______________________________ DURING THE NIGHT, after watching the airplanes take off during the day...at the end of SUNDAY, AUGUST 14th, 1960
It was 10 o'clock that Sunday night in the community of Duran, New Mexico. And at the residence of the Rhonson Coyote Family it was getting time for the cubs to get to bed. Earlier during that Sunday, everyone had enjoyed watching the planes taking off earlier in the day in Albuquerque after church was over, which was quite a treat for the cubs. And after coming home that evening, the cubs enjoyed playing with their 0.27 gauge trains for a while until it was time to go to bed. "It's getting late, and the cubs are scheduled for their back to school physicals tomorrow morning", Marge reminded Al. "I'm glad you reminded me of that", Al replied. "Okay, everyone. It's time to be getting to bed", Al announced to the cubs shortly past 10:00 pm. "You have back to school physicals tomorrow morning". "Can we stay up a little longer?", Jed asked. The cubs were having lots of fun running their toy trains on their large train board.
"Yea. I was about to have a train drag a car", Rex added as he had a Matchbox brand, toy Vauxhall Cresta tied to the back of a toy train with a length of string, and ready to drag the die cast toy automobile down the tracks.
"That's gonna be wild", said Clarence in anticipation of watching the train drag the automobile. ""To bed", Al insisted to the cubs, then explained, "And Rex. What you're about to do with that die cast metal car will short circuit the tracks. That's best done with a plastic car". "I'll switch it out for this one then", Rex proclaimed as he reached for a plastic, O scale, 1960, Plymouth sedan parked near a 1/72 scale model church". "You're not switching out anything right now", Al told Rex. "It's to bed now, or we're talking about a different kind of switching". That promptly got Rex's attention...And what Al said to Rex also got Jed's attention just before he was about to make his way over to the transformer and controls to be ready to start the train. "You cubs have an appointment with Dr. Ruben Ocelot tomorrow for your back to school physicals", Marge told the cubs. "It's past ten o'clock already", Al exclaimed. "You cubs need to be getting to bed". "Does that go for me too?", Clarence asked. "Being that, you know, they're close to getting the time machine fixed?". "Jamar Mongoose had made good progress on back engineering and duplicating that osculation fluctuator. But we do still have final repairs of the machine ahead of us to go yet", Al said to Clarence. Marge added, saying to Clarence, "And if the machine's not fixed by the time school begins, you can't be staying out skipping school". "Oh, okay", Clarence acknowledged. "We'll still be in the same class together", Rex assured Clarence. "Yea, that's right. Like we were in Glenda Otter's class in the 3rd grade", Clarence affirmed. "Wanda Bear is the 4th grade teacher. And she's not as strict as Glenda Otter is", Jed mentioned from his past experience going through the 4th grade. "Wanda Bear will be our teacher when school starts this year", Rex said to Clarence. "Well, school for you cubs can't start without your back to school physicals", Al told the cubs. "So you cubs need to be getting to bed", Marge added. "We don't have to get stuck tomorrow with a pookey ole needle, do we?", Donna retorted. "Those pookey ole needles as you call them are vaccines", Marge mentioned to Donna. "Those are to prevent you from getting a bad disease from another cub in school". "And there's also the naked part", Rex jested. "Yeah. Don't let the little red guy out of his sheath", Jed added as the cubs laughed. "Jed. Rex.", Al called down the two boys. "That's enough of that kind of talk. This house is not a locker room...Okay?". "Oh. Okay, Dad", Oldest brother Jed acknowledged. "I just don't like being Miss Pin Cushion though", Donna insisted. "Don't they have the vaccines as a pill?" Al replied to Donna, "If you ever end up like Ryan and Janice Lynx's younger brother did three years ago, you'd wish you had those vaccines". "Oh gee, I didn't know Ryan and Janice had a younger brother", Clarence said. "They use to", Al said to Clarence. "Landon Lynx". Al then explained to Clarence how Landon passed away at home of Hepatitis one April night back in 1957. "He was only 5 years old", Marge further said to Clarence. "I remember Ryan was nine years old then, and Janice was six. Everyone really missed him". "Most of us still do", Al added. "I was only three back then", Donna further added. "Wow. I guess that's a good reason to get the vaccines, isn't it", Clarence replied. "I'd say so", Al answered Clarence. "Well...I guess getting sticked with the needles is better than windin' up like Landon did", Donna finally admitted. "That's right", Al replied to Donna, then announced, "So...You cubs get your shower then head for the bed". "They should get their shower in the morning being they're going to the doctor", Marge suggested to Al. "Okay then...Straight to bed", Al said to the cubs in agreement with Marge. With that said, Jed, Rex, Clarence and Donna promptly got to bed. Al and Marge then went around the house setting the window fans into motion, being it was a hot August summer night. The last thing was to turn on the radio in the dining room to play music soft and low during the night. After that, Al and Marge got to bed. As it had been on most summer nights, the sounds of the katydids singing outside, the window fans running, and the radio playing soft and low made an excellent combination of white noise to sleep by.
