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The King and Me....from a bit back
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The King and Me....from a bit back |
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wayoutwalt Member Elite
since 1999-06-22
Posts 4870TEXAS (it's all big) 
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"The King and Me" "Well June, are you gonna get to go or not?" asked Dorothy for the third time before June could get a say in. As the two girls waited by the corner stop sign for the bus, it started to drizzle. June held her jacket close to her body to keep out the cold and moisture. She looked up at the cloudy morning sky and knew there was a terrible storm coming. She didn't care. Better to freeze and get a little wet than be back home, trapped with her mother. "You're driving me crazy with that blank look on your face, June. Are you okay? You're not getting to go, are you? I knew it! You've gotta..." June interrupted, "Just calm down, Dorothy, I'll get to go. I'm just waiting for the right time to ask. You know how it is." "Yeah but... Yeah, but the concert is tomorrow night. Tomorrow night! For heaven's sake, you've gotta go. Oh, didja hear? Samantha Johnson is getting to go." June rolled her eyes, "Oh no. Whose idea was it to ask her..." Dorothy suddenly made a gesture and June got the message. Turning, June put on a smile. "Hi, Samantha," she said a bit too cheerfully. "Dorothy. June. Damn! I pick a day to get here early and it rains. What's the use, I ask you. Whatsa use?" "I heard you're gonna get to go Samantha," said Dorothy. "Yeah, I told my parents I was going. They didn't see it my way at first, but I reasoned with them." June and Dorothy didn't like the sound of that. Samantha pulled out a cigarette from her purse and lit it. Dorothy gasped and Samantha, noticing her reaction, grinned. "I'd offer you two a smoke but this is my only one," she said, putting the cigarette to her lips, "Bummed it off Johnny Harris, my new boyfriend." "Johnny Harris?" the two girls exclaimed. "I can't believe you're going out with Johnny Harris. He is so cool!" said Dorothy, excitedly. "What's not to believe, shorty?" "I didn't mean it that way! I didn't mean it that way!" said Dorothy, flinching. It started to rain harder and a somewhat visible expression of relief crossed Samantha's face, but just for an instant. The mean facade she used, hardened her face immediately. Samantha feigned disgust and spit the soggy cigarette out of her mouth, "Damn, my only one." "Well it's just as well," said June, seeing the two headlights shining through the downpour, "the bus is coming." The bus was overly crowded and the three girls had to separate to find seats. Most of the teenagers were talking about the concert and who was going with whom or whose parents were horrible ogres for not letting them go at all. June took the last seat available, next to George Peterson, the school cynic. "Hello June," said George, moving over to give her more room. "Hello George," answered June, reluctantly. There was an awkward silence until George broke it, "So you going to go see ole swivel hips tomorrow night?" "His name's Elvis Presley and I don't know yet, I have to ask my mother." "I hear the concert is sold out. How are you going to get a ticket on such short notice?" June lowered her voice, "I happen to know someone who has plenty." "I don't doubt it," said George, smirking. "Funny" "Who is this poor soul?" George prodded. "Richard Dawson" "You've got to be kidding me, Slick Dick. I wouldn't trust him. You'll go to the show and find ten people waiting in line for the same seat." This set June off, "George Peterson, if you're implying that one of my friends would sell me a false ticket, I'll... I'll..." "Settle down June, I'm sorry. I don't see what the big deal about this so-called King of Rock and Roll is anyway. He's getting tiresome, cranking out the same music over and over. Did you see Sullivan on Sunday? Now there's a Rock and Roll group." "Who could be better than Elvis Presley?" George laughed, "It's too short of a bus ride to school to name off that list. I'm talking about the Beatles." "Those mop-heads? Gimme a break. No way could they hold up to Elvis, he's got class." "He wears sequined jumpsuits." "Shut up George," said June, trying to contain herself. "You'll see, the Beatles are big over in England. They'll make you teenyboppers forget all about Elvis before long." "Shut up George," said