saturday's scene snippet

(the scene: Lizzi, a high school student, is at the roller rink.  She's sitting in a booth.  A younger guy skates up and they chat) 

Lizzi explained, trying to look intellectual, "I have to write a page of visionary future stuff for my creative writing class."

"Like what?" He seemed impressed.

"The teacher told us to make a list of all the stupid things in life, or whatever, that we thought would be completely forgotten about in a few years."

The guy shrugged. "Whoa—that's so future."

"Yes it is, but I think I might be a bit psychic, so it's a good assignment for me."

"Like what?" he asked. "What'd ya come up with?"

She smiled proudly and neatly arranged her napkins. "First, Madonna will be gone because every song on her brand new album, Like  a Virgin, sounds like it's done by a drum machine and a chipmunk — just like her first one sounded."

"Oh, yeah. I’m sure."

"Then, rap," Lizzi continued, "because people are going to want to buy records with singing on them."

"Oh, completely."

"And home computers, because the pocket calculator does way more than enough. I don't even know what half the buttons are for, as it is."

"Yeah, I know what you're saying. You can only go so far and then you just lose everybody."

"And slasher films." Lizzi made a face. "They've already run out of ways to kill teenagers."

The guy laughed. "Yeah, they're so predictable."

Lizzi added, "Viruses, because they are so small and dumb. In a few months, they'll figure out AIDS, cancer, the cold, and, most importantly, zits!"

"Oh, yeah! Heavy."

"And video camcorders, because home movies look so much better projected onto your refrigerator. And MTV will be gone because they've already run out of ways to show a rock star singing. And cars that run on gas, because they pollute so much and stink. In a few years, say by 1989, I bet cars will just be these bubbles that float on some new technology that was being suppressed by Jimmy Carter because he was trying to develop gas made out of peanut oil. That's what my mom said—but she drinks a lot."

The guy scratched his head. "Cars and gas will still be way around in a year from now. I think you're being too imaginative."

Lizzi shrugged. "I have to fill a whole page, so of course a few ideas will be Mom's bullshit. She also said Star Trek would come true and we'd have one world government. Like, yeah right, Captain Kirk is going to run the whole world. But my teacher's so dumb he won't care what I put down as long as I put shit down." She neatly stacked the napkins."But most of those opinions are right on the money!

 You're really smart about things. I bet most come true—like rap."

"I just wonder if I have enough. You have ideas for me?"

He shook his head, then smiled, embarrassed. "Would you skate with me during the next blue light special?"

"Is that what you call it?" Lizzi chuckled. "That's pretty good."

He twirled his finger in the air. "You know, the blue light goes around."

(end of excerpt of HIDDEN RIVER by Peter Joseph Swanson)

MORE MORE MORE at http://www.chippewapublishing.com/