Black to the Past

Chapter 8

"You didn't have to walk me to the office," Halle said shyly to Wilson.

"Your hand is pretty jacked up. You looked as if you were going to pass out," Wilson tried explaining his actions. He couldn't dare tell her that the look of her crying was enough to melt his heart for her. He knew that inside of her tough girl exterior there had to be a softer person in there.

"Thanks, it hurts like hell. I wonder if it's broken," she said looking at her hand. Her manicured nails weren't broken, not even the polish had chipped, but she couldn't wiggle her fingers when he asked her too.

"The nurse will know," he reassured her.

Wilson waited with Halle while the nurse examined her. After declaring that the fingers weren't broken, she made her up an ice pack and sent them back to class.

"What's wrong with Jalen?"

"He's probably frustrated," Wilson said laughing. "Dude ain't getting none, that would frustrate anyone."

"Everything is not about sex," Meredith said although she started laughing too.

"Nah, for real though. He's gotta be mad crazy. I mean, has dude ever been on a date?"

"How would I know?"

"I don't know. Girls talk."

"Boys do too. Isn't he pitching for your team?"

"How would I know?" Wilson reversed the question to her.

They were both laughing as they re-entered the classroom. Meredith made a mental note of that. Next time she mentioned Wilson to Halle she wouldn't make it a defensive statement, she would merely point out the facts. Maybe if she helped Halle get with Wilson, they could return to being friends again. She really did miss her.

"What took so long?" Jalen asked them grumpily.

He and Meredith had begun taking notes. Finally Meredith had the dates of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, and Jalen had listed some key events that occurred which were crucial to the timeline that caused change.

"Ignore him," Meredith told them. "I have a question that can start everyone's research. The question is: what do you think was the single event that led young Martin to want to be a part of the civil rights movement?"

"That's actually perfect, Meredith," Wilson acknowledged as he wrote the question down in his own notebook.

Since Halle was left handed, and it was her left hand that had been smashed, Meredith took it upon herself to write the question down on the note tablet that Halle used in class. Halle smiled gratefully to Meredith. It was times like that when she missed her old friend. The one who wasn't boy crazy.

The bell rang. Students started filing out the class but the four didn't budge. Jalen was the one to ask, "when are we going to get together to work on this. We only have two weeks."

"Why don't we research Meredith's question first? Then go over it tomorrow in class if she gives us time. If not, we can meet up after school at the library," Halle suggested.

"Fine," Jalen said then stood up and walked out of class.

Wilson and Halle looked at each other and laughed it looked like Jalen was switching when he left the room. "He sure has a stick up his ass," Meredith said wanting to be a part of the joke only she caused them to laugh all the more harder.

"Let's go," Halle said to Meredith. She couldn't risk getting home late. She didn't know what was wrong with her mother but she knew she didn't want her upset with her today.