Personal Note: This is my first fan fiction and constructive criticism and/or pleasant comments are always appreciated. I really like to know what people think of my work, so please send me some feedback. That said, I hope you enjoy my story.
Prologue
The year was 1971 and T. C. Williams high school in Alexandria, Virginia had just been forced to integrate by the school board. As expected, that didn't sit too well with most of the folks around, but what really got the town riled up was when the announcement was made that there would be a new head coach. Yeah, it steamed people that Coach Bill Yoast was being replaced, sure. But what really steamed them was that he was being replaced by a colored man by the name of Herman Boone.
Despite some difficulties in the beginning, Boone managed to have the boys playing like a team by the end of football camp. Hell, they even became friends. But, camp ended. They had to make the journey back to the real world where people were still very much up in arms about the blacks and whites going to school together.
But, in the middle of all the racial diversity, there is one more problem that the mighty Titans will encounter along their road to heroism.
Chapter One: Bertier
Ronnie Bass walked through the throng of people standing outside of the T. C. Williams high school with signs, protesting the integration. As calls of 'hippie boy' and 'we don't want your kind here either, fruitcake' rang out, he just stiffened his shoulders and let the taunts roll right off his back. He finally made his way into the building, but stood confused in front of the office, staring at his schedule. He had no idea where any of his classes were.
"Are you lost?" A light voice asked from behind him. Ronnie spun around to see a petite little strawberry blonde smiling at him. "You're new." She stated.
Ronnie laughed, "That obvious, huh?"
"Just a bit." She said, smirking. "Here, let me see your schedule."
Ronnie handed her the piece of paper, which she looked over carefully. "Uh, I'm Ronnie Bass."
Her silver blue eyes raised from the paper, "I'm Kelly Bertier."
"Bertier?" Ronnie exclaimed.
She looked up with her entire, pretty face this time. "Yeah?" She laughed. "What is it?"
"Oh, uh," Ronnie said, "nothing. Just making sure I heard you right."
"Okay." She nodded, still smirking. She slapped him in the chest with his schedule. "Well, you're in luck Ronnie Bass. You're first class is right by mine. I'll show you the way."
Ronnie kept sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye. She was so cute and little. Maybe it was just a coincidence about the last name. Maybe there was no relation at all between her a Gerry. It was a really big school after all.
"This is you." She said finally, pausing for a moment in front of a door, then walking on.
"Uh, where are you?" He called, a little too eagerly.
She spun around, walking backwards, "Have a nice day, Ronnie Bass."
"Ah, come on." Ronnie pleaded.
"You'll see me around. I swear." She smiled and then spun again so she was walking forward.
After his first class, Ronnie followed a string a students into the hall, where his eyes automatically found that shiny strawberry hair. He quickened his pace to catch up with her, then ducked behind some lockers when he saw who she was walking toward.
Kelly stopped in front of Gerry Bertier and smiled warmly.
"Hey, Kel!" He said, "There's someone I want you to meet." A tall handsome dark skinned boy walked up behind Gerry. "This is Julius Campell. Julius, this is my baby sister, Kelly."
"So you're the famous Julius?" Kelly grinned. "Gerry has talked about nothing else. It's great to finally have a face to go with the name." She winked at him, "Not a bad looking face either, if I do say so myself."
"So you're the miniature Bertier, huh? So," Julius said, "are you a football gal?"
"Runs in the genes." Kelly said, casting a 'what can you do' shrug.
"Yeah," Julius laughed, "but I bet you look better in those jeans than Gerry here."
"Hey now!" Gerry warned.
"Nah, nah, seriously though. You're my brother's sister, you're my sister." Julius said, "Come here and give me a hug." He engulfed Kelly in his arms and lifted her off her feet. "You need anything," he said once he had set her back on her feet, "you ask big brother Julius."
Kelly grinned, "Thank you."
"All right, all right, enough of this mushy stuff." Gerry interjected, "Me and Julius gotta get to class."
They began swapping licks as they walked away, laughing. "Let's go, Superman. Show me something!"
"Is that all you got, Campell? Where the hell is that soul power? You got more than that!"
Kelly laughed and turned to walk down the opposite hall.
Ronnie stood, leaning against the wall. She was Bertier's sister. He could see how well that one would go over with Gerry. Him being interested in his sister. The beginning of the year was turning out to be just perfect. He shoved away from the wall and headed for his next class, determined to push all thoughts of Kelly out of his mind.