After everyone had gotten to sleep as the radio played soft and low with the katydids singing and the window fans humming, Clarence had a dream that seemed so prophetic and real. The dream was of Clarence being back in the year 2018, and he and his biological siblings, Jack and Rhonda, were playing with the grandcubs of Jed, Rex, Donna, Ryan Lynx, Janice Lynx and Randy Fox. Another vision in the dream was of the surviving grandparents (Al, Marge and Victoria Lynx), grandparents, parents and the cubs getting ice cream in the nearby hometown of Vaughn.
Clarence had been having these kind of prophetic dreams during some nights as far back as late July, which could very well have been glimpses into the years and days to come. After all, had Clarence not taken his journey to the year 1960, Al, Marge and their cubs, along with their neighbors in Duran, would never have the occasion to become acquainted with Clarence and his family near Vaughn.
______________________________ DURING THE NIGHT at the end of SUNDAY, AUGUST 14th, 1960 and before dawn MONDAY MORNING THE 15th Approximately 50 miles north of Duran, in the town of Santa Rosa, Skip Raccoon and his girl friend, Sophia, were out on a date in Skip's dad's 1957 Mercury at the Comet Drive-in. https://www.google.com/search?q=1957+mercury+2+door+har... Of course, Skip's parents, as well as Sophia's parents, have always wanted them in at night by 10 o'clock. However, 10 o'clock was an hour ago. It was going on 11 o'clock, and the teenage raccoon couple were still an hour and 20 minutes away from their hometown of Moriarty. There at the Comet Drive-in also were Colton and Jan Fox, who are two of Skip and Sophia's fellow graduates from Estancia High School class of 1960. Colton and Jan were in Colton's dad's 1954 Kaiser Manhattan, parked along side Skip and Sophia. https://www.google.com/search?q=1954+kaiser+manhattan&a... The Comet Drive-in had a music system with outside speakers which played songs turned down soft and low. The song presently playing was a 1960 release titled, Always - Always. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5YOAH-Vyng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzWFPE2B_hs "So how was your day, Skip", Colton Fox asked during the course of conversation. "I helped my dad get his table saw fixed today", Skip answered. "We finally got an arbor we needed to get the saw working. And we were able to begin building a tool shed this evening". "Oh that sounds cool", Colton replied, then asked, "Wasn't your dad's saw down since the end of last month?" "Yea it was", Skip answered. "They had the order loused up for three weeks on that part we needed". "I remember hearing about that", Sophia said. "That flub-a-dub was going on since the end of July, wasn't it?". "Sure was", Skip affirmed. "Speaking about flub-a-dubs", Colton Fox said. "Looking for work's been one big flub-a-dub, let me tell ya". "No luck finding work?", Skip Raccoon asked Colton Fox. "Not yet, Skip", Colton replied. "Just ain't easy, ya know". Colton's girl friend, Jan Fox, added, "Colton's been trying to find a job sense we graduated three months ago". "We're all just starting out in life, you know", Sophia Raccoon assured the teen foxes, Colton and Jan. "Something's bound to happen. Just got to be patient". "My dad offered me a job in his car repair shop", Colton Fox said. "I originally wanted to find a job on my own, but if nothing happens soon, I'll take up on my dad's offer". "Oh shucks. You should", Skip Raccoon said to Colton. "Car repair is a good trade to get into". "I'm considering it", Colton replied. "You did good, Skip", Jan Fox said. "You got that machine shop apprentice job right after we graduated". "Are they still hiring?", Colton Fox asked. "I wish I could say they are. But they're not right now", Skip replied. "Aw, ain't that a bite", Colton retorted. "I know. It's a shame they're not", Sophia Raccoon mentioned. "Skip has $540 saved up since he started". "Boy I can sure dig that. That's a hunk a dough", Colton said. $540 in 1960 was like $5,400 is in the 21st Century. "I might have enough by now to get my own car...And maybe even enough left over to hop it up as a hot rod", Skip proudly proclaimed. "Oh that would be so keen", Sophia added. "A hot rod would be the upmost". "It would beat driving Daddy's crate, like I'll be doing for a while to come", Colton said. "Well, I know that's got to feel like nowheresville", Skip assured Colton. "But you know something's got to shake sooner or later". "How late is this joint open tonight anyway?", Colton then asked. "Till midnight on weekends", Skip answered as Sophia nodded in agreement. "This is Sunday night". "Wanna stay out till midnight?", Jan asked Colton. "I'm hip for it, Baby", Colton replied. "Sophia and I will be here till they close tonight too", Skip proclaimed. "That's our