Randall's reform
"It's almost like she left it there on purpose." Said Mikey as the eight friends were standing in front of the cart that held all the balls inside it.
"All those balls just sitting there, ripe for the picking." Sighed Vince.
"What's to stop one of us from simply walking up there, reaching in, and getting the good ball for ourselves, for a change?" Asked TJ.
"Finster." Said Gus.
"Yeah, but, come on, there's no one watching it, it's like she left it there for that reason." Replies Dede.
"According to the schedule, she ought to be biting into the second half of her sardine and pickle sandwich, right about.....now." Gretchen said, looking at her watch.
And just like Gretchen had said, we see Miss Finster sitting in the cafeteria along with Randall, both enjoying their sandwiches. "Mm, nothing like a good sardine and pickle sandwich, eh, Randall?"
"You said it, Miss Finster." Randall replied.
"I'm going for it." TJ declared before walking up to the cart, accidentally kicking the wheel slightly making Randall perk up, having heard the slight noise.
"What is it boy?" Ms Finster asked, almost like she was talking to a dog.
"I heard something, Miss Finster. I'll be right back." Randall said getting up and leaving the cafeteria.
"Must have been a frequency only lapdogs can hear. That kid's a natural."
TJ went to grab a ball from the cart but stopped himself, seeing Randall standing behind a pole not far from the cart. The two were having a staring contest, with Randall smirking and TJ shaking his head. "Don't do it, Randall."
"MISS FINSTER!" Randall shouted after inhaling. Upon hearing the call Miss Finster appeared next to Randall within seconds.
"What do you hooligans think you're doing?" Ms Finster asked, seeing the eight friends standing near the cart.
"Nothing." TJ said innocently.
"Yeah, a whole lot of nothing. Good boy Randall." Finster patted Randall on the back. "Now step back from the cart, all of you! You know the procedure." She walked up to the cart and pushed it forward a bit. "The playground equipment has to be distributed evenly among all the students, not just a privileged few." When Finster got the cart to the middle of the playground she blew on her whistle. "Ok, kids, line up!" Finster then started to pass the balls out to the kids, however the balls the kids were getting were all kinda flat or damaged in some way. "Ahh, the good ball. Now, who should get it today? Let's see....Randall." She threw the ball to him making the other kids walk away in disappointment.
"Hey, I'll let you play. For a small fee, that is." Randall said.
"Forget it, Randall, we'd rather play with a flat ball than a slime ball." Spinelli replies as she walks away.
"Ooh, good one, Spinelli. Well, I'd rather play with a good ball than a dumb, uh... I don't need them, I don't need anyone. I'm having way more fun by myself." Randall started playing with the ball, but while bouncing the ball he missed making it hit him in the face. After he recovered he looked over to see the gang standing there, listening to TJ joke.
"So then Prickly says "that's no kindergartener, that's my wife"." TJ finished as all eight laughed.
"They think they're so great, TJ and his little friends. What makes him so special?" Randall started chuckling as he thought up an idea. "This will fix his wagon." He writes something on a notebook then scrunches it up before throwing it on the floor near a bin. "Miss Finster! Miss Finster!"
"Hey, what did I do?" TJ exclaimed as he was forcefully ripped away from the game of catch the eight were playing.
"You know perfectly well what you did,
you little hooligan." Miss Finster said, still dragging TJ by the shoulder, only stopping when they got to a bin. "Just as I thought, The criminal always returns
to the scene of the crime."
"But Miss Finster, you dragged me here.
I didn't do nothing."
"Oh, really? What's this, then?" Miss Finster picked up a piece of paper from the floor and handed it to TJ.
""I did it!" signed T.J.?"
"Aha! A full confession."
"But, Miss Finster, it wasn't me. I've been framed!" TJ said.
"Ten minutes at the wall!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Enjoying your recess, Detweiler?" Randall taunted as he walked up to TJ who was facing the wall.
