Sorry! I know it's been a while, but this chapter is long, complicated, and beautiful (to me). However, it is still not finished. This is just part one of the chapter. Part two will come in soon! I have not forgotten about this story. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to go about it. Hope you enjoy it. Oh, and I still don't own any rights to these wonderful characters.
Chapter 5 - T.J.
"This whomps," T.J. Detweiler muttered to himself as he lay down on the floor of his treehouse. He tossed a small hacky sack in the air and caught it again. Over and over. It was a thoughtless repetition that kept his hands busy as his mind focused on other, more pressing matters.
He had narrowly missed seeing Spinelli. Again. Mikey had called up this morning, saying how happy he was to have such devoted and kindly friends. When pressed for the reason behind such a confidence-boosting call, Mikey admitted that he had a run-in with Spinelli. T.J. had pressed for details, but Mikey did not know where she was. T.J. had even gone over to her house to check, but she wasn't there. Now he laid here, brooding at seven o'clock at night. Thankfully, since it was summer, the world was still pretty bright. He could see her house out the window. He had kept vigil for a while, but gave up after an hour. His frustration at the whole situation was beginning to affecting the rest of his activities. He lost motivation a lot faster than usual.
The first time T.J. didn't catch Spinelli wasn't such a big deal. He knew he'd see her. He only lived a few houses down. He could pop in whenever he wanted and say hi-at least, that's what he had thought. Then it kept happening. No, he couldn't see her, her mom would say. She's busy. She's sleeping. She's not home. She sleeping some more.
Basically, he couldn't see her no matter what he tried, and he had tried.
His brilliant mind had a natural knack for scheming. Only for good, though. Never evil. (Sometimes mischievous activities meant to ruffle a few feathers, but nothing to truly inconvenience another human being.) He tried coming over periodically over the past few days to get an idea for a solid sleeping pattern. He might catch her when she's awake, but that didn't work. Her sleeping was sporadic and unpredictable. He tried getting her parents to make her call him when she got a chance. They said they would, but he has yet to get a call. Then he remembered how difficult it was for Spinelli to "borrow" a family member's phone. She still does not have a new one. He even told his friends to call him when they found her. Too late for that one, though. Mikey was the last one who hadn't seen her, and he had totally forgot to call T.J. while Spinelli was in his sights. For good reason at least, but still!
In a bout of frustration, T.J. sat up and threw the hacky sack against the wall of the tree house. It hit the wood with a dull thud, not satisfying enough to T.J.'s momentary anger. A frustrated sigh was all that his low energy levels had left to give. Not seeing one of his absolute best friends in the whole world was really taking a toll on him.
It had been hard to motivate the group during Spinelli's absence. She was spunk. The spark. Feisty. Strong. Spinelli had once told T.J. that he was the glue that held the group together. If that was true, then she was the backbone that helped the group stand tall. Mikey was the one to help the group keep emotions in check and embraced. Gretchen was the one to help the group maintain a level head. Gus was the one to see possibilities with different outcomes, helping keep the group safe and stable. Vince was the one to give courage and challenge. When combined, they were unstoppable. Apart, and things began to crack.
The sound of someone approaching had T.J.'s heart jumping in hopes of it being a certain friend. That was crushed when he sees his sister come through the opening in the treehouse floor.
"Hey, dork," Becky Detweiler greeted as she brought herself up into the treehouse.
"What do you want, Becky?" T.J. asked, not too willing to entertain his sister's sarcasm right now.
"Nothing." Becky said. She leaned against the far wall of the treehouse which was a perfect angle to watch T.J. Her little brother gave her a long, hard stare before Becky held up her hands in defense. "What? I can't come up here and see what my mopey little brother is being all depressed about?"
"None of your business," T.J. said. He retook the hacky sack and focused on it instead of his sibling.
Becky regarded him a minute which had T.J. feeling uncomfortable. Then she smirked. "I think it's something big," she sing-songed.
"What do you care?" T.J. asked rather than denied. "You're a full-fledged college graduate with three different job offers to think about. My problems shouldn't even be on your radar."
Becky's joking demeanor left at T.J.'s subtle accusation. The weight she felt at his words had her slouching. After a heartbeat filled with sadness from both parties, Becky leaned forward. "I know I haven't had a lot of time for you. I'm sorry, and I know sorry doesn't cover for me not being around, but I still love you."
T.J. shrugged. "Hey, I get it. You're an adult now. You gotta think about these things-focus on them. I'm not a part of them."
"But you are a part of my life," Becky countered, "and I know that when you're being a grouch, it's something that's really messing you up. You're so optimistic that it sometimes scares me when you're down. I can't just sit by and watch. I want to help."
T.J. genuinely smiled at his sister. "Thanks, Becky, but I don't think this is something you can fix."
Becky's serious face melted into a knowing, and somewhat playful smile. "It's Spinelli, isn't it?" Although it was phrased like a question, Becky's words were more like a statement.