game plan for tonight", Sophia agreed. Colton Fox then mentioned to Skip, "Yea, but...I thought your mom and dad, and her mom and dad as well, would have a cow about you all rollin' in after ten". Sophia added, "We're already 18, and our parents treating us like cubs has gotta stop". "That's right", Skip added. "We don't stay cubs all our lives. And our parents have to learn to dig that...Ya know?" Colton mentioned to Skip, "Just hope your dad doesn't snatch the wheels out from under you. That is your dad's crate after all". Skip Raccoon replied, "With the money I got, I'll simply buy a car of my own if he does". A short while later, the Comet Drive-in's music system was playing another 1960 release, Ev'ry Time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af56OAbnvrA As the fox and raccoon youths were enjoying their burgers 'n' fries 'n' cherry pies...and a shake, Guss Bear and his fiancée, Marsha, who also graduated high school three months earlier, came riding in on Guss' Harley Davidson. "Heyyy, Skip...Sophia", Guss Bear called out as he and Marsha pulled up. "What's buzzin', cuzzin?", Marsha added. "Same ole, same ole", Skip replied, "How about you". "Couldn't be better", Marsha answered as Guss agreed. Guss then said to Skip and Sophia, "I didn't expect to see you two out this late. Don't your parents have that 'in by ten' rule?" "Not tonight, Guss", Sophia Raccoon answered, "We're gonna show our parents tonight we can stay out as long as we like". "Yea I can dig that. That beezwax of being treated like a cub never is cool", Guss said to Sophia. "Marsha's parents and my parents let us stay out late as we want". "And that beezwax is getting old big time too", Skip added. "She-whiz. I know it has to be", Guss Bear agreed. "Guss and I have also been looking into getting a pad of our own", Marsha said as she and Guss were getting off the Harley. "And we plan on getting married before the end of the year", Guss added as Colton, Jan, Skip and Sophia congratulated them. "Well, we're going to go over and place our order", said Guss as he and Marsha made their way to the order window. Being that Guss and Marsha were on a motorcycle, it was a good thing the Comet Drive-in had outdoor tables...Those tables and benches were the kind that were made completely of precast concrete. Not long thereafter, Danny Otter with his girl friend, Lidia, rode up in Danny's Studebaker Golden Hawk. https://www.google.com/search?q=1958+studebaker+goldenh... Danny pulled up along side Skip and Sophia in the '57 Mercury so he and Lidia can socialize with the raccoon couple and the fox couple after they order their meals. By the way, Danny and Lidia Otter are also graduates of Estancia High School class of 1960. Once the otter couple got their food and drink, they took it out to the car. Skip, Sophia, Colton and Jan had by this time got out of the cars so everyone can stand around and talk. A 'King of Rock-n-Roll' song was playing on the Comet Drive-in's music system by this time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UsiVkugQVo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvP8oJQKGHw There was also a teenage wolf couple in a hot rod made up from an old, black, 1932, Ford hot rod (a deuce) with flames painted on the sides. And there was teenage cougar couple in a 1953 Ford that was also hopped up as a hot rod. Those couples were graduates of Vaughn High School class of 1960 (county north of Torrance County). As for those teenagers who were not yet high school graduates, they had already left being that it had been 10 o'clock well more than an hour ago. That was because they were still at ages of 16 and 17, thus being at an age when Mommy and Daddy still laid down the rule of what time to be back home...Plus the younger teens would be in violation of Santa Rosa's curfew on minors if they were still out after 10:00 within city limits. Eventually, it was getting even further past eleven o'clock. "Well, I know my dad is pitching a cow 'bout now", Skip Raccoon said. "So's mine I'm sure. Since more than an hour ago", Sophia added. "But we're showing them a thing or two". "Showing your folks what?", Lidia asked. "Showing them that we're old enough not to have to be in by ten", Skip interjected. "What? You two are 18, and your folks want you in when the young bucks and teenyboppers come home?", Danny Otter asked, then said. "Ever since I graduated, my dad and mom doesn't worry about how long I stay out". "Mine neither", Lidia added. "Same with my brother, Jeff", Danny continued. "When he graduated a few years ago, he was able to stay out as late as he wants...Of course, Jeff has his own place now". "Uh oh. Here comes bad news", Colton Fox said. "Wouldn't ya know it...Biff and bunch in their creepmobile", Skip Raccoon added as a Gold 1959 Cadillac with a white roof came rolling into the parking lot.
