Gateway: The Final Frontier

I watched it as it rose up from Mr. Rizzuto's field, the field he didn't like us to play in. I watched as they tore down the trees of the woods that were my worlds of imagination. High school in my own back yard! No more eight-tenths of a mile walk, I can be there in three minutes flat, a short walk down Egg Harbor Road. I won't have to stay for lunch, I thought, finally I can come home! No such luck, we had to eat in that God forsaken cafeteria.
How would I cope separated from my Woodbury Heights classmates? Walking down hallways every hour or so, trying to find my way around.
New conversations, new found friends. My perpetual locker mate, Gary Lundquist, a kind of Martin Mull in miniature. His first conversations with me were his asking about all of the girls from the Heights and what they were like. To my horror he was interested in Sue Burns, a girl I was madly in love with. Rather than lose his friendship I gave him all the dope I had on her. How he fared I have no idea.
I met this guy from Wenonah, some kid name John, but he preferred Jack. Wiler I think was his last name? Our first conversation was about Marvel comic books and how much we both liked the TV show Combat! I found a kindred soul.
Mini skirts drove us all crazy girls. You tortured us, let me tell you.
I was in the first Chess Club in Seventh Grade, and I was the Sports reporter on the very first edition of the Polaris.
They were preparing us for Vietnam in Boys' gym class. We did close order drill to the cadence of Mr. Williamson, training to be lambs for the slaughter.
I wasn't too sure of this.
I guess we all weren't too sure.