Chapter 5- KO

Vince was half carrying me down the hall to the nurses office, one of the girls had ran into the changing rooms to collect my belongings and was also carrying them, if there was ever a moment to feel totally helpless it'd be now. Luckily no one was in the hall to see us but I know that the few people that were about looked at me as if I was a caucus being dragged into the morgue.

'I can walk on my own.' I muttered pushing Vince aside, I could as well. People were just over reacting all because my head was burning up...now that just sound overly dramatic. I mean it wasn't like I was bursting into flames. It was merely a fever caused by a cold.

'Sure, I believe you. That's why you almost past out back in the gym.' he snorted but let me walk along on my own. 'Why are you like this anyway?'

'Well...yesterday I was training outside and I guess I just didn't dress for the weather.' I wasn't going to tell him I was with TJ, it wasn't worth my life that that.

'Training for what?' he frowned? 'It's winter! You don't go running around outside.' he muttered something under his breath. I just carried on walking feeling just a little bit more like an idiot.

'Well it doesn't matter know.' I sighed. 'The damage is done.' he watched me for a while. Just walking. My feet felt really heavy, I just felt tired- I wasn't sure if I was really ill. Maybe I just needed a good sleep? That seemed more likely.

'Dam it.' he hissed under his breath. I looked back at him stopping. 'Why did you come back?' he asked completely serious. 'There's no gang, no friendly feeling between any of us.' I nodded.

'I know.' I smiled. 'But I didn't choose to come back; it's just like how I didn't choose to go really. I'm just getting dragged around by my parents.' he ran his hand over his head.

'You've messed things up.' he frowned carrying on walking again. 'I don't want to talk to TJ; I just want to make it though school. But with you around...I guess there's no stopping it.' I smiled walking beside him.

'Sorry for messing everything up...but from what I've seen it wasn't that good in the first place.' he looked back at me a little surprised. 'I've seen Mikey and Gretchen too and they don't seem too happy with high school life like you. You're the only one I've seen with new friends.'

'That would be the team, you'll like them. A few you might remember, you know Butch and Francis? They're there. Sam and Dave too- the diggers if you remember them...well they're all in the basketball team. You wouldn't know the rest though. I'll have to introduce you to them all, they'll love you. I mean you've not turned out bad.' I snorted carrying on walking.

'What do you mean by that? Was I meant to grow a horn while growing up?'

'No, I mean back in elementary you were always going on about wrestling and then went around fighting people, I thought you might turn out like some miniature hulk but you're not that bad looking.' I grinned looking down at myself.

'Well you can thank my Mom; she made me stick to the dance thing so I wouldn't turn out like some miniature hulk.' he stopped outside a door labelled "nurse". I sighed looking up at him. 'Do I have to? It'll be so...clinical.'

'Yes, you look like you're going to die.' he pushed open the door.

The nurse took one look at me and had my lying on the bed at the far side of everything. Vince stud next to me talking for a little bit, mainly about the basketball team and that he'd practically force them to accept me but I didn't care to much for that. I wasn't sure how long he was there but he left my things beside me and I went to sleep. I had never fallen asleep in the nurse's office before. Normally I'd just get patched up in here and then get told to bugger off. Really the bed wasn't that bad. Soft and warm, I hadn't slept with a blanket in a while...I haven't slept on a bed in a while. I wasn't quite sure how or why I decided to sleep but the important thing was that I was now sleeping. An exhausting dreamless sleep which just seemed to make me sweat more than anything else.

I woke every time the bell went, I missed break, I heard the bell go and people rush around. I turned away putting the pillow cross my face. It was like having the rudest alarm in the world- there wasn't even a snooze button. I heard the curtain pull round me blocking me form the rest of the world. I sighed relaxing again closing my eyes. I needed to block it out, rest for now and then I'd be back on form for when I go home. The parents didn't have to know about this.

'You awake?' I sat up fast turning to face TJ. He was just casually standing there glaring again. 'God, just look at you.' he stepped forward wishing down on my shoulder so I'd lie back down. 'I told you if you got a cold...' he growled sitting on the ground beside the bed.

'Why are you here?' I rolled to look at him on the floor. 'Feeling just a bit guilty for not letting my drive home sooner?' he looked up at me, his face said it all even if all he wanted to do was glare. I sighed rolling away from him. 'Don't worry about it, I think because I stayed up late also helped towards all this so just leave me alone. No guilt needed.'

'You're a complete idiot.' he wasn't moving. 'Even dancing with Vince, you looked like you were getting rather friendly there.' I pulled the bed sheet over my shoulders.

'What do you expect? Old friends dancing, it's a recipe for giggles.' I still didn't hear him move. 'I bet if you were to dance me though it wouldn't have been so relaxed. With all the insults back there no one would have guessed you were an old friend too.'