"It was you, wasn't it, Randall?" TJ turned to face him. "Boy, of all the sneaky underhanded rotten things to do to a guy..."
"Oh, I'm just getting started. I'm going to make your life a living nightmare. You're not going to be able to run, you're not going to be able to spit without me sending you to the wall, 'cause let me tell you something, T.J. Detweiler. I wish-- I wish-- I wish I was you!" Randall ended up falling to his knees.
"What are you talking about?" TJ was confused about what was happening.
"Look at you. You're fat, you're ugly,
you wear that filthy jacket--"
"OK, OK, that's enough."
"And yet guys play with you, they laugh at your jokes, they come to you for advice. Everybody likes you. Look at me. I got nothing."
"Maybe that's because you're always snitching on everyone."
"You think?"
"Tell you what, Randall. I'll make you a deal. You stop ratting on me, and I'll get
the gang to let you hang out with us."
"You mean like a pal?"
"Uh, kind of."
"T.J., you got yourself a deal." Randall stood back up and grabbed TJs hand to shake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What? TJ, Have you lost your mind?" Vince exclaimed after TJ finished telling them Randall will be hanging out with them at lunch.
"I have to agree. No good can come of this." Gretchen said.
"Exactly, what were you thinking TJ." Dede glared at TJ already feeling a headache coming on. "Why would any of us want to hang around him?"
"I gotta agree with them TJ." Said Paloma as she sat in between dede and Vince, with Gretchen on Vince's other side, and TJ, Spinelli, Gus and Mikey were all sitting opposite them. "This seems like it can only end badly."
"Oh, come on, you guys! Randall just wants to be one of the gang." TJ tried to reason, hoping one of them would side with him.
"And I just want to be a six-foot-tall
bodybuilder named Mo, But we happen to live in something called reality." Said Spinelli.
"Once a snitch, always a snitch. He won't ever change." Dede declared.
"Oh, come on." TJ sighed.
"Hi, everyone!" Randall said as he approached the table the eight friends were on.
"Randall, have a seat. We were just talking about you."
"I know." Randall went to sit next dede but she practically growled as she glared at him, daring him to even try and sit near her. Randall laughed nervously before moving to the other end of the table and sat by TJ. "So, how's about we let bygones be bygones? I brought something to trade: pickles and sardines."
"You make me sick." Dede glared at him before they all started to eat in silence.
"So, you guys hear? Miss Finster's got
a new rule about the drinking fountain. You can only drink for three seconds or --" Randall interrupted the peace to try and start a conversation but was cut off.
"Hey, Randall, guess what?" Said Spinelli.
"What?"
"Nobody cares."
"Oh." With that they all went back to eating in silence for a little bit, until Randall broke it again. "So this is working out pretty well for the first day, huh?"
"Perhaps you'd be more comfortable
eating with Miss Finster in the manner at which we are accustomed?" Gretchen said pointing over to Miss Finster, who was eating while reading a magazine.
"No way. I'm staying here. I'm going to be one of the gang if it kills me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After lunch the gang moved out into the playground for recess, all deciding to do different things. "Hey, guys, what's going on?" Randall said as he walked up to Gretchen and Gus who were playing marbles.
"Uh, nothing." Replied Gretchen.
"So, you want to go spy on the third graders or something?"
"Uh, no, thanks, Randall." At Gretchen's denial Randall walked off.
"Hi, guys, whatcha playing?" Randall walked over to Vince and Mikey.
"It's called tether ball." Said Vince slowly.
"Can I play?"
"It's a two-person game, Randall." Mikey said.
"Oh... well, how about if I play winner?"
"Uh, OK."
"But we're playing to a million. Two : one, I'm winning." Vince said before starting a new game, making Randall walk away.
"Go away, sardine-breath. You're stinking up my air." Spinelli said as Randall approached her as she relaxed on the grass, making Randall walk away before he could say anything.
"Don't." Dede said when she saw Randall approaching where she and Paloma were drawing, immediately making him turn the other way.
