“No!” shouted Lacey. “No not yet!”
* * *
When someone dies drunk driving, the last thing you want to do is drive home drunk. So the group stood outside the bar confused about what to do next. Usually someone would just drive everyone home. But not tonight.
“I'm going to call a taxi,” Tricia said, walking off towards the nearest payphone.
“There is no way a taxi is coming tonight in this town, seriously, no way,” Lacey said, sitting awkwardly with her legs in the gutter trying to light a cigarette.
Sammy took it out of her hand and lit it for her, taking a drag and then passing it back.
“No taxis,” said Tricia, returning from the payphone.
“No surprise,” said Lacey.
“I'm walking,” Tricia said. “You wanna come with Ro? Leigh?”
Rochelle pulled Leigh along after her and followed Tricia down the street.
“What about us?” moaned Lacey, smoking her cigarette as Greg came to sit between her and Ben on the curb.
“Hey,” he said, taking the cigarette out of her hand.
“Hey!” she smiled, letting him take it.
“You guys need a ride? I can drive you if you can wait about an hour.”
“Yes,” Lacey nodded, taking the cigarette back from him and taking a drag. “A hundred times yes.”
“You guys?” Greg gestured a thumb towards Ben, Sammy and Peggy.
“Yeah, sure,” Ben said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“I'm good,” Sammy said.
“Peggy?” asked Greg.
“Uh, yeah, I guess so,” she was reluctant to take him up on the offer in case Sammy presented her with a better one, but that didn't seem like it was going to happen. That night they walked home together from prom was the most romantic night of her life. She wanted to re-live it. Have him walk with her again. Every night. But nights like that don't come around very often. They are kind of a once in a lifetime deal.
“I'll come help you clean up,” Lacey said eagerly.
“Good, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” he said as she followed him back into the bar giving Peggy a wink.
“I'll uh...” Ben followed them both, leaving Sammy and Peggy alone.
Sammy Ruthven sat on the curb, cigarette in hand. He put his head between his legs and he did what Peggy thought was something like crying, but she never saw any tears, so she really wasn't sure, but in that moment, she couldn’t have believed he was doing anything else.
“Hey,” she said, sitting down next to him.
He looked up at her and then gently pushed her sweaty hair behind her ear. “I still love you,” he said, leaning his forehead on her shoulder. She leant her head on top of his and they stayed like that for a long time. Not speaking, just being there together in that moment, until the moment passed.
He lifted his head and took her head in his hands and he kissed her. A long, hot, sweaty, bourbon, cigarette, sad kiss.
She gasped as he drew away from her.
“I think I just… I need to be on my own right now,” he said. “I need to figure some stuff out.”
And he got up and he walked away, leaving her still reeling from the kiss, cold and alone, but grateful. Grateful that Sammy was OK. Grateful that her friends were just inside, that everyone was getting home safe and that Janet was at home waiting for her.
Fifty-Three
Goodbyes
“I thought I was never going to see you again,” said Jack as they walked through the buzzing quadrangle on the first day of summer school. Jack couldn't help feeling a little sorry for them. As much as his life sucked right now at least he didn't have to go to summer school.
“You won't after today,” she said, her voice catching as she squinted into the sun and blinked away the tears. “But I had to come and say a real goodbye, and I had to make things right with the parentals.” She pushed open the main doors of the school and held them open for him to follow her. “I couldn't have left everything the way it was. Just disappearing like that. I don't want to be that person.”
They walked slowly and silently down the hallway, navigating through summer school students, past the mural of Saint Christopher, past the portraits of the nuns and past their old lockers both knowing this was the last time they would do this together.
“I'm glad you came back, but it's a slow torture,” Jack said, running his hand through his hair. His sneaker squeaked as he came to a stop just before the book room door.
“How's that?” Peggy asked.
“Every time I see you, I think it's going to be the last time, so I talk myself into it, being OK without you and then... Puff the Magic Dragon, there you are again.”
“Well,” said Peggy, hugging her duffel bag to her chest. “This is it. For real this time.” She shrugged as the bell for first period rang and in seconds the hallway was empty, leaving them standing there staring at each other in the silence.
“Do me a favor,” Jack said, breaking the tension. “Look me up when you get here.”
Peggy forced a laugh over the heaviness in her chest.
“I guess you'll be old and middle aged,” he said. “You probably won't even be hot anymore.”
She playfully whacked him on the arm.
Jack looked at the door. “I'm kind of expecting you to just go in and then walk out again and laugh hysterically and tell me this whole thing was some kind of sick elaborate hoax.” Jack looked down at her and his lip began to wobble, and he swore. “I don't want the last memory you have of me to be like this,” he said, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye.
She laughed. “Like you haven't seen me at so much worse?”
“What about your folks?” he asked, crossing his arms and trying to act normal. “I know they're not much, but...”
“Future me has got it covered.”
“Uh, how exactly?”
“Middle-aged me sends them emails and leaves them voice notes,” Peggy said.
“Emails and voice notes from the past?” Jack asked confused. “But that stuff hasn’t been invented yet for you.”
“Not for teenage me, but middle-aged me is out there somewhere doing it.”
