Senior Prank (9781620957295) (16 page)

An hour later, with trophy in hand, the group departed in the school district van for their trip back to Houston. As they left the state meet, Potts called Winston to deliver the news. Winston said, “Coach, you deserve it. You've been a very positive influence on tons of kids during your time here. We'll celebrate Monday.”

The team arrived back at school a crowd of 200 welcomed them home, as word had quickly spread of their championship.

Monday members of the track team were in the school courtyard on Monday as the students filed in, accepting congratulations and showing their trophy and medals. School began at 7:30, and at 8:30 the principal came on with the daily announcements.

Today would be field day, farewell lunch, and yearbook signing party for the seniors. Tomorrow would be send off day for them. For the rest of the students this was the beginning of exam review week. Those students would finish school next week. He told the seniors to report to the football field at 9 a.m. He concluded his announcements at 8:40 then prepped for a raucous time on the football field.

At 8:45, a loud boat horn sounded. Nobody seemed to know why, but the seniors did. They left their classrooms, most against the wishes of the teacher, and headed for the school courtyard. They were gathering there in hopes of setting a record for the Guinness Book of World Records. The goal was to get all 450 students to the courtyard and have them send a text message at the same time. The record would be the most people sending a text message at one time in one place.

Winston got wind of the gathering, came running out of his office and toward the mob. He asked loudly, “Who's in charge here? I need to talk to that person.”

Melody Ryden spoke up. “Mr. Winston, nobody's in charge but this is a class project. We are preparing to set a world record for most texts at one time. It's called a flash mob. We'll be done in a few minutes.”

“No, No, No,” Winston said. “There will be no flashing. Anybody naked gets expelled. He or she won't graduate. Don't be stupid.”

“Nobody's going to get naked,” she answered. “Once we get this done, we'll head out to the football field.” Then Aaron Ryan hollered over a bullhorn, “Okay everybody, phones out, get ready to send a text. When you got it ready, hold it. Once everyone's ready to go, we'll send it together.”

Winston watched to make sure everyone stayed in line. “Let's get it over with and move on,” he said out loud to nobody in particular.

“All ready, now send!” shouted Aaron over the bullhorn. “Now we are a record setting class. Let's head to the football field and have some fun.”

Once they got to the football field, the students divided into groups and played games. The druggies headed under the bleachers to smoke a few joints for the last time during school. Aaron Ryan called Winston over to tell him that the senior class had decided to pay for some video cameras to be placed in places around the school. It would be the class's gift to the school.

“A year too late,” Winston said quietly, bringing back flashbacks of the governor's visit that might have been avoided if the school had the cameras then.

At ll:45 a.m. the students went to the cafeteria to enjoy their last school meal. Their teachers fed them chicken wings, pizza, tacos, French fries, and hamburgers.

“Best meal I've had in four years here,” Elvis said to Jose and Lamont.

Once they finished each senior got a pass to the yearbook signing party. To get their pass all debts and obligations had to be taken care of. The pass would get them into the auditorium where they could pick up their yearbook, and have fellow classmates sign it. Those without yearbooks were invited, also.

At the signing party, Winston reviewed the schedule for the final days. “Tomorrow school starts as usual, 7:30,” he said. “We'll have the senior send off at 9:30 a.m. Graduation practice is 10 a.m. Thursday on the football field. If you are one minute late, you don't walk. Graduation is Friday at 6 p.m. You have to be in under the bleachers by 5 p.m. If you don't understand, please ask. There will be no excuses.”

On senior send off day, seniors were called to the cafeteria at 9:15 a.m. They marched down through the school's long walkway out to the front of the main building, all the way being mooned, booed, called names and sometimes even applauded by the school's remaining students, who lined the path through the school. The seniors returned the favor, offering their own insults, the finger and crotch grabbing. As they left, the school band played the alma mater. Once the class hit the front entrance, they were free to leave. School then returned to normal for the remaining students and teachers. Final exams would start later in the week.

