Walking the Crimson Road

by Perrie Patterson

  He grins. “After several weeks I started to really listen to the leaders, the messages, and the Bible verses they were sharing with us. They started to mean something to me personally. I came to understand it was more than social. It was real, and it changed me, and changed my life.”

  He looks into the camera. “I wanted to be a positive influence on other high school students. I now volunteer once a week with Young Life for a breakfast devotional time with the 9th-12th grade boys from Tuscaloosa High School. We started out with just five guys showing up. Now we have seventeen each Thursday morning at 7 a.m. at the Burger King.”

  He looks proud. “We have club night on Wednesdays for all the schools in the county to get together. This, of course, is a big social time for all the kids, but we leave them with a verse and a message that hopefully touches their hearts. We pray for these young students. Some of them have struggles and tough things they’re going through, and they need real guidance and support. They need to know and believe that we care about them.”

  “I’m so touched. That’s very moving.” Tears well up in my eyes, I clear my throat, take a breath and begin again. “It sounds like you’re a positive influence on young men in the community. My next question is why you want to be Student Government President.”

  Adam responds, “I was SGA President during my senior year in high school. I wanted to be a leader and a role model in school. I want to continue to lead. I love Alabama, the school, the classes, our sports teams, and our faculty. We have something very special here. Our traditions run deep. I want to be SGA President to continue the traditions but also bring positivity and great ideas to the program. I want to be able to work with a great staff of SGA representatives and work together to create the best school year we can for the student body on campus.”

  I turn the camera off and notice Bella has been standing next to us, listening. I tell Adam we have some good stuff and thank him for meeting with us. Bella places our pizza on the table, offers Adam a slice, and sits next to me.

  When Adam leaves, I turn to Bella and explain my filming plan.

  “I’m want to shoot some footage of some icons like Denny Chimes, and the Bear Bryant statue in front of the stadium before we go back to the house, if you don’t mind. I’ll need to go to the lab tomorrow to work on editing this. I’ll probably spend most of the day working on it.” I glance at Bella.

  “You’ll probably get a good grade on it. He seems like a really good guy.” She looks impressed. Also, Lexi and I will have band practice most of the day tomorrow so you can work in the room undisturbed. But Sunday-Funday, can’t wait for the ball!” Bella says earnestly.

  27

  #Thowshade

  “Is it time to get ready for the Undertaker’s Ball yet? I’ve been reading this page for an hour,” Bella says, shutting her book.

  “I’m starving,” I groan out loud. “Let’s go get something to eat. I think my butt is molded in this spot. We’ve been sitting here studying way too long.” I lean back in my desk chair.

  “Yeah, let’s go downstairs and get something to eat. It’s almost time for the Undertaker’s Parade.” Bella stands and stretches.

  “I know. I’ve still got to take a shower, and I want to spend a lot of time on my hair and makeup,” I add, closing my computer.

  “I’m going down to Lexi’s room. I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” Bella calls over her shoulder.

  The three of us wander out of the kitchen with bowls and spoons still in hand when we here commotion near the front of the house. The front door is standing open and girls are mingling around in the front yard. Lexi, Bella and I follow the other girls out to the front sidewalk. Ten minutes later our entire house is outside, and a huge crowd has gathered up and down sorority row.

  In the distance we can see something coming our way, and the music is getting louder. A horse drawn carriage passes us, and behind it, a coffin carried on the shoulders of six DKE’s comes into view. A New Orleans style jazz band follows with umbrellas and festive attire. Someone mentions it’s called a second line.

  Behind the Jazz band, I spot a large flag with the words “It’s Never Over” printed across it. Lane has one end of the flag with Jack holding up the other side. Bella and I wave when they walk by. Lane winks at me. The end of the parade approaches with a truck full of DKE’s on a trailer pulling the giant grim reaper statue, the one I saw at their party on Halloween. The smoke machine on the back of the trailer leaves us in a fog. After the parade has passed, we go upstairs to shower and change for the ball.

