Class of 1983: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance Read online

  “Peggy,” she said, again loving how it rolled off her tongue.

  She looked around the table. Janet was right, she was definitely not overdressed for this. Lacey was wearing a western blouse tied as a midriff with tight black jeans, her lightning bolt earrings falling down to her neck. She looked like a rock star. Peggy felt a small twinge of jealously, she never managed to look anything like either of those things.

  Tricia looked a lot less punk out of her school uniform. Dressed in jeans and a red silk top with matching lipstick she looked so grown up. Peggy made an attempt to smile at her, but Tricia just glanced over her and away.

  Rochelle was sitting next to Sammy. She looked outrageously sexy in a tight black dress and Leigh wore an almost identical one. They were like groupie bridesmaids in matching outfits on either side of him.

  Sammy was dressed in a tight black t-shirt which showed just enough of his biceps to make Peggy even more uncomfortable than she already was. She suddenly didn’t care how cool this place was or how awesome it was that she was in the eighties because all she could focus on was that she had the biggest crush on some guy she only just met who was old enough to be her dad in the future, the present, her present. She felt her head pound and admonished herself for not bringing any pain killers. Peggy gave a little wave, but the blondes didn't even look up and neither did he. She felt her shoulders drop and went back to her conversation with Ben.

  Conversation with Ben was difficult, and her head was splitting so bad that when the waiter asked her if she wanted a beer, Peggy asked for a screwdriver instead. She was sure she'd seen people drink them in eighties movies. Janet’s rules didn’t mention anything about alcohol outside the house and it was so easy to get served.

  “Screwdriver?” asked Ben. “Frickin' awesome, you're my kind of girl Peggy!” He grabbed her around the shoulders giving her a really hard hug, his arm was so hard it felt like being trapped under a fridge. He was way more buff than Big Mick had ever been, Ben could totally beat Big Mick in a fight. The thought reassured her. Peggy laughed awkwardly, and Sammy chose that exact moment to notice her. He looked straight at her, then at Ben's arm around her, then back at her again and then turned back to Rochelle who, Peggy thought, was stroking his thigh under the table. She blushed and put her hand to her ear, rubbing the turquoise triangle.

  Lacey's sixth sense for social awkwardness kicked in, she stood up and demanded everyone squash over, sitting herself on the other side of Peggy.

  “Hello Jell-O,” she said nudging Peggy with her elbow.

  “Thanks for saving me,” Peggy whispered.

  “I see you eyeing up Sammy,” Lacey whispered back as she took a sip of her rum and coke.

  “He's OK, but whatever.” Peggy shrugged with attempted indifference as she thanked the waiter for bringing her drink and immediately took a large sip.

  “OK? Sammy Ruthven is not just OK Peg, he's like the hottest merchandise at St. C’s.”

  Peggy looked over to see Rochelle with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, her mascara all smudged like she’d been crying or making out, or both. She was such a hot mess. Sammy leaned in to take the cigarette off her.

  “O.M.G,” Peggy exclaimed, “it's so gross that you can smoke in here!”

  “Huh? What's oh em gee? You want one?” Lacey asked, looking through her purse.

  “God no, especially not with dinner,” Peggy coughed.

  “Oh Peg, please don't be a square. If you turn out to be a square, I might have to send you back to the typing pool.”

  Peggy tried not to cause a scene by coughing, but it was hard.

  “Just watch your back,” Lacey whispered. “Rochelle and Sammy have been kind of together for a while now, if a girl even looks at him she goes nuts, gets totally crazy, does weird stuff like trying to ruin lives, you know, crazy girl stuff.”

  Rochelle had her arm around Sammy, her breasts pressed up against him. He looked indifferent as he took a swig of his own coke colored drink and she looked miserable. She tried to take his drink, but he moved her hand away.

  “Don't even,” warned Tricia shaking her head at Peggy as she squished past to get to the bathroom.

  “She already hates you,” Lacey said.

  “Who, Tricia?” asked Peggy.

  “Rochelle.”

  “Why?” asked Peggy looking over towards the threesome, “why would she hate me? She doesn't even know me.”

