Chapter 65: Celebrity

Tuesday, March 9, 1982

I had barely gotten out of my car before the first, “Dude! Are you crazy!” hit me. I turned and smiled at the guy, who I didn’t recognize. “Nah. I made a promise. I’ll keep it.”

He shook his head. “Crazy!”

Just behind him, a girl I also didn’t know — but was pretty sure was a senior — said, “Not crazy at all. Awesome! We need more guys like you!”

Before I’d gotten to the buildings, my cute Vietnamese girl leapt into my arms. “Awesome job, boyfriend! You know I don’t care about you dating Jessica, or if you didn’t, now you do, but still. You deserve a kiss.” And I got one; one that triggered a warning from an amused teacher.

The day went like that; a mix of people questioning my sanity or praising my integrity. The first tended to be guys, and the second tended to be girls, but there were girls who thought I was insane and guys who thought it was terrific. A fair number thought it was both. I got a thumbs up from both Janet and Lizzie at different times, a frown from Debbie — I guess I’d upstaged her yet again — and thumbs-up from many acquaintances. I also got a glare from Cindy. Some things never change.

At lunch, Sheila took me over to another table. “I can’t believe you turned her down. Except, of course I can, knowing you and knowing why. But you have to know...”

“How you feel. Yeah, I do. Believe me, it’s been on my mind. I mean, your reaction to it.”

“Don’t turn her down for me, Steve. I mean, you already did, but if you have another chance...”

“I wouldn’t. I would if you hated her or something, but you don’t.” Sheila blushed at that, nodding. “I’d like to get to know her better. And not in the Biblical sense. Though, of course...”

“Yeah, but knowing you, you’d go for the other sense first.” She was grinning, with a bit of a smirk.

“Just see what happens, I guess. It’s all I’ve heard about today.”

“It’s all you’ll hear about tomorrow, too!” She grinned, smirking at me.

“The half-life of these major school social news events is not that long.”

“Yeah, but this one is big. I’m really glad I got to know you before this hit! It’s intimidating, knowing you went out with me and still want to but turned her down.”

“See, that’s how it’s presented. I didn’t ‘turn her down’. I turned her down for Sadie Hawkins because I’d already made a commitment. Totally different.”

“True, and I think people know that. But you’re right, everyone leads with the big news and then rolls it back a bit by mentioning the prior commitment.”

“You’re going to be all right?”

“Oh, I’m great! I’m just going to grab some popcorn and watch the show!”

We hugged and headed back to the Drama table. It was my day over there. Appropriately, most likely.

Megan cornered me before Debate. “You ... seriously ... turned down Jessica Lively? For me?”

“I made you a promise.”

“I would have let you out of it! Jessica Lively!”

“Look, Megan. For one thing, I gave my word, and that matters. For another, I know you. I like Jessica, and she’s pretty, but I don’t know her. I’d like to get to know her, but not at a dance that someone else asked me to. We’ll have another chance.”

“I’m stunned. I don’t even know what to make of that. If I didn’t know you had Jasmine I’d be ... um... something. I don’t even have a word for what I’d be!”

“It was never about Jessica. That’s the thing. I said if you asked Monday it was a yes, and you did. You could say that I should’ve put in an escape clause, but I’m glad I didn’t. I want to go with you. If I’m meant to spend time with Jessica, it’ll happen. It won’t happen April 2^nd.”

“This is pretty amazing. I am going to remember this one forever!”

“As you should. First dance, right?”

“I didn’t even mean that! I feel ten feet tall, and this time, that’s a good thing!” I got another — unexpected — kiss. One that also would have gotten a warning, if any teachers had been looking.

In class, Janet came over midway through. “Like, seriously, dude? I mean, you totally shot me down on the bus, back when, but Jessica Lively? Dude!”

I smiled towards Megan, who was grinning. “I had a prior offer and I’d promised to wait until Monday.”

Janet’s eyes followed mine to Megan, then want back to mine. Back to Megan, raised eyebrow, back to me. I nodded.

“Dude, that is really cool, and I’ve always known you were really cool!” She leaned in and hugged me. Whispering, she added, “Awesome job, Steve. Jessica’s hot, but Megan’s one of the family.”