"Yea, the classic party pooper bunch", Sophia added. "The goon platoon more like it", Jan Fox further added. And sure enough, it was the delinquent pit bull teens, Biff, Richie, Gaston and their girl friends Sandra, Avia and Roxane. After Biff parked the Cadillac, his younger brother Richie got out and emulated a royal herald trumpet by going, "Bawhhh Bawp-bawp-bawp-bawp--bawp bawp bawp bawp bawp bawhhhhhhh...Bawp-bawp bawp-bawhhhhhhh". Of course they've been drinking, which was evident by the partially consumed fifth of Old Crow whiskey in the car, the alcohol smell on their breaths, and by the way the pit bull teens were foolishly acting. As the rest of the gang exited the Cadillac belonging to Biff and Richie's dad, Gaston remarked to Sophia Raccoon, "Hey, Bitch. I gotta itch", which got the rest of the pit bull teens laughing. Immediately, Skip Raccoon ran up and slammed Gaston facedown onto the gravel parking lot, and hollered, "DON'T YOU EVER TALK THAT KIND OF SHIT AT MY GIRL FRIEND AGAIN!". "Hey, punk. You wanna try pushing me like that?", Biff retorted at Skip as Gaston slowly got back up off the ground and spitting out a couple pieces of gravel. "Just give me a reason to and I'll slam you too, Biff. I'm not scared of you", Skip replied. "Oh yea? You forgot what I did to Buckey Beaver when we were still in school?" Biff asked Skip. "Big whoopie shit. An elementary school cub", Guss Bear interjected at Biff. "Who asked you?", Biff retorted back at Guss. "Really took a brave bad ass to beat up a little third grade beaver cub, didn't it, Biff?", Skip retorted. "So what?", Biff retorted. "Oh real classic come back, Biff...So what", Sophia remarked. Guss Bear wasn't scared of Biff either and got up from the table to walk over and provide back up for Skip. "You want trouble, Biff ? You'll get it", Guss warned Biff and his bunch as he came walking over. Colton Fox however was among those who felt intimidated by Biff and his cronies...Though despite his fear of Biff and the bunch, he did stand with Skip and Guss as back up, but still showing outward signs of feeling uneasy. Danny Otter wasn't scared of Biff and his cronies either, however Danny was a loose knit associate within their circle of friends, and had been since elementary school. "Hey look Biff. Cool it", Danny said to Biff, trying to defuse the situation. "There's three guys against you three guys, and you all been drinking". "Aw come on, Danny", Biff retorted. "You know no one shoves one of my guys like Skippy the trash panda did and gets away with it". "Watch your pie hole, Biff! And my name happens to be Skip!...Get that?!", Skip Raccoon retorted at Biff for calling him Skippy the trash panda. "Care to prove it?!", Biff blasted at Skip. "Keep running your big bazoo, Biff, and bust it wide open for ya!", Skip warned Biff. Skip was fully capable of messing up any of those pit bull teens really bad, and everyone knew it. And Skip could have mopped the parking lot with Biff anytime he wanted to. "Gaston was in the wrong and he had it coming, and you know it", Danny retorted to Biff. "But like I said, it's three on three and you all have been drinking". "Six of us on three, counting us girls", Sandra wisecracked. "Even the score with us girls, Sandraaaaa. Six on six", Sophia Raccoon retorted back to Sandra. "Guss and I are bears. And I'm not just talking about the name of our varsity football team either", Martha Bear reminded Biff and gang. "Pit bulls don't stand a chance fighting us bears you know". Danny finally said, "Tell ya what, Biff. You start something, I'll stand with them too. It'll be seven on six". "Oh for crying out loud, Danny!", Biff retorted. "I mean it, Biff", Danny warned Biff. Danny Otter's girl friend, Lidia, pleaded, "Danny, please stay out of it". "What the fuck?", Richie added. "Oh that's like...soooo uncool, Dan", Roxane retorted. "Like, for real". About that time, the cougar and the wolf who graduated from Vaughn came walking over. The cougar warned the pit bull teens, "I'll stand with them also, you morons". "Same here", said the wolf. "Let it go, Biff. It won't end well for you", Danny Otter advised Biff. About that time, the night manager of the drive-in (a Badger) came out and announced, "I just now got off the phone with the police and they're on their way here". After the other animals testified that Biff and the other pit bulls were the trouble makers, the badger ordered