Game Night

by Joe Zito

  Some kids were shouting with joy and high fiving each other while others were holding their heads down bawling their eyes out.

  Megan finally made it to the front to where she could see. Her big brown eyes followed the list of names going down the sheet. And then she inhaled a gasp and almost wet herself when she saw her name on the second row of names. She felt like crying but held in her elation just temporarily. Thankyouthankyouthankyou Conner, I love you. Did I just think that? She thought.

  She ran down the hall forgetting the no running rule (yes, even in high school) to Liz’s home room, 103. She blitzed right past it and then quickly turned around and went inside trying to hold in the scream of joy she wanted to let out so badly. And of course she did when Liz saw the look on her face and then it turned into the giddy, high pitched happy scream with the shaking hands in front of the face charade that girls sometimes do when the hot guy asks them out on a date or when their honey proposes to them. And they did it right there in front of everyone and could care less. Similar actions were taking place all around the school at the same moment. The faculty despised the fact that it was only Monday. They would have to deal with these teenage shenanigans all week. If only the students knew how some of the teachers actually looked forward to the weekend more than they did. These shitheads can kiss my ass; get the dope and whiskey Carol!

  The girls finally calmed down a shade and the light happy tears came falling. The knots in Megan’s stomach melted away. She felt almost weightless for the rest of the day, for the burden of fear and unknowing had been lifted.

  The pizza shack was beginning to fill up at a steady pace that afternoon. The aroma of flour and dough mixed well with pizza sauce and fresh vegetables coming from the kitchen. Megan along with Liz and Andi, were sitting in a booth sipping on Pepsi’s. Liz drank diet. A goodtime feeling was in the air. It was the last week of school and most of the kids were in good spirits knowing that they were going to graduate. As happy as Megan was about passing her exam and her future in general, she still had that one thing on her mind. She wanted to talk about it with Liz and Andi but didn’t know how to bring it up. She hoped they would say yes. A waitress brought a fresh batch of breadsticks to their table. Yeasty goodness rose from the plastic basket and into the girl’s senses.

  “These dudes make the best bread sticks,” Andi said with already half a mouth full of warm delicious dough.

  “Ditto sister,” Liz said also with a mouthful of dough. Hells Bells by AC/DC was playing through the ten inch round speakers on the ceiling.

  “What the hell girl, are you on a diet?” Liz asked Megan who wasn’t engorging herself with the badass breadsticks like her two best friends were.

  “Nope. No diet. I’m just not hungry at the moment.”

  “You’d think she’d be starving after being so stressed out last week about that damn exam,” Andi said and then took another bite.

  “Well I’m just glad it’s over with, ya know.” Megan looked out the window at a car pulling up to the pizza shack. Two teenagers got out and made their way inside. Megan began thinking of Conner. Why did I say I love him? Do I love him?

  “Yoohoo Hollywood,” Liz suddenly said making Megan turn her attention to the waitress standing by the table. She had asked Megan if she wanted a refill. She said no and then gazed out the window once again.

  “Ok girly, what’s up,” Liz asked.

  “What,” Megan said with a total honest look on her face like there really wasn’t anything wrong.

  “You’ve hardly said anything since we got here. And you’re all quiet acting and shit.” Liz took a sip of her diet Pepsi, keeping her eyes attached to Megan. A booming voice came from the speakers above. You’re listening to WROK 106 Tiptonia, and then Don’t fear the reaper by Blue Oyster Cult began playing.

  Megan sighed and shook her head and told Liz that there really wasn’t anything wrong. You sure about that doll? You’ve only had that thing on your mind for a few weeks now. You know, the thing you’ve been thinking about every night when you lay your head down on your pillow and your big brown eyes close shut on your pretty little face and your mind goes to dream land where you dream, dream, dream about that thing you’ve really been wanting to try but are too afraid to ask, “Hey girls, do you wanna……..

  “I’m telling you, It’s all that stress from the exam. You’re just coming down that’s all,” Andi tried to sound reassuring.

