When we moved to Fayetteville in 1980, my sister and I both enrolled in the private school in town. I stayed at the Academy until the 8th. That year I decided to go to public school. Hillcrest. It was grades 7-9. I didn't really know anyone there. I had some tennis buddies in the 9th grade and some basketball buddies in my grade. But all in all, I was pretty much alone. And scared. And timid. And way out of my element.
Some of my "friends" from the Academy had also switched to Hillcrest. These guys had found no problems in fitting in. They had friends and girlfriends and everything was good for them. They were in my English class. They wore tie-dyes and listened to the Dead. So of course, I started listening to the Dead. Actually, I was already listening to the old stuff (anything hippie), but I made it more known that I was into that kind of stuff.
But still things weren't happening for me. At the Academy, I had been one of the smart kids. There were for boys who were labeled "accelerated" and I was one of them. So naturally, I am a nerd. No girl would give me the time of day. And naturally that feeling stuck with me at my new school.
But it wasn't all bad. One of my best friends, my tennis partner, was one of the cool kids at Hillcrest. He was in the 9th grade and he and his buddies ruled the school. Because we were really close, I started hanging out with those guys. I didn't see them much at school, because we were in all different classes. But I hung out with them on the weekends. He was the first person I ever got drunk with. Those group of guys were always looking for some kind of trouble to get into, and I was right there with them.
But still no girlfriends. And not really getting all that close to the people in my grade. Christmas came and went. Next up is Valentine's day. Sometime around then we had the Hillcrest Beauty Pageant. And then really close to this was a party at CK's house (I'm going to use initials for everyone). Of course I knew about the party. All the cool kids in my grade were invited. And word spread about cool parties like this. And of course, I knew I wasn't going to get an invite and wasn't going to be there.
But then it happened. Out of the blue, I get invited to the party. It was a Friday night, I think. I was amazed and so excited. I finally got invited to a cool kids party! And you bet your ass I going.
So I went. And I was so nervous. I was probably shaking. I knew everyone there. Some I had known for a long time. But we all know how kids are. You can know someone all your life and never talk to them. Not know anything about them. Well, that was me. But I'm there with a ton of girls. And there are a bunch of guys in my grade there too. A few of whom are going to become my best and closest friends in the near future.
So I'm trying my best to fit in. I remember being outside smoking cigarettes and some of the guys I was with were blown away that I smoked. Comments like, "cool, man, I didn't know you smoked," were uttered. Small talk and bullshitting ensued. I started to feel a little more comfortable.
And then MC approached me and asked me a most pivotal, life-changing question: "What do you think about KC? Because she likes you." That's the way it was back then. You always got a friend to tell someone that you liked them. And I was in complete shock. I had never, ever been told that a girl liked me. I'd never had a girlfriend. I'd never kissed a girl. Nothing. Loser. And here I had just found out that one of the cool girls liked me. Wow!
Well, long story short, I asked KC to "go with me" that very next week. And there you had it, I had a girlfriend. And I started going to all the cool parties. And I started get notes passed to me in school. And girls talked to me. And I felt like a million dollars.
KC had an adorable little romance. My parents loved her. They were so happy that I had a girlfriend. I took her to a UNC game. We went to see "Stealing Home." That was my first date. But I never kissed her. I was too scared. And she really wanted to kiss me. But I was a complete chicken shit in the face of that fear. Never kissed her. Should have kissed her though.
And that, friends and neighbors, is the story of my first girlfriend. And of my entry into the social elite of Hillcrest. Granted, there are other parts that would make this story a little juicier. But to be honest, I really don't remember them. It was a long time ago. So, let's just leave it at that...............
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