by Jimmy Thiel

Created on: September 07, 2008   Last Updated: September 16, 2008

The lights flashed brilliant displays of assorted colors against the floors, walls, and ceiling encompassing the make shift dance floor. Music played as people around us danced and socialized on this special night. I sat at a table with my girlfriend, sipping slightly spiked punch from a cheap plastic version of what was suppose to be fashionable glass ware. The night was young and couples were still filing into what hours before had been the stagnant atmosphere of our high school cafeteria. It was our senior prom. This night would be filled with future memories; unfortunately the most memorable of these would still bother me to this very day. It was the reaction that my friends received when they arrived to take part in the festivities.

You could feel the mood of the entire room shift, and all eyes seemed to be focused at the entrance. I looked up and saw that my best friend since grade school Clint had arrived with his prom date Serena attached to his arm. A brief moment of awkwardness passed as the couple stared back emotionless at their surroundings. I saw a smile of relief come across Serena's face as her eyes made contact with mine. I raised my drink in an invitation for them to join us. She nudged Clint to get his attention and they made their way across the room. Serena leaned in and gave my girlfriend Susan a slight kiss on the cheek as she took a seat beside her. They too were best friends. Clint and I greeted each other with our usual manly slapping together of hands. He sat down beside Serena and we started a casual conversation amongst ourselves. The festivities only seemed to go back to normal after the couple had seated themselves. The lights continued to flash and the music continued to play. The noise drowned out the whispers from the other students. Even though the whispers could not be heard, they were certainly felt.

Clint was the best drum major our high school band had ever acquired. Serena was co-captain of the varsity cheer leading squad. They were two of the most popular students in school and it seemed as though all eyes were constantly upon them, but soon it would be for the wrong reason. Clint was white and Serena was black. They had been seeing each other secretly for a few months now, but this was the first time that they had shown up together, publicly displaying their affection. It was not greeted with much warmth. The year was 1988 and the idea of mixed race relationships was still largely disapproved of.

It had been years since

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