  Megan smiled and said, “Look guys, nothing is wrong. I’m just a little tired and maybe Andi’s right about all the stress.” She picked up a breadstick and took a bite. She hoped it looked legit. She wasn’t hungry at all.

  Liz glared at her best friend knowing that something was on her mind. She just didn’t know what. Boyfriend trouble? Dad giving you shit at home? You have your fucking period?

  “Ok, well we’re here if you wanna talk,” Liz told her.

  Just come out and say it Meg. Don’t be a shithead. They think something is wrong you. Well, there is but not really. Jesus Megan, just ask them if they want to…….

  “We need to do something,” Liz suddenly said breaking Megan’s train of thought. “We gotta do something big and like soon because there isn’t much time left ladies. I may have only a few weeks after graduation and then its fucking factory city for me.”

  “Liz,” Andi started, “Why don’t you tell you dad to stick it and that you’re not going to spend the rest of your life in some boring, hot factory!”

  “Because Andi shmandy he’s my old man and he keeps a roof over my head. It is really good money to.”

  “Sounds to me that you’re only telling yourself that just to psych yourself out,” Andi told her.

  Megan couldn’t help but agree but only internally. She took a sip from her cup and gazed down at the table without saying anything.

  “What do you think Meg?” Liz asked her in a serious tone like her whole life depended on her best friend’s opinion of her future.

  Megan was silent for a moment and just looked at her not knowing really what to say and then the light bulb went on above her head.

  “You know,” she started to say and then pounded the table with her fist. A smile formed on her face. “I think you’re right Lizzy. We do need to do something big.” Which leads me to this thing I’ve been wanting to do for a while now but am too afraid to ask you guy’s if you wanna do it because I don’t want you to think I’m weird or a freak or some crazy ass……

  “Have any ideas?” Liz asked.

  Megan took a breath and slid the palms of her hands smoothly across the white and red checkerboard table cloth.

  “Yes I do,” she said with a big, confident smile.

  “Holy shit Meg!” Liz said way to loudly roughly five minutes later, making a group of kids across the restaurant look up at them.

  Megan shook her head and covered her forehead with her shaking hands because she was nervous as hell talking about the thing that’s been running through her mind every night before she goes to sleep.

  “I knew you wouldn’t go for it. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Her dark, auburn hair fell over her hands.

  “Now hang on second,” Liz started to say. “It’s ok, really it is babe. Don’t jump to conclusions just yet. I mean we haven’t said yes or no.

  “I’m messed up aren’t I? I have issues right?” Megan said almost in tears.

  Liz blurted out a half laugh, half snort. “NO you don’t. We’ve all thought about stuff like that. You know we have.”

  All three girls looked at each other knowing damn well what they were all thinking. Does it feel good. Can I have a turn? Please, please, please!

  “Look. Let’s just think about this for a minute,” Liz said.

  She looked around at all the people in the restaurant and the group of kids that had just walked in.

  “Tell ya what. Let’a get outta here. It’s too crowded in here for this.” She began scooting out of the booth. Megan felt a rush of relief not onl
y for finally leaving the pizza shack but for the way Liz was handling what she told her. She saw that excited look in Liz’s eye that she sometimes gets.

  “Where are we going,” Andi asked.

  “Do you remember playing here all the time when we were kids?” Liz lightly skidded her shoes along the grass under her swing at the playground they use to play at when they were just little shits. Megan certainly did remember and also her mother telling her to go play in a not very nice sounding voice.

  “That was ages ago,” Andi said and started swinging next to Liz.

  Megan stood in front of them with her arms crossed thinking maybe she should have not said anything to them. But it was too late now. Besides, she really wanted them to be a part of it. She just hoped once again that they would say yes.

  “So what are you thinking Hollywood?” Liz said to Megan.

  Liz was swinging lightly back and forth on her swing; her blonde hair falling in her face. Under that blanket of soft, smooth yellow was a smile on her face. She was looking right at Megan and then Megan blushed and said feeling embarrassed, “What?” She threw her arms up in surrender and sighed before speaking but Liz cut her off.

