8This story takes place during Hutch's senior year of high school. Not technically episode related, but a few canon people and things are mentioned. Jack Mitchell (The Las Vegas Strangler) and Nancy Blake (Terror On The Docks) are present. References to Hutch's Sea Scout experience (Murder at Sea) are also included.
Chapter 1: Decisions
Tuesday, December 19th, 1961
"Ken! You got mail!" my sister Kirsten yelled up the stairs.
"Be right there!" I yelled back. I closed the book I was reading and ran down the stairs. Kirsten was standing by the kitchen table sorting through the mail.
"You got four more. University of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota State and good old University of Minnesota Duluth. How many colleges did you apply to anyway?" she asked, handing me a stack of envelopes.
"None yet, I just asked for information."
"Looks like they delivered. You narrowed it down any yet? Everyone will start asking you soon."
"They already have. It's all I've been asked since senior year started."
"Get used to it, Kenny. Believe me, it doesn't let up," she warned me. Since Kirsten had graduated high school two years prior, I trusted her insight.
"I can't wait," I grumbled sarcastically. I was already sick of being asked about my college plans. I wasn't sure where I was going yet. I'm not even sure if I am going, I thought.
"Just be glad they don't ask you about marriage plans! That's all I ever hear about anymore!"
"It's because you're well on your way to becoming an old maid at 20 years of age," I teased. Kirsten punched me in the arm.
"Shut up, half-pint! You don't understand what it's like out there for us girls!" Kirsten had called me half-pint ever since she had read Little House on The Prairie for the first time. She thought it was fitting since I was the youngest and smallest of the family. One of those things had since changed, but the nickname stuck.
"It can't be that bad,"
"Oh? Have you ever been asked about your progress on finding a wife? Or maybe why you bother to study so hard when your wife could take care of you?" Kirsten raised her eyebrows at me, awaiting my answer.
"No, that's absurd!"
"Thank you! Would you believe me if I told you my professor asked me the second one? The guy is a real piece of work, but I need the class." Kirsten was studying at UMD to become a physical therapist. I felt bad that people didn't take her seriously, but I knew Kirsten would work her butt off to prove them wrong. My sister could be a very determined woman.
That evening at supper, our family was all at home for once. My mother had gotten off work early. She had started working as a secretary again once Kirsten started high school to help with our college expenses. My parents had agreed to pay half of our tuition. The rest we had to raise ourselves.
"How was school today, Ken?" my mother asked as she set a pan of lasagna on the table.
"Fine. Jack is coming over to study later."
"Is he still thinking about medical school?" my father asked. He was a manager at Duluth Works steel plant.
"Yes. I think he'll probably do it too. He's dead set on being a doctor."
"Like Doctor Frankenstein?" Kirsten piped up. I laughed. Jack Mitchell was my best friend, but he did seem almost crazy sometimes. Maybe that's why I liked him. He kept things interesting.
"What about you, Ken? Have you made any decisions yet?" he asked.
"I'm just trying to get through this week, Dad. I have to finish my finals and get my grades back before I can apply anywhere. I should be done by Friday." Dad nodded in approval. He had always pushed us to do well in school. He had a degree in engineering and valued education greatly.
"I'm sure glad I got mine done last week," Kirsten commented as the doorbell rang. I jumped up to answer it, already knowing who it was.
"Hi there, Hutch!" Jack greeted me as I opened the door.
"You're early! Come on, let's go upstairs. I have to save you from failing world literature."
"Kenneth Hutchinson! You get in here and finish your supper first!" Mom scolded me from the kitchen. I followed Jack back to the table. "You too Jack, grab a plate. There's plenty."
"Thanks, Mrs. Hutchinson! Hutch must have told you my folks were gone for the week. They gave the cook a vacation too, so I'm starving to death on my own over there!" Jack joked. He was the only child of wealthy parents, which meant that Jack got pretty much anything he wanted. Even the option to quit private school in favor of the public high school experience. I would never understand that one, but I was glad he had shown up that first day of freshmen year. We had been good friends ever since.
After we had both eaten our supper, Jack and I headed up to my room. I sat at my desk with a textbook while he sprawled out on the floor.
"What does it mean to refer to something as a white whale?" I asked him.
"Uhh...If it's a whale that's white?"
"Not even close."
"I'm going to fail aren't I, Hutch?"
