Nov. 13, 1973

I am so stupid. On the way home today, I asked Rhonda if we were going steady. She just laughed at me, but she did say she liked me. She said I was “sweet.” I hope she doesn’t tell Sandy about it. I’ll never hear the end of it.

Everyone is still mad at me. Dave won’t talk to me now either. Frannie walked with me to History again. I don’t understand her. Why would she walk with a seventh-grader? She’s really strange, but at least she’s nice to me now.

I did OK on my lesson and aced my math quiz. Yes! At least something went well. Rhonda doesn’t like Of Mice and Men at all. She’s hardly even started it, so we just sat in the family room and read together. The Grapes of Wrath is great. It’s one of the best books we’ve read so far, but I’m already two chapters ahead of the rest of the class, so I read along with Rhonda in Mom’s copy. I’ve caught up with her already. Rhonda is funny when she reads; she whispers and twists her face up when she doesn’t know a word.

Rhonda’s older sister picked her up in her dad’s car. She didn’t really have far to walk, but Mandy takes every opportunity to practise her driving. Dad took us out to dinner at MacDonalds after she left. They just re-modelled it, so we can eat inside now.

I learned today: I play better in my lesson when I practise.

Nov. 12, 1973

Billy and Hal wouldn’t talk to me today. They got in big trouble at home because of Friday’s fight. Neither was suspended, but Mr Brown phoned both their parents, and both are grounded. Robert is still mad at me, too. Frannie spoke to me for the first time to me today. All she really said was that Billy was a twerp, but I was so shocked that I almost dropped my books. I thought she hated me, but she actually walked with me to History class. Her class was across the hall.

We talked about the abolition of slavery in class. We’d spent a month on the Civil War, but that was mostly about the demands of the Confederate States and the main battles. Robert said that his ancestors fled from Alabama before the war actually started.

Most of second period was lost to a tornado drill. I didn’t mind. It was weird having it in November, since tornado season was over. Sometime in the next week we are having a Civil Defence drill, where we get to go down in the bomb shelter. I don’t know how we’d survive down there; Frannie says all the food is rotten.

I bumped into Sami Patel at lunchtime, and it made me wonder. If Robert is the first black in our school, what does that make her? Her skin is even darker than Robert’s. Sandy said it’s because she’s from India and not Africa, and Indians were never used by Americans as slaves. Sami’s the smartest person in the ninth grade, and one of the prettiest girls in the school, but she doesn’t do any sports or music.

We had another pop quiz in Math class, but I did OK on it, I think. Basketball was tough again today, and about ten kids quit. I don’t think Mr Milner is going to have a tough job making cuts. We learned figure-8 drills today. Those are kinda cool, except when Dan ran me over. I was too tired to practise my trumpet again.

I learned today: Being black has nothing to do with your skin color.

Nov. 11, 1973

Church: boring. CCD: boring. Rain: boring. Watched bowling on Wide World of Sports: boring. Studied: boring. Practiced: boring.

I learned today: Sunday is boring.

Nov. 10, 1973

I woke up really sore today. After spending the morning on my homework, we went to Sears and bought a color TV. I always thought the Skipper’s shirt was red and Gilligan’s was blue. The TV doesn’t work properly, though. I Love Lucy is still in black and white. Dad wouldn’t take it back. He tried to explain why, but I still don’t understand.

It rained in the afternoon, and no one would come over, not even to see the new TV.

I learned today: Color is better than Black & White.

Nov. 9 1973

Normally I like Fridays, but today was a disaster. At lunch recess, I tried to get Billy and Hal to let Robert play with us, but they started picking on him and before long Hal and Robert got into a fight. I wanted to try to break it up, but Hal is much bigger than me, and both of them are my friends. Robert didn’t have a chance and ended up with a bloody lip. All four of us ended up in the Principal’s office. Billy and Hal both got detentions. Robert and I only missed half of math class, and we were lucky that there wasn’t another pop quiz. Mrs Tanner usually has them on Fridays.