'No, everyone knows Vince and I have history so they'll link it to you too.' he waved that off casually. I rolled my eyes hugging myself tighter.

'Well isn't that nice, now I can be traced back to the jerk of the school, free of charge...oh wait...it looks like I'm paying for it right now.' there was silence. It seems like that one worked. I had finally silenced the beast.

'You know, I didn't mean for you to get ill.' he started up again. I sat up glaring down at him.

'Leave me alone. I'm ill.' I said very clearly. I really wasn't in the mood to speak to him. Everything hurt or ached and my head was beginning to throb. I looked at him getting to his feet a little uncertainly. For a very brief moment he looked like the nine year old from back them.

'Next lesson dance with me. That girl I was with didn't know how to put one foot in front of the other.' and he was back to the new irritable TJ. I groaned lying back down.

'You're so full of it.' I turned away from him. 'No, I won't dance with you and I'm not going to talk to you anymore so just leave.' he didn't move.

'Jasper?' that was the voice of the blond teacher, Miss Fern. I looked over my shoulder to see him grimace.

'You know, I bet she'll dance with you, Jasper.' I turned back to face the wall as the curtain opened.

'There you are.' her voice lowered. 'Come on. I need a word.' and just like that the curtain closed again and I was alone. I pulled the sheet over my head and forced myself into sleep again. This was too much. I really didn't need all this today.

The next time I woke it was Lunch, dinner, whatever you call it, it was loud and my stomach was rumbling. The nurse came to check on me.

'You look a lot better. But you should probably go home just in case.' she let me go back through the curtain to change back into my normal clothes.

'I'm fine. I mean I feel a lot better after that sleep. There's no need to stress it.' I opened the curtain holding my bag and hat. 'I'm hungry though so I'll just be grabbing some lunch. Thanks.' I grinned almost running from the room. I looked around completely unsure of where to go. I just kept my head down as I headed to Gretchen's locker. When I came up to it the locked was already open for me. I grinned stepping into it and headed straight in to see my friend scowling.

'What do you think you're doing? You should have gone home.' she crossed her arms as she told me off. 'The nurse told you to go home. How many kids don't take that option?'

'That question is simple my dear Gretchen.' I groaned taking a seat on the couch. 'That is that all those children with missions never go home and stay to work though it all no matter what.' I grinned. 'Did I sound smart?' she closed the doors buffing.

'You sound deluded.' she held her hand to her temple. 'I've been watching you for the past few hours.' she tapped the monitor of the nurse's office. 'You honestly looked like you were dying and now you sitting right there like some hero survivor of some strange disease.' I nodded.

'That sounds about right.' I looked at the screen she tapped. 'Can you rewind that screen?' I asked getting back to my feet.

'Of course I can. But why? The curtain is draw, you wouldn't be able to watch yourself.' she sat down in front the monitors pulling a key board to her.

'Just before TJ left, a teacher came to him and I want to know exactly why.' she took the tape back, I saw myself re enter the nurse's office and head back into the curtains. A few people went in and out and then TJ came back into the room followed by a grief stricken Miss Fern.

'Is this what you're interested in?' I stud behind Gretchen. 'Want to follow them?' I nodded. With the monitors we followed them right down into the art room.

'Can we get audio?' as soon as I asked it was done. The monitor showed Miss Fern sitting on her desk with TJ almost half a classroom away from her.

'You know I was waiting last night for you to appear.' Miss Fern said firmly. 'Three hours. You're never that late. What happened?' me.

'It was a person al issue.' TJ kept his voice low, as toneless as I had ever heard him. 'It doesn't concern you.'

'Concern me?' she scoffed at him tossing her head back. 'I'm the only personal thing you have left in this place. What could be happening in your life that I don't know about?' there was a purse where nothing happened. 'The new girl? She was in the nurse's office right now with you.' the nurse had hit the nail on the head. TJ got to his feet heading towards the door.

'She has nothing to do with It.' he opened the door. 'And don't get all high and mighty- you don't know me that well.' he went off frame and the door slammed closed. I stud up straight staring at the screen with just the teacher there, sitting on her own. Even if I didn't really like her too much I've got to say I felt sorry for her. I hadn't seen TJ act to cold before.

'Idiot teacher.' Gretchen muttered turning the monitors back to present. 'Well it looks like they're involved with each other.' she headed over to the couch 'was that what you wanted to know.'

'Yhea, I guess anyway.' I rubbed my head. 'It's still strange though, I mean he really could have been talking about anything. She could be helping at home for all we know.' Gretchen shook her head.

'No, TJ Dad has a well earning job and he lives comfortably. I've gone into the back grounds of the teachers too and nothing suggests any other reason why she could be involved with him.' I stared at my old friend for a moment

'You're scary sometimes.' I muttered sitting back down with her. She sat up smirking.

