Author's Notes: Just a quick disclaimer; Alice and Hannah are the only
characters that belong to me in this chapter. And also, I want to say that
some of the random information in the story I got from the commentary from
the DVD. You'll see more of that later on, though. And only a few things
have been changed around in the story, the biggest one being that Gerry
doesn't get in the accident and die later on. I know this movie is based on
a true story, but I just didn't have the heart to follow through on it. :(
Lastly, I probably have my geography wrong, in that I have NO idea where
Richmond is located and whether or not Alexandria is a small or big city.
Okay, that's all. :) Thanks SOO much for the reviews!!!
Alice Ferrell stopped the car in front of the curb, where the whole football team was to meet and head off to camp.
"You got everything?" she asked her daughter, who stared nervously out the window into the crowd of people.
"Yes, Mama," Hannah said.
She collected her suitcases and started to open the door, when she looked back to her mother.
"Daddy told me to tell you he's stayin' at the Alexandria Inn, just in case you wanted to talk or something," she said hesitantly.
Alice's lips tightened. "We talked about this, Hannah," she said calmly.
"I know, Mama. But I've barely even seen him since the day he left. I'm kinda worried about him. Couldn't you at least check up on him, just while I'm gone?" Hannah pleaded to her mother with her eyes.
"I'll see about it. You be careful out there, you hear me?" Alice leaned in to give Hannah a kiss on the cheek. "I don't want you too close to those boys, they're all so violent. You listen to the Coach and stay where he permits you."
"I will. Bye." Hannah stepped away from the car and watched as it sped off.
She started to drag the luggage into the big pile, when one of the players came up to her.
"What you doin' lugging that stuff on your own?" He took the heavy suitcases and brought them to the rest of the load.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed, glad to have the feeling back in her arms.
"It's Petey, right?" Petey brought his hand to his forehead, as if saluting her.
"Petey Jones, at your service," he feigned a deep, official voice.
Hannah chuckled at Petey's charm. "Pleasure to have your assistance," she joked.
She helped load the suitcases onto the buses, talking happily with some of the football players, when she saw Gerry out of the corner of her eye.
He had called her the night after she gave him her phone number, and from that point on they called each other almost everyday, either talking or planning to go someplace out to eat.
There was no doubt in her mind that she was falling for him; he had a dazzling charm, and he never failed to listen to her. They had similar interests and conflicting experiences that could keep them talking for hours - there was an undeniable connection between the two of them. Hannah and Gerry exchanged happy smiles, and Gerry nodded to her.
She laughed and tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ears shyly. She waved to him, and he grinned. There was something romantic about it, the way they could make each other smile just by saying hello.
"Good to see you, Hannah," Coach Boone greeted her. "Ready for camp?"
"Yes, sir," she said.
"Very good, very good. Go ahead and get yourself seated on the bus, I can take over packing from here."
Hannah made her way to the automobile when Julius approached her. "Hey Julius!" Hannah said warmly.
He smiled and waved. "Hey. Check it out, it looks like we got ourselves some real 'winners' on this team," he said bitterly.
Hannah frowned in confusion until Julius nodded his head towards the direction behind her.
turned around and saw Gerry and his friend, Ray Budds, walk up to Coach Boone with scowls on their faces.
"I'm Gerry Bertier; the only All-American you got on this team," he said cooly.
Hannah stopped dead in her tracks, listening as Gerry listed demands for Coach Boone. Other people turned their heads and listened intently.
I can't believe he's doing this, she thought agitantly.
"I'm sorry, what did you say your name was - Jerry?"
"Gerry."
"No, you must've said Jerry. Like Lewis, which would make you Dean Martin."
Coach Boone looked to Ray, then faced the crowd of parents.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. We have Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin accompanying us to camp this year. Jerry makes the jokes, and Dean sings the songs, and gets the girls. Let's give them a round of applause."
Coach Boone clapped sarcastically as he turned back to Gerry. "Where are your folks, Gerry? Are they here?" Gerry pointed at his mom.
"Well, take a good look at her, Gerry. 'Cause once you get on this bus, you ain't got no mama no more. You got your brother's on the team, and you've got your daddy. Now you know who yo' daddy is, don't you?" Boone leaned in closer to the youth, who didn't respond to his question. "Gerry, if you want to play on this team, you will answer me when I ask you who is your daddy? Who's your daddy Gerry? Who's your daddy?" he prodded.
