Eavesdropping on preppies is about half as
interesting as peeling
bubble gum off the bottom of your shoes, but at least it gave me the
chance to find out what the other students thought of Casey’s band
while I waited in line for lunch. It also kept my mind off the
nasty-looking concoction they were serving us in lieu of actual food.
“I can’t believe that was Casey Winslow!”
“I thought you said he wasn’t any good.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Somebody said he’s been playing since he was ten.”
“I’m impressed. Maybe he’s still got some
brain cells left after all!”
“Call the Vatican. I think we have a miracle
on our hands.”
“Really.”
I had already set my tray down when Katz came into
the cafeteria
wearing a black T-shirt with KATZENJAMMER printed across the
front.
Her friends acted as if she had walked in completely naked.
“Look
who just walked in!”
“Hey, Katz! What’s next, Katzenjammer Motorcycles?”
“She even has their T-shirt. Check her out!”
Kathy walked up to the main preppy table and glanced
around. “Anybody see Curt?”
“I think I saw him explode over by the locker room,”
someone said.
“They were cleaning him off the walls when I came to lunch.”
“I don’t know why he’s so upset,” Kathy said.
“He was right there
when Winslow asked me if he could name the band after me.”
“Winslow asked you if he could name the band after
you?”
“In front of Curt?”
“And you let him?”
“What did Curt say?”
Kathy shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing.
He never thought the band would get off the ground.”
“That’s twice Winslow’s upstaged him. I bet
he’s furious.”
“Great. I owe him money. Can somebody
loan me five bucks?”
Jessica came in at that moment with her tray. She seemed to
hesitate
when she noticed Katz. Then she saw me and came over to my
table.
Katz gave her a mean look but didn’t say a word.
“I’ve been checking out the consensus on the
concert,” I told her.
“So far, it looks pretty good. The seniors liked it, the juniors
loved
it, the sophomores want more of it, and the freshmen are having spasms
on the floor over it.”
“That’s nice. Maybe they’ll have more concerts
in the future.”
“That would be cool.”
Jessica ate her lunch in silence for the next few
minutes. I
figured there was something on her mind but didn’t have the nerve to
ask what it was. Eventually, Katz left the cafeteria.
Jessica let out
a sigh. Her bangs seem to flutter above her forehead for a
second,
then slowly fell back down into place again. Interesting
mannerism, I
thought to myself. I took another sip of Jungle Juice and
nodded. “I
know how you feel.”
Jessica looked surprised. “What?”
“Katz. My brother’s girlfriend.”
“She’s okay.”
“For an ugly step-sister, maybe.”
“No, really! She’s really nice when you get to know
her.”
“I’ll pass. I knew her enough already.”
I could tell by the
uncomfortable look on her face that Jessica was lying. She seemed
aware that I knew, too.
“She’s a little hard to get along with at times, but
most of the
time she’s a lot of fun. Really, she is. It’s just that
she’s had a
falling out with one of our friends, and I refuse to take sides.
I’m
still friends with both of them, and Katz is kind of mad at me.”
“Well, what about your other friend? Is she
mad at you?”
“No.”
“Only Kathy Katzenjammer would try to turn a friend
against a friend.”
Jessica just shrugged. A sudden hush came over
the cafeteria as my
brother Curt came in with his lunch. Harris and Wesley were right
behind him. As he walked past the preppy table, one of Katz’s
friends
said, “Curt, you just missed Katz.” He just ignored her and went
to
sit down at the jock table. The preppies gave each other funny
looks.
“I bet they’re going to break up,” I said to
Jessica.
“It’s hard to tell. The prom is coming up, and
they are the class couple.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Plenty. Katz plays it by the book when it
comes to the prom.”
“Are you going?”
Jessica hesitated. “No...I don’t know.
Maybe.”
“Has anybody asked you yet?”
“Who? Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“Well, not yet...”
“Why don’t you ask someone?”
“Who? Me?”
“Yeah, you!”
“Girls aren’t supposed to ask boys!”
“Since when? These are the Eighties.
Girls can do anything they want!”
“I know,” said Jessica.
“Don’t you like anybody?”
Jessica seemed to fidget. “Yeah, sure.”
“Who?”
“You don’t know him.”
“What’s his name? Maybe I do know him.”
“Trust me. You don’t know him.”
With that, she got up, took her tray to the window
for the lady to
wash it up, then left the cafeteria so fast you would think she just
stashed a bomb in the garbage can.
I took another sip of Jungle Juice. This keeps
getting better and better.
