“I never knew you were such a… feminist Lacey.” Amy said, surprised.
“I’m the only feminist in this town,” said Lacey running her hands through the ends of her hair.
“I'm sure,” said Nick half laughing and Lacey scowled at him.
“Cheerleading looks so fun though,” sighed Amy.
“I bet it’s really over-rated,” said Peggy trying to make Amy feel better.
“But look at them,” Amy said pointing to the court.
Peggy watched the cheerleaders parade around in their knee-length skirts and baggy sweaters and wondered what the big deal was. June-Belle was obviously captain, leading the girls into a pyramid formation. She climbed to the top wobbling and looked uncomfortable, not athletic or graceful at all. But the crowd cheered, and Amy clapped her hands in glee.
“They are amazing,” she gushed. “What do you think Nick?”
“Uh,” said Nick.
“I’ve seen better,” said Peggy, although she’d never been to a game, she’d seen the cheerleaders practicing on the field and even though she hated them, Mindy was one after all, she could tell they were good at what they did. These girls were kind of terrible.
“I came to see the game, not the cheerleaders,” said Lacey miserably.
“Oh, but the cheerleaders are part of the game,” Amy said.
The cheerleaders lined up around the outside of the court and waved pompoms as the team came out. The boys were wearing very short basketball shorts and the crowd went wild. Weird how men’s clothes had gotten bigger and women’s clothes had gotten smaller. Peggy, Nick and Amy stood up to clap, leaving Lacey in the middle of them pouting, doing some pathetic slow claps. Peggy grabbed her from one side and Nick nudged her from the other and she reluctantly stood up.
“There’s Ben,” said Peggy waving at him, he waved back and blew her a kiss. The crowd looked over at Peggy. She blushed, embarrassed to be singled out. She wondered if this was how it would’ve been if Big Mick had let her come to a game. “You’d hate it, you’d be so bored,” he’d said, “stay home with your records and movies and stuff.” She felt so stupid. She always felt stupid when she thought of Big Mick.
The crowd sat down silently as the other team came out dressed in maroon and white, the Elko Indians. Peggy rolled her eyes. The Elko Indians would win every basketball game against the Chariots for the next thirty-three years. She wondered if tonight was the start of their winning streak.
“Oh my god,” said Lacey who was still standing.
“What?” Peggy said following her gaze to the other side of the court.
“It’s Greg.”
“Greg?” asked Peggy. “Greg from the bar?”
“Yep.”
“What would he be doing here?” asked Nick.
“I have no idea, but I’d recognize him anywhere.” Lacey tried to squeeze past, but Peggy reached out and grabbed her wrist as the buzzer blared into their ears.
“At least wait until half time.”
Lacey slumped down again. “Why is he here?” she demanded.
“Who is he?” asked Amy.
“No one,” Lacey said folding her arms.
“Just a guy we know,” said Peggy as she watched Ben on the court. He was a different person out there, he was confident, strong, powerful and smart. He had the ball, he dribbled effortlessly up the court, took a shot and aced it. Peggy jumped up in her seat and cheered, he looked over at her and gave her a thumbs-up, then forming his hand into a fist he pulled it in close and congratulated himself with a yes.
Ben carried on carrying the game, shot after shot, hoop after hoop he was owning the court. The crowd was cheering, “Peppercorn, Peppercorn, Peppercorn!” Peggy couldn’t help but get caught up in it all.
But Lacey sat miserably between her friends and a pain in her ass and kept her eyes on Greg, who was cheering just as loud as anyone.
At half time the Chariots were thirty points ahead. It looked like it was going to be a clean sweep. Lacey jumped as soon as the half time buzzer sounded and made a beeline for Greg’s side of the gym.
“I’m going to get some popcorn,” Peggy said, “do you guys want some?”
“Sure, I'll come with you,” said Amy.
“I'll just wait here,” said Nick.
“Oh, I might wait here too then,” Amy said, smiling at Nick. Peggy gave Nick a look, but he didn't really seem to get what was happening.