Hannah remained in a shocked silence, as did the rest of the people.
"You," Gerry finally mumbled under his breath.
"And whose team is this? Is this your team, or is this your daddy's team?"
"Yours."
"Good. Now get on the bus. Put your jacket on first, and get on the bus."
Defeated, Gerry and Ray walked slowly to the automobile.
"And Dean," Coach Boone called to Ray. "Fix that tie, son."
"Boone sure told them," Julius snickered, while Hannah rubbed her lips and looked down at the curb, stifling laughter.
The bus ride up to Gettysburg college was long and silent. Coach Boone paired people up of the opposite race, and the team sat stiffly, staring straight ahead in disgrace.
Bored and slightly nervous, Hannah pulled out To Kill A Mockingbird and began reading.
"That's a good book," Jerry 'Rev' Harris observed, as he spotted the book from the seat beside her.
"One of my favorites," she added with a polite smile. She and Rev talked off and on for the rest of the ride, ignoring the dirty looks they received from other teammates.
"Fight!" Alan Bosley shouted through the halls of the tall, Victorian- styled building.
Guys filed out of their rooms and joined the brawl, and gruesome shouts rang throughout the building.
Curious, Hannah opened the door of the office and peered out, only for it to be shut by Coach Yoast.
"Go back inside, Hannah. This is no event for a lady to see," he advised her.
She obliged and shut the door, while Yoast yelled to the angry football players, "Break it up, boys! Break it up!"
Sighing, Hannah went to the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. And so the football season of the T.C.Williams Titans begins with a ferocious fight and shrewd comments.
Whatever it is that makes it so difficult for these boys to accept one another is beyond understanding.
Hannah continued writing about the protests that ensued prior to the beginning of camp later that evening, concerning the replacement of Bill Yoast as head coach, and the integrating of the team.
She documented the solemn ride up to the college and the thoughts of some of the players, and by the time she was finished it was eleven O'clock at night.
She set the now thickening sheets of notes to the side and sank into her warm bed. I didn't get to see Gerry today, she realized. As she gazed up at the ceiling, she couldn't believe how much she missed their heartfelt conversations. The last time she even saw him, he was shoving Julius against the wall, a look of vengeance consuming the beauty in his face.
Alice Ferrell stopped the car in front of the curb, where the whole football team was to meet and head off to camp.
"You got everything?" she asked her daughter, who stared nervously out the window into the crowd of people.
"Yes, Mama," Hannah said.
She collected her suitcases and started to open the door, when she looked back to her mother.
"Daddy told me to tell you he's stayin' at the Alexandria Inn, just in case you wanted to talk or something," she said hesitantly.
Alice's lips tightened. "We talked about this, Hannah," she said calmly.
"I know, Mama. But I've barely even seen him since the day he left. I'm kinda worried about him. Couldn't you at least check up on him, just while I'm gone?" Hannah pleaded to her mother with her eyes.
"I'll see about it. You be careful out there, you hear me?" Alice leaned in to give Hannah a kiss on the cheek. "I don't want you too close to those boys, they're all so violent. You listen to the Coach and stay where he permits you."
"I will. Bye." Hannah stepped away from the car and watched as it sped off.
She started to drag the luggage into the big pile, when one of the players came up to her.
"What you doin' lugging that stuff on your own?" He took the heavy suitcases and brought them to the rest of the load.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed, glad to have the feeling back in her arms.
"It's Petey, right?" Petey brought his hand to his forehead, as if saluting her.
"Petey Jones, at your service," he feigned a deep, official voice.
Hannah chuckled at Petey's charm. "Pleasure to have your assistance," she joked.
She helped load the suitcases onto the buses, talking happily with some of the football players, when she saw Gerry out of the corner of her eye.
He had called her the night after she gave him her phone number, and from that point on they called each other almost everyday, either talking or planning to go someplace out to eat.
There was no doubt in her mind that she was falling for him; he had a dazzling charm, and he never failed to listen to her. They had similar interests and conflicting experiences that could keep them talking for hours - there was an undeniable connection between the two of them. Hannah and Gerry exchanged happy smiles, and Gerry nodded to her.
