My name is Charlotte (BWWM)

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

Charlotte woke up to her sister Josie screaming. This was happening more and more frequently. Charlotte felt bad that she could not help her sister. James was not able to pick Charlotte up for school because his car had broken down. Charlotte decided to walk with Josie to school. When she got to Lafayette she accidentally ran into Norton O' Connor. Norton was a transfer student from Cork, Ireland. He had flaming red hair and some freckles on his face. He also had observant gray eyes. He played on the varsity basketball team and his jersey number was thirteen. He had a slightly sarcastic attitude.

"I am so sorry Norton. I was not paying attention. I didn't hurt you did I?" Norton smiled at Charlotte and said "You did hurt me, Charlotte. You hurt me badly." Charlotte looked at him with a look of surprise. "You hurt my sense of pride," Norton said with a grin on his face. Charlotte rolled her eyes and laughed. One of Norton's teammates walked up to Charlotte and started talking to her. Norton's teammate's name was Phillip McFarland. He was about six feet tall. He had reddish brown and piercing blue eyes. He also was on the varsity football team. He was different from most of the guys who played sports at Lafayette High School. Most of them ignored her or made fun of her but Phillip didn't. "Hello Charlotte, how are you doing today?" asked Phillip. He started asking how Charlotte's day was going. Josie told him about what she had been doing. "I heard about your sister Josie. I am sorry about what happened and that I have been thinking about her." Charlotte continued to walk down the hall when she saw Delores and Nadine talking to Sasha Adams. Sasha was bullied a lot because of her mixed heritage. Her mother was from Mexico and her father was African- American. She was very beautiful and had long black hair and dark brown eyes. "Hello Sasha, how are you doing today?" Sasha looked at me and smiled. "I am doing okay. I have run into a few lockers and had my lunch money stolen but I am doing okay." Charlotte could not believe what she had just heard. It bothered her that some people in her school were so apathetic to people of different skin color. Charlotte remembered when she had heard Dr. Martin Luther King Junior speech "I Have a Dream" on television last year and how it had moved her.   "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."  Charlotte did not know when that day was coming but she hoped it came soon. Charlotte saw Anthony Washington attempt to talk to Delores again. Unlike the last time he had tried to do so Delores actually was talking to him. After about five minutes Delores and Anthony started to walk towards their American History class. I started to walk to the library so I could meet Josie. When I arrived there I saw Anthony, Theodore Sterling and Jack Holmes talking to Phillip McFarland by one of the bookshelves. Charlotte overheard Jack telling Phillip that he needed to decide which was more important to him, his football and basketball career or being friends with people who would make him less popular. Phillip looked at Jack and shook his head in disbelief.   "When is going to sink in your head that I am okay with being less popular. I am okay with being friends with people that don't look like me. I keep hoping that one day that you will wake up and you realize it as well." Jack and his friends looked baffled by his statement. "You be sorry Phillip. Just you wait." Phillip looked at them and smiled and said  "Please shut up. You always say that, if you are going to do something, just do it. If not be quiet."  Jack and his friends stomped off and were muttering obscenities and threats in Phillip's direction as they left the library. Charlotte looked at Phillip and smiled. "I think you made him mad. I wouldn't worry about Jack. I doubt he will do anything to you." Charlotte spotted Josie out of the corner of her eye arguing with Bobby. Lately, they had been arguing a lot because of what had happened.  I walked by them and left the library. I accidentally ran into Norton again. He smiled and I noticed that he had a dimple in his left cheek. "We must stop meeting this way."  I smiled and I walked toward James' chemistry class. When I got to the door I saw him talking to his chemistry teacher Mr. Cooper Mr. Cooper was one the few African-American teachers that worked at Lafayette. Mr. Cooper had a caramel complexion and was of average height and was balding. He had a way of teaching people in a way that they could relate to. He also had a way of getting the kids that other teachers thought were "bad" to respect him. Charlotte decided to wait outside for James. About ten minutes later he walked out of the classroom. He walked over to his locker and he noticed that his girlfriend was putting her books in her locker. He walked over to her and kissed on her left cheek. She looked at him and smiled. "I was wondered if you wanted to go on a date with me tomorrow night?" Charlotte thought about for a few seconds before she replied. "That would be nice. Where are we going to go this time?"  James winked at Charlotte and smiled.  "That is a surprise and you will find out tomorrow." Charlotte walked James to his car and as she was walking she noticed Jack, Anthony and Theodore were trying to beat up Sasha.