THE MISFITS CLUB

THE MISFITS CLUB

1.

By the time they were in the 9th. grade, Cal, Susan, Stan, Marcos and Patty had become best friends. This was not surprising to their fellow classmates and some of their teachers because, by stereotype standards, they were considered the nerds in the smaller school system in the suburb where they lived. And if the teasing ever seemed to bother them they didn’t mention it.

And each member of the club seemed to have advanced knowledge in the subjects they were most interested in. Susan’s passion was Archaeology and she hoped to be able to some day translate antiquated languages that had not yet been deciphered. Marcos intended to become an astronaut and was already taking advanced classed. Cal was a mate wiz and was already waiting computer code he believed was unbreakable. Stan’s main interest was in mechanical engineering, and he was already building prototypes, based on his own concepts, in his father’s machine shop.

But, as a teacher who’s had all five of these in my classes, Patty is the most interesting of The Misfits Club members. She excells in the few subjects she finds interesting to her. But in the other subjects her grades are barely passing. Still, Patty’s mind, when she focused on something she wanted to, was like having a magnetic memory for details. From the seemingly mundane to the complex she had an excellent recall memory for details. And is was not surprising that her fellow classmates nicknamed her Glue or sometimes Brain Glue.

2.

After enrolling for their 11th. grade classes, the five of them sat at a table in the nearly empty school cafeteria. Sitting alone, at the table across from them, was a guy who was likely their age and likely a new student. To Patty he seemed shy, awkward and uncomfortable in the new school. And Cal was the first of the five to rise and introduce himself and his friends to the new student.

“I’m Cal, and these are my good friends Susan, Stan, Marcos and Patty.”

The new kid stared at them a moment, then at Cal.

“Well, none of you look like the lying type, so hello,” he responded.

“And you are,” Patty asked as she rose from her chair.

“I’m Darwin,” he told them.

“Cool name. But first or last name,” Susan asked as she rose from her chair.

“First name, and I’m not related to Charles.”

“Would you care to join us, Darwin, or shall we come to your table?” Stan asked.

“Well, I suppose you can sat at my table,” Darwin said and waited until they were seated,

then added, “And I suppose you want me to join The Misfits Club now.”

“A conclusion made before all the evidence is in,” Patty told Darwin.

“And, as a new student, how would you know about our club?” Marcos asked.

“Simple, pre-enrollment research,” he told them, then added, "And the remarks by others in the yearbook about your club was stereotype remarks aimed at nerds."

“And you’re not fond of stereotyping, are you?” Susan asked him.

“Why would any free-thinking person embrace stereotyping,” Darwin replied.

“Do you know Kant? I’m asking because that sounds like something he would say,” Marcos asked.

“I know who Immanuel Kant was.”

“Yeah was, if you factor in the Earthly demise part of his life,” Susan replied in jest.

“That’s witty, Susan, in an esoteric sort of way,”

“And sometimes with the dead they still have unresolved issues. In Freud’s case his mother issues stayed unresolved and followed him into the afterlife,” Stan suggested in a good natured way.

“Now that’s funny, Stan.”

“Yeah, that’s funny, but please don’t take this as an insult, Darwin, because I detect a chip, metaphorical on not, on your shoulder,” Patty told him.

“My ego is healthy enough that it’s hard to insult me. As to chips of shoulders? Everyone has chips on their shoulders. And the term is so quaint I wonder when people still use it.”

“Us nerds still do,” Susan informed him.

“Everyone is a comic in one way or another,” Patty said, then focused on Darwin. “But I think your chip is caused by several things. My guess is you’ve been in many different schools, likely because one, or both of your parents are in the military. And you seem uncomfortable about making new friends you won’t see again, likely because your father is officer, the type who gets transferred from one base to another every few years. Or perhaps both of your parents are officers. How close am I to the truth?”

“Amazingly close. Both of my parents were officers. My father still is, but my mom resigned her commission when she found out she was pregnant with me.” Darwin admitted to Patty.

“Her nickname is Glue because Patty absorbs all the details everyone else misses. That girl can walk into a strangers house, glance around the different rooms, and can provide a creditable profile of the people, or person, who lives there,” Susan told Darwin.

“Sounds like she would be a natural born detective,” Darwin told Susan.

“Of course, and she will be if she gets off her mental block a*s and improves and brings her grade point average enough to go to college. She’ll have to do this because she wants to major in Criminal Science.”

“Trust me, I will do that,” Patty assured everyone.

“Okay, but do you still want me to join your stupid club?” Darwin asked them.

“Personally, I think you’re over-qualified, but we need proof first, Darwin,” Cal told him in jest.

“And only if you’re nerd enough to belong, Darwin,” Marcos told him.

“My main interest is in Mediaeval History and some day want to teach it at a university.”

“Welcome to The Misfits Club, you over-qualified nerd,” Patty told hin as she reached across the table to shake his hand.

Reviews

[M.E.Lyle]

I like those nerdy kids. They don't seem to let what others say about them bother them. In fact, I think they rather enjoy it.
An interesting story of like minded kids, kindred spirits you might say, coming together.
A nice read.