Jack gave her a look of disbelief.
“I know, because I got an email from my future self yesterday.”
“You wrote yourself an email?”
She shrugged.
“Why didn't future you write me an email?” he pouted.
Peggy laughed. “I tell you that my future self sent me an email and all you can ask is why you didn't get one.” She rolled her eyes, smirking.
“It’s a very good question, and I'll be expecting an email soon.”
“I’ll try to remember,” she smiled.
He grabbed her up suddenly in his shaking arms, squeezing her so hard she let out a yelp.
She pulled back and wiped her own face with a sweaty palm, laughing. His eyes looked so sad. Pleading. It was so hard to see him like this. She wondered why, now that she was at peace with the destiny she'd chosen, why was it still so hard to say goodbye to the past?
Feeling for the new silver chain around her neck she pulled the key out from beneath her t-shirt. She took off the necklace, put the key into the lock and turned it. Jack watched slack jawed as the door frame shuddered into life.
“It does that,” she said.
“Now what?”
“Now I go in and I come out in 1983.”
“Right,” Jack said, his eyes wide.
She grabbed him again, embracing him urgently and awkwardly. She kissed him on the cheek and then opened the door.
“Bye,” he said.
“See you later,” she said, tears streaming down her pink-blushed cheeks.
“Not soon enough,” he said, his own tears streaming down his cheeks.
She stepped into the book room, the musty air heavy with the smell of old books and dust. She flicked on the light switch, illuminating the hundreds of forgotten ol
d books and just as she was about to step in and close the door behind her Jack jammed his foot in.
“Can I come with you?” he asked suddenly.
She smiled and kicked his foot playfully out of the way.
“You have to find your own destiny Jack.”
She held up her hand and waved, feeling slightly stupid until he returned the gesture.
* * *
And Jack watched as the door frame sprung to life once more and as a weird multi-colored light flickered wildly, three times from beneath the door.
And then she was gone. Really gone.
Fifty-Four
Destiny
“Are you really going to stay in Santolsa forever now?” asked Lacey excitedly as they chowed down on a ham and pineapple pizza in a booth up the back of Super Pan.
“Yup,” Peggy mumbled through a mouth full of crust.
“I mean, where else would you rather be anyway? I know it's a bit boring around here, but we've got good pizza. And we've got the Fire Station... and we've got Dee's Diner. We've even got...”
“You don't have to sell it to me Lace, I'm going to stay,” said Peggy, smiling at her as she chewed.
“Even though Sammy's still kind of ignoring you?” Lacey asked.
“He's not ignoring me, he's just taking some time out for himself. And yes.”
“Yes what?” asked Lacey, reaching over the table for the chili flakes.
“Yes, I'm happy here, even without Sammy. I want to be with him more than anything, and every night I go to bed, and I curl into a ball and feel sick about everything. But there's still nowhere else I'd rather be.” Peggy sipped on her 7UP and smiled as she caught a glimpse of him and her other friends walking into the restaurant.
“Finally,” said Lacey, rolling her eyes and waving them over.
Tricia took a slice of pizza before even saying hi and Peggy watched while everyone else said their hellos. Sammy nodded in Peggy's direction and slid into the booth opposite her, grabbing a menu, focusing on it intently.
“What are we going to do with the rest of the summer?” asked Ben as he tried to get the attention of a mustached waiter.
“What are we going to do with the rest of our lives?” Lacey asked dramatically.
“Get jobs I guess,” said Peggy, shrugging.
“That is the stupidest thing you've said,” accused Lacey as she slopped another slice onto her plate before Tricia ate the whole thing.
“Well none of us are going to college, except Ben,” said Rochelle, shrugging as she slid into the seat next to Sammy. Peggy made a weird breathing sound and Lacey elbowed her in the ribs.
“I know, and really, he's the stupidest one of us all,” said Tricia.
“Thanks Trish,” said Ben who had just ordered a large pepperoni pizza all to himself.
“Congrats Ben,” said Peggy. “You’re going out to California huh?”
Ben nodded, grinning.
“If mum and Roger can work it out, I might be free to go check out LA for a while,” said Lacey. “I've got a cousin who knows a bunch of people down there.” Lacey was staring out the last slice of pizza.
“I can totally see you in LA,” said Peggy.
“Come with me!” Lacey grinned.
Peggy laughed. Hanging out with Lacey in LA would be quite the adventure. She looked over at Sammy. But maybe she'd had enough adventures for now. She couldn't just run off again. So, they weren't together, but she still wanted to be around. She wanted him to know she was here for him. And besides, she was loving living with Janet. It was in that moment that she realized for the first time that she loved Santolsa and it was the only place she wanted to be.
“I think we should just try to make the most of it,” said Leigh, shrugging.
“The most of what?” asked Ben, looking around for his food and eyeing up the other pizzas as they went by.
“The summer,” said Rochelle.
“Life,” said Sammy picking up the ashtray and putting it on another table. It was a small gesture, but Peggy knew it was for her.
Tricia nodded. “He's right, life's short. Even when you get a long one, it’s still short.”
“To the summer,” Lacey held up her glass of Pepsi for a toast.
