Chapter 105: Blood and Scares

Sunday, June 6, 1982

Sue caught me outside study group.

“Hi, Steve!” She bounced to her tiptoes and hugged me. Mind you, Sue isn’t that short. I chuckled and hugged back.

“Hi, Sue!”

She took my hand. “We’re ... constrained ... today.”

“Oh?”

“It’d be a horror show otherwise. Angie says it’s okay to say this to you, and that you won’t cover your ears or run into a corner and hide, so, I’ll just say, I’m really looking forward to tampons, but not until I’ve ... you know. With something more meaningful.”

I chuckled. “I understand biology well enough. It happens, and it’s silly to pretend like it’s a taboo subject.”

“I understand it’s fine to ... um ... go for it. But not for my first time. No, no, no.”

“I understand that, too. It should be what you want it to be.”

“Believe me, I want to. Before, periods were just icky. Now they’re icky and I get horny. Ugh! But that is an improvement, even if I don’t think it is some of the time.”

“Makes sense.”

Jasmine came up behind us and hugged me. “Hi, Sue. Borrowing the boyfriend?”

“Only temporarily, today.”

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

Sue blushed, but only a little. “That time of the month.”

“Oops. Well, you can borrow him whenever. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, not that I make those decisions.”

“Says my social calendar.”

Whap!

We mostly played games during study group. Sue avoided the ones that involved bathing suits and the pool, but had a great time with board games. She balked when Cammie jokingly proposed strip Monopoly, though.

I think she was joking, anyway.

Cammie came over to talk to me a bit later. “Wanted to update you on Project Graduation. Tony’s in, and we roped in Megan and Calvin, too. We haven’t given them the full scoop on what we’re trying to accomplish. We jointly decided Sheila should chair.”

“Awesome! Tony knows?”

“Tony knows, and he loves it, too. We considered Jessica, but she says she’s just too busy.”

“She probably is. Also, with the protest, now she looks political, where she didn’t before.”

“Yeah. It kinda sucks, but it’s also good. Two guys, three girls is a good mix for this.”

“I like it. You know I’ll help in any way you need me to.”

She grinned and winked. “I know. Quite well.” She grinned and hugged me. I hugged right back. Mel yelled, “Hey! Hands off the girlfriend!” as Cammie scooted away.

Jasmine pulled me aside later in the afternoon. “Minor change of plans, tomorrow.”

“How minor? Gotta be at least Sam’s age.”

“Wha ... I ... you!” Whap! “That was awful! And funny. And reminds me that Sam wants to get together.”

“One? Both?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like ... fun.” I wiggled my eyebrows, which got a giggle from her.

“Anyway. Yes, a minor. Yes, older than Sam. Tomorrow you are taking Paige on a movie date, that will likely end up in a bed.”

“Well, then. Lucky me!”

“Lucky Paige! I’d suggest not ‘Star Trek II’.”

“Been there, done that.”

“You’d see it again if a girl wanted that on a date.”

“Of course I would. I’m not that stupid.”

She giggled. “I’ll leave it up to you, but Paige likes scary movies. And, no, no setup, no teasing, she does. Scary movies, books, whatever.”

“Noted. I’ll see what’s out there.”

“I’m pretty sure I just picked the movie, but I didn’t say the name, so I can pretend I didn’t.”

“You are my social calendar.”

“It works out well.”

“It does. Very well. For us both.”

She smooched me. “Very, very well.”

“So, Jasmine tomorrow? I saw you two talking,” Angie said, as she was driving us home.

“Nah. Change of plans. Or revelation of plans, but I think a real change of plans. Math says Jasmine may still be out of commission, too. I hadn’t thought of it, and if she wanted to we’d just put down a towel, but...”

“She’s taking advantage of the situation and letting someone else have a turn. Paige?”

“Paige.”

“That’s been coming since the party and, really, long before that.”

“Yeah, it has.”

“It’s much better now. Paige grew over the spring. The whole Drama group did. And that’s not our ripples except maybe Jasmine settling down. But a lot is that last year’s seniors were the wildest, and they’re gone. The second wildest were last year’s freshmen, and they’re older and wiser. Now they’re just normally wild.”

I chuckled. “I can see that. Anyway, Paige, and Jasmine says dinner and a movie. And then a bed. And that Paige likes scary movies.”

