Sweet Little Rock and Roller

November 1958

Alice Newberry peeked nervously from behind the stage curtain in the Oresville High School Auditorium.

She wasn't nervous about singing in the talent show because she had been singing on the radio with her Uncle Jacks country band since she was ten years old. Her Uncle Jack did a live show on KLRK in Little Rock on Saturday mornings from ten to eleven.

Damn why had she done what she did the day before? That's why she had that ‘butterflies in her stomach' feeling.

Alice spotted the object of her affections sitting in the second row of the center section of the auditorium. Rita Carson, the most popular girl in high school was sitting between her two best friends.

Sandra was a curvy beautiful blonde with pale blue eyes. She had been homecoming queen, was captain of the cheerleaders and dated the star quarterback for the Oresville Miners.

Alice had a crush on Sandra since the sixth grade. She didn't quite understand her feelings she just knew she badly wanted to kiss and caress Sandra.

She and Rita had never been friends. Alice was considered different from all the other girls her age and didn't have any close girl friends.

Alice had always been a tomboy and in her early teens could throw a baseball harder and a football further than most of the boys her age. She was the star of the girls' basketball team, leading in scoring and rebounding.

Alice had always been taller than most of her classmates and was a late bloomer. She had just turned eighteen and her five foot eleven body had sprouted nice average but pert breasts. She wished her boobs were as big as Rita's best friend Shirley Gaston. Shirley had to be about a 38 DD.

Alice was a pretty girl with light brown shoulder length hair with eyes the color of dark chocolate.

The curtain was being pulled back and Larry Justice her best friend was the MC. of the senior high talent show.

Larry was a rebel and marched to the beat of a different drummer like Alice.

She had lost her virginity to him when they were fifteen. Alice knew Larry still loved her and her parents thought they were still going steady but he was just her beard now.

He idolized James Dean and had watched every showing of Rebel Without A Cause at the theatre in their small mining community.

He loved to read Jack Kerouc and most times would have a paperback copy in his back pocket of one of his books.

Larry's father had been killed in action in France following the invasion of Normandy.

Larry and his mother, Wanda, lived with her parents in a grand two story home that was built in 1903.

Wanda's father was the assistant superintendent of mining operations for Alcoa; the second highest ranking job with the company.

Larry was very intelligent but didn't make good grades, just enough to get by to graduate.

He wanted to either be a performer of some kind. He loved Steve Allen and maybe a show late at night might be his goal.

He also thought about owning his own magazine, one like Playboy.

He actually had been in the magazine business already two years earlier. Before school he would go to the company store (everybody still called it that even though it was now privately owned.)

He would take his empty zipper notebook and steal movie magazines from the rack and sell them to the girls at school for a dime. He was making some nice pocket change until he was caught.

His mother and grandparents were shocked and he was grounded for six weeks and had to make restitution to the store. He wasn't charged with anything and the town residents said it was because of his grandfather's status with Alcoa.

Larry wasn't the most popular guy in school, far from it. The truth was that he was extremely shy. His shyness made his classmates think he was stuck up.

He was small standing only about five six and maybe weighed a hundred twenty pounds soaking wet.

He was so cute though. Brown hair worn like James Dean, beautiful blue eyes that could almost hypnotize a person.

Alice heard Larry introduce the first act and walked off stage to stand by her.

"Hey good looking did you do what you said you were going to do?" he asked making Alice blush.

"Uh…yeah I did. I'm scared now Larry."

"Hey be cool. You're not the only lesbian in the world" he told her patting her on the shoulder.

"Larry, I don't even know if I am a lesbian. I don't even know what two girls do together."

"I do" Larry said laughing thinking of his secret stash of magazines a cousin of his had brought from Europe and given to him.

"I wonder if she even found the note." She had slipped the note in Rita's Trig textbook.

Knowing a big test was coming up Alice was sure she would find it.

"Tell me what it said again?"

"I just said I had a really bad crush on her and maybe even loved her and the two songs I'm singing today are dedicated to her."

Larry was doing a really doing a good job with his patter between the acts. He was used to entertaining and loved it. He did a three hour show at a small radio station in Bensenville, the county seat about five miles away.. He loved rock and roll just like Alice and loved spinning records and doing dedications.

