Mel's Diner

“Mel’s Diner”
By Ashley VanKoughnett



         “You’re going too fast!” I shouted, my knuckles as white as the moon shining above, as the Chevy 3100 bolted down Melrose Avenue. Tommy Anderson had been my best friend since we could walk but at the same time, the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever known. “I’m sure our friends would like it if we got there alive.”
         “Hah! You think this is fast, just wait ‘til I get this baby souped up. Then I’ll really tear ass!” I would never tell him to his face but this truck was a complete hunk of junk and the wheels would probably fall off if he tried to make it any faster.
         A wave of relief poured over me as my eye caught the red and blue bright lights of Mel’s Diner beaming across the black sky. I could see even from the block away that the place was packed inside and out with all the members of John Marshall High’s Class of '58 on the eve of our senior prom. It was our usual place, our stomping grounds.
         "HEADLIGHTS!" he shouted out of nowhere as he slammed his fist on the roof of the truck.
         "I beg your pardon?" I responded.
         "Headlights! Every time you see a car with a broken headlight you're supposed to hit the roof."
         "And what exactly is the point of that?" After the better half of eighteen years, I had grown used to his little mannerisms that drove everyone insane but truly defined who he was.
         "No point, just fun," he responded as if it didn't matter if it didn't mean anything and he didn't owe an explanation to anyone, even me.
         As much as he drove me batty with all the little things, I couldn't help but admire his carefree sense of what matters the most in life. "Well then, headlights," I said. He turned his eyes toward me and just smiled. That was enough for me to tell that he appreciated me as a lifelong friend just as I did him.
         As he finally pulled the beater truck into the parking lot, I pulled my too long brown hair up into a pony and straightened out the wrinkles in my skirt. I had to look perfect that night. I had to be perfect that night. It was the only way for me to rally my votes to beat out Peggy Lynn Saunders for Prom Queen the next night. I had been dreaming about it since I was knee high, Loretta Rogers, Prom Queen. It had a very nice ring to it. Just because her daddy bought her everything, didnt't mean that she could buy her way into royalty.
         I entered the diner with my head held high and Tommy at my side for support. This was my night; it had to be. Peggy was already inside, swinging her too blonde hair around and twirling it with her fingers as if she thought it made her seem more desirable. "All Shook Up" played loudly as we searched out my usual crowd at our usual booth. We sat down and I ordered my usual root beer float.
         "So, are we still gonna use the plan?" Eileen, my chemistry lab partner asked. We hadn't known each other for more than a year but we hit it off instantly. She transferred to John Marshall in October from a place called the Bronx and was kind of bad news, always blowing up our experiments and just thinking of more ways to raise hell in any way possible. This only made me like her more. She brought a side of rebellion to my goody-two-shoes personality and was always making me laugh.
         "You know it! If this doesn't work than nothing will," I replied. This plan was solid. I would make Peggy look like the fake, brainless paper shaker she really was. For all the horrible things she'd done to me, I thought that just this once she deserved a little bit of her own medicine.
         I grabbed my float and headed over in her direction. "Hi Peggy!" I said in a fake, natural tone of voice as I gave her the coldest hug as if we'd been friends forever, but secretly hated each other. Truth was, we were never really close friends and we publicly hated each other.
         "Hey Loretta," she said in an equally dishonest voice. Part of me really wanted to cry laughing when she had turned around. Bozo the Clown never wore this much make-up. I wondered how ugly she would actually be if she were to wash her face.
         I was just about to put the plan in place when another group of people walked in the door behind me, slamming it into my back. I had tried to stop it but before I knew it, my drink was already halfway down Peggy's pink blouse.
         "Ahh!" she screamed. "This is imported silk! Do you have any idea how much my father paid for this. It's worth more than your life!"
         "I am so sorry Peggy. I didn't mean for this to happen." The funny thing was, as much as I hated her, I was being completely sincere. I started to mop up the root beer with the napkins I quickly grabbed off of a nearby table. This was not part of the plan! I glanced over at Tommy and Eileen who were doubled over in hysterics.
         "Don't bother," she said to me curtly. I felt very terrible, which actually surprised me. "You know what, I'm really sick and tired of this! Let's settle this once and for all, right here, right now."
         I could feel my face burning hot and my nerves were totally shot. This was not how it was supposed to happen. My body was tensing up. I had never been in a fight before. By that time, people had noticed the commotions and began to circle around us.
         She stepped towards me so we had ourselves in the formation of a shoot-out in an old John Wayne flick. This was it. Whoever ended up on top at the end of this one had pretty much secured their spot at the Class of '58 Prom Queen and we both knew it. It was all or nothing.
         All of a sudden, a blast of music rattled the windows of Mel's Diner as the jukebox began to sing. Of course! A dance-off. I had never even thought of that. Well, that's when I realized I was going to become the Prom Queen. Had she known that I had been in dance lessons since I was three? My guess was no. All my guilt and fear drifted away.
         Tommy then approached me. "May I have this dance?" he asked. I was in complete shock and utterly speechless. I nodded, moving the lump in my throat as I did. At this point I had to time to question or wonder or second guess. He took my hand as the swing music began. Even as fast-paced as these dances were, he was very unexpectedly impressive. The whole time, all I could to was stare into his eyes.
         The moment was broken as I felt a sharp jab straight to my lower back. I stopped suddenly, as did the music, and turned to see Peggy try to hide the sly smirk coming off of her painted face. At that point, many things became crystal clear.
         I turned to face Tommy again, gazed into his truly mesmerizing eyes and without a thought, kissed him. I had never seen him with such an expression of bliss, and I'd never felt it that much internally. That was the moment I had realized how childish this whole feud with Peggy actually was.
         I had been holding on to my childhood dreams and trying to pursue them in the most childish ways. The worst part of it was that I let Peggy get me to that point. It was time to grow up. I knew exactly how to fix things.
         I stepped towards her, head held high and pride held higher. "You can have your crown Peggy. I'll keep my dignity." I turned back, placed my hand in Tommy's and we walked out of Mel's Diner for the final time.
         The next night was senior prom and I had Tommy as my date. I had fallen for him quite a while ago; I just hadn't realized it. "And John Marshall High School's Prom Queen of 1958 is....Peggy Lynn Saunders." I chuckled under my breath as she walked up to the podium set up in our gym acting like she'd just won the Miss America pageant. The room was dead silent broken only by the sound of a tear. A tear in her designer dress as she tripped over her heels and landed flat on her bottom just as she got to the podium. I guess people always get what they pay for.