Story: Of Spitfires and Friendships
Pairing: T.J./Spinelli, lite Gretchen/Vince
Rating: Mid T
Summary: T.J. doesn't really know when his feelings for Spinelli changed, but he can't imagine living without her. Too bad she has yet to realize her own. Slight AU.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I found them sweet and I appreciate them! :)
Also sorry, this chapter is also unrevised, so there might be some errors here and there.
Disclaimer: I do not own Recess and am merely using the characters for my own entertainment.
TJ walked through the doors of the library, looking for his red headed friend. The librarian was sitting at the service desk reading a book, completely oblivious to the world around her. He spotted Gretchen sitting near the copy machine and headed over to her. To his amusement, he noticed that the back jacket of the librarian's book was of some intellectual novel, but when he walked by, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of some choice paragraphs that didn't seem like they would be found in an intellectual novel. He walked up to Gretchen.
"Alright. Spill."
Gretchen looked up from her textbook at TJ, a blank look on her face, "Spill what?"
"What's going on with Spinelli?"
Gretchen shook her head, "It's her business, ask her."
"So you admit that there is something going on with her, then?" Gretchen looked back down rapidly as her face began to burn. Busted. TJ crossed his arms and sat down across from her at the library table . He wasn't going to get brushed off again. Not this time. If Spinelli was so dead set on not telling him what was going on, he would get his answers elsewhere. Plus, he had no other real options since she'd been avoiding him for a week since The Almost Kiss. "Look, I'm her best friend. Why won't she tell me what's the matter?"
Gretchen sighed heavily and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Look TJ, I have no idea why she hasn't told you. Maybe she's scared or something."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared that maybe you'll judge her?" Gretchen shrugged when TJ's face took on a look of disbelief, "Look, I dunno."
"How can she be scared of how I'm going to react if she hasn't even bothered to tell me yet? Let me be the judge of that. I would've thought by this time, she would trust me enough with anything. When have I ever not been supportive?"
"Uh... You've been pretty unsupportive about some of her activities a lot of times. You weren't supportive of her dating Lawson, remember? In fact, you guys stopped talking for a while because you had to be an asshole."
TJ rose an eyebrow, "So you're going to tell me that you supported all of her drinking and streaking and joyriding and fighting? And c'mon, Gretchen. It was fucking Lawson of all people!"
The librarian raised her head above her trashy romance novel and shushed them loudly, fixing them with a heated glare. No doubt he had interrupted a steamy scene with his outburst. They apologized and lowered their heads, trying to keep their conversation down.
Gretchen sighed again, this time, he noted, it was in defeat, "Okay TJ. I'll tell you what she told me, but only because I trust you... and you are her best friend. You've always been able to help her at her lowest."
He leaned closer when Gretchen beckoned him, "She's feeling guilty, TJ. And to handle her guilt, she's partying and messing around with some of the druggies of the grade. I'm doing the best I can to stop her, but she won't listen."
He swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly dry, not liking the sound of this, "What do you mean, messing around with the druggies?"
"I mean what I mean, Teej."
He knew Spinelli wasn't one to play by the rules, but hearing his suspicions confirmed froze him. How deep in was Spinelli? What the hell happened to make her even consider this kind of behaviour? Sure, she wasn't the most wholesome girl or the most law-abiding, but he knew she had good morals, and Spinelli had a good sense of justice.
He tried to swallow his fears that something truly awful happened, "Why does she feel guilty?"
Gretchen shook her head. "I'll tell you, but we need to discuss some things. First, answer a question of mine: Do you like Spinelli?"
His face burned red, "Of course I like her. She's my best frie-"
"No, TJ. You know what I mean." Her glasses flashed and she stared him down like an interrogator, her face impassive and fierce. "Do you like Spinelli?"
He hesitated for a second, but then realized there was no point in hiding it. He'd been hiding it for long enough. And even if Spinelli found out from someone other than him, it didn't matter, "Yes. I like her."
Gretchen leaned back in her chair and smiled, "Good."
He slumped in his chair, his eyes averted, "It doesn't matter anyway. She probably doesn't feel the same way."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that."
TJ looked up at Gretchen, a suspicious look on his face, "And how would you know that?"
"TJ, I'm Spinelli's best girl friend. Who else would she come to about her boy problems? She tells you a lot of stuff yes, but you're not a girl, so you can't really help."