  “Wow! that was interesting! A real horse-drawn carriage, smoke machines, and a jazz band. I can’t wait to see what the ball will be like,” Bella says walking into our room.

  “Yes, I’m a little nervous, excited but nervous,” I say, plugging in my curling iron.

  I spend a lot of time on my eye makeup. Bella works on her hair and asks me to help her with her makeup. She texts Lexi to bring her stuff to our room to finish getting ready with us. We help each other into our dresses and slip on our shoes. I add rhinestone drop earrings and put on black kitten heel pumps. Bella puts on pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. Lexi’s wearing her hair up. She adds small rhinestone earrings to match the rhinestone collar on her dress.

  We admire ourselves and each other in the mirror. We take a few selfies and in unison say, “Okay we’re ready.” I pick up my small purse and put a pack of Kleenex, a lipstick, my ID and my phone inside.

  The three of us glide out of the room and stop to look over the balcony railing. Down below our dates stand in the foyer talking. Slowly we descend the staircase. I truly feel like a princess about to meet my prince. When we get near the bottom Lane walks to the railing, smiling at me. He’s wearing a black tuxedo with a red rose boutonniere. He greets me at the bottom of the stairs, and hands me a red rose. He kisses me on the cheek and whispers in my ear, “You’re breathtaking.”

  I whisper back, “Thank, you, you look amazing.”

  Jack and Patrick walk up and greet Bella and Lexi with long stem roses, too. Lane offers his arm in a romantic, old-fashioned gesture. I slip my hand over his arm, and we walk out the door. Bella and Lexi follow.

  I stop at the sidewalk in awe. Parked in front of the house is the horse-drawn carriage from the parade, and two DKE pledges in Tuxedos wait to open the door for us. Lexi and Bella giggle with excitement behind me, and when I turn around and smile, they are grinning from ear to ear. I ask Lane if one of the carriage drivers can take some pictures. We hand our phones over, and Lane and I pose in front of the carriage. Bella, Lexi and their dates get pictures, then we get a group shot before we take off.

  Lexi and Patrick enter the carriage first, then Bella and Jack. Lane escorts me to the carriage door and I step inside with him following me. The door closes and the driver motions for the horses to walk on.

  When the carriage starts to move, I look up at Lane and whisper, “Thank you. This is so special.” He grins and kisses the tip of my nose.

  The carriage pulls up to the DKE house, and our driver hops down to open the doors. A red carpet lines the sidewalk, and there’s a fog machine creating a mist at the front entrance. The giant Grim Reaper statue lurks at the front door as we reach the top step. The doors are standing open, and we walk beneath the giant Undertaker’s Ball flag hanging from the entrance. Inside, the only light is from candles, and there are hundreds on every surface. The atmosphere is magical. There are huge vases of red roses everywhere. To the left of the entrance, where the couches used to be, I see a coffin and a guy lying in it. We walk into a larger room where a band is playing jazz. The room to the right with the large blazing fireplace hosts buffet tables and an open bar.

  Bella says she and Jack are going to get a drink. Patrick and Lexi follow. Lane and I drift to the back room. I notice the smaller room with the fireplace where he and I sat the last time I was here. Lane asks if I would like a glass of champagne. He leads me to a table featuring slender flutes filled with golden
bubbly topped with strawberries. He hands me a glass then we wander over near the band. We clink our glasses in a toast. While sipping my champagne, my eyes scan the room, taking in the majesty of the party. I notice Ashley walking down the hall with a date. She walks toward Amanda, who has just arrived, and they embrace. I feel a little awkward, but I know at some point I’ll run into Ashley when I’m with Lane.

  Lane sets his glass down. “Would you like to dance?” He offers his hand with a bow.

  He leads me onto the dance floor. He takes me by the waist, and I reach for his other hand. He’s a good dancer. I can tell he’s had some formal training. He’s movements are very smooth as we glide across the dance floor.

  “Dancing to jazz with you is so romantic. This night is romantic,” I say, flushed.