  “I’m in.”

  She stopped swinging.

  Megan put her arms down and looked at her with a stunned, baffled look. She began waving her hands in front of her as if to halt and attacker.

  “Wait, wait. We really haven’t even talked about anything yet Liz.”

  “What’s there to talk about Hollywood?”

  “Ah, well let me see. How about like, are you sure you really want to do this because we’ve never done anything like this before. What about you Andi.”

  “Honestly,” she started to say and then paused for a moment. Her face was stern. Megan felt the disappointment rising in her.

  “I think it’s pretty fucking hot you filthy little dog you!”

  Megan let out a relieved sounding laugh towards the blue sky and she went to the swings.

  “Are you sure guys?” She said with a pleading look on her face.

  “Look Meg,” Liz began to tell her and took ahold of her hand. “This is perfect and it’s what I’m talking about when I say we should do one last big blowout before reality kicks us in the ass in a few weeks. Screw all those drunk asses with their kegs and them falling down and puking in someone’s yard this weekend. It’s retarded and that’s not what I want to do. I like your idea. It’s perfect for us. There’s just one thing though.”

  Both Megan and Andi looked at her with serious eyes.

  “What is it?” Andi said.

  “Do you think Conner will be up for it?”

  Megan gave Liz a sly look of knowing with those big, brown eyes of hers. “He’ll do it. He can’t say no to me.”

  Megans Honda Fit was the only car in the parking lot at Joe’s Diner on route 11 the following night. It was a Tuesday so business was somewhat dead at the diner and the girls decided to have their meeting there with Conner because it was out of the way and inconspicuous and they didn’t want anyone who knew them to see them or hear what they had planned for their little private graduation party.

  It was a warm and muggy evening with the threat of thunderstorms in the forecast. The early evening sky had a purplish hue with intermittent flashes of heat lightning in the distance. Megan, without Liz or Andi knowing, had already spoken to Conner about the absolute fun they could have, that’s if he was interested. And of course he was but Megan didn’t want to overwhelm him with the proposal with all three girls staring at him waiting for an answer.

  They all got out of her very small car and went inside the diner.

  Folsam Prison Blues by Johnny Cash was playing on an old jukebox in the corner when the entered. They took a seat at a booth with a big picture window. Megan sat next to Conner while Liz and Andi sat together on the other side. A sassy blonde waitress wearing a short pink skirt with a white apron wrapped around her waist came up to them seemingly from out of nowhere with four large menu’s in her hand.

  “How ya’ll doin,” she said in a thick southern Indiana accent. “Can I get you all some cold drinks?”

  “Yeah sure,” Conner said quietly.

  They gave the waitress their drink orders and she whisked away somewhere back in the kitchen.

  “Damn, is it retro night here or something? Talk about nineteen fifties,” Andi said.

  “So guys,” Conner said slowly. “Megan was….

  She put her hand on his arm and smiled at him.

  “I hope you guys don’t mind but I kinda told Conner what was up. I didn’t want it to be too much at once.”

  Both Liz and Andi shook their heads agreeing with what Megan told them. She was glad to see they weren’t upset by it.

  “Well,” Liz said. “What do you think about it?” She winked at him.

  He looked at all three girls sitting with him in the booth, first Liz and Andi, then Megan. He shook his head and a bashful smile formed on his face. “I think it sounds pretty damn awesome.”

  Liz let out an elongated high laugh at Conner’s response.

  “That’s what I thought,” Liz said and hit the table with her fist.

  Megan put her arm around Conner’s and looked at him in the eye.

  “It’s gonna be so much fun,” she told him and then looked at both Liz and Andi with an excited sparkle in her eye.

  The cute waitress returned with their drinks. She set them down on the table. After she gave them the cold, sweet beverages she stood where she was for a moment, just looking at all four teenagers sitting there. There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute because they were staring back at her not saying anything. The waitress’s eyes went from person to person as if she was reading their minds. She smiled and asked if they were ready to order. They settled on just having the drinks. Still with her big smile she turned and flew back into the kitchen.