'I know.' she hummed. 'But it doesn't change the fact that TJ probably started a relationship with this woman. It'll cause such a scandal; you don't get much action over here. Not like this anyway.' I put my head in my hands trying to clear things up in my mind. I mean it sounded crazy.

'Screw it, I'm ill. I can't think.' I threw my head back to stare at the ceiling. 'Maybe I should have slept more in the infirmary.'

'If you did you would have been attacked by a group of girls by now.' I frowned looking up at a monitor. She was right; right next to the bed I had not long ago slept in was a small army of girls searching the room.

'Hu, wonder what they want.' I muttered letting my head loll back again.

'They'll no doubt be out for blood.' Gretchen sighed. 'You've caught the attention of Vince, the schools shining sports star and Detweiller. Their beloved Jasper who always looks so tortured.' I snorted folding my arms.

'I'm sure that look is just gas or something.' I looked at the monitor again. They really were searching for me. 'Well TJ is as popular as ever.' I closed my eyes. 'But I don't get why people call him Jasper. Isn't that is middle name?'

'Yes.' Gretchen sighed. 'That happened when he first came to high school. I mean, he didn't like people calling him TJ anymore. That was the gang's thing to him. And Theodore doesn't have the same ring to It.' she sighed. 'But it's like he was reinventing himself that year. I mean middle school was so depressing I guess he wanted a fresh start. Turns out that things just get worse.' Gretchen sighed. 'Growing up sucks.'

'Completely.' I nodded. 'Why didn't you try "reinventing yourself?" you could have found new friends to keep you entertained.'

'Because I didn't see the point. Everyone but me is working towards something. A future, a life. I've already done that but just can't get there yet.' she stretched. 'So for me it's a waiting game. And for you...well I'm guessing you're waiting too.' I looked back at her.

'Oh, wand what am I waiting for old wise and beautiful Gretchen?' I gave her a little bow with my head.

'Well you could be waiting to move again, but it doesn't seem like you are. but I'm only saying you're waiting because you don't seem to be fussed about school, skipping classes, sleeping though your second day of school. Yet you're grades aren't that bad. That's why I think you're waiting just like me. I mean you dance and fight, you daw and paint. That's all you're interested in when it comes down to it. I'm interested in answering questions and science. But we're both stuck here till our age catches up with us.' I frowned up at the ceiling, I had never thought of it that way before.

'I guess you're right but maybe we're waiting in the wrong way.' I turned my head to look at her again. 'I mean I can see why you get bored now. This is just a room, there's more out there you know.'

'I can see.' she pointed to the monitors. 'And I'm fine with it. Anyway, I have a visitor now.' she grinned at me before looking back to the screens. 'Life's fine the way it is.'

The school day passed smoothly after that. I just sat with Gretchen and talked about people on the monitors. It was like I was getting prepped before some secret mission. I was quickly learning about every single student, their behaviour pattern, their likes and dislikes. It was crazy how you can find out so much just by watching them for a little while. But soon it was time to go home. I walked out at the end of the day to my truck again as I tried to open it a hand stopped me in my tracks but this time it was not a big forceful hand. In fact I was able to push it away rather easily. I turned to stare at a lanky pale boy wearing thick square glasses and a stripy gray beanie-hat. Unlike the other people I had spoken to today this boy had no force about him. There was some very stretched out muscle but it wasn't enough to many any difference to the very lean frame of the boy. He had broad shoulders but there was nothing to support it so his clothes looked like there was just moving round on a very tall coat hanger. The boys blond hair was almost white and poked out from under the hat as he panted.

'So you see everyone else but now me?' His lips thinned as he stared me down. 'That's not fair. You were meant to be in my maths class but never showed up! He looked down at me his pond water eyes filling with emotion. I sighed hugging the boy.

'Gus.' I patted his back. 'Why did you have to grow, you of all people. I was depending on you to stay a midget with me.'

'WHA-HEY!' he flinched as I released him. 'That's not fair you know.' he whimpered. 'I thought you forgot about me because I was the last one.' I smiled, he really hadn't changed.

'I could never have done that. You have no idea how much I've been thinking about you. You know I've been to over twenty different schools over these seven years...I think anyway. Well now I have a very good idea of how you felt back then. It's terrible, I haven't' made any friends since moving away. I live out of boxes and everyone just calls me the new girl.' I rested against my truck.

'Yhea, I've heard something about the infamous new girl at school.' he smiled. The same old foolish grin I saw back then. 'But you look kinda pale.'

'Oh, yhea, I'm ill. Apparently anyway so I've go'da get home.' I opened my truck door. 'I'll see you tomorrow though. promise we'll do more catching up then.' I grinned as he let me get into the truck.

'Sure, catch'ya later.' he waved as I drove off. This time I had defiantly made progress.