Summer of '76

Hazing

Don walked me and Pink to our History class, for our final appearance. When we got there Don was trying to get this girl Vicky to hook up with him but lucked out, again. Just then the teacher came around the corner to shut the door. "Ah, Mr. Floyd, Miss. James, have you decided to grace us with you presence today?" She asked. "Uh, yeah, I guess." Pink shrugged his shoulders and looked at me. He walked into the class room, I followed. Me and Pink sat in our seats in the back by Darla and Simone. Don was trying, for the hundredth time, to hook up with our history teacher this summer. But once again he lucked out. She just gave him a worried look, patted him on the head, and shut the door. I chuckled to myself.  "Pink, I'm gonna find Jodi after school and help her and the rest of the girls go to the junior high to get the freshman over to the library for the hazing. So, I'll just meet you there." I said. Pink looked at me and nodded. The bell final bell of the day rang and everybody rushed out of their classrooms into the hallway. The teacher was going on about some Fourth of July shit, that nobody seemed to care about except her. The hallways were filled with students and homework and papers that have been left in lockers all year was flying everywhere. I stopped at my locker to grab pictures that I had hanging up and shoved them into my purse.  I met Jodi out in the parking lot with Darla, Simone, and Shavonne. We all piled into Darla's and Shavonne's trucks and made our way over to the junior high. The junior high was just as chaotic as the high school. So many boys where either trying to pile onto the buses or out run the seniors that were there, in hopes of not getting caught and busted. Jodi and Darla were getting the girls into the backs of the trucks and putting pacifiers in their mouths. I was leaning on the hood of Darla's truck, watching freshman trying to out run the seniors or the seniors hoping to catch the freshman. I looked over and saw Mitch and his friends piling into a car. I chuckled to myself. I knew they were trying not to get busted but specially not get busted by Benny, Melvin, and o'Bannion. I've got to give it to them, they've got some balls but if Benny and O'Bannion find them and catch them, their just going to get a lot worse of a beating then if they just would've let them get them. Then I see Benny's truck turn on the street that Mitch and his friends were parked on. Benny stopped and reversed, so the front windows were lined up on both cars. Then both cars sped off down the street. We went to the library parking lot and everyone was pretty much already there, waiting for the hazing and humiliation to start. All the freshman got out of the back of the trucks and went and stood in the parking lot, waiting for Darla to start. I saw Pink, Don, and Slater all sitting on the tailgate of Pink's car and went over to hangout with them. "Hey, guys." I said, putting my arm around Don. "Hey." Don and Slater said. "Hey, Arrow." Pink said looking at me. Pink, Don, and Benny all came up with the nickname "Arrow" for me our freshman year because one of my favorite bands is Aerosmith. Then Darla started on her little "Air Raid" speech. Then the senior girls went to the cars and grabbed all sorts of gross foods and condiments and start putting them on the freshman girls. The guys all started chuckling. I don't think that the hot, summer Texas heat is going to mix very well with that food on them. "Hey Arrow, do you want to come with me and Slater to Prickford's house later?" Pink asked. "Yeah, sure. I'll just have to change out of this sweatshirt and back into my T-shirt in your car before." I said. "Or you could just change right here." Don said looking at me and wiggling his eyebrows. "Shut up." I said and punched him on the arm. He grabbed his arm and laughed. Just then Shavonne came over, walking behind a freshman. "Oh, great." I said to myself. "I want you to propose to Mr. Dawson." Shavonne said touching Don knee. The girl got down on her knees and looked up at Don. "Will you marry me?" "Don't know. Whats in it for me?" Don asked and looked around all cocky, as if he didn't care. I could tell by the way he was acting he had some dirty trick up his sleeve. "Anything you want." The girl said, shrugging her shoulders. "Anything?" Don asked. "Anything." "Go