The Cobras-Chapter 6

Lunch was an hour of freedom for the students at Wild Acorn High School. The large modern campus was spread out over 200 acres of former farmland. It was purpose-built in the late 1960's and was a "state-of-the-art design" at a time when California was still interested in having the best school system in the country.
The school consisted of a number of "pods" for each subject. It was a "campus" which had the feel of a small college. Each subject had its own pod and there were courtyards scattered throughout the campus. Covered walkways connected the buildings in a maze of sorts. There was a lot of grass and other landscaping around campus and an outdoor cafeteria with picinic benches for students to eat on. In the back of the school there was an outdoor pool which was open year round, and an indoor gymnasium. The "industrial arts" wing of the school housed several regional occupational programs such as auto-body, print shop and horticulture.
South County possessed good weather most of the year so students roamed the halls freely at lunch and spread out to find space where they could hang out with their friends or just to be alone and read a book or lay down and take in the warm California sunshine.
The smoking area was next to the parking lot and it consisted of a small fenced in area across from the math department and next to the auditorium. There was no grass in the space just a few tables and concrete. There were ash cans at either end and students were encouraged to throw their cigarette butts in the cans or risk losing the privilige of the smoking area. Most students complied with the request of the administration.
Walking into the smoking area one would find an odd assortment of people. Usually there was the typical groups of "stoners" who smoked cigarettes. There were also "cowboys" who dipped snuff and other forms of chewing tobacco. There was also a "Cholo" or latino component. Usually a few girls and one or two guys.
The diverse groups all got along fine for the most part. Any "scores" that had to be settled had been dealt with in middle school which ran through 9th grade. The fact is that many of the people who were troublemakers in Junior High just didn't make it to High School. Most of them dropped out so they were no longer an issue socially in the school. People who made it to 10th Grade tended to be a little more reponsible and under control.
There was a lady yard duty supervisor named "Bobbie," who watched the smoking area like a hawk. She tended to wear long leather jackets and looked like someone from an old "gestapo" film. Her task of supervising the smoking area was far easier than that of the parking lot or the rest of the campus because it was so large. She treated the students with respect and had a good rapport with them. The concentration of students could often get up to near 100 people densely packed into the small area that was about fifty by one hundred feet.
Everyone who entered the smoking area was part of a "sub-group" at WAHS. It was by far the most peaceful place on campus. Not that there were a lot of fights at the school, but everyone in the smoking area was on their best behavior for fear of the privilige being revoked. Everybody knew that it was a privilige and not a right to smoke at school. People respected it and didn't want to lose the privilege. Being late to class meant possibly losing one's smoking area priviliges so students who smoked actually had a lower incidence of tardies than other students. Nobody ever dared trying to light a joint to use other drugs in the smoking area. Disturbances were rare. Most students followed the rules and the smoking area was one of the cleanest parts of campus.
The several picnic benches throughout the area were each staked out by a group. The Cobras had theirs and it was in the northeast corner of the area next to a small tree which somewhat covered the table.
Rosco and Gator entered the area from the north entrance. A four foot high cyclone fence extended around the area. There were hedges surrounding the fence giving the area less of a "cage" look. The rear of the smoking area was on the west side. There a six foot cyclone fence faced the parking lot. One could sit or stand in the smoking area and see the whole north end of the parking lot. That is where most of the "stoners" or "burn-outs" parked their cars. It gave them easy access to the smoking area, and from time to time the opportunity to take a few quick hits before entering the campus. As the two entered they could see their group assembled by their usual table.
Oakie and Vette were engaged in conversation and Spanky was busy telling "DWB" about the time that they all were lookng for him on a "snipe hunt." Everyone had driven right past him as time expired.
Snipe hunts were one of the favorite activities of the Cobra CB club. The club had been founded by Oakie and a couple of former WAHS students. They had been bored out of their skulls the previous year during the "dog days of summer." There wasn't much to do in South County socially except hang out down on Main Street at the old gas station or "cruise the strip," essentially burning gas cruising from one end of town to the other and back again. El Toro was pretty much a "one-horse-town" and in order to make something fun happen it took some creativity. The Cobra CB club had been around for about a year. It was a social organization first. People started getting on the CB radio when it became a fad in the late 1970's. By the early 1980's it had reached El Toro and the South County area. Finally a group of people started using it to broadcast the whereabouts of "road-parties." These were popular and spontaneous events that usually surrounded someone purchasing a keg of beer and then inviting people to help drink it for a nominal fee. The Cobras discovered that by posting lookouts with radios that they could vacate the area long before the police ever arrived to break things up and arrest those responsible for "contributing to the delinquency of minors."
