Sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been busy, but here is the next chapter. Shout out to bladekerr for leaving a review. Thanks for it. Yes, it definitely won't be easy getting through to her, especially when the Ashleys will not ever leave her side, but no one ever said it would be easy. Where would the fun be in that. I will definitely think about your suggestion.

Now, onto the chapter.

Chapter 23: Fight and phone calls

After leaving Kelso's, T.J walked home. He was thinking about what he would say to Spinelli. The first day of middle school had definitely not gone as planned. Him and his friends were supposed to stick together in middle school. That was what they had agreed on before Spinelli's accident. Yet somehow, Spinelli had turned into a copy of Ashley A over the summer. That was something he just couldn't wrap his brain around. Why would she become an Ashley, when the were the living embodiment of everything she always hated. It just didn't make any sense to him. Spinelli had always remained true to her herself and didn't care what others thought of her. She was an original. But now. Now she was just a copycat. He was refusing to believe that she hadn't been brainwashed. What other reason was there for her sudden change over the summer, and he was going to un-brainwash her, and get the old Spinelli back. He would talk to her after dinner, and find a way to get through to her, one way or the other. He needed to talk to her, without any Ashley intrerruption.

Meanwhile, Ashley A was busy conducting her own plan on how to keep those riff raffs separated from one another, and more importantly, away from Ashley S. They were not allowed to ruin her hard work, and regress Ashley S into yet another lowlife hooligan like her old friends. She had worked too hard in breaking and reshaping Spinelli into the perfect Ashley, and someone like T.J. Detweiler was not going to ruin her hard work. Not now, and not ever. Ashley S had been like a wild animal that needed to be tamed and caged, and luckily, she had broken the former tomboy like a monkey that needed to be trained. But it had all been worth it, when the former tomboy had realized her destiny and true potential as an Ashley. It was actually pretty easy figuring out which clubs 4 of the five hooligans needed to be in, to keep them occupied from ruining her hard work, and ruin Ashley S. Lasalle was an obvious sports guy, so it was football, then basketball, and then baseball, and if he had potential to be in the same social circle as Ashley S. As long as he didn't try to change her back, but he would quickly see the light in being on a sports team. Gretchen Grundler was going to be a science geek and would join the science team. Bloomberg would obviously join the school fall musical, seeing as he was dramatic, and then poetry. Griswald could be convinced to join the chess team or JROTC or both. And then there was Detweiler, the wild card. The biggest hooligan apart from Ashley S before she joined the Ashleys. He didn't fit into any category of social standing. Well, she supposed there was always detention for him until he could join a team. She just had to pay someone enough money to get him into trouble, and best person for that job: Lawson. Now, she just had to call the other Ashleys', minus one, and inform them of the plan. On how to get those hooligans onto their correct teams. It was easy. Find papers about them, the ones who they can find papers on, make sure that the right people had said papers, and if not, then tell the right people about them. It was such a perfect plan, that just couldn't be tarnished.

Meanwhile, Spinelli was lying on bed, exhausted the first day of school. She knew that her old friends would have questions regarding her becoming an Ashley, but she didn't expect them to practically bamboozle her at the school, and then at Kelso's. She didn't understand why it was such a big issue. It wasn't like her, and the other Ashleys' were enemies in elementary school. They all usually kept to themselves, and didn't bother one another, so why was it such a big issue for them. Plus, she was always a bit girly in elementary school. It wasn't like she was a big tomboy. Honestly, her joining the Ashleys' made perfect sense, but it was fine if her old friends didn't understand right away. They would, with time. After all, they were all in middle school now, so it was time to embrace changes, and being an Ashley would come with a lot of perks. She honestly never thought that she would eventually join the Ashleys', but the summer put in a lot of perspective for her. This was what she wanted, and was who she was, and T.J and the others would just have to deal with it. She was in her own thoughts when she heard a sound coming from her window. She walked over and saw T.J throwing pebbles at her window. She opened it, and he gestured for her to come down so that they could talk. She sighed before agreeing to come down.

She went down to the living room, and out the front door to meet T.J in her backyard.

"Okay, so, like, what did you want to talk about T.J." She asked impatiently. She needed her beauty sleep, and she wanted to stay out of trouble. While she was sure that her parents didn't mind her being outside this late, she didn't want to risk anything."

"I wanted some answers, and I wanted them when we were alone."