"Did she say something to you?" his heart began to beat a little bit faster. Maybe there was hope for him yet. "Something about-"
"How you guys almost kissed?" TJ's shocked face made Gretchen laugh, "Like I said, TJ. You may be her best friend, but I'm her best girl friend. She tells me everything. Might I add, smooth moves slick. If your mom hadn't interrupted, how far would you have been willing to go?"
"Not far." He shook his head, "She was drinking that night. It wouldn't have meant anything. Plus, she probably would have clobbered me."
Gretchen chuckled and shook her head chastisingly, "Oh TJ. You naive, stupid boy."
He frowned, annoyed at her belittling tone, "What?"
"I can't believe after all these years, you still don't know Spinelli." He opened his mouth to retort but she cut him off, "No. You don't. You're so caught up in thinking she's the same Spinelli you played with in our childhood, that you haven't really noticed her change."
"What do you mean? I have noticed some changes."
"Yeah, the obvious ones. But there are so many subtle things you clearly didn't see."
"I never really saw a difference, though."
"Of course, you haven't. But did you ever stop to think about why she didn't speak to you for a month after you started dating Ashley Q sophomore year?"
"No-"
"Why she used to put thumb tacks in your shoes every time you would look at a girl in eighth?"
"No-"
"Or why she asked you to the Sally Hawkins dance, immediately after it had been announced?"
"No, but-"
She put up a finger, cutting him off, "Do you even know why she broke up with Lawson this past summer after almost a year of dating?"
"She told me it was because he was an asshole."
Gretchen rolled her eyes at him, "And you believed that excuse? C'mon. Lawson has always been an asshole. Spinelli's not blind. Why would she realize it just then?" TJ looked offended, "She broke up with him because he was pressuring her into having sex."
The blood drained from his face, "What? She never told me this." He was so gonna beat that asshole.
"Of course she didn't. Because when she would talk about Lawson, you'd always act like such an ass, criticizing everything she did with him, commenting how he was no good, and she could do better. Small things that made her not want to tell you about her relationship."
He felt like shit. When Lawson had been Spinelli's boyfriend, he had definitely acted like an ass. He never approved of their relationship, probably because he was jealous, but instead of supporting Spinelli as he should have as her friend, he had been demeaning and awful.
"So I'm an unsupportive ass of a friend. But what does her break up have to do with this?"
Gretchen rolled her eyes again, "Men... You guys don't understand anything."
"Hey! Since I'm so clueless, why don't you just stop being so cryptic and tell me?"
She ignored him, "TJ, is Spinelli a prude?" He rolled his eyes. It was always so annoying when she would ask him questions as a response.
He thought about it. Spinelli was a tomboy by nature, but he knew she wasn't exactly uncomfortable with showing her body or fooling around. In fact, he had caught her on third base with some random guy at a party once. She usually wore leather jackets and boots and skinnies, but she wasn't averse to showing her arms and legs or midriff on occasion.
"I guess not."
"Right. But believe it or not, Spinelli is a virgin."
Now this, was shocking. He hadn't expected that. Of course, a little part of him inside had hoped she was, and had hoped that the reason she had never told him if she had lost her virginity or not was because she was still one.
"So why would she say no to Lawson?"
Gretchen fixed him with a serious look, "Because she's saving herself for you."
There was a deafening silence between them. TJ couldn't even begin to describe the amount of shock he felt at hearing those words. If Spinelli had been saving herself for him... then that would mean that she liked him. But how? He had never once gotten that vibe from her.
"She was saving herself for me? She told you that?"
"Yes TJ. She is saving herself for you. And that night, when you almost kissed her, she may have been drinking, but she was definitely sober enough to know what was happening. She was disappointed when you didn't try again. She thought you rejected her."
"What?" His eyes were looking a bit crazed, "That makes no sense! My mom walked in on us. The mood was totally shot!"
"Shhhhhh!" The librarian's finger was firmly pressed to her lips and she glowered at them, "If you guys can't pipe down, you're out of here!"
Gretchen shrugged, ignoring her, "TJ, I don't think it makes any sense either, but this is Spinelli we're talking about. She sees only what she sees."
