Aggressive banging on his door followed by his father yelling at his brothers banging on doors is what pulled him out of his deep thoughts. "Hurry up princess! We don't have all night!" Alex yelled from the other side of the door. Theo checked his hair once more in the mirror before opening his door and walking out into the living room. Theo just wore his best slacks with whatever button up had the less wrinkles and his old church shoes, not that he went to church much anymore these days unless Kathy invited him.

Kathy...

Thinking about her hurts...a lot. They haven't spoken in two weeks but to Theo, it felt way longer than that. Seeing her in the hallways, talking to people her own race, seeming so happy and in touch. If them not being friends meant she was happier, then to him, it didn't matter that he was suffering. He would gladly stand aside for her own happiness.

Theo opened his door and walked out into the living room where his two other brothers were waiting, along with their father. "Remember," their father said as he held the keys to his truck up to hand over to Mason, but out of reach. "Home by eleven on the dot, not a minute after and not a single scratch or I'll hunt you down myself," he warned.

Good ole papa Raines and his threats.

"Yeah, yeah, we got it pops," Mason said as he snatched the keys out of his father's hand. "We'll bring her back just like we found her, promise," Mason smiled innocently, making Theo roll his eyes as he and Alex followed behind.

"Shotgun!" Alex called out, hopping down the porch stairs. Theo opened doors to the back and climbed in, watching his brothers start the car and start messing with the radio in the front. He sat in the back quietly, looking out the window as they drove to a local venue where their sock hop was taking place. When they finally arrived, Mason and Alex got out and left Theo behind to walk by himself into the venue. He watched as guys from the baseball team and girls alike flocked them, greeting them as soon as they came in.

Theo noticed the obvious divide between the white students and the black students that was going on in the venue. Looks like no matter how hard they tried to push for integration, people are very stubborn and resistant to change. He walked over the punch bowl to get something to drink. It seemed to him that that was the only area both races willingly met up at. He grabbed a cup, filled it up and turned around, ready to walk back to his spot on the wall when he noticed her.

Kathryn looked so beautiful. She wore a pretty blue and pink dress with white heels and matching pearl earrings, her hair slicked black in a ponytail, held together by a scarf tied around her hair. She was talking to a girl from her church when the girl looked behind her and saw Theo looking over at them. He quickly averted his eyes but it was too late, it seemed like she told Kathy about him looking over and now she was making her way over to him.

"Hi," she said.

God he felt so guilty.

"Hi," he said, awkwardly sipping his punch. "You look...nice," he nodded at her. Kathryn raised her eyebrows at him. He knew that look. He didn't see it often but it also wasn't often she was cross with him.

"Have a nice night Theo," she says coldly, grabbing her drink and walking away. Her ponytail almost whipping his across the face.

"Kathy-"

"Come on poindexter!" Alex tackles his brother, throwing his arm around his shoulder. "Cut a rug with your big bro why don't ya?" He laughs. Theo looked over at him in confusion till the smell of cheap rum hit his nostrils. He must've stolen from their father's liquor cabinet, he realized. Rolling his eyes, he shoved his brother right off of him. "Hey!" Alex stumbles back a bit. "What? Trouble in paradise?" He drunkenly laughs. "Or should I️ say, Africa?"

"Shut up Alex," Theo scoffs. He turns around and watches Kathryn walk off. "I️ gotta do something..." he mutters to himself. Alex barely hears him as a pretty white girl catches his eyes, making him follow right behind her.

Finally.

He moved back to his place against the wall, watching everyone talk, flirt and dance. It seemed like everyone was having a good time.

Everyone but him.

Soon enough, the songs change from upbeat pop songs to slowed down ballads. Elvis' 'Can't Help Falling in Love with You' plays through the speakers and he watches as everyone pairs off. He looks across the room to see some guy offer Kathryn his hand, which she politely declines. She then excused herself from her crowd and walks out the door, into the parking lot.

Theo quickly followed behind, shoving right past people and heading out the door. "Kathy!" He called out, making her turn around. He noticed the tears that threatened to spill and instantly felt regret. "Where...where are you going?" He asked, concerned.

"Why do you care?" She snapped at him, making him stop a few feet in front of her.

He frowned. "Because I️ do. You know I️ care about you," he replied.

Kathryn shook her head slowly. "You sure have a funny way of showing it," she sniffed, turning her back on him once more.

"Kathy wait!" He jogged after her. He caught her wrist and spun her around to face him. She almost fought back until she realized that the close proximity was the thing that made her head spin. "Dance with me?" He asked, making her look up at him.

Etta James' 'At Last' plays softly in the distance as Theo holds his hand out towards her. She just looked between him and his hand, conflicted. "What if someone catches us?" She asks.

"Let them," he shrugs.

She hesitantly takes his hand and wraps hers around his, allowing herself to get closer to him as he wraps his other arm around her waist.

"At last...

My love has come along

My lonely days are over

And life is like a song..."

She laid her head against his shoulder as they swayed slowly to the music. The cool September breeze did nothing for the heat that was between them.

