Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper Page B

in Montgomery. They ran pictures of some Negro men sitting in the front of a bus. They looked tired, but pretty proud of themselves. Buses here in Little Rock have been integrated recently, but most colored folks I know still tend to sit near the back anyway.
    I don’t think Daddy could have done what Dr. King did—got a whole city to cooperate on anything. And would I have walked with them in protest? Maybe if Reggie walked with me. That’s not the right reason, I know.
    I’m not even sure Reggie is going to be in my life much longer, and the thought of losing him is making me crazy! He wants me to go to Mann with him. If I go to Central, I lose the friends I’ve been with since grade school, my chance to be a cheerleader for Reggie’s team, and the only boyfriend I’ve ever had. Not much chance of me finding a boyfriend at Central.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1957
    Hey, Sylvia, what did you do your project on?” Calvin asked as they walked into the classroom. “I know you’ll get an A-plus as usual, Miss Perfect Patterson.” He took off his hat, bowed down in front of her, then dropped to one knee. “May I just touch your hand, my lady?”
    â€œOh, quit that,” Sylvia said, laughing, as she swatted him on the side of his head. “Get up and go dust off my chair so I may sit down on a proper throne!”
    Calvin scrambled up and ran ahead, pretending to strew flower petals in front of her. Sylvia tried to brush it off, but she didn’t like being the center of attention, and she didn’t like it when others made fun of her good grades. The thought of being chosen to be on the list to go to Central made her even more nervous.
    Reggie walked in then, wearing his favorite shoes and that brown leather bomber jacket Sylvia liked so much. It had belonged to his father, he’d told her once, and Sylvia thought it smelled of adventure and history—maybe a little romance. She relaxed as he gave her a genuine smile and went to his seat.
    Just then Candy Castle, whose soft yellow sweater clung to her cleavage like melted cheese, walked over to Reggie’s desk and casually leaned over to speak to him. Her ample chest was level with his face. Sylvia couldn’t hear what Candy said, but Reggie laughed as if she had told the best joke in the world.
    Miss Washington, after taking attendance and making announcements, stopped at every student’s seat to collect their projects, taking the time to speak to each student.
    â€œYou did your paper on baseball?” Sylvia heard Miss Washington ask Reggie.
    â€œYes, ma’am. Jackie Robinson. And the other Negroes who integrated major league baseball,” Reggie replied.
    â€œGood,” Miss Washington said as she moved to Lou Ann Johnson’s desk. “And what did you choose, Miss Johnson?” The large woman standing so close made Lou Ann seem even skinnier.
    â€œI did my paper on Fats Domino and Chuck Berry. They’re going to change the world of music,” Lou Ann replied. “Besides, all the rest of the stuff on your list was boring.”
    â€œWell, I certainly hope your paper isn’t boring. I’d hate to fall asleep in the middle of reading it and be forced to give you a failing grade,” Miss Washington replied, chuckling.
    When she got to Sylvia’s neatly handwritten report, Miss Washington asked with a tone of approval in her voice, “Why did you choose Africa, Sylvia Faye? Many Negroes want to forget their heritage and their roots.”
    â€œI read an article in the World Book encyclopedia and it made me angry,” Sylvia replied. “I wanted to find something that would make me feel proud.”
    â€œSadly, most people don’t look at Africa with pride,” Miss Washington said.
    â€œI think it’s important that we know where we came from, so we can figure out where we’re going,” Sylvia said simply. Calvin made an armpit noise. Candy