One Minute Past Midnight: A John Drake Mystery by Martin Crosbie

Author:Martin Crosbie [Crosbie, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Martin Crosbie
Published: 2024-04-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Chilliwack, 1985

THE LAST FEW months of grade twelve raced past her as if fueled by some kind of mysterious force. Tracy was aware that Mondays became Tuesdays and Tuesdays gave way to Wednesdays and the end of the school week was always Friday, but as graduation approached, the days didn’t pass with the same clunky monotony they had during previous years. Now they held promise and hope. On June 17, 1982, she’d wear a cap and gown and receive a diploma. No more homework, no more awkward interactions with other students who she’d never really understood, and no more obstacles holding her back. Now she just had to figure out what she was being held back from.

Her focus and priorities had changed during the past few months. The goals she’d set for herself in grade eight when she moved from elementary to high school had mostly been achieved, but they’d fallen by the wayside since she began dating Kevin, and she was on track to graduate with minimal distinction. The solid B’s she’d received all through high school had dropped to C’s and her desire to always excel and work hard had waned. But still, it did not matter. There was an end in sight, and although she didn’t know what her future held and her options were more limited than they were before she became Kevin’s girlfriend, her mind seemed to ignore reason as she was caught up in the euphoria that emanated from the other seniors at her school.

The future plans of her fellow students bounced off the walls of lockers throughout the hallways. Some of the boys from the rugby team or soccer team or basketball team or whatever team they were part of this season had hatched a scheme that was going to make them rich. They planned to rent a bus, fill it with cases of beer, and deliver it to Tumbler Ridge, the remote mining town that had sprung up in northern British Columbia. They’d sell the beer to the well-paid mining workers who had no access to liquor stores for five times what they’d paid for it and then return to pick up another load. Others planned on travelling. Even with the ongoing economic recession that was crippling some families, there were still parents who had the wherewithal to send their kids on trips to Europe, or closer to home, the romantic destination of Southern California. She heard her classmates speak of their planned debauchery, frequenting mythical foreign nightclubs and attending concerts to watch obscure rock bands that she’d never heard of. With an almost practiced repetition, each time the boy or girl spoke of his or her upcoming trip, they’d end their excited proclamation by saying, “My parents want me to enjoy the experience as a reward for my hard work.”

Sometimes the experience was referred to as a continental experience, other times it was called a worldly experience. Tracy only saw dollar signs and thought of the expenses involved when she heard her classmates talk about their trips.

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