“So, ‘Poltergeist’?”

“What else? It’s scary and it’s actually a pretty solid movie. It held up even when we watched it in 2019 or so, the last time I saw it.”

“You do realize the idea of seeing a movie that came out last week as a 37-year-old oldie is bizarre.”

“Like most everything in our lives when you examine it too much ... yeah. It is.”

Monday, June 7, 1982

Angie had made plans of her own. I suppose I should’ve guessed. She had a sleepover with Lexi, who was still between relationships.

I called Paige’s house in the late morning and got her mother, who got Paige to the phone with a shout of “Paige, it’s some boy!”

“Hello, some boy?”

“Hi, Paige.”

“Steve! Jasmine said to expect a call.”

“Would you be interested in dinner and a movie tonight?”

“Would this be one of those dates where you’re all handsy and expecting sex after it?”

“You know m...”

“Because if it won’t be, that’s boring. Otherwise, yes, I’d love to!”

“I’m guessing your mom isn’t listening?”

“Oh, no, she’s listening. Where did you think the bed would be?”

Well, I’d managed it with Jasmine, so ... in for a penny, in for a pound.

“Jasmine’s been known to assist, so that was an option.”

“Jasmine’s assisting two blonde hotties tomorrow. I know you’ve slept with both of them.”

Angie hadn’t mentioned that, but then I wasn’t surprised. And certainly not upset.

“I’m sure they’ll have a good time and that I’ll hear something about it.”

“I’m sure! Yes, I’d love to. Pick me up ... four-ish? Dinner, movie, dessert.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

“You do know I’ve been looking forward to this since that one hot blonde got you and Jasmine together? And some before that?”

“All things in their own time.”

“To be blunt ... yeah. I’m glad it’s now.”

“I am, too.”

“See you in a few hours.”

“See you then!”

I pulled up to Paige’s house just before 4pm, wearing a green short-sleeve button-down shirt with black jeans and loafers. Something I’d wear to school, but perfectly date-worthy. I walked up to the door and rang the bell.

A woman answered. I’d have put her as mid-30s at first glance, but I could spot a few tiny lines around the eyes that said she was most likely older than that, as were most of my friends’ parents.

“Hello?”

“Hi! I’m Steve. I’m picking up Paige.”

She grinned. “I recognized you from the show. You did a great job! You’re dating Jasmine, right?”

I blushed a tiny bit. “That’s right.”

“Not the first time Paige has been interested in someone Jasmine’s seeing. Or vice versa. Oh, I’m Jean, I should’ve said that. Anyway, come in.”

I did.

Jean called towards the back of the house. “Paige! Steve’s here!” She turned back. “She’ll be here shortly. She’s always running late.”

“We’re not in a big rush.”

“Good! I had to teach Ted that. He kept thinking girls could get ready as quickly as guys do.”

“I hope he’s doing well.”

“He’s doing great. Straight A’s and he’ll be in Nationals as a freshman. I’ve kept him up with how the team’s doing and he’s thrilled, especially for Janet and Lizzie, since he knows them well.”

“I liked him. He was a great teammate.”

“He liked you, too. He said you had a spark that hit the team at the right time.”

I blushed a bit more. “I hadn’t heard that.”

“He wouldn’t have said it around you. I figure it’s safe because he’s far away now, and it’s a year later, too.”

Paige came in, wearing a short green summer dress. “Hey, Steve!”

“Hi, Paige!”

She walked over and planted a kiss on me that would’ve gotten a PDA violation at school, right in front of her mother. I kissed right back. The damage was already done, right?

Jean laughed. “Honey, quit embarrassing the poor boy. You’ve made your point!”

Paige broke the kiss, giggling. “Fine, Mom! For now! We’ll get out of your hair.”

“You have fun!”

“We will!”

I offered my arm and Paige took it. From behind us, Jean said, “Oh! A gentleman! That’s new!”

“Mommmmm! Butt out!”

I chuckled, walking out, Paige giving the door a bit of a slam behind us. “She’s trying to tease me.”

“Is it working?”

“Better than I wish!”

I helped her into the car, then climbed in myself. “Any dinner preferences?”

“I’d say Pho King, but, nah. I’m curious. What happens if I say ... sushi?”

“I’d say let me know where you’d like to go.”

