Freedom Train

January 29, 1963

January 29, 1963

Any hope that it would be a better day quickly vanished with the rising sun. It started off with her lame brain brother practically pounding down her door because she had overslept by a mere ten minutes.

Rather, he wrongly assumed she had overslept.

Truth of the matter was, Annabeth was wide awake long before the sun made its appearance and startled the rooster. She'd just been laying there, thinking over everything that happened in the last couple weeks.

Mostly, she was wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into and whether she was going to be getting herself out of it any time soon.

Thinking on it, she had known Terry for exactly one month and four days. The changes she had made to herself over that short time had come so fast. There was a part of her that embraced the woman she was becoming, but there was a bigger part of her that was scared as hell.

Since Christmas, she had begun dating not only one, but two very different boys. Bobby surprised her, by becoming not only an ally but a friend. She felt horrible for leading him on as she did. It might've started as a cover-up for seeing Terry, but somewhere along the road she developed feelings toward him- Just not the same type of feelings he did.

She was afraid that because of the way she ended things that she was going to lose their newly discovered friendship completely.

However, she knew that she made the right decision regarding their relationship. What she had been doing wasn't fair to any of those involved. Hopefully, she would be able to talk to Bobby and try to salvage what's left of what they had, and maybe- they could still be friends.

And while Bobby only had suspicions of her unfaithfulness, poor Terry had to witness her betrayal first hand.

Perhaps betrayal is too strong of a word. Annabeth did start dating Bobby just so she could see Terry, after all.

Annabeth hoped that once she explained the situation and what had conspired between herself and Bobby that Terry would understand why she had done what she had done. Maybe he could even forgive her for her utter foolishness.

The worst part of it all was the fact that Annabeth didn't have anyone she could talk to about any of it. Her two best friends were completely in the dark about anything Terry and Bobby related. They might have known that Terry existed, but to them he was a one night knight in shining armor- never to be heard from again.

If Annabeth told them the truth, she could only imagine the hurt that they would feel knowing that she'd been lying to them all that time.

She knew her parents would be disappointed about Bobby. They adored the idea of him. Sarah and Reginald were hoping that Bobby and Annabeth would get married and provide them with a hoard of grandchildren as soon as possible. They believed Bobby was Annabeth's chance to become the perfect Southern wife and mother that Sarah was.

Annabeth couldn't do that. Not for them or for anybody else. It just wasn't the life she wanted for herself.

There was this part of her that she could feel stirring deep within her, just aching to be set free. It's this big, bold part that was getting so tired of biting her tongue and playing the perfect Southern daughter that she was about ready to burst at any given second. It was a scary feeling, but damn it was exhilarating.

Annabeth was doing things that she never thought she'd have the gall to do.

Annabeth went into Birmingham and made a difference, even if it was only doing something as small as making a poster. She did something. Knowing that she did felt amazing, even after everything that happened with Terry.