"Not if you start paying attention and actually read the books they give you." Jack was smart. He was great in science and math and more than proficient in every other subject. Except world literature. He hated reading and abstract thinking, which was bad combination for passing the class. Luckily for Jack, I loved both.
"That's for squares. I have better things to do this week than study all this literature I'll never need to know about."
"Jack, it's your final grade for the semester. You still want to be valedictorian, right?"
"I figure I've done well enough to get the top grade even if I fail the final. I'm not worried about it. I've already written my speech!"
"Of course you have. Now define transcendentalism," I spun around in my chair to stare at Jack. He rolled over onto his stomach and groaned.
"Transcen- what? Hutchinson, you're killing me! Can we take a break?"
"We've taken nothing but breaks since-"
"Who cares? There's a party at Paul's house this weekend," Jack informed me.
"So?" Jack looked at me like I was the dumbest person alive as he plopped down on my bed.
"So, we're gonna go! And don't you dare tell me you have to study because it's not until Friday night and your exams will be over by then."
"Fine, whatever. Now what was Captain Ahab's boat named?" I dodged as Jack chucked a pillow at me.
Friday, December 22nd, 1961
The rest of the week flew by in a series of studying, finals, and listening to Jack complain about literature. I had done my best on everything. Now I could only hope that it was enough. When Friday night finally arrived, I found myself in Jack's car on the way to Paul's party. I was incredibly worn out, but as usual Jack had somehow managed to convince me to go. Maybe he was just that persuasive or maybe I just didn't trust him to drive himself home after an evening of partying. Either way, there was no backing out now.
"Here we are, Hutch! Ready to party?"
"Eh...I'm ready to sleep," I answered with a yawn.
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!" Jack jumped out of the car and hurried to the door. I followed him with less enthusiasm.
Paul sure has a lot of friends, I observed as we entered the crowded living room. Paul's parents were picking up his brother from college for the holidays, so Paul was taking advantage of their absence. About six people greeted Jack immediately. Jack thrived at parties. He was a social butterfly. I, on the other hand, could be awkward sometimes. I was no good at dancing, small talk, or flirting. All things Jack insisted were essential parts of any good party. Jack always encouraged me in these matters. He had been the one to set me up on the first date I'd ever been on back during freshmen year. It was a blind date to the school square dance and one of the most humiliating evenings of my entire life. Jack was determined not to let me die single. I was determined to avoid another girl selected by him, so I gathered my courage and started asking out my own dates. I had a strong suspicion Jack had hoped for that to happen, but he denied it.
Jack was the type of guy that had a new girlfriend every week. This week it was Pam Smith. Or is it Kate Miller? I could never keep up. I grabbed a beer as I watched him head upstairs with a pretty red head. Guess I'll be waiting a while. I stood in the corner watching everyone when Susan Howard approached me.
"Where's the prince?" she asked.
Susan was the seat next to me in English class. She was also incredibly smart. And attractive. Why would she talk to me? I wondered.
"Uh, who? Jack?"
"Yeah. I didn't think the pauper was allowed out on his own." I grinned at her use of my nickname. My family was middle class but compared to Jack's family (whose favorite sport was writing checks), we were indeed paupers.
"He doesn't own me, Susan. Besides, a pauper like myself can handle the streets," I joked. She giggled.
"I'm sure you can. It's not like Jack Mitchell to miss a party though."
"He's here."
"I haven't seen him yet."
"That's because he's off...um...well...socializing..." Stop talking, Ken! I warned myself. Shut up! "Upstairs. With a lady," I blurted out. I immediately felt my face flush. Why did I tell her that? I wanted to smack myself upside the head.
"I see," she giggled, taking a sip of her drink. "And you're down here because..."
"Jack is my ride. I can't leave until he's...ya know, done." I smiled awkwardly.
"You mean you don't have yourself a lady? With eyes like that?" Susan looked me up and down. I shrugged.
Wait. Is she flirting with me? What do I say? Should I do something? I took a long sip of my beer while I thought of a reply.
"Nope." That sounds pathetic, Hutchinson! Nope? Really? I shook my head.
"I think you could remedy that fact. Why don't you call me sometime?" She handed me a napkin with her number on it. Maybe this party wouldn't be a total waste. This girl seemed to like me for some reason. Who was I to question it?
"I just might do that, Susan." She smiled and walked away. I'm glad I came after all. I leaned against the wall and finished my beer. It felt good to have finals behind me and a date ahead of me.
