The Fast Times

Nancy got ready just before noon. Her grandmother's friends all arrived, talking amongst themselves in the dining room. All pondering where Nancy was.

"Cy-Cy's got herself a little boyfriend," Alma cooed.

The group of older women all awed; "Thats so cute!" One exclaimed.

"He's a cutie," Alma said, "he's got weird hair, though."

Nancy skipped down the stairs, "Gram, I'm out."

"Gimme a hug before you go, young lady," Alma playfully scolding her granddaughter.

Nancy hurried over, hugging Alma and waving to her friends before heading out the door. She smiled when she spotted Pete waiting just outside the driver side door. She waved and hurried down the 3 porch steps and climbed in, "Hey."

"Hey," Pete replied, "what time do you have to be home?"

"Before 10," she answered. "Hopefully Gram's friends will be gone before then."

"What movie are we catching today?"

"What do you wanna see?" Nancy asked, "You can choose if you want, I don't mind."

"They're showing Animal House, too."

Nancy grinned, "I love Animal House!"

Pete chuckled, "For real?"

"Yeah! God, John Belushi was a true comic. I totally wanna see that."

"Great, I like that movie, too."

They drove for a few minutes before Nancy spoke up, "Where're your friends? They don't like movies?"

Pete grew warm, stammering "Um, I never...thought about asking them."

"That's fine, I never asked my friends either. They don't like horror movies."

"My friends would talk through the whole thing; I go to the movies to enjoy myself and escape."

Nancy exasperated, "I know what you mean, man."

He smiled just a bit, "Are you a movie junkie?"

"Oh yeah. I like to escape, like you said, and movies and books do that for me."

"Music does that for me," Pete countered.

"And you're not in a band?"

"I am--well, I mean, just joke bands. We play for our friends with instruments we don't know how to play, except for my friends Andy; the guy with the glasses and tongue ring, he can play the drums like a beast."

"I wish I could play something," Nancy said, "I took gymnastics."

"For how long?"

Nancy took a moment to answer. She had been in gymnastics from the time she was 8 until last year when her parents died. She had no desire to break her back any longer, since no one would be there to cheer her on.

"Uh, 'til last year," she said shortly.

Pete knew what topic she was dancing around, "Oh."

The silence got awkward and it made Nancy curse inwardly. She sighed, "I just--I couldn't anymore, it wasn't fun."

"I feel that way about soccer sometimes. My dad says--he yells actually, that it'll help me get into college. I only have another year before I have to really think about college."

"Where are you tryna go?"

"NYU, but I'll settle on DePaul or UC. They even want me to play in Europe, they think I'm that good."

Nancy understood; "I had a scholarship waiting for me to go to UCLA for gymnastics. I lost it."

"Did you want to go there?" Pete questioned, wanting to steer the conversation from her parents' deaths.

"Not really. I like Wilmette too much."

He nodded in agreement, "I know what you mean."

The pair talked casually, far into the theater. Once the movie started, they were quiet, engrossing themselves. They shared laughs and giggles until it was over and followed the rest of the few people in the theater, out.

Due to the cold weather, for it being 3PM, the dark clouds made it look much later. Pete looked over at Nancy as she ate the remainder of the popcorn, "Are--you still want to come over? My old man isn't home and my mom kinda wants to meet you."

Nancy looked at Pete, seeing the red tint to his cheeks. She smiled, "Of course, Pete."

Pete exhaled softly, almost relieved. He led the way to his car, opening the door for her, she giggled, "Thank you."

"Sure, Cy."

In the driver side, he headed back to the suburbs. They talked animatedly about their favorite scenes, imitating John Belushi. They arrived not long after, laughing as they exited the car, through the gate and onto the porch. Pete opened the door, leading the way, then shut the door behind Nancy; "Ma?" He called.

"We're in the kitchen," Dale called back.

Pete gestured for Nancy to follow; she had a slight tingle of butterflies in her stomach. She shoved a piece of mint gum into her mouth and exhaled, chewing fast. Pete could hear the nervous chewing and shook his head at the thought.

