Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so awfully long, I get the worst writer's block sometimes, and I just didn't know where to go with it. Thank you so much for your patience and encouraging reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) I'm so glad to have wonderful readers like you guys. Just so you guys know, there is a method to most of my madness. I know a lot of you don't like the "Ash," thing, but it's mostly used as a defined difference between her childhood and now, as well as a difference between her other friends and TJ. I hope that doesn't completely ruin the story for you.
Peace~~LBB

"Come on Mr. Good-boy, live a little. Let's get this party started!"

Spin was shivering with delight almost as much as cold. The spooky scene around her, the faintly glowing cardboard beneath her fingers, the liquor bottle resting in the grass against her thigh, the sheer illegality of it all made her spine tingle and her heart race. Adrenaline was her drug, and this was the highest she'd been in ages.

Looking up at her All-American Jock best friend, she saw the hesitation in his eyes. For all his schemes and plots, he was never one to touch on the darker sides of nature...or supernature. Especially for someone who "didn't believe in that crap."
"Come on Teej," she coaxed, patting the lush cemetery grass beside her. "It's just a game, right? I mean, you don't believe in any of this stuff, do you?"

He shook his head mutely and sat down beside her, still peering around warily. Spin smiled encouragingly and offered him the whiskey bottle. "To calm your nerves," she told him, and watched as he swigged before taking a gulp for herself. She then smiled darkly and settled her fingers on the planchette, shooting TJ a look that meant for him to follow suit. She watched as his fingers were hesitantly placed near hers, before moving the pointer in a lazy clockwise circle. After a few moments, she said in a loud, carrying whisper,

"Thaddeus T. Third III...speak to us."

Without warning, the wind picked up. Branches shook and TJ's trusty cap nearly blew away across the darkened plot. Spin felt her eyes widen in momentary panic, and watched as Teej's did the same.

"I can't do this!" TJ said, pulling away sharply.

"Why not?" she asked. Sure, the wind was a weird coincidence, but it wasn't that uncommon for there to be a heavy breeze in October.

Teej didn't answer, just stared off over her shoulder. She turned around and saw it: Lydia Mason's headstone.

Lydia Mason had been a grade below them, a spunky and intelligent girl with ginger ringlets and a sassy attitude. A close friend of Theresa (Cornchip girl), she had spent a lot of time with Gus and Mikey. After their sophomore homecoming, she had been riding home with some friends and their car was T-boned by a drunk man driving home from the bar. Lydia had been the only person killed, and died on the way to the hospital. Her loss had been something of a local tragedy, and everyone knew someone with a "I was a friend of Lydia Mason" bumper sticker or sign in their yard.

A week before the dance, Lydia had mustered up the courage to ask TJ to be her date. He was already going with Ashley A, and had been sincerely sorry to have to say no. She'd been crushed, but put on a brave face and went to the dance alone. It was her last night on earth...two years ago tonight.

"Teej," Spin said softly, putting the board away and sitting next to him, back leaned against the marble of the mausoleum. "You can't blame yourself for saying no to her. What were you supposed to do, tell Ashley A you had another date, sorry?"

He turned away from her. "Look, I'm just saying I don't want to do this so close to her grave. It's disrespectful, ok?"

"Meaning you don't want to hear what she might have to say to you," she said. TJ just glared. "I'm not saying you have to do it. I'm just saying that you can't lie to me. I know better man, I know you." They sat in silence, passing the bottle back and forth for a few minutes.

"You okay?" she asked him, leaning against his shoulder for a moment, before realizing that she was acting like a girl.

"Yeah," he said, before tossing back and chugging from the bottle. Spin knew better than to pull it away from him, so she just watched with concern. When she realized he wasn't going to stop, she elbowed him gently.

"C'mon man, save some for the fishies," she told him. He handed her the bottle reluctantly.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. "You ever do something you regret?" he asked her, slurring just slightly.

"Have I done anything I didn't?" she asked with a dry laugh. Teej gave her a look. Even drunk he was sensible and concerned about her welfare. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah dude, I've made some mistakes. I wish I hadn't done a lot of things. But there are more things I wish I had done."

"Like what?" he asked her, sounding too curious for comfort. Spin blanked her face and laughed. "You're going to have to get me a lot more drunk if you want me to get all personal on you."

"Come on Spin," TJ said, now turning to face her. "I've known you for what, twelve years? How many times have you told me anything I couldn't figure out just by looking at you?"

Now Spin was surprised. "But you know like, everything about me."

"Yeah, because I'm a good guesser."

"Fine," she said, blowing her bangs out of her face. "What do you need to know that you don't already know?"

"Well for starters, what's your favorite color?" he asked.

"Black...I don't see how this is helping anything," she said sarcastically.

"Humor me babe," he said with a smile, still sipping the whiskey.

"Don't call me babe," she snapped, blushing. "I know yours is red...God, what don't I know about you? Tell me something I don't know about you!"

"Uhhh...how about this? I'm afraid of your mom." He stared her down, dead serious. She managed to keep a straight face for a second, then cracked up laughing, harder than she probably should have.

"Seriously man? My MOM?" she sorted. "Dude, my mother is about as threatening as a kitten."

"Kittens have claws. Besides, when I took you to the eighth grade dance she pulled me aside and told me if I didn't keep my hands off her Pookie she'd have to- she'd cut them off."

"Nuh-uh!" Spinelli said laughingly. "Really? That's so hilarious dude!"

"Sure scared me!" he said.

She snorted. "That explains why you wouldn't dance with me. Anything else you're wonderiiing?" By now the liquor was three fourths gone, as was Spinelli's mind.

"Yeah." TJ said suddenly not laughing.

"Well...?" Spin tapped her toe impatiently. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering about what you regret not doing is all," Teej scratched his head, looking uncomfortable even as his eyes lost focus. Spin took a deep swig to hide her discomfort.

"Um...you remember in middle school...after the eighth grade dance...you kind of asked me out? And I kind of-"

"Shut me down?" TJ asked.

"Yeah. Man, I wish I hadn't been so nasty. You just caught me off guard, you know? I didn't wanna be your weak little girlfriend, I wanted to be your best friend. I should have said yeah. Or been nicer. I'm so gone Teej, does this make any sense?"

"Yeah I understand. I wasn't really- I wasn't mad at you. Just was sad 'cause I really like you."

"Liked?" she asked, sure she'd misheard him slurring.

TJ laughed. "Yeah...still do."

Sober Spinelli would have shied away, made a joke, punched his arm. Sober Spinelli didn't want anyone to see her feelings. But sober Spinelli wasn't here.

Spin grinned teasingly. "Reallly?" she asked.

"Yeah, really. You're pretty much the most amazing person I know. If it wasn't for you I'd be slow dancing with Ashley A. right now, cuz that's what everyone wants me to do," he told her.

What will Spinelli say? What will TJ do? Find out in the next installment!