Lessons I Never Learned at Meadowbrook Academy by Liz Maccie Page B

“Where do you guys live?”
    â€œSuck-me-harder,” Annie said.
    â€œSuck-me-what?” I giggled.
    â€œIt’s actually Susquehanna, but I call it Suck-me-harder because it’s so freakin’ boring. I guess that doesn’t really make any sense, does it?” Annie went on and made up a little song, “Suck-me-harder…suck-me-harder, I’ve got a penis in my farter!”
    We all started laughing; crude humor is always a crowd pleaser.
    Annie lowered her voice and got very serious. “I have to ask you guys a question. Actually, I guess just you, Roberta.”
    â€œOkay,” I said, chomping on a piece of cucumber.
    â€œIt’s just something I’ve been thinking about.”
    â€œGo for it.” I threw a carrot into my mouth.
    Two boys carrying instrument cases sat down at the table next to us.
    Annie glared at them a moment and then leaned in so only Mervin and I could hear. “Have you ever given a blow job?”
    â€œOh my God, Annie,” Mervin dropped his fork. “Honestly!”
    The two band kids looked over at Mervin and then went back to their lunches.
    â€œWhat? It’s a legitimate question. I’m curious. Have you?” Annie pressed.
    I finished swallowing the piece of carrot. There was this one experience I had a few months ago when I was out with Christine, but I never told anyone about it…not even Christine.
    Annie blinked impatiently. “Well?”
    â€œNo,” I said.
    Annie’s eyes narrowed in on me. “I think you’re lying.”
    My hands got crazy sweaty and my ears grew hot. Annie and Mervin just stared at me. I had never told anyone about my “experience,” and I wasn’t planning on telling two people I had just met. But the more they looked at me, the more nervous I got.
    â€œMaybe,” I finally blurted out.
    Annie smiled. “Now we’re talking.” She pushed her tray away. “You either have or you haven’t, so which is it?”
    I uncomfortably shifted in my seat. “I don’t know…” Beads of sweat were forming across my forehead. “I guess…I guess I had one in my mouth once, but I don’t think that counts.”
    â€œI’m going to throw up.”
    â€œOh, Mervin, don’t be so dramatic. Go ahead, Roberta. You had one in your mouth once and…?”
    â€œAnd that’s really it.” I ate another carrot, hoping the subject would change, but it didn’t.
    â€œWhere were you?” Annie asked.
    I swallowed the carrot. “At the Florham Park Skating Rink.”
    â€œOh yeah, that place is a meat market. So what happened? And don’t leave out any details.”
    Mervin sighed and rolled his eyes.
    â€œYou’re not chained to that chair, Mervin. Leave if you want to—”
    â€œNo, I’ll stay. For Roberta.”
    I could tell that Mervin was actually just as interested in my story as Annie was.
    â€œOh God.” I rubbed my eyes, still trying to wiggle out of telling them the truth. “Okay…our mechanic’s son, this guy Frank, was there at the roller rink with his friends, and he started talking to me. It was 80s night.”
    â€œCool. Very retro. Go.” Annie was like an interrogator on a mission.
    â€œWe skated to ‘Purple Rain,’ and he bought me a rainbow snow cone. Then he asked me to go outside with him. So I took off my skates and followed him behind the rink, where the dumpsters are, at the far end of the parking lot…and he kind of pushed my shoulders down and told me to get on my knees. Then he took it out and put it in my mouth.”
    â€œEwww. Near the dumpsters?” Mervin asked.
    â€œYeah, it reeked of garbage,” I said.
    Annie leaned in even closer. “What did you do? After he put it in your mouth?”
    â€œI didn’t do anything. I just left it there. His thing tasted weird, kind of like how a penny would taste if you