Biff and his bunch off the premises. "This is a public place", Richie popped off at the badger. "We gotta right to be here". "YEA!" Get a loada THOSE apples why don'tcha!", Gaston further wised off like he was shouting it from the roof top. "Shut up, Gaston!", Sophia Raccoon retorted. "Remember how bad Skip beat the living Hell out of you in school last year?!" "I can always give him another beatin'! Right here! Right now!", Skip proclaimed. "I bet that'll shut him up!" "Look here, boy. You need to cool down. Okay?", the badger told Skip. After the badger got Skip to calm down, he then warned the pit bull teens, "All six of you got a choice. Leave now. Or if you are here when the police arrive, all six of you are going to jail". That got the attention of Biff and other pit bull teens real quick, despite the fact they were drunk. After they scrambled their way back into the Cadillac, Biff cranked it up, put it in reverse and hurriedly spun wheels backing out of the parking lot. As Biff put the Cadillac in drive, Richie hollered from the front passenger's seat", "KISS MY ASS!". "FLAKE OFF, DADDY-O!", Avia shouted at the badger from the back seat as Biff floored the accelerator, slinging gravel on the way out of the parking lot. Rear tires smoked and squalled after the Cadillac left the gravel and hit the pavement. Biff and gang then highballed it down the street out of there. "Assholes", Skip said of Biff and his cronies. "Takes all kinds", Marsha Bear added. After they were gone, Guss Bear thanked the cougar and the wolf for coming to their aid. "Any time", the cougar replied. "We had two wolverines who are like that in our school who graduated with us this year", the wolf mentioned. "Every school's got 'em, I guess", Guss Bear said. "And how", Marsha Bear added. "Now that those knuckleheads are down the road, things can get back to being peaceful", Colton Fox said as the cougar and the wolf walked back to their cars to be with their girl friends. "Biff and his cardboard warriors are more façade than you'd think", Skip Raccoon tried to assure Colton Fox. "Don't be scared of them". "Don't underestimate them either", Danny Otter said to Skip. "I've known Biff and Richie since we were cubs. They could mess up someone their size if they wanted to". "Danny's right", Lidia Otter affirmed. "I too have known Biff and Richie since we were cubs". "Means nothing to me", Skip Raccoon proclaimed. "If I see that punk Gaston again tonight, he better hope his daddy has good hospitalization insurance on him. He'll need it". "You do know Skip was on our high school football team", Sophia Raccoon reminded Danny and Lidia Otter. "I know", Danny acknowledged. "I can take any of them any day", Skip affirmed. "Well...In your case, you're probably right, Skip", Danny Otter admitted. "A high school bully is usually no match for a high school jock like yourself ". Everyone then continued to enjoy what was left to the evening as the music system played an older song titled Just Ask Your Heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7pdHn5Ldro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz1pnsXEq94 Of course, it wasn't long before midnight which was the time the Comet Drive-in closed on week ends. And when it was finally closing time, everyone headed home after an enjoyable evening out on a date. The badger who was the night manager still had some clean up to do before locking the place up to go home. As for Biff Pitbull and company, they had it set in their noggins to cruise around looking for more mischief for a while longer before calling it a night. Like everyone else did, Sophia and Skip headed homeward out on the way to Moriarty so Skip can drop Sophia off at her parents' house, after which Skip would go home to his parents' house. "I'm so proud of how you defended my honor from that creep", Sophia said to Skip as they headed west on Route 66 out of Santa Rosa. "Yea, Gaston don't have much sense", Skip acknowledged as they continued along Route 66. "One day that rockhead is gonna get himself hurt, and hurt bad". After going over the Southern Pacific railroad crossing out of town, Route 66 was then open highway. Though no other cars being on the road that late at night made it conducive for higher speeds, Skip still kept his dad's '57 Mercury at the night time speed limit of 65 mph. While cruising along, a romantic song played soft and low on the radio of that '57 Mercury.
