1955 | j.jk au

I.

Inspired lowkey by the 1990 rom-com musical Cry-Baby.

-
Nancy;

Senior year, 1955.

It was the year where my life was finally at peace. The small town I called home was a quiet and humble community. Miles and miles of green fields with a downtown square that held all the local markets and boutiques. Not far from there was a street that had the only high school in town. I guess you could say we liked to keep it small here. Everyone knew everybody and if there was ever a rumor out, rest assured the whole town knew about it. So we kept it quiet, and holy, as we were taught.

I lived with my mother and father, in a white picket fenced house, built by my great grandparents, that was given when they passed. My father worked at the town next-door, a small company that payed fairly well. My mother, a stay at home mom, who always kept herself together and made our home feel perfect. Everything was going well for me, above average grades, a close group of friends, and even won Prom Queen last year.

There was a cute boy at school, who apparently was waiting for the right moment to give me his pin. His name is Tommy Lee, well kept blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes. Never a wrinkle on his clothes or dirt on his shoes. I'm not sure how I feel about him, we rarely ever got to talk unless it was about the normal day-to-day things, like how are you and such. I always wondered what it would be like to fall in love, to have someone sweep me off my feet, not necessarily just pin me down.

Everybody lived the same life, you would graduate if you could, got married young, had a bunch of kids and lived a long life. That was supposed to be my life, that until my father got a promotion and we had to move to a new city. After working many years at his job, his supervisor finally acknowledged my father's hard work and gave him a new position as manager at the main company building.

When my father broke the news, my mother was proud and so was I of course, but I had a right to be upset. I had lived my entire life here, and just when things were going in the right direction, we had to move and start over. Though, there was a part of me that seemed like it was always yearning for something like this. An escape from the norm, and to experience a new world beyond farmland and church.

So we rented our house to a young, married couple incase we ever came back, packed our stuff the week before, and bought a new house. I had no idea what it looked like but I hoped that I'd get a better view than trees for miles around.

Today was my last day here, I begged my parents to let me say my goodbyes to everyone before we left and they agreed. I watched as we passed our neighbors houses in my father's automobile, heading to my school for the last time. A soft tune from the car-radio playing.

"Did you mother pack your lunch?" My father breaks the silence.

"Yes, she made me a sandwich with sliced apples and a soda pop," I said, messing with the ends of my skirt now.

"Make sure you don't drink too much sugar, it'll give you cavities."

"Okay, I won't," I sigh, looking out the window again.

I see familiar site of the flag pole, and my father pulls over to a curb. "Alrighty then, you enjoy your day now, don't forget to say your goodbyes darling," My father gives me a sympathetic smile and I nod, before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Bye pop."

_____

The day goes by too quick for my liking. All my teachers wished me well, even the principal himself. My closest friends all pitched in and made me a small scrapbook of photos from over the years. I nearly cried when I saw it and gave them the biggest hugs I could give. I thought about everything I would miss while I walked down the hallway to the front of the school, mentally saying my final goodbye.