South County was a large area but sparsely populated. There were still a lot of lonely roads, dirt roads and farmer's fields where people could gather briefly, and depart without getting caught.
The "snipe hunt" had developed as a way to call people to the party. Later it evolved into a dedicated club activity with a prize and a time limit. In essence, the Cobras was a way for people to pool their resources, have fun and stay out of trouble by working together.
Spanky, Rosco, Gator, Oakie and Johnny-boy were all members who attended Wild Acorn High. Suzy-Q was an "associate" as she didn't pay dues. But the club welcomed her and other girls anyway.  Someone had once suggested at a club meeting that it was a problem having girls join for free. Oakie had explained that it was one of the goals of the club in the first place. "Listen," he said. "If we get to the point where we have so many hot chicks trying to come to all of our functions that it starts becoming a problem I believe we will have achieved our objective in founding this organization." Everyone had laughed and that had ended the subject.
Steve fired up a Marlboro light in his usual detailed and repetitive manner. He was very particular about smoking and how he arranged his cigarettes inside the pack. he would carefully tear away the insulating foil from the top of the pack just inside the cover and then pull the entire pack out of the box. He would then return the cigarettes into the box filter-end first. He would then pull one cigarette out. Tap it twice on the box or another surface with the filter side down and then flip it into his lips and light his zippo lighter once and it would light immediately. He would draw the smoke in fast with the cigarette between his right fore and middle finger at exactly the second knuckle. He would observe the cherry on the end to make sure it was lit and then satisfied that all was right with the world he would continue to smoke.
Steve seemed to enjoy smoking more than others did.  Sometimes he would light one right after another as it he had a limited time to smoke and wanted as much as possible. Spanky had been the first to notice Steve's odd way of smoking and decided to share it with the group today.
"Frogurt you are way too religious about your smoking. Its not a damn holy act its just a cigarette."
Everyone laughed as Steve stood transfixed on his cigarette.  Spanky fumbled in his pockets, suddenly aware that he wanted a cigarette.
"Oh shit I'm out again," Spanky said as he looked into an empty pack of Marlboro reds.
"Gimmie one of those girl cigarettes you're smoking Frogurt I'm out again," he said.
"Gator did you take my last smoke?" He said looking over at Gator who was puffing on a Marlboro red.
"Not this time dick," Gator said laughing.
Steve suddenly caught up with the conversation after bing transfixed on something in the distance.
"Man you have nerve. First you insult me then you try to bum a cigarette from me. " Steve laughed.
"Here," he said offering one out of his freshly opened pack.
"Nah I'll take one of Gator's Marlboro reds. I'm not that desperate yet." Spanky laughed.
Everyone laughed and Gator handed Spanky one of his cigarettes.
"He where's the box? I want to choose my own." Spanky argued.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Gator said.
"You might have poisoned it," Spanky said straight faced.
"Why would I poison you? Then I'd have to ride the bus home."
"I'd give you a ride," Steve said, "If you'd just put him out of OUR misery." He emphasized the word "OUR" and everyone howled.
"Shuddup Rosco, this is serious. Gimmie the box Gator. Come on don't be a dick." Spanky said with agitation clearly in his voice.
Gator put the box in front of Spanky's nose. "Mmmm, smells good doesn't it. Fresh tobacco, ahhh." He said as he twisted the box slightly under Spanky's nose so he could smell it.
"Dude get your fingers out of my face who knows where they've been, " Spanky said laughing slightly but still trying to maintain a hard look on his face.
"Dude give me the pack so I can choose my own," he said as he pushed Gator's hand away.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Gator said again laughing at his ability to dangle Spanky on a string for a change.
"You'll be begging for a ride home if you don't give me a smoke right now and let me choose it myself," Spanky said with a hint of pouting in his voice.
"Hey Rosco," Gator said,"can I get a ride home?"