  “Because you keep looking at Sammy.”

  “No, I don't.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “I do not!”

  Lacey raised an eyebrow.

  Peggy sighed. She looked down at her borrowed black skirt and cringed.

  Lacey laughed. “Leigh doesn’t hate you though, she just acts how Rochelle acts.”

  “That's Leigh,” said Ben interjecting loudly and pointing to the other pretty blonde girl. “She's cute, but she's a nightmare.”

  “I can hear you,” said Leigh exhaling over the table, sending ash into Peggy's drink.

  Ben leaned in close and whispered into Peggy’s ear. “She's Rochelle's best friend but those three are like a disaster, Sammy doesn't even give a damn, that's the best part. They hang off him like he's some kind of movie star, but any chance he gets he's off with someone else.”

  Peggy felt sick at the idea Ben had just planted that Sammy slept around.

  Ben leaned over Peggy again, just a little too close and offered to buy her another drink. She accepted on the grounds that Janet hadn't given her that much money but worried she was leading him on when he'd started telling her all about his sporting achievements in chronological date order.

  The pizza, as amazingly tasty as it was, just made her feel completely sober again and the glares from the blonde girls, advances from Ben the beefcake and complete lack of attention from Sammy had made the night a little less exciting than she'd hoped for. She kept instinctively checking her purse for her phone, so she could text Jack and tell him what was going on before she remembered that she couldn't. She needed something to do with her hands now that she was all out of drinks. She wondered if this was why people smoked. Maybe everyone just wanted something to do with their hands.

  “Wanna go for some air?” asked Lacey stumbling slightly as she stood up. She threw some money on the table, stuck a new cigarette in her mouth and flung her black leather jacket over her shoulders.

  Peggy threw some money on top and followed Lacey out.

  “Let's go to the bar,” Lacey suggested as she lit the cigarette and leant against a streetlight to steady herself.

  “I'm getting picked up at eleven.”

  “What's the time?” Lacey asked.

  Peggy checked her watch. She still had an hour to spare. “OK, but just one.”

  Sixteen

  The Fire Station

  The bar was a total dive. It was dark, dingy and stank of stale smoke, fresh smoke and old beer. The music was loud, guitars blared from scratchy speakers and echoed off the thick brick walls in the space which had once housed old fire engines.

  In the present she would have been standing in McDonalds, but here she stood in a sleazy bar watching a woman in a short red skirt gyrating around the old fireman’s pole like a stripper, a couple of guys ogling her. Peggy blushed and suddenly felt very prudish. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy dancing, but she could never dance like that.

  “It's not much, but it's the only place that doesn't card!” Lacey yelled over the sound of high-pitched male singing as they walked towards the bar.

  “I love it!” Peggy shouted back, “it’s perfect!”

  “What do you want to drink?” Lacey asked flipping her hair over her shoulder and putting on her best flirty smile.

  “7UP?”

  “You're joking, right?” Lacey leaned over the bar to shout her order, winking at the barman who reminded Peggy a little of Tom Cruise in Cocktail except this guy was way taller. Another barman caught Peggy’s eye. He was kind of creepy looking, his long g
reasy hair slicked down with a black and white bandana. He gave her a look like he was undressing her with his eyes, and she shuddered.

  “I've been trying to get a date with this guy for ages. He won't date me, but only because I'm still at school,” Lacey pouted.

  “Which one?” asked Peggy.

  “On the house, but just this round OK Lace?” the Tom Cruise guy gave them a reluctant smile and two glowing green drinks.

  “That one of course, not Jonas, ew! Gag me with a spoon!” Lacey made a gagging sound and handed Peggy her drink. “The gorgeous one is called Greg, the gross one is called Jonas. Definitely stay away from him.”

  “Definitely,” said Peggy.

  “Stay away from Greg too.”

  Peggy laughed. “I don’t think you have to worry about any competition from me.”

  Lacey looked confused. “You're like totally cute and you’re foreign, guys love that.”

  “What is this?” Peggy asked changing the subject and unable to take the compliment. She looked at the drink suspiciously. “It looks like toxic waste.”

  “It's called toxic waste!” shouted Lacey looking around for a place to sit.