  From there they discussed Megan’s plan in great detail as they sat in the booth and sipped on cold, bubbling sodas. “So when is this shindig going down,” Liz asked.

  They all agreed on next Friday, the day after graduation and of course in the dark hours. Conner also agreed to have it at his house. His dad was out of town that weekend on business, so they would have the whole house to themselves. Megan put her hand around his arm once again and smiled at him. He felt his face turn red. He thought all three girls smelled nice and looked so damn pretty. It would be a while till he could stand up.

  The rest of the week went by in a flurry of excitement and anticipation for Megan. She couldn’t believe it was going to happen and that her two best friends agreed to do it. What are best friends for. Friday came and it was the last day of school. The halls were filled with incessant teenage excitement and chatter of parties, alcohol, sex and getting high. Talk of summer jobs and colleges was barely audible.

  The following week also flew by but the eagerness for ‘game night’, (as the girls had called it) to be here was growing with a strong intensity; especially for Megan. She had gone over everything in her mind the day before but it was hard for her to concentrate because of her graduation ceremony that day. She was decked out in a shiny blue gown and wore that silly square hat with the tassel. Her shoes were black and she wore nothing underneath other than a bra to hold up her lovely large breasts.

  “How are you supposed to go pee in this thing godammit!” Liz complained as she hovered over a toilet in the girl’s restroom a half hour before the ceremony.

  Megan, standing in front of the mirror applying some lipstick laughed and told her, “Just hold all of it up. Just don’t piss on it.”

  “Very funny Hollywood.”

  Liz opened the stall door and said, “Ok, let me see. I gotta have proof.”

  “You show me first,” Megan said looking at her in the mirror. She turned around. She rolled her eyes and smiled with a sigh. “Fine.” She lifted up her blue gown in a quick motion, flashing her best friend, showing off her big, tan bra covered bosom, cur
vy waist and nicely shaven brown patch of pubic hair.

  “Nice Hollywood,” Liz said.

  “Ok now you,” Megan demanded.

  Just as Liz began to raise her graduation gown, Andi came through the door. Liz quickly put it down but was relieved when she saw it was Andi.

  “Ha! I caught you little girls playing peek a boo didn’t I,” Andi said.

  “What about you sweetheart. Do you have your birthday suit on?” Liz asked Andi.

  “Well why don’t you take a look,” Andi smiled.

  “Wait. I was just getting ready to show Meg. Let’s do it together.”

  “Double flash? I like it,” Andi said.

  They raised their gowns and showed Megan. She let out a ‘whooo’ and then, “You gals are hot.”

  “All right ladies, enough naughty show and tell girl time. Let’s get this shit over with,” Liz said.

  “Wait a second guys,” Megan told them.

  “I really want to thank you both for joining me in,” she paused and then, “You know.”

  “No prob babe. We’re all best friends and best friends help each other out. I know it’s something you really want to do.” Liz smiled and took her hand.

  “Me too,” Andi said.

  They all did a silly group hug and Liz made a joke about lesbians and they all laughed and then it was time to say hello to the class of 2015.

  The sky was filled with an overabundance of blue hats being thrown up into the air as a teacher standing at a podium spoke into a microphone and said, “Congratulations class of 2015!” Very proud parents and very relieved graduates made their way to their cars after the ceremony; some crying, some laughing, some hugging their parents and other loved ones. And for most of the kids, they had their minds on how many shots they could down in five minutes without puking the next night. But as Megan walked with her parents to their car sitting in the school parking lot with the blazing hot sun shining down on it, she could barely keep the butterflies at bay in her stomach from the excitement she was feeling about tomorrow night. She saw Liz across the parking lot with her parents as well. They both smiled each other at a distance and Liz put her hand to her head in a mock telephone gesture telling Megan to call her later. She nodded telling her she would. They both got in their parent’s cars and drove out of the parking lot.