June through clenched teeth. "You're really in love with this joker, aren't you June? In fact I bet you'd do anything for him. Wouldn't you?" "Anything." That afternoon June, Dorothy, and Samantha stepped off the bus. "Well it looks like anybody whose anybody is going tomorrow," said Dorothy, "You've just gotta go, June. If you don't go we're not, right Samantha?" "Speak for yourself, half-pint" Dorothy looked hurt, "Well I'm not going without you." "Well what's it gonna be, June? If you're gonna go I need the money to give to Ringo." The three girls stopped in front of June's house, "Well, I guess this is the moment of truth," sighed June. Samantha tapped her foot, "Don't be so dramatic, get in there and ask your mother. Geesh, not like she's gonna bite yer head off." Ten minutes later June was back with her answer. * * * June and Dorothy walked into the Chicken Hut on their lunch hour. They wore their buisness suits and carried their laptops in hand. They blended in with the rest of the clientlele perfectly, except for the gold chain with the letters E, A, and P dangling from it, that June wore around her neck like a medal. She unconsciously fondled the letters as they sat down at a table and waited to order. The jukebox played an old classic, "Love Me Do." "I can't believe you're really marrying George Peterson, Dorothy. He's so odd." "Yeah," said Dorothy, "I can't believe it either, but he told me we would and he was right. He's always right." June listened to the music and knew Dorothy spoke the truth. The waiter, an old man in his sixties, came over to their booth, pad in hand. "What'll it..." His voice trailed off as he noticed June's chain. "Where'd you get that?" he demanded. "At an Elvis Presley concert. She never takes it off," said Dorothy. The old man brightened, "I thought so!" "What do you mean, you thought so?" asked June. "Oh nothing. It's just that I was there too. Let's see, you were wearing a gold lam`e jumpsuit." June recalled the day vividly, "How'd you know that?" The man pointed to his head, "Still got a mind. Sharp as a tack." Suddenly, a boy in his teens wearing a ridiculous outfit, walked up and put his hand on the man's shoulder, "You're not bothering the customers again, are you Paul?" The old man looked down at the floor. "Thinks he's Elvis," said the teenager holding his hand up as if to block the sound from the man's ears. "I am Elvis I tell you. Here ask this lady. I can recall exactly what she was wearing at a concert of mine. I remember because I gave her that chain." June didn't believe a word this man was saying. She knew Elvis was alive, but he had long sideburns and wavy black hair. His voice was deeper and sexier. Who was this guy kidding. Wait a minute... "George is doing this. You're in on it, aren't you Dorothy?" "No," said Dorothy shaking her head, "I'm never in on anything. But I agree this must be George's doing. That crazy guy." June slammed her hand on the table startling everyone, "I'll kill him!" "Miss, I assure you I'm Elvis. What did you expect me to look like, I'm in my sixties." "If you're Elvis, why are you working at a Chicken Hut." "Hey!" said the teen. "I haven't had a hit in over twenty years. Money's short," explained the man. "He's real broken up about his daughter, aren't you Elvis," taunted the boy. "I don't have a daughter anymore." "He always says that." "Hey Mr. Elvis," said June, smiling, "tell me how I earned this chain. That is if you really are who you say you are." The man flushed, bent over, and whispered something into June's ear. Slowly the smile faded on her face and he knew she believed. |
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| © Copyright 2000 Walt Burns - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Oh, I remember this one! Great to see it back for a replay! Now, I'm off to dig out my old LP's... Thanks for the memory...[oops, wrong guy!] Sunshine ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
I enjoyed reading about the King...James |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
Not bad a'tall mr walt... nice story telling and doing well on the dialogue! Kudos m'man! |
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AVANTI Senior Member
since 2000-02-02
Posts 664INDIA/MAHARASHTRA/PUNE |
very imginative...and well written... If all was light...then I would have never learnt the dark...from which such truth evolves from which evolves the light... Avanti Rao |
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