“To pizza,” said Leigh, taking the last slice of Hawaiian while Lacey glared at her.
“To life,” said Peggy, holding up her 7UP.
“To us,” said Ben, holding up his beer.
“To Nick,” said Sammy, clanking his glass with Ben’s.
“Anyone feel like the Fire Station?” asked Lacey after a pause.
“Lace,” said Tricia, “I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but someone has to.”
“Tell me what?”
“Greg.”
“What about him?” she said, her eyes lighting up at the mere mention of his name.
Ben coughed and gave Peggy a look. “Yeah, what about him?”
Tricia rolled her eyes and stamped out her cigarette in the ashtray in the middle of the table. “Not. Going. To. Happen.”
Lacey pouted, “Don’t be such a stick in the mud Trish.”
“Don't you think if it was going to happen it would've happened by now?” Peggy said gently as she watched Lacey's face fall.
“Last time I talked to him he said we should just be friends, but I know that’s because he was just waiting until I finished school, and now I have!” she argued. “Tonight is the night, it has to be!”
“I saw him making out with Henry Nichols like last year,” Tricia said bluntly.
Ben spat out a mouthful of the pizza that had finally arrived and watched dumbstruck as it landed in the middle of the table.
Lacey's mouth flew open. “Henry? Henry? Henry the baseball coach?” she squealed.
“Sorry babe,” Tricia said, not seeming very sorry at all.
Although Sammy had moved the ash tray, there was still smoke blowing over at them from the other tables and Peggy sighed. She wondered when restaurants would become non-smoking. She made a mental note to Google it later, but quickly realized later would be much, much later.
“I don't even believe it for a second!” Lacey shook her head and elbowed Peggy.
“Oh Lace, I'm sorry,” Peggy said, patting her arm. It was nothing compared to not being able to Google for twenty or so years, but Lacey still seemed pretty upset about it.
“I'm going anyway,” said Lacey pouting. “Anyone wanna join?”
“I'll go,” said Ben, shrugging.
“I'm not really up for it tonight,” said Peggy. She was still reeling from her goodbye with Jack earlier that morning. She just wanted to be tucked safe and sound in her bed with some magazines.
“Can I give you a ride?” Sammy asked her, looking at her for the first time all night. “I'm heading home too.”
Peggy's stomach flipped. “Yes. Thanks.”
“I can drive you too Ro,” he offered. Rochelle nodded, and Peggy felt her face flush. She was trying to not hate Rochelle, but she was also painfully aware of the fact that Rochelle and Sammy had slept together, whether recently or not it didn't really matter. They'd seen each other naked. It gave Peggy an intense sense of unease knowing that the three of them were to sit in the car together. Maybe she should have just said she'd go to the bar with Lacey. But she really did just want to go home.
And Peggy was right. It was so awful and awkward. As they got to the car Rochelle automatically opened the front door, obviously an old habit, and Peggy slid herself into the back of the brown Dodge, a loaner car Sammy was driving around. She wished that she could fall into the cracks between the seats and never be heard from again.
“You're so good at cars Sammy,” Rochelle gushed, putting her hand on his knee and acting like Peggy didn't exist. “You'll have a new car in no time.”
“I need to get some more cash. After I paid for Jonas' stupid gold tooth, I'm kind of broke.”
Peggy listened to their conversation, feeling like a kid in the back, her parent
s giving her a ride.
“That's my fault,” she said. She had to say something, or they were going to forget she was there. “I should have paid for it.” Peggy realized for the first time, not only did she not have the internet, but she didn’t have her credit cards anymore. She couldn’t have paid for Jonas’s tooth even if she’d wanted to. She really was going to have to get a job.
“It's not your fault he forced you to kiss him, the creep,” said Rochelle before going back to the conversation across the gear stick and ignoring Peggy again.
She let out a small sigh of relief when she realized they were heading towards Rochelle's side of town and Rochelle let out a sigh of something else.
Sammy, who seemed to only just become aware of how awkward this whole situation was, turned on the radio.
It was their song. Peggy couldn't help but smile as she caught his eye in the rear-view mirror. They sat in silence and listened to the music, each of them preoccupied with their own thoughts.
There was an awkward pause when Sammy stopped outside Rochelle's house. It was as if Rochelle didn't believe it. Like she was waiting for him to keep driving towards Peggy's house.
“Later Rochelle,” said Sammy, rubbing his forehead and pushing his dirty blonde hair back, only to have it fall back onto his face again.
“Later Sammy,” Rochelle said reluctantly as she opened the door and stepped out.
“Sleep well,” Sammy said with total indifference and then added, “jump in the front if you want, Peg.”
Peggy said goodbye to Rochelle, waiting until Rochelle was walking towards her house before she got in the front.
He put his foot gently down on the gas and began driving, sticking to the speed limit back down Rochelle's street.
They sat in silence, getting closer and closer to her house. She knew she was missing her chance to talk to him, but she didn’t know what to say. She was willing him to say something first. Eventually he did.
“You can't ever do that to me again,” he said after many minutes of awkward silence.
Class of 1983: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance Page 32