"Oh yeah yeah

You smiled, you smiled

Oh and then the spell was cast

And here we are in heaven

For you are mine..."

Kathryn looked up at Theo, and before she knew it, his mouth was on top of hers, pressing down on his lips hard. She kissed him back with the same energy, her hands finding their way to either side of his face.

"At last..."

Theo and Kathryn walked home hand in hand, playfully swinging their hands together. "I️ thought you were mad at me all this time," she spoke up after hearing him explain himself. "I'm still sorry I️ got you in trouble," she frowned.

Theo looked over at her. "I️ could never be mad at you Kathy, no matter how annoying you are," he teased, making her playfully sock him in the arm. "And stop saying that. I got myself in trouble," he reassured her. "My stupid brother-"

"You better be talking about Alex there dweeb," Mason said from behind them. They both turned around, startled to hear his voice. But he wasn't the only one. In fact, Alex and a couple of their buddies from the baseball team seemed to be lingering behind him, wicked looks in their eyes.

"Hey!" Alex scoffed, sounding offended.

Theo eyed the four guys and pushed Kathryn behind him. "Looks like you were right Mase. He is in love with a nigger," Carter Haynes laughed.

"Wait till the school hears about this," Phillip Gallagher snickers.

"Leave her alone," Theo snapped, taking a step forward until Kathryn grabbed ahold of his arm, pulling him back.

"Stop, Theo," she says softly. "Let's just go, please," she begged.

"You two aren't going anywhere," Mason chuckled darkly. "Fellas, looks like our night of fun isn't over yet," he nodded over to them both. "Get him."

All three guys rushed towards him, tackling him on to the ground, making Kathryn shriek in surprise. Phillip lands a punch across his face while Carter socks him right in the gut."Get off of him!" She yelled, pounding Alex's back. Alex turns around so fast, that when he backhands her, she barely even saw it coming. White hot pain radiates through her face as she roughly falls to the ground.

"Stop," Theo coughs out as he tries to regain his breathing. "Leave her alone," he wheezes. Mason walks over to her and grabs her by the forearm, harshly tugging her up against him as tears formed in her eyes. "Mason!" Theo screamed but was silenced once more by Alex elbowing him in the face. Mason simply ignored him as he caressed Kathryn's cheek, despite her fighting against him. That's when his hand went from her cheek to her scalp, tugging harshly at her hair, yanking her head back as he kissed her neck up and down, his other arm holding her tightly against him.

The other guys kicked Theo to his knees and held him down there. "Stop, stop, stop!" Theo struggled against them as they practically forced him to watch his older brother harass his best friend and love of his life. Phillip administered another punch to his face, this time making his lip bleed as it cuts against his teeth.

"This pisses you off, doesn't it Theodore?" He taunts as he hands now mess with the bottom of her dress, raising it up.

"Mason stop that!"

"Please!" She cried against him.

"Finally, I️ get to see what you've been teasing me with," he whispers in her ear, making her cringe.

"I'll tell the police! I'll even tell Dad!" Theo threatens as he tries to wiggle out of their grip.

Mason stops what he's doing to look at him. "I️ think they'd all be much more interested in why you're girlfriend's black," he laughs, unafraid.

Just then, headlights flash in the distance, catching everyone's attention. "Crap! Mason, we gotta beat it before we get caught!" Alex warned.

Phillip and Carter both look at each other with worried eyes. "I'm not trying to stick around just to get in trouble," Carter pointed out.

Mason frustratedly looks between all three of them before letting out a growl and shoving Kathryn down against the pavement. "You got lucky this time, monkey bitch," he spat, making her cry out. The other boys let Theo go , who was still on his knees when his brother decided to kick him in the chest. He groaned in pain as Kathryn sobbed next to him. That was definitely gonna leave a bruise for the next week or so. The four boys ran out of there, leaving Theo and Kathryn on the hard pavement, crying and in pain. Physically and emotionally.

Theo slowly got up to his knees as Kathryn sobbed on the pavement, too humiliated to even sit up. "Kathy..." He slowly crawled over to her. She sat up, but refused to look at him. "Kathryn I'm so sorry-"

"I️ asked you...what would happen if we got caught," her voice wavered. "I️ trusted you! I'm such an idiot for ever trusting you in the first place!" She yelled at him, taking him aback.

"Don't say that- please don't say that," he pleaded. "I️ tried, I️ -"

"It wasn't enough Theo!" She yells back. "You want to know the worst thing?" She asked him. "I️ loved you," her voice cracks, breaking his heart in two. He reached to comfort her, hug her, anything. But she shoved his hands away before he even got the chance.

"Loved?" He repeated, not believing what he was hearing.

Kathryn slowly got up to her feet, albeit a bit wobbly, and looked down at Theo where he was. "Don't...don't come near me again," she says one final time before taking off in the other direction home. Theo tiredly drops his head on the pavement with a deep sigh, realizing that he lost her, again. But this time, permanently.

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Ayeeee I'm so excited to write the 70's, 80's and the 90's! And to continue Jackson and Aaliyah's stories as well! Lots of twists with that one! Thanks for staying with me through my absence! Really appreciate it!