by Fegger

Created on: March 06, 2009

Prom Night

The players:

Lori-My prom dateperfect in every way17, polite, beautiful, athletic, proud, and nearly a 180 degree version of everything that I was.

Joan-Lori's Mothereducated, affluent, protective, and often a bit stuffy.

Billi-Lori's 78-year-old grandmother who was so full of spit-and-energy, weighing-in at about 90 lbs.white, sparse wisps of hair- war bride, emigrating years ago from the bad part of London (I'm assuming there is a bad part, of course).

Fegger-that's me17, clumsy, awkward, reticent-and the center child of 7family of very little means.

Andy-Billi's 250 lb. St. Bernard.

The long anticipated night had come. My mother had worked her nimble fingers to the bone soliciting mending-and-alteration jobs for three months so that we could go to J.C. Penney's and buy an official "Prom Suit" (I pouted at the suggestion of a home-made one because this was the date of a lifetime). The 3-piece, camel-colored corduroy suit looked absolutely stunning; and it made me look older and tallerall good things. My mother poked and primped every single fold while my father checked the pitch of the "whistle-when-you-walk" characteristic of the fabric. All was good. I fired-up the 10-year-old Ford station wagon and was on my way!

Lori actually hailed from Long Island, NY. She often spent the bulk of her summers at her grandparents' home which was a few blocks from where I lived. We originally met when I'd tumbled my bike in front of her grandparents' home, two years prior, because my eyes caught this really attractive girl in a bikini who was diving in a poolLori. Her mother had seen the spill and being an RN, rushed to my aid and dressed my minor wounds. Lori followed; and the rest, as they say, was history.

As I stood at the door I could hear Andy barking. I could also hear Billi swearing at the dog with the expertise of a sailor. Joan was also heard requesting that her mother (Billi) use a more palatable language as I was due to arrive. I knocked on the door and confirmed to Andy that I had, in fact, arrived. Billi swore; and I could hear Billi wrestling the beast into one of the bedrooms. The door opened.

There, in stately glamour, stood Joan; and I had the horrifying thought that, due to her attire, she was intending to accompany us. She backed away from the door space to allow me to enter.

"Oh my, Fegger, don't you look stately". She offered, politely; but I also knew that she was scanning my suit for any store tags that I may have forgotten to take off. "Lori,"

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