“Yup.”

Cindy glared pretty much the whole time, then took up a conversation with Megan. That ended within five minutes when Megan and Anne got up, dragged their chairs to another table, and sat, leaving Cindy all by herself. She looked fit to be tied.

Of course, it couldn’t end there. After Debate, who should find me in the hall but the other half of our little drama, Jessica herself? “Hey, Steve!”

“Um ... hi, Jessica. I’m sorry — I didn’t...”

“I know you didn’t.” She hugged me! Thank goodness I’d gotten some practice at hugs from highly unexpected girls. I owed Lizzie some thanks for that! I hugged right back, if gently. “I know exactly where the story came from, don’t worry. I’ve had some words with the two girls involved. Which will mean absolutely nothing, but, hey, what can you do?”

“Not be a gossip magnet for the whole school?”

She giggled. “Too late for that, for better or worse. Word reached me of the why behind your callous rejection of my gracious offer.” Her eyes twinkled; I found myself liking Jessica, not just idolizing her. Perhaps a bit of a surprise, though Sheila’s feelings should have clued me in. “That was the mark of a true gentleman. I wholeheartedly approve. Or, putting it another way: I know you have a girlfriend, but I also hear rumblings that you can date. So, if that’s true, and you’d like to, I’ll repeat: Ask me out when you figure out your schedule. No hurry, but I’m looking forward to it.”

“Thanks! This ... um ... all ... doesn’t mess up anything for you?”

She laughed. “From a social standpoint, all publicity is good publicity. Something you’ll be learning soon enough, I think. Or already are. If you’d really shot me down, that’d be different, but politely demurring because of a prior commitment is totally different. I look good, you look good, everyone looks good.”

“Then, good!” I didn’t know what to make of that. Cold-hearted manipulator, warm-hearted drama queen, committed socialite? Some of all of the above? I still found myself liking her.

She turned to go, then looked back. “Oh, one more thing?”

“Yes?”

“Kick ass in ... well, you know what I mean. I’ve got your back.”

“And I’ve got yours, for whatever that’s worth. I’m not a household name.”

“You are now! And even before that, it’s worth more than you think it is.”

I turned to find Lizzie staring. “Glad things worked out for you. Both of you. And, she’s right.”

“Mmm?”

“It’s worth more than you think it is. Then, now, both. And I definitely second that. Kick ass.”

“I intend to, despite my utter inexperience.”

“Nah. You’ll be fine. I’ve got total faith in you.”

“That’s one of us.”

She laughed. “As a very close friend of mine has said more than once: I believe you don’t lack in self-confidence. You’ll do just fine.”

9:30pm

After rubbing noses and smooching, Angie snuggled in. “Well! I bet you never had a day your whole first go-round where you were the talk of the entire school for a day. You certainly didn’t my first go-round or I’d have heard about it. So far, that’s two just this year!”

“Two?”

“Yeah. Day one, remember? Well, you were in the hospital, so you missed all the gossip.”

“Oh. That. This is better.”

She grinned. “Much better! How’s it feel to be a celebrity?”

“Like it should pay better.”

“Be serious.”

“I’m trying to. I don’t feel like a celebrity. The whole thing is rather embarrassing.”

“You’ll get used to it. Anyway, good going. Yes, I caught Jessica talking to you, so, doubly good going. As a bonus, you pissed off Cindy, who is about to be really, really pissed off, I think.”

I rolled my eyes. “That was not the goal here.”

“No, just a bonus, like I said.”

“Switching subjects!” She giggled at that. “I tracked down a version of the ‘Argument Clinic’ sketch I can use for Humorous Interp. It’s on a comedy album. I almost forgot those were even a thing.”

“Oh! Let me borrow the album. Maybe I can do something from it, too! That’s awesome.”

“It’s the right length, I have a good understanding of it, and it plays to my strengths.”

“Arguing, naturally.”

“Yup.”

“Love you, big brother. Sleepy-time.”

“For me too. Love you, Ang.”

