Remembering last Saturday night and how much she hated it, Theresa called her one best friend to meet her at the diner at eight o'clock.
She walked the six blocks to the local hangout wearing jeans and a sassy red blouse and sandals, and mumbling the whole way to herself.
She was sixteen and nobody could tell her what to do in 1960.
Jerry was pumping gas in his black Chev. His latest girlfriend was primping in his rear-view mirror, leaning her face into it.
Theresa saw her and sneered. Who'd go out with that loser guy but a dope like her, she thought miserably.
Jerry looked over at Theresa.
"Hi," he said.
"Yeah," was what he got back, a sullen look accompanying the droll word.
"Who're you mad at?" he asked.
Theresa shook her head, rolled her eyes, slouched her already round shoulders, and walked into the diner.
June was perched on a stool at the counter, smoking and looking righteously bored. Theresa's best friend, still wearing a beehive and long dangling earrings.
A ring of red lipstick stuck to the filter on the cigarette where June laid her lips every few seconds. She never inhaled. She just smoked to look cool.
Theresa slid down beside June and grunted.
June said, "Yeah, me too."
"Did you see Jerry's latest, in the car?"
"Yeah. She's from the bad side of town."
"Wrong side of the tracks," Theresa agreed, and held out her hand. "Give me a smoke."
"Try asking, huh?"
Theresa rolled her eyes.
June passed her the package, slid it across the counter with the lighter.
"So, what's up?" she asked, watching the cool way Theresa held the cigarette and lighter. She wished she could look that sophisticated.
"Marcus dumped me."
Someone stuffed a quarter into the jukebox and played Conway Twitty, making Theresa's bold statement ache inside June's chest.
"Why?" she whispered.
"You know why."
"Another girl?"
"Shhh. Here comes that nosy waitress."
"Hi, Theresa. What would you like?" The nosy waitress gave out her best smile to the girls, and Theresa sneered, knowing all she did it for was to get a bigger tip.
"A coke," she snarled.
"Sure. Be right back."
"Witch," Theresa mumbled.
June laughed.
Neither of them saw the waitress's back stiffen a few feet away at the work station.
"So, who's the girl?" June leaned in close to whisper.
"Virginia."
"Yuck!"
"Sleaze girl."
"Yuck."
A tear dropped onto Theresa's left cheek in full view of her best friend's eyes.
"Oh, Theresa."
"I love him."
The nosy waitress set a glass of coke down in front of the crying teenager, making the ice cubes tinkle against the glass.
She leaned down and whispered, "I may be thirty-four, honey, but it still hurts when a guy dumps me."
Her voice was so kind that Theresa looked up and met her eyes.
The nosy waitress said, "I just lost my boyfriend of two years and four months...to my cousin. I even have my wedding dress."
Two pairs of sixteen year old eyes widened in shock.
The nosy waitress nodded solemnly.
June said, "Stupid men."
"Sometimes they are," the nosy waitress agreed, "But then, so are we. How be you have an ice cream sundae on me, both of you. That'll make you feel better."
Her smile was encouraging, as if life can look better, just like that, when somebody cares.
Theresa nodded.
June said, "Thanks."
As soon as the nosy waitress walked away, the teenagers looked at each other.
"Who'd have thought," June said.
"Two years and four months," Theresa whispered.
"That's like a lifetime."
"Me and Marcus only had three weeks."
"That's still a lifetime, Theresa."
"Yeah, but..."
They both turned to stare at the nosy waitress preparing the sundaes over at the work station.
"A wedding dress," Theresa said in awe.
"I'm swearing off boys."
"Yeah."
The doorbell dinged and in walked the bad guy, alone. He sauntered straight over to the girls and laid his arms across their shoulders as he leaned down between them.
"Ladies. How about a double date with Dew and me?"
The teenaged girls' hearts just up and melted, right then and there.
Pete and Dew, two really hot guys, asking Theresa and June out on a double-date, right now, right here in the town diner.
They looked at each other, wide-eyed and grinning.
They both eased their jeans off the stools and let the bad guy walk them to the door, and the mean waitress smiled, watching them go.
That story works every time, she thought, knowing she really shouldn't lie like that, her being an old married woman and all, but...
Theresa's just a teenaged girl, in a small town.
