Its 1953... n.h.

Chapter 2

The next day at lunch Marilyn, Betsy and I sit around our usual table, picking at our food and listening to Betsy rant and rave about Henry, or nodding politely as Marilyn talks about pointless things while applying makeup. But for once however, the subject isn't on one of those, it's on me.

"Where did you and that boy go anyway?" Betsy asks as she shoves a half warm French fry in her mouth.

"He took me racing," I answer with a shrug and take a sip from my milk carton.

"So you even know him?" Marilyn asks leaning forward, "he looked like trouble."

"and you wanted in his pants," I point out, Marilyn leans back defeated and looks at her tray. "He goes here I think."

"Do you even know the boys name? For God's sake Beth, he could have killed you!" Betsy remarks and I roll my eyes.

"Of course I know his name," I trail off when I notice Niall walking behind the girls on the other side of the table. He is followed by four others, all of them have their sunglasses on, a cigarette hanging from their lips and a leather jacket on.

Betsy catches my eyes and looks behind her as the boys pass, "which one is he?" she asks. Niall turns to look at me, maybe Betsy, taking he cigarette from his mouth, blowing smoke, then returning it.

"The blonde," I answer as Niall turns back around and continues leading his gang to the gym.

"He looks so dreamy," Marilyn adds in with her head resting on the palms of her hands.

"So, do we get a name, Beth?"

"Niall."

"What kind of a name is that? Isn't that some river in Europe or somethin'?" Marilyn asks retrieving her compact from her purse and applying more powder to her nose.

"You mean Africa," Betsy says and pushes her lunch tray away from herself. "You gonna see him again?"

"I don't know, maybe."

>>>

That evening as I study for a test in Algebra, I hear my brother call for dinner. I quickly leave my work behind and bound into the dining room where everything is not so neatly placed in the center of the table. I smile to my brother before sitting down to the right of my father.

"Looks delicious," I lie the same as every night and Tom chuckles and answers with his usual: "if you want it better fix it yourself."

"Come on now, it's time to pray," my father rushes and takes hold of my hand a little roughly. I bow my head as Thomas says a quick prayer then passes out dinner.

"It really does look good today," I say honestly as I pick up a fork. My father clears his throat and I look at him, waiting for a lecture that is sure to come.

"Have you called the college to see if they can fit you in for fall?" he puts some of the roast in his mouth, watching me and waiting for a quick answer.

"I have not," I say and fold my hands in my lap, "but I will tomorrow I'm sure, I'm just busy with homework," I lie and begin to eat before my dad can stop me again.

"You had better call soon Elizabeth, they will run out of room then you will have to start a maid job until they will get you in."

"Dad, at work today I got to change a carburetor on this cherry Chevy, it was," my father holds up his hand to stop his son.

"Now I don't want you ending up like your mother."

"Daddy, cleaning other folks homes didn't kill her," I say and set my fork down once more.

"Oh yes it did Elizabeth, if she had gone to college she wouldn't have gone into cleaning where she picked up diseases from certain people."

"Daddy," I said mostly in a stern tone, he was still in the mindset of blacks and whites not mixing whatsoever and that my mother picked up a disease from them and that's how she passed away.

"You know she didn't die from a disease," Tom bit back. He tightened his grip on his fork, surely if I wasn't there the fork would be deeply plunged into our fathers neck.

"No matter, I'm sure she had something from them," our father continues to eat and I roll my eyes and finish my vegetables and watch Tom from the corner of my eye. He is almost literally fuming, he looks like Daffy Duck when Bugs messes up something for him.

"She died in a car accident dad, not some spreadable disease."

"Can we drop it," I nearly yell. Both men look at me, daddy in awe and Tom with praise, "please. Can we just drop it."

We remain quiet until we've finished eating. The only words were to ask someone to pass extra food. I remain seated along with daddy as Tom takes the dirty dishes to the sink.

"I'll be calling the college tomorrow for you Beth," he says in a hushed tone. As soon as he says it my chest feels tight and it takes everything in me to not burst into tears and tell him I'm not interested in college.

"Alright," is all I can manage without allowing my wavering voice to throw my cover. I stand and quickly skedaddle to my room, calling behind me in the calmest voice I could manage that I'll be finishing homework.

When I got to my room I closed the door and stood against it, just trying to calm myself a little before I called someone, anyone. I did clam down eventually and put all of my books and papers in my bag and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. I lay on m y stomach and push the rotary buttons to dial Besty.

I always called her when there was an issue with my daddy or anybody for that matter.

____

AN : So the chapters are short but they will and do pick up. I swear it.