“Sashimi or nagiri?”

“I’d lean towards maki, actually.”

She giggled. “No messing with you that way. I’d love to, but tonight, simple. Pop’s?”

“I like that.”

I got us moving. We made small talk in the car and at Pop’s. Ordering took little time.

Half an hour in, Paige shifted the topic. “So. The party. Um ... thoughts? It’s been a week. Over a week.”

I shrugged, deciding to yank her chain a little. “It was a bit tamer than I’d been led to believe. From the descriptions I was expecting a full-on Roman orgy.”

She giggled. “First, you did not! Not even last year’s was anything that bad. Though it was a lot more wild. Last year’s seniors, man ... they were pretty crazy! And, second, you know perfectly well that’s not what I meant.”

“So, what did you mean?”

She blushed a bit. “My ... approaching you. Checking with Jasmine — I know you caught that. All of it.”

“I found it flattering. But, then, I was a little bothered when it sounded like we’d gotten our wires crossed. I don’t want anyone to feel ... I don’t know. Slighted? Unappreciated? But I’m not one to push things.”

“Why would you, though?” She grinned. “Jasmine. Jessica. And I know, at various points, Lexi and Sheila. And maybe others.”

“Well ... first. Jasmine and I are pretty open, so that I can at least confirm. Jessica and I are dating, obviously. Whatever we’ve done, or Lexi, or Sheila, is up to them to discuss.”

“Fine,” she said, giggling a bit. “And I can guess maybe some haven’t gone as far as others. But, still, why would you push things? Variety, maybe, but ... well. Anyway.”

“The thing is, my not pushing anything with you doesn’t mean I’m not interested, and I’d hate to hurt your feelings. It’s ... well. Repeating what someone I greatly respect said about this recently — not about you, though — if I was indifferent, that’d be rude. But if I’m simply respectful and willing to wait and see, that’s different. I’m definitely not indifferent, and I don’t want you to think I am, but I’m willing to wait and see. There’s no rush.”

“There ... kinda is for me? Well, maybe. I mean, I meant what I said. I know we’re not going to have some sudden deep connection and run off into the sunset, but you’re just plain attractive and ... I want to. Once, anyway. I don’t think you’re going anywhere but, you know ... no time like the present.”

“Once upon a time, not that long ago, I’d have asked ‘why?’ As in, why chase a one-night stand? I’m better at saying ‘fun’ now, but it’s still an interesting question to me.”

“Fun is the biggest reason. Variety. Getting closer. I mean, we might be in each other’s hair, figuratively at least, for the next two years. Closer is good. And ... well, you’re with Jasmine. You see it more my way, I’m sure.”

I nodded. “I do. It’s not a commitment or even an exploration that’s aiming at a commitment.”

She smiled. “For me, sex is like ... sharing a nice dinner, or a good conversation, or whatever. It’s not all deep, meaningful stuff, but it’s not meaningless either. If I’d want to spend time with a person otherwise, and they’re attractive, too, then sex is just ... natural. I get that most girls don’t think that but ... that’s right for them. I do think that. It’s gotten me in trouble, but ... well, it’s a cliché to say high school’s for doing crazy things, but many clichés have some truth in them, right?”

“Like volunteering for a musical on a whim?”

That got a big grin. “It wasn’t a whim. Sex isn’t a commitment, a relationship is. You did it for your girlfriend. Not a whim, a gesture. A cool one.”

“I loved it, work and all.”

“Well, obviously! Otherwise you’d have gotten out of doing it again next year.”

“I may lean towards technical theater in the fall, though. We’ll see.”

“No problem there. We’ll probably do things with fewer roles. I’m hoping for ‘The Sound of Music’ in the spring.”

“That was my top choice, too.” I grinned. “Of course... ‘You are sixteen, going on seventeen... ‘“

She giggled. “Yeah, but so are you. On the other hand, we could put a senior in as Rolf.”

“It wouldn’t be my favorite role, but then that one does have a dearth of really sympathetic male roles. Georg, but he’s a jerk early on. Max and the kids are fine.”

“Second choice?”

“‘Bye Bye Birdie’.”

“I had ‘Grease’.”

“The guys in ‘Grease’ are kinda jerks, too. ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ is a bit better for guys. Some of the girls are airheads in both.”