscles.

Gus shook TJ's hand. He had a very firm handshake. TJ gave Gus and Gretchen his present and the five of them stood and talked for a while. It was just like the old days.

But one person was missing.

Ashley Spinelli slumped in the sofa. She was at her friends' engagement party, and had brought along her fiancé, Byron Marshall. But ever since they got in, all Byron did was flirt with the other girls. He never once noticed that she was there.

Ashley had had enough. She was sick of Byron. She was going to call a cab and go home.

She grabbed her coat and her purse, and without a word to Byron left. She'd have to find Gretchen or Gus first and thank them. It would look rude if she didn't.

After looking everywhere, she found Gretchen and Gus standing in a circle with Mikey, Vince and two women she didn't recognise.

And with them was TJ. It had to be. She'd recognise that backwards red cap anywhere.

She couldn't believe it. After disappearing without a trace when they were fourteen, he had the nerve to just show up ten years later, laughing and joking with the old gang like everything was OK!

Well, she wasn't going to let him ruin her life again.

She walked towards the group, her head held high. "Gretchen, Gus," she said, trying desperately not to look at TJ. "I'm sorry, but I'm gonna head home now."

"But you can't!" Gus said. "Look who's here!"

"No, Gus, really, I don't want to"-

TJ had his back to her and was talking to Vince and the blonde girl. He hadn't seen her.

Gus didn't listen. "TJ! TJ, look over here! There's someone who wants to see you!"

Ashley cringed. Hopefully TJ wouldn't recognise her.

TJ turned around and his brown eyes widened.

TJ smirked. "You wanted to see me?"

Ashley hated how his grin made her nervous. But luckily, she thought of a line she could spin him. "Um yeah, my sister, she loves your comedy shows, so I was just wondering if I could get your autograph for her"-

"Nice try, but I know you don't have a sister, Spinelli." TJ grinned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Spinelli said. Lying to TJ was hard.

"Don't lie to me, Spin. And don't think I've forgotten you." TJ said.

Ashley didn't know whether TJ would have forgotten her or not, but she did think that he might not have been able to recognise her. She was fourteen last time TJ had seen her, but now she was a woman. She had a feminine figure that had curves in all the right places. She'd grown her silky black hair and started wearing dresses, makeup and high heels more. Byron had wanted her to be more feminine.

"I have no idea who you are. You have the wrong person."

"That's funny, seeing as you were asking me to give your sister an autograph a minute ago."

"I really have to go now, goodbye." Ashley walked off hastily.

"Wait!" TJ's voice said, pleadingly. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. Suddenly they were looking each other right in the eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know why you'd lie. I know why you'd hate me. I know why you'd not want to talk to me. But I just want to tell you I'm sorry."

Ashley knew he was talking about that incident ten years ago, where he'd tried to kiss her.

"So. Am I forgiven?"

Ashley thought about everything. Her head told her no, she wasn't to see, talk to or even think about TJ Detweiler again, or she'd just get hurt.

But her heart told her that everyone deserved a second chance. It was probably only an accident. And TJ was too important to her, she couldn't just live her life without him in it.

"Of course you are," Ashley said, flinging her arms around her best friend. As TJ felt Spinelli in his arms, he smiled to himself, breathing in the wonderful scent of her hair and hoping that the moment would last forever.