New Friends

When I moved to Atkinson Illinois in the fall of 1977 I was very weary of moving. I was in 7th grade and this was my 6th school. It seemed everytime I made new friends and new connections we would up and move and I would have to start all over again.
So in Atkinson I didn't even try. I kept mostly to myself, not wanting to get to know anyone because I knew that soon we would move and I would lose another group of friends. I just wanted to sit by myself and be left alone. Of course being a new kid in a small town meant everyone was looking my way. And of course having a older sister in high school making a (very incredibly bad) name for herself didn't help my attempts to remain anonymous.
Of course even then I was the type who couldn't remain too quite for too long. One day in history class I began openly telling the teacher he was wrong every few minutes or so. ( I thought of it as academic heckling. )This made the class laugh so I began doing more of it. Finally the teacher told me, "If you think you can teach this class better then me you're welcome to try."
I was sent to the office 5 minutes later when I did just that. Now as anyone who has ever made it to the 7th grade can tell you, being different doesn't make you cool it just makes you different. And being different is the kiss of death as far as your place on the social ladder is concerned. I was soon known as ,"That weird new kid."
My worst day in school came sometime in late September when I was walking home across the football field and saw some of the football players beating up on a boy named Billy, who was in my class. The only things I knew about Billy Bull was that he liked Star Trek and he was also an outcast like I now found myself to be. So instead of thinking rationally and just keep walking home, I walked over to help Billy out.
Of course I soon found myself getting the shit beat out me by kids two years or more older then me. I remember thinking very clearly that I shouldn't have walked over there without having a dog like patches to back me up. I also remember thinking clearly that I was going to screw these football players over if it was the last thing I did. (and I did.)
Then all at once they stopped. It took me a few seconds to realize that they were being yelled at by some girl. I looked up (I had been in that classic defense style known as the fetal position) and saw it was another classmate of mine named Susie. She was yelling at the guys beating me up that they should be ashamed of themselves. And by God they did look ashamed of themselves. My attackers soon left me alone and walked away to do whatever it is that football players do alone together in the locker room.
Susie helped me up (Billy was long gone) and walked me home. I asked her why she helped me. She looked at me like that was the stupidest question she had ever heard and said, "that's what friends are for Tom Hernandez." When she talked to me she always called me "Tom Hernandez", almost like it was one word. She would say it like some people would say Charlie Brown. In point of fact I believe that was her intention.
From then on I was in love with that girl. This wasn't a puppy love, "In love with Kathy Lasky", thing we are talking about here, but something deeper. Whenever I had the chance I would stare at her pale blue eyes and long brown hair. One day when I wasn't staring at her I noticed most of the other boys were looking at her as well. I can't say for sure what but there was something very special about her. Susie wasn't the prettiest girl in our class (though she certainly was very pretty) but she was by far and away the most popular.
Susie's friendship with me meant that I no longer had to worry about being beaten up by the local bullies. (Of course having a few of them scared to death by Geno and John didn't hurt me either) I was still something most of my class didn't understand but as long as Susie liked me they tolerated me.
There was nothing special about the boy I tried to save. So of course Billy soon became my best friend in Atkinson. Like everything else in my life, we had a weird friendship. Everyday we would start off great but by the end of it, we would be fighting over something silly like who would win The Enterprise or The Death Star? (Well of course the Enterprise would.) By the end of almost every day we would vow never to speak to each other. The next day we would be friends again.
By the end of 7th grade my "newness" was wearing off and I was becoming more accepted. Billy and I even won first place in the talent show. Thanks to Susie I was even invited to my first party. When my sister ran away from home my whole class understood what was going on and supported me. I even went out for track.
8th grade began after a long and fun summer. Life was good. Billy and I talked about the new Star Trek movie opening up more then a year away and how great it was going to be. (Little did we know) Susie asked if I would help with the 8th grade homecoming float. I gladly accepted. Billy even got the little tractor to pull it during Atkinson's sad attempt at a parade. I soon became one of the photographers for the grade school yearbook.
Life was good and I was content.
So of course in the winter that year my Dad told me we were moving. I was very upset. He told me that we were moving to a Park outside Annawan where I went to school in 6th grade. He asked me if it wouldn't be nice to go back to school with my old friends. I didn't agree but not wanting a blow up with my Dad just nodded.
February 1st was my last day in school. Annawan and Atkinson were two small towns separated by only 6 miles. Everyone told me that they'd see me in the summer when they came out to my Park. I started school in Annawan less then thrilled to be there.
In early May I found out that my entire class from Atkinson had voted that they wanted me to come on the 8th grade field trip to Great America. Billy had already paid for me to come. So one a Saturday in May of 1979 I got one last day to spend with all my friends from my old school. That was one of the happiest days of my young life. When the Atkinson yearbook came out I was sent a copy signed by everyone.
Ironicly this was the second time I had moved to Annawan wishing I could go back to my old school. And it showed though my grades. How I graduated 8th grade is beyond me. I think they just wanted to get rid of me.
Soon summer came and I discovered the joys of living at a private park. Many of my old classmate's families belonged and came out to swim in my backyard. Susie was one of them. Billy wasn't a member, but I let him come out and swim whenever he wanted to. It was the first of 6 straight great summers for me.
When I started school in the fall of 79 I was a freshman. Highschool was different but I soon became to enjoy it. Life was falling back into a routine.
Friday October 26th I got a call from Billy. I was out playing somewhere in my Park when he called. My Mom took a message and told me to call him back. Dad took me to a movie that night and I forgot to call him back. I thought it was no big deal.
On Monday October 29th 1st period class had just started when a kid turned around and asked me if I heard about the kid getting killed over the weekend. "What kid?", I asked.
"Some kid name Billy Bull from Atkinson. He was on top of his corn bin when the auger came on. He got sucked into the corn and was crushed to death."
I sat there for the next 45 minutes with tears streaming down my face. If this had happened today they would no doubt be grief counselors for me to talk with. But back then they decided the best policy was to ignore the kid who just lost his best friend.
Billy was buried on Halloween. (I think he would have found that funny) Susie sat behind me during his funeral. The entire time her hand was on my arm. I barely kept myself from crying while I was there. When it was over I couldn't go to the gravesite part of the service and instead went home.
That December I watched the new Star Trek movie wondering what Billy would have thought of it. (He would have thought it sucked. Not enough explosions. Too much talking) I remember thinking how lonely it was without my friend. At that point in my life I only had two good friends. George from Kewanee and Billy. Now I was down to one.
Six months later after coming back from another movie, God would see fit to punish me by sending another old friend back into my life.