That night, while I was doing my homework the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Ashley?"
"Ronnie?"
"Yeah hey what's going on?"
"Oh not too much, you?"
"Same old shinola here. How was your date?"
I rolled my eyes. "It was good, much to your dismay."
"Why to my dismay?"
I sighed. "Because it's obvious you don't want me dating Ray."
There was a pause. "Look Ash, I don't know you very well yet but I want to get to know you. You seem really cool and I hope we can be friends. From what I know of Ray Budds, he is an arrogant and conceited racist whose measure of girls is three letters high." I bit my lip. I knew what three letters Sunshine meant.
"I think that you're smarter than to get involved with someone who has the potential to be a real asshole. Don't take it the wrong way, I mean if you really like him go for it but if you have any doubts, break it off."
"I dunno yet. I think I need to give it a little time. Thanks for the concern."
"Ah no problem. So I'll see you at school tomorrow?" He said. "Bright and early."
He laughed. "Bye Ash." He hung up. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The rest of that first week went by in a blur. I went to class, hung out with Gerry and Ronnie and the rest of the guys and Ray.well Ray was around. My next vivid memory was of the first Titan football game I went to. Since all of my friends were football players, I was worried about having to sit alone but Gerry had already taken care of that. He introduced me to Coach Yoast, Boone, and Yoast's daughter Sheryl. Sheryl was a fanatical nine year old whose life revolved around football. I sat down next to her as she excitedly started explaining who was playing what position and how good they were. "Gerry Bertier is strong side linebacker! He's so good he's been an All- American since his sophomore year! And Rev Harris is a great quarterback. Too bad his blocker is crummy."
"Who's the blocker?"
Sheryl rolled her eyes. "Ray Budds. He don't like blocking for Rev because he's black. Isn't that the meanest thing you've ever heard?" Sheryl then continued to talk about every other player on the team but I only half listened. If a 9-year-old girl could tell that Ray was a not so great guy then why couldn't I see it? I was supposed to go out with him that night, after the game but I was seriously debating canceling. The Titans won, continuing their undefeated record. After the game, I saw Gerry and Julius walking to the locker rooms.
"Gerry I need a favor!" He turned around. "What is it?"
"Tell Ray I can't go out with him tonight."
Gerry was puzzled. "Why not? I thought you liked him."
"I just don't like the way he ain't blocking for Rev. And he hasn't exactly been nice to Sunshine and." Gerry put his hand over my mouth. "Say no more. What's your excuse?"
"Uhhh I hadn't given it much thought."
Gerry laughed. "I'll make something up. Hey and since you're free now you can come over to my house. We're having a little party to celebrate the victory and the best part is it's Ray free."
I laughed. "Sounds good."
A half hour later I was at Gerry's house celebrating the Titans' win over pizza. The whole gang was there: Ronnie, Petey, Julius, Alan, Blue, Rev and Lewie. The guys were great. They treated me like I was one of them. It was amazing to have such great friends. "So Ash, why aren't you out with Ray tonight?" Petey asked. "Well, I'm actually trying to break things off with good ol' Ray. He isn't the great guy I thought he was." I shrugged. Petey nodded. "Well I'm glad you've seen the light." That was the last we spoke of Ray that night. The guys spent the rest of the night talking about football and music, which was fine by me. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Just as the clock struck twelve and my curfew was up, I walked into my house. My dad sat on the couch impatiently waiting for me to come home. "And where were you tonight?" He demanded. "I went to the football game and then celebrated with the guys at Gerry Bertier's house." I said. "Guys? You were alone with a bunch of boys all night? Weren't there any girls there?"
"Uh no. And we weren't all alone, Gerry's mom was home the whole time."
My dad shook his head. "Ashley I don't like you hanging out with those boys."
"Why not? They're really great."
"I'm sure they're very nice but if it's all the same to you, I don't like the thought of you being friends with boys. I'd much rather have you have a group of girls that you hang around with."
"Why? The girls here aren't like the ones in Arizona. They're all stuck up and concerned about race. But the guys are all cool."
"I don't want to pursue this now. By the way, another boy, Ray something called three times tonight."
"Really?" I tried to sound surprised. "He told me that you cancelled your date and he had no clue where you were and he was worried about you. Are you dating him? Did you stand him up?" My dad was starting to get angry. "We've hung out a few times and I didn't really feel like hanging out with him tonight so I cancelled." My dad cringed. "I don't like this, you canceling your dates to spend time with other guys."
"That's not how it is! I'm just friends with them! I don't have feelings for any of them!" I was getting really sick of it. My dad always hated the thought of me being friends with guys. He told me that boys were for dating and dating alone, not for friendship. "Ashley, don't get upset. I just don't want you to ruin your chances of finding a nice boy to settle down with."
My heart all but stopped. "Settle down with? Jesus dad I'm not going to marry Ray or Gerry or any other guy I've met here!" I hated it when he pulled the marriage card. He did it all the time. "You don't know that." He started.
"Dad face it! I'm going to college. I'm going to graduate and get a job. Then maybe after that I'll get married but I don't want to think about that now!"
"Go to bed Ashley, its late." Was his response. "Is that all you have to say?"
"I've accepted the fact that you are going to college but I don't like talking about it now please go to bed before I change my mind."
I rolled my eyes and stomped up to my room. My dad was such a sexist pig. He hated the thought of me being successful without a man's help, because that's what mom did. And he would do anything and everything to keep me from being strong and independent like her.
