The pest
"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These were the ideals our founding fathers vowed to defend during the revolution. To protect freedom of the press, freedom of the-"
"Oww." As TJ was reading aloud his history book and the class following along with him, mid sentence Dede had felt someone poke her back with a pencil, when she looked behind her she saw Jeffery just smiling at her so she went back to following along with what TJ was saying, hoping to just ignore him. This plan however only lasted a few seconds before he poked her again. "Quit it Jeffery!"
"Quit what?" Jeffery asked 'innocently'.
"You know what, now quit it."
"Dede, do we have some peer interactions we need to address?" Asked Ms Grotke after hearing Dede.
"Oh, no Ms Grotke, everything is fine."
"Good. Well why don't you read to us for a while."
At this dede signed before glaring back at Jeffery before standing up. "And so with these issues in mind the founding fathers convened in philadelphia in seventeen eighty- ow." Dede stopped reading as she felt Jeffery poke her with his pencil again, turning around again to openly glare at him, only to be called out.
"Dede?"
"I'm okay."
"Why don't you take a moment to centre yourself."
Before Dede could protest a beeping had cut her off, she looked down before quickly covering her bracket. "That's a great idea, could I go to the bathroom to do that."
"Well, alright. But hurry back." Ms Grotke said looking at dedes hopeful smile, with that Dede ran out of the room and into the nearest empty hallway answering the call after making sure no one was around. (A/N - was gonna put an atomic Betty episode here but the only one I could think of doing was more suited for a different episode, so I'll be saving that for another time, so there won't be one for this chapter.) By the time Dede got back to earth it was time for recess to begin, that's where we find Dede watching her friends play tetherball.
"I just don't know what to do guys, he's been kicking me, poking me and messing with my hat all week long."
"Maybe you should just try ignoring him." TJ suggested, stopping him game with Spinelli as they both came and sat next to her on the picnic bench.
"I've tried, you guys I really have. He just keeps doing it over and over." Dede rested her head down on the table. "If I don't figure out how to stop him soon I'm gonna lose it."
"Don't worry about it Dede." Spinelli said Resting her hand on dedes shoulder. "As long as we're here, he wouldn't dare bug ya."
"You sure?"
"Most likely, with the six of us here the chance of him getting to you are low." Said Gretchen, making Dede smile before a ball hit her head, they all looked over the direction it came from and saw Jeffery duck back behind a wall.
"Let's cream the little weasel." Spat Spinelli, beyond angry that this kid was messing with her best friend. As they all ran after Jeffery they found him sitting at a different bench pretending to read a book while whistling, only to have Spinelli rip it out of his hands.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Asked Jeffery in fake confusion.
"Drop the innocent act buddy, we're onto you game." Spinelli said, slamming the book onto the table.
"Yeah, why you picking on Dede?" Said TJ with his arms crossed.
"Who me? I'm not doing nothing." Said Jeffery.
"Then how's she get hit in the head with a kickball?" Asked Vince putting his hands on his hips.
"How should I know, I was just sitting here reading my social studies book."
"Do you always read upside down Jeffery?" Asked TJ showing the book.
"Uhh...I like to challenge myself?"
"You're lying and you know it." Said Gretchen pointing at him.
"She's right, all week long you've been bugging me and I wanna know why?" Said Dede, fully annoyed at this point.
"Well..." Jeffery stuttered.
"Is it my face? My hair? How I act?"
"Yes, yes, yes. It's all of those things. I like you okay?" Jeffery said, shocking the seven friends as he stood up and faced Dede fully.
"What?"
"I like you, there I said it and I'm glad. I like you and I don't care who knows."
"Keep your voice down will ya?" Dede said looking around as Jeffery jumped into the table.
"No I won't, I'll shout it to the heavens. I'M IN LOVE WITH A GIRL NAMED DEDE KING AND I'M NOT GONNA REST UNTIL I'VE WON HER HEART."
"You uhh... don't really mean that, do you Jeffery." Said Dede looking around at all t he people that had gathered due to the shouting.
"What part of love don't you understand? I. Live. You." Jeffery said doing gestures to go along with what he was saying. When he was finished all the kids on the playground started laughing and singing 'dede and Jeffery sitting in the tree.
"My life is ruined." Dede face palmed as she walked away.
The next day at lunch time saw Dede sneaking into the cafeteria and sitting in between TJ and Spinelli.
"Dede, where have you been all morning, you missed class?" Asked TJ.
"I can never go back there again, not while he's in there." Said Dede making sure she stayed low as to not be seen.
"You're gonna have to face him sometime." Said Vince.
"Not if I keep a sharp lookout."
"Hello Dede." Said Jeffery as he slid in between Dede and Spinelli.