Robert wouldn’t talk to me the rest of the day. “Don’t do me any more favors!” was all he said. Billy and Hal were mad at me, too, and even Dave wouldn’t speak to me.

Basketball practice was hard. We did a lot of running. I’ll make the team, but it will be a miracle if I play in anything other than a blowout. Robert wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t good at sports; he couldn’t even hit the rim, except by accident. I wasn’t surprised that he quit the team at the end of practice. He probably wouldn’t have made it anyway; he’s almost as bad as Andy. Mr Milner didn’t protest either when Robert told him.

Robert’s brother picked him up after practice in a shiny new dark blue Mercedes. Cool!

We ate dinner as soon as Dad drove me home. I was too tired to practise my trumpet, or do anything else. I just went straight to bed.

I learned today: I hate school.

Nov. 8, 1973

Billy and Hal have started calling Robert my “Nigger” friend. That hurts. Mom told me that it’s really bad to call someone a nigger. If Robert’s around they won’t even talk to me. He’s actually really nice, except when someone calls him Bob or Bobby. He hates that. “My name is Robert!” he shouts. Nobody calls anyone by their full name. Only Mom calls me Thomas, and only when she is mad at me.

I was really surprised that Robert doesn’t want to try out for basketball. He says he’s really bad at sports. I can’t believe that. Even Mr Milner was pleading with him. Robert promised that he would try, but he didn’t think he’d make it.

Our English test was really hard, but I think I did OK. Sandy thought it was easy. I’m still not that wild about Hemingway, but helping Rhonda with her homework on Tuesday helped me think about it a little differently. We get Steinbeck next: The Grapes of Wrath, now that’s a cool title. Rhonda is going to be reading Steinbeck, too, but she’s reading Of Mice and Men.

Rhonda and Sandy walked with me again today. They teased me about my black eye, which is now turning all sorts of colors. Rhonda got an A on her book report that I helped her with. I’m going to help her again on Tuesday, but she’s coming to my house this time. I don’t think Mom would be too happy if she caught us tongue-wrestling.

I learned today: I don’t like spinach.

Nov. 7, 1973

Tricked! I asked Billy today if he’d ever tongue-wrestled. First, he looked at me strangely and then laughed, “You mean French kissing! Of course I have!” Immediately, I doubted him, but what was worse was that yesterday, it meant that I’d kissed Rhonda, not once, but THREE times…and enjoyed it. Billy said that’s what girls and boys do when they are going steady. Am I going steady with Rhonda? We don’t even hold hands or anything. I’m glad that Billy told me before I asked Sandy if she wanted to tongue-wrestle. Now that would have been embarrassing!

If anyone had asked me on Monday if I would ever kiss a girl, I would have said, “ICK!” Now I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. What I really don’t understand is why the prettiest girl in the seventh grade would want to kiss me and let me touch her boobs. I’m too skinny, not that smart, and I’m not that popular – not like Billy, or Dan Hoffa, the quarterback of the football team. He’ll be on the basketball team, too. I’m sure we’ll play the same position, just like in baseball. I always have to play first base because Dan is the best shortstop on the planet, or at least his father thinks so, and his father is our coach. You would think that Rhonda would be much more interested in him.

I got a C on my math test. That stinks! I thought I did better than that. Sandy and Billy both got A’s, and Billy didn’t even study. Robert got a B! That was his first day at our school, but he took it without any preparation. Hal says they aren’t supposed to be very smart. He must be; we’re in all the same classes, except that he’s not in band. I’m not saying that I’m smart, but I am in the top track of all the classes, even if I don’t get A’s in all of them. Billy can’t even say that, but he does get all A’s, except if he’s being punished.

More studying tonight; I’ve got an English test tomorrow, and Mom says I need to start practising my trumpet after school. She got a call from Mr Janek saying that I’m not prepared for my lessons. Dad helped me practise a little for the basketball tryout on Friday.

I learned today: I’ll never understand girls.