As soon as Sheri and Ray walked in to Brian's house, her friend
Jennifer, appeared and grabbed her hand.
"Can I borrow her just a minute, Ray?" Jenn smiled sweetly. Sheri thought she was almost flirting with him. She gave her friend a dark look then looked at Ray to see what his answer was going to be. Borrow her, indeed!
"That's up to her," he shrugged.
"We'll just be a minute," Jenn promised, already pulling Sheri away.
"Girl, you are not going to believe what happened last night!!! I told you to come with us."
"Why?"
"Gerry broke with Emma," Jenn answered.
"What?" Sheridan was dumbfounded. That was definitely not what she was expecting.
"You know she ain't too overly fond of blacks right?" She waited for Sheri to nod. "Well, Gerry was hanging out with some guys from the team, and we pulled up and asked if he wanted to go with us, and it was obvious he didn't want to leave them, but he didn't want Emma mad at him either so he asked us to hang out down there. As IF. Not that I have anything against Julius and them, but Drew and I weren't wanting to walk around town, IF you know what I mean."
Sheri rolled her eyes, she did know what Jenn meant, most kids only went to the Hill to make out. "Go on."
"Anyway, they got in this big discusion about priorities, and she demanded that he choose between her or them, and he chose them." Jenn finished.
"Wow." Sheri looked around. Sure enough there was Gerry across the room talking to Julius, Louie, and Brian. Emma was no where in sight. Brian saw her watching and waved her over. She shook her head. Brian was the only person in school who could throw a party for everyone, no matter what race, and have everyone get along. He was cool with everybody.
Ray and Drew, tired of being ignored by their dates wondered over.
"What are ya'll talking about?" Ray asked, slipping his arms around Sheri's waist.
"Just girl stuff," she smiled up at him.
"Enough said," he laughed. "Come on, let's sit down." He lead her over to a chair and sat down, pulling her into his lap. Drew and Jenn sat down near them. Soon Drew and Ray were discussing the previous night's game. Welcome to fall in Virginia when the only things worth discussing to any boy over the age of 3 were football and hunting.
"Oh, ya'll were totally losing until Coach put Petey in," Sheri said. "And it wasn't just Alan. No one was blocking worth a flip, defensively or offensively. Alan just had the bad luck to be blocking somebody who could actually play." (Remember, Ray was an offensive lineman/ offensive blocker.) Sheri knew she had just insulted Ray and Drew's playing but she didn't care. They weren't going to blame Alan totally. "You've yet to do a halfway decent job of blocking for Rev. How do you expect him to move the ball if he gets tackled before he has the chance?"
"Girl , shut up, you don't even know what you are talking about," Drew snapped. "And what do you care about how we block anyway? Boone loses a game and he's out and Coach is head coach again. Or maybe you like the fact that your daddy has to take orders from that uppity...?"
"Whatever, Drew," Sheri interuptted. "I got to get away from you before I say something I shouldn't." She pushed herself off Ray and walked away.
"That wasn't cool, man," Ray shook his head. "Coach don't take orders and you know it."
Sheri was headed outside when Gerry stopped her. "You alright?" He asked, catching her arm and pulling her back to him.
"Yeah," she answered. "Drew was just being a jerk. I had to walk away before I did something unladylike."
"Ignore him." Brain shrugged. "He gives you anymore trouble and I'll ask him to leave."
"Thank you, Brain, but I am sure that won't be necessary," She said. She smiled at Louie and Julius and Gerry. "Pretty good game last night."
"Thanks," Gerry laughed at her assessment. " Sheri always tells us the truth about football. You were good, too."
"Like, I believe you took your eyes off the field long enough to see that," she laughed.
"Like, I believe he took his eyes off her long enough to see anything else," Julius mumbled to Brian.
"Not since seventh grade," Brian whispered back. "Not even Emma, not really."
"You're good at what ever you try," Gerry shrugged, finally letting go of her. "Maybe we should put you in the game next week."
"I'd be glad to help ya'll out if the Virginia High School Athletics Association would okay girls playing football." She replied.
"Sheryl'll make them," Julius laughed.
"This I know," Sheri agreed. "She says there is no way she is going to settle for being a prissy cheerleader."
"Ray." Drew nodded in Sheri's direction. "I'd worry about that if I was you, more than who takes orders from who."
Ray didn't like the fact that Sheri was talking to Gerry, but he wasn't about to let it show to Drew.
He walked over to her and put his arm across her shoulders. "Sorry, Drew's an idiot," was his idea of an apology.
"I know."
"Come on." Ray pulled her away, almost giving Gerry a victorious smile. "See ya'll later."
"Ray, where are we going?" Sheri asked. "I don't want to talk to Drew or even see him right now. I know he's your friend, but I don't like him."
"Not to talk to him, besides him and Jenn went upstairs." Ray answered.
Sheridan rolled her eyes again. Jenn was going to get herself in trouble one of these days.
"This party sucks," he replied. "Let's get out of here."
"And go where?" She asked. "We can't go back to my house, Coach and Sheryl ain't there."
"I don't know, just drive around or something. There's too many people here." He shrugged.
Sheri nodded. "Okay." She knew she was doing something stupid, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Besides, what could be wrong with leaving with Ray? He was sober, and she had known him forever. She could trust him. She walked out with him.
Gerry watched the two of them leave, a nagging feeling haunting him. He dismissed it as the fact that he was having to see her with someone else. Ussaully they avoided each other when they were out with someone else. But this time, the feeling wouldn't go away he knew Ray a little too well.