Larry kept the show moving right along until it was Alice's turn as the last act.

Girls were not allowed to wear jeans or pants to school but Alice had received permission to wear a pair of men's slacks and a sport coat. The pants were pink with little black arrows down the side. The sport coat was white with a black silk shirt beneath the coat. White buck shoes of course.

"Okay all of you cool cats get ready to rock and roll with the Oresville female Elvis…Alice Newberry."

Alice strapped on her Gibson J 5 and took the stage amid polite applause.

She adjusted the mike and hit the opening notes of One Night With You. She didn't do the Elvis version because he had changed the words of the original. She used the original lyrics of one night of sin like in the Fats Domino version.

She found herself bumping and grinding like Elvis but she couldn't help it.

She was afraid to look at Rita and kept her eyes closed most of the song and when she did open them she focused on the back of the auditorium.

Alice looked like she was fucking the mike stand but was so into the song didn't realize it.

She finished the song and was met not with polite applause but a rousing cheer of more, more with wild clapping.

She stole a quick glance at Rita and the beauty looked really pissed.

She strummed her guitar and did Love Me Tender. She sang it like an angel putting all the feelings she had for Rita in her performance.

"Thank you very much" she said trying very much to sound like Elvis and set her eyes on Rita. Her face was red as a lobster and she looked even angrier.

She walked off the stage as fast as she could.

Larry grabbed her and hugged her tight.

"God Alice you are so great. That was cool man."

"Thanks. I'd better change for lunch hour." She slipped into the small dressing room and changed back into a tight black skirt with a white sweater and put on her bobby sox and shoes.

The school cafeteria was full by the time Alice arrived. She was greeted by snickering and loud laughing coming from Rita Carson's table.

She looked for Larry but didn't spot him; he must have gone home for lunch.

Finding an empty seat she sat down and all conversation stopped. The table was occupied by several underclassmen.

Alice gulped her food down just wanting to get out. Dammit why had Rita told her friends about the note? She had asked her to please not say anything if she wasn't interested. Now it would be all over school and probably all over town.

Taking her tray back she headed for the door and out of the lunch room.

"Hey" she heard a male voice behind her. She turned slowly and saw Bobby Joe Harrison, Rita's boyfriend. He sauntered up to her with that walk jocks always seem to have.

"What cha want?" she asked.

"Listen you shit head dyke. Don't be sending Rita any more of your perverted notes and don't go near her either. Understood?"

"Screw you Bobby Joe" she said venomously and fled into the cold air outside.

Alice took the side door into the old two story brick structure and was met by the principal.

"I was coming to look for you Alice. Come with me" he said walking toward his office.

O.C. Harper was a big bear of a man with balding hair and it seemed to Alice he was always singling her out for wrong doings.

He told her to sit down when they made it to his office.

"I guess you're really proud of your performance this morning." His voice was gruff.

"Yes sir I am" Alice answered.

"Alice it was vulgar and in extremely bad taste; an embarrassment to this

"Mr. Harper I don't think…"

"I don't care what you think. You're suspended from school as of right now and all of next week. That's really only three days because of the Thanksgiving holiday next week."

"But Mr.…"

"No arguments Alice. Get your things and leave the grounds immediately. I'm going to call and inform your parents so it will do you no good to hide it from them."

"Yes sir. Is that all?"

"You may go" he told her.

She stood up and had her hand on the door knob when he said one more thing.

"I know about the dirty note too Alice."

Shit she knew it would be all over town now. Mr. Harper's wife was the biggest gossiper in Oresville.

She ran upstairs to her locker with tears streaming down her face. She snatched her precious leather jacket and put it on. The jacket was a prized possession to Alice. Her daddy had bought it for her last Christmas. He had done so over the protests of her strait laced church going mother. She could still hear her mother saying nice girls didn't wear motorcycle jackets. Her daddy had told her mother to be quiet and if Alice wanted a leather jacket then by god she would have one.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned and looked into Larry's blue eyes.

"What's wrong Alice" he asked with sincere concern in his voice.

"I've been kicked out of school" she sobbed.

"Shit what for?"

"For my vulgar performance this morning" Alice burst into even more tears.

