Chapter One

ELOWEN

"Some things never fail." Her mother told her this often. When she wasn't pressing flatirons onto hair or stirring dinner on the stove, she was giving her children long needed advice. "And the things that do fail are the ones who prosper."

Never understanding what it meant only left Elowen confused. In her mind, she went straight to race. When she was young she would ask, "Black folks is always failin'. Why we ain't prosper yet?"

Thus her mother would reply, "because some things take time."

Mrs. Walson sent her kids off to school every morning. Spencer, a nine-year-old with a lot of sass and golden glory for her fine curly hair, goes to the fourth. Henry, eleven years old and face drained from his third week of sixth grade. Then Elowen, just turned fourteen over the summer and proud that freshman year has treated her great so far.

"Now you watch and make sure your brother and sister get inside that building, you heard!"

Elowen blew a kiss to her anxious mother before pushing the two young ones around the corner. An orange tree would usually force them on to the street in which Spencer sneaks one just to piss off the neighbor.

"One day Mrs. Gardner is gonna swat you with her broom and you're gonna be cryin' to mama making her believe she did it for no reason." Elowen silently agreed with Henry but Spencer simply dismissed him. "Okay. I'll just tell her myself then." She slapped her older brother's arm but he knew better than to hit her back.

It wasn't long before Elowen was screaming at them to get inside the building and stop torturing each other. The moment she saw them disappear behind the dark blue doors, she headed to East Langton High. The only place she was proud to go to during the day only because she's made many first impressions.

Before first hour she would meet up with Kellie and Marcus. They used to date and became good friends after their split. She was surprised her and Kellie became so close because Marcus asked her out months before she met Kellie. Luckily she declined the offer, because Kellie is such a good friend to her.

There were many nights Kellie and Elowen cried together like when her parents split. They laughed when Kellie cut off her permed hair and switched to an afro. Their first fight was over a boy who turned out to be gay after being exposed during gym class.

Then Marcus, a stocky African American with a voice so deep it travels and eyes so dark they don't shine. He's often talking down about his coffee bean colored skin and coil patterned hair. The girls are always trying to cheer him up but they lost the point. He'll never love himself anytime soon.

"She's always talkin' and everyone hears it. Patricia never knows when to close her damn mouth!" Marcus sipped the juice out of his pickle in anticipation. "Do i look pregnant?"

"Never," the two replied to her at the same time.

"Damn right never! I'm not stupid enough. She was gone for a whole school year. What on earth was she doing!"

Their morning went like this for another twenty minutes. Kellie didn't close her mouth until the bell rung and the three had to part ways. But it only brought on relief to Elowen's ears.

Her first class was calculus. She enjoyed it very much because she was placed with the big kids. A freshman around juniors and seniors. Who wouldn't feel a sense of superiority?

"Pass those worksheets right over to the front. I'll be checking right away so don't think sneaking it into the pile before the end of class will get you anywhere."

Elowen passed her homework to the girl in front of her. She watched carefully to make sure it reached its destination. Not only was she the only underclassman in her math, but she was the only black.

"Aye, kissup," someone clapped in her ear. She turned suddenly to see who could be so rude. "Elowen ain't it?" she nodded. His pale nose was at level with her mouth and his deep grey eyes were staring directly into hers.

"Uh... yeah. Elowen." She rose an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "Why?"

He shook his head before leaning away which gave her a clearer view of his entire body. Broad shoulders, collared shirt tucked into khaki pants and black shoes on his feet. The whole time she was sizing up his pointy jaw and upward curved nose, he was doing the same to her.

"No reason," he grinned. "I just noticed you always do everything on time."

She shrugged. "Shouldn't we always?" he shook his head. "What? Why not?" though she knew he was pulling out his joking side, a small part of her couldn't help but think this junior dude knew what should be done. He had two grades on her and maturity.

"The teacher doesn't like kiss asses. He likes students who test his patience. Like Joey and like me. You see how he never gets on us about anything. And we don't even do his work half the time."

After thinking about it for a while, she immediately regretted it and wish she kept her paper to herself. "You're so right!" She thumped herself on the head.

"I know," he responded. "But that's not the end of it. After school my friends and I are going to the drive in to crash Mr. Gardner's date with his wife. You should join."

Elowen knew her mother wouldn't let her go out past five o'clock especially since it's a school night. Not only that, she'd have to lie and say who she's going with and Elowen is known to be a terrible liar. Telling her mother that she'd be going out with a white boy is like suicide.

"I don't know. It's a school-"

"Gosh, you blacks are so uptight. Scared of makin' mistakes or hangin' out with the wrong people. It's just one night." He waved his index finger in her face which made her swat him away. "You loosen up and I promise high school will be so much better."

Elowen agreed. She always agreed to the parts of life she hasn't gotten to explore. She agreed so hard that she was willing to risk it all when she told him she'd be there.

"Really?" he said shock.

Elowen nodded. "At the drive in. I'll be there."

"To be sure, I'll be pickin' you up."

Marcus pulled out Elowen's lunch chair as she sat down with her tray. She wasn't planning on bringing up anything about sneaking out because she knew she was going to have to hear them scolding her. Instead she stayed awkwardly silent as they summed up their day so far.

"He has something in his chest that's known for putting his heart rate back into shape," Marcus mocked its size with his hand. "It's called a disfiber or a defibber."

"Defibrillator." Elowen cut in despite trying to keep a low profile. They both looked at her with concern. "That's what it's called. A defibrillator. My grandpa had to get one and so did his mom. The stories were endless."

Kellie used her hand to support her chin then pouted. "Lay it on me."

Elowen visually looked nervous because the urge to hold her tongue was slowly becoming a thing of the past. "Why? I'm fine." She beamed. Teeth becoming the main show. "Why?"

"You're quiet," Marcus chimed. "Real quiet."

"Because I-" One glance at the back of that blonde head and she broke. "I'm sneaking out with a junior who's name I don't even know." Her smile grew wider but her friends weren't reflecting the excitement. She knew she messed up but it's not her fault she can't keep anything from them. "I know... it's stupid."

Kellie's open mouth closed into a wide smile and she began clapping. Marcus, on the other hand, remained stunned. "You're what!? With who? He here right now? Is he cute?"

Elowen shrugged. "He didn't really catch my interests until after he invited me to the passion pit. I mean, he isn't bad looking for a white boy."

That's when the entire table dropped dead silent. An important fact that was meant to be kept in the dark was now out in the open. Her mind told her to tell them everything and that's what she did.

"This is why they segregated schools," Marcus muttered under his breath. And he was probably right.

No one wanted mixed children in this world especially with the threats they give to people who do have them. Growing up in 60s was no different since kids were always being taught history from ten years ago. Even now they were reminded that interracial marriage might be worse than the deadly sins.

"But it's in secret," Elowen defended.

"Elo! Quit the dumb girl talk. White boys are dangerous. Their fathers are in the KKK and their grandpas and uncles. Who knows what he'd drag you around into. Tomorrow you could be hung for all we know." She hopelessly agreed with Kellie. "He saw a pretty black girl and now he's angry. He wants to only get rid of you."

She didn't want to believe that her friends were telling her these things because they were jealous that she's getting a shot of freedom and they aren't. So she doesn't believe it. She doesn't believe that he would stare into her eyes, of all eyes, and lie to her. Trick her. Or hurt her. She doesn't know him. But something about him gives her hope.

"Yeah, I guess." She sighed. "I guess you're right."

Kellie breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. So now since you know that you shouldn't go, maybe I can sleep good at night." Kellie winked which made Elowen force a smile.