At the beginning of the school year despite not having a girlfriend I found a date to the Sweetheart Dance. Although the night went all right either Rina sensed I wasn’t attracted to her, or even more likely she just wasn’t that attracted to me. In either case we remained distant friends holding occasional conversations in the hallways.
Beau Dance was the BBG version of the Sweetheart Dance. Each chapter selected a junior who would be a senior in the fall to be their beau. Since the two Jeffs, M and I were all classified first semester juniors none of us was selected as a beau despite our knowing we would actually be seniors in the fall. Steve P was a beau and would make the walk down the aisle and be introduced, but there is no way I can recall what chapter selected him.
Unlike the fall, though, I had been dating one person for a while, if one can call going to the movies a couple times, visiting the library, and cruising around providing T.P. decorating services dating. Even though this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate female equality Donna seemed less than enthusiastic when she asked me to the dance. Perhaps she felt the bourgeois custom of wearing formal attire was oppressive.
A number of friends worked at one of the Sherkow Formal Wear stores. They were always glad to squeeze us in between the prom and wedding crowds. M considered doing something outlandish like renting tails and a top hat, but came down to earth when he saw the rental tags.
In a strange turn of events Rina, who had been my date to the Sweetheart Dance, asked Jeff M, who had been Donna’s date to that dance. We even discussed doubling, but while the girls might have been comfortable with that arrangement I think Jeff and I agreed it was a bit too bizarre. As it turned out M was asked by Mickie, who went to school with Donna at Washington High.
After we finished work at Wiro, M and I drove to pick up our tuxedoes. Then, we drove to the florist and picked up corsages. This time we both did it right. We made sure to ask for colors that coordinated with the girls’ dresses and wristbands so we didn’t have to worry about poking them with pins. M dropped me at home so I could get ready while he went home, changed clothes and switched cars.
A few hours later he came by in “the boat,” the term we used to describe his father’s Oldsmobile 98, which was also affectionately known as a land cruiser before Toyota screwed it up with an SUV with that moniker. Donna looked stunning in the dark blue satin dress that defied the pastel season. It was the only time I remember seeing her father and her mother who had greeted me before suddenly gave me the “so you’re Rita’s boy” look and snapped a couple pictures for posterity. While M went to get Mickie everything was warm and affectionate on the surface but I could sense something was not quite right.
Once again the War Memorial Center provided an outstanding venue overlooking Milwaukee’s finest feature, Lake Michigan. After the dance and pizza at Mama Mia’s where we naturally ran into Jeff M and Rina, we headed to the big empty parking lot behind Mayfair Shopping Mall. While M and Mickie made out in the front seat I started to feel quite amorous in the immense rear seat. Donna stopped me and cupped my face and told me she was too fickle and she wanted to end our relationship.
So, there it was I had received the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award a full six months before Rowan and Martin started giving it out on Laugh In.
Did the fickle finger ever find you? Tell us about it in the comment section.
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