Golden Greaser

- 1 -

   "To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee."

      Gah, I want to die.

     Mrs. Finebaum, the fat, old literature teacher that looks like she could pretty much choke you underneath her chin, was looking out onto the class with a jesting expression. We had been reading To Kill a Mockingbird for weeks now...and we were only on page seventy-two. 

     She stands, picking up the book and opening it slowly, turning pages as slow as grease running down the heads of Tulsa's finest greasers.

     "Please, everyone. Open your books and turn to page seventy-two." Her small, high voice disperses the air, and is soon lost in the simultaneous noise of books and pages.

     "I kid." She smirks, closing the book. The room goes quiet in disbelief, as if to silently speak to one another, saying, would she really let us off that easy?

    They're idiots.

    "Pop quiz!"

    I knew it would be coming at some point. She hated to see a good opportunity for unprepared students to get publicly shamed go to waste. And you could plainly tell who was about to get busted and who wasn't. 

   It was quite entertaining, really. To hear them whine and angrily throw their books down on their desks. Mrs. Finebaum would just sit and laugh like some kind of dictator. 

   I take one final look at my notes before also sliding my book and paper into my backpack.

   "Hey, Diana." I hear an annoyance call from behind.

   The socs' pack of mindless chihuahuas all giggle and squeal, awaiting my reaction. 

    I roll my eyes, remaining silent as my pencil taps to the beat of my impatience.

   "Hey, Diana." He calls again. I turn around, glaring. "That was quite the show you put on."

   "Glad you enjoyed." I answer, dryly.

   "Didn't know you were such a violent little thing..." His pack laughs again, referencing to the "accidental" spill of a milkshake onto one of his many lady friends. 

   "Oh, there's a lot of things you don't know about me." I glare.

   "I know plenty, grease."

   "Right." I scoff. "Oh, I haven't seen that shiny mustang of yours lately. How's the report card been doing?"

   His face drops. Anger floods his irises. I turn back around, a smug laugh bouncing around in my throat. This was too easy. 

  "Everyone, please quiet down. Tests are out!"

   I hear the pack settle down behind me, their whispers that are meant to be discreet still being as loud as the two-o'clock train.

   "Tommy! Quiet!" She yells.

     Slowly, the voices behind me die off and then the room is finally quiet. I continue to tap my pencil against the desk.

     "Diana. You too."

     Mrs. Finebaum hands me my quiz, side-eyeing me as she passes. 

     I sighed. I wouldn't make the best grade on the test, but I knew I wouldn't make the worst. I mean, we had been on this book for what—a month?

   And after about twenty-five minutes, I came to find that the quiz had been pretty difficult. But then again, her tests always threw you for some kind of mind-bending loop. That's the way it's supposed to be, they say.

  But I often wondered if anything in life was easy.

  "Okay, quizzes are up. You may pack your things and prepare for your next block." She announces, straightening her papers on the desk.

    I threw my books in my bag and leaned back in my seat, waiting for the bell to ring. 

   "Diana!" I hear the whisper again.

    I turn around, sighing dramatically. "Yes, Tommy? What is it you need this time, a diaper change?" 

   He stares at me for a moment, incredulous. 

   "Shut up, grease. Just, shut up." He retorts, stupidly.

   "Nah. I like to talk." 

   Tommy was the biggest sister that ever existed, so I don't worry too much about him when it comes to a fight. He was all talk. I had watched him get beat to a pulp in a fight before, and just sat there crying on the ground. He couldn't hurt anybody. And if he tried, it wouldn't be bad.

    The bell dismisses the class, and I head to History. The last class of the day before I walk to the diner and begin my 3-11 shift of waiting tables and making milkshakes.

    I twist the locker combination and exchange the books, slamming it shut with a nice and loud pang!  

  Turning on my heel, I already feel the nuisance approaching me.

   "Well, there she is." The blonde brat of a soc comes up behind me, arms crossed across her chest. "The girl who ruined my life."

   "Oh my gosh! She actually noticed me! What such thing did I do to be graced with her disgusting presence?" I ask sarcastically, mimicking her usual, high-pitched tone.

   "You know what you did." She glares.

   "Oh, that's right, I dropped your milkshake on you!" I laugh, again sarcastically. "And I would do it all over again."

   "Not if my daddy has a say in it!" She retorts, pouting childishly.

   "Oh yes, bring him too! I would be glad to reenact the whole scene of Saturday night for him to enjoy!!" I fake-smiled. "You drunk, me angry. It won't be too hard to do."  

   I force a long, exasperated sigh out of my mouth as I push past her, heading down the hallway to Mr. Wilders class.

   "No! Diana..." I hear her footsteps quicken behind me before I see her appear beside me. "I will not let you ruin my life more than you already have! Don't you dare tell anyone that I had a little drink, okay? Please." 

   "Why." I scoffed. "Everybody already knows." 

   "No they don't." She whined. "None of my friends do!" 

   "Right, because they were about as hammered as you were." I rolled my eyes. 

    "Don't tell anyone or I'll have you fired!" 

    "What is that you don't want me to tell again?" 

    "That I got drunk on Saturday night!" She yelled, impatiently. 

     "Oh, that's right." I smiled, mockingly. "Be careful not to tell on your own self before I do, sweetie." 

    She glares at me, for once at a loss for words. 

    I shake my head as I walk past, a satisfactory smile on my lips while I enter the last class of the day.

   "Diana," Mr. Wilder scolds, almost simultaneously.

   I swear that man knows everything. 

   "Yes, sir?"

   "I will not have any of your foolishness in my classroom today."

    "Yes, sir."