Eighth grade class was nothing but disappointing, short of a couple of teachers. Mr. Peppersach, who had our homeroom and taught us United States History, and the other was Mr. Correrie, who taught music and for the first time, had a music class that was enjoyable. He assigned the seating and placed me next to Mary Ann, to me a goddess who actually had a woman-like development. What made her cool was we hit it off, right from the class.

On the other side of her was Steve from Scouts, who was a short cuss of a person who always had to be mad at someone. The nicest thing about Mary Ann was we quickly discovered that we shared the same humor and sense of life. After the first day of music class, I asked her, "Are you going out with anybody?"

"No ... Why?"

"Well, that's good, but I decided not to ask you out as I am too afraid that you'll say no. So I am taking you for myself. You're just going to have to be my main squeeze."

It was after the second day, she added, "... and cohorts in crime," to the title. That was just it,- we loved chatting, flirting, sharing a sense of humor and observations as well. She quickly became a flirty and goofy pleasure amongst a group that didn't like me. In the other classes as well, if I didn't feel good, I could always seek out her eyes and smile to give me a boost.

Mr. Correrie's most common words spoken were, "Mike and Mary Ann!" One time, we were in such a conversation that he had to yell at us several times to get our attention.

Once he had it, he made the mistake of saying, "Since you don't seem to mind talking in class, why don't you share with the class, what you were talking about!" We did and the whole class had this, oh my God look on their faces and Mr. Correrie busted out laughing and shot back, "Ok, will you stop it guys, I'm trying to be mad at you!"

Mr. Correrie did a lot of neat things, there was going to be no "Ta Ti Tit Ta's in his class. He busted out the accordions for us to play with the intent that we somehow learn not to torture and it was great fun. Then for the next segment, he brough out bar chimes for us, "Tinkerbells."

He did have his serious side that both Mary Ann and myself experienced. When he yelled with a certain look, we knew that we went too far. When we transgressed beyond his liking, he made it known.

Mr. Correrie cranked up the amplifier and gave the boys and girls a microphone so we could do a song from Grease.

Guys: "Summer lovin' had me a blast."
Girls: "Summer lovin', happened so fast "
Guys: "I met a girl crazy for me"
Girls: "I met a boy, cute as can be"

One time, he made the mistake of giving Mary Ann and then myself the microphone and everything was fine , until we changed the lyrics.

Mike :"We made out till ten o'clock."
Mary Ann: "We did it under the dock."

When it was supposed to be:
Guys: We made out under the dock"
Girls: We stayed up until ten o'clock"

He grabbed the microphones from our hands and told us not to sing together anymore. But that wasn't the most egregious mistake that a teacher made in reference to us. In science it was sex education time, and to make us comfortable with watching the movie, we were permitted to sit with those that we would be more comfortable being with. I met Mary Ann's eyes right off the bat, and she patted the chair beside her.

Well, I didn't start it. Mary Ann asked me, "Mike? Are you a Virgin?"

"No." Most within earshot, immediately started laughing and cracking jokes, "No Mary Ann, I lost my virginity last year in Ocean City with an older girl. " At least Mary Ann didn't laugh.

"You know, making love is wonderful and since I think of you so much... Ah, if you're still a virgin, I would like to make love to you." One could hear the students chairs creaking as they leaned toward us.

"No, Mike. That isn't necessary, I'm not a virgin either." Those chairs started to make popping noises.

I just couldn't help but ask, "Did you orgasm?"

"Oh, thank God, no!"

"I know what you mean. My best friend had his girl orgasm on him, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. Maybe the teacher will let us demonstrate how to make love for the class!"

For a split second, Mary Ann had the most amazing look of terror on her face, but was back to creating the script, "Mike, I think it is best that the class watches the film first."

"I agree, maybe we can compare our notes." We both agreed and the show was on, as the film progressed, we had the time of our lives comparing our notes. With not really knowing the subject; the sex education film really got our humor rocks off.  With our little knowledge and large imaginations, we painted, a truly horrific version of sex that would rest in most people's nightmares. Sitting together was worth it as we turned the birds and bees, into flying dragons and killer swarms. To us, we did our job as friends and amused each other.

The next day in class, the teacher was giving me dirty looks though out class and also in Mary Ann's direction. When the bell rang there was a very terse, "Mike and Mary Ann! Remain after class!"

She gave us a very deep and angry look, "If I had my way, I would give you detention for two weeks ... Luckily, I'm so disgusted that I don't want to see you two, anymore then I have to. You're damn right that I am mad. I let people sit with friends so that they can be more comfortable about things. I saw you two talking and wondered what you were up to, but if I had known!"

"You two have no idea how much apprehension parents have about sex education or how difficult it is for the teacher to effectively teach it. You always get calls from parents about the subject matter, but never ... Never! Have I had a parent call me up wanting to know what in the hell I was teaching the class! Well, they told me and I was aghast! It seems that everyone was listening to you two."

I continued as she signed the hall pass, "I have no idea where you got the knowledge to pull off what you two did, but I would have recommended that you watched the movie first. You two will be in trouble if I see you two so much as look at each other in my class."

Walking back to class I told Mary Ann that I wouldn't blame her if she was mad at me, but she gave me a friendly hug out of the deal. To me Mary Ann was a sweetheart, as I was never in trouble in her eyes. I wonder if that class still has the highest amount of practicing virgins from it or if we were responsible to developing video technology. Before the class arrives, the teacher now loads a tape in the video recorder  and quickly presses a button, as opposed to futzing with loading a movie reel into a projector.

There was one other treat in eighth grade that occurred in the hallways. I did miss Jean, but I caught glimpse of her in the hallway a couple times a day. Mostly, she was up ahead and it was tangential in passing. It was my find Waldo, or I Spy game that kept my mind off of the lousy hallway behavior that I suffered from.

She now cracked me up with the way she was walking; she had her back extremely arched with her arms behind her and this head in the air, totally serious look. The posture gave her knobby elbows a weird patch of baggy skin that became my muse. I had to tell myself that I wasn't in love with her elbows and hopefully ... I was the only one that noticed.

My favorite glimpse of her had her wearing a Led Zeppelin concert T-shirt. My only record supply was a five and dime store called, "Ben Franklin's." I was well on the way of creating my Kiss army collection, but put it to the side to find Led Zeppelin. It took a month for me to get hold of their album, "Led Zeppelin III."

The "Immigrant Song" quickly became the theme to express the relationship with Jean, now that loveable girl with baggy elbows and a wonderful spirit. Though I was still very happy to have my a main squeeze at my side, there was still only one love for me.