Men of the Skull Chapters 12 & 13: Au Revoir and Meetings

These two chapters are very similar in theme, and both short, so I'm combining them here.  They center around beginnings and endings, doors closing and opening, and every other cliche you wish to apply.

They also concern the opening of the new Burger King on College Ave, which replaced the VERY popular "Train Station."  I wrote a chapter about that day, but never typed it in.  I made the first sandwich in that place- a Whopper Jr with cheese.  The BK there lasted a few years, then went back to being a bar.  I worked at this BK for maybe a month before quitting.  I hated it.

In any case, chapter 13 introduces another major person to the story: Virginia.

I don't know what Virginia would think about my transition.  No one I know is in touch with her.  I called her once back in 2008 to tell her that I'd written this book, and to offer her a chance to read it before it was published.  She declined.  She's married now and has multiple kids.  That's all I know.

But what would she think?  I think she'd be repulsed.  Guess I'll never know.


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Chapter 2.12:  Au Revoir

Sunday, October 5, 1986 Reagan assails House for curbs on weapons

            The new BK was opening down on College Ave.  A bunch of us were transferring there.  The restaurant was taking the place of a bar called the “Train Station” and would be one of the largest BK’s in the country. 

            So I was working my last shift at the BK on University Drive.  Judy was working Whopper board while I worked burger board across from her. 

            “You going to the new store, Judy?”  I asked.

            “No.  I live across the street from here.  Why?  Will you be going there?”

            “Yeah.  It’s like a block from where I live.  I’m told it’s a really nice place.”

            Bob, the manager, walked over.

            “Judy, could you take a quick mop to the dining room?  And Lance, you can start on those dishes.”

            Judy rolled her eyes and smiled at me.  I went back to the sink and the immense pile of trays, plastic containers, and everything else.  Shit.  I hated doing greasy dishes.  Still do.

            I spent over an hour on those dishes.  During that time, Judy finished her shift and left.  She smiled and waved as she did.  I went back to the last of the dishes and thought about her smile.  Why didn’t I have the guts to get her phone number?  Well, it didn’t matter.  She had a boyfriend anyway.

            My shift ended half an hour later, at the same time as Ashley’s. 

            “I hope you liked the play last night” I said.

            She smiled shyly.  “I did.  Thanks again for inviting me.  That was so nice of you.”

            “Thank you for coming.  Busy tonight?”

            “Yes.  A few of my sisters are going to see Robin Williams, and they have an extra ticket, so I’m going too.”

From the Daily Collegian, Monday October 6, 1986 

            “That’s pretty generous!  Those tickets are fifteen bucks each!”

            She smiled.  “That’s what sisters are for!”

            “Well, I’m going as well.  Maybe I’ll see you there?”

            “Maybe.  I have to go.  Bye!”  She turned and walked across the parking lot.  I watched for a moment.  She really did have a nice butt. 

            Then, I unlocked my bike and rode back uphill to my apartment.  The sun was shining, and the leaves were turning.  Summer was over, and fall was just fine.

Chapter 2.13: Meetings

Wednesday, October 8, 1986 Nicaragua puts American from plane on display

            I needed my check, and the other BK wouldn’t forward it to the new store, so I had to head back to the old one.  Well, at least it wasn’t far, and maybe I’d run into a friendly face.  Funny how sometimes mundane shit snowballs, isn’t it?

            I went through the door into the back area, where I found Judy on her knees cleaning a tall stainless steel fry rack.  She was so determined to finish that she didn’t hear me come in.  I watched for a moment, then finally said “Hi sexy!  Come here often?”

            She jumped a bit, and some stray black hair came out from under her visor.  She looked up at me and smiled.  “Hi Lance!  You scared me!  How have you been?”

            “Ok.  The new store is a pain.  It looks like you’re having fun.”

            She looked at the fry rack.  “Yes.  Lots of fun.”  She rolled her eyes.

            “Uh, listen, um, could I have your phone number so I could, like, keep in touch?”  I asked.

            “Sure!  I thought you’d never ask!”

            She stood, straightened her uniform, then wrote her phone number on a napkin.  I did the same.  I was so nervous.

            “Thanks!  Well, I’m gonna get my check.  Can I call you tonight?”

            “Sure!  I’ll look forward to it!” she said, still smiling.

Ads like this were common and Fun (I thought)  Daily Collegian Oct 8, 1986

            The rest of the day was very busy.  Eventually I had time to call.  I listened to her phone ring.  Why am I so nervous?  Am I that lame?

            “Hello?” a female voice answered.

            “Hi!  Is Judy there?”

            “Speaking.”

            “Hi Judy!  This is Lance.  You know, from work?”

            “Hi Lance!  It’s eleven o’clock at night!  Do you always call so late?”

            “Oh.  It is?”  Shit.  Guess I should’ve looked at a clock.  “I’m sorry.  Did I wake you up?”

            “No, we were just studying.”

            “We?”

            “Yes, My roommate Virginia and I.”

            “What are you studying for?”
            “Biology.  Blech!”

            The line clicked as someone picks up a phone.

            “Is that on your side or is the CIA tapping my phone again?”

            “It’s here.  We have two phones.  Are you on, Virginia? 

            “Yep!  Now why did you signal me to get on?”

            “Oh, setting me up, Judy?”  I asked.

            “Yes!  Virginia, this is Lance.”  Judy said.

            “Hi Lance!”  Virginia said.  Her voice is a little higher than Judy’s, and not nasal.  Her voice sounded just a touch sultry, or was she just tired?

