Chapter 8

My little Westclox alarm clock went off the next morning at 7:00, I woke up with a groan as usual lately I was sore all over. Tomorrow was the first day of school. The events of the last few days faded into the background in the face of the prospect of starting high school. I was more than a little nervous. It was going to be a huge pain to be a freshman and at the bottom of the social pecking order with all those juniors and seniors firmly at the top.

Today was also my sixteenth birthday. I’d practiced with my grandpa once I got a learners permit so I was pretty sure I could pass the test and get my driver’s license. I was also old enough to get a job as a box-boy down at the new Safeway store, so now I had a way to save to get a truck of my own. I smiled and gave myself a happy birthday to me fist pump. I decided to celebrate with french toast this morning.

My good mood lasted until I marked my height on the door jamb. When dad was alive, we did that every birthday. I was 6’2”. Three inches taller than last year. Where the hell had that come from? Nobody in the family was that tall. A thought suddenly occurred, and I groaned--my school clothes were probably too small. They were. When I tried them on, my pants cuffs had a high-water look above my ankles and my wrists stuck out past the cuffs my shirt.

Crap, I have to go school shopping.

I checked out my savings stash in my desk and my heart sank. Sandra had once again forgotten to give me money for grocery shopping, so I’d had to use up a good chunk of my lawn mowing money to buy groceries.

I caught her as she was heading to bed.

“Sandra, can I have some money to buy some school clothes. I forgot to go school shopping and school starts tomorrow. When I got checked, I guess I’ve grown some.”

She gave me an aggrieved look.

Crap, this was going to be worse than I figured.

The look on her face told me it was one of her bad days. Grandpa had warned me that grieving was hard on some people that I would have to make what he called “allowances.” I figured that this was what he was talking about. Sandra was generally good natured, but when these sad spells took her, she wasn’t. She became a different person.

“There should be some money in my wallet in my purse,” she whined. “You need to be more responsible with your money, Steven. What on earth do you spend all that allowance money on?”

“You don’t give me allowance money,” I said. “You say you are going too but you forget. The last allowance money you gave me was six months ago.”

“Why didn’t you say so,” she said resentfully. “You’re making me feel bad now. I can’t be expected to stay on top of everything around here. I’m working so hard I’m at the end of my rope.” She walked back to her bedroom muttering to herself.

This was what I was afraid of, but criminey I had no choice, I had to get some new khakis and a couple three or four shirts that fit my bigger arms and shoulders. Some new loafers, my old ones were worn out and didn’t fit anyway. A couple pair of Levi’s too.

I skipped the french toast and had cornflakes instead because I realized that it was time to bite the bullet and check up on Aunt Jean. I’d been avoiding thinking about the consequences that would flow if she remembered last night.

I walked across to her house filled with dread.

“Good morning, Aunt Jean.”

She was sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee. There was no titty show today. She was dressed in her starched white uniform and nurses cap. She frowned when she saw me come in.

“I thought I asked you to mow the lawn at the church.”

“I didn’t forget, I figured my other chores were more important. Like getting your windows washed.

“You always have an excuse. Do it today. I made them a promise and here it is the middle of the week, and you still haven’t done it.

“I’ll get to it. First though I gotta go get some school clothes.”

“See that you do, Steven.” With one final glare, She got up and grabbed her purse and jetted out the door.

As usual Aunt Jean had to get in the last word--one final dig. This time it didn’t bother me. The important thing was that she hadn’t remembered last night.

Before going shopping, I decided to drop by the high school to see if they would give me my schedule. I spotted an attractive woman with a briefcase coming up the sidewalk.

“Good morning,” I said brightly.

She gave me an amused smile. “Good morning. Aren’t you an eager beaver, school doesn’t start till tomorrow?”

“I was hoping to get my schedule,” I said. “Mine didn’t come in the mail.”

“Well since you’re here a day early you can get on my good side and tote some books for me. I’m Linda Erikson, history teacher.”

“Sure, I’d be glad to help ma’am. I’m Steve Connor, student.”

Miss Erikson was a twenty something knock-out, sure to be a hit with all the guys in school. Central High must be her first teaching job. I followed her into the high school, looking around curiously at the wall lined with gray lockers. Our footsteps echoed as we walked in. I tried to picture what the hallway would look like tomorrow when it would be packed with students.