  “What's in it?” Peggy asked.

  “No idea,” Lacey slurped, “but it’s yummy.”

  Peggy took a small sip, it was delicious even though it looked kind of evil. Lacey took another gulp and led the way to a booth near the door. Peggy sat down on the ripped vinyl seat, removed her blazer and then froze. Sammy Ruthven had just entered the building. Alone. Lacey waved him over and Peggy began to play with her straw nervously as she watched him walk in sexy slow motion towards their table.

  “Hi Sammy,” grinned Lacey. “Where's your other half?”

  “What?” he asked shortly.

  “Rochelle. Obviously.”

  Peggy looked up at him and took a huge gulp of the fluro drink.

  “Yeah, well, that might be old news,” he said holding Peggy's gaze for just a moment too long before turning and heading to the bar.

  Lacey wiggled her eyebrows at Peggy. “Av-ail-a-ble,” she said sounding out each syllable.

  “Tell me about this bar guy,” Peggy said, changing the subject but continuing to stare at Sammy from a safe distance.

  Lacey's eyes lit up. “He's totally amazing, isn't he?”

  “He seems OK,” Peggy said watching as Sammy ordered a dark drink in a short glass and was drinking it quickly as he perched himself on a stool at the bar. Why wasn’t he coming to join them?

  “Just OK? He is not just OK Peg! He's rad-o-rama. The coolest guy in Santolsa, if not on the whole planet. He used to go to St. C’s, but he graduated a couple years ago. I had the biggest crush on him in seventh grade, I still totally do! He must be the one, I never crushed on anyone else for that long before.” She sighed looking into her nearly empty glass. “Want another one?” She looked at Peggy hopefully.

  “Nuh uh, no way. Janet will absolutely kill me if I go home smelling of... whatever this is. But finish mine.” Peggy slid the drink over.

  Lacey rummaged through her purse and handed Peggy a stick of cinnamon gum. “For later,” she said. “So, Miss Bates won’t know what’s up.”

  “Thanks,” said Peggy putting the gum in her purse.

  “You probably think we do this every night,” Lacey said as she slurped on the ice at the bottom of her drink, trying to capture every last drop of alcohol.

  “Don't you?”

  “Not every night,” Lacey shrugged.

  “Why is he drinking alone?” Peggy asked.

  “Who?”

  “Who do you think?”

  “Why are you asking so many questions about him?” Lacey grinned.

  “I'm not.”

  “You know it's so good to have a new friend. I'm so over Rochelle and Leigh right now.” She rolled her pretty hazel eyes.

  Rochelle and Leigh walked past their table just in time to hear Lacey's remark and Lacey spat some of Peggy's drink on the table. The blondes appeared not to even notice them and carried on walking. Nick and Tricia weren't far behind.

  “Hey,” said Nick warmly, “can we sit?” Lacey shuffled around closer to Peggy to make room.

  “Where'd Ben go? He was right behind me,” Nick asked. Lacey pointed towards the dance floor. Ben had swaggered straight up to the girl in the red skirt and begun trying to dance with her.

  Peggy laughed as she watched Ben’s antics for a moment before looking back towards the bar. Rochelle had slipped an arm around Sammy’s waist. Peggy blinked, struggling to watch, but when Sammy gently removed Rochelle’s arm her heart lurched a little and she wondered if there was hope. Hope that even if he was in no way interested in her at least she might not have to watch him getting touched up by Rochelle every day. Maybe it really was old news. Sammy put his empty glass on the bar and began to walk towards her leaving Rochelle folding her arms and pouting behind him.

  He perched himself on the edge of the booth right next to Peggy. Her heart began beating wildly and she wished she still had her drink. She grabbed Lacey’s and took a sip.

  “This is Gina!” Ben yelled over the music, sending some big spit globules flying across the table, completely oblivious to the two massive biker guys in leather waistcoats staring at him from the bar.

  Tricia rolled her eyes as Gina, the girl in the red skirt sat down next to Sammy, squashing him closer towards Peggy.

