BABE IN THE WOODS: Two

Tuesday, October 15, 2013: Mt. Pleasant, NY, USA

“Maybe we could domesticate one?”

“Dude! No fucking way can you domesticate a zombie!”

Anthony DiBlanco passed the cup of warm Budweiser to Jason Reed, his vision slightly blurred, nodding his head in mock annoyance.

“You’ve taken one sack too many, I think!”

They both laughed like it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. Jason, star quarterback for Mt. Pleasant High School’s varsity football team and boyfriend of Anthony’s sister, Jennifer, was known for holding on to the ball too long, preferring a sack to an incompletion or an interception.

“Scouts will forgive sacks,” he’d explain. “White guys aren’t expected to be mobile so they can blame them on your offensive line. Interceptions, though, can only happen when scripted. And it’s usually the black guys that get those storylines.”

Jason was in line for a football scholarship to Syracuse University, a full ride with housing and all the perks being a star athlete in a society that placed on a pedestal below only the President and actors provided. The only thing he was lacking was a grade of C or better in his American Studies class. Which explains his hanging out with his girlfriend’s Grade A Nerd little brother, Anthony.

Anthony loved history, especially the early and pre-20th century history they no longer taught in school. He looked forward to the holidays with his grandparents where his Papa D would tell wild stories about family-owed pizzerias and grocery stores that sold more than two brands of everything. When gas was practically free at $2/gallon and you volunteered for the military. When the minorities lived everywhere, not just downstate in New York City.

After the civil war in 2007, it was one of the only places where they were welcomed.

Written by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for the original Digital Book World.