            “Hi Virginia!  Nice to hear you!  So a threesome, huh?”

            “I guess,” Virginia said as Judy giggled.

            “Anyway, would you two mind if I came to visit?”  I asked.

            “At this time of night?  You’ve got some strange friends Judy!”  Virginia said.

            “Would you mind, Virginia?”  Judy asked.

            “I don’t bite.  Hard, anyway.”  I said.

            “I don’t mind.  I just need to put on some clothes” Virginia said.

            “Sure!  Come on over, Lance!  Do you know where we live?”  Judy said.

            “Um, I know you live across from the BK, but that’s it.”  I said.

            Judy gave me quick directions.  I pulled on my white Drexel hooded sweatshirt and headed out.  It was a cold and windy five minute bike ride, followed by ten minutes of trying to find their apartment: 670B Sutton Court.  I practically had to search the whole building. 

Sutton Court was across the street from BK, but not directly across the street.  It was a large, three story, U-shaped building bordered on the base by University Drive, by East Prospect Street to the north and by East Hamilton Street to the south.  The parking lot was on the west side and a small courtyard was nestled “inside” the U.

            Finally, I found the right place.  I knocked and a few moments later, Judy opened the door.  I’d never seen her outside of her rust colored work uniform, so I was a bit surprised.  She was wearing a tight pink sweater with rose, turquoise, and pale blue stripes which really showed off her beautiful breasts.  Judy’s black hair was parted in the middle and flowed to maybe an inch past her shoulders.  Her tight jeans showed off her slender curved hips.  She was wearing just a little makeup, but that was enough.  Her nose wrinkled just a bit when she smiled.  I was smitten.  Wow!

            “What took you so long?” she asked.

            “Your directions weren’t exactly perfect” I said.

            She giggled a bit.  “Please come in!” she said.

Daily Collegian Oct 8, 1986

            The front door opened to a small hallway.  Maybe three feet in was the entrance to the kitchen, which was big enough to have a medium sized table- huge by college standards.  I hung up my coat on a hook inside the door, and we turned left a few steps to the living room.  It was huge- as big as my whole apartment.  A couch wrapped around two sides of the room, with a small rectangular table in front of that.  Against the far wall was a desk, and in the corner a TV on a stand with a stereo turntable beneath it.  The left wall had windows looking out to the courtyard.  The walls were light tan and the carpet was a darker shade of tan.  In fact, everything was earth toned.

            As I walked into the room, the girl lying on the floor bounced up.

            “Virginia, this is Lance.  Lance, this is my roommate Virginia” Judy said.

            “Nice to meet you, Virginia!”

            “Hi Lance!” she said, smiling.  She had an infectious smile.

            Virginia was about five foot six- a full four inches taller than Judy (even without the boots).  She wore extremely tight jeans that showed off her curves and black boots with three inch heels.  Her hips were wider than Judy’s and she had a nice butt.  She wore a hooded maroon sweatshirt with the letters AXP in blue.  Even with the thick sweater, I could see she had very nice breasts.  Her face was oval with a delicate, angular jaw and sad hazel eyes.  She reminded me a lot of the girl on the cover of Dylan’s “Freewheelin’” album: Suze Rotolo, except Virginia had very short brown hair- cut shorter than mine. 

It made for an interesting look- almost butch, but not.  Virginia was almost the perfect foil for Judy: Judy was so incredibly feminine and in some ways delicate, while Virginia had the whole “ball-buster” thing going for her.  I know that sounds fucked up, but that was the 80s.

Judy put a Queen album on the turntable, and the three of us sat on the couch and talked.

Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure - that tears a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets

Virginia was from Boyertown, which was forty minutes up the road from where I grew up in Spring City.  She was also a Crow little sister, and she majored in speech pathology.  Like Judy, she graduated high school in ’85, and came up for that summer session to Penn State.  They hung out a lot at Crow house, and that fall pledged as little sisters.  Virginia currently didn’t have a boyfriend, which I found hard to believe.  I was of the opinion that a girl with a figure like hers could get any guy she wanted.  She really tried to be the “tough, no-bullshit” type, but even I could see it was a front.  She was hurting: sad, angry, or both.  She didn’t want to let anyone close.

Judy was very open.  She was from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  She wasn’t Italian, like I first thought: she was Jewish.  Really Jewish- almost orthodox.  She was majoring in Health Planning and Administration: HPA.  I already knew that Judy had a boyfriend.  Richard was a senior when they met during summer 1985, going into his fifth year at Penn State.  He, Judy and Virginia hung out that whole summer, but he ended up dating Judy.  Funny how everyone but Judy called him “Rich.”  To her, he was Richard.  Judy had a way of making me feel I was the most important person in the world to her while we were speaking.

I told them a bit about me: about Drexel, Skull House (Virginia couldn’t believe I was a Skull,) my rescue work, all of the basics.  I didn’t want to tell them too much, as I’d begun to figure out that mystery is a good thing when trying to get women.  Maybe I was finally getting a clue?  Nahhhhh!

Next thing we knew, it was three in the morning.  I didn’t want to leave- I was having so much fun- and the girls seemed all too ready to stay up (neither of them had class until noon). 

I hopped back on my bike for the windy ride back to the apartment: all uphill.  All I could think about was Judy.  My God- what I wouldn’t do to go out with her!  It wasn’t like things weren’t complicated enough, what with Ashley and Jill and all, but things with them were going nowhere. 

I went to bed at three thirty, setting the alarm for seven so I could make my eight o’clock class.  Three and a half hours was plenty of sleep after all!

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