Now & Laters and JFK

When I started John F Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, CT, I had to walk to school. I think we must have been one of the very last streets that required you to walk and it was a shorter walk in the opposite direction to catch the bus. I preferred to walk though because I didn't like the other kids at the bus stop. There was Keena who always wore the same acid-washed denim jacket and lime-green, neon leg warmers. Her hair was flat on top but teased out on the sides with lots of hairspray holding it together. She wore a lot of make up.

Then there was Chris. He used to be my best friend in sixth grade, but then he also resorted to acid-wash denim and a shaved head, rocker look that never quite worked because he was only about five feet tall. His favorite band was Heart, though, so I always held a little respect for Chris. Richie and his sister Becky went to private school but somehow ended up at the public school bus stop. I think they used to skip and hang out in the alley at the public school. They all smoked and I hated smoke.

They used to make fun of me for so many reasons- mainly because I would wear my preppy sweaters with a popped polo collar underneath and I liked my penny loafers. This phase of my fashion sense ended quickly when I got caught up in the goth/art crowd in high school two years later. Then my dress code became all black. But until then, I could pull off a United Colors of Benetton sweater in yellow. Or peach. Or even better, pink.

All of this fashion clashing, topped with nerdy purple glasses, and braces did not work well for me at the bus stop. It was best to just walk. I had to walk a little over a mile and about halfway there was the real reason to walk. Dairy Mart and Southwood Pharmacy on Raffia Road. Here, we could pick up all of the magazines we needed for the day- GQ, Rolling Stone, and People. Also a giant bag of candy and a cherry coke.

One day, I picked up a pack of Now & Laters- cherry. Now & Laters came in little packs of four. They were individually wrapped within the package. You could get them in banana, cherry, strawberry, grape, tropical punch, apple, vanilla and chocolate. This taffy would last you a while at school because it would stick to your teeth and you couldn't get it off if you bit down on it.

Sitting in Mrs. Langlois' class for English, one of my friends, sitting next to me asked if they could have a Now & Later after seeing me slip one in my mouth. Uhh, no. I only have two left. She said, "I will give you a dollar for it." Thinking that she was joking, I figured it's okay even if she doesn't give me the dollar because I would still have at least one left. But she did give me the dollar and it changed my life forever.

Soon, I began advertising through word of mouth that I walked to school and could stop and get Now & Laters. I would pick up four packs for about a dollar and could sell them to desperate bus-riding students for a dollar. This was an amazing profit. I was happy to do them the favor. Eventually I had a pocket full of little slips of paper with everyone's order on them and the lady at the Dairy Mart would think I was a sugar addict. Little did she know, I was. This allowed me to buy whatever candy I wanted each day on top of my favorite magazines.

I did this the entire time I was at JFK Middle School and probably made hundreds of dollars and wasted it on Dairy Mart merchandise. Well, until I got to be Vice President of Student Council. Oh no. Wait. I ran for Vice President and I didn't win. But Miss Gademan, the librarian and advisor, really wanted me to be on there, so she let be on the council as the Liason. The Assistant Principal called me in the office one day to let me know they created this new position just for me. On the student council, they asked what needs the school had. Nobody said anything. Miss Gademan called on me to respond. I couldn't think of anything either and everyone was just staring at me while eating their Now & Laters I sold them the day before. I got nervous. I said, "A school store."

And so now at that JFK Middle School, there is a beautiful school store in the cafeteria that sells tons of stuff that kids don't need. So now I'm sure they still stock Now & Laters and there is no chance for a walking student to make a little extra cash.