Wednesday, March 10, 1982

No, that wasn’t the end of ‘The Rejection.’ Yes, I was hearing it with capital letters now. Anyway, it maintained its news appeal into a second day, powered by the revelation that not only was Jessica not devastated, but actually found it appealing that I would be such a gentleman, and the second revelation that Megan was the recipient of The Date. There had been no hiding that, of course, but I hadn’t expected it to still be news Wednesday. Luckily, she’d told her parents of the date and gotten permission first. Not the whole story, apparently. She was going to hit them with that later.

I suspected that someone like Cindy had blabbed. The rumor started off with some tinge of ‘Hey, that Steve guy, he’s preying on innocent freshmen!’ That didn’t even make it to second period, so I’m told, before the obvious ‘wait, that “innocent freshman” invited him and not vice versa’ angle took care of that. That I was in an open relationship turned up, but somehow that metamorphosed into the standard ‘Sadie Hawkins isn’t cheating’ view that most people have. The few people that read more into it seemed to be guys who relished the idea of having their cake and eating it, too.

Obviously, I’m not in the girl-talk network; never will be, and frankly, don’t want to be. Apparently the open-relationship angle had already run its course there. Angie assured me that Jessica was right — any press was good press. If it cost her anything it was the few snobbish guys who couldn’t imagine dating a girl who would invite someone like me to Sadie Hawkins. However, now I was a celebrity — never mind that the cause of that was the invitation itself — and celebrities are fair ground for date invitations.

The primary impact on me of all this was another day with a constant stream of questions and well-wishes and comments and four notes with names and phone numbers shoved into my locker. I wouldn’t call any of them; the odds weren’t bad that at least one or two were someone playing a prank.

Nor did it let up at study group. Everyone wanted to talk about it. Considering this was an exam week, I finally had to shut it down in desperation — I needed to study!

I found time to talk with Jasmine about the tournament, though. “Hey — I found a good Monty Python routine, ‘Argument Clinic’, on a comedy album. You’ll like it. I’m planning on it for Humorous at Northbrook. Angie might do something from the same album. One good part is that I can listen to it over and over and get it transcribed. And since it’s from the record...”

“You’re only burning that source for next year, not the rest of their catalog. That’s perfect!”

“Angie may do a piece from the same source.”

“Awesome! I’m in for Extemp. So are Lexi, Sheila, and Paige. Sheila is going for it; she’ll be doing both Humorous and Extemp.”

“Come over to the Debate room and write your name on the tournament board. It will freak everyone out!”

“As long as you come sign up in Steffie’s room.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“This is going to be a blast!”

Angie and I went to talk to Meg just after class started. “Hey, Meg, we need to go over to Steffie’s room for a few minutes.”

“Am I losing you to the dark side?”

“Nah, we’re just embracing our inner yin-yang,” Angie replied with a grin.

Meg blinked. “Hey, that’s a good one! I’ll remember that!”

“Expect visitors.”

“What are you two up to?”

“Not just us.”

She rolled her eyes. “This is going to either be great or a major headache, I can tell.”

We crossed over, finding Jasmine, Lexi, Sheila, and Paige on their way. Naturally, I stopped for kisses from Jasmine, Lexi, and Sheila. Naturally, Paige decided I needed one from her, too. Then Angie had one for Jasmine, which then extended to Lexi and Sheila. And Paige. Love hexagon, anyone? I had a feeling that every possible pairing was between likely and been-there-done-that, with the possible exception of Angie and me, in a full-on physical sense anyway.

Steffie blinked when we came out. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Jasmine.”

“A very good answer that tells me nothing.”

We crossed to the sign-up list and wrote ‘A. Marshall — HI’ and ‘S. Marshall — HI’ on the Northbrook list, which was fairly empty. Steffie blinked. “Are you two serious? You’re taking a shot at competing?”

“If by some miracle we make finals we’d drop out, in deference to kids that have been at it all year. If we don’t hate it or, um... don’t get laughed at, considering...” That drew laughter from the room. “ ... then we’ll likely be back next year. Without dropping the Debate side.”

“It’s been years since we had anyone cross over. Wait! Is that where that particular pack of troublemakers went?”