"Ahh.. that's Spinelli seat." Dede said, pushing Jeffery.
"Yeah ya pest, back off." Said Spinelli annoyed.
"But I bought you chocolate pudding." Jeffery said holding a pot.
"Where'd you get that? There not serving chocolate pudding today." Asked Gretchen.
"I heard it was dedes favourite so I got up two hours early to cook it up for her. That creamy texture only comes from minty minutes of continuous stirring ya know."
"Well whoever told you that was lying." Said Spinelli, smugly smirking at Jefferys lame attempt to get Dede affection.
"What?" Jeffery looked at Dede for confirmation as she just looked away uncomfortably.
"Yeah, Dedes a weird kid like that, she'll only have chocolate every now and then." TJ said, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Look, I don't want your chocolate pudding or you sitting here, so please just leave." Dede said, still looking away from him.
"Very well my love, I leave you with an empty stomach and me with an empty heart."
"Aww, it just makes me sick to see loves burn." Said Mikey before he pointed at the pudding. "You gonna eat that." And with that Mikey took it out of Jefferys hand and started eating the pudding as Jeffery left.
"Well he's gone." Said Vince.
"But what if he comes back?" Said Dede looking helplessly at her friends.
"Hey, you told him off, it may have been hard on him but you did the right thing." TJ reassured Dede, still hugging her to the side. "I'm sure he'll get the message and leave you alone." After lunch the seven friends went outside to play a game of catch, Spinelli had the ball in her hands and threw the ball to Dede, but before she could catch it and throw to the next person Jeffery jumped in front of her, knocking the ball away.
"Safe." Jeffery said as he landed on the ground. "She's safe."
"What are you doing? Who told you to interfere?" Dede growled.
"It's merely an act of chivalry, there's no need to thank me, sweet flower of my desire."
"True me I won't, and do you really have to talk like that?"
"I'm winning you over, aren't I? Admit it, you're charmed."
"Not a chance." Dede said, throwing the ball at Jeffery before walking away to go play something else. "Love hurts." The next game the seven were playing was marbles.
"He's not getting the message guys, he says the more I ignore him the more I like him. What cannindo?" Dede sighed, sitting next to Gus.
"Why don't you challenge him to a duel." Suggested Spinelli.
"Yeah, have his seconds beat your seconds." Vince said agreeing with spinelli.
"No, I have a better idea. All we need is a megaphone and a high place." Said TJ.
"You sure about this TJ?" Asked Dede as she was handed the megaphone and told the plan.
"More than sure, now get up there and spread the message." With that Dede climbed to the top of the jungle gym and looked out over the playground.
"Here goes nothing." Dede sighed before talking Into the megaphone. "Fellow students, may I have your attention please. For all those that care, I don't like Jeffery, he's the one who likes me. It's not my fault." With this all the students started laughing and singing again as Dede climbed down from the jungle gym and hung her head in shame before walking away. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the janitor's closet, until eighth grade." The next day at lunch we find the seven sitting at a table with everyone eating except Dede. "He's up to something, I know it."
"Not necessarily." Said Vince sitting opposite Dede, who looked away as she was tapped on her shoulder.
"This is for you," said a red haired girl from their class as she handed Dede a note which read 'to Dede from your love bug'. Dede looked up and saw Jeffery waving at her.
"See." Dede said to Vince before she looked back at the girl and handed the note back. "Tell him main refused, return to sender."
"Well well miss king, what have we here?" A new voice said, making them look over to see Ms Finster standing there. "A once moderately model student carrying on a puppy love romance right under my nose. How the mighty have fallen."
"But Ms Finster I wasn't-"
"I didn't just fall off the cabbage truck missy. We all know it takes two to tango. I'm going to have to confiscate that." Said Ms Finster taking the note away before looking at it. "Hmm.. perhaps a little sharing is in order."
"Please don't, what'd I ever do to you?"
"Need I list the trouble you cause?" At this Dede hid her face in her arms and resting them on the table as Ms FInster cleared her throat. "Dear Dede, your eyes are like two sparkling emeralds, your nose is like a cute little button and your lips are like pink bubblegum."
"Not bad ey." Asked Jeffery proudly as students started laughing again.
"AHHH." Dede screamed as she ran from the cafeteria to the nearest girls bathroom. "Man I could use a mission right now, but at least here he can't get to me."
"Dede, I know you're in there." Jefferys voice rang out.
"Ahh..Jeffery what are you doing in here?" Dede said, looking around.
"I'm not in there my sweet, I'm in the boy's bathroom just on the other side of the wall. Now you don't have to feel alone anymore, even in the girls room my sweet little love bird."