Peggy waited in line behind two girls who looked more like cheerleaders than the actual cheerleaders and accidentally listened in to their conversation.
“Ben is so fine,” said a girl with long curly dark hair in a denim jacket.
“I’d totally ask him out, he’s bitchin’,” said a girl with short blonde hair in a very tight Chariots t-shirt.
“But he doesn’t date schoolgirls,” the first girl said sighing.
“I heard he was dating some older woman,” the blonde said.
They all took a step forward in the line.
“Two popcorns and a couple sodas,” the dark-haired girl said as they got to the popcorn cart.
“He’s cute and all,” the blonde said, “but it is kind of weird he doesn’t hang out with the jocks.”
“I heard he’s got a thing for Rochelle, that’s why he hangs out with those rebel losers,” the other one said.
Peggy made a scoffing sound, and the girls turned around.
“Good game,” said Peggy nodding and smiling awkwardly.
The girls ignored her and grabbed their snacks.
“Everyone has a thing for Rochelle,” the blonde said loudly as she stuffed her face with popcorn, glancing at Peggy like she was something that came off the gym floor and walked off.
Peggy ordered and then struggled to balance the huge cup of 7UP in one hand and a massive box of popcorn in the other as she squinted around looking for Lacey.
“Peg, up here!” she called from the top of the bleachers where they'd seen Greg sitting. Peggy made her way up carefully, only spilling a bit of popcorn on a couple of random people who barely noticed.
“Sit here,” she said, moving over to make room.
“Amy and Nick are still holding our seats on the other side, we should go back,” Peggy said.
“They'll be fine, these seats are better anyway, this is our basket this half.” Peggy couldn’t argue with that.
“Greg’s here,” Lacey said gesturing wildly with her long pale arms at Greg who was sitting next to her.
“Hi Greg, popcorn?” Peggy asked offering the bucket towards him. He shook his head. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“His kid cousin is on the other team,” Lacey explained.
“Oh cool, but I thought I saw you cheering for the Chariots?” Peggy asked sipping her drink.
“I’m the only Indian’s supporter here so…” Greg said, shrugging.
“Cheer for whoever you want,” Lacey said resting her thigh against his.
The teams came out again and Peggy looked over at Amy and Nick. Amy was looking around for them.
Peggy stood up and waved, “Amy! Nick!” she called out as the crowd quietened down.
“Oh jeez, what did you do that for?” asked Lacey.
“We can’t just leave them there,” Peggy said.
Ben was still on a roll, shooting baskets right in front of them. He looked up into the bleachers after scoring a particularly cool slam dunk and saw Lacey, Greg, Peggy, Nick and Amy all sitting together. He looked confused and gave a half-hearted wave.
His game began to suffer, he missed shots, dropped balls and a few minutes into the second half he took himself to the bench.
“What the hell?” asked Lacey, “he was winning the game for us five seconds ago!”
“I guess he can’t compete against my kid cousin,” said Greg, clapping quietly when the Indians began to score.
They were losing by ten points and although Ben came back on for the last few minutes, he was unable to score again. By the time the final buzzer buzzed
he yelled and threw the ball so hard at the basket the backboard shook violently and silenced the crowd. Ben ran off the court into the change rooms.
“I gotta go,” said Greg pushing past them.
“We should go see what's up with Ben,” said Nick.
“Yeah,” said Peggy wondering if Ben’s assignment had given him any crazy ideas which had contributed to his aggression on the court.
* * *
“Hey June-Belle,” Peggy said stopping the group of cheerleaders who were giggling out the front of the gym, despite their team’s loss.
“Oh, I’m good enough to talk to now, am I?” June-Belle said putting her hands on her hips.
“Is Ben still in there? We were worried about him is all,” Peggy said.
“Nope, he left.” She spun around, her not very short skirt flouncing as she ran to catch up with her friends.
“Drink?” asked Lacey, raising her perfectly plucked brows.
“Can’t, still grounded.”
“But you’re already out.”
