Рита Браун - Pawing Through The Past

"Was that really me?" She hooted.

"Yes!" The group laughed with her.

"Meredith, what do you remember most about Ron Brindell?"

"The time he decided to wear a burnoose to class because we were studying the Middle East. Do you all remember that?" Many nodded in assent. "And old Mr. DiCrenscio pitched a fit and threw him out of class. Ron marched to Mr. Thomson, our principal, and said it was living history and he'd protest to the newspaper. Funniest thing I ever saw, Mr. Thomson trying to pacify both Ron and Mr. DiCrenscio."

"Thank you, Meredith."

She then walked over to Wittiest, where Bonnie Baltier muttered something under her breath, although by the time the tall woman reached her she was all smiles.

"What do you remember about Leo Burkey?" BoomBoom asked.

"His smart mouth. He got mad at Howie Maslow once and told him he could use his nose for a can opener."

People tittered. Howie Maslow, class president of 1978, had a nose like a hawk's beak. In fairness to Leo, the power had gone to Howie's head.

Then BoomBoom walked back to her own superlative and looked up at Charlie in 1980 and 2000. "He was always gorgeous. He was highly intelligent and fun. He had a terrific sense of fun. As to his weakness, well, who among us shall cast the first stone?"

A dead silence followed this until Hank Bittner called out, "I'll cast the first stone. He made my life miserable. Stole every girlfriend I ever had."

Everyone erupted at once. BoomBoom paled, waving her hands for people to quiet.

Finally, Fair, the tallest among them, bellowed, "Enough, guys, enough."

"Shut up, Fair, you're '79," Dennis Rablan hollered.

"Doesn't matter. Speak no ill of the dead." Market Shiflett defended his friend, Fair.

"Dead? Did they drive a stake through his heart? I'm sorry I missed the funeral," Bob Shoaf sputtered, and it was an amusing sight seeing a former cornerback and probably a man eventually to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, sputter.

"I'd like to find whoever shot him and give the guy a bottle of champagne," Hank called out.

The women silently observed the commotion among the men and without realizing it they gravitated together in the center of the room.

"This is going to ruin our reunion." BoomBoom wrung her hands.

"No, it won't. Let them get it out of their systems." Bitsy Valenzuela comforted Boom.

"People don't hold back here, do they?" Chris's eyes never left the arguing men.

Harry picked up Mrs. Murphy, who reached up at her to pat her face. "Boy, I haven't seen Market Shiflett this mad in years."

Market stood toe-to-toe with Bob Shoaf, shaking his fist in Bob's face. Rex Harnett stepped in, said something the ladies couldn't hear, and Market pasted him right in the nose. Dennis, like the paparazzo he longed to be, got the picture.

BoomBoom implored Harry, "Do something."

Harry, furious that BoomBoom expected her to solve the problem while she stood on the sidelines, stalked off, but as she did an idea occurred to her.

She walked to the corner of the room where Mike Alvarez had set up the dance tapes he'd made for the reunion. A huge tape deck, professional quality, loaded and ready to go, gave her the answer. She flipped the switch and Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" blared out.

She coasted back to the women. "Okay, everyone grab a man and start dancing. If this doesn't work we'll go down the hall and visit the class of 1950. Maybe we'll learn something."

BoomBoom glided up to Bob Shoaf. Harry, with a shudder, took Rex Harnett. Chris paired off with Market Shiflett to his delight, Bitsy wavered then chose Mike Alvarez. Susan took Hank Bittner. Once all the men were accounted for, the place calmed down, except that Fair Haristeen strode up, tapping Rex on the shoulder.

"No," Rex replied.

"A tap on the shoulder means the same thing everywhere in the world, Rex."

"Lady's choice. I don't have to surrender this lovely woman even though you so foolishly did."

Fair, usually an even-tempered man but possibly overheated from the men's debacle, yanked Rex away from Harry.

Rex, fearing the bigger man, slunk to the sidelines, bitching and moaning with each step. Hank Bittner laughed at Rex as he passed him. In the great tradition of downward hostility, Rex hissed, "Faggot."

Shoaf, with his lightning-fast reflexes, tackled Rex as Fair grabbed Hank. The two combatants were hustled by their keepers outside the gym, Rex screaming at the top of his lungs. Tracy Raz, hearing the commotion, left his own reunion to assist Fair with Hank.

Although the music played the dancers stopped for a moment.

Chris was appalled. "Is that guy a Neanderthal or what?"

Harry said, "Neanderthal."

"What's he talking about?" Susan asked Dennis. "Calling Hank a faggot."

Dennis, lips white, replied, "I don't know."

37

Chris Sharpton headed for the door as Bitsy grabbed E.R. by the wrist, pulling him along to go outside.

BoomBoom hurried to them. "Don't let this bother you. It's just part of a reunion, confronting and resolving old issues."

"Hey, my reunion wasn't like this," Chris replied. "Then again, it's good theater. Bad manners but good theater."

E.R. stared. "BoomBoom, I don't believe old issues ever get resolved. It's all bullshit."

"Don't get started, E.R.," Bitsy said again, pulling her husband along. "I have to get my purse out of the car."

Chris watched them go down the hall, then followed.

Mrs. Murphy sauntered past BoomBoom. "Ta ta."

Harry, who hadn't heard E.R. tell Boom what he thought in plain English, followed her cat. Tucker had already zipped down the hall after Fair.

Harry walked down the hall to the far end, away from the parking lot, and pushed open the front doors. Fair and Hank stood under a flaming yellow and orange oak tree. Tucker sat at Fair's feet.

"Don't say it."

"I'm not saying anything." Harry tightly smiled as Hank shoved his hands in his pockets, his face red.

"Are you sufficiently calmed down?" She spoke to her old high-school friend.

"I suppose." He smiled. "It's funny. I live in New York City. I come back and it's like I never left."

Mrs. Murphy breathed in the October air for the day was deliciously warm, the temperature in the middle sixties. Tucker, far more interested than she was in these emotional moments, stayed glued to Fair. The tiger cat hitched her tail up with a twitch and a jerk.

"I'm going to walk around a little bit."

"I'm staying here," Tucker announced.

"Okay." Mrs. Murphy walked toward the back of the school. As she passed the parking lot she noticed Bitsy and E.R. heatedly talking at their car. Chris, carrying a large box of reunion T-shirts, pushed open the school doors with her back. They'd already sold out one box of T-shirts. Chris was resigned to being a gofer. She ignored Bitsy and E.R.