ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA 1971:
OCTOBER 5th
I remember that first day in Alexandria like it was yesterday. I remember
driving down the streets that cool October morning. I was sitting in the
front seat of my dad's Camaro. He insisted on driving me my first day. He
thought I'd get lost or something. My dad had just been transferred here
from Phoenix, Arizona. My mom had left when I was seven, leaving my dad and
me all alone. My dad and I didn't get along. He was always too pushy and
never let me talk for myself. He treated me like I was 5 and then scolded
me for acting like a child. But I did feel bad for him; everything just
sort of fell apart for him when Mom left. He bounced around from job to job
and we had moved a lot. We had lived in Arizona for two years and I had
started my senior year of high school when dad told us that we were moving
to Virginia. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled. For the millionth
time I had to pack up and move out and start all over again somewhere new.
And for just my senior year! We drove down the street to a large brick
building. My dad parked the car and turned to me.
"Are you nervous?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine. Bye." I said as I gathered my things, opened
the door and slammed it.
As soon as I left the parking lot, I saw the crowd. Mounds of people with
signs were standing at the front entrance protesting the integration. I was
in awe of how the people could be so small-minded. Race had never mattered
in Arizona. Black or white, no one really cared out there. But apparently
it did here. I was so busy looking at the protestors that I walked straight
into someone.
"Sorry!" I said looking up at who I hit.
"Nah its alright." A tall boy in a letterman's jacket looked down at me.
"I'm Ronnie, Ronnie Bass." He said, extending a hand.
"Ashley Cole. I just moved here from Arizona." I said as I shook his hand.
He nodded. "So you have no idea where to go do you?"
I smiled. "Not a clue." He laughed. "Well come on I'll show you where your locker is." Ronnie guided me through the crowded hallways to my locker. "So how long have you been here?" Ronnie asked as he skillfully maneuvered the crowded hallways. "Um two days actually-" I was cut off.
"Ohmigod guys look! Sunshine's makin his move! Lets all watch and learn." A voice behind me chanted. A pack of guys stood looking amused. Ronnie turned around. "Real funny Petey. This is Ashley Cole, she just moved here from Arizona. I was just showing her where her locker and stuff are. Oh and Ashley this is Petey, Rev and Blue."
"Nice to meet you." I smiled. Petey grinned. "So Ashley, what do you think of Sunshine here?"
"Sunshine?"
The guys laughed. "They gave me the nickname because I just moved here from California." Ronnie explained. "Yeah, that's why." Petey rolled his eyes. Rev tried to change the subject " Are you a football fan?" "Yeah actually I am. Why do you ask?" "Because we all play here, we're the TCW Titans and damn proud of it." announced Blue. "Can you play at all?"
"Actually yeah. I used to play with the boys in my neighborhood when I was growing up. They said I was good.for a girl. Haven't played much lately though."
"Well we'll have to fix that. We'll take you to play sometime." Rev smiled.
"That would be good." I grinned. Then the bell rang. Ronnie gave me quick directions to my English class and we went our separate ways. My English teacher, Mrs. Dover, reviewed my transcript and pointed to an empty seat. I sat down in it and the teacher got up and began droning on about themes in literature. I was spacing out when a small piece of paper was tossed on my desk. "Who are you?" It read. I looked over at the kid who had thrown it. He was also wearing a letterman's jacket as well as a cocky grin.
I rolled my eyes and wrote "That all depends. Who's asking?" and tossed it over to him. The mystery man raised an eyebrow, wrote something and pitched the paper back. "I asked you first.but since you're cute I'll tell you. The name's Ray. Ray Budds." I wrote back. "Ashley Cole. I just moved here from Arizona." I tossed it over. Ray nodded, scrawled something and was about to toss it back when Mrs. Dover walked over and grabbed the note. She read it and sighed. "Well, Mr. Budds and Miss Cole, I do not condone the writing of notes in class. I hope that you will be considerate of that in the future." She walked back to her desk and said "And just for the record class, Ray Budds thinks that Ashley Cole is cute and wants to know if she wants to go out with him tonight."
I could feel myself turning red. This is not how I wanted my first class to go. "Well Miss Cole? I believe Mr. Budds deserves an answer. Will you go out with him?"
I looked at Ray. He smiled innocently.
"Sure." I said and the class broke out into catcalls. "That's enough. Now if you please we will continue our lecture." Mrs. Dover droned on. When the bell rang, Ray caught my arm. "So can I meet you after school?" "I dunno can you?" I looked at him with an innocent sweet as pie expression. "Is that a yes?" He asked. "Meet me at my locker. Its number 2324." I turned and walked to my next class.
He nodded. "So you have no idea where to go do you?"
I smiled. "Not a clue." He laughed. "Well come on I'll show you where your locker is." Ronnie guided me through the crowded hallways to my locker. "So how long have you been here?" Ronnie asked as he skillfully maneuvered the crowded hallways. "Um two days actually-" I was cut off.
"Ohmigod guys look! Sunshine's makin his move! Lets all watch and learn." A voice behind me chanted. A pack of guys stood looking amused. Ronnie turned around. "Real funny Petey. This is Ashley Cole, she just moved here from Arizona. I was just showing her where her locker and stuff are. Oh and Ashley this is Petey, Rev and Blue."
"Nice to meet you." I smiled. Petey grinned. "So Ashley, what do you think of Sunshine here?"
"Sunshine?"
The guys laughed. "They gave me the nickname because I just moved here from California." Ronnie explained. "Yeah, that's why." Petey rolled his eyes. Rev tried to change the subject " Are you a football fan?" "Yeah actually I am. Why do you ask?" "Because we all play here, we're the TCW Titans and damn proud of it." announced Blue. "Can you play at all?"
"Actually yeah. I used to play with the boys in my neighborhood when I was growing up. They said I was good.for a girl. Haven't played much lately though."
"Well we'll have to fix that. We'll take you to play sometime." Rev smiled.
"That would be good." I grinned. Then the bell rang. Ronnie gave me quick directions to my English class and we went our separate ways. My English teacher, Mrs. Dover, reviewed my transcript and pointed to an empty seat. I sat down in it and the teacher got up and began droning on about themes in literature. I was spacing out when a small piece of paper was tossed on my desk. "Who are you?" It read. I looked over at the kid who had thrown it. He was also wearing a letterman's jacket as well as a cocky grin.
I rolled my eyes and wrote "That all depends. Who's asking?" and tossed it over to him. The mystery man raised an eyebrow, wrote something and pitched the paper back. "I asked you first.but since you're cute I'll tell you. The name's Ray. Ray Budds." I wrote back. "Ashley Cole. I just moved here from Arizona." I tossed it over. Ray nodded, scrawled something and was about to toss it back when Mrs. Dover walked over and grabbed the note. She read it and sighed. "Well, Mr. Budds and Miss Cole, I do not condone the writing of notes in class. I hope that you will be considerate of that in the future." She walked back to her desk and said "And just for the record class, Ray Budds thinks that Ashley Cole is cute and wants to know if she wants to go out with him tonight."
I could feel myself turning red. This is not how I wanted my first class to go. "Well Miss Cole? I believe Mr. Budds deserves an answer. Will you go out with him?"
I looked at Ray. He smiled innocently.
"Sure." I said and the class broke out into catcalls. "That's enough. Now if you please we will continue our lecture." Mrs. Dover droned on. When the bell rang, Ray caught my arm. "So can I meet you after school?" "I dunno can you?" I looked at him with an innocent sweet as pie expression. "Is that a yes?" He asked. "Meet me at my locker. Its number 2324." I turned and walked to my next class.