ASHWOOD ACADEMY

Chapter 15: BEGINNING AGAIN

"You have no idea what we have been through here." she said, her voice still steady.

"All of us. Yes, that includes the white boy I'm going steady with."

"We were the first here. That meant open-slurs, being spit on, our property being vandalized, assault..." Anita closed her eyes, gathering herself for a moment.

"You're still new to this." Anita said, halfway to herself.

"It is one thing to insult me, but bringing Nathan into this when he's not here to defend himself?"

Bianca sucked her teeth. 

 "Whatever you got, serves you right.  You are with them, after-all." she said, gesturing at a few new white students, further down the hall, chattering happily as they left the building. 

"Look at you, with your pretty dress and your white boyfriend, thinking you're better than the rest of us lowly  coloreds. Well, you're not better."

"-Just a willing house nigr-"

Bianca didn't get to finish.

Anita had slapped her hard enough to rock her back on her feet. It echoed in the nearly empty hallway.

Bianca, rubbed her cheek in open-mouthed shock.

"You're supposed to be smart." Anita said, quietly. "-Not smart-mouthed."

She stepped closer.

"Listen closely, Bianca." she said, her voice low, her lips tight.

 "I am not your enemy."

"Believe me, you'll find out who is and soon and when you do, you'll need us." she said seriously, as she was afraid for this stubborn, pigheaded, girl.

"And when that happens, regardless of whether you want it or not, we'll be there for you. That goes for my Nathan too."

"You best learn to accept it."

***

Janine and Fred were busily unloading their bags in the campus house that had served as their dorms, during the previous year.

When they'd arrived last year, it had been in poor shape, falling apart from non-use. Later, it had been vandalized. Their friend Jasmine, who was currently under contract at a top ballet company, had convinced her wealthy relatives to pay for the fix-up.  And now, it was in decent shape.

They heard a loud laugh and foot-steps coming up on the porch. Keys rattled at the door and two students spilled in, in the middle of a lively conversation, a colored girl and boy.

"...I swear, he just about killed himself trying to eat all of them black eyed peas!" The girl said, laughing.

"Well, maybe you can cook them up for all of us, while you're here. It must be a godly experience."

They both turned at the same time and noticed Janine and Fred, coming down the steps. More accurately, they heard them. Despite the repairs, the floorboards were still pretty creaky.

"I'm sorry, we didn't see you there." the girl said, stepping forward with an outstretched hand and a wide bright smile.

"I'm Corinne." 

She was dressed like she was going to church; hat, wide swishy flower print dress, prim white lace gloves and all.

She was light-skinned with high round cheekbones and a rather wide mouth. She looked older, at least as old as they were.   ...Likely seventeen.