Chapter 1: The Lunchroom

Chapter 1: The Lunchroom

It was early Monday morning and an announcement from the intercom interrupted my nap.

“Good morning students! This school year has been off to a great start so far. Today is Monday September 5th, 1989 and remember homecoming is in a couple of weeks so make sure to get your tickets sooner rather than later!” Principal Rowley said.

Paper shuffling could be heard through the mic.

“The homecoming committee will be selling tickets during all lunch periods for the next three weeks. Remember tickets are $15 dollars a person but if you buy them the day of the dance it will go up to $20 dollars. If you buy tickets as a couple they will be discounted to $25 dollars for the set. Thank you and have a wonderful Monday morning!”

The intercom clicked off. Quiet murmuring littered the classroom then escalated to a frenzy of conversation. I sat in the middle of the table with Polly and Johnny on both sides of me. I blinked as I entered into reality.

“Did you fall asleep Dom?” Polly asked.

“No, I’m just very tired.” I yawned.

Johnny punched me in the shoulder.

“What the hell dude, what’s your damage?”

“Dude, Ms. Newman is going to be pissed if you fall asleep during another homeroom period. She threatened to mark you as absent remember?”

I groaned and looked over at him as he ran his fingers through his slicked back black hair. He wore a white polo that was tucked into his navy-blue corduroy pants.

“The old man will be livid if he gets another call from the school saying I’m skipping class again.”

“He should know better, you’re too much of a goodie two-shoes to skip. Does he know you just like to sleep?”

Polly giggled and tossed her dark brunette hair back as she tied it with an orange scrunchie. “I love your dad, if it weren’t for him, you would be floating through life not knowing what the hell was going on.”

“Hey not true! I know what’s going on.”

Polly and Johnny exchanged glances.

“Right, sure you are bud,” Johnny patted me on the shoulders.

Polly and Johnny both looked up alarmed. I slowly lifted my head.

A ruler slapping our table made me instinctively jump back.

“Mr. Bertelli, what do you think you’re doing?”

Ms. Newman leaned over the table glaring at me. She wore a gray pencil skirt with a periwinkle blouse; her curly platinum blonde hair flowed loosely around her shoulders.

“Well?” She tapped the table with her fingers.

“I—uh, wasn’t sleeping that’s for sure!” I smiled hoping to convince her.

She sighed and set the ruler down on the table and crossed her arms.

“This is almost a daily occurrence and we’re not that far into the semester. What’s going on Dom?”

“Nothing Ms. Newman! I’m sorry it won’t happen again I assure you.” I said as I leaned back in my chair.

She swapped glances at Johnny and Polly, then stole one last look at me before turning away and walking to her desk.

Polly tugged at the sleeves of her burnt orange button-down and Johnny sighed in relief.

“Dude, you need to stop doing that. She’ll send you to the principal’s office then you’ll be completely screwed!”

“I know, I know.”

The bell rang.

“I’ll see you both later at lunch,” I grabbed my backpack off the floor and swung it around my shoulders.

Johnny and Polly had their backpacks on, and Johnny nodded at me then left with the shuffle of students.

Polly put her hand on my arm.

“I’m worried about you, is something going on at home?”

I shook her off and headed towards the door with her trailing behind me. I stopped in the doorway and looked back at her.

“When isn’t something going on? We don’t need to talk about it now.”

She looked at me sadly, hurt.

I turned and hugged her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shake you off,” I let go and held my backpack straps.

“I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”

She nodded then I walked to first period.

I entered the cafeteria after getting out of fifth period. After I grabbed my lunch tray, I looked around the wide cafeteria. After a moment I saw Johnny and Polly waving me over to their table in the back corner.

They sat on the same side of the table, and I could tell I interrupted their conversation, I plopped my tray down and sat across from them.

“What were you two talking about?” I asked as I picked up my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and raised it to my lips.

“We were confirming homecoming plans.” Johnny said as he tossed an apple into the air and caught it.

Polly rolled her eyes at him.

“Yeah, and about how Johnny doesn’t have a date.”

Johnny put his apple down on his tray.

“Hey, I don’t have an easy cope out like you two. Since you both already decided to go together and I don’t have another best friend to take.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“It’s only fair since Polly and I have known each other the longest. Besides it’s not like it’s an actual date we’re just going as friends.” I glanced over at Polly, was it just me or were her cheeks turning red?

She tugged at her sleeves and looked across the room.

“Look at them, taking dumb lunch time polls about random stuff, as if they mean anything.” Polly scoffed.

I turned around and saw two girls talking to the football players at a nearby table. One of the girls had feathered black hair that layered over her shoulders and was holding a clipboard and the girl on her right had long ginger hair. All the football players had their eyes glued to the girl with the clipboard, but no one paid any attention to the other one.

