1987

-

"The Next Great Depression!"

Duke watched as his teacher as his teacher flipped through the Beattyville Enterprise with a worried look on his face.

Duke didn't like going to school, but they had heat and a decent meal so he wasn't going to complain. None of the students wanted to be there.

The school bell rang, although someone had lodged a pencil inside bell in his the classroom so it almost sounded more like a dieing woodpecker was inside fighting for freedom.

Mr. Reed carefully put down the paper on his desk. "Alright class today I want to address some modern history." He scribbled BLACK MONDAY on the chalkboard along the top. "Can anyone tell me what happened this monday?"

Duke leaned back in his chair, grimacing as it made a painful squeak.

"Surely one of you saw the news last night or read the darn paper this morning." The hefty old man started to pace through the rows of desks.

"'The Next Great Depression!' To quote the local newspaper, although I really don't think that was the most interesting story. I thought that Mr.Walters and his giant beets were by far the most exihilarating story this week," he joked. "Common guys I know it's early but we've got to know whats goin' on in the world! This stuff is history in the making."

Duke shifted uncomfortably in his seat, 6'7 and confined to a desk for a kindergartener. The chair creaked with his every movement poking holes in the silence of the room.

"Jeez Duke do you want another seat?"

Dukes ears perked up and he quickly moved his gaze from the ground. "Uh no sir, I'll be fine." He avoided eye contact and spoke softy.

"Why don't you tell me what you know about this whole thing?" The teacher placed a hand on Duke's desk.

Duke peered up at the man. "I'm not much into readin' the newspaper."

"Well common you've got plenty of free time, you never go to school you've got to do something with all that free time."

Duke clenched his fist and sat up in his seat, the desk squeaked. "Sorry if your lectures aren't what I look forward to when I wake up in the mornin'."

"Moving on, let's get back to what we were working on yesterday."

-

Duke walked through the lunch line and grabbed himself an apple, milk, mashed potatoes, a slice of fried ham for 75$. It was food in your belly for a decent price. After he finished his shitty lunch in about 1 bite he escaped out back. He pulled a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and the beat up zippo out of his jeans.

As Duke looked around him he saw people just like him. They where people who didn't want to be here but damn sure didn't want to be home.

"Can I bum one of them?" A girl about half his size grabbed the pack out of his pocket.

Duke just looked at her but shrugged it off. She was a cute little thing, you could tell she was a woman but she was little, probably every inch on 5'3. Her bright red hair was in a Bob with tight curls, and her nose was decorated with freckles.

"Whats you name honey?" Duke looked her over with a stupid crooked grin.

"I don't know, but everyone calls me kit so I go with it. You?"

"People call me Duck"

"That's a stupid name."

"Well so is kit but I didn't say nothin."

They shared a smile.

"Good to know ya Duck."

They smoked in silence for a bit before she broke it.

"Your tall," she quipped.

"Your short," he replied, still carrying that stupid grin.

"I'm average! You're the weird one here!" She mimicked his grin. "Built like the damn... I don't know, Hoover dam!"

"What ever, 'least I can reach the cookie jar. Betchu' gotta ask mama real nice, short ass."

She mocked his deep voice "Sound like Andre the giant."

Duke looked at her, a bit confused, "Who's that?"

"He's in that new movie, 'The Princess Bride' you seen it?"

"No but I saw the previews for it, looks like a chick flick."

"I haven't either, you busy tonight?"

He looked at her a bit taken aback, "I work till 7 but I'm free after that."

She ran her tongue across her teeth as she smiled, "You got a car?"

He nodded looking down with an understanding and thoughtful smile. "I'll pick you up around 7:30, you got an address?"

She tossed her smoldering cigarette to the ground and extinguished it with the toe of her converse. "2280 Broadford rd, you got a number?"

He pulled out a bit of paper and a pen from his bag and wrote it down for her to keep.

"7:30 don't forget, I'll check the showtimes when I get home." She reached out and grazed her hand on the outside of his forearm as she passed by him, making her way back into the school.