"How's it going, Randall?" TJ asked when Randall walked up to him.
"Terrible. No one will even talk to me." Randall sighed leaning back on the climbing dome TJ was sitting on.
"Well, you've got a lot of history. Maybe you should do something to show them that you've really changed." TJ jumped down to be level with Randall.
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Buy everybody some ice cream. Get us a good ball for once in our lives."
"I'll do better than that. I know a place where there's-- Oh, come on."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TJ gathered up the rest of the gang and they, along with Randall, were looking around the corner of the school building to make sure Finster wasn't in sight before Randall walked up to the door. "OK, let's go." Randall leads the eight through the school and up the stairs, stopping at a door. "This is it."
"What, this? I must have passed this door a million times!" Said TJ.
"Besides, it's locked." Said Vince after he tried to open the door.
"No problem, if you've got the right equipment." Randall said taking out a key from his pocket and opening the door. Upon walking into the room Randall was quick to stop TJ in his tracks.
"Hey, what are you--" Randall shushed TJ before pointing down, showing the red lights beam. Randall took out a small stand mirror and placed it in front of the light, stopping it in its tracks allowing the bin kids to pass easily.
"Rats! It's jammed." Mikey said when he tried to open the other door that had a sign on it saying 'nothing good in here do not open door!'.
"Is it?" Randall pulled on a lever that opened the door straight away.
"OK, we're here. What's so great about --" Spinelli she before they all gasped, seeing all the balls that were inside the room.
"It's ball heaven." Mikey gasped happily as Randall walked over to the window and opened it.
"Kids of the playground," Randal shouted out to the other kids. "I give you balls!" And the gang started to through balls out of the window to all the kids as they cheered.
Their victory was short lived however as, as soon as they got on to the playground they were immediately caught by Miss Finster. "Well, isn't this nice? 83 brand-new balls broken out of their wrappings and thrown into the dirt like so much garbage. What do you people think these are, playthings?" Miss Finster was walking in front of the nine kids holding up a ball. "So, which one of you little hooligans did it? Come on, speak up! Was it... You, Detweiler?" Miss Finster leaned down to TJ making him sweat slightly. "How about you, Spinelli?" Spinelli just glared back a Miss Finster. "Well, no matter. I've got my sources. Randall!"
"Yes, Miss Finster?" Randall answered nervously.
"Which one of these hooligans broke into the ball room?"
"Well, uh..."
"If you had anything to do with it, boy,
you know I'll grant you immunity." Miss Finster whispered to him.
"Well... uh... you see..."
"Come on, spit it out!"
"I don't know!" Randall said closing his eyes, not looking at Miss Finster making the other eight gasp at Randall lying straight to Miss Finster's face.
"What?"
"Yeah, I just don't know. I was tying my shoe at the time, see? and I, well, I just didn't see anything."
"Fine. Then I'll just have to find out for myself." With that Miss Finster walked back into the school.
"Good job, Randall." TJ said as the eight walked up to Randall.
"Nice one!" Said Gretchen as vince patted Randall on his back.
"Randall, you're one of us." Said Spinelli as she elbowed him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, this is pretty fun." Said Randall as he was digging with Sam and Dave. "You guys aren't still mad about me turning you in for digging under the cafeteria?"
"Nah, we believe in burying the hatchet." Said Sam.
"Yeah, and everything else we can get our hands on." Laughed dave.
"I've got to hand it to you, Teej, Randall sure has come around." Spinelli said as the eight watched randall laugh with the diggers.
"Yes, it's like he's a whole new kid." Vince agreed.
"Yeah, without you, none of us would have given him a chance." Said Paloma.
"Hey, you guys, Finster's giving out
the balls. Come on!" Gus ran up to tell them.
"Man, this is great! The diggers let me dig with them, The Cryer showed me all his tricks, I even got an audience with King Bob!" Randall said as he joined the other kids waiting for Miss Finster to hand out the balls.
"Hey, Randall. Think you can get us the good ball again?" Asked vince.