At the mention of his best friend's name, T.J. felt that familiar unhappiness that had been plaguing him all summer. "She's been home like three days and I haven't seen her yet."
"I bet it's not from lack of trying," Becky chuckled, knowing her brother's persistence.
"I've done everything! Everyone else has seen her, and I'm still here-pointlessly sitting in my treehouse, waiting for a miracle."
Becky shook her head lovingly. T.J. had a heart of gold. His loyalty was beyond anything Becky had ever seen. But still she wondered if it was only loyalty that tied T.J. to Spinelli.
"Are you sure you missed her?" Becky asked. The dark look she gets from T.J. only makes her smile.
"Are you sure all that college did you any good? Because when you ask stupid questions like that, it seems like your smallish brain didn't retain anything."
T.J.'s insult bounced off of Becky. She continued down the path she created. "I mean, out of all your friends, I always thought she was the one you would cut off first."
"What? What gave you that impression?"
Becky shrugged, trying very hard not to laugh for the sake of her plan. "She just doesn't seem like someone you would hang out with. She's so...loud."
"I'm loud!" T.J. nearly yelled. "You've told me a million times to shut up. And so what if Spinelli is loud? She gets her point across. She's persistent and strong. And she is my friend."
"Hmm, whatever you say, bro." Becky inspected her nails. "I just think you'd be better off without her."
"Be-better..." T.J. sputtered. Then he exploded. "How can you even say that? She's got to be the most amazing person I've ever met. She-"
"I thought you had said that about Vince."
"The most amazing girl I've ever met."
"Why? You've said she's strong. Good for her. Strength won't win her any awards, though. That's probably the only thing going for her, though. Not the best of the bunch, if you ask me."
Becky briefly wondered if she went too far in her pursuit when T.J.'s face turns red and his hands clench into fists. The only reason he probably wasn't beating her to a pulp was because she's his sister.
"You don't know anything!" T.J. shouted. "She's the most amazing, wonderful-"
"Beautiful," Becky interjected helpfully, still unfazed by her brother's outburst.
"-beautiful girl that ever existed. She will do anything for any of her friends. She even helps those she doesn't know. She fights for the little guy. She's loyal, strong, kind, and unrelenting when necessary. Her personality keeps a person guessing and makes someone laugh even when they feel like scum."
"I still don't think she's much of a looker," Becky said.
"Then you better get your eyesight checked because Spinelli outranks every pageant winner combined. She is so far off the scale of one to ten that she could blind a guy with a smile. And-"
"And you love her,"
"And I love her!"
Dead silence.
The words that left T.J.'s mouth paralyzed him. He sat there, completely taken aback by what just came out.
Becky's face melted into a knowing smile. "That's what I thought."
T.J.'s anger at his sister's manipulation is not as fierce as it could be because the total shock has yet to wear off. Still, he manages to be angry enough to say "That was a dirty trick."
"But you meant it didn't you?"
T.J. slumped back against the wall of the treehouse. He suddenly felt extremely tired. From not seeing his best friend? From the amount of energy he put into the argument? From trying to keep his friends together for an entire bummer summer? His revelation? Who knows? All T.J. knew was that he was tired. But there was still a little fight in him.
"Sure, sure," T.J. shrugged. "She's my best friend. Of course I love her. I love all my friends."
Becky shook her head. "You know what I mean."
T.J. couldn't look at her. He refused to speak.
"It's ok. I just wanted to make sure you knew. Sometimes, you can be dense, little brother. You don't have to do anything about it right now. Just...sit on it. Let it simmer, but don't you dare brush it off. Stuff like this should be taken seriously. I should know. I've done it enough times to create enough 'what if' scenarios to fill a stadium."
Becky headed for the exit. She began climbing down the ladder, but just before she disappeared, T.J. stopped her.
"You're not such a bad sister," T.J. said honestly. He smiled at her. "Sometimes it's not so difficult to believe we're related."
Becky smiled back. "Same to you, kid. Oh! In all the excitement, I almost forgot to mention. Spinelli's mom hid her clothes over at our house. They were stuffed in the spare room. Mrs. Spinelli finally told her where they were. I got a call from her not too long ago and came to tell you. I'm pretty sure she will be here any minute if she isn't here already."
Becky left the treehouse and her dumbfounded brother behind.
The urge to run to the spare room was strong. It was only suppressed by the new uncertainty dug up by the recent conversation. Then T.J. remembered his sister's advice. Let it simmer. Don't push it. Just...see what happens. Think now, act later.
T.J. glanced out the window and nearly froze when he saw someone he was sure was Spinelli sprinting down the sidewalk towards his house. He felt his stomach lurch and his heart quicken a pace. However, T.J. was not one to back away when things became difficult. So he took a deep breath, gave himself a brief pep-talk, and entered the house.