Sunday, December 24th, 1961
It had snowed last night so it was up to me to shovel the driveway before church. I planned to call Susan this afternoon. I had just finished when I heard someone come up behind me. I turned around to see Nancy Blake standing there in her snow gear. The Blake family had lived next door to us for as long as I could remember.
"Morning, Ken!"
"Nancy! I was just going to start on your driveway." Nancy's dad had passed away a few years back. I tried to help them out with odd jobs whenever I could. Nancy was a freshman this year and had been my friend since she was in diapers.
"You don't have to. Mass starts later than your church's service." The Blake's were devout Catholics. The Hutchinson's weren't which, according to Mrs. Blake, was our biggest downfall.
"How about we work on it together?" I offered. Nancy smiled and nodded. Between the two of us, her driveway was done in minutes. I sat down on her porch steps and surveyed our progress.
"Don't you have to go in?"
"Pretty soon I'm going to have to put on a tie. I was hoping to delay doing that, so let's talk."
"I guess this will probably be the last winter before you head off to college, huh?" Nancy asked, sitting down beside me.
"Probably. Unless I decide to join the Navy instead."
"I didn't know the Navy was still in the running."
"Maybe. I'm still thinking about it."
"You have always liked the sea. Remember that time you wanted to be a Sea Scout? You paid me two bucks to help you type up all those letters you wrote!" We both laughed at the memory.
"And it worked too! I did get to be a Sea Scout!" It had been one of my greatest accomplishments to date.
"I think they just let you in because they were tired of you writing them!" I nudged her with my shoulder.
"Oh please, Nancy. They let me in because my persuasive essay skills were absolutely magnificent."
"Whatever you want to tell yourself. You know what I would do if I were you?"
"What?"
"College. The Navy will always be there, but school might be easier if you go straight away. If you join the Navy and it doesn't work out, then you're back where you started," she explained.
"Any other advice, great sage of Duluth?" Nancy slugged me in the arm. I grinned back at her.
"You want to know something else? College is probably safer than the Navy. I'd feel better if my next -door neighbor and friend wasn't in danger of getting shot at."
"I'll take that into consideration." I smiled and headed back home. Maybe Nancy was right. What she said did make sense. I could always join the Navy after college or not at all. I didn't have to decide right now.
Monday, January 8th, 1962
The holidays had come and gone and now it was back to life as usual. Except for the fact that I was now waiting to enter the principal's office. I couldn't think of any good reason for my presence to be requested. However, I was told to go straight there by my teacher when I'd walked into class this morning, so here I was. What could I have done? It's only the first day back! I don't think I did anything bad before Christmas break either. My head was spinning trying to come up with a logical explanation. Maybe I can blame Jack? Before I could go over the list of Jack's exploits that I might be blamed for, the door opened. Principal Nicholson called me into his office. He was a man of about sixty-five with thick glasses and gray hair. He had a reputation for being anything but lenient. I gulped as I sat down in a chair across from his desk.
"Good morning, Kenneth."
"Good morning, sir." I squirmed in my seat, hoping he'd get to the point.
"I'm sure you are wondering why you are here."
"Uh...yes." Please tell me! Why am I here?
"I thought it would be best to inform you personally," he paused as he took a sheet of paper from a file and slid it over to me, "You had the highest grades last semester, and the highest GPA overall. You are this year's valedictorian." I waited for his words to sink in. I felt as if I'd suddenly been hit by a ton of bricks.
"Me?" I was dumbfounded. How?
"You are a part of the class of 1962, correct?" Principal Nicholson asked. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. I nodded.
"Sorry. I guess I'm...shocked. Thank you, sir."
"Thank you for being such a studious pupil. You can begin working on your valediction anytime now. You may go back to class now. Congratulations, Kenneth."
He didn't have to tell me twice. I got up and left as fast as I could. I walked down the empty hallway. I was still in shock. I slid down to sit against the wall. I needed a minute to think. That's when I remembered the last thing Principal Nicholson had said. You can begin working on your valediction anytime now. Valediction. That means speech. The fog in my brain cleared. Speech. I was dreading it already.
Note: In this story, the valedictorian in determined after first semester finals in December. However, some schools wait until May after the second semester finals to do this. For the purposes of this story, December worked better. It has been done both ways though, depending on the school.
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