We Got A Long Way To Go [ALAN BOSLEY] [REMEMBER THE TITANS] (SLOW UPDATES)

Chapter 1: It's Starting

"Earnest, come away from the window." My mom called. I ignored her and kept looking out the window, the riot outside was getting bigger. My mother, brother and I were in my mom's newly established bakery and coffee shop. Mom's shop was across the street from the store where the riot was taking place.

A colored boy was shot by the store owner for some reason, I really didn't know why though. Mom had immediately drawn the curtains to the shop window, but my brother, Mitch, and I kept peeking through them. Black people were screaming and holding up signs, I think I even saw a police cruiser. They were yelling things like "murderer!" And other unintelligible things. While white people stood across from them, also screaming violently.

"Ho-lee shit." Mitch mumbled from behind me.

"Why did he shoot him again?" I questioned. I heard the click of my mom's heels as she rushed over, she grasped the curtains and roughly pulled them shut. She then grabbed my brother and I by our ears, dragging us into the back room.

"Ow, ow, owwww." Mitch whined while I hissed and cursed under my breath as I tried not to trip over Mitch's flailing feet. She finally released us and gave us a motherly glare as we straightened up and rubbed our ears.

"Now listen here, I don't want either of you to go anywhere near that store, you hear? There's already enough trouble in this town without you two causing more of it." She ordered furiously. I shared a look with Mitch, who just so happened to be my twin. We were both still rubbing our ears and when we turned back to our mother, we nodded in sync. She glared at us before huffing and smoothing down her skirt. She patted her hair as if it had somehow been completely messed up by her dragging us across the store, before walking back to the front.

I knew why she was so upset and opposed to us being in public. We were black. We are a black family, it's not unheard of but as you've already seen, it's not something that a lot of people can wrap their heads around. I made eye contact with Mitch, matching his growing smirk with one of my own. We quickly made sure that our mother wasn't paying attention, she had her head buried in a fashion magazine and was muttering quietly to herself, before we dashed towards the back door. I slowly turned the handle and gently pushed the door open, holding my breath. Mitch glanced back at mom before nodding to me, I squeezed through the opening and he followed, carefully shutting the door once he was completely out.

We quickly ran out from around the building and sprinted to a large oak tree not too far from the store, quickly scampering up and sitting high enough to where we would remain unseen, but just low enough to where we could still see. It was crazy, a black man had just thrown something through the store window. The screaming got louder if possible. Mitch raised his eyebrows, I blinked and resisted the urge to cover my ears.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned my head to the right. Five teenage boys were running down the street towards the store, they were all white and four of them had gym clothes on. The one on the far right wore casual clothes. I wondered what sport they were playing. I examined their shoes and saw football cleats, much like the ones Mitch and I have. I nudged Mitch and pointed to the boys, he looked over and squinted before mumbling quietly.

"Must be on the football team." He said. We continued watching them and much to our surprise a blue-green truck screeched to a halt in front of them just as they got to the store. A man looked at them from the window before speaking. We watched as the man spoke to them all before they all silently climbed into the bed of his truck, the boy that was leading them climbed into the passenger seat before the truck drove off.

I shared a look with Mitch before we climbed down from the tree and snuck back into mom's bakery.

~Time Skip~

Later that day, when we got home, we told our dad about the whole store riot.

"Yeah, and then, these guys ran up. They were all white and they had football cleats on, dad. Football cleats!" I screamed in excitement. My dad's eyes suddenly lit up in understanding.

"So there's a football team here, huh?" He questioned, leaning over the dinner table slightly, setting down his cutleries. Mitch and I nodded, my dad suddenly cheered. We joined him but stopped at the sound of discomfort that our mom made.

"Mary?" Dad asked. She glared at him.

"I don't want them playing football." Was all she said.

"What?!" Mitch and I shrieked. She turned her glare on us, but we didn't back down.

"It's too dangerous. Especially for you, Earnest."

I gasped.

"You said that last time and I was the best player on my last team." I argued.

"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean that I'm weak. And you were the one that said I could do anything a boy could do, and better." I added. She huffed, crossing her arms. I knew I won that one, but I also knew that she wouldn't give up.

"Mary, come on." Dad pleaded. She shook her head.

"No, I don't want them playing football." She hissed. He sighed and Mitch started to deflate, I glared angrily at her.

"This is completely unfair." I growled.

"Ernie." Mitch whispered, shaking his head when I met his gaze. He looked sad and I immediately panicked, I hated when my twin was sad. I slumped in my seat, playing with my food as dad eyed the both of us.

"Mary, may I speak with you?" Dad asked, standing and tossing his napkin onto the table. He marched out of the room, mom sighed and got up as well. Mitch and I listened to them argue, their voices muffled by the walls. They went on like that for about twenty minutes and then they were quiet.

Dad walked back into the room, a serious look on his face. Mom briskly walked back to the table and grabbed her plate and silverware, before going into the kitchen. Mitch and I watched her go before turning to dad, who was suddenly grinning at us. We grinned back before leaping out of our seats and hugging him.

He laughed and held us to him, all while promising to drive us to football tryouts.