Full Circle by Danielle Steel

was surprised.
    “They didn't let us in … you know … white boy … brown girl … ‘Find yourself a decent girl, son.…’ “ She pretended to laugh but Tana could see the pain in her eyes, and she frowned.
    “The shits. What did Tom say?”
    “He was nice. We sat downstairs for a while when we got back, but that was even worse. There must be seven Snow Whites sitting downstairs with their Prince Charmings, and all of them had their eyes glued on us.” She sighed and sat down, looking at her friend. “Shit … my mother and her bright ideas … for about a minute outside the movie house I felt very noble and brave and pure, and by the time we got back, I decided it was really a huge pain in the ass. Hell, we can't even go out for a hamburger. I could starve to death in this town.”
    “Not if you went out with me, I'll bet.” They hadn't gone out to eat yet, they were too comfortable where they were, and the food was surprisingly good at school. They had both already gained three or four pounds, much to Sharon's chagrin.
    “Don't be so sure, Tan. I'll bet they'd raise hell if I tried to go somewhere with you too. Black is black and white is white, no matter how you look at it.”
    “Why don't we try?” Tana looked intrigued, and the next night they did. They walked slowly into town, and stopped for a hamburger and the waitress gave them a long, slow, ugly look and then walked away without serving them, as Tana looked at her in shock. She signaled for her again, and the woman appeared not to see, until finally Tana walked over to her, and asked if they could order their dinner now, and the waitress looked at her with chagrin.
    She spoke in a low voice so that Sharon wouldn't hear. “I'm sorry, honey. I can't serve your friend. I was hoping you two'd get the idea.”
    “Why not? She's from Washington,” as though that would make a difference, “… her mother is an attorney and her father has won the Pulitzer twice.…”
    “That don't make no difference here. This ain't Washington. It's Yolan.” Yolan, South Carolina, home of Green Hill.
    “Is there anywhere in town we can eat?”
    The waitress looked nervously at the tall green-eyed blonde, there was a hardness in her voice that suddenly frightened her. “There's a place for her just down the street … and you could eat here.”
    “I mean together,” Tana's eyes were as hard as green steel, and for the first time in her life she felt something tighten in her spine. She almost wanted to hit someone. It was a feeling she hadn't known before, an unreasoning, helpless rage. “Is there anyplace in this town where we can eat together, without taking the train to New York?” Tana glared at her, and slowly the waitress shook her head. But Tana wasn't moving an inch. “Okay, then I'll have two cheeseburgers, and two Cokes.”
    “No, you won't.” A man appeared from the kitchen behind where they stood. “You'll go back to that damn fancy school you two come from,” they were easily spotted in Yolan. Sharon's clothes alone were enough to draw attention anywhere. She was wearing a skirt and sweater her mother had bought her at Bonwit Teller in New York. “And you can eat anything you damn well please there. I don't know what's gotten into them over there, but if they let niggers into the school, then let them feed 'em over at Green Hill, we don't gotta feed 'em here.” He looked pointedly at Tana, then at Sharon where she sat, and it was as though an enormous force had entered the room, and for a minute Tana thought he might physically throw them out. She hadn't been as frightened or as angry since she'd been raped.
    And then, ever so quietly, and in her graceful, long-legged, ladylike way, Sharon stood up. “Come on, Tan.” Her voice was a sexy purr, and for an instant, Tana saw the man's eyes almost paw at her and she wanted to slap his face. It reminded her of something she never wanted to think of again, and a moment later she followed Sharon