Disclaimer: No, I do not own Remember the Titans. Nor do I own anything affiliated with the movie (including the one line that I use in this story: "In Alexandria, Virginia, high school football's a way of life"). I do own, however, all original characters and this plot line. So please do not steal them. Thank you.

Author's Note: I was watching Remember the Titans the other day and this story idea just popped into my head. I don't know how often I'll be updating, it really all depends on how much I enjoy writing this story and how many reviews I receive each chapter. I have many other stories that I'm working on currently (please feel free to check them out) and some of them are more of a priority right now than others. This story could become a higher priority if you all are interested in it. So, as I said before, the more reviews I receive the more likely chapters are going to come more quickly. Now, with all that said, please enjoy.

Ain't No Mountain

It was the summer of '72. I remember that because it was the summer after the high schools integrated. And it was the summer after the T.C. Williams Titans played for the first time, and went the entire football season undefeated.

In Alexandria, Virginia, high school football's a way of life. Everybody around here eats, sleeps, and breathes it. If you don't play on the team, you sit in the stands and root for the players. It's as simple as that. No one in this town has ever not gone to a game played on our home field. Everything shuts down on game night, only to be reopened for celebration, or, on a rare occasion, to drown our sorrows of defeat in something trivial.

But I digress from the true reason that I'm writing this.

True I'll remember the summer of '72 for all those reasons above. But I'll also remember it for something even more important. The summer of 1972 was the summer that I fell in love.

Chapter One

The sun beat down on the earth with a ferocity that could only be found in the southern states. Sweat beaded upon the foreheads of those who dared to step out of doors, leaving behind the coolness of fans, and venturing out into the heat of the mid-day sun. Lemonade and tea so sweet that it could give you a cavity after only one sip were the popular drinks of the day. Old men could be found sitting out in front of the barber shop, rocking in their chairs, and chatting amiably with each other as women bustled about doing the day's shopping and trying to keep unruly children in hand. Only those who desperately needed to ventured out of doors, while the rest remained safely inside, sheltered from the sun.

It was the type of weather that could drive anyone crazy. And it was the type of weather that Anna Matheson loved. But she couldn't enjoy the summer days like she wished. Instead, she was stuck indoors, working the cash register of her daddy's hardware store.

Matheson Hardware had been a prominent part of Alexandria for as long as anyone could remember. It had been passed through numerous generations of Matheson men; dating back to when Alexandria was still a small farm community with a handful of plantations dotting its landscape. The plantations had long since been torn down to make way for the housing developments that a growing town needed, but Matheson Hardware still stood- one of the few buildings that had stood the test of time.

It was a family run business, with only a smattering of employees to fill in the places that family members could not. One or two men worked as salesmen and another girl helped to run the register when Anna was able to beg a day off and there was one colored boy (whom her daddy had hired for the summer) who made sure that the floors were swept and that the shop looked spotless.

Anna didn't talk much with the colored boy. She recognized him from school and knew that he played on the football team. She knew him only by his nickname: Rev. He had been the starting quarterback for the T.C Titans until his unfortunate injury early into the season. His replacement had been Ronnie Bass, or Sunshine as he was more frequently called. Anna knew Sunshine fairly well. They had had more than a few classes together and had talked off and on in the hallways and before classes started. Sunshine had been the boy that all the girls wanted. But Anna didn't understand it. Sure he was cute, but there was nothing special about him other than the fact that he was from somewhere other than Alexandria. Basically, he was a commodity. Something to be gawked at and whispered about in the halls.

Of course, the fact that Anna was immune to the charms of the blonde haired quarterback could be attributed to the fact that she had a boyfriend.

And what a wonderful boyfriend he was. Jeremy Winfield may not have been on the football team, but he was still one of the most popular boys in school. He was smart, funny, definitely good looking, and could easily carry on a conversation with anyone he crossed paths with. And Anna's parents loved him. He was, to put it simply, a good old country boy; putting family values ahead of everything else and attending church regularly with his own parents. It helped matters that Anna and Jeremy's parents were the oldest of friends. In a way, they had pushed their two children to get together. It was a dream of the Matheson's and the Winfield's to have a joining of the families. Anna and Jeremy were only too happy to comply.

Summer vacation had started only a week before, and Anna had been stuck inside the hardware store every single day since the final bell rang. It'd been only six days- the store was, of course, closed on Sundays- and already she ached for the fresh sunshine on her face.

She had just gone out with Jeremy the night before and, as she stood behind the register waiting for a customer, Anna couldn't help but stare out the window and become lost in her daydreaming. The bell above the door clanged lightly, disturbing Anna. She jumped slightly, her eyes moving towards the door to see who had entered. It was one of her daddy's regular customers and, as Anna greeted him by name, Jacob Matheson came from the back room and shook the man's hand. Knowing that her father would personally handle the sale, Anna turned her eyes back to the window.

A group of boys were walking past, some white and some black. The sight was nothing new. Ever since the integration of Alexandria's two high schools, more black and white teens were hanging out. Many of the older folks in Alexandria had yet to accept the fact that integration had happened and that it was here to stay. Anna's daddy included.

Jacob Matheson was a hardcore racist. His father had been racist, and his father before him, and so on and so forth. The Matheson family was well known as having once owned a plantation further south. That was until the Civil War when they lost everything to a Yankee attack. The family had had to relocate and start fresh. They moved to Virginia where their store was established. It began as a feed and tack store and later changed into the hardware store.

Anna recognized some of the boys from school. She waved to them, smiling politely. One or two noticed and waved back before disappearing around the corner. She sighed as they moved out of sight. Was she the only teen in Alexandria who didn't get a summer break? It certainly felt that way sometimes. Anna glanced over at where her daddy was working with the customer. They were deep in discussion, heads bent over the latest stock of drills to come in.

She sighed again and leaned her elbow on the counter, resting her chin in her hand. This was going to be a long day.

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Alright, so it was a bit slow and kinda short, but I hope you guys liked it. Remember, this was just the opening chapter, it's going to get better. I promise. Anyways, please review and tell me what you thought.