She walked the six blocks to the local hangout wearing jeans and a sassy red blouse and sandals, and mumbling the whole way to herself.
She was sixteen and nobody could tell her what to do in 1960.
Jerry was pumping gas in his black Chev. His latest girlfriend was primping in his rear-view mirror, leaning her face into it.
Theresa saw her and sneered. Who'd go out with that loser guy but a dope like her, she thought miserably.
Jerry looked over at Theresa.
"Hi," he said.
"Yeah," was what he got back, a sullen look accompanying the droll word.
"Who're you mad at?" he asked.
Theresa shook her head, rolled her eyes, slouched her already round shoulders, and walked into the diner.
June was perched on a stool at the counter, smoking and looking righteously bored. Theresa's best friend, still wearing a beehive and long dangling earrings.
A ring of red lipstick stuck to the filter on the cigarette where June laid her lips every few seconds. She never inhaled. She just smoked to look cool.
Theresa slid down beside June and grunted.
June said, "Yeah, me too."
"Did you see Jerry's latest, in the car?"
"Yeah. She's from the bad side of town."
"Wrong side of the tracks," Theresa agreed, and held out her hand. "Give me a smoke."
"Try asking, huh?"
Theresa rolled her eyes.
June passed her the package, slid it across the counter with the lighter.
"So, what's up?" she asked, watching the cool way Theresa held the cigarette and lighter. She wished she could look that sophisticated.
"Marcus dumped me."
Someone stuffed a quarter into the jukebox and played Conway Twitty, making Theresa's bold statement ache inside June's chest.
"Why?" she whispered.
"You know why."
"Another girl?"
"Shhh. Here comes that nosy waitress."
"Hi, Theresa. What would you like?" The nosy waitress gave out her best smile to the girls, and Theresa sneered, knowing all she did it for was to get a bigger tip.
"A coke," she snarled.
"Sure. Be right back."
"Witch," Theresa mumbled.
June laughed.
Neither of them saw the waitress's back stiffen a few feet away at the work station.
"So, who's the girl?" June leaned in close to whisper.
"Virginia."
"Yuck!"
"Sleaze girl."
"Yuck."
A tear dropped onto Theresa's left cheek in full view of her best friend's eyes.
"Oh, Theresa."
"I love him."
The nosy waitress set a glass of coke down in front of the crying teenager, making the ice cubes tinkle against the glass.
She leaned down and whispered, "I may be thirty-four, honey, but it still hurts when a guy dumps me."
Her voice was so kind that Theresa looked up and met her eyes.
The nosy waitress said, "I just lost my boyfriend of two years and four months...to my cousin. I even have my wedding dress."
Two pairs of sixteen year old eyes widened in shock.
The nosy waitress nodded solemnly.
June said, "Stupid men."
"Sometimes they are," the nosy waitress agreed, "But then, so are we. How be you have an ice cream sundae on me, both of you. That'll make you feel better."
Her smile was encouraging, as if life can look better, just like that, when somebody cares.
Theresa nodded.
June said, "Thanks."
As soon as the nosy waitress walked away, the teenagers looked at each other.
"Who'd have thought," June said.
"Two years and four months," Theresa whispered.
"That's like a lifetime."
"Me and Marcus only had three weeks."
"That's still a lifetime, Theresa."
"Yeah, but..."
They both turned to stare at the nosy waitress preparing the sundaes over at the work station.
"A wedding dress," Theresa said in awe.
"I'm swearing off boys."
"Yeah."
The doorbell dinged and in walked the bad guy, alone. He sauntered straight over to the girls and laid his arms across their shoulders as he leaned down between them.
"Ladies. How about a double date with Dew and me?"
The teenaged girls' hearts just up and melted, right then and there.
Pete and Dew, two really hot guys, asking Theresa and June out on a double-date, right now, right here in the town diner.
They looked at each other, wide-eyed and grinning.
They both eased their jeans off the stools and let the bad guy walk them to the door, and the mean waitress smiled, watching them go.
That story works every time, she thought, knowing she really shouldn't lie like that, her being an old married woman and all, but...
Theresa's just a teenaged girl, in a small town.
I love this story :D It's so lighthearted and it's funny and almost even a tiny bit sad at the ending :P Oh, and, I love the name June :D
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