Author's Note: Please read and review. I wasn't too sure about this chapter, since it sort of veers away from what disney would have done. If anyone thinks I should come up with an alternate chapter, just say so, if not, I'll post the next chapter in a few days. JuliaBeth
"Can I borrow her just a minute, Ray?" Jenn smiled sweetly. Sheri thought she was almost flirting with him. She gave her friend a dark look then looked at Ray to see what his answer was going to be. Borrow her, indeed!
"That's up to her," he shrugged.
"We'll just be a minute," Jenn promised, already pulling Sheri away.
"Girl, you are not going to believe what happened last night!!! I told you to come with us."
"Why?"
"Gerry broke with Emma," Jenn answered.
"What?" Sheridan was dumbfounded. That was definitely not what she was expecting.
"You know she ain't too overly fond of blacks right?" She waited for Sheri to nod. "Well, Gerry was hanging out with some guys from the team, and we pulled up and asked if he wanted to go with us, and it was obvious he didn't want to leave them, but he didn't want Emma mad at him either so he asked us to hang out down there. As IF. Not that I have anything against Julius and them, but Drew and I weren't wanting to walk around town, IF you know what I mean."
Sheri rolled her eyes, she did know what Jenn meant, most kids only went to the Hill to make out. "Go on."
"Anyway, they got in this big discusion about priorities, and she demanded that he choose between her or them, and he chose them." Jenn finished.
"Wow." Sheri looked around. Sure enough there was Gerry across the room talking to Julius, Louie, and Brian. Emma was no where in sight. Brian saw her watching and waved her over. She shook her head. Brian was the only person in school who could throw a party for everyone, no matter what race, and have everyone get along. He was cool with everybody.
Ray and Drew, tired of being ignored by their dates wondered over.
"What are ya'll talking about?" Ray asked, slipping his arms around Sheri's waist.
"Just girl stuff," she smiled up at him.
"Enough said," he laughed. "Come on, let's sit down." He lead her over to a chair and sat down, pulling her into his lap. Drew and Jenn sat down near them. Soon Drew and Ray were discussing the previous night's game. Welcome to fall in Virginia when the only things worth discussing to any boy over the age of 3 were football and hunting.
"Oh, ya'll were totally losing until Coach put Petey in," Sheri said. "And it wasn't just Alan. No one was blocking worth a flip, defensively or offensively. Alan just had the bad luck to be blocking somebody who could actually play." (Remember, Ray was an offensive lineman/ offensive blocker.) Sheri knew she had just insulted Ray and Drew's playing but she didn't care. They weren't going to blame Alan totally. "You've yet to do a halfway decent job of blocking for Rev. How do you expect him to move the ball if he gets tackled before he has the chance?"
"Girl , shut up, you don't even know what you are talking about," Drew snapped. "And what do you care about how we block anyway? Boone loses a game and he's out and Coach is head coach again. Or maybe you like the fact that your daddy has to take orders from that uppity...?"
"Whatever, Drew," Sheri interuptted. "I got to get away from you before I say something I shouldn't." She pushed herself off Ray and walked away.
"That wasn't cool, man," Ray shook his head. "Coach don't take orders and you know it."
Sheri was headed outside when Gerry stopped her. "You alright?" He asked, catching her arm and pulling her back to him.
"Yeah," she answered. "Drew was just being a jerk. I had to walk away before I did something unladylike."
"Ignore him." Brain shrugged. "He gives you anymore trouble and I'll ask him to leave."
"Thank you, Brain, but I am sure that won't be necessary," She said. She smiled at Louie and Julius and Gerry. "Pretty good game last night."
"Thanks," Gerry laughed at her assessment. " Sheri always tells us the truth about football. You were good, too."
"Like, I believe you took your eyes off the field long enough to see that," she laughed.
"Like, I believe he took his eyes off her long enough to see anything else," Julius mumbled to Brian.
"Not since seventh grade," Brian whispered back. "Not even Emma, not really."
"You're good at what ever you try," Gerry shrugged, finally letting go of her. "Maybe we should put you in the game next week."
"I'd be glad to help ya'll out if the Virginia High School Athletics Association would okay girls playing football." She replied.
"Sheryl'll make them," Julius laughed.
"This I know," Sheri agreed. "She says there is no way she is going to settle for being a prissy cheerleader."
"Ray." Drew nodded in Sheri's direction. "I'd worry about that if I was you, more than who takes orders from who."
Ray didn't like the fact that Sheri was talking to Gerry, but he wasn't about to let it show to Drew.
He walked over to her and put his arm across her shoulders. "Sorry, Drew's an idiot," was his idea of an apology.
"I know."
"Come on." Ray pulled her away, almost giving Gerry a victorious smile. "See ya'll later."
"Ray, where are we going?" Sheri asked. "I don't want to talk to Drew or even see him right now. I know he's your friend, but I don't like him."
"Not to talk to him, besides him and Jenn went upstairs." Ray answered.
Sheridan rolled her eyes again. Jenn was going to get herself in trouble one of these days.
"This party sucks," he replied. "Let's get out of here."
"And go where?" She asked. "We can't go back to my house, Coach and Sheryl ain't there."
"I don't know, just drive around or something. There's too many people here." He shrugged.
Sheri nodded. "Okay." She knew she was doing something stupid, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Besides, what could be wrong with leaving with Ray? He was sober, and she had known him forever. She could trust him. She walked out with him.
Gerry watched the two of them leave, a nagging feeling haunting him. He dismissed it as the fact that he was having to see her with someone else. Ussaully they avoided each other when they were out with someone else. But this time, the feeling wouldn't go away he knew Ray a little too well.
Author's Note: Please read and review. I wasn't too sure about this chapter, since it sort of veers away from what disney would have done. If anyone thinks I should come up with an alternate chapter, just say so, if not, I'll post the next chapter in a few days. JuliaBeth