ROAD-TRIPPING WITH HEATHER
On Saturday morning, I pick up Heather at her off-campus apartment near the Bucknell campus. Her roommates are still sleeping. I wonder to myself if Heather has told them where she's going and what she's doing. Surely by tonight they'll know, when they see her bruised and scratched body. Or worse, if she loses to Lesley. But, I don't push the issue.
Instead, we kiss on the lips. I miss the taste of Heather's mouth, since i started hanging out with Lesley. Heather is a better kisser than Lesley, and her mouth always tastes fresh and minty. I tell her that. She rewards me with another kiss. Longer and deeper. I want go further, but we need to hit the road.
I wonder if Vanessa is kissing Lesley right now.
Heather finishes putting on the business suit Lesley and I bought her at the shop in Northampton. It's dark brown, like her hair. In hindsight, something with a tad more contrast with hair would have been sexier, but otherwise this will do. Hell, the suit will be shredded anyways by this afternoon. She carries a hoodie to wear for the ride home. The hood must be to cover her face. Smart. She's obviously road tripped to a catfight before. Sexy.
We get in the car and enter the address in the GPS. Once We're on the highway, I tell her how I'm amazed women her age don't go to malls anymore, telling her how central the were to girl drama when Vanessa and I were in our early 20s.
Heather: Tell me about a time you started shit with a girl at a mall, Trudy.
Me: Let me think, let me think. Ok, here's one. So, I'm 18, and a senior in high school. I'm class of 1983, but I'm not partying with the boys and girls in my class. I'm partying with the boys and girls in the class of 1981, 2 years older than me and already going to community college or commuting to regular college or "taking time off to make money before attending college"--you see, that was another difference between your generation and mine. We'd think twice before taking out a student loan.
Heather: Even though college cost $50 per semester?
Me: Little bit more than that, but you've got the right idea. Maybe $800 per semester for state school--and that was everything if you commuted--tuition, commuter meal plan, books....
Heather: And people took time off for that instead of just borrowing?
Me: Well, in all candidness, girls who <<<air quotes>>>> "took time off" sometimes never did end up going back. Or they would, but wouldn't finish, because credits wouldn't transfer, yada, yada.
<<<<<<I get nostalgic for 1983.>>>>>
Anyways, back to fighting. Or starting shit, which can be just as fun. So, anyways, the girls from the class of 1981 are none too pleased that I'm hanging with them. An 18 year old still in high school is more alluring to the boys than a used up 20 year old in the process of slowly becoming a college drop out. But we don't have Instagram and Facebook, so how do I show or tell them that I'm not going anywhere.
So one of the boys goes by Nuge. I think it was a piece of his last night, I don't even remember, isn't that weird? Anyways, he was class of 1981, and had been center fielder on the state tournament baseball team. That team was legendary--they were losing 7-2 in the last inning of the state tournament and came back and won, 8-7. Nuge had one of the big hits in the rally.
So Nuge and the girl, Laura, who didn't like me hanging out with them and partying with the 81ers, used to walk around the Lincoln Mall on Saturdays holding Nuge's hand and holding bags of clothes he would buy her.
Well, the next Sunday, I call up Nuge and ask him if He'll take me to the Lincoln Mall. And he and I walk around for 4 hours. And he buys me a couple bags of stuff.
Heather: Did you have to "give it up" for that?
Me: Not bad, just a hand job in the car.
Heather: Because Laura was a skank and was too disgusting to share cock with?
Me: See, now, you're holding out on me--you know more about 1980s bitchfighting than you're letting on.
Heather: Well, actually, I would have never guessed the hand holding in the mall part. But now that you describe it, I get it. Kinda neat. Less to-the-point than a bitchy Instagram post, but just as effective. If Laura's friends so you and him. Did they?
Me: They did.
Heather: And did they tell her?
Me: They did.
Heather: And who won the fight between you and her?
Me: You seriously need to ask that?
Heather: Correction. How bad did you hurt her in the fight you and her had?
Me: Mmmmm. Scratches. Bites.
Heather: Bites?

?
Me: Hell ya. You're not gonna hesitate to bite today, are you?? Because if you are, i might as well call work right now and tell them to put the name Lesley on the office.
Heather: There's an office??
Me: Sure is.
<<<<<We drive in silence for 10 minutes.>>>>
Heather: Did Lesley bite in the fights she told you about?
Me: In one of them, at least. At a lacrosse camp.
Heather: Did Laura stop hanging out with Nuge after you fought her?
Me: Never saw her again.
Heather: I never wanna see Lesley again after today.
<<<<<<More silence.>>>>>>
Heather: So I know what i need to do. Thanks.
To be continued......