Groups

Did your high school actually have those standard groups like nerds, jocks, etc.? While my school had some clear-cut jocks, those terms weren't really used much. But there was one group that was referred to a lot: "Burnouts" or "dirtbags" (I think the terms were interchangeable).

A burnout or dirtbag was first and foremost characterized by long hair. He was usually a long-haired smoker, often into heavy metal. They were just seen as kids who really didn't care much. I'm not sure how those terms got started, although my school drew from a wide array of socioeconomic groups (there were new developments as well as very old apartment complexes in my town), so I guess it stemmed from richer kids looking at kids from the other side of the tracks, so to speak.

As far as nerds went, I think I was the only female nerd in my class. Oh sure, there were smart girls and honors girls, but most of them were fairly well adjusted and even rather social, whereas I was not. I didn't know how to be, so I gave up and just focused on studying. It's not a good thing. There were definitely male nerds in my class. They were all very into computers. But no one used the term much.

Anyway, so this one day, I was after school for some reason (maybe a meeting for some club). The meeting ended early and I was walking the halls, waiting for the late bus to arrive and take me home. I passed the lunchroom and wandered into the hallway with all the artsy rooms - shop, art, and the band room.

From hall outside the band room, I heard a beautiful melody. Then I recognized it. It was the opening piano chords of "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull. You may think you don't know them, but you've heard them, trust me. It was at a time when my musical tastes were being broadened. I had finally shifted from Z-100 and repetitive top 40 stations and was amazed by the breadth of classic rock on the radio. Jethro Tull was one of the groups that had a lot of songs I liked. (No, it's not heavy metal, as my college roomie thought. The lead singer plays a flute.) Anyway, I peeked in the band room. Playing the piano was a "burnout" or "dirtbag," complete with thick long hair and a heavy metal shirt. Playing this beautiful song.

Now, it would be very Breakfast Club-esque if I walked into the bandroom, told him I loved that group, and this female nerd forged a secret friendship with the kid. It would have made a great story, maybe an after-school special. And in a socially-adjusted world, maybe I would have at least told him he sounded great.

But I was me and that was then, and I was too shy and scared. So, I walked on.

Update

Blogfan Sam from Hawaii writes:

Jethro Tull was indeed "heavy metal" according to the Grammys. Tull beat out Metallica for the first "heavy metal " Grammy back in 198? (whenever). So I guess officially, Tull was "heavy metal".
I think my small town high school was unique. We called our social outcast smokers "Goolies". I have no idea why.
Then S.E. Hinton's book The Outsiders inspired the goolies and started calling the others "socs".
I never fit either group either.

My response: Maybe it was ghoul-ies?

I don't really see Tull as very heavy, but I guess if you have to fit it into a category within rock, it might fit. Hmmm, what qualifies a group as heavy metal? An extra guitar?

By the way, I know the above story didn't really go anywhere. But it's those kinds of things from which fiction is born. It could be the start of a pretty cool teen novel, but I think that type of thing has been done plenty of times.