“Wait here,” Miss Erickson said. “I need to get some things. I’ll check on your schedule for you.” She went into the office.

The wall opposite the office had a huge glass display case filled with trophies of past glory. There were pictures teams dressed in old fashioned football uniforms. In the center sat a huge trophy with a sign that said Ohio State AA Football Champs of 1935.

I looked at the picture and saw my dad’s name listed. Sure, enough there he was looking much younger in the center holding a football.

Wow. I had no idea he played any sport. I had no idea he had attended this high school. The thought struck me that I didn’t know much about him at all. I resolved to ask Grandpa for some stories about him the next time we talked.

Miss Erickson came out of the office holding some files. She handed an envelope with my name on it, gave me a distracted look and she waved for me to follow her. We walked to a classroom on the second floor. She went inside and came out empty handed.

“Now let’s go find my textbooks.”

She led me to a room at the end of the hallway. We found shelves lined with boxes. Four boxes had her name on them.

She pointed to the boxes, “Okay, Steve Conner, student, tote those boxes.”

“Yes Ma’am, thank you so much for the opportunity.”

She laughed. “I can see right now you’re going to be a problem.”

I gave her a grin and hoisted a box onto my shoulder. I followed her to her room all the while fighting the temptation to slip on the ring. I was curious about her, but school was far too public to be messing around with the unpredictable.

After I fetched all the boxes of books, I was ready to leave.

“I’ll be going now ma’am, unless you have anything else?”

I touched the ring and looked at her.

Her smile faltered. She looked at me a bit desperately. “I’m really nervous about tomorrow. What if I can’t do this.

I took my hand off the ring and watched as her face resumed its mask of cheerfulness.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Erickson, History Teacher. I sure hope I get in one of your classes I bet you’re a great teacher.” Jesus, that sounded cheesy, but I wanted to reassure her somehow. I didn’t like that she was so nervous.

She quirked a smile. “Thanks for your help, Mr. Steven Conner, Student. Now get out of here I have work to do.”

As I walked into Pennys, I noticed one the clerks check me out and break into a smile. I didn’t blame her laughing at me, I looked like I was a hillbilly just down from the hills. I was just as embarrassed as I thought I would be. Thank god that school didn’t start until tomorrow. I hotfooted it over to the men’s department found some chino’s that fit, grabbed a couple of them along with some corduroys. I found some button-down shirts, tried them on--wore one of those. Stopped at the under-wear section picked up a couple of packages of boxers, then some socks. Last stop was the shoe department. A pair of penny loafers and I was golden. Start to stop, my shopping took thirty minutes.

I realized that I was wearing the ring when the pretty salesclerk flirted with me. The pretty twenty something gave me a nice look down her blouse at her tiny breasts. She confessed she’d sex with her boyfriend last night, but that the whole experience was very disappointing. He’d made her suck his cock but refused to go down on her. She really liked her pussy getting licked. She and her friend Mandy got each other off all the time. She was thinking about giving up on boys. They didn’t have a clue.

I nodded wisely hoping she couldn’t pick up that I hadn’t actually even kissed a girl let alone anything else. Apparently, there were techniques s to satisfying a girl. The locker room talk I’d heard didn’t cover that very well.

Huh. There was so much I didn’t know.

But there was the ring!

I was going to ask for more information on pussy licking, but a bunch of guys came in with their moms school shopping and I missed my chance.

I rode my bike back home, changed from my good clothes to work clothes and rode my bike over to the church. I had to get the keys to the storage shed so went over to Pastor Richardson’s house and knocked.

Mrs. Richardson came to the door. When she saw me, she smiled. “Hello Steven, here to do our lawn?”

I manfully kept my eyes on her face.

“You bet ma’am. I need the keys to the storage shed to get the lawn mower and rake.”

She disappeared into the house and returned with keys in hand.

“Here you go Steven. I’ve got some lemonade freshly made would you like some.”

“Maybe after I finish ma’am.” I was anxious to get started. I went to the shed in back and fished out the lawn mower and began to push it around the church’s half acre lawn. For me lawn mowing was a soothing activity, the whirring clicking sounds of the blades shearing the grass leads to a good thinking space and I had plenty to think about.