A Black & White Documentary: A Titan's Biography

California Dreamin'

Spirits were high in the locker room as the guys joke around, change, and shower. The day's practice was hard as usual, but it went by much smoother without all the fighting and segregation within the team. Laughing and prolonged 'oohs' could be heard as a bunch of jokes were being tossed between players. After a certain joke about Julius' mom's nasty back hair a lighthearted fight broke out between him and Blue who had made the joke.

"You mad cause she lookin' like a wolfman, bruh." Blue jokes as Julius is pulled away by a laughing Bertier. The playful banter catches the attention of the others as they look up from their business to watch. Alan who's sitting next to Ray, untying his shoes begins to laugh, but notices Ray just scoffs at the display.

"What?" He voices catching Ray's attention. He didn't really understand why Ray was so nasty towards some of the other players on the team. Yeah, they were black, but that didn't mean they weren't good players or people. Heck! He had to admit that most of the new guys, like Petey and Blue, were hilarious!

"What do you mean, what? Look at them!" Ray says spitefully as he turns to stare at Alan as if he were blind. Alan turns to look back at the group who were all laughing and playing around. He didn't see anything wrong with the scene, in fact he kind of wanted to join them.

"I don't see it," he responds unenthusiastically, not able to see Ray's point.

"It just isn't right. They're disgusting," Ray continues going back to untying his shoes. Alan stares at him expressionless, shaking his head at Ray's cruel nature. They were long time friends, but he was beginning to grow tired of Ray's attitude. He couldn't even begin to understand why his father would ever want him to be like Ray, Gerry he could understand, but not Ray.

Brushing it off he glances back towards the joking group of guys to see Louie was getting in on the fun as he gets Petey with a "yo' mama" joke.

It remains quiet between Ray and Alan until music could be heard playing throughout the locker room. Blue begins to sing along, and Louie joins to form a pitchy, but joyful duet. Alan feels a smile fighting it's way on his face as he watches the two sing together. The song was familiar to him and it takes him only seconds to recognize the song as the one Blue had been singing on the bus. The same song that he and Dahlia were able to dance too until Julius had rudely interrupted.

At the memory he begins to jokingly dance around in hopes of getting Ray to lighten up even if it was just a bit. A sharp elbow to the side gets Alan to freeze before he begins to dance closer to Ray, which earns himself a hard shove, but a sliver of a grin from Ray. This causes him to stop his dancing and laugh good-naturedly at his small accomplishment. It seems it took a lot to make Ray smile nowadays.

"How can you even dance to this?" Ray asks with an genuinely curious look on his face.

"Well, it's easy," Alan answers with a soft grin, "I just wiggle a little and let the music do the rest." He responds wiggling comically. This doesn't seem to sit well with Ray, as he shakes his head.

"It's like you're one of them," Ray practically spits out while turning away to continue changing. "What would your father say about that?" He snips which instantly brings Alan down a notch or two. What would his father think of all this?

Commotion suddenly catches their attention and they both stand to see the new guy kissing an enraged Gerry. Alan couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh, cringe, or perhaps a combination of the two at the situation. Once he catches a glimpse of Ray's face however, he lets out a long string of laughter.

"Ohs" were chorused throughout the locker rooms once again as the two begin to fight. Gerry was the throwing punches left and right, but the new guy just kept dodging the hits. Alan had to admit, as well as most of the guys there, that Sunshine was pretty quick on his feet. Gerry only seemed to get angrier as Sunshine maintains a condescending grin on his face, never throwing a hit back.