The ride seemed so romantic with Skip and Sophia snuggled beside each other in that big powerful Mercury travelling down the lone highway...and with the song playing, and the stars above in the night sky. Eventually they drove past The Hop, which of course was closed being it was well past a Sunday midnight. "Oh, Skip", Sophia spoke up shortly after riding past The Hop. "What is it, Dear?", Skip replied. "Have you planned what to say to your parents about us being out so late?", Sophia asked. "Not really", Skip answered. "I'll just play it by ear, I guess". "I haven't thought of what to say to my parents either. But I gonna give 'em an ear full", Sophia said as she and Skip briefly laughed. "It is high time our parents get the picture we're not cubs anymore", Skip acknowledged. As Skip and Sophia eventually came to where Route 66 turns into the newly constructed Interstate 40, Sophia slid over across the front seat to cuddle up to Skip as they continued home. A few songs had played on the car's radio since leaving Santa Rosa. Other nice songs played on the car's radio while they were cruising along Interstate 40 in Skip's Dad's '57 Mercury under the romantic, starry sky on that warm August night, including...
A short while later, another song was playing on the car's radio as they were a few miles from approaching the exit for Clines Corners.
"We're going to need gas", Skip said as he slowed down for the exit. Observing the gas gauge was reading near empty, Sophia remarked, "Yea, I don't think your dad would be too happy bringing the car back on an empty tank". "I don't think what we got would have gotten us home to begin with", Skip added as he pulled off onto the exit. Upon leaving I-40, Skip pulled in at a Sinclair gas station on a corner of the interstate and Highway 285 which was open all night. Pulling up to the gas pumps, there was the small air cord that alerts the attendant of a customer...When a car rolls over the cord, squeezed air pressure rings a bell inside the gas station sounding >ding ding<. The attendant, a coatimundi, came out and asked, "Fill 'er up?" "Naw. Just ten gallons of regular", Skip replied. "Check your oil?", The attendant asked prior to pumping the gas. "It's good. Thanks anyway", Skip replied. As the attendant was pumping the ten gallons for Skip and Sophia Raccoon, Danny and Lidia Otter pulled up in their Studebaker Golden Hawk. "Fancy meeting you here", Danny said to Skip. "We're on our way home to hear the music from our parents", Sophia jested as everyone laughed. "We're about to call it a night too", Danny replied. "Hey Danny", Skip said. "I just want to say thank you for helping us stand down those morons at the drive-in tonight". "No problem", Danny replied. "Lidia and I grew up around Biff and Richie as cubs. I just have to say they got issues". "That will be 2 dollars and ninety cents", the attendant said after he finished pumping the ten gallons. "Did gas go up?", Skip asked. "Ten gallons of regular here was two, sixty". The attendant answered, "Since they remade Route 66 here into Interstate 40 I raised it three cents a gallon...I'm on an interstate now". "Okay, whatever", Skip remarked as he gave the attendant three dollars and got a dime in change. It was then back onto the interstate to continue onto Moriarty and head home. After Skip and Sophie had left, Danny Otter told the attendant, "The usual, Oscar. Fill it up with Ethel". "Sure thing, Dan", Oscar Coatimundi replied, then asked, "Check the oil?". "Oil's good", said Danny. Danny Otter's Golden Hawk is a high performance car, so he always get's the really good stuff in the tank. As Oscar Coatimundi was fueling up Danny's Studebaker Golden Hawk, that gold colour, 1959 Cadillac with a white roof pulled up...which was none other than Biff Pitbull and his cronies. "We meet again", Danny greeted Biff from inside his car. "That we did", Biff replied from inside his daddy's car. "Hey, you shoulda seen what we did out on Highway 285 twenty minutes ago", Richie proclaimed to Danny and Lidia. "We polished off a bottle of Old Crow we had with us", Biff added. "And we met one of those little Valiants like they came out with last year". "I chucked the bottle over our car and got 'em", Richie said. "Smack. Right in the windshield too", Roxane added. "Oh oh oh", Gaston exclaimed. "Tell 'em what we did last night". "Yea, that rebar gig", Richie laughed to Danny and Lidia. "That was a good one", Roxane added. Richie then continued, "You see, we took this piece of rebar. Then we bent it so it stands up with this long end pointing straight out...Dig?..." "We set up in the middle of Zuni Road", Gaston laughed. "In Albuquerque", Biff added then