Phantasm || irwin

[ 6 ] 1963

[ 6 ] 1963 

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"Haven't you thought that maybe they got married because they're in love?"

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Ashton stood outside of the security booth at the Feeney's home, talking to a boy who was about a year younger than him. His name was Robert Vega and Ashton got on well with him. He was a nice boy who had dropped out of high school to join the marine academy instead. 

He wanted to be a marine, and he was training to be one, as well as head of police in a few years, if he was good enough.

It was a still a warm summer in January of nineteen sixty three and Ashton could feel the warmth of the sun burning his back through his suit. "What's taking Claire so long?" The golden haired boy asked in slight annoyance.

The dark haired boy sitting in the security booth chuckled. "Don't act like you don't know Miss Claire." He told Ashton. "She changes outfits at least five times before she decides on something to wear."

In the security booth, the radio was on. It was low volume, but Ashton could hear the song that had just started. It was a rock n'roll song he never heard before, but he liked it. He gestured to the radio, telling the dark haired boy, "Turn the radio up, yeah?"

Bobby smiled. "You like this song?"

"Come on lets go, lets go little darling. Tell me that you'll never leave me. Come on, come on, lets go again." The song filled the space of the booth with the voice of a singer Ashton didn't recognize. Perhaps he was American. "Well, I love you, babe. And I'll never let you go. Come on, baby, so, oh, pretty baby, I love you so."

"Who sings this song?" Ashton wondered. He made a mental note to learn the song so he could sing it to Claire.

"The song is 'Come On, Let's Go' by Ritchie Valens." Bobby replied. "He was very popular in the States. Poor guy died in a plane crash in 1959 with Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson, he was seventeen."

"Oh." Ashton remembered. "I didn't know that was him."

Bobby reached to the desk in front of him towards an open bag of Lay's chips and grabbed some, stuffing them into his mouth hungrily. "Its sad when people die so young."

"Yeah." Ashton agreed with a sigh.

Claire walked up behind her boyfriend, startling him when she wrapped her arms around his waist. He jumped out of her reach and turned to face her, smiling nervously. "Not now, kitten." He smiled. "We don't want to be immoral in public." 

His girlfriend rolled her eyes playfully. She was dressed in a simple white dress with a bow at the waist and her long blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail. "Oh my gosh. You're such a bluenose, Ashton. You're even more old-fashioned than my dad." As if barely noticing the teenaged security guard was there, she grinned at him, greeting him with  slight wave of her hand, "Oh, hello Bobby."

"Hello Miss Claire." Bobby nodded.

"Ready to go?" The hazel eyed boy asked the angel-like girl dressed in white. 

"Yes, sir." She grinned.

The two linked arms and he walked her down the small path where his dad's car was parked, just a few steps beyond the front gates. 

Like a gentleman, Ashton opened the door for her and she thanked him. When he got in the car, he started the car and put it into drive before pointing out, "Kitten, I thought only the bride is allowed to wear white at a wedding."