"Yeah, no doubt." He slumped in his chair again. Is that why she hadn't spoken to him in a week? Because she thought that he had rejected her and the friendship was ruined? He couldn't believe that's what happened. He thought she had been avoiding him because she was sickened by the fact that he tried to kiss her and that she didn't want to continue being friends with him.
"She asked me if you liked her, TJ. She seemed really worried about what the answer might be."
"What did you say?"
"I told her to open her eyes and figure it out. Of course, she ignored me and decided to ignore you too, apparently.
"You know, you see only what you see too, TJ. You're both so stupid. That's why you've both had so many misunderstandings." Gretchen shook her head, "I swear, for being such great friends, you guys really don't know anything about each other."
Maybe it was time he reevaluated things that happened with Spinelli. Maybe he had been missing subtle things. Maybe he had ignored some key signs from Spinelli from his own preconceived idea that she didn't like him back.
"But then what? I appear in front of Spinelli on a white horse and declare my everlasting love for her or something? Cuz that would go down great."
A small grin appeared on Gretchen's face, "Every girl likes to feel like a princess sometime, TJ. Even if said girl is Spinelli." The bell rang and she started to gather her books, "There's a class in here next period, so I'm gonna head out."
"Wait, you never told me why she was guilty?"
Gretchen turned and looked at him, her lips thin, "Spinelli's older brother is in jail."
TJ's eyes widened, "What?! Joey is? What happened? How long ago was this?"
"It happened this past Christmas break. All I know is that Spinelli considers herself the cause of this and now her family is in disarray. She didn't tell me anything else. That's why I told you. Maybe she'll tell you the rest."
It was that long ago?! Christmas break was in December. It was April. She had been keeping it a secret for several months now. He was silent, his mind reeling from what Gretchen just revealed. Spinelli had been blaming herself for landing her brother in jail? And that's why she had been going crazy at parties and stuff? So then what was the deal with why she didn't want to go home? So many questions flied through his mind. They had so much to discuss. Seriously.
"Hey, is Spinelli at school today?"
A small, knowing grin appeared on Gretchen's face, "She's not, but I don't know where she is today."
He knew. At least, he had an inkling. "I think I know."
"Good." Gretchen picked up her bag, "Well, if you don't need me anymore, I'm off to see my boyfriend."
TJ frowned, flabbergasted and slackjawed. Gretchen had a boyfriend?!
"You have a boyfriend? Who?" He exclaimed, ignoring the annoyed look she gave him at his thinly veiled skepticism.
"If you don't already know, there's no reason to tell you."
He growled under his breath, "What is it with you girls and always keeping secrets? I don't understand you at all."
She shrugged as she waved goodbye, "We're girls, TJ. You're not supposed to understand us. Good talk. I hope now that you have this information, you'll do the right thing."
"The right thing could end badly for me."
Another grin appeared on Gretchen's face, "But you're willing to take the chance anyway, right? Good luck, Detweiler."
Making up his mind, he stood up from the table and grabbed his bag. He knew what he was going to do. To hell with the rest of the school day. Marching out of the library, he walked straight out of the school and to his car.
His mind was reeling when he finally got to his home. He still didn't know what he would say or how to approach her about this, but he knew he wouldn't let her take the easy way out this time. He walked up the stairs toward his room, already hearing the TV, and the distinct sound of Spinelli's cackles. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.
Spinelli jumped and looked guiltily up at him from her position on the floor, "TJ! I didn't expect you back right now. I was just- I mean-"
There was nothing strange about her platonic greeting, but he looked at her, really looked at her this time and realized she was blushing. It was faint and small, but it was definitely there. She looked smaller than he remembered, as if the weight of all her burdens was pushing her down, making her smaller each day that she held it in. All the words that he had been building up to say died on his tongue. He had been so wrong about Spinelli. He wasn't even sure if all these years of friendship, he had actually paid real attention to her. And now she was going through something hard by herself, and he didn't even know because she hadn't felt comfortable telling him since he was such an ass.
Act now, think later.
His jaw set, he strode over to her with purpose, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. He reached down, pulled her up by her arms to him, and firmly pressed his lips against hers.
This chapter was a bit all over the place in my opinion. Kinda sloppy and unorganized too, but I wanted to get this story over with already. Anywaaaaay, the next chapter is probably going to be the last one of this story.
Hope you enjoyed :)