Rock ‘n’ Roll High School 86: Sublime in the Ford Escort

Welcome to the final day of the ’90s Playlist RNRHS party! If you’re playing catch-up, this collection kills it with six all-new novellas about sex, love, and being young in the ’90s, inspired by some of the most iconic songs from the decade. And it’s available for a steal at 99 cents! Don’t be silly about it any longer. Please, pick up your copy now! Today’s post is from author Lorelie Brown, who was fortunate enough to have a friend in high school with a Ford Escort hatchback, complete with flames. As if that detail wasn’t damning enough, she also managed to see No Doubt by accident, for free, back “in the day”. We must all bow now to her superior cool factor.

Lorelie Brown, Costa Mesa High School, Costa Mesa, CA, Class of ’98

Currently: I write contemporary and historical romance, and as a day job I work for a local Parks & Rec department. No, I haven’t seen the show. Not even a little.

Band and/or song that reminds you the most of high school: Sublime, absolutely and the song Santeria in particular. It reminds me of riding in my best friend’s Ford Escort hatchback, which had flames painted on the nose because we were ironic before ironic was cool. And in my memories we are always ditching AP English Lit to go to Huntington Beach for a couple hours before swim team practice. (Sorry, Dad!) (But it’s okay, because I got a 5 on my exam.)

Favorite piece of music memorabilia (poster, t-shirt, etc.) in high school: I didn’t have any music memorabilia. Fail, I know. I decorated my room with surfers, mostly. Can you really blame me though? Surfers are hot.

Band that you hated that everyone else at school seemed to love: 311. So many yawns. Plus there was this really annoying guy named Travis who loved them, so even if I had been inclined to give 311 the benefit of the doubt, he’d have tipped me over into hate it land.

Best show or concert you saw in high school: I went to Lillith Fair & had a great time, but I think the coolest show I saw was No Doubt. It was 1995 and I’d just been to the movies at Triangle Square, a mall in Costa Mesa. When I came out of the movie, there was this band playing to a medium sized crowd. The lead singer was a tiny blonde who danced like she was on a trampoline. I only had time to listen to a couple songs before I had to get home, but I looked them up when I got home. Tragic Kingdom had just come out but no one outside Orange County, CA was listening to them yet. That changed quickly.

Best high school make-out song: You Were Meant For Me by Jewel. What can I say, I was one of those girls who fell in love super quick. (Frankly, my slight “please love me” desperation is probably why I didn’t get asked out a lot in high school.)

Lorelie Brown is the author of Creep, from the Romance Rewind Anthology, ’90s Playlist. You can find out more about Lorelie and her other books, including her latest, Ahead in the Heat, at loreliebrown.com.