“Only because it’s a school thing, Janet will flip out and ground me for life if I don’t go straight home. I’m going to be kinda late as it is.”
“So, do you think he’s into me?” Lacey asked as they headed through the dark school grounds towards the car. Peggy always liked being at school in the dark. It was kind of exciting, like you weren't supposed to be there, and anything could happen.
“Who?” Peggy asked.
“Greg!”
Peggy was getting as tired as everyone else was about hearing about Greg.
Peggy shrugged.
“I mean he kind of touched my leg at one point, he was getting all stressy and totally cute when Ben missed his shots.”
“I dunno Lace, I think he was acting kind of weird.”
“He probably just felt weird being back at school.”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Peggy.
Lacey sighed as she unlocked the red Chevette and slid into the driver’s seat, leaning over to unlock Peggy’s door.
“Sometimes I think he just doesn’t like me you know? But like, why wouldn’t he like me? Most guys like me,” Lacey shrugged.
“Maybe it’s because you are totally conceited,” Peggy said only half joking.
“You are totally right, I’m such a bitch sometimes,” Lacey looked as if she was about to cry.
“Hey,” said Peggy, putting a hand on Lacey’s shoulder.
“I wonder what the hell is going on with Ben,” Lacey said animatedly, completely changing tone in a split second. Peggy withdrew her hand and shrugged.
“Bad game I guess.”
“Ben never has a bad game, and this time of year is really important for him if he wants to get a scholarship. Hardly anyone from St C’s gets a scholarship.”
“Maybe it’s the pressure of a scholarship that’s stressing him out.”
“Or maybe he’s got such a crush on you that he messed up his game.”
“O.M.G, Ben is not crushing on me.”
“Uh huh, I saw him out there blowing you kisses all night!”
“That would really put another corner in the massive love triangle you guys have going on.”
“What love triangle?” Lacey asked innocently, starting the car and navigating through the game traffic, cutting off cars and honking them to get out of her way.
“Nick likes Rochelle, Rochelle likes Sammy, I like Sammy, Ben likes me, you like Greg, Amy likes Nick.”
“So, you do like Sammy!”
“Fine, yes. Whatever, I do like Sammy.”
“So, what we have here is a crazy love hexagon,” Lacey laughed.
“It’s not quite a hexagon,” Peggy said.
“You missed one important bit though,” Lacey said as she drove through the school gates.
“What’s that?” asked Peggy thinking about all the times she drove home through these same gates with Jack.
“Who does Sammy like?”
Peggy shrugged.
“And if Greg doesn’t like me, who does he like?” Lacey pouted.
“Leigh? Tricia? Janet!” Peggy laughed.
Lacey laughed, “Oh that would be just my damn luck.”
Twenty-Five
The Drive
“Hey,” he said, flicking a cigarette to the ground. Sammy was leaning up against his blue Firebird in the dusty student lot. It was definitely the coolest looking car in the lot, if not all of Santolsa. It might even have been the coolest car Peggy had ever seen. It was a whole world away from the beige SUV she called her own.
“Hey,” she said. There was no way to escape walking passed him on the way to Janet’s car in the staff lot.
He took a cigarette packet out of the top pocket of his yellow school shirt, tapped it lightly and put a fresh cigarette between his lips. Peggy tried not to look at his lips, but even though she didn’t smoke and thought the whole thing was pretty disgusting, all she wanted in that moment was to be that cigarette. She immediately felt stupid for even thinking it and looked away.
“Smoke?” he mumbled as he held the packet out to her, blocking her way. She shook her head and adjusted the denim backpack on her back. “You don't smoke,” he said, taking another drag. She shook her head again. She felt like a damn fool, why couldn’t she use her words?
“I’ll give you a ride.”
Peggy’s stomach lurched. She wanted nothing more than to get into his car, but the idea of it made her feel nauseous.
“I’d have to check with Janet,” she said, reaching in her pocket for her phone. She made a tutting sound at herself, she couldn’t just call Janet, she had to go find Janet and ask her. Everything took a lot longer in the eighties, but with no social networking and internet to waste all her time on there was also a feeling of having a lot more time to do things like go and find a person and talk to them in person.