Duke could feel his ears getting warmer as he smiled, he liked her, cute, forward, and funny? He couldn't help it.

-

"Well bud I think I'm gonna go ahead, I've got plans tonight and I've gotta clean up a bit before hand."

"Aight lemme grab you your money down at the office and you can be on your way," Jeff groaned as he stood, his old bones protesting a bit.

Duke looked anxiously at his watch as he laid down his tools. 6:15 it read, and Duke still had to shower off the dirt and sweat from the day. "Thanks for letting me go a little early I've got a date and I don't wanna go lookin like a bum."

"A date?" The old man smiled, "What girl was dumb enough to say yes to that ugly mug," he teased.

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow I don't wanna be late," Duke shifted and grinned, barley able to contain his excitement.

"Aight," the old man walked over to an old farm truck, "I'll be about as quick as I can aight?"

Duke nodded and walked towards his truck, "I'll just follow you there and head straight from the office,"

"Aight that'll work."

Dukes F100 struggled a bit as it started but managed to climb the twisted dirt roads and rocky hills as he followed. He grabbed his check from Jeff and sped home to grab a quick shower and a change of clothes.

He stood in front of the grungy mirror trying to comb and style and unwieldy hair before letting out a disappointed huff and calling it good enough. He didn't have many nice clothes, deciding on a clean pair of church khakis, a button up, and a clean pair of boots. He checked his watch again, this time reading 7:03. He nodded to himself trying to build up a bit of confidence before he left.

-

Kit smiled to herself in the mirror, she had done her makeup like the lady in Vogue that month, soft red lips and muted blue eyeshadow. She wore a tight little denim skirt and a large brightly patterned sweater. She couldn't hardly contain her excitement.

"God are you gonna be in there all night?" Her sister yelled through the door. "I gotta pee!"

With a roll of her eyes kit opened the door.

Bet ran in and tugged down her jeans as she sat on the toilet. "Hog the bathroom again and I'll tell Mom you've been in here for like an hour."

"Shut up, what time is it?"

"7:15 I think why, where you goin' all dolled up and shit," Bet stood tugging her jeans back up as she flushed.

Kit looked back at her with a cocky grin, "I've got a date."

Bet laughed, "How'd you manage that, don't tell me it's that weird little skinny guy in your history class."

Kit gasped and gave Bet a light push. "Gross! No way!"

"Well then who is it?"

"You'll know him when you see him." She responded coyly.

A knock on the front door made kit's heart jump a bit.

Bet ran towards to door with an evil grin, "Ooo that must be mister mysterious!"

Kit tried to catch up but was to late, Bet swung open the door, but her grin faded as she looked up. "Tall guy, really?"

Kit practically tackled her sister as she took her space at the door. Duke looked down at the two, confused. "Hey Kit."

"Hey Duke, your early, lets got theres a show at 8:00 and I wanna grab some food before if that's ok."

He nodded, "Sounds-" his voice cracked a bit before he cleared his throat, "Yea sounds good."

Kit practically ran out the door, "Bye! I'll be back before 12 ok?"

Bet nodded, "I'll tell Mom, Love you."

"Love you!" She yelled as she closed the door

Duke smiled at her guiding her with his hand on the arch of her back towards his truck, he hadn't had time to clean it but it wouldn't have mattered much, plus the mud covered up a bit of the rust. As he opened the door it let out a loud squeak of protest, making him grimace a bit, but kit didn't seem to mind, climbing onto the worn, vinyl bench seat.

Her house was nice, she was comfortably middle class which surprised Duke a bit, middle class was rich in this town. He grabbed a cigarette from his shirt pocket and pushed down the cigarette lighter on the console. "You wanna listen to the radio?"

A simple nod answered his question.

He flipped through the stations until her hand stopped him. "Wait I love this song!"

Duke smiled and lifted his hand from the radio,  "Break my stride? Really?"

"Yea! Shut up," she couldn't hide the blush in her cheeks.

"Alright, what do you wanna eat?"