Chapter#7: Decisions, decisions.

Sid walked through the hallways towards the cafeteria, Ruth's birthday was coming up in a few days and he still doesn't have the money to buy her her present.

If there was some way to get $35 fast!.
As if the devil tried to tempt him, Sid spotted Gino along with a couple of his henchmen leaning against the lockers, up to no good of course.

Gino noticed Sid and gave him a haughty nod, Sid just shuddered at the memories of their short-lived friendship back in the fourth grade and looked away speeding his steps and fighting the urge to even think about talking to Gino.

Sid burst through the cafeteria doors and accidentally bumped into a bigger body.

"Hey! Watch it nose-boy!." The familiar voice told him and Sid looked up at the face of Wolfgang.

"I'm so sorry Wolfgang, I wasn't really paying attention-"

Wolfgang grabbed the thinner boy by the collar. "Lemme give you a little attention."

"Hey big boy, put him down." Helga ordered and little by little every one of their gang was standing behind her.

"So you got an army now huh toots?." Wolfgang smirked.

"How do you like us now?."

Wolfgang turned to find Gerald smirking back, next to him was a petite girl with a worried look on her face.

The big blonde boy snorted as he let go of Sid. "Nice pigtails, MJ." He told him sarcastically and walked away.

"Thanks." Gerald replied mockingly as his hands slid over his cornrows and turned to the happa girl next to him. "Did you see that Pheebs? I think I nailed him." He told her proudly.

"Uh yes, very impressive Gerald." she lied.

"Hey wanna have lunch with me?."

"Sure. Just let me inform the girls first." She told him before running towards her best friend oblivious to the fact that someone was watching her from afar.

"See her Mickey? I want you to follow her and know everything about her." Wolfgang instructed.

"What do you wanna know?." The weasel asked expertly, he's been doing this since the fifth grade!.

"Everything! What she hates, what she likes; what freaks her out, what impresses her, what she loves what she loathes, her strengths, her weaknesses, her secrets… anything!."

"Boy you sure have something going for her Wolfgang, seeing that she's one of those nerds and all."

"What's that supposed to mean Edmund?." He asked through gritted teeth.

"N-nothing! Wolfgang! I was just saying-." Edmund tried to explain.

"Just shut up." He told him and walked towards his cafeteria table, the one he specifically chose so that he could look at her without her knowing.

There was something about her, about how small and cute she seemed that almost made him want to be her protector. Was it their age and height difference? He wasn't sure… or maybe because she chose to be smart while other girls her age decided they'd rather be airheaded, skin showing things who care about boys and looks.

She was different…

Sid watched like a hawk from afar as the janitor came out of his closet, locked the door and put the keys in his pocket.
This was his chance, all he had to do was walk towards the janitor and accidentally bump into him and grab the keys to the janitor's closet.

"Oof! Sorry!." Sid apologized as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Watch werr yerr goin' laddy! Yerr not blind are you!." The old man complained and walked away.

"Psh! Sucker." Sid mocked under his breath and walked over to Ruth. "I got the keys babe."

Ruth giggled as she let him take her hand and got in the closet with him.

"…And then this brotha who was almost 6 feet tall blocked my way and said 'Yo young money, you really think you can beat us?' and I told him 'As sure as this ground I'm standin' on' and I did that throw trick and ran past him and wham! Scored the final two points that gave us our victory." Gerald explained to Phoebe who was boringly poking at her lunch about yesterday's game with the eighth graders.

"That's really interesting Gerald." She lied with a weak smile and looked over at the girls' table. "I think Helga's calling me over," she hurriedly stood up and picked up her tray. Talk to you later."

"Sure thing baby girl."

"Hey Pheebs where's the fire?." Helga asked as Phoebe sat next to her accidentally slamming her tray on the table in her hurry.

"Sorry Helga I was just… oh Gerald's just simply not as interesting as I thought he would be."

"Whycome?." Nadine asked as she took a bite out of her sandwich.

Phoebe sighed, "He's a little… a little … vain!. All he does is talk about himself and his over achievements in sports and stuff." She slumped in her chair, Helga patted her back as a little consolation.

"Boys will be boys." Nadine sighed.

"Not all boys are like that Nadine," Helga told her. "hair boy just loves story telling."

"Coast is clear." Sid assured as he and Ruth came out.

"That was beautiful Sid." Ruth gave him a kiss on his cheek. "We should do it more often she fondled his chin.

"Uh," he tittered. "cool."

She wrapped her arms around his arm as they headed over to class. "So my birthday's coming up in a few days Siddy-poo, got anything for me?."

"O-of course I do!." he was starting to sweat.

Ruth's blue eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?." She asked excitedly.

"I can't, it's a surprise." He lied.

"Oh Sid, at least gimme a hint." She whined. "Is it those boots I saw in that seventeen magazine?."

Oh boy…

He grinned, "you got me."

"Oh my God!." She squealed. "Oh Sid I love you! Ok, I'll promise to act surprised the day I get it. Well I gotta go now." She gave him a final kiss on the cheek. "See ya boo."

As she flew down the hallways some second thoughts were surfacing in his head about her, but he brushed them off.

I guess she's worth it…

"Hey guys, I got a favor to ask you." Sid told the boys as they were shooting hoops that afternoon.

"If it's money, I don't got any." Harold read his thoughts.

"But guys this is important, I need $35!."

"What for?." Park asked.

"It's for these boots I promised I'd get for Ruth's birthday."

"Well I got $10 to spare." Arnold took out the money from his pockets.

"I got $10 too." Gerald chipped in.

Park gave him two $5 bills. Harold rolled his eyes and took out his wallet.

"I guess I can freakin' spare you my gas money!." He literally slapped the money into the smaller boy's hands.

Sid smiled. "Thanks you guys, I owe you, I promise."

"Don't mention it bubba. Now's let get back to shootin' some hoops before it gets dark." Gerald took the ball.

(MUSIC:SUPERCHICK-BREATHE)

Author's Note: Yeah Wolfgang and Phoebe, C'mon bad boys can fall for good girls. Take my dad as an example. Yo I asked a question on my profile, check it and gimme an answer. There's gotta be at least some people who know how to type from the 100+ readers who read my works every day.

And for you 'Abuse' readers, don't worry, I'll work on the final chapter soon. Thanks for your interest.