I was never more terrified in all my life when I heard a deep voice call my name from what seemed to be just ten feet away. I don't know if I even want to see him. My brain was trying to tell my feet to keep walking but