“Janet,” he said.
“Miss Bates,” Peggy explained.
“Your aunt.” All his questions came out like statements. It was very hot.
“Something like that,” Peggy shrugged.
“Something like your aunt.” He took a drag from his cigarette and looked at her with mild curiosity.
“I could go find her, but it might take a while.”
“I can wait,” he said flipping ash onto the ground.
She took a few steps forward, and then turned to look at him, just to check if he was joking, or leaving, but he was just watching her.
Her feet barely touched the dirt as she walked off to find Janet. Sammy Ruthven wanted to drive her home. It was totally crazy. Her pulse was racing. Her mind was racing. What would they possibly have to say to each other for the whole thirteen minutes it would take to get to Janet’s?
“You are still grounded,” Janet said as she stood in the middle of the staff lot. She looked over at Sammy in the distance.
“It’s just a ride home.”
“It’s not just a ride home, there’s no way Sammy Ruthven is going to just drive you straight home,” said Janet.
“I almost forgot,” Peggy said, unzipping her bag. She pulled out an LP shaped brown paper bag.
“What is it?” Janet asked.
“It's a present,” Peggy said.
“From you?”
“No, from you.”
“From me?” Janet frowned.
“Yes,” said Peggy. “From the future you. You gave it to me to give to you.” She turned to make sure that Sammy was still waiting for her. This whole thing seemed to be taking ages. But he was there, gently kicking one of his front tires and looking down at it.
Janet gasped as she took the record out. “Oh Peggy! What am I going to do with this? I'm going to have to buy a safe to keep it in, what was I thinking sending this to myself? This is far too dangerous, I can't keep it, you have to take it back immediately!” Janet thrust the record towards her, stumbling back into a green Dodge behind her.
“If you didn't want yourself to have it, you wouldn't have given
it to me. Old Janet knows that she gave it to you.”
Janet looked confused.
“Old Janet is you remember?”
Janet's face softened. “Oh, of course. Sorry this is weird, I’ve never given myself anything before.”
“What is it anyway?” Peggy had been too excited to come back that she hadn't even opened the bag to see what had been so important for her to travel with through time and space for.
“Look!” Janet grinned, her green eyes almost filled with tears at the excitement of her present.
It was Bryan Adam's Greatest Hits. Peggy laughed.
“The date on this is 2005,” Janet whispered. “Holy guacamole.”
“So?” Peggy asked, looking back over her shoulder to see Sammy leaning on his car in a slightly different position.
“So, that's the future,” Janet whispered as another faculty member walked past them. “The future, even for me, I'm from the nineties remember?”
“I always forget that,” Peggy said, shaking her head. “Go home and put it on, I'll see you there a bit later?”
“Yes,” Janet breathed in and held the record close to her chest. She turned, unlocked the door and got in, placing the record gently on the front passenger seat. “Be back before six,” she said, giving Peggy a wave that said she was free to go.
Peggy grinned. Janet had completely forgotten about her grounding and Bryan Adams had just gotten her a ride home with Sammy Ruthven. “Thanks, Bryan,” Peggy whispered as she began to walk back towards Sammy’s car. She was completely terrified. She nearly turned back and asked Janet to wait.
“Janet said it was cool, she's going home to listen to some record.” Peggy stood looking at him but avoiding looking directly into his eyes. Her heart was thumping wildly.
He opened the passenger door for her and walked around to his side, kicking dust softly across the ground. The smell of leather, cigarettes and Sammy overpowered her senses and she had to close her eyes for a moment just to breathe. It was all too much. Just days ago, she was looking at his picture in his yearbook and daydreaming about him and now she was here, and he was here, and she was in his car and it was just beyond ridiculous. She began giggling.
Sammy slid into the driver's seat grabbing at something on the dashboard and leaning over her shoved it into the glove compartment.
Class of 1983: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance Page 14