Chapter 8: Prove It!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Magic School Bus or any of the related characters. The Magic School Bus series is created by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen and owned by Nelvana. This entire story is a work of fanfiction and is meant for entertainment purposes only. I am not making a profit from this story.

Notes: Here's Janet's backstory! I really detested her when I was a child. She was down there along with Angelica from Rugrats and Randall from Recess. But I wanted to give her more depth for my story, so this chapter idea came to mind. R&R!

11:30pm (Interlude)

Janet Perlstein was NOT going to cry tonight.

She didn't cry when her father told her that he wished he had a son like his brother. She didn't cry when her parents first announced they were having a trial separation. She didn't even cry when Mr. Caraway implied that he didn't enjoy having her as a student yesterday afternoon in front of the whole class.

So she wasn't going to cry when Carlos, the boy she had mooned over since the age of eight, publicly rejected her while she was celebrating the end of her senior year and trying to forget all her problems.

Sobbing hysterically was characteristic of weak-minded individuals like her wimpy cousin and quite frankly a complete waste of time. Janet was a woman of action. If something upset her, she fixed it.

But at the end of the day, she knew that she couldn't force Carlos to fall in love with her. That wasn't how love worked.

Janet angrily stomped her foot on the sidewalk where the cab had dropped her off. She didn't want to go home now. Her mother was out with friends and her father had already permanently moved into his own place. She would be alone.

So Janet decided to go for a stroll around the neighborhood instead. The cool night air and quiet atmosphere helped calm her. Most of the houses on the block were dark inside, the residents having already gone to sleep. But some homes still had a light on, like the one at the end of the street. Janet could faintly see a middle-aged man watching television in the living room, while his wife made a late night snack in the kitchen. She went to bring it to him and the two of them cuddled together on the sofa.

Janet started feeling sick again, so she staggered up their driveway to lean against the side of the garage door. Pressing the back of her head on the cold bricks, she took a few deep breaths to relax.

Suddenly, the garage door opened causing her to shriek and bolt down the driveway. A hand grabbed her forearm and hauled her back against a tall, firm body. She tried to push the figure away, but a pair of strong arms latched around her middle, preventing her escape.

"I'm so sorry sir, I didn't mean to trespass, I swear I just got lost!" she babbled hysterically.

"Janet?!" a deep voice exclaimed in bewilderment. She looked up and found herself in Tim's arms.

"Ugh get off me Paint Freak! What are you even doing here?" she snapped in embarrassment. He immediately let go and she staggered back.

"I live here, so I should actually be asking you that question," Tim drawled, taking in her outfit. "Did you go to a party or something?"

"I went to a nightclub. Had a tiff with some of your friends and ditched the place not long after. Went for a walk because I didn't feel like going home and somehow wound up here," she nonchalantly shrugged.

"Who was at the nightclub?" Tim asked in surprise.

"Carlos, the Wimp, Book Bag, Wanda, Keesha, and Plant Girl," Janet replied, rolling her eyes.

"Oh really? Well I'm glad to hear DA was there. It was a good opportunity to apologize for what you said to her this afternoon," Tim casually remarked, walking back into the garage.

"When pigs fly," Janet sneered, following him inside.

Tim didn't look surprised by her response. Instead, he sat on a stool beside a small fold-up table and started filling ten plastic mini bottles with different colors of acrylic paint. Once he was done, he put the bottles in a small box along with brushes, sponges, and other art supplies. Then, he neatly printed the name "Kate" on a white label and stuck it on the front of the box.

"Who's Kate?" Janet curiously asked.

"She's one of the kids enrolled in the art class I'll be teaching this summer at the community center. I'm preparing their tool kits. I'll be reimbursed for the materials I had to purchase. One down, eleven to go," Tim replied, continuing his work.

"Sounds lame. Why here?"

"It's my summer job? I have to pay my tuition fees somehow and my scholarship won't cover everything. I'm doing it here so paint fumes don't get into the house. My parents have a double garage and one car so there's enough space for me to work," Tim explained, gesturing towards a car that was covered with tarp parked on the other side of the garage.

"When does your class start?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Well that explains why you're up so late. You didn't strike me as a procrastinator though. What happened? Got the dates mixed up?" Janet snickered.

"I was studying for the bio exam. I crashed when I got home from school today and woke up a few minutes ago," Tim sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

"What are you majoring in at Walkerville U?"

"Take a guess."

"Fine Arts?"

"Uh huh."

"Then why take bio if you're going to be a Fine Arts major? It's not one of your strongest subjects. I always see you staying after class to talk to Mr. Caraway," Janet questioned, her eyebrows pinching together in confusion.

"Why were you watching me after class?" Tim asked uncomfortably.

"Not consciously. I naturally take note of things. Science is all about observation," Janet said defensively.

"I take bio because all my friends are in that class."

"Then why not take chemistry and physics with them too?"

"Those aren't prerequisites for my major."