  “Move round, move round!” instructed Ben, gesturing wildly with his beefy arms so he could put himself on the end next to Gina, even though it was obvious to everyone else that all Gina’s attention was now on Sammy.

  Close up, Peggy could tell that Gina wasn't a girl at all, she was practically a cougar.

  Gina crossed her legs towards Sammy, hitching up her skirt to show pretty much everything. Sammy's gaze drifted to Gina's upper thighs and Peggy felt ill. She took a sip of Nick’s drink by mistake, thinking it was Lacey’s.

  “Oh god, sorry Nick,” she said putting a hand to her lips.

  “No problem, I’ll grab another round. Trish give me a hand?”

  “Do I look like a waitress?” asked Tricia dryly. Even half-drunk she was still sarcastic and miserable. Peggy wondered what her problem was as she took another swig of Nick’s beer.

  Sammy brought his eyes back to the table and then looked over at Lacey who was glaring at him.

  “She's too old for you Sammy. Not to mention that Ben saw her first,” Lacey reprimanded.

  “Excuse me, I am not too old for him,” Gina shouted across the table. “Young men like mature women. No strings, no drama.” She squirmed even closer to Sammy and ran her fingers across the back of his neck. He ignored her, pulled a packet of cigarettes from his top pocket and lit one.

  “May I?” Gina asked, putting one of his cigarettes into her mouth seductively and leaning into him to light it, which he allowed.

  “Sammy!” shouted Rochelle who was fuming, standing over the table with Leigh looking bored by her side, like this was just a regular occurrence.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Come on baby,” the woman slurred as she exhaled the smoke between her red lips. “Let's get out of here and leave these kids to it.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” He blew smoke across the table and Peggy did her best not to cough.

  “Two toxic wastes,” said Nick passing the drinks over to Lacey and Peggy as he and Tricia sat back down with bottles of beer.

  “Thanks Nick,” said Peggy taking another large gulp of the new drink. Nick was so sweet. Why couldn't she just like Nick?

  “Gina! I thought you wanted a piece of the Peppercorn!” Ben said looking hurt.

  “How's about both you boys come home with me?”

  “Oh yeah!” Ben grinned like an idiot.

  “Come on boys,” she said placing a hand on each of their legs. “Come to my place and I'll make you both forget about these silly little college girls.” She ran a hand down Ben's arm. Peggy could not compete with this. Th
is was a whole different world. Apart from fumbling through one summer of awkward sexual experiences with a boy who was just using her as some kind of creepy jock sex game she really didn't have any idea what she was doing.

  “We’re not in college,” Lacey laughed throwing her head back.

  “Student dropouts huh?” Gina scoffed, pressing herself against Sammy.

  “They’re in high school, I’m in high school,” said Sammy smirking and sending his hand through his hair, spiking it up at the top, even though it fell straight back down again. God, it was sexy.

  Gina sat silently for a moment considering her options.

  “No, even I can't go there, sorry kids.” She motheringly patted Sammy's knee and squeezed out of the booth.

  “What the hell Sammy?” screeched Rochelle when the woman had left.

  He finished off his drink and smacked the glass on the table. “What?” he asked, his face twisted in frustration.

  “You know what!” Rochelle said as tears began to well in her eyes.

  “Let's go,” he said, his voice taking on a gentler tone and he led her out of the bar with Leigh following awkwardly behind them like a stray puppy.

  “Bye Sammy!” Lacey called out. Sammy gave a wave without looking back.

  “What the hell is up with those two?” Lacey asked no one in particular.

  “No one knows Lace, and no one really cares,” said Tricia.

  “They're still doing it,” said Ben sending a rush of blood to Peggy's face. She didn't want to think about them doing it. She'd only known him for a day, but she was quite sure she had never felt this way about anyone, ever. Not in her own time period, not ever, period.

  Peggy looked down at her watch and swore. “I need to go,” she said.

  “Oh, no!” Lacey pouted.

  “I'll see you at school tomorrow.”

  The two girls stood up and before she knew it Lacey's arms were around her tightly, her delicate frame was much stronger than Peggy would've expected. She couldn't remember the last time a girl had hugged her like this.

  Lacey let go, grinned and skipped off to the bar.