Hank Beecham put his chin in his hands, and felt his eyelids droop. He was exhausted, and just barely keeping his eyes open. Last nights call had been big-an 11 car pile up, including a truck that had flipped over. It had taken all the EMTs in town to handle it.
"Mr. Connell," said Hank and Tyler's science teacher. "Would you please refrain from sleeping in my class?" Hank cast a look at Tyler, who had put his head on his desk.
Tyler sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I want cookies, Mommy," He said.
The class laughed. "Hey, it got me cookies last time, didn't it?" [*From the Mystery Episode Disney aired instead of Friends Don't Let Friends...] He asked. The class laughed again, this time at his joke and not him.
"Mr. Connell," The teacher said in a threatening tone.
At that moment, a girl walked into the room. She didn't look like anyone Hank recognized from Kingsport.
She handed the teacher a slip of paper. He read it. "Class," He began. "This is Lindsay Woerner. She just moved here from..."
"Texas," She said, voice heavily accented. "Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas."
"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Asked the teacher.
"Well," She began. "We had to move here because my Papa got a job. I've lived in Texas all my life, and I've never seen real snow. My family didn't own any horses, but the man next door had a couple."
"That's great, why don't you sit down behind Hank. Hank, raise your hand, and yes boy, I do notice you're drifting off yourself."
Hank raised his hand and mumbled, "Long call."
Lindsay sat down in the seat behind him. "Howdy," She drawled.
"Lo," Hank replied.
"What did you mean by long call?" She asked.
"I'm an EMT," Hank replied.
"Mr. Beecham, Ms. Woerner. I am sure you probably have better places to go, but you are in my class whether you like it or not," Announced the teacher.
"The wrath of science class," Hank whispered, and Lindsay laughed.
Chapter 2
Hank walked out of class talking to Lindsay. "So, what do people do for fun around here?" She asked.
Tyler came up behind them. "He wouldn't know," Tyler said. "Beecham spends all of his time at school, football practice, or the EMT station."
"I wouldn't be talking, Connell," Hank said.
Tyler grinned. "I guess not." He turned to Lindsay. "I'm Tyler Connell. High school student, football player, and EMT."
Lindsay looked at her schedule. "Well, do either of ya'll know how to get to room 512?" She asked.
"The journalism room?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah, that should be it," She said.
"You're a journalist?"
She laughed. "What, do they have that bad of a reputation here? I'm lucky I got on the staff at all. Usually they don't take people after the first of the year, but I was an editor on my old paper. They bumped me down to staff writer, but at least I'm on."
"Well, follow us, and well take you there," Tyler said.
***
After Hank's next class, he walked into French. A few minutes later, Lindsay also entered, and took a seat next to Jamie. "Howdy," She said.
Jamie raised his eyebrow. "Friend of yours?"
Lindsay smiled. "I'm Lindsay Woerner."
"Jamie Waite. That's a heavy accent you've got there. Are you from Texas?"
"Right in one," Lindsay replied. "I just moved here from Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas."
"Fair Oaks, eh?" Jamie questioned. "I used to live near there, in San Antonio."
"You lived in Texas?" Hank asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. Until I was seven. Where else did you think I got the inspiration to be a biker? San Antone has got one of the most bad-ass biker groups around."
Lindsay grinned and opened her mouth to say something, but then class began.
***
Later that night Jamie pulled Hank aside at the station.
"I need to talk to you about Lindsay," He said.
"What about her?" Hank asked.
"I don't think you should hang around her, unless you want to get hurt later on. In fact, I'm surprised she's even talking to you," Jamie told him.
"Why? We're friends, Jamie, nothing more."
"Even just as friends. She'll just turn right around and hurt you. You know how I said I used to live in San Antonio? Well, my mom worked at the Fair Oaks Country Club, and when she had to work Saturdays she would take me with her. I know that town just as well as I know Kingsport. And it's one of the most racist places on Earth."
"Look, Jamie. You don't know her. And besides, what's making you act so nice all of the sudden? Why are you looking out for me?" Hank asked, and walked away, leaving Jamie alone.
Jamie sighed. "Just trying to help."
Chapter 3
"So, you wanna hang out tonight?" Lindsay asked as she slid into her seat in science class.
It had been a few weeks since Lindsay had moved into Kingsport, and already he was as good of friends with her as he was with Val. They talked on the phone and online constantly.
Of course, they were just friends, but Hank couldn't help but to admire her. She was everything he liked in a girl; beautiful, smart, funny. He loved her hair, which was long, curly, and auburn. And she looked better in a pair of jeans than any girl he had ever met. She also didn't seem like a delicate girl who feared getting her hands dirty. He even liked her accent.
Of course, he would never tell HER any of that.
They were just friends, right?
"Hank? Earth to Hank?" She asked.
Hank shook his head. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Tonight?" Hank thought. "I may be on call, but I'm not sure. How about I call you when I get home and check?"
"Fine by me."
A few hours later Hank sat down at lunch table next to Tyler. "I now understand you and Val."
Val looked up from her sandwich. "Understand about what?"
Hank grinned. "Why you two are hopelessly right for each other, but have never gone out."
Tyler choked on his milk. "What?" He wheezed.
Just then Lindsay slid down in the seat next to Hank. "Howdy," She said.
It was as if a light clicked on in Val's head. She smiled slyly and nodded at Hank.