laughed, "And the first car that hit it was a Bernalillo County copper car, with two coppers in it". "Yea, a fox and rabbit", Sandra boasted. "Then they took off after us". "We hightailed it out of town on Interstate 40", Biff added. "But then their car streamed up on them and quit", Sandra further added. "That rebar fucked up their radiator. No wonder", Biff laughed. "Yea well...What did you accomplish from any of that?" Danny asked. "It was funny as shit. We got good shits 'n' giggles outta it", Gaston answered. "I'm sure the owner of that Valiant you all threw the whiskey at tonight didn't get a good laugh", Danny assured Gaston. "Aw come on, Danny. Stop being a killjoy", Biff replied. "That's their problem now anyway". Lidia then called from the front passenger's seat of Danny's Studebaker to Biff and the others, "That scene you all made at the Comet Drive-in tonight really wasn't cool either. I hope you know that". "That's right", Danny added. "No one comes to places like that with the idea in mind they're going to put up with crap like that". "What's wrong? Nobody can take a joke?", Gaston asked from inside the Cadillac. "That wasn't a matter of a joke, Gaston", said Lidia. "That remark you made at Sophia Raccoon tonight was inappropriate, and it was ignorant". "You're lucky Skip didn't mop the parking lot with you", Danny said to Gaston. "Hey, I'm not ig...", Gaston began to say. "You know us by now", Biff said to Danny and Lidia as he interrupted Gaston. "We were just being...us". "Yea, and that really should change", Danny replied. "I'm not...", Gaston again began to say before he was again interrupted. "Nawww. I don't think we can change", Biff again interrupted Gaston. Gaston then quickly stated, "I'm not ignorant". "Nice delayed response, Gaston", Richie jested. "Yea, gee, thanks", Gaston replied. "That will be four dollars and seventy two cents", Oscar Coatimundi said to Danny. "Keep the change", Danny said as he pawed a five dollar bill to Oscar. "Thanks, Dan", Oscar replied, then waited on the pit bull teens. "Fill 'er up?", Oscar Coatimundi asked Biff. "Yea. Fill 'er up. Regular", Biff replied. "Check the oil?", Oscar asked. "Naw, it's good", Biff answered. "Yea. Oil's good. We had it for breakfast this morning.", Gaston wisecracked from the back seat. "We got a comedian from the peanut gallery back there", Richie remarked as everyone laughed. "So what are you up to for the rest of the night?", Biff asked Danny and Lidia as Oscar Coatimundi began pumping gas for the pit bulls.. "We're calling it a night", Danny replied, then asked, "How 'bout you". "We doin' a laundromat gig", Richie interjected. "Not so loud, Rich", Biff reminded his younger brother Richie. Biff continued to tell Danny and Lidia, "There's a coin-op laundry in Santa Fe we want to hit tonight". "We're hoping for a hefty haul out of that one", Sandra added. "Oh...Like the one you all did in Albuquerque last week", Danny mentioned. "You know about that?", Biff asked in surprise. "Most of the alumni in our graduating class know about that", Danny replied. "Shit...And that damn cougar who owns that laundromat is offering a reward too", Biff mentioned. "Yea, we saw it on the news", Sandra said. Danny then advised Biff, "One of these days, you all are going to get caught doing the stuff you do. It's just a matter of time". Enough alcohol has a way of making one reply with silly stuff. "Hey, we got it all figured out", Richie insisted. "We're too smart to get caught". Lidia added, "Getting caught has already happened with that fire alarm stunt you all pulled a week before we graduated. Remember?". "Yea, that", Biff said. "Well...Shit". "That dopey coach coming around the corner in the hallway at the wrong time. That's why we got caught with that one", Richie replied. "Is there really a wrong time to come around the corner of a hallway?", Lidia asked Richie. Richie didn't have a come-back for that one. Danny then said to Biff, "The only reason you weren't finked on so far for that Albuquerque gig was either animals like us are too loyal to snitch you out, or others are too scared of you to snitch". Lidia mentioned to Biff. "You all are lucky Skip Raccoon doesn't know about it". "Yea", Danny agreed. "Skip is not loyal to you all. And he doesn't like any of you". "Well, that's no secret", Biff admitted. "Me and Richie have seen that all through high school". "And he's not scared of you either...so", Danny continued. Lidia added, "Skip would have no reason to not snitch you all out if he knew". "That's five dollars and thirty four cents", Oscar Coatimundi said to Biff. "Twenty eight cents a gallon?", Biff retorted. "Might proud of those prices ain'tcha?" "If you