"Square Pegs" "The Ballad of Marshall and Muffy" Part One

[Nighthawk76]

There was something different about Muffy Tepperman. No one at Weemawee High School could quite put their finger on it, but the "queen of pep" was some how...different. Sure, Muffy still performed her duties as head of the sophomore class, MC at all student activities, head of all school fundraisers, but ever since the dance there had been something odd about Muffy. Like as if Muffy had developed a life outside the doors of Weemawee.

It being high school there were plenty of rumors going around as to what was the cause of Muffy's change. Vinnie Pasetta had started the rumor that Muffy was taking drugs, but no one believed this for two reasons. One, most of what came out of Vinnie's pie hole was generally less then truthful, and secondly, no one beleived for a single second that Muffy Tepperman would actually experiment with drugs.

There was still a third rumor that something was going on between Muffy and Marshall Blechtman. However, many were quick to disregard this as well in that Marshall had always had his heart set on Lauren Hunchinson. However, Jennifer DeNuccio had claimed that she thought she saw Muffy and Marshall making out in the school office, but Jennifer said that they had quickly stopped as soon as they had seen her enter the office. Many in the Weemawee student body felt that Jennifer's eyes were playing tricks on her, or that her brian was somewhere else, where it tended to be most of the time.

"It is unbelievable," said Lauren Hutchinson, "Marshall and Muffy are the talk of the school. Everyone is wondering if they are really going out her not. And think of it Patty, only we know the truth. It is actually nice not to be the last ones in school to know about something."

"We don't know anything, Lauren," said Patty. "I'm not sure about you, but Marshall hasn't told me anything. In fact he hasn't even told Johnny anything. All we know is that Marshall and Muffy went to the dance together. We don't know if they are going out or not. Odds are they're not."

"What makes you say that?"

"If Marshall was actually going out with Muffy, don't you think that he would tell us? He would not leave us to sit around guessing with the rest of the school."

"Listen Greene, you know how I know that Marshall and Muffy are an item? Marshall has not flirted with me once over the past month. Not since he went to the dance with Muffy.'

"I thought that you didn't like it when Marshall flirted with you?"

"I don't. But it's not like it ever stopped him in the past. So there for there has to be a reason that Marshall is no longer flirting with me. That reason is Muffy. Simple as that, Greene."

"Lauren, maybe he just gave up on you. Maybe he finally realized that he was never going to get anywhere with you."

"Patty, we are talking about Marshall here. Trying to get Marshall to get a hint about anything is like trying to train a cat to roll over. It can't be done. When Marshall gets that pea sized brian of his set on something, trying to reason with him is like trying to reason with your little brother."

"Okay Lauren, if Marshall is going out with Muffy, why would he not tell us about it?"

"Maybe Muffy swore him to silence. Maybe she doesn't want the whole school to know that she is so desperate that she is going out with Marshall. Think about it Patty. Having a romance with Marshall isn't something you would want a lot of people to know about."

Before Patty could respond, Johnny and Marshall sat down across from her and Lauren with their food trays.

"So, Marshall, I haven't seen you in a long time," said Lauren.

"What are you talking about, Lauren? I saw you this morning before first period. Remember I told you that great new joke about the three Rabbis that formed a bowling league."

"Oh, yeah," said Lauren with a look of pain on her face, "I had almost forgotten about that?"

"So, Marshall," said Patty, "You've seen Muffy around of late? I have not seen her in weeks."

"Patty," said Marshall, "we have first period with Muffy." Marshall checked his watch. "Oh, I better get going. I'll see you three later." Marshall got up from the table and walked away.


To be continued...