Dede ran out of the bathroom to get away from Jeffery and just started walking around the playground, however it was peaceful for her there either. "Dede has a boyfriend, Dede has a boyfriend." The Swinger girl sang as Dede walked past.
"I do not have a boyfriend." Dede replied.
"Dede has a boyfriend, Dede has a boyfriend." Upside down girl sang.
"I do NOT have a boyfriend. Am I to be tortured everywhere I go."
"Hey Dede, where's lover boy. Said Ashley T.
"Hey Dede, how Mr King." Said Ashley B.
"Hey Dede, what's it like?" Asked Ashley A but all Dede did was turn to look at them, look absolutely miserable. At the end of the day Dede grabbed Spinelli and Gretchen and ran to her house, once there Dede grabbed Lapis and sat on her bed venting her feelings to the girls.
"What do I do? I've had it with Jeffery, I can't go anywhere either without him or someone teasing me about him." Dede hugged Lapis close to her for comfort.
"I could always beat the snot up for ya." Said Spinelli as she sat next to Dede on the bed while Gretchen sat on the desk chair.
"I'm tempted to take you up on that offer but I don't want you to get in trouble."
"She's right Spinelli, one more fighting mishap and you just might get suspended." Said Gretchen. "But maybe there is something that can be done."
"What? At this point I'll do anything to get him to leave me alone."
"We give him what he wants."
"WHAT!!!" Shouted Dede and Spinelli, even Lapis was looking at Gretchen with a dumbfounded look knowing she couldn't speak in front of the other girls.
"I know I said anything, but that's a bit much." Said Dede repulsed at the idea.
"Yeah, what that punk wants is Dede, we're not just gonna hand her to him." Said Spinelli.
"We won't really be giving Dede to him, this is what we're gonna do." Gretchen then started to explain the plan to them and at the end of the night when Spinelli and Gretchen left Dede was feeling slightly better about going to school tomorrow.
"So you think it'll work?" Asked Lapis as she laid down on the bed next to Dede.
"I hope so, I'm at my wits end with him."
"Well if the plan doesn't work I'll take care of it for ya." Lapis said, yawning before falling asleep as Dede giggled softly.
"Thanks Lapis, you're a great friend." The next morning we find the boys of the friend group all sitting at a picnic table waiting for the girls to show up, when they hear a car pull up they look over to see the girls getting out of it. As the boys got up to greet them Dede just walked past them and straight up to Jeffery who was picking flowers.
"JEFFERY, I'm calling you out." Dede said getting his attention.
"What do you mean Dede my dear." Jeffery stood up and tried handing Dede the flowers in his hands.
"All this time you've been poking me, bugging me and making a spectacle of yourself, well now it's payback time. You say you want to be together forever, well here you go." Dede said pulling out a pair of handcuffs and connecting them to both their wrists before throwing the key away in front of him. "It's you and me now, together forever, side by side for all eternity. Come on first there's art club before helping Gretchen with spelling B practice and I was thinking of skipping lunch today to the that science frog dissection."
"No, no, please let me go, I'm too young to give up lunch." Jeffery said falling to his knees, begging.
"Geez, what a baby." Gretchen said as she pulled the spear key from her pocket and released the two from the handcuffs. "For future reference, they always come with a spear." With that she went to join the others in ushering the other kids away.
"Sorry I had to be so rough on you, I just had to make a point." Dede said, kneeling next to Jeffery.
"You sure did that. When you put that handcuff on my arm, my whole life passed before my eyes. Nine years just like that." Jeffery snapped his fingers. "I guess I'm just not ready for a full time commitment."
"That's fine, we're all just kids, none of us are ready for that. It's what I've been trying to tell you for the past two weeks."
"I'm sorry Dede, I was just trying to show you how much I liked ya."
"There's nothing wrong with showing people you like them, but what you did was the wrong way to do it."
"You're telling me, I'm never doing that again."
"That's good, you know, now that you have stopped acting like a jerky boy, or gonna act like one again, you don't seem so bad, in fact I can see us being friends if you want."
"Friends? Yeah I'd like that. I'll see ya around." Jeffery said before running off as Spinelli and Gretchen walked up to Dede.
"Boys are really weird." Said Gretchen.
"I know what you mean, can't live with them, can't grind them into chalk dust." Spinelli said, rubbing her hands together.
"Well actually, you could, see I have this experiment at home-"
"Haha wow, hold that thought Gretchen, we don't want to give Spinelli any ideas now." Dede teased before running off laughing lightly as Spinelli chanced her.
Happy new year everyone hope you have a great one.
I'm sorry for not uploading for MONTHS but truthfully, I completely forgot about this story with everything going on hopefully I'll be able to get into a routine of uploading.