hot as Joey Palladino and I suspected he might be the slightest bit faggy, I’d totally be all over him.
Anyways!
The next day we have an all-school assembly…
I’m sitting with Audrey, Jamie Good, Tonya Tyler, and the rest of Chorale. I don’t know why, but we always have these gatherings during 4 th hour. Since it immediately follows lunch, everybody’s supposed to report directly to the auditorium. For the most part, people take it as an opportunity to skip. Especially the ones who got Mrs. Carey for French.
“Will the following Seniors please rise when I call their name?”
Up on stage behind the podium stands our Senior class advisor, Mr. Verlander. The thing only comes up to his waist, the man’s so tall. He must be at least 6’2”. As per usual, he wears a permanent-press shirt with a throwback-to-the-’70s wide tie. The second he speaks, his two-pack-a-day voice makes me totally wish I stopped by Skid Row prior to coming here. Instead, I arrived early to grab a good seat.
One by one, Mr. Verlander announces the “Top 25” for Homecoming ’87…
“Stephanie Adams.”
Co-captain of Vikettes, of course she made it. Stephanie is totally beautiful with long blond hair, green eyes, and legs for days.
“Kimberly Aielli.”
Another Vikette and Stephanie’s brown-eyed Best Friend.
“Jens Andersson.”
The Foreign Exchange student from Sweden.
What the fuck?
I look over to where Jack sits with Max in the center section of seats. They both got Consumer Ec this hour with some teacher I never had before, Mrs. Ireland. From the expression on Jack’s face, I can tell he’s pissed. Meanwhile, Jens doesn’t know what’s happening as he’s cheered on by his fellow Varsity football teammates to stand up.
“Angela Andrews.”
Yet another Vikette.
I can’t believe she was Max’s first girlfriend back in 7 th grade. I don’t know how he ever scored her. She was (and is) still totally hot.
“Robert Berger.”
No surprise there!
As a Varsity football player, how could he lose?
“Mitchell Bloodworth.”
Another Varsity football player.
“Derrick Brown.”
And another.
I wipe my sweaty palms on the front of my pants. With the announcement of each name, my heart pounds harder in my chest. I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna die if mine’s not called…I’m a Band Fag and a Drama Queer, what can I expect?
“Karla Carlson…Melody Carnes…Walter Cieslak.”
Varsity cheerleader…Varsity cheerleader…Varsity wrestler.
I hope I’m not too overdressed .
Most of the football players got their jerseys on. Maybe I should have worn jeans like them? Here I am in brown slacks, a tan dress shirt, and matching cardigan I stole—I mean, borrowed —from Jack. The last thing I want is to look like I’m anticipating my name being called.
Finishing up with the C’s, Mr. Verlander moves onto the D’s…
“Natalie Davis.”
Co-captain of girls’ Varsity basketball.
“Kenneth Daw.”
Co-captain of boys’ Varsity basketball.
“Bradley Dayton.”
Band Fag and Drama Que—
Oh, my God…He fucking called my name!
Audrey whacks me on the shoulder. Like a dork, I stand up, trying not to look too enthused, yet wanting to convey how honored I am to be recognized.
Wanna know the totally stupid thing I do next?
I wave .
Not like a small see-somebody-in-the-hall sorta motion, but a grand Queen Elizabeth-out-on-the-palace-balcony-greeting-the-peons gesture.
Audrey rolls her eyes.
Thankfully Verlander moves on to the E’s and F’s…
“Rochelle Findlay.”
Told you so!
“Thomas Fulton.”
Varsity football and basketball co-captain.
From what I heard, Tom’s also Betsy Sheffield’s date for the Homecoming Dance next Saturday night.
Personally, I can’t stand the guy. Him and Max used to be all buddy-buddy when we were at Webster and early on at Webb. In fact, this one time in 7 th grade, me and Max and Jack went over Tom’s house, and we called this phone-sex party line
Anyways!
The next day we have an all-school assembly…
I’m sitting with Audrey, Jamie Good, Tonya Tyler, and the rest of Chorale. I don’t know why, but we always have these gatherings during 4 th hour. Since it immediately follows lunch, everybody’s supposed to report directly to the auditorium. For the most part, people take it as an opportunity to skip. Especially the ones who got Mrs. Carey for French.
“Will the following Seniors please rise when I call their name?”
Up on stage behind the podium stands our Senior class advisor, Mr. Verlander. The thing only comes up to his waist, the man’s so tall. He must be at least 6’2”. As per usual, he wears a permanent-press shirt with a throwback-to-the-’70s wide tie. The second he speaks, his two-pack-a-day voice makes me totally wish I stopped by Skid Row prior to coming here. Instead, I arrived early to grab a good seat.
One by one, Mr. Verlander announces the “Top 25” for Homecoming ’87…
“Stephanie Adams.”
Co-captain of Vikettes, of course she made it. Stephanie is totally beautiful with long blond hair, green eyes, and legs for days.
“Kimberly Aielli.”
Another Vikette and Stephanie’s brown-eyed Best Friend.
“Jens Andersson.”
The Foreign Exchange student from Sweden.
What the fuck?
I look over to where Jack sits with Max in the center section of seats. They both got Consumer Ec this hour with some teacher I never had before, Mrs. Ireland. From the expression on Jack’s face, I can tell he’s pissed. Meanwhile, Jens doesn’t know what’s happening as he’s cheered on by his fellow Varsity football teammates to stand up.
“Angela Andrews.”
Yet another Vikette.
I can’t believe she was Max’s first girlfriend back in 7 th grade. I don’t know how he ever scored her. She was (and is) still totally hot.
“Robert Berger.”
No surprise there!
As a Varsity football player, how could he lose?
“Mitchell Bloodworth.”
Another Varsity football player.
“Derrick Brown.”
And another.
I wipe my sweaty palms on the front of my pants. With the announcement of each name, my heart pounds harder in my chest. I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna die if mine’s not called…I’m a Band Fag and a Drama Queer, what can I expect?
“Karla Carlson…Melody Carnes…Walter Cieslak.”
Varsity cheerleader…Varsity cheerleader…Varsity wrestler.
I hope I’m not too overdressed .
Most of the football players got their jerseys on. Maybe I should have worn jeans like them? Here I am in brown slacks, a tan dress shirt, and matching cardigan I stole—I mean, borrowed —from Jack. The last thing I want is to look like I’m anticipating my name being called.
Finishing up with the C’s, Mr. Verlander moves onto the D’s…
“Natalie Davis.”
Co-captain of girls’ Varsity basketball.
“Kenneth Daw.”
Co-captain of boys’ Varsity basketball.
“Bradley Dayton.”
Band Fag and Drama Que—
Oh, my God…He fucking called my name!
Audrey whacks me on the shoulder. Like a dork, I stand up, trying not to look too enthused, yet wanting to convey how honored I am to be recognized.
Wanna know the totally stupid thing I do next?
I wave .
Not like a small see-somebody-in-the-hall sorta motion, but a grand Queen Elizabeth-out-on-the-palace-balcony-greeting-the-peons gesture.
Audrey rolls her eyes.
Thankfully Verlander moves on to the E’s and F’s…
“Rochelle Findlay.”
Told you so!
“Thomas Fulton.”
Varsity football and basketball co-captain.
From what I heard, Tom’s also Betsy Sheffield’s date for the Homecoming Dance next Saturday night.
Personally, I can’t stand the guy. Him and Max used to be all buddy-buddy when we were at Webster and early on at Webb. In fact, this one time in 7 th grade, me and Max and Jack went over Tom’s house, and we called this phone-sex party line
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