This picks up after my last 11th grade Regents exam. We still have a month of school. Even though it's pretty much just busy work. In order to get federal funding the students have to be in class regardless of whether they've finished the work for that year. It is generally thought to be the most mischievous part of the school year. Having already had my little personal drama I did my best to keep my nose clean. The unfortunate thing with noses is that on occasion they are attracted to what they sniff. So even though I side step more than my fair share of delightfully dastardly plots and schemes, I do get roped into a few. Bear in mind I am still spending my after school time helping the janitor. It's just not the kind of help the principle had in mind. My last class is social studies and Miss Yankura says it's entirely optional for us to attend, unofficially. We still run the risk of getting caught for skipping class. I take this opportunity to do my janitorial penance so I can still make it to gymnastics practice. Take into consideration that I now have transportation of my own up until night fall that is. We're getting a little ahead of ourselves. My mother decided to get a new car. She just had to have a Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Her rationale is if she can't live in Italy at least she can drive like it. This in turn allowed me to inherit Daisybell(the white 1968 Mustang), under the condition that I pass all my exams with acceptable grades. Fearing some inconceivably high grades would be considered acceptable, I agreed without further clarification. The interesting part of this is that during an ice storm in late March my mother skidded and crashed Daiseybell. It wasn't totaled, but would need a new engine. Jerry Nichols is the mechanic who owns the Citgo station in Scots Corners. He is also our family mechanic. He asked What kind of engine my mother wanted put in it. She said you decide as long as it's safe, because Jody will be driving that car. Now a few events are all coming together in a short period of time. I received my permanent drivers license. I completed all of the major exams I would ever take in high school. The Junior prom was coming up and I didn't have anyone to take. I mention Jerry's last name Nichols because of a story he told me while I was watching him fix Daiseybell. It went like this: I say sitting at his desk and flipping through his mail "Who the hell is Noosepickle? Jerry looks up from what he's doing and says angrily "How do you know about that?" Taken back I drop the letter and say " Wooah I'm sorry Jerry I was just flipping through your mail and saw a letter addressed to a Mr. Jerry Noosepickle." Jerry lets out a long sigh and say " Listen my daughter goes to school with you and she would have a fit if she knew you saw that." I scratch my head and say " Jerry I know my mind is dull from all the exams but I'm lost. What are you talking about? Who is ths Noosepickle guy?" Jerry stops what he's doing and says " O.k. we better sit down for this." Jerry goes to the fridge and get himself a Budweiser and tosses me a Dr. Pepper. Then he says " I'm Noosepickle or rather I was Noosepickle until I had it legally changed a few year when I first moved here and bought the gas station. I did it for my daughter. I'm sure you understand." I say " Noosepickle isn't a bad name. Is that what all of this is about?" Jerry smiles and says " Congratulations I hear you just got your senior license. May I see it?" Excited that I finally get to show it to someone I reach into my back pocket and pull it out of my wallet. Handing him the license He says " Now let's see what it says here. Ahh Julian Turner Shultz " He's laughing and covering his mouth trying to hide it. I say " What? You think my name is funny?" Stopping his laugh like it was unplugged suddenly he says " No Jody I don't. But I bet the kids did at school when you were growing up. Now picture yourself here in school, the new kid and your name is Noosepickle. Get the picture?" Picturing what it would be like with that name I understood completely. "Point taken Jerry. You're a good father. Your daughter is lucky to have you." Jerry smiles takes a long swig of beer and says "You might try telling her that sometime. She's ashamed of me I think. Ever since her mother left it's like ...Never mind. It's just different." I don't say a word I just listen and nod in a caring fashion. Jerry chugs the rest of the beer and says "I was going to save this as a surprise. You have to promise me that what happens here stays here between just you and me." Frowning in disapproval I say " What we going to go bury someone you just wacked, and you need help digging the grave?" Jerry smiles and says " No wise guy. I'm going to build you a muscle car that doesn't look like a muscle car. Understand now?" I sit there with my mouth open like someone in the dentists chair. Then I say "Jerry I don't know what to say?" Jerry leans in and I can smell the beer on his breath and says " How about number one you won't tell anyone and I men anyone. Number 2 and this one is going to be tough Absolutely no street racing You have to promise me that. Number three a thank you would be nice since I' m not charging you a dime." I get up and start jumping yelling "Woooooweee A muscle Mustang. A chick magnet Oh my god. Do you know what this means?" Jerry gets up and reaches his hand out saying " It means if you can lve by these arrangements you got yourself a Frankenstein." I shake his hand and hug him saying " You got it I promise. It's between you me and the