Steve was genuinely enjoying this game and said," Sure Gator it would be a pleasure to drive you home as long as you don't give Spanky here a smoke." He laughed and smiled at Spanky.
"That's it Frogurt," Spanky said. "You're dead." He lunged at Steve but missed and began chasing him around the table.
"Gator you're a dick," Spanky said, trying desperately to run down Steve who was much faster with his long legs.
Steve ran while smoking his cigarette and stopping every now and then to dump an ash. He mocked Spanky's slowness and whether he wanted to continue or not as both of them were beginning to tire from the activity.
Just when Steve thought he had given up, Spanky took of his jacket and handed it to Johnny-boy.
"Hold this," Spanky said.
He then ran to his right and Steve ran to his right too, keeping the short end of the rectangular table between them. There were several people sitting on the table including Suzy-Q, SueBear, and Misty. Steve stopped in front of Suzy-Q and her friend Misty and smiled at them both. Spanky was on the other side of the table and took a step on the bench and propelled himself at Steve twisting as he jumped. He landed on his back between two of the girls with his head between their legs as he reached out in one swift movement like a swimmer and grabbed Steve's cigarettes in his belt behind his jeans.
"I got your smokes," Spanky laughed. The two girls got up laughing and Steve reached down with both hands around Spanky's hand holding the brand new box of cigarettes and tried to dislodge them.'
"Let go Frogurt or I'll crush them." Spanky threatened.
Steve was defiant and said," Don't do it or I'll drop you."
Spanky suddenly realized that the only thing holding him up was Steve's two hands.
"You wouldn't dare," he said.
"I will," Steve threatened. "Gimmie back my smokes."
Spanky laughed and caught his breath. Everyone was watching him. He was drawing looks from across the smoking area now. Even Bobbie the yard duty supervisor was watching and clearly she wasn't seeing the humor in it at all.
"You won't drop me you're Frogurt," Spanky said laughing and questioning at the same time.
"Stop it both of you," Bobbie said in a calm and yet very authoritative manner. She was wearing a black leather trench coat with a belt around her middriff. Her high heeled boots and a scarf around her jet black hair combined with her dark sunglasses, and ruby red lipstick made her seem like a character out of a spy novel. She stood about five and a half feet but her boots and manner made her seem much taller. She looked down at Spanky hanging precariously upside down with his back to the ground and Steve holding him up.
Steve suddenly saw Bobbie next to him and was startled. He released his grip at her appearance and Spanky's smile of joy at the struggle and attention focused on him turned to surprise as he felt Steve release his hand. His eyes got big suddenly as he felt gravity return to his suspended torso. He fell about two feet onto his back knocking the breath out of him. He looked up and saw six people standing over him and laughing. One person was looking sternly at him.
"Let that be a lesson to you, " Bobbie said as she turned and walked away. Her notebok was tightly gripped in one of her leather glove bound hands, the other held a pen like a riding crop.
Spanky was gasping for air with his eyes wide open. Suzy and Misty leaned forward to lift him up. Each of them grabbed an arm and pulled him into a sitting position.
Catching his breath Spanky said, "I must be in heaven I see two angels."
The two girls dropped him and he fell back onto his back.
"Pig," they both said as they marched off.
Everyone laughed and Gator threw him a cigarette. It landed between his legs. Spanky grabbed it and put it between his lips asking "Anyone got a light?"
"You better smoke that thing in a hurry the bell," Gator was cut off in mid sentence by the sound of the warning bell.
"Shit," Spanky said. "Just my luck. Rosco you're a dick. Gator you're a dick. Why does everyone hate me?" He asked seriously.
Steve offered him the rest of his half-smoked cigarette. "You can get a few drags out of this one if you want, " he laughed.
Spanky got up and reached for the half-smoked cigarette just as Steve flicked it away and onto the table.
"You dick you're gonna pay," Spanky said.
"I pay everyday Spanky," he laughed and turned and walked out of the smoking area.
The smoking area cleared quickly and soon Spanky was all alone sitting by the table.
"Guess I'll go to class he said as he got up, dusted himself off and grabbed the half cigarette Steve had flippied and took a couple of puffs as he exited the smoking area.
He was about ten paces from the door to his class when the tardy bell rang.
"Shit, I'm late again." He said aloud. Then he opened the door and walked into the classroom.