In the kitchen was Dale, Pete's younger siblings Andrew and Hilary, along with one of Hilary's friends, Claire. Dale smiled, "Hey Pete, where's your--oh, hello there."

Nancy waved nervously, "Hello."

"Mom," Pete tugged Nancy's coat a little to stand beside him, chuckling, "Hil, Andrew, this is my friend Nancy. Cy, this is my mom Dale, my sister Hilary and my brother Andrew."

Claire cleared her throat, causing Pete to roll his eyes, "And Hilary's friend Claire."

Hilary, Andrew and Claire said a soft hello.

"Hi," Nancy said, "it's nice to meet you guys."

"It's great to meet you, too," Dale stepped forward, "my husband is out, but I'm sure he'd love to have met you too."

"It's fine," Nancy waved it off.

"We have cookies and some snacks if you guys are hungry."

"We'll take some cookies, we're gonna go up to my room."

Andrew whistled, causing Pete to flip him off and the girls to giggle. Dale gave Pete a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies, "Want milk?"

"Yes, please," Nancy said.

Dale gave her two glasses of milk and watched them leave the kitchen after a swift thank you. Dale smiled, hoping this girl, Nancy, would help Pete out with his own troubles.

Pete opened the door to his bedroom, silently thanking himself that his mom picked up the mess in his bedroom. Nancy looked around, catching the pieces of Pete she had gotten to know; the various rock posters and the large movie collection beneath his TV. She was confused when she saw 2 twin beds, but she was suddenly in awe of his toy collection; "Oh wow, you have a lot of Transformers."

Pete grinned proudly, "I've been collecting them since 1986."

She set the glasses on the clear edge of his cluttered desk, "I have a few Barbies in the package myself...some Simpson dolls, too."

"That's sick," he chuckled, setting the plate of cookies on his notebook. "I got some books, if you wanna borrow some," he pointed to his small bookcase beside his bed.

Nancy went over, knelt and was in shock to see he had nearly every Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac book, along with a few books of old poems. She looked back, "Could I borrow A Farewell to Arms? I haven't read it in a long time."

"Yeah, sure," Pete stuffed a cookie into his mouth.

Nancy sat on his bed, the book in her lap; Pete fiddled with his stereo and tapes. Nancy got up, grabbed two cookies and her glass, sitting on the second twin bed, "What's up with 2 beds? Do you share a room with your brother? I think your house is built like ours, you don't have 4 bedrooms?"

Pete began to look on his desk for his Meat Is Murder tape, "Oh, that's a joke. My mom--she uh, she put 2 beds in here to discourage girls from staying over. It also works when we have family stay over."

"Your mom is cool," she giggled, "so, if I was to spend the night, I'd have to sleep in one bed while you sleep in the other?"

Pete found the tape, slipped side A into his stereo and pressed play, "Yep."

"Your mom is an evil genius."

"She'll love you for saying that," Pete sat on the bed beside her, "I'm playing Meat Is Murder; it's essential to listen to this album if you want to listen to the Smiths."

Nancy smirked slightly, munching and listening to the tape. Not long after the 3rd song, she and Pete laid back on the bed, listened intently to every word and note. Nancy found herself falling head over heels in love with the music.

Pete, he wasn't listening to the songs, for the simple fact, he had heard them a billion times. He watched Nancy, smiling at the sight of her; she lay back, her hair flooding like a halo around her head, her fingers interlaced and resting on her stomach, her eyes shut, lips turned up. He was falling hard for her, how pretty she is and how kind she is to give one his favorite bands a listen.

Nancy was a million miles away in her mind. The Smiths brought her mind and body into a bubble of comfort. A feeling she hadn't ever felt before and she never wanted it to end.

Her comfortable thoughts were shaken the tape stopped. She opened her eyes and found Pete staring at her, "Hey, the tape stopped."

