It was the school carnival, and Spin sat at the dunk tank, waiting for the next customer to step up, “Come on Degrassi and dunk the dork.” Not caring if he was making fun of himself.

“Who wants to be the next one to dunk Gavin?” He noticed Jimmy, Alex and Marco strolling towards him, “Hey, wanna try your luck? It’s only a buck a ball.

“You’re telling me I get to throw balls at him for charity?” Jimmy asked. The thought of this felt good, good to be able to get his anger towards Spin out, he knew it would never be enough, but at least it would be fun.

”Yeah, come on why not?” Linus replied

A smirk smeared across his face, “Okay. I’ll uh, try my luck,” handing him a five dollar bill.

Linus handed him three balls, “Here you go.”

“Show me what you got Jimmy,” Spin hollered, not caring that he was the one that was shooting the balls at him.

Jimmy threw a ball and hit his target, causing him to dunk Spin, “Yes! First time today,” sounding rather happy.

“Won’t be the last,” he sneered.

One by one Jimmy hit the target perfectly; one by one Spin fell into the cold water; each time getting him even more wet, more cold.

“Wow that was fun. I’m in a charitable mood so how about another round,” he smiled.

“I think Spinner needs a break,” Linus replied.

“I think Gavin is fine okay? I’m just warming up,” he said with a snotty tone.

“No, Jim cut him some slack, he’s freezing. I know you hate the guy okay, but enough is enough.

“Fine…whatever.”

Spinner’s lips were blue, teeth shattering. He just stared at someone he still considered to be his best friend, telling himself he deserved it for his part in the shooting.

 “Thanks man, you saved my butt,” he said to Marco who still stood before him.

 “Later Spinner,” was all he could say. He just helped someone that he wasn’t suppose to like. He should feel bad but he didn’t.

***********************

Marco couldn’t believe how far Jimmy was taking this. He would no longer sit back and stay quiet. “Jimmy, were you trying to make Spin get pneumonia?”

“Come on who care what happens to him,” he fought back.

“Haven’t we had enough of this? Haven’t we had enough bullying in the school?”

“Are we sticking up for this creep now? Wondering where his loyalty lye.

“What he did wasn’t right, but isn’t this how it all started with Rick?” trying to see that their bullying Rick is where this all started.

“So you think he’s going to go out and buy a gun and shoot me?”

“No, I’m just saying we’re not treating him any different; I thought we wanted the bullying to stop,” he raged back.

“Will you guys just stop it?” Alex yelled, getting sick of listening to the two of them.

“Why don’t you just go talk to your best friend, because I’m out of here,” Jimmy said rolling away.

***********************

“We just made $860 and it’s all thanks to you Spin,” Kim said, showing her appreciation.

“This is gonna put food in a lot of hungry mouths. You so rock!” Darcy said putting her arm around his, pecking him on the cheek.

“Let your light shine before men, that they may they see your good deeds. Matthew 5:16. I’m proud of you Spin,” Linus replied.

“Thanks, but all I had to do was get wet. That’s a really small price to pay to help starving kids.” He was happy that he had found happiness with God, but still wished for his other friends to see that he has really changed.

From the corner of his eye he noticed someone, and stopped I his tracks.

Darcy noticed this, “Are you coming?”

“I’ll be there in a sec,” he replied. He walked over to Marco who was sitting on the steps. “Thanks again for earlier.”

“No problem,” he still looked a little down.

“Why aren’t you with your friends?”

“Had a fight with Jimmy, and felt like being alone.”

“Oh,” looking a little down, “well I guess I’ll let you be then.”

Feeling rather bad, not wanting him to feel that way, “You don’t have to go.”

A smile surfaced on his face, he actually wanted him around, unlike the others.

“You’ve done a lot of good things helping with the community; I can see a good change in you.”

“Thanks, I owe it all to Darcy, the friendship club, and God. They gave a chance when I had no one else.”

“I’m sorry that I abandoned you, I was just so mad by your actions.”

It felt like he was actually getting somewhere, that he might actually get his life back. “You want to hang out?”

“I don’t know…”

Hanging his head down, “I guess I understand…”

Something told Marco to go for it, to give him a chance, “Do you still like stupid movies?”

“Dude the stupider the better,” he laughed, feeling like he may be the key to getting it all back.

***********************

“That was the best movie ever,” Spin said as they were walking out of the theater.

“I can’t believe we just paid money to see that movie,” Marco said.

“What? Clown Academy 2 rocked man! I mean you got sexy clowns, car chases, explosive diarrhea. What more could you want in a movie?” feeling like it was like old times between the two of them.

