Junior Year, 93-94. Megan B. March
for our pictures to be taken once she had finished up, we’d head to Heritage to grab mochas and walk around downtown. That was something that always fun to do, and thinking about our plans I heard a familiar voice call my name.
“Mia! Hey, what are you doing hanging out here?” I smiled at Nate as he strolled toward me from the gym. He was dressed rather sharply in a pair of khaki's and a light blue button-up shirt without a tie because he probably wouldn't be caught dead wearing one at school. His russet-colored hair, which he'd worn short since the middle of my freshman year, was almost to his shoulders and styled chaotically, like a rock star's. Of course he'd be registering now. He was an M.
“Hey!” I said, “Alicia is registering and I’m waiting for her. Then we’re going to hang out downtown until we have to come back and take our senior pictures.”
“Ah, that makes sense that you’re all dressed up.”
Glancing down and looking at myself, I carefully checked over what I had chosen to wear for senior pictures. The black, skin-tight lycra skirt, brown silk shirt and ankle boots I had on for the pictures must have looked a little out of place among all of the other students who were registering in their summer attire of short-sleeve shirts, shorts, and sandals.
“Do you think I’m overdressed?” I asked feeling even more self-conscious now that he had mentioned it.
“Oh, no, you’re fine. I just didn’t realize you were doing the senior picture thing today, too. Why don’t you hang out with me and Aria until we have to come back here?”
“Sure,” I quickly agreed, “but I’ll have to wait for Alicia. Have a seat and we can catch up; it might be a while before she’s done.” I glanced around trying to catch sight of her.
“Yeah, but first I’d like for you to check out the locker I got for us.” Nate pointed toward the double doors just outside of the commons area, which led to what was informally known as the ‘senior locker hall.’ It wasn’t unusual for other people to be checking out their lockers after registration as well, and this would be a way to kill some time while I waited on Alicia to finish.
Rising up out of my chair, I was reminded that I hadn’t told him of the change in plans. I followed him thinking now was as good a time as any to break the news to him.
“So, Nate there’s been a little bit of a change in the locker situation,” I began slowly, not exactly sure how he would react to the news. Nate looked at me and raised his left eyebrow. “I promised Jensen I’d share with Krissa again.” My excuse for changing lockers was lame, but it made Jensen feel better. I hoped Nate would understand.
Nate stopped short, rubbed the back of his head, and let out a laugh. “I figured that would happen.” He began to walk again, picking up his pace more quickly as he led me up toward the English wing. Once we had reached where carpeted floors began, Nate slowed down and scanned numbers imprinted on the metal doors. I watched as he dialed the combination on the one he had evidently been assigned.
“Geez,” I said once I took note of where we were standing, “I’m glad that we aren’t sharing. I should have known you’d go against my wishes and get a locker up here!”
“Hey, I couldn’t help it.” Nate turned to the last number of the combination and pulled the latch open. He looked inside and then slammed it shut after seeing that it was pretty much the same as last year’s locker. I smiled to myself seeing him do this. I never could really understand the desire to have a certain locker, as they were all the same as far as the eye could see. Although some probably did come with odors from previous students leaving forgotten lunch bags or sweat-stained gym clothes long overdue for a good washing. Some wings, on the other hand, were decorated much nicer with carpet to sit on like those in the English wing, or were easier to maneuver through and seemed less crowded. That’s what getting the ideal locker usually meant to an upperclassman.
“Is Aria coming to get you now?” I asked to change the subject. He hadn’t said anything as far as where Aria was so I thought maybe she had dropped him off for registration.
“Nah, I drove. I’ll go pick her up. Where are you and Alicia going to be?”
“We figured we’d start out at Heritage and then go from there. She thinks she’ll be about an hour waiting in line.”
“It’ll be more like thirty minutes,” Nate said bluntly. “So … where’s Jensen?” Now he sounded a little too curious.
“He’s hanging out with the guys today. I can’t deny him spending time with his best friends since they won’t see each other much with college and all coming up.”
"That can be a dangerous combination.” I rolled my eyes at him, but I could tell he was only joking. “Alright,” Nate said, “let me go get Aria and we’ll meet you there.”
“Deal.” Nate touched my arm and headed off without another word.
Alone again, I glanced at my watch which told me, if Nate’s calculations were right, that Alicia would officially be a senior and ready to head off to Heritage in about ten minutes. I slowly walked back to the commons area that now filled with other students and somehow found an empty table nestled in a corner. From there I sat and people-watched until she came out. There were a few faces I knew by sight and people I visited with until Alicia came bounding toward me waving a small slip of paper. I could only guess it was her locker information.
“Let’s check out my locker before we leave,” she said, out of breath.
Getting up from the table, I followed her quick pace through the same open double doors that Nate and I had gone through before. Her new locker was in the English wing as well, although it turned out to have linoleum in front of it and not carpet. Alicia was not happy about that.
“Well that sucks,” she complained as we walked up to the newly assigned locker. “You know how I like carpet.”
“Yeah. Nate lucked out and got one. Did you see him?” I asked.
“No, I missed him. How do you know he got a carpet locker?”
“I killed some time and checked it out with him before he took off to pick up Aria. He said they’d meet us at Heritage.” I pointed to where Nate’s locker now was.
“So, that means you’re up here too, right? You two are sharing? Don’t even tell me how you got my brother to agree to that one.”
“Well,” I started, rolling my eyes.
“Oh … I know that sound!” Alicia interjected. She knew Jensen too well.
“Yeah, it’s a long story. I’ll be sharing with Krissa.”
Alicia gave me a knowing look and grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me along with her to the stairs. “Jensen being gone will not be that bad, really. At least not here at school where I think he’s more of a distraction than anything.”
“Maybe.” I wasn’t sure I agreed with her and chose to focus on the time between now and when pictures were scheduled to be taken. “So, what else are we going to do downtown?” I glanced at my watch. “We have three hours or so before senior pictures. Can’t do anything that will mess up my hair too much.”
“No, Mia, nothing that will mess up your hair.” Alicia rolled her eyes and jabbed me with her arm.
Nate and Aria had already arrived at Heritage by the time we had gotten there. As we opened the door to enter the café, I saw them seated near the front window sharing a chocolate chip scone with two mochas in front of them. Alicia and I followed suit and ordered the same before going over and sitting down with them.
“I feel so left out,” Aria frowned and said. “You guys are going to do the senior picture thing and I’m not.” She looked up at Nate and stuck her pouty lip out, at which point he took her face in his hands and kissed her until she smiled. This