Graduation night saw a small group of protestors set up across the street from the stadium. They were protesting the school's ‘policy' for gay students, with such signs as “Unfair to Bear, Bear Has a Right to be Gay, and Gays Play Football, Too.” These protestors were actually Westside football players, still trying to rub salt in the wounds from their game last fall. Big Bear saw them, and this time, ignored them. After the ceremony started, they left. By the way, Big Bear had signed to attend the University of Texas on an athletic scholarship.

The students were in position under the bleachers by 5:40 p.m., many sweating in caps and gowns under the Texas heat. The graduation ceremonies were moved to the football field a few years in a cost cutting measure. Two years ago a sudden downpour hit the ceremony, sending people running for cover. As a result the band now got its own cover, a huge tent open at one end, hopefully to avoid a repeat of the instrument damage the water had caused that previous graduation ceremony.

At 5:50, the band played a few of the school's fight songs. Then at 6 p.m., the band broke into the graduation march,
Pomp and Circumstance
. The students filed onto the field and headed down to the front rows of bleachers reserved for the occasion.

As the band played Elvis said to the person in front of him, showing his now money making side, “Wonder how much in royalties Edward Elger has gotten over the years for that march being played? Can you imagine how many times that song has been played since he wrote it in 1901?”

“Edgar who?” the student asked back.

“Edward Elger,” Elvis said. “He wrote that in 1901 for a ceremony in London.”

The marchers filed into their seats while the band played, a collection of red, blue and white, the school colors, caps and gowns. As the final student was seated, the many in the class stood up and started singing Alice Cooper's song,
School's Out
. Winston, sitting on the stage, jumped up once the singing began, and motioned with his hands to the class to be quiet. After a verse and one chorus, the singing faded and youngsters sat down.

Following the last student were a few of the FFA members, escorting two of the club's pigs on a lease, the same ones that almost ran over the governor's wife. The pigs were dressed in a cap and gown. After parading in front of the students and stage, the FFA members took the pigs away. It was their graduation, too, since they were being sold to a local slaughterhouse in the next week.

As soon as the students were seated, a few notes starting circulating through the group. They were all the same and at times crossed paths. The notes read, “Pie fight in parking lot after ceremony. FREE pies. Have fun.” There was no name to the note.

Students wondered if the note was serious or just another prank, but many were excited about the possibility of such an event. Many in the class realized at that point it would be difficult to administer any disciplinary actions.

Winston went to the microphone and made the welcoming remarks, then asked everyone to stand for the national anthem and alma mater. Elvis had already started playing games in the crowd. He recruited a few students near him to shoot rubber bands into the graduating seniors. If it hit the cap, it was a point, and if it stayed on the cap it was five points. Rubber bands were flying and a few game participants whispered scores. When the supply of rubber bands ran out, the game ended with no clear winner.

The guest speaker, Senator Randolph Jenner, a Thomas Jefferson graduate, spoke next using a bunch of typical graduation phrases, such as “Your future's in front of you, you can be anything if you are willing to pay the price, and this isn't the end, this is your beginning.” After 15 minutes, it was time for the valedictorian and salutatorian to offer their wisdom. When Muhammed Albani took the podium, he looked terrified.

Just then Lamont hollered “Hungry Dog, Whopper!” G heard him, laughed and rifled off his speech with ease.

Then came the moment all had waited 13 years of school for. The awarding of the diplomas finally was on the agenda. The honor students were awarded diplomas first. Elvis sat there, thinking it would be the final time he'd see many of these fine young females strut their stuff. He thought about the many pranks and jokes he had played on many of these students throughout the years. “Man,” he thought to himself, “it's been a blast.” Those pranks livened up many dull school days.

But the short trip across the stage through the years is where students thought self expression was necessary. Winston tried to limit misbehavior and set up two of his strictest teachers by the steps to the stage to check each student before they made the march. But somehow, those determined to bend the rules found a way to circumvent the situation.