At lunchtime, Ronnie walked into the cafeteria without much care. He had been confident in his resolution to drop any thought of Kelly and the idea seemed to work for him. He flashed a bright smile at a couple of female admirers that he spotted and they giggled and turned to each other to discuss him. He laughed to himself and started walking past the cafeteria tables.
"Hello, Mr. Bass." Said that sweet light airy voice that made Ronnie freeze in his tracks. He turned slowly and looked down. Kelly smiled up at him from her seat at the table, surrounded by other girls who gawked at him with wide eyes and open mouths, not unlike the way he was gawking at Kelly. "Care to join us?" She asked.
He knew his plan was to avoid her, but it would be rude to turn down such a nice invitation. "Sure." He said and slid onto the bench beside her.
He looked straight into her eyes and Kelly thought she might faint. He had such pretty blue eyes. He was just good looking all around. She had the sudden desire to twist her fingers up into those golden locks of his. He seemed a bit jittery though, almost nervous. He kept looking over his shoulder as if afraid someone was trying to sneak up on him.
"Should we be expecting a surprise attack?" Kelly asked him.
"Huh, what?" Ronnie asked, tuning back into reality and tuning out his little paranoid space out.
"Who are you watching for?" She laughed.
"Oh! No one. It's just..." He looked at her cute little face, "it's a long story. Let's not get into it right now. Tell me about you."
"AWWW!" Came a choral coo from across the table. Ronnie glanced over at the three girls who were staring at them.
"Uh, you wanna take a walk?" Kelly said.
Ronnie began nodding his head, "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
The two exited the cafeteria and headed for the courtyard. "So," Ronnie said, "tell me about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything. Everything!" Ronnie said, "Tell me the first thing that pops into your head." Kelly paused. "No! No thinking. Thinking is not allowed. I want you to spit out the first thought that comes to your mind."
"The first thing?" She asked.
"The first thing." Ronnie said, looking her in the eyes.
"You have pretty eyes." She said, and immediately began blushing.
Ronnie felt himself physically straighten. He had not been expecting that. His mouth opened and closed several times before Kelly bailed him out by speaking.
"Don't worry, Ronnie. I'm not coming on to you. I just think you have pretty eyes." She said flashing him a half smile that looked almost frighteningly like Gerry's. "Now, come on, hippie boy, and tell me where you're from."
Ronnie couldn't help but laugh. His laughter hid his disappointment. She wasn't coming on to him. That kind of sucked, but in a way it was a relief. He wouldn't have to walk up to his team captain and say, 'Hey, do you care if I ask your sister to the hill?'
Kelly skipped all the way out to the parking lot, all the way to Gerry's Camaro. Gerry and Julius were leaning against it casually, eyebrows going up when they saw her.
"What are you so damned happy about?" Gerry called.
Kelly shrugged. "Nothing."
"Uh-oh." Julius said, "It's a guy, man."
"Huh?" Gerry exclaimed.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely a guy. Look at that grin." Julius said, pinching Kelly's right cheek. "So come on, mini Bertier, who is he?"
"Just this guy that I met." She said.
Gerry straightened. "Kelly, sis, I want a name."
"You are not gonna harass him!" Kelly stated, her smile dropping to a stern look.
"I won't harass him. I just..." Gerry was struggling, "help me out here, Jules."
"We just need to know who's mingling with our little sister." Julius said.
Kelly looked at them both skeptically, then gave in. "Fine. His name is," she couldn't help but smile when she said his name. "Ronnie Bass."
"Sunshine!" Julius and Gerry said in unison.
"Sunshine?" Kelly asked, confused.
"Yeah, Sunshine." Gerry said as he began pacing. Julius was struggling not to laugh. "He's a teammate."
"He didn't say anything about football." Kelly said.
"No." Gerry said, "No. I forbid it. You cannot like Sunshine."
"I beg your pardon sir, I can." Kelly said firmly. "I can like whoever the hell I choose to like."
"She has a point." Julius said.
"Yes. She can like anyone she wants to like," Gerry said, "just not Sunshine."
"What is so wrong with Ronnie... or Sunshine or whatever the hell you call him?" Kelly demanded.
"I'm just gonna say it." Gerry said to Julius, who just started laughing. "He kissed me."
"What?" Kelly asked, not sure she heard her brother right.
"Sunshine kissed me."
Kelly wasn't sure of how exactly to swallow that little bit of information.