"I already gave you answers. Look, I, like, know it was a shock, but we're in middle school now. Time for a change."

"Those were not answers, and we were interrupted by Ashley A."

"Okay fine, what do you need to know."

"Why the change. Three months ago, you were all about wrestling, fighting, and pulling pranks, the Ashleys' were your sworn enemies, and you detested everything they stood for, and now you're acting just like them."

"I don't know what you're rambling all about. I've never been into any of those things you mentioned. I was always a bit of a girly girl, you know that. And the Ashleys' weren't my sworn enemies. I've never been close to them, but I never had a problem with them. And I know that we were friends in elementary school, but we weren't that close, and I never pulled any pranks."

"That doesn't make any sense. I understand if Ashley A has brainwashed you. We can un-brainwash you and revert you back to your true self."

"Ashley A did not brainwash me. She took care of me this summer and made me see the light. She made me see who I was always meant to be. Being an Ashley is a special thing."

"You know what, I don't get it. You used to be cool, used to be an original. You always remained true to yourself, and never once cared what others thought of you. And now, you're nothing more than a copy of Ashley A." It was getting clear that getting through to her was going to be extremely difficult, even without an Ashley present, so he said some things in frustration.

"Well then, if you really feel that way, then maybe we shouldn't be friends at all. I was wrong for thinking that we could still be friends, but we clearly can't. The Ashleys' are my real friends. Not you. They accept me for who I am and saw my true potential. Ashley A was right. You're, like, nothing but a waste of my time, and I never want to speak to you again." And with that, she left, and went back to her house, and up to her room. If he couldn't accept the real her, then there was no point in them being friends.

She asked her parents if she could borrow the phone, and take it up to her room, to which they agreed, seeing as she been very well-behaved lately, but also told her not to spend too much time on the phone. She needed to call Ashley A, and talk about the fight with T.J. She had originally thought that she could perhaps remain her old friends while still being an Ashley, but if T.J didn't want to accept the new her, then he could get lost.

"Hello, this is Ashley Armbruster." Ashely A had picked up the phone.

"Ashley A, Ashley S here. I have, like, got to talk to you about something."

"Well, what is it."

"It's about T.J."

"Who, Detweiler."

"Yes, him."

"Like, what about him."

"He wanted to talk to me. Said that he wanted some answers, as to why I had changed over the summer."

"So, like, what did you say." Ashley was nervous when Ashley S mentioned Detweiler and talking about the summer. Any wrong movement could ruin her hard work and turn Ashley S into a hooligan again.

"After he accused you of brainwashing me, I told him that you hadn't brainwashed me, and that you had taken care of me, and that you only helped me see my true potential. And then he went on a rant about how I was not true to myself, how I used to be original, and that I had turned into a copy of you. And then I told him that if he felt that way, then we could not be friends anymore, and then I practically told him to get lost. I'm an Ashley. I know where I belong."

"Well, good riddance. You are, like, so much better off without that deadweight to Detweiler. He's, like, a total looser, and he sounded insane for what he said. Like, forget about your old friends, Ashley S. You, like, don't need them anymore. You have your Ashley sisters, who only encouraged you to be true to yourself, and not some hooligan version that they have planned. After all, I was the only one who took care of you this summer, and we had, like, so much fun." Ashley A was pleased. It sounded like Detweiler had messed things up for himself, and that Ashley S wasn't faced by anything he said, and soon enough they would no longer be neighbors. Her plan was coming to fruition. But Detweiler and the rest of those hooligans still needed to be separated from one another. She would call Ashley B, T and Q and tell them that she was picking them tomorrow before Ashley S. That way, she could bring up what Ashley S had just told.

"You know what, Ashley A. You are, like, so right. Who needs Detweiler, when all he does, is get into trouble. I'm an Ashley now. I, like, can't be bothered with people who are beneath him."

"Absolutely, Ashley S. And as soon as you move into your new house, we'll have an Ashley sleepover at your house, and then we can go to the mall the next day. And how about a trip to the salon."

"Totally sound like a scandalous plan."

"Scandalous" They shouted at the same time.

Next up: The Ashleys' put their plan into motion, while T.J discusses his conversations with Spinelli

So, that was it for Ch. 23. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Okay, so this chapter took me a couple of days to write, but I got through it. I will say that, I think that there won't be many chapters left.

Anyway, as always, Please R/R and let me know what you think.

I do not own Recess or its characters.