Class of '59 (American Journey Book 4) by John A. Heldt Page B

Mary Beth said. "We picked them up in Alabama. We're Army brats."
    "I figured as much."
    "Is that a bad thing?"
    "Oh, no," Raines said. "If anything, it's a good thing. I'm sure Piper will have no difficulty making new friends with such an interesting background."
    Mary Beth and Piper exchanged knowing smiles.
    "I agree, Mr. Raines," Mary Beth said.
    The principal leaned back in his chair.
    "Well, I guess that concludes our business," Raines said. He smiled and looked at Piper. "Welcome to Midway High School, Miss McIntire. Welcome to the Class of '59."
     

CHAPTER 16: MARK
     
    Los Angeles, California – Wednesday, March 25, 1959
     
    Four days after taking Mary Beth McIntire for a stroll along the Las Vegas Strip, Mark Ryan took her for a stroll along the university's most prominent thoroughfare. He conceded that the Parkway did not match the Strip's glitz, but it was familiar, inviting, and active. It was a perfect place for a walk with a woman who continued to amaze.
    "Do you like what you see?" Mark asked.
    "I do," Mary Beth said. "This campus is amazing."
    Mark couldn't disagree. Even after four years, he never tired of the sights. He admired the broad walkways and the carefully groomed vegetation almost as much as the stately buildings that showed off the Romanesque Revival and Italian Renaissance styles.
    "Is that all you like?"
    "No," Mary Beth said. She offered a playful grin. "I also like the fashions. I didn't see this in Tuscaloosa. I haven't seen this anywhere."
    Mark laughed.
    "Well, you are in California – and in a different time."
    Mary Beth smiled.
    "I guess I am."
    Mark leaned forward to get a closer look at the woman on his arm. He looked for clues that might explain her smile but found only lively eyes and the traces of another grin.
    "You have something on your mind, don't you?"
    "It's nothing major," Mary Beth said. "I'm just trying to make sense of all this."
    "Do you mean 1959?"
    "Yes, I mean 1959 – and Los Angeles and the past few days and you ."
    "Am I a mystery, Miss McIntire?"
    Mary Beth smiled again.
    "That's putting it mildly."
    "Then let's unwrap the mystery," Mark said. He guided Mary Beth around a group of students who had gathered near a large bronze statue. "What do you want to know?"
    "I don't know," Mary Beth said. "I guess everything. Tell me about your interests, your childhood, and your parents. Tell me why a college senior drives an Edsel bearing the bumper sticker of a high school team."
    Mark laughed.
    "You don't miss a thing."
    "I don't miss things like that," Mary Beth said. "Did you attend Midway?"
    "I didn't. I went to South," Mark said. "Ben would have too had the school district not changed its boundaries the year I graduated. My dad put the bumper sticker on the Edsel to show his support for Midway's sports teams. Ben played football at MHS and now plays tennis. He's kind of a big deal there."
    "I gathered that when Piper and I visited the school. Ben and some girl named Vicki Cole are running for prom king and queen."
    "Did you cast a vote?"
    "No. Piper did though," Mary Beth said. She giggled. "She put fifteen dollars on some couple named Chip and Bunny."
    Mark laughed.
    "Don't tell Ben that. He'll go crazy. He'll consider the donation sabotage."
    "I take it he wants to win."
    "He wants to win everything. He's very competitive."
    "Is he dating Vicki Cole?" Mary Beth asked.
    Mark shook his head.
    "They used to go out. They dated off and on until about a month ago. Then Ben dumped her for some girl named Brenda. I'm not sure what happened to her. Ben sees someone different every month."
    "He sounds like a ladies' man."
    "He is."
    Mary Beth gave Mark a playful smile.
    "Is his brother a ladies' man?"
    Mark chuckled.
    "No. I date every now and then and still go to fraternity dances, but I don't go out very often and haven't dated anyone seriously for more than a year."
    "That surprises me," Mary Beth said. "I see a lot of pretty faces on this campus."
    Mark looked at her