don't like it, don't come back", Oscar replied to Biff. "Okay okay", Biff replied as he paid Oscar. Oscar Coatimundi then said to the drivers of both cars, "I'd like to ask you, if you're going to continue your conversation, can you pull over by the curb over there as not to block my gas pumps". "Oh Okay, Oscar", Danny Otter replied as he and Biff drove their cars out of the way from the gas pumps. Once parked by the curb at the end of the lot, Danny said to Biff, "You do know you can't make a lifelong career out of stealing gumball machines and burglarizing laundromats". "Our dad said he'd teach us the construction trade one day, but that ain't never happened", Richie mentioned. "It's like he's always too freakin' busy", Biff added. "Maybe so", said Lidia. "But the owners of those laundromats and gumball machines have nothing to do with what your dad does and does not take the time to do". "Well I ain't about to go around broke", Biff retorted. "Hell will freeze over first". "Yea, Good looks don't buy stuff ya know", Sandra added. Danny then suggested, "You know my dad works as a scientist at Horizon Innovations". "Yea, right", Biff acknowledged. "I am aware of that". Danny continued, "They offer an apprentice program for anyone who is interested in perusing a profession in science and engineering. I applied for that program and got accepted, and this coming morning will be my first day". "They'll introduce Danny there in the morning after everyone there reports to work", Lidia added. "My apprenticeship will be in the same department where my dad works too", Danny further added. "Oh cool", Avia congratulated Danny. "Our friend Danny the scientist". "Kinda got a ring to it", Richie added. Lidia mentioned, "And they pay for your college as long as you are working for them. You'd go to college part time, and work at Horizon part time". "It's a learn while you earn program", Danny said to Biff, "You got your high school diploma. If you can get them to get your juvenile criminal record sealed, I don't see why you can't get the entry level security clearance you'd need. You should go check it out". "I duno", Biff replied. "I just don't dig that brainiac Professor Whittlespool scene...Ya know?...That's not me". "Thanks anyway", Sandra said to Danny. "But that noodle blaster nerd scene is really not my cup of tea either". "Same here", Roxane added. "You realize what a profession like that pays though?", Lidia asked. "I'm sure it pays well", Biff admitted. "And no offence intended to you, Danny. But no job can pay me enough to make me feel like I'm a square nerd". "That job would definitely be over my head for sure", Avia remarked. "I'm a high school drop out you know...Kinda proud of it too". "I came close to flunkin' math this year", said Richie. "I'd last as long as a snowball in Hell on that job". "That's why school is a place to get an education, and not a place for being a clown", Lidia said to Richie. "Gaston and you still haven't completed high school", Danny said to Richie. "You would do good to remember what Lidia just now told you when school starts again in a couple of weeks". Of course, Gaston put his two cents in with, "Yea like, 361 divided by apple pie, to the 3rd horsepower, times S plus H and I and T...Yea dig it". "Well, Danny. We appreciate the tip on the apprentice program, but it's not our scene", Biff said. "Okay. It's up to you. Their offer still stands", Danny replied. Biff then said to Danny and Lidia Otter, "We're outa here. See ya around". The pit bull teens then headed north on Highway 285 to Santa Fe to do that laundromat burglary and vandal gig like the one they did in Albuquerque a week earlier.
Long before I posted the final part (Part 45) of the story, I already had this part close to completion.
It was only after I had posted Part 45 that I wished I had taken the time to complete this part and posted it first before posting Parts 44 and 45. However...A fortunate thing about this excerpt is, the time setting is on the same evening and night time of the day when Al, Marge and the cubs were watching airplanes take off in Albuquerque. That being the case, it worked out perfect by tacking this excerpt onto the tail end of Part 43.
![Close-up of Radio and Fan [Page 3] by moyomongoose](https://va.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/3910/3910338_moyomongoose_sunday_night_aug_14_1960_0000f.jpg "Close-up of Radio and Fan [Page 3] by moyomongoose")
![Luck Won't be With Them Forever [Page 2] by moyomongoose](https://va.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/3273/3273940_moyomongoose_zzzzzzzzzz_biff_and_gang_pit_bulls_5.jpg "Luck Won't be With Them Forever [Page 2] by moyomongoose")
