Death of the Pep-Queen
"Oh, Richard, it's brilliant!"
"Uh-huh."
"The school seems very impressive don't you think?"
"Uh-huh."
Martha Rodger stopped mid-adoration-reverie and put her hands on her hips, regarding the seventeen-year-old in front of her. "Is that all you are capable of saying this morning, Richard."
"The day is young, Mother," Richard Rodgers replied with a smirk and sipped the disgusting coffee his mother had made and made a mental note to convince his mother to get a better coffee machine. He had a way with words, he was sure to win the argument.
Well, Richard thought as he regarded his stubborn-minded mother as she read through her latest script, eventually.
It was seven thirty on a Monday morning and the first day of the new school year. It would be Richard's junior year and, needless to say, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it. Martha blamed it on the early start.
Richard swallowed the rest of the coffee and shuddered at the foul taste, the lengths he went to when he needed a pick-me-up in the morning was astounding even to him. "I'm going now," he said to his mother and picked up his bag - empty aside for the map of the school he'd received during his orientation two months earlier in late May and a couple of pens - and walked to the door.
"Don't get hit by a bus, don't get smart with any teachers until you know which ones like you and don't piss off anyone until you're sure they won't kill you!" Martha called after her son. "And break a leg!" she called as an afterthought.
Rolling his eyes at his mother's thespian antics, Richard smiled over his shoulder at her before walking out into the street with a sigh of relief.
A few blocks away Lanie Parish waved enthusiastically from the living room window as the familiar red Subaru pulled up in front of the gate and Kate Beckett climbed out of the passenger side, leaning in to say goodbye to her Mom.
"Behave yourself," Johanna Beckett said as her daughter hugged her.
"I always do," Kate replied and Johanna gave her look. "Okay, usually." Another look. "Sometimes." Yet another look. "I'm not going lower than that, Mom."
"Hi, Mrs. Beckett!" Lanie said, appearing at Kate's side and Johanna smiled widely at her daughter's BFF.
"Hi, Lanie," she said and nodded to Kate. "Both of you behave yourselves, got it?"
"Such faith my Mom has in us," Kate said to Lanie, who nodded solemnly.
"Actually, on your own I have all the faith of the world in you when you are apart," Johanna said with a smirk. "It's when you're together that it's a whole other story."
Kate smiled and kissed her Mom's cheek. "Bye, Mom, love you."
The three girls said goodbye and Johanna drove on while Lanie pulled her car slowly out of the garage. "Happy you got your permit?" Kate asked as Lanie turned out of the driveway and headed in the direction opposite of the way Johanna was going.
"I'll be happier when I get a better car," Lanie replied, patting the dashboard of the dented red Subaru she borrowed from her Dad. "I'm saving up…slowly."
"Ten dollars at a time," Kate said with a laugh and Lanie smacked her leg.
"Just for that, I'm not inviting you to my birthday party," said Lanie and Kate pretended to be in agony.
"Oh my God, Lanie Parish has just disinvited me from the party of the century," she said, clutching her heart and grimacing. "I don't know how much heartache I can take on the first day back at school, what will I do with my life now?"
Lanie laughed. "It's like the cancellation of Saved by the Bell all over again," she said and laughed at her friend's blush and, when Kate opened her mouth to argue, said, "Don't even bother to deny it, Katherine Beckett, I know all."
Kate smiled and said, "Are we picking up Kevin, Javier and Jenny?"
Lanie nodded. "As much as I hate having Kevin and Javi debate whether the Yankees or the Red Socks are better, I haven't seen Jenny since the end of the last semester," she said.
"Red Socks," Kate said. "Every single time," and then she added, "I think they've switched it up so Kevin supports the Yankees and Javier supports the Red Socks."
"Now there's a pair of best friends," said Lanie, "they'll even trade baseball teams even though they hate the team they get."
"For the last time, Parish, I am not trading my heels for your leather jacket!"
"Why no-ot?" groaned Lanie.
"Because my heels are a size too big for you and your jacket is several inches too short for me," Kate replied. "You and Jenny are around the same size, trade with her."
"Grow down, tall person!" said Lanie. "Jenny's stuff is nice but yours is gorgeous and I must have them."
"Save up and I'll take you to the mall," said Kate.
"I can't, I'm saving up for a car, remember?" replied Lanie. "You're tall enough without those heels, just let me put a pair of rolled up socks in each one and I'll be as happy as a clam."
"I can't believe you just said 'happy as a clam'." Kate snickered.
Lanie said nothing as she pulled up at the bus stop where Jenny Duffy-O'Mally, Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito stood. "Jenny, will you please teach Kate the gift of sharing," she grumbled as their three friends slid into the car and Jenny smiled.
"Nice to see you, too, Lanie," Jenny said and tapped Kate's shoulder. "Hey, Kate."
"Hey, Jenny," Kate smiled. "Long time no see, how was the Cape?"
"Forget the Cape!" said Lanie and jabbed a finger at Kate. "The Tower over here won't share the gorgeousness that is her clothes."
Javier and Kevin looked at each other as the girls jabbered on - and on and on - and sighed. "I think we got into the wrong car, bro," said Javier and Kevin nodded solemnly.
"Think you might be right."
