Cheryl's school year ended with the scholars' banquet in the gym. She wasn't very surprised to find herself in the upper echelon of kids, because of how stupid the popular kids really turned out to be. Jim Kanutsson was there with his rough looking mom and dad. Cheryl's parents came all dressed up, dad in a suit and mom in a floral dress she'd bought in Provo. Blaine was there too, and his mother had her hair sprayed up in the biggest beehive Cheryl had ever seen. She settled her round butt that looked like a giant pincushion into the little school chair. Blaine sat across the room next to his mother, but didn't look around much. For a split second he caught Cheryl's eye and she caught his back but neither one made any other sign.
After the dinner of cold chicken Cheryl clutched her certificate. The three of them walked out through the parking lot. Dad stopped her before they got into the car.
"Very proud of you, Cheryl. You never did this well on your grades back in Ogden."
"Thanks, Dad," Cheryl said sarcastically. He had no idea why she was applying herself this way. He had no idea that she did all her schoolwork up correctly as a way of telling him Fuck You.
"Laura, that wasn't very disrespectful to your father," Mom said, hearing the undertone.
"Well, it would be nice if you loved me when I didn't get good grades," she mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing!" Cheryl said. "I mean it. Thanks, Dad. I want to make you proud."
Blaine drove by with his mom in the passenger seat. Blaine's dad wasn't ever around much.
"HI!" Cheryl's mother called out to Blaine's. Mrs. Chedister ignored her.
"Well, just because she's got a stick up her ass doesn't mean the same one is up mine," Mom said, shrugging, showing Cheryl that old spirit that must have won the attention of her dad. He put an arm around his wife and opened the car door for her. She tucked herself into the car and started to get out her cigarettes.
Cheryl hated the way those stinking coffin nails made her hair smell. She opened up the back window and moved close to it. They started down the road and the cigarette smoke seemed to be sucked out the open window past her hair. She moved to the other window, opened it and sat close to it.
"Shut the windows, doll," her dad said.
"Put out the cigarette and I will put up the window."
"Bill, do I have to put up with that kind of disrespect?" Mom said.
Dad sighed.
"Honey, it does stink. I vote with Cheryl."
Mom took one last, long drag and then flicked the smoke out the window. Cheryl stuck her head out the open window for another second.
"Shut it!" her mom whined. Cheryl had her mom and dad drop her off at Pioneer Park.
After the dinner of cold chicken Cheryl clutched her certificate. The three of them walked out through the parking lot. Dad stopped her before they got into the car.
"Very proud of you, Cheryl. You never did this well on your grades back in Ogden."
"Thanks, Dad," Cheryl said sarcastically. He had no idea why she was applying herself this way. He had no idea that she did all her schoolwork up correctly as a way of telling him Fuck You.
"Laura, that wasn't very disrespectful to your father," Mom said, hearing the undertone.
"Well, it would be nice if you loved me when I didn't get good grades," she mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing!" Cheryl said. "I mean it. Thanks, Dad. I want to make you proud."
Blaine drove by with his mom in the passenger seat. Blaine's dad wasn't ever around much.
"HI!" Cheryl's mother called out to Blaine's. Mrs. Chedister ignored her.
"Well, just because she's got a stick up her ass doesn't mean the same one is up mine," Mom said, shrugging, showing Cheryl that old spirit that must have won the attention of her dad. He put an arm around his wife and opened the car door for her. She tucked herself into the car and started to get out her cigarettes.
Cheryl hated the way those stinking coffin nails made her hair smell. She opened up the back window and moved close to it. They started down the road and the cigarette smoke seemed to be sucked out the open window past her hair. She moved to the other window, opened it and sat close to it.
"Shut the windows, doll," her dad said.
"Put out the cigarette and I will put up the window."
"Bill, do I have to put up with that kind of disrespect?" Mom said.
Dad sighed.
"Honey, it does stink. I vote with Cheryl."
Mom took one last, long drag and then flicked the smoke out the window. Cheryl stuck her head out the open window for another second.
"Shut it!" her mom whined. Cheryl had her mom and dad drop her off at Pioneer Park.
