My Colorblind Rainbow

Chapter 1

Enjoy this excerpt from my novel "My Colorblind Rainbow" 

Copyright © 2017 by Chanel Hardy

North Carolina, 1940

"I hate you!" fifteen-year-old Darlene Jones screamed, ruffling her hair after a boy in her class teased her. He thought it would be funny to put a worm on her head and watch her squirm like a five-year-old girl, which she did, but she didn't find it funny at all. She hated nasty, crawly things just as much as she hated stupid games played by immature boys. "Girl, you know they're just playing!" Janet fixed Darlene's ponytail, attempting to comfort her best friend. "It's just a worm!" "Whatever." Janet Benson and Darlene had known each other since Janet moved down south from New York. They were inseparable, but sometimes Darlene couldn't help but feel like Janet didn't understand her. Darlene often felt that way about everyone around her. That nobody understood her. She didn't even understand herself, sometimes. "I just don't get them." "Huh?" "Boys. I don't get boys sometimes." Janet scoffed at Darlene. "Well, I don't get you sometimes, always so serious. It was just a joke." Darlene shrugged. Although she knew her friend was only kidding, she didn't care for her comment. "I guess so.

Anyways, you want to hang out for a little while before you go home?" "Okay. I've got to stop by the Rosenberg's store to get some bread for my mama first." Muriel and Christopher Rosenberg were a Jewish mother and son who ran the local store in town. Unlike typical southern bigots, they were a nice family. As the girls walked inside the dusty store, the loud bell attached to the top of the door jingled to the merchants of customers. Mrs. Muriel was behind the counter handling a customer, while her son was stocking a few shelves with medicines—Muriel's homemade remedies. A thin, eighteen-year-old with thick dark hair and round glasses, Christopher moved his curly hair out of his face, as he became distracted when Darlene walked in. Every time she came by the store, it made his day. He was an antisocial young man, never having more than a few words of small talk with anyone, but would muster enough courage to say hello to Darlene. He'd had a crush on her for some time now, but knew he had no chance of pursuing a girl like her. He smiled and greeted Darlene as usual. "Hey, Darlene," he shoved his hands in his pant pockets, "and Janet. Can I help you girls today?" "No thank you, Christopher. We're just here to get some bread. It's nice to see you." Darlene smiled and continued walking past him. "Did you see that?" Janet teased, poking Darlene's shoulder. "See what?" "Every time you come in here, Christopher is always smiling at you. I think he likes you," Janet teased, still poking her.

"What?" She jerked her shoulder. "Stop poking me. No. He's just being nice. Besides, my daddy would throw a fit. That's not going to happen." Although she had no romantic interest in Christopher, the thought of labeling herself as something less than him because of the color of her skin wasn't something she took well. It also didn't help that Blacks, especially in the south, enabled that idea by being so apprehensive whenever Whites were around. She and Janet went up to the counter to pay for the bread. "Hello, girls! You look nice today!" Mrs. Rosenberg greeted. Muriel was a heavyset woman, with big hair as dark and curly as her son's. Mr. Rosenberg passed away a few months earlier. Despite his passing, Muriel had such a positive attitude and a polite smile. Darlene knew how it felt to lose a loved one. Her mother died when she was eight years old, leaving Darlene behind with her father, Joe Jones, Grandmother Anne, and older brother Darren. They moved to Durham, North Carolina, a year before her mother passed. It was nice, but not like New York. "Thank you, Mrs. Rosenberg," the girls replied in unison, leaving the store, heading toward Darlene's house.

As they walked toward the porch, Darlene's dad came out the house, marching toward his daughter, as if he was going off to war. "Girl! Where were you? You know I don't like to worry!" "Sorry, Daddy, we made a stop so Janet could get some bread for her mama."