"Hello?"
"Ashley?"
"Ronnie?"
"Yeah hey what's going on?"
"Oh not too much, you?"
"Same old shinola here. How was your date?"
I rolled my eyes. "It was good, much to your dismay."
"Why to my dismay?"
I sighed. "Because it's obvious you don't want me dating Ray."
There was a pause. "Look Ash, I don't know you very well yet but I want to get to know you. You seem really cool and I hope we can be friends. From what I know of Ray Budds, he is an arrogant and conceited racist whose measure of girls is three letters high." I bit my lip. I knew what three letters Sunshine meant.
"I think that you're smarter than to get involved with someone who has the potential to be a real asshole. Don't take it the wrong way, I mean if you really like him go for it but if you have any doubts, break it off."
"I dunno yet. I think I need to give it a little time. Thanks for the concern."
"Ah no problem. So I'll see you at school tomorrow?" He said. "Bright and early."
He laughed. "Bye Ash." He hung up. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The rest of that first week went by in a blur. I went to class, hung out with Gerry and Ronnie and the rest of the guys and Ray.well Ray was around. My next vivid memory was of the first Titan football game I went to. Since all of my friends were football players, I was worried about having to sit alone but Gerry had already taken care of that. He introduced me to Coach Yoast, Boone, and Yoast's daughter Sheryl. Sheryl was a fanatical nine year old whose life revolved around football. I sat down next to her as she excitedly started explaining who was playing what position and how good they were. "Gerry Bertier is strong side linebacker! He's so good he's been an All- American since his sophomore year! And Rev Harris is a great quarterback. Too bad his blocker is crummy."
"Who's the blocker?"
Sheryl rolled her eyes. "Ray Budds. He don't like blocking for Rev because he's black. Isn't that the meanest thing you've ever heard?" Sheryl then continued to talk about every other player on the team but I only half listened. If a 9-year-old girl could tell that Ray was a not so great guy then why couldn't I see it? I was supposed to go out with him that night, after the game but I was seriously debating canceling. The Titans won, continuing their undefeated record. After the game, I saw Gerry and Julius walking to the locker rooms.
"Gerry I need a favor!" He turned around. "What is it?"
"Tell Ray I can't go out with him tonight."
Gerry was puzzled. "Why not? I thought you liked him."
"I just don't like the way he ain't blocking for Rev. And he hasn't exactly been nice to Sunshine and." Gerry put his hand over my mouth. "Say no more. What's your excuse?"
"Uhhh I hadn't given it much thought."
Gerry laughed. "I'll make something up. Hey and since you're free now you can come over to my house. We're having a little party to celebrate the victory and the best part is it's Ray free."
I laughed. "Sounds good."
A half hour later I was at Gerry's house celebrating the Titans' win over pizza. The whole gang was there: Ronnie, Petey, Julius, Alan, Blue, Rev and Lewie. The guys were great. They treated me like I was one of them. It was amazing to have such great friends. "So Ash, why aren't you out with Ray tonight?" Petey asked. "Well, I'm actually trying to break things off with good ol' Ray. He isn't the great guy I thought he was." I shrugged. Petey nodded. "Well I'm glad you've seen the light." That was the last we spoke of Ray that night. The guys spent the rest of the night talking about football and music, which was fine by me. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Just as the clock struck twelve and my curfew was up, I walked into my house. My dad sat on the couch impatiently waiting for me to come home. "And where were you tonight?" He demanded. "I went to the football game and then celebrated with the guys at Gerry Bertier's house." I said. "Guys? You were alone with a bunch of boys all night? Weren't there any girls there?"
"Uh no. And we weren't all alone, Gerry's mom was home the whole time."
My dad shook his head. "Ashley I don't like you hanging out with those boys."
"Why not? They're really great."
"I'm sure they're very nice but if it's all the same to you, I don't like the thought of you being friends with boys. I'd much rather have you have a group of girls that you hang around with."
"Why? The girls here aren't like the ones in Arizona. They're all stuck up and concerned about race. But the guys are all cool."
"I don't want to pursue this now. By the way, another boy, Ray something called three times tonight."
"Really?" I tried to sound surprised. "He told me that you cancelled your date and he had no clue where you were and he was worried about you. Are you dating him? Did you stand him up?" My dad was starting to get angry. "We've hung out a few times and I didn't really feel like hanging out with him tonight so I cancelled." My dad cringed. "I don't like this, you canceling your dates to spend time with other guys."
"That's not how it is! I'm just friends with them! I don't have feelings for any of them!" I was getting really sick of it. My dad always hated the thought of me being friends with guys. He told me that boys were for dating and dating alone, not for friendship. "Ashley, don't get upset. I just don't want you to ruin your chances of finding a nice boy to settle down with."
My heart all but stopped. "Settle down with? Jesus dad I'm not going to marry Ray or Gerry or any other guy I've met here!" I hated it when he pulled the marriage card. He did it all the time. "You don't know that." He started.
"Dad face it! I'm going to college. I'm going to graduate and get a job. Then maybe after that I'll get married but I don't want to think about that now!"
"Go to bed Ashley, its late." Was his response. "Is that all you have to say?"
"I've accepted the fact that you are going to college but I don't like talking about it now please go to bed before I change my mind."
I rolled my eyes and stomped up to my room. My dad was such a sexist pig. He hated the thought of me being successful without a man's help, because that's what mom did. And he would do anything and everything to keep me from being strong and independent like her.