Pete didn't hesitate to stand and go to his stereo, flipping to side B. How Soon Is Now began to flow out the speakers; Pete looked back at Nancy, "This is my favorite song."

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"I dunno...it's just really good."

Nancy sat up on her elbows, listening to the words. It was consuming her again, she smiled, lying back, tucking her hands behind her head. Pete mimicked her position, both staring up at the ceiling.


After a few hours of listening to various tapes and eating cookies, Nancy and Pete began to talk. It happened without a real thought. Nancy felt vulnerable and comfortable with Pete.

"I've changed--everyone says I have," she had begun.

"How?" Pete asked without thinking himself.

"After my mom and dad died, I stopped being like my friends," she confessed, "they say I'm moody and dark. They say I'm not myself...I don't think I ever was myself until they died."

Pete looked over at her, "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't really doing the things I was doing because I liked to. I just did it because I thought it was what my parents wanted me to do."

"Do you feel better?"

She shrugged, "I miss my parents, but I feel...I feel like I'm more myself than I ever felt now that they're gone. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," he answered truthfully. "I know what you mean. I think my dad hates me."

"Why?"

"He's always yelling. I think he thinks everything that's wrong is my fault. He and my mom hate each other, they're always fighting...it's my fault."

"I don't think so," Nancy offered, "your dad is looking for someone to blame when there isn't anyone to blame for not being in love anymore."

"He hates my hair," he mumbled, "he hates the way I play soccer, he hates my friends--everything, he hates everything about me. And, no offense, Cy, but if he meets you, he'll probably hate you for no reason other than you're a friend of mine."

Nancy frowned slightly, "Sorry about that."

Pete shrugged, "It's okay. In another year I'll be in college and away from the constant headaches."

Nancy inhaled softly, unsure of what to say, before she even could, there was a knock on his bedroom door. Dale opened the door, peeking in, "Dinner'll be done in 30, are you staying Nancy?"

She sat up, looking at her pink wristwatch, "Whoa, it's 7. My aunt and uncle should be calling to check in on me, I have to go."

Pete frowned, but quickly hid it, "I'll drop you off."

Nancy and Pete got up and put their shoes on. Following Dale down the stairs, Nancy thanked her for letting her stay so late; "Oh, it was no trouble. It's nice having Pete's friends over. Especially the prettier ones."

Pete shook his head with a slight roll of his eyes. Nancy smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Cy. You're welcomed here any time."

Pete followed Nancy out the door, watching her button up her coat and then turn to him, "Tomorrow," she began, "would you mind if I sat with you during lunch?"

He was caught off guard, "W-with me?"

She nodded, "Yeah, unless you don't--"

"Nah, nah, I just...well, you-you're popular, you know--"

Nancy cut him off, "I like you more than I like my friends, Pete. You seem to get me, you know what I mean?"

He nodded slowly, "A little."

Her lips turned up in a smile, "I'd like to sit with you, maybe say hi to you between classes," she giggled, "maybe even have a little chat with you before I have to make a run for the bus."

"You know, I could give you a ride," he started as they began to walk to the curb, "it might get cramped with the guys, but--"

"No, it's okay. I'd feel bad for getting you up so early and for making you waste gas to take me to school."

Pete shrugged, "I don't really care. I like hanging with you too, you're..." He blushed, "you're a lot cooler than any of the other girls I've ever hung with."

Nancy smiled, "Are you sure? I'll give you gas money, I'll even drive sometimes if you're too tired."

Pete chuckled, "It's cool, Cy."

"Okay," she started sternly, "I'm a bit cranky in the morning.

"So am I."

She patted his cheek, "Okay, deal. I get to hitch a ride to and from school with the coolest guy there."

"I'm not cool," he mumbled shyly.

"You're cool to me, Wentz."

He shook his head, not arguing with her. He liked her and he couldn't lie, her compliments made butterflies attack his stomach. More so once Nancy assured they'd spend mornings and afternoons together.

He played the thought of being in love in his head. If this was love, it was more than he expected and he liked it.