One student, known as FlipFlop, was told no flip flop shoes across the stage. Elvis didn't even know his name, since everyone called him FlipFlop for his penchant of wearing these type of shoes everyday. Nobody ever saw him in any other shoe in the four years at TJHS. As FlipFlop approached the teachers, they peered down at his feet. Wow, a pair of saddle shoe loafers. But when his name was called, he paraded across the stage, holding up his gown so that all would see his flip flop shoes. Winston kept going, handing the youngster his diploma as though he didn't notice the footwear.

Next came Bling, the nickname for Lavonte Mills, who was never seen without his 25 or so gold chains and fingers full of gold rings. Excessive jewelry was not permitted so when Lavonte was checked by the teachers at the foot of the stage he had two chains on. They told him to tuck them in his robe. By the time he reached Winston, the usual 25 chains and rings appeared.

Jose Hernandez was among the next group. He dared not do anything that would embarrass his or Missy's parents so he decided there would be only one expression of joy. He took out final exam from Ms. Blossom's chemistry class, held it up and kissed it, then walked over to Winston, got his diploma and handshake, and exited the stage.

The school's top rapper, James Javoris, was one of the next diploma recipients.

James, who called himself Dollar Bill because he said he was twice as good as Fifty Cent, was never seen in school without his iPod in his ear, bouncing and rapping around the halls. There was no iPod, but he did rap and pimp across the stage, stopping to get his diploma and his soul type handshake. He continued his act as he exited the stage.

Elvis McGraw, the class clown, was next. Everybody wondered what he would do. The king of pranks had to have one up his sleeve. Instead, he walked over to the podium and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a special announcement. One hour after this ceremony is over the Texas Redneck Rockers will hold a special free concert for this graduating class right here in this stadium. See you there. Now I got to move on.” He went to Winston, received his diploma and left the stage.

The crowd didn't know whether he was serious or not. It was the first time such a happening was mentioned. Many thought that Elvis simply saw an opening and took it; others were convinced if Elvis said it, it was true. They'd have to wait and see.

Finally, it was Lamont's turn. The teachers let him pass wearing his state championship track medals and track shoes. When his name was announced Lamont got down like he was getting into the starting blocks for one of his races. Winston saw this and decided to play along by putting his hand in the air as if to fire the starting gun. Winston pumped his arm as if to shoot the gun. Lamont jumped out of the blocks, ran over to Winston, gave him a hug, grabbed his diploma and took off.

Charles Torgon, the ROTC student, pulled out his army helmet and marched across the stage, getting his diploma, saluting the principal and marching off. He was leaving for basic training in two weeks. As he did this, a few of the graduates, chanted loudly in unison, “Patton, Patton, Patton….”

The final student to receive his diploma was Eric Zutich. Since he was the school text messaging champ, he walked across the stage playing with his phone. Zutich was so good he could text with the phone in his pocket without error. So, he held up his phone, texting in the air above his head as he walked.

After the last diploma, Winston went back to the stage, gave his thank yous and closing remarks. He confirmed what Elvis had said saying, “Yes, Elvis's group will play starting at 11 p.m., an hour from now.” Both had cut a deal with Elvis that if Elvis's group got to play for an hour, he'd let Winston know who was responsible for all the pranks during the governor's visit. Not solving the crimes had the same impact as falling asleep in the last ten minutes of
Law and Order
. Things seemed incomplete. Now he could complete the puzzle, even if meant a deal with Elvis.

Winston had a minister close the ceremony, then dismissed the students. The band struck up Elger's big hit from 1901 and the students filed out to their place under the bleachers. Once all the graduates disappeared, Winston dismissed the rest of the crowd saying, “Congratulations graduates. You are now alumni of Thomas Jefferson. Good luck. Now everyone else, you are free to go.”

Once they were dismissed the students took off to greet family. A few ran to the parking lot to see if the pie fight was on. When they got there, they saw a pick up truck full of whipped cream cans and pie plates. Students grabbed plates and a few cans of cream, started filling them and chasing each other, blasting each other with pies to the face. As more students saw what was happening, they, not wanting to miss out on the fun, took off to join in the action. Soon there were more than 250 students slamming each other with pies.