on march 11, 1981, johnny wilson was walking down one of the corridors of the chester w nimitz high school, with his head down in his usual manner, in what would turn out to be his last day in school.
johnny was doing worse in school than ever, and would almost surely flunk most of his classes. he had been working after school at wal-mart, and could quit school - he was now seventeen - and work full time there if he chose. jenny clung to the idea that johnny should graduate from high school if he could, and neither jenny nor johnny were greatly comfortable with working in the same place, but with joe gone and no other money coming in, there seemed to be nothing else for it.
johnny almost bumped into a hulking form approaching him, and swerved to avoid it at the last minute.
“you almost crushed me there, doofus,” he heard a deep voice in a mock reproachful tone.
johnny looked up. he saw two of the school jocks, larry morris and gil fernandez, smiling lazily at him.
“you should keep your head up, dude, watch where you going,” larry said.
johnny did not answer. he never had a ready answer for anything. he looked at larry through his thick glasses.
“chin up, my man, turn that frown upside down,” larry told him with an almost friendly smile.
“you getting any?” gil fernandez asked johnny.
“uh - not lately,” johnny answered.
“not lately, huh?” gil laughed and larry laughed with him.
“well, hang in there, brother, your day will come, “ larry said, and both boys laughed and moved on.
larry and gil forgot the incident immediately, but johnny would remember it for the rest of his life.
that night jenny and johnny agreed that johnny should drop out of school and work full time at wal-mart.
on july 7, president ronald reagan nominated sandra day o’connor to the u s supreme court, where she became the first woman to serve as a member.
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