"How long did the old bastard give you?" Larry asked.

"From now until after Thanksgiving. Oh Larry my folks are going to ground me forever." Alice was still sobbing.

"Let me get my suit and I'll skip this afternoon. We'll do something." Larry had changed from the suit he had worn during the talent show into his usual garb of jeans, white tee shirt and his red nylon jacket like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.

"No Larry there's no need for you to get in trouble."

"Just go to my car and meet me there" Larry spoke in a commanding voice.

Alice slinked away and as Larry watched the girl he loved he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"All right Hollywood. That was the nickname all the jocks had given him. I've already told your girl friend and now I'm telling you. Tell her to stay away from Rita or I'll have to take it out on you. I'll kick the shit out of you" Bobby Joe Harrison pushed Larry hard up against his locker.

"Bobby Joe I know you can beat my ass but by damn you won't come away without a mark." Larry told the bigger boy and walked away leaving by a side door hoping none of the faculty would see him.

He saw Alice in his car with her face in her hands still crying.

Larry's car was an early graduation present from his grandfather and he looked at the auto and got the same thrill he always had when he saw it. It was a 57 Chevy, black with a white top and had fuel injection.

He jumped behind the wheel turned the ignition and his beauty roared to life.

God he loved the sound his glass packs made.

"What cha want to do?" he asked Alice.

"I need to call Ace and let him know we can leave for Memphis when he's ready."

Ace was Roger Lee Hendershot the man Alice was seeing. He was arguably the best guitarist in the state, maybe even in the south.

He had cut two records for Sam Phillips at Sun records neither of which had been hits. They did get some airplay in Memphis and Arkansas.

Larry liked Ace and the only problem he had with him besides the fact he had stolen his girl was that he was twenty three and married.

Larry drove to Earl's service station to a pay phone and Alice called the used car lot where Ace worked.

"He's going to pick me up at about four at Charlie's Diner" Alice said getting back in the car.

"You want to go home and face the music now or later?" Larry asked.

"I'm not going home until we get back from Memphis tomorrow night."

Alice was supposed to be spending the night with a friend from church who was covering for her.

"Let's go to Battleship Lake and talk" Larry said turning up the radio that was set to Hi-Fi KAJI in Little Rock. I Got Stung by Elvis was airing and Alice sang along.

"Rock and Roll cures all ills doesn't it? Man you've got the coolest voice

Alice". Larry meant it.

He drove to a section of town that was known as Pine Haven.

The end of World War Two had seen about three thousand people living in army style barracks with fairly nice apartments. At the end of Larry and Alice's sixth grade years Alcoa had ordered all of the occupants they had to vacate. They tore down the barracks so they could mine the area.

The company had yet to dig one hole and the end result was a fancy lover's lane or lanes that teenagers from all over the county came to make out. It was a cool place with the roads still paved and lots of room for privacy.

Battleship lake was not a lake at all but a bottomless mining pit; one of dozens around Oresville.

It got its name because of a rock formation on the far side of the lake that resembled a battleship.

Larry stopped the car at the edge of the water leaving the heater on for a few minutes to get the car nice and cozy.

Alice changed the radio to KCAT the black station in Little Rock.

"It's time for the West Ninth Street Blues Association" she said.

Alice loved the blues; a love she had picked up from her daddy Ed.

She had sat with him many a night as he played his harmonica and drank from a bottle of Jack Daniels and chain smoked.

Her daddy had taught her to play and she was a virtuoso on a harmonica besides her guitar playing. Alice also played the piano well.

The two sat silently for several minutes listening to B.B. King, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters and other blues songs.

"Oh man I can't believe you're going to meet the man who discovered Elvis. That's cool." Larry finally spoke breaking the silence.

"Ace said he's real nice…most of the time. Why do they call this show the West Ninth Street Blues Association?" she asked.

"The station is on Ninth Street" Larry answered.

Alice looked between Larry's legs and could see he had a hard on. She scooted up against him.

"How come you're so nice to me? I mean I broke up with you for another guy."

"I still love you Alice and you know I do."

"Even the way I am, you know liking girls?"

"Even the way you are; I still love you" Larry said looking in her eyes.