like this." Don said and smacked open his mouth. The girl did the same thing. "Do you spit or swallow?" Don asked and looked over at Pink and Slater. Both of them started laughing. "Whatever you...like." The girl said, obviously so confused. "Whatever I like? I would definitely marry you." Don said. "That's so degrading." Slater added. Shavonne helped the girl up. "You're an asshole." She said while walking away. "Yes I am." Don said, proud of himself. "God, she didn't even know what you meant. Poor girl." I said. "Do you spit or swallow, Arrow?" Don asked, and looked up at me, cheekily. "Wouldn't you like to know." I said, pushing Don's head down. "We'll just ask Benny, see if you've been practicing with him." Pink said, smirking at me. Don started laughing but was trying to hold it in and hid it but he wasn't doing a very good job. "You do that and tell me how he is, okay?" I said. Slater let out an "ohhhh." When the hazing was over the freshman all piled back into the trucks to head over to the car wash to get all the food cleaned off of them. Everyone else slowly left after that. Except me, Pink and Don, We were waiting for Benny and Melvin to show up, to hangout. Slater left and went home for a little bit before we were gonna go to Prickford's house. Benny pulled up and parked in front of the library. Melvin got out right away and headed towards Pink and Don, while I headed towards Benny. "Hey Melvin." I said as we walked by each other. "Hello there, pretty lady." Melving said as we did a little handshake. Benny was still in his truck so I went over to the driver's side window, which he had down. "Hey, Benny. Can you do me a quick favor?" I asked. "Yeah. What is it, babe?" Benny said getting out of his truck. "Can you hold the blanket in your truck in front of me so I can change back into my shirt?" I asked. "Anything for you, doll." He said smirking and grabbing the blanket from behind his seats. "Thanks." I said. He kept his door open and I stood behind that and set my purse on the seat and grabbed my shirt out. Benny held the blanket out in front of me and closed his eyes. I pulled the sweatshirt off and grabbed my shirt from my purse. "You don't have to keep your eyes closed you know." I said, putting my sweatshirt in my purse. Benny opened his eyes. "Well don't mind if I do." He smirked. "Now you ruined the moment." I said putting my shirt on. Benny stuck his bottom lip out, pouting. Benny put the blanket down and started folding it back up. "Thanks." I said and kissed his cheek. I ran back to put my purse in Pink's car while Benny got the chairs and cooler set up in the bed of his truck. Melvin went and helped him out. "What was that about, huh?" Pink asked as I put my purse in his car and shut the door. "I said, earlier, I had to change my shirt so I did. Thats all." I said. "But, I saw Benny open his eyes before you were done." Don added. "You jealous?" I questioned. "Maybe just a little." Don said, truthfully. "Oh, whatever." I smirked. We hung out in the back of benny's truck for a little while. Melvin was sitting on one of the tire wells, Benny and pink were sitting on lawn chairs, I was sitting in front of Benny, resting my head on his knees, and Don was standing on the outside of the truck. Benny was playing with my hair when O'Bannion showed up. Apparently when he went after Mitch and Carl, Carl's mom pulled a shotgun on him. Which if I'm being a 100% honest, I think he actually kind of deserved that. Then Slater came up and O'Bannion started asking were his drugs from Slater were. Slater indicated that it was tie for me, him, and Pink to go over to Prickford's house. Slater and Pink headed to his car. "Hey, I call shotgun, Slater!" I called out. "I'll see you at the party tonight?" I asked Benny. "Yeah, I'll be there." Benny said. "Okay, I'll see you guys." I said and kissed Benny on the cheek again. I hugged Melvin. Don gave me his hand, to help me out of the truck, and I gave him a hug too. "Hey, where's mine?" O'Bannion called out as I was walking towards Pink's car. "Up your ass and to the left." I called back and gave him the bird. I could hear Benny Melvin, and Don laughing. "Hey Slater. Can you hand me my purse, please?" I said as I shut the car door. "Yeah, here." Slater said, handing it to me. "Thanks. I said, taking it. Then we made our way to Prickford's house.