car. Why Frankenstein?" Jerry puts his arms out in front and walking stiff legged says in a deep voice "A man made monster." I laugh and ask " So what can I do to help?" Jerry drops his arms and rubs his hands a few times fast . Then he puts his arm around me and starts walking to where he's working on her and says " I thought you'd never ask. It seems that Penelope that's her name is getting picked on in school by a group of older girls. I was wondering if you could just keep an eye out for her, so she knows she's not alone." I start thinking of possible solutions and Jerry asks " Well?" I hold up, my hand and say "I'm thinking of the best way to handle this so it never happens again. Give me a minute would ya?" Jerry laughs and goes to open the hood of the Mustang and I say "I got it. Do you want these girls hurt or just scared? That's an important detail, because it depends on who I call." Jerry steps back making a face and says "Jesus Jody, you're beginning to scare me. I think just scared enough to leave her alone until she can take care of herself." I answer O.k. that rules out Julie Diaz and her gang. I know the girls gymnastics team one of the girls has a crush on me. O.k. Done I'll talk to them tomorrow." Jerry says " Thank you You'll understand one day when you have kids of your own." I laugh and walk out the back of the garage motioning for Jerry to follow. He does and I make a sweeping gesture as if I'm going to introduce someone on stage and say " Jerry what do you see out there?' Loking perplexed he answers " Uh I don't know a field." I clap my hands and say "Bingo give that man a prize. A field and thats what I plan on playing for a looooong time. No kids for me daddyo. Especially now that I got this little piece of heaven to drive." Jerry says "O.k. before we put you out to stud permanently let me show what I did to this baby. She is sweet, even if I do say so myself." Jerry spent the next three hour fine tuning and explaining the necesity of breaking this engine in gently. I still didn't get to drive it home yet. That meant not going over 45mph for 300 miles. Jerry finally finishes his masterpiece a week later. He waves me over and say o.k. let me give you a little lesson so you know just what you're driving. I say "I'm all ears Jerry" Then he starts his lesson like this: "The previously optional 289 c.i. 225hp V-8 was replaced by a 302 c.i. version rated at 230 hp. Increased displacement was achieved by increasing the stroke of the 289 from 2.87 inches to 3.00 inches. The 2 barrel carburetor 289 (rated at 195 hp for 1968) was replaced mid-year by a 2 barrel 302 rated at 210 hp. Thus both 289 and 302 V-8 powered Mustangs were available in 1968. That's what's supoosed to be in here, but here's what I did. Everybody knows The base engine, of the 200 c.i. six, remains unchanged while the 390 c.i. V-8 is rated at 325 hp., an increase of 5hp. Top engine option, is a version of Ford's famous 427 c.i. V-8. Featuring a Holley 600 cfm carburetor and available only with an automatic transmission, it's rated at 390 hp, quite a bit more than the 390 c.i. V-8. This isn't offered anywhere so take good care of her." He tosses me the keys and I say "Thank you so much Jerry. You don't expect me to remember all of that you just told me." Jerry shakes his head and says "It's just an old mechanic showing off his work. Don't pay me no mind. Enjoy it. By the way whatever you did to those girls the problem is solved they even bought her lunch yesterday." I smile and say "Just a gentle word in the right ear at the right time. Piece of cake. I'm glad I could help." The car is amazing even driving it slowly. O.k. let's go back in time a bit to set the scene for this next adventure. I walk into Mrs. Zaccardis' living room and sit down. She sits next to me on the couch. She's staring into to my eyes as if looking for something. Then she speaks "Do you love my daughter?" I know I have to tell the truth to this question I say " Mrs. Zaccardi I don't know if it's love but nobody I ever met has ever made me feel so happy and so mad in such a short time and at the same time. I don't know if that answers your question but it's the truth." She smiles and says " I believe it is Jody. I don't know why my daughter's with you. I just can't figure it out. You see I checked up on you and you're way to good for that little thug I gave birth to. I want you to listen before you say anything. We moved here from Queens because she got kicked out of school for burglary. She broke into the school after hours and stole enough Audio Visual equipment to start her own electronics store. I should have locked her up then. I got a job here, moved here and things looked like they were going much better until last week. That little lying devious good for nothing criminal stole a corvette and tried to sell it to someone. " Obviously the names on the titles didn't match and the police were called. It seems this guy is a lawyer and is pressing all kinds of charges. If she gets tried as an adult she will go to real prison this time , not that little country club for Juveniles she was at last time. Here's what I want from you. Stay away from her she is trouble. All that will end up happening is she'll drag you down with her like she does everyone else. That's it. " I sit there and ask to use the bathroom. I wash my face and try to find if I'm asleep and dreaming this . No dice this is real. Well no choice now if I care at all now is the time to stand my ground. That's it for tonight. Thanks for reading. Jody
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