"No sweat, Vinnie. Leave it to me."
"Yeah, yeah, gather around, you little buzzards. I shouldn't be giving this to you after what you did the other day, but the school board says I have to. Ah, the good ball. Now, who shall get it today?" Miss Finster said holding the good ball up, before throwing the ball to a kid ignoring Randall who had his hand raised. "Douglas!"
"Douglas?" Randall asked, shocked.
"Must be Finster's new snitch." Said Dede.
"New snitch?"
"Hey, Forget about it, man. You moved on." Said vince.
"Douglas? What kind of name is that for a snitch? Look at him standing there with Finster all pretty-like."
"OK, so she got a new snitch. What do you care? You're cool now. You've got friends." Said Spinelli.
"Yeah, come on. Let's go play kickball." Mikey said before they started to run off.
"Go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute." Randall said before walking over to Douglas. "I hope you know what you're doing, kid."
"I believe Miss Finster and I are getting
along quite well without you, Randall. Now, if you'll excuse me. It's the height of recess and I've got some snooping to do in the permanent records room." Douglas said.
"But Miss Finster told me that room was our little secret."
"That was then, this is now. "
"Douglas, back to business!" Miss Finster shouted.
"See you around, ex-weasel." Douglas said before leaving Randall alone.
"Randall, you OK?" TJ said resting his hand on Randall's shoulder.
""Back to business"? She used to say that to me." Randall walked off and sat on a swing.
"You're miserable, aren't you?" TJ said joining Randall on the swings.
"More than you'll ever know. I miss Finster, T.J. The way she used to yell my name, the way she used to order me around, even the way she used to give me half her pickle and sardine sandwich. We had a special friendship, T.J., but now I'm just a regular kid and Finster... she's found another snitch."
"Randall, this is kinda weird coming from me, but you've got to go back."
"Huh?"
"Look, Randall. You only get a few really good friends in life, friends who like you for who you are, friends who you like for who they are. And being popular is no reason to give up a friend like that, Even if that friend is a 200-pound gargoyle in orthopaedic shoes."
"You know, T.J., this means I'm going to have to rat on all of you."
"I know."
"Do me a favour, T.J. Don't tell the other kids I said any of this stuff. I wouldn't wanna get a reputation."
"Don't worry. As far as they'll know, you'll always be a two-bit double-crossing snitch."
"Thanks, T.J. That means a lot." Randall got up from the swing and ran over to Miss Finster.
"It's time to talk about your benefits package, Douglas. You'll be getting an extra helping of pudding every Fri--" miss Finster was cut of by Randall joining her.
"All right, Miss Finster, I'm back and ready to talk."
"Take a hike. You're yesterday's news." Miss Finster pointed over her shoulder.
"But, Miss Finster--" Douglas said.
"I said beat it before I suspend your keister!"
"Gee, Miss Finster, I never knew you cared." Said Randall as he watch Douglas run off.
"Just cut to the chase, Randall. I want the names of those ball thieves and I want them in alphabetical order."
"Detweiler, T.J..."
"I knew he was a rat all along. I told you he'd fink us out." Spinelli said.
"We should have known he'd do this, a snitch will never change no matter what." Dede said glaring at the wall.
"He had it all, and he just threw it away. I can't understand why he did it." Said Gretchen.
"It makes no sense." Agreed Paloma.
"Who knows, Gretchen? Paloma? Who knows?" TJ smiled as he watched randall walk and talk with Miss Finster.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Hope you enjoy this new chapter.
To address some comments and PMs that people have been asking me
1 - yes, the secret admirer will reveal himself in a future chapter.
2 - the reason that king Bob was acting a bit weird will also be explained in the time travel episode of atomic Betty.
And 3 - while I may take awhile to update this story I have absolutely no intention of ever abandoning it, there will be more coming until I post the final chapters of recess taking the fifth grade.
If anyone has any comments, questions or suggestions I'm always open to hearing them.
Have a good day all : )