  He leans in and kisses me softly then twirls me around. I’m laughing and enjoying every moment. He dips me playfully, and when I come back up, I see Ashley staring daggers at me. I try not to pay any attention. We move to a table for a dance break and casually sip our champagne.

  Lexi wanders over and asks me to walk to the bathroom with her. We walk to the end of the hall into the small room with the fireplace. I show her the door to the bathroom. When Lexi finishes, we find Patrick waiting for her in the hallway. I scan the crowd, searching for Lane. I see him standing near the table where we left our drinks. Ashley has her hands on his arm. She is standing very close to him. Her face is almost touching his. I can’t tell what she’s saying. I stride toward them. Lane looks up, sees me, and pulls away from Ashley. When she notices me, she slowly reaches a hand up to Lane’s face and whispers something in his ear. She slides her hand down his face to his chest, looks at me with a smirk, and walks away. That’s enough for me, I can’t help but feel anger bubbling up. I turn and go back down the hall toward the bathroom. Before I can get to the door Lane grabs me by the arm.

  “Rebecca.”

  I turn around with tears running down my face. Lane reaches out for me, and I pull away. I should probably give him a chance to explain, but Ashley’s little show back there was like WTF.

  “Rebecca, it’s not what you think. Ashley’s just jealous of you, that’s all.”

  I wipe the tears from my cheeks but don’t say anything.

  “I care about you. You’re my girlfriend. I only want to be with you. You need to believe that.” He reaches out for me again, and this time he pulls me close. He looks so sincere.

  I finally say, “I know you dated her. Amanda told me that Ashley still likes you and wants you back.”

  “That may be true, but I don’t want her. I only want you. I’ve never felt the way I feel about you about anyone before. I promise you, Bex, it’s you and only you I want.” Lane pulls me closer and holds me tight. He looks down at me and wipes the tears from my cheeks.

  Looking into my eyes, he says, “I care about you more than you know. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  He lifts my chin, kisses me gently on the lips then my nose, and hugs me tight. “I don't want to let you go.”

  “I don’t want you to let me go.” I look up, searching his beautiful hazel eyes.

  He kisses me tenderly. I smile. “I better go freshen up a bit,” I say, taking a step back.

  His hand brushes my cheek lightly. “Please come to me if something is bothering you. I want you to know you mean everything to me, forget about Ashley.”

  I walk into the bathroom and fix my makeup the best I can and re apply my lipstick. I can’t help but think, Is it really over between them.? Does Ashley have some sort of hold over him, or a secret? Should I have mentioned that Amanda told me about Ashley? And she warned me to stay away from Lane. But, honestly, I tried to stay away and couldn’t. I brush off my worrisome thoughts and walk out of the bathroom over to Lane and take his hand.

  “I’m sorry. Maybe I should have voiced my concerns about Ashley earlier.”

  He looks at me intently, searching my face. “You don’t need to be sorry. Everything is okay.”

  “I hope Ashley gets the message soon,” I say, hoping he’ll divulge more information.

  “Come on. Let’s go dance.” He holds out his hand for me.

  After dancing, we check out the buffet. It’s impressive. There seems to be a little bit of everything, shrimp, cheese, fruit, desserts, tiny quiches, all beautifully arranged. I ignore Ashley and concentrate all my energy on having fun the rest of the evening.

  When it gets close to midnight the music changes and becomes a little spooky. The fog machine must have been brought inside, because an airy mist is starting to creep through the house. Suddenly, a line of guys marches in with the coffin wheeled in behind them. They stop, turn, and face the band.

  Three guys walk up behind them and begin announcing each guy one at a time. As they, do they turn and face us. Last, but not least, the guy in the coffin is announced, and he pops up and out. An explosion of fireworks breaks the deathly silence and eerie music. The band starts to play lively music corresponding with the fireworks.

  Lane takes my hand. “Let’s go outside and watch the fireworks.”

  We walk out to the back patio and watch the short but impressive fireworks show. After the final explosion, Lane explains the creepy announcement.

