A Greaser's Girl

Chapter 6: Family

October 7th, 1955

Dear Diary,

There's something that's bothering me. Jim asked me to the dance first. I didn't want to go with him because I wanted Vinnie take me. I was wrong for that. I can see now he would be upset that I picked Vinnie over him. Not only that, he told me something that sounded so foolish of him, but had had me feeling concerned about my friendship with the greaser boy. He said that Vinnie had done the same to other girls, but hates relationships so he turns them down earlier. Should I believe him?

Downstairs there was a knock on the door. Tina came out from the kitchen to answer. Standing before her was a white boy who dressed like a greaser. He smelled like cigarette smoke and hair gel. Tina's assumption was he had lost his way

"May I help you," she asked kindly.

"My name is Vinnie Rives ma'am. I don't mean to be a bother but, is Dahlia still home?" Just cause he was a greaser, did not mean he doesn't have manners.

Tina looked at him skeptically. "How do you know my daughter and how did you know where we lived?"

"We go to the same school and we happen to be friends, ma'am. I befriended her when she first came," he explained. He ignored the last question. "I was wonderin' if you'd let me walk her to school."

Dahlia heard the commotion from downstairs. She grabbed her school things and ran hurriedly down the stairs. At first she was excited that Vinnie had come to walk her to school, but then she was nervous because of what her mother was thinking of him. She was slightly mad at him for arriving unannounced, yet she hadn't told her mother about him.

"Dahlia, do you know this boy," her mother asked. "He says that you both are friends. I still want to know how he knows where we live."

"Yes ma'am," Dahlia answered truthfully. "I told him where we live because...he asked me to the dance yesterday. He'll be picking me up tonight to take me."

"How come you never told me about him?"

Dahlia didn't know how to answer that. The truth was because she was afraid that if she told her mother she was friends with a white greaser, she would have a fit. She did not like it when her mother judged her about who she befriends. She figured this discussion would have to take place some other time.

"Momma, I promise to tell you when I get home, but right now we have to go. Is it alright if he walks me to school?"

Tina shook her head no and took Dahlia by the hand and led her to the kitchen. She told Vinnie he could have a seat on the couch. He sat down as he watched the two women walk out of sight. He had an idea Dahlia never told her mother about him. It happens all the time to greasers. The girls do not tell their parents about them because they do not want their parents to flip. None of it bothers Vinnie though, because at the end of the day, they will always remain friends. On his account, they will turn into a couple soon. He was to make sure of it.

In the kitchen, Tina was going on and on about the negativity about Vinnie being a greaser. Dahlia did not want to hear any of it but she had to.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be around him, honey," said Tina. "I get that you're friends with him but, something about him to me screams trouble."

"Momma," Dahlia whined. "At least take the time to get to know him. You've only known him for five minutes and already you're judging him. He may look like a criminal, but he's has a good heart. He asked me to the dance, isn't that convincing?"

"No not really. Sweetheart why didn't you tell me about him? You told me about Eve, Minnie and Jim, but not him," she pointed her finger out to the way out of the kitchen.