Alice put her lips to his and kissed him deeply and passionately at the same time putting her hand on his cock.

They kissed for a long time their tongues seemingly in a duel. Alice found the button of his jeans and undid it pulling down the zipper. She broke away from the kiss as she tried to get his pants down.

"Raise up a little" she said.

"What are you doing?" he asked lifting his hips off the seat.

"Giving you an early Christmas present." She pulled his jockeys down and his cock sprang up like a jack in the box.

Alice slid a little ways towards the passenger side so she could get to Larry easier.

She wrapped her hand around Larry's thick cock that had been in her pussy so many times. She stroked it a couple of times and then bent her head down and kissed the tip, tasting the pre come. She ran her tongue slowly down the underside and back up again. She heard Larry moan from somewhere deep inside him.

Alice licked the cock from the tip down to Larry's balls until it was glistening from her spit. She took him in her mouth a little at a time until she almost had him all in her hot mouth.

Larry's eyes had been closed but he opened them when he felt her head start bobbing up and down.

"Oh…oh jeez that feels…oh uh…so good" he said in a half moan. He was getting his first blow job. He had seen pictures in his magazines but it was happening to him. This is incredible he thought.

Alice's mouth was making loud smacking sounds that turned him on even more. He hadn't had any pussy since the break up and knew he wouldn't last long.

Alice knew the signs. He was close to coming, his hips lifting off the seat fucking her mouth hard.

Larry made a loud animalistic sound and she felt his hot come in several spurts in her mouth and down her throat. She thought he would never stop but she swallowed it all.

Larry fell back in the seat heaving for air. Alice kept his cock in her mouth until she felt it begin to shrink and she released it.

"Holy shit Alice where did you learn that?" Larry said still breathing heavily.

"Its not important, it felt good didn't it."

"Gawd yes." Larry was about to get his breathing under control. Ace taught her he thought. He pulled up his shorts and jeans and fastened them and pulled out a pack of Hit Parade cigarettes from his coat pocket. He offered one to Alice and she took it.

Larry pulled his Zippo out and lit their smokes.

Alice took a long drag and exhaled sexily.

"Larry you know all those magazines you have."

"Yeah."

"Do any of them show women together?" she asked.

"Yeah lots of them do."

"Could I borrow some of them when I get back?"

"Sure, you know you can" he told her.

They talked until it was time to go meet Ace at Charlie's Diner.

Ace was already there as they pulled up and got out of his black 51 Mercury. He walked up to Larry's side of the car motioning him to roll the window down.

"Hey cat daddy how you doin?" Ace asked.

"I'm cool" Larry said a bit nervously after what had just happened.

"Git your stuff Alice and lets hit the road."

Alice reached in the back seat for a small suitcase and her guitar case.

Larry asked if she wanted him to help and she said no.

Damn that Ace he didn't offer to carry anything to his trunk.

Larry wondered what she saw in Ace. He wasn't all that good looking. His hair was in a greasy ducktail with Elvis like sideburns. He had done some boxing and his nose was crooked as hell. Larry guessed he was about six two.

Alice ran back to Larry's car.

"If my folks call looking for me just tell them you haven't seen me. And is it okay if I leave those clothes I wore in the talent show in your car?"

"Sure. Have fun in Memphis; and Alice. I do love you."

"I know" she said and ran to the car and got in with Ace.

Larry put the radio back on KAJI as he watched them drive away and listened to Ricky Nelsons I Got A Feeling.

Ace checked them into a cheap motel in West Memphis, Arkansas a little after eight Friday night.

Alice and Ace had left Oresville with the Mercury containing two cases of beer and two fifths of cheap whiskey. Alice had lost count of how many beers Ace had consumed on the drive.

The first thing she noticed when they entered was there was no TV. The room was barely bigger than a large closet and the bathroom was about the size of a closet.

God it was a seedy looking room Alice thought not wanting to say it out loud.

"I'm going to take a shower while you bring our things in" she told Ace.

"Well hurry it up will ya?"

"Why do I need to hurry Ace?" she asked already knowing what the answer would be.

"I wanna make love to ya" he slurred.

"Shit" Alice said entering the bathroom. It looked dirty and gritty and she doubted that two people could occupy it at the same time.