Teacher's Pet [Elvis]

Chapter 9 - Chaotic Thanksgiving Celebration

Just a note, I'm not sure if Elvis's cousins/extended family lived in Memphis before he became famous. For the sake of the story, we'll say they did. Also, the above picture is of Elvis's cousins Billy and Bobby Smith. We know of Billy from Elvis's story, who stuck with him throughout his career. The picture below is of Elvis in 1954, a year after he graduated high school. Close enough to the story, right?

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Some time passed, and Thanksgiving was only two days away. Thanksgiving break started on the 26th, which was the day after tomorrow. We had school on Monday and Tuesday. I chose those days to be instrument days, Monday being a practice day for the Christmas concert and Tuesday being a "bring your instrument to school and play for the class" day, all period long. The kids didn't mind that at all.

On Tuesday, at the end of class, the kids were packing up their instruments. Elvis was talking to Sandy. I honestly didn't know if they were going steady. Elvis never said anything, and I never asked. I had seem them walking around school, still. Did they go on that ice cream date? Was Sandy just not leaving Elvis alone?

I glanced over at Betty and Harvey. Their love story was rather quick and rather touching. I heard them talking over near the main office last week, and Betty was wondering why he was interested in her when she was this shy girl and he was a big football player, basically one of the stars of the school. "Because you're a nice girl and very pretty," said, "and you're not like the other girls who try to get my attention." Then he asked her if her parents got to her, meaning they weren't thrilled about him pursuing her. She revealed that they did. He said he would personally go to them and ask them if he could go steady with their only daughter. Well, apparently, he did, and now, they were a cute couple.

How mature of him, asking her parents' permission. I looked over at Elvis. I really wanted to know if he and Sandy were going steady.

The bell rang, and Elvis came right up to me. He did that every day with no fear. "Hey, Miss Thatcher," he said. "I just wanted to let you know that my family and I will be there to come and get ya on Thursday at two in the afternoon. We like to start early on Thanksgiving."

I nodded. "Thank you for letting me know."

He gave me a smile then left with Ardy and Benny. My heart started beating in excitement for Thursday. I was happy to have plans for the holiday and even happier that they were with Elvis, in an innocent way. I would be spending time with and getting to know his family while eating delicious food. I couldn't wait!

~ ~ ~

Of course, Deena wanted to know exactly what I would be wearing to this thing. I was talking with her on the phone before leaving, or before the Presley family would be here to pick me up. I looked at myself in the mirror.

"It's nothing too extravagant, Denna," I told her. "Just brown slacks and a teal sweater, and my hair is down and wavy."

"You sound beautiful. And teal is your color. It looks so good on you. Wait, is that the sweater that I gave you last Christmas?"