"Neither is bio."

"It's easier for me to understand than the other two sciences."

"You could just save yourself the hassle and not take any of them. You would still see everyone during lunch and in other classes like English," Janet argued.

"Not this semester. Got unlucky with my schedule. I wanted to share at least one period with her...them!" Tim winced and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was still a bit groggy from his extended nap and he'd let himself slip up.

"Sooo, you actually want to spend more time with Plant Girl," Janet knowingly cackled.

"Her name is Phoebe Terese," Tim sternly said, turning away from his work. Janet was right about herself being observant. He thought nobody had noticed, but he was wrong.

"You're not going to deny it?" Janet asked in disbelief.

"I'm not ashamed of my feelings for Phoebe. She's kind, smart and beautiful," Tim shrugged. An ugly twinge of jealousy shot through Janet. She wished a boy would talk about her like that.

"Oh well, your little crush is a giant waste of time. She's completely enamored with my loser cousin and he has his oblivious head stuck too far up Wanda's ass to give Phoebe the time of day," Janet rolled her eyes.

"I could say the same thing about you, Carlos, and DA," Tim rebutted, adding fuel to Janet's ire.

"At least you might actually have a chance with her if you play your cards right. Carlos humiliated me and practically declared his love for Book Bag in the middle of the club. She clearly likes him back, so there's no hope for me now," Janet bitterly stated.

"So, how exactly do I stand a chance?" Tim asked, deciding not to press for details. He'd text Carlos about it later.

"The Wimp will eventually confess to Wanda and she'll reject him because she actually has standards. Then, Phoebe will ask him out and he'll say yes so he can forget about Wanda. But, they'll inevitably break up because he's unable to get over Wanda and that's when you'll make your move Paint Freak. It's the best outcome a wallflower like you can hope for," Janet coldly explained.

Tim's expression turned stony and he stood up and stalked over to her. Janet's eyes widened as she properly took in his appearance under the bright glow of the garage light. Damn, did she say wallflower? Tim easily stood over six feet tall, his dark shoulder-length locs were neatly clipped away from his handsome face revealing a silver cartilage piercing on his left ear, and he smelled divine.

"I'm not playing second fiddle to anyone, especially in relationships. My parents met in high school and have been happily married for over twenty years. I want a forever love like that," he said in a serious tone. Janet remembered how happy the man and woman cuddling on the couch looked, belatedly realizing that they must have been Tim's parents since this was his house.

"Well, my parents are getting divorced so I have no fucking idea what that kind of love looks like!" Janet shouted and angrily turned away.

After a few moments of silence, a warm pair of strong arms unexpectedly enveloped her from behind and she found herself leaning back into Tim's embrace. She couldn't remember the last time anyone hugged her. She had always been a lone wolf. She initially hovered around different cliques within her grade when she enrolled at Walkerville High, but her abrasive personality prevented her from making friends. No one wanted her at home and no one liked her at school.

"Thanks Tim. My parents told me they had officially filed for divorce this morning, after going through a trial separation. That's why I was late for the exam. I wanted to see if my mom was okay after she returned from the courthouse. Then, Carlos rejected me at the club. It has been a really shitty day. Sorry for acting like a bitch earlier," she whispered, tilting her head up to look at him.

"Eh, I've gotten used to it over the past decade or so. I'm surprised you're letting me hug you," Tim teased and Janet laughed.

"I think it'll take some time before I open my heart to someone after Carlos. I'll probably remain single for a while, so I'm taking all the physical affection I can get," she sighed.

"You never know. A special someone might suddenly show up when you least expect it," Tim said encouragingly.

"Oh yeah? Prove it!" Janet playfully countered. Both teens burst into laughter.

"Sure, there's actually a well known statistic that says the majority of people meet the person they're going to marry before the age of 21. You're not 21 yet, so there's still hope for you," Tim grinned.

"Thanks Tim. I'll keep an open mind then," Janet smiled.

"You know, you're not so bad when you're being yourself and not putting on the class shrew act," Tim commented, pulling away and tucking a long strand of unruly auburn hair that had come loose from her updo behind her ear. A blush slowly crept up her face.

"It's getting late. I should head home and let you finish preparing for your art class. I'll see you tomorrow Picasso," Janet said.

"Tomorrow?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, I'm leading a science camp at the community center. You're not the only one who has to pay their tuition fees this fall. It's also a good resume booster," Janet grinned.

Tim nodded and she waved goodbye. When she reached home, she locked the door behind her and leaned back, turning her gaze towards the popcorn ceiling.

'He could easily make me forget about Carlos,' she mused.

Too bad he doesn't play second fiddle.

Notes: I had so much fun writing this chapter! I was waiting for an opportunity to give Tim some serious screen time and also explore Janet's circumstances :)

Making Tim's major Fine Arts seemed like a no-brainer to me because he was always depicted as being a skilled artist throughout the original series.