  “Out of our pledge class we try to recognize the ones who’ve shown outstanding achievement through various tasks presented to them as well as the ones chosen to be in the coffin. We try to recognize them during the Undertaker’s Ball in some small way. Each year we do it a little differently.”

  “This was spectacular. Everything tonight has been so beautiful. The carriage ride was special, and you make me feel special,” I say, leaning into his chest.

  “I always want to make you feel special.”

  He kisses me gently on the lips and on my neck, sending goosebumps down my arms to flutters into my stomach.

  When we walk back inside, the fog is mostly gone, and all the lights are on. There are tables set up by the front door covered with black gift bags. Girls are taking gift bags as they leave with their dates. The jazz band is still playing, and a few people are still dancing. We walk to the dance floor, and Lane offers me his hand. We dance to another song. Lexi and Patrick are also dancing. Bella and Jack head toward the entrance. I glance up at Lane while we slow dance. “I think Bella and Jack are leaving. I wonder what time it is?”

  “My guess is it’s about 1 a.m. Are you ready to go?”

  “I think Bella and Jack might have left.”

  “Wait here for just a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  When he returns, he asks, “Ready?” and offers me his arm.

  I wave to Lexi and Patrick. Lexi waves back, and I think she tells Patrick it’s time to go. Lane picks up a gift bag for me. Walking down the stairs I notice the horse drawn carriage is parked out front. Lane helps me in and sits next to me. He takes my hand and kisses it. The carriage rolls on down the road, taking us back to the Phi Mu house.

  “Did you have them get the horses and carriage just for me?”

  “Of course, I wanted to make sure you got home from the ball safe and sound,” he says smiling at me.

  I put my hands up to my face embarrassed. “I feel bad for getting upset about Ashley.”

  “Let’s not talk about her. You should know how I really feel about you by now. But if you need convincing…”

  He leans in and traces his thumb across my lower lip. My breath hitches, I reach up and take his hand, keeping it at my mouth, kissing it. Lane whispers, “Rebecca, as he kisses me, tugging on my lower lip with his teeth. I’m lost in the moment, this incredible, perfect moment. When the carriage stops, Lane helps me out. We pause near the front door. He kisses my hand and takes a bow.

  I laugh and say, “You make everything perfect.”

  “Goodnight, gorgeous,” he says, handing me my gift bag.

  He turns to walk back to the carriage. Instead of getting inside, he jumps up and sits next to the driver, and they take off. I drif
t to my room in a dream state. I take off my shoes and slip out of my dress. I look inside my gift bag to find a long stem red rose and an Undertaker’s Ball t-shirt. I slip the t-shirt on and crawl into bed.

  Bella comes in from the bathroom, holding a towel. “That was so much fun. Everything was beautiful, and the fireworks were impressive. Not to mention the carriage ride.”

  “Yes, I’m in love, totally in love.”

  I turn over and fall asleep, dreaming of horses and meadows full of roses.

  28

  #Sweaterweather

  Monday morning comes in like a lion. I wake up and realize I never washed my makeup off from the ball last night. After a long hot shower, I get dressed then wake Bella up to ask if she has an early exam. She says she has an alarm set and rolls back over. I pack my bags and the camera I need to return and walk over to Phifer to spend an hour studying for my camera, lighting, and sound test.

  After that’s done, I feel pretty fabulous about how I did. It’s time to prepare for another exam this afternoon, so I head back to my room. As I’m walking down the hall, I get a text from Lane.

  Good morning, I hope ur exams go well this week.

  So far so good.

  I’m immediately reminded of the awesome time I had last night and add another text.

  TY again for the beautiful party last night, u made me feel so special.

  U r very special to me. He adds a heart emoji.

  When I get back to the room, Bella’s not there. I email Lane the video interview I submitted for my class and share the unedited version. I scroll through my pictures from last night and post the group picture of me, Bella, Lexi and our dates standing in front of the carriage on Instagram and caption it “On our way to the ball.” #undertakersball #uaDKE #rolltide #phimu. Switching my phone to silent, I plan to study for several hours undistracted.