Forever by Jeff Holmes Page A

Scott’s partying continued for the last two-and-a-half months before he left for basic, neither of his parents said much about it.
     
    Ever since the conversion van craze had started the year before, Wayne Mitchell had wanted one. He went to Roni’s dad and bought a silver and blue model, with four captain’s chairs and a fold-out couch in the back. It even had a little TV built in by the couch.
    It was that van that pulled up to the barracks at about 1630 hours on June 8. Scott had been off duty about a half hour and was already in civvies and waiting in the courtyard.
    “Are your parents hippies?” Carl asked. “Looks like a stoner van.”
    “It’s only a stoner van when I drive it,” Scott said.
    The back doors opened and Kimmy came bounding out, running across the courtyard and leaping into her big brother’s arms. “Hey baby sis!” Scott exclaimed as he held her tight. “You’re taller, aren’t you?”
    “Yeah, and I’m getting boobs, too!” she said.
    Amy actually moved faster than Scott expected and hugged him tight once Kimmy let go. “Hey Bro’,” she said. “Missed you. How is Roni?”
    “Missed you too,” he said. “And Roni is just fine, thanks.”
    Amy was trying hard with the Roni thing. Amy had issues with her since she slept with Mark in ninth grade. It was a weird reality that not only had her boyfriend screwed Roni, now her brother was. But she was trying to understand.
    Donna was crying, of course. “You look so thin,” she said. “Aren’t you eating?”
    “I was, but then I got four dozen cookies in the mail and lost my appetite for a while,” he joked.
    “Oh, I suppose that’s my fault,” she said, half-jokingly.
    “He looks thinner because his head’s shaved,” Amy said. “He’s fine. They eat good.”
    “You’ve never had mess hall food,” Carl said.
    Wayne walked over. “Hi Bud,” he said. “Doing OK?”
    “Trying to Dad, thanks,” Scott said, very glad Donna and the girls were there.
    After meeting Carl, the Mitchells piled into the van and headed back off base. They were staying downtown at the Hemisfair Hilton and the plan for the night was to eat in the rotating restaurant on the top floor.
    There was the usual family conversation. Scott and Amy talked a lot about college – she was going to Colorado State in Fort Collins to major in marketing. Mark had been trying to get her to go to UNC, but she knew what she wanted, and it wasn’t to go college just to be with her boyfriend.
    ‘He’s been getting really possessive lately,” Amy said quietly to only Scott. “He’s already trying to plan who goes where on different weekends this fall.”
    “Want me to talk to him?” Scott asked.
    “Oh God, no,” Amy said. “We don’t talk about private stuff with family, you know.”
    Scott shook his head. Relationship-wise, he was becoming spoiled.
    “Did Amy tell you? Or did Roni?” Donna asked him.
    “What Mom?” both Scott and Amy answered, together.
    “Snakebite is playing the Queen’s Dance at the Rodeo,” she said brightly.
    “Mom, that was kind of a surprise, but yes, Big Bro, you’re playing,” Amy said.
    Mark, Scott, Kevin Fuller and a few other guys had formed Snakebite back in junior high. The three of them had always been in the band, but the rest of the line-up shifted from time to time. Scott and Mark were the primary guitarists – both could play lead or rhythm – as well as the lead singers. Mark also played piano; Scott could play a little bit of piano, but Mark did 90 percent of it. Scott had two songs on the keys.
    Donnie Martin was their second drummer and had been with them since they were sophomores. He had been on the wrestling team with Scott, and was state champ at 105 as a junior for Wayne. Al Wright was a third guitarist.
    And the girls were there. Joanie Cady, Betsy Collins and Teal Robertson brought a lot to the band. All three were in the class of ’75 as well. Joanie played guitar and keyboards and did her