“Well it’s good to see your taste in movies hasn’t changed,” he laughed; there was still part of the old Spinner there, the Spinner that everyone loved and missed.

“Well it’s good to see your taste in fashion hasn’t changed. Does the gay superhero know you took his belt?” he joked.

“Man you have not changed at all, except for the hair and uh thank god for that,” remembering how awful it looked, such a bad move on his part he thought.

“Ha ha, very funny.”

“So Spinner…okay I have to ask you something…Friendship Club…now what is the deal with that?” wondering how he came into it, he never really seen Spin as the type who was into religion.

“Alright. Beginning of the year, my old friends didn’t want to know my name, but Friendship Club welcomed me with open arms. They…they’re like a family.”

“It must have sucked for you; the whole gang just shunning you all year,” unable to imagine what it would be like to lose all your friends like that.”

“It’s water over the bridge man. Besides I’m not complaining as long as you and I are cool.”

Shaking his head, “Right…we’re cool.”

***********************

“Why are you so smiley?” Darcy asked as she came up to Spin that night at work. She hadn’t seen him this happy before.

“Marco and I hung out today, and it went great. He actually wants to be friends again.”

“That’s great; I told you that you would get your friends back.”

“That’s just one friend.”

Putting her hand on his knee, “I’m sure t will be only a matter of time before they all come around,” she replied, trying to be positive.

“I suppose you’re right. And I will do anything to get them back.”

Smiling at him, “I know.”

***********************

“I want to apologize for the way I talked to you,” Jimmy said as he strolled over to Marco, who was sitting in the MI lab.

Just as Jimmy was going to say something Spin came in, “Hey Marco, would you and Josh like to hang with me and Darcy tonight?”

Jimmy’s eyes grew with rage; he couldn’t believe that Marco would do that behind his back. “How can you hang out with this loser, after all he’s caused?” demanding an answer.

Spin couldn’t believe Jimmy had the nerve to think that he owned his friends. Coming closer to him, “Marco is his own person; he decided who he hangs with.”

“Why don’t you stay out of this? I wasn’t speaking to you.”

“That’s enough,” breaking them apart. “Jimmy I’m sorry, but he’s right.”

“So you’re siding with the enemy now?”

“I’m not siding with no one; can’t I be friends with the both of you?” Not wanting to choose between the two of them.

“Nope,” he replied, strolling out of the room.

“I’m sorry Marco; I didn’t mean to make things worse. I totally would understand if you changed your mind,” he said staring at the ground as he began to walk away.

“Spin wait…” he turns around, “I’m not going to let Jimmy tell me who I can befriend.”

“Really,” looking rather hopeful.

Shaking his head, “Really.”

***********************

“He picked Spinner over me,” Jimmy snarled to his girlfriend as they sat outside by the field.

“I’m sorry…but can’t he be friends with you both?” wanting this feud to end. He didn’t like Jimmy was like this.

He didn’t like the thought of her depending him too, “So you agree?”

“Jim, he’s your best friend, I don’t want to see you lose him,” leaning against his arm.

Thinking about it, softly saying, “Me either.”

“Than don’t let something like this get in your way; I know you don’t like his friend choice, but don’t make that give up a great friendship.”

Sighing, taking her hand, playing with it, “I guess you’re right.”

***********************

Marco was standing around with Darcy and Spinner, chatting away. Getting to know what had been going on these last few months.

“So I talked to Josh, and he said Friday would be a great day to hang,” Marco said as he noticed in the corner of his eye, Jimmy growing closer to their table.

“Sounds good,” Darcy replied, excited that she could get to know Spin’s old friend better.

“I…”Spin began to say.

“Can I talk to you Marco?”

“Not if it’s more yelling at me,” he replied, he didn’t feel like another fight.

“It’s not,” hoping that he would give him a chance to talk.

“Well leave you tow to talk, see you later,” Spinner says and he and Darcy walked away hand in hand.

Hand folded across his chest, “Okay…talk,” he said firmly

“Again I’m sorry. I have no right to tell you who you can and can’t hang out with. It just hurt that it happened to be him.”

“I know he’s hurt you, but he’s not the same guy he once was. He’s really changed for the better. He’s come to realize the big mistakes he’s made, and he wants to make things right.”

“I don’t care about him, all I care is that I don’t lose my best friend, you’ve been there making everything better, when I needed to be cheered up.”

“So do you mean that you’ll still be friends even what I’m friend with Spin.”

Shaking his head, “Yeah.”

“Thanks,” he said, embracing him.