Why had he said anything to Val? Now she was gonna try and hook him up like she did with Jasmine. Not that Jasmine wasn't fun to be with...for awhile. But then their personalities began to clash, and before Hank knew it, they were fighting, constantly. Now they avoided each other. Hank didn't want that to happen to him and Lindsay.
"So, what's happening with the EMT's tonight?" Lindsay asked.
"Nothing, actually," Val said. "It's the 25th, right?" Tyler nodded, and Val went on. "Yeah, today's our off-day."
Hank caught Lindsay's eye. "Yes," He mouthed.
Tyler and Val both noticed it, and gave each other 'they're so cute' looks.
***
Hank spotted Lindsay after school. "So, what are we doing tonight?" He asked.
Lindsay shrugged. "The new Scream is at Gateway at 9."
Hank grinned. "Sounds great. How about I pick you up 7, and we can go eat dinner or something?"
"Um..." Lindsay stammered. "Maybe you shouldn't pick me up. I can meet you someplace."
"What, ashamed of your parents? It's no problem, really. I'll see you at 7, OK?" Then Hank ran off without giving Lindsay a chance to finish.
***
Hank pulled up at Lindsay's house. He walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the door.
A man opened it. As soon as he saw Hank he sneered. "What are you doing here, Boy?" He asked, talking to Hank as if he were scum.
"I'm here for Lindsay," Hank stammered.
"Can't even stand up to me like a man, can you nigger?" The man asked.
Hank stepped back. He felt like he had been slapped. "What did you call me?"
"I called you what you should be called!" Roared the man.
Lindsay ran downstairs. "Hank, I can explain-" She began to cry out, but was interrupted by her father.
"I won't have my daughter spending time with a colored boy!" He yelled, and the door slammed in his face.
Hank stood there, face red with anger, his blood pulsing quickly through his veins. Hank clenched his fists twice, and felt the sudden urge to pound on the door and yell at the man, and at Lindsay. But he simply got in his car, and drove away.
Chapter 4
Hank felt a hand on his shoulder as he was at his locker the next day. He spun around. It was Lindsay.
"Hank, I'm sorry," She said.
He snorted. "You should be. I've never been so insulted in my life. I trusted you, and I only was hurt."
"I'm not my father!" Lindsay exclaimed. "I would never dream of saying such things to you!"
"Jamie was right," Hank said angrily.
She touched his hand. "Hank, he wasn't. I may have grown up in a racist town, but it made me see how cruel racism is! I remember when I was 13, and a black girl moved into our town. The others, they would throw rocks at her and trip her and call her names. It seemed so cruel to me, so heartless. At first I was only interested in being near you because I had never met someone who looked like you, but now it's because I've never met someone who's acted like you. Hank, you're the first person I've ever met who doesn't judge on stupid things, like looks or who people's fathers are. Don't prove me wrong. I really like you because of who you are, not despise you because of race. Give me another chance, please?"
Hank nodded slowly.
Then Lindsay did something Hank did not expect. She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him.
And this was no kiss on the cheek. She was giving him a lesson in Southern hospitality.
"Get a room," said Tyler from behind him.
They pulled apart, embarrassed. "See you in science," She said, winked, and walked away.
"I didn't know that was how Val and I acted," Tyler laughed.
Hank didn't reply. He just kept staring off in the direction Lindsay had gone.
"Man, you have fallen for her bad."
***
Val riffled though Lindsay's closet. "Do you own anything besides jeans?"
Lindsay made a face. "No. Is that a bad thing?"
Val sighed. "Well, I can't loan you anything, because you're too tall. But, considering the only thing Ha-I mean Tyler, has ever seen you in is jeans, and he asked you out anyway, I suppose they're fine."
Lindsay, Hank, Val and Tyler were going out together. But since Lindsay wasn't allowed to hang out with Hank, they told her parents Lindsay was with Tyler, and Val was with Jamie (who would make an appearance at Lindsay's house, and then leave when they got to the restaurant, where Hank would be waiting).
Val pulled out a shirt from the back of Lindsay's closet. "How about this?"
Lindsay groaned. "Too pink."
"Fine," Val said and went back to the closet. They went through several shirts (most of them discarded Christmas presents from her grandparents). Finally Val pulled out a dark dark green shirt.
"It's perfect!" Lindsay exclaimed, and put it on. It complimented her hair, and went well with her dark jeans. Just as she did, the doorbell rang. "My hair!" cried Lindsay, and Val grabbed a ponytail holder to wrestle it into a ponytail. The girls could hear Lindsay's father interrogating Tyler and Jamie about their background.
Lindsay and Val ran downstairs. Before long, they were in the car. Tyler and Jamie were laughing about the crap they had told Mr. Woerner about their backgrounds. They wanted it to sound as American as possible.
They got to the restaurant, and Jamie hopped on his motorcycle that was parked there, and drove off.
"Adios. C-you later, and remember, you owe me," With that he drove off.
Hank walked up to them. "Good evening," He said, and slid his arm around Lindsay's waist.
She smiled and kissed him. "Let's go in."
Points of Interest: Before I get slammed by Texans, I would like to point out that I am one too. I know most Texans aren't racist, but it's a story, OK? And yes, Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas DOES exist, it is outside of San Antonio, and there is a country club (which is about the only non-home building in town). But it isn't as racist as I made it out to be. I just wanted a town I didn't think most people would know.
Lessee, sorry for misspellings of character's last names, I'm too lazy to check and see if I got em right. ;)
And hey, I must be psychic! I started this story last night, before I read the challenege. Strange, huh?
Oh, yeah, and David, sorry for 'Stealing' your last name. ;)