“Who are they?” Johnny asked as he stared at them jaw dropped.

“The girl that the guys are ignoring is Jenny Hoffmeiseter.” Polly pointed to the girl on the right. I could tell she was speaking by how her mouth was moving but the guys never acknowledged her.

“But who’s that?” I nodded in the direction of the girl with the clipboard.

Polly sighed. “That is Heather Carrington, the president of the drama club. I’m surprised you don’t know who she is, she’s been in every play the school has performed.”

I shrugged my shoulders and kept my eyes on her.

“I don’t recognize her,” I said. I think I would remember a girl like her.

Suddenly the guys were all bellowing out in laughter while fist-bumping each other. The girls were giggling and the one with the clipboard was writing something on it. They turned around and surveyed the room. Us three quickly turned back around and pretended to be having a conversation.

“Crap, they’re coming this way.” Polly said under her breath while pretending not to notice them.

I snuck a look over my shoulder and saw Heather walking towards us with Jenny in tow. Heather stopped walking when she was right behind me.

“Hey Polly! How are you?” Heather asked as she smiled widely at her.

“I’m great. How are you doing Heather?” Polly asked with a forced smile.

“I’m good too, I’m glad you asked.” Heather exchanged looks with Jenny.

“Who are your friends? I don’t believe I’ve met them.” Heather swapped glances at me and Johnny.

Johnny jumped to his feet while he stretched his hand out towards her.

“I’m Johnathon, Johnathon Sims! But you can call me Johnny,” he said as he winked at her.

She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Heather, Heather Carrington.”

She quickly let go of his hand and looked down at me.

“Who are you?” She looked at me inquisitively.

I lifted my gaze towards her.

“Dom,” I stretched my hand upwards. She stared at me with the prettiest emerald, green eyes I have ever seen, and a pink color tinted her cheeks.

She took my hand in hers.

“Heather.”

Her hand was soft in mine. We spent a moment staring at each other before Polly cleared her throat. I quickly released Heather’s hand, and she brought it back up towards her clipboard.

“And I’m Jenny!” The ginger girl waved at us.

“Anyways,” Heather started, “As you all are aware, the Homecoming Game is coming up and the question is—” She looked down at her paper. “Should the Drama Club go with 'Classy & Cinematic' or 'High-Energy Blockbuster' for the parade?”

We all exchanged glances with each other.

“I vote High-Energy! In case you were wondering, that’s what I’m all about.” Johnny smirked at Heather and Jenny. Jenny giggled and a blush spread across her cheeks.

Heather scribbled on her clipboard.

“What about you two?” She looked expectedly at us.

“I agree with high-energy; it’s the kind of style and vibe the school needs after the game.” Polly said as she picked up a fry off her tray.

“What about you?” She stared at me.

I gulped. “I think ‘Classy & Cinematic’ can be fun, something like “The Great Gatsby” where you have the style of the roaring 20s and upbeat jazz music.”

Heather nodded at me as if I answered correctly and jotted our answers down on her clipboard.

“Well thank you for your feedback, the drama club appreciates your feedback, and we’ll take everyone’s opinion into consideration.” She gave one final look at everyone; her eyes lingered on me as she turned around and walked to another table.

“Great meeting you guys!” Jenny said enthusiastically as she turned.

“You too!” Johnny waved at them as if he was in a trance.

Polly pinched him

“Hey! What’s your damage?” He yelled as he rubbed his arm.

“I just wanted to let you know that the whole school could see how much you’re drooling.”

Johnny wiped off his mouth. “Am not! But I can’t deny Heather’s hot, and her friend Jenny isn’t too bad either,” over my shoulder he looked longingly at them.

I turned around and saw them with their backs towards us talking to a table full of school delinquents. Heather must’ve let Jenny talk to that table because Jenny was holding the clipboard and leading the conversation. As I laid eyes on Heather she turned around and glanced at me. I quickly turned back around and felt my cheeks growing hot.

“I’m taking one of those girls to the dance.” Johnny said confidently.

Polly scoffed. “Good luck, you’ll need it.”

I looked at Polly, but she didn’t meet my gaze. She was busy re-tying her orange scrunchie, her face set in a hard, unreadable mask. The bell for sixth period rang, sharp and intrusive, cutting through the tension.

I stood up and swung my backpack over my shoulder, feeling the weight of the day finally catching up to me. We all grabbed our trays and dumped our unfinished lunches into the trash and set our trays next to the others.

The Monday morning nap felt like a lifetime ago. I looked toward the cafeteria doors where the flash of Heather’s feathered hair was disappearing into the crowd, then back at my two best friends.

The Homecoming dance was still weeks away, but as we joined the shuffle of students in the hallway, I had the sinking feeling that the ‘just friends’ plan for the night had just gotten a lot more complicated.