Chaffey

As if on cue, a roar went up from the Chaffey stands.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Whatever had been wrong with me at Chaffey High—out of place, undesirable, too much of or too little—was magically fixed the instant I stepped foot on the East Coast where, to my shock and delight, pale skin and flaming hair were considered a fascinating, not flawed, combination.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

I was close enough to see by then, a glorious sight: the Tigers hugging one another on the field, the cheerleaders jumping and screaming and doing herkies like mad, the Chaffey fans in a frenzy.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Chaffey scored a few touchdowns, and even the Black Beast perked up his head at that and allowed me to feel a little hope.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Chaffey was a pretty big school: about four thousand students in all, and football was king.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Big as Chaffey High School was, even I discounted it.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Manners were scarce enough among the boys at Chaffey High.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Sure enough, I could hear the familiar strains of the Chaffey fight song in the distance.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

At my school, the cool kids lounged on the auditorium steps by the statue of the tiger, the Chaffey High mascot.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

Thousands of Chaffey graduates have come before us.

The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011