She laughed and tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ears shyly. She waved to him, and he grinned. There was something romantic about it, the way they could make each other smile just by saying hello.
"Good to see you, Hannah," Coach Boone greeted her. "Ready for camp?"
"Yes, sir," she said.
"Very good, very good. Go ahead and get yourself seated on the bus, I can take over packing from here."
Hannah made her way to the automobile when Julius approached her. "Hey Julius!" Hannah said warmly.
He smiled and waved. "Hey. Check it out, it looks like we got ourselves some real 'winners' on this team," he said bitterly.
Hannah frowned in confusion until Julius nodded his head towards the direction behind her.
turned around and saw Gerry and his friend, Ray Budds, walk up to Coach Boone with scowls on their faces.
"I'm Gerry Bertier; the only All-American you got on this team," he said cooly.
Hannah stopped dead in her tracks, listening as Gerry listed demands for Coach Boone. Other people turned their heads and listened intently.
I can't believe he's doing this, she thought agitantly.
"I'm sorry, what did you say your name was - Jerry?"
"Gerry."
"No, you must've said Jerry. Like Lewis, which would make you Dean Martin."
Coach Boone looked to Ray, then faced the crowd of parents.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. We have Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin accompanying us to camp this year. Jerry makes the jokes, and Dean sings the songs, and gets the girls. Let's give them a round of applause."
Coach Boone clapped sarcastically as he turned back to Gerry. "Where are your folks, Gerry? Are they here?" Gerry pointed at his mom.
"Well, take a good look at her, Gerry. 'Cause once you get on this bus, you ain't got no mama no more. You got your brother's on the team, and you've got your daddy. Now you know who yo' daddy is, don't you?" Boone leaned in closer to the youth, who didn't respond to his question. "Gerry, if you want to play on this team, you will answer me when I ask you who is your daddy? Who's your daddy Gerry? Who's your daddy?" he prodded.
Hannah remained in a shocked silence, as did the rest of the people.
"You," Gerry finally mumbled under his breath.
"And whose team is this? Is this your team, or is this your daddy's team?"
"Yours."
"Good. Now get on the bus. Put your jacket on first, and get on the bus."
Defeated, Gerry and Ray walked slowly to the automobile.
"And Dean," Coach Boone called to Ray. "Fix that tie, son."
"Boone sure told them," Julius snickered, while Hannah rubbed her lips and looked down at the curb, stifling laughter.
The bus ride up to Gettysburg college was long and silent. Coach Boone paired people up of the opposite race, and the team sat stiffly, staring straight ahead in disgrace.
Bored and slightly nervous, Hannah pulled out To Kill A Mockingbird and began reading.
"That's a good book," Jerry 'Rev' Harris observed, as he spotted the book from the seat beside her.
"One of my favorites," she added with a polite smile. She and Rev talked off and on for the rest of the ride, ignoring the dirty looks they received from other teammates.
"Fight!" Alan Bosley shouted through the halls of the tall, Victorian- styled building.
Guys filed out of their rooms and joined the brawl, and gruesome shouts rang throughout the building.
Curious, Hannah opened the door of the office and peered out, only for it to be shut by Coach Yoast.
"Go back inside, Hannah. This is no event for a lady to see," he advised her.
She obliged and shut the door, while Yoast yelled to the angry football players, "Break it up, boys! Break it up!"
Sighing, Hannah went to the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. And so the football season of the T.C.Williams Titans begins with a ferocious fight and shrewd comments.
Whatever it is that makes it so difficult for these boys to accept one another is beyond understanding.
Hannah continued writing about the protests that ensued prior to the beginning of camp later that evening, concerning the replacement of Bill Yoast as head coach, and the integrating of the team.
She documented the solemn ride up to the college and the thoughts of some of the players, and by the time she was finished it was eleven O'clock at night.
She set the now thickening sheets of notes to the side and sank into her warm bed. I didn't get to see Gerry today, she realized. As she gazed up at the ceiling, she couldn't believe how much she missed their heartfelt conversations. The last time she even saw him, he was shoving Julius against the wall, a look of vengeance consuming the beauty in his face.
