And it Goes On

It started well. I moved from goalie to midfield because there was a younger kid who was a solid goalie and I was also solid in the field. We ended up getting knocked out of the state tourney in the final 16 if I remember right so that was a let down. Individually, I was 2nd on the team in goals scored in my first season every playing something other than in the goal.

Drinking was just something corn fed kids did back in the day. There was a party almost every Friday and Saturday until basketball started. But being that I had relationship, I kept it in check for the most part. Eventually the miles between us encroached on our personal time with friends and we broke out relationship off.

It didn’t take me long to find someone new. Alcohol seems to have that affect on teenagers and I jumped at the chance to go out with a random girl whenever an opportunity came along. There really wasn’t anyone serious which left me to do basically anything I wanted to do.

Basketball started right after soccer ended and being a senior I figured it would be my year. We had gone down state the year before and we had a shooting guard that we knew could get us a long way. They season was progressing well when I guess I made a mistake. One of the players on the team had a small party at his house on a Friday and when I arrived at Saturday morning practice my coach called me in and asked me if I had gone to the game. I told him I was there for a little while and then he asked me if I had anything to drink while I was there. Now I could have lied and gotten away free as a bird but I told him that I had a couple of beers and went home early. He went nuts and almost kicked me off the team. The hypocrisy of it all is that he walked in on the whole team the year before when we were down state. He kicked out the non-players and told us to keep it down. We had cans of beer all over the room and one of the guys was getting a blowjob in the bathroom. In the end I was suspended for a game but lost about half of my playing time. I took it like a man as while parent questioned why I wasn’t playing as much anymore. Of coarse the season went to pot around this time. Our good guard(29 ppg) blew out his knee and we headed into the post season with no direction. It culminated with a resounding defeat to a team that had never beaten us before…ever…even going back to 5th grade. The best part of the season for me can be stated in one simple way…I got my only chance to dunk a ball in a game and banged it off the front of the rim…in that final game. Still…this white boy could jump.

Most of the rest of my senior year was waiting for the next party. I was tired of going to school and basically quit doing school work. I already had enough credits to graduate and my only ambition after high school was going to the local community college. I arrive at school just in time and skipped 7th period the rest of the year. I think my high school educational experience can be summed up with two words…fucking boring.

I think the biggest problem I had with high school was the lack of challenge a small town school presented me. I could have easily been in the top 5-10 percent in my class but being educated there just didn’t flip my switch. I guess when you take some form test and they say you are suited to be a park ranger and that being a park ranger is the last thing you really want to do…well, you get my drift. But there were a couple of highlights.

Now one of the things many high school students in the U.S. look forward is prom. It wasn’t really that big a deal to me but I knew it would be a great party so I was up for it. I wrote a little something about it so I’ll post it again.

I had made up my mind weeks before that I would ask Kathy. Everyone liked her and even though she wasn’t the hottest thing around, she had a nice body and could hold a conversation. Eventually, after days of procrastination, I summoned the courage and finally asked her. But not without a battle in my mind.

Just walk up and ask her you idiot…You’ve been friends for four years…she doesn’t have a date and either do you…Quit being a pussy and ask her…Christ dude…what are you nervous about…you’ve played soccer in front of thousands of people and you get freaked out about one question…She’s looking at you…walk up to her…one step in front of the other moron…
“Hey Kathy…you have a minute.”

I wanted to go to prom but my chicken-ass self could hardly muster up the courage to ask anyone. Breaking up with Pam was still having an affect on me and my ability to act like a normal teenager. My friends kept giving me shit as they prepared to waste a ton of money on a ritual that creates hope in young men. The hope that they will get laid…or at least a blow job.

Fuck yah, she said yes…I’m not sure if she puts out but I hope I have a shot…Dude…she isn’t an easy mark…put your pecker away and be a good guy…How the hell can I afford this…Maybe mom will throw me a little cash to help out…I’m gonna pull a good one off tonight...Cool, lunch time

Trying to get everything arranged in about two weeks was difficult but it worked out. I went and ordered the tux and Kathy told me what flowers to get. I knew things were coming into place when I got to use my mom’s new Cutlass instead of my 69 Nova that was having issues. We teamed up with our friends Dale and Wendy and made the rounds to get our pictures taken.

This is so fucking lame…I want to start drinking…When is this picture taking shit gonna end…man, Wendy is hot…how does she not fall over when she walks…She is gonna have back problems…wow…Kathy looks hot…I hope I get laid…her dad looks scary…her sister is hot…fuck I’m ready to get laid…finally…lets drink

Back in the day we would drink and drive. It was just what we did back in the mid 80’s and as long as we didn’t get to crazy, nobody seemed to mind. When we arrived at the destination, we finished off the bottles of bubbly and I had a good buzz.

I hope this buzz lasts a while…HAHAHA, he’s way stoned…I wish I had a joint…Night Ranger is so fucking good…My buzz is gone…I’m hungry and we still have another hour at least…he’s getting laid tonight…I hope I do but it isn’t looking…wait…what’s going on…

It was a normal dance except we had to dress up. Everyone still acted stupid for the most part but we still had to pick the King and Queen of the prom.

I know I have no shot…just tell us the winner already…YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME…That fucker is king…I didn’t know kings could be lame ass cock suckers…So stupid…wish I wasn’t on the prom court…I voted for Kathy but she probably wont win…OMG…OMG…I’M AT PROM WITH THE PROM QUEEN…I’M GETTING LAID I KNOW I AM…man I’m hungry…

Going to prom with the prom queen was cool. I always bring it up when I get with old friends because it is kind of like having a status for doing nothing at all. I don’t really care about status but it is fun to mess with my friends. Anyway, we went to dinner after prom and headed home because we had a big day planned for the day after.

Man am I still hungry…that had to be the smallest piece of steak I’ve ever eaten…Should I hold her hand on the way back…maybe I’ll get a kiss…I’m gonna get so drunk tomorrow…I hope I don’t fall of a cliff…she’s cool to talk to but I don’t think she’s gonna put out…At least I got a kiss…Fuck…I know my mom is going to want to talk about this shit when I get home…

The next day we went to Starved Rock near Ottawa. Dale drove his Trans Am and we had plenty of beer and food. The whole senior class sitting out along the river getting drunk and having fun was classic. We almost got arrested when a park ranger caught us swimming in the water back in the canyons but we looked like good kids so he let us go.

Man, mom would kill me if I got in trouble for something stupid like that…You know they would have found the beer…Paul’s knee is fucked up after that fall…He’s done…man I’m drunk…Jesus Dale….open up the stupid windows and turn up the music…Sammy Hagar rocks…I’m gonna put my hand on her leg…She doesn’t mean no…Fuck…What the fuck am I doing…At least I stopped…that could have been really fucked up…man I’m drunk and stupid…Can I ever talk to her again

Nothing ever happened except for me looking like a drunk idiot. After she said no the second time I backed off and regretted being a moron. Nothing ever came of my idiocy and Kathy and I still talked in the hall way and at WCC where we both went to college. I hadn’t seen her for four years. That is until we met at our five year reunion.

It will be cool to see Bill again…Wow, Scott lost all his hair already…Wait, he wasn’t in our class…Oh shit…

“Kathy, I’m very sorry for how I acted the day after prom.”

“That’s OK…If you did it today I would probably say yes”

You have to be kidding me…All this fucking time I feel like shit and she says that…Maybe she’ll put out tonight…Fuck…I don’t think my girl friend would like that…

“That’s funny”

I love that story. I think it reflect how I thought back then. Anyway, the other highlight was going on our senior trip.

As we prepared for the trip, we made the decision to stay alcohol free while down in Orlando. The year before a bunch of the seniors got in trouble and there was talk of canceling our trip because of their mistakes. We didn’t want to ruin it for the classes that followed us. So anyway, I hooked up a quarter bag with a friend of mine and we were ready for the trip.

When we got down to Orlando we picked up some rolling papers and proceeded to make root beer barrels instead of joints. In the end a bubble pipe wrapped with tin foil became our pipe and we had a couple of us had a way of entertaining our selves. Then someone stumbled upon a bottle of rum…if breaking into a motor home and taking the bottle of booze they found as stumbling upon. This got us thinking and we convinced a couple of guys to jog into town and see if they could get some more. Town was 5 miles away but they didn’t disappoint and we spent the next few days hiding it from the chaperons as we got a good buzz going for a few nights. That is until one of the girls did a face plant and busted up her face. We slowed down after that but still had one more big fling in the magic kingdom.

A couple of us used our passes to head to river country and spent the day getting hammered. One guy had never drank before and ended up puking all over the place when we got back to where we were staying…The good times of youth.

In the end a couple of people still got in trouble for stealing shit and couldn’t walk for graduation. I made it through high school and had to get ready for college.

There will be more…