Polytechnic High School - Caerulea Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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13 CAERI JLEA '22 IIIIIIlllIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIlIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIllIIHIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIIlIlllIIIIIHllIlIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIlIIIllIIIIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIlIIIllIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllll Stephen looked stunned. A girl who didn't want to dance? That was one point in her favor anyway. Did he want to talik to her? He did. So he convoyed her out to the front porch, got a chair for her, then sat down. The girl started the conversation, so Ste- phen leaned back and tried to analyze his reasons for liking her. She had dark, fluffy, bobbed hair. His was dark also, so what was the difference? She had blue eyes. His were black, but hers weren't a vamping, staring, baby blue. She certainly had a companionable grin. She wasn't quite as tall as he was. Oh rats! What was he thinking of ? He was getting almost as bad as Willy. Well, anyway, she was the nicest girl he had met in a long time. He felt kind of foolish though. She wasn't talking about new dresses or feljlows. She was very much at ease and was chatting most intelligently about automobiles. Well, she seemed to know something about them, but even then any one could pick up a few technical terms and get away with it. Huh! Just imagine any girl knowing anything about radio. He'd like to see any girl who could really operate a set. Take that radiophone operator for instance. Even though Stephen didn't know who he was or the least thing about him he was sure that he was a perfect girl hater. But even then some girls were all right. This girl was prob- ably nice and she certainly was good looking. Not powdered and painted but very welll dressed. She seemed to be awfully nice and seemed to get along with him pretty well, too. What? The music stopped already?,' Stephen stood up. He thought for a moment and then decided he wanted to dance. Yes, for the first time in his life he really wanted to dance. He walked into the house with her. He turned and was just going to ask her when VVilly Barker slid in front of him and asked her for a dance. She assented and they glided out to the floor. Stephen looked chagrinned and walked over to the row of girls against the wall. They were all poor dancers, so Stephen went

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umm A mx A It IX IN IN A mm 0170017llflilfllllililll Cqptgp - Outside the house he stopped and looked up at the b1'illiantly lighted win- dows and debated. There was no Way ,gi he could withdraw, so he marched up lgiifigiifpii to the door. As he entered he felt -Q very self-conscious. His starched col- . eq e 5 lar lmrt his neck and his tight shoes ' -2V4i'4 pinched his feet, but he still Walked ,.4i lis I faithfully in. His ehum VVilly Barker sauntered ,irfi over to meet him. VVilly felt very i I mueh at ease, so he grinned good- naturedly. Hello, VVilly. How are you getting along with radiof, HPunk! Have you seen tl1e new girl that moved in last month K Noi Have you got your new set yet!'7 'LNo! She'll be here tonightf, ' Is that iso? Gee, you're luekyf' 'Tll sayf, You ought to have a gay old time with her. Sure thingf' 'gShe's got navy dials and Bakelite panels, hasnlt she! g'VVhat? I was talking about the girl. Stephen turned away disgusted. Even VVilily was worse girl- struek than ever. He would have to get a girl for the danee soon. How his shoes squeaked. Here goes! Stephen drew near the crowd of girlsg then stopped to get his nerve. He walked up to a girl who seemed to he alone and asked her for the dance. She looked up and Stephen almost fainted. She was not a powde1'ed, primped, giggly, hysterical girl hut she looked almost human. VVell, l donit believe I want to dance. XVon't you sit down and talk a while?

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LITERARY 19 llIllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIlIlllIIIIIIlllIllllllIIIIIIIlllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllIIIHIIIIVIIIIIIIAIIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIlIIIIIIIllIIIllIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIllIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll through the mental process of Eeny-Meeny-liliny-Mo and finally picked a two hundred pound graceful beauty. While she pounded his feet into pulp Stephen consoled himself by thinking that it couldn't last forever. But to his intense dismay the orchestra obligingly rendered three encores. Stephen wondered gloomily if the girl knew how much she was hurting him. However, hc endured with Spartan courage. Finally the hideous nightmare was over and he wearily limped across the floor to where the real girl was standing. As he came up she smiled encouragingly at him, so Stephen resolutely asked her for the dance. Horrors! All her dances were filled. Well, could he take her home? No, thanks, she was going home with some of her girl friends. At least won't you tell me your name? Stephen pleaded. Oh yes. I'1l do that much. My name i.s J eannef' Before Stephen could reply she turned and walked off to tl1e next dance. I Stephen thought for a moment and then decided that the dance held no more charm for him. As he started for the door Willy Bar- ker, very accidentally, of course, happened to meet him. '4Well, I see you like the new girl awfully much, the torment- ing VVil1y announced. Huh! None of your business. 4'Oh, it isn't though. Well, old thing, I know something about her that you donitfi What about it?,' answered Stephen. Well, since this is the v'ery first girl you were ever bugs over I'm not going to try to beat you. Go ahead and try to go with her. She may surprise youf' 'Tm not bugs over her, defended Stephen. Oh, since you are in such a hurry to go we won't argue. So long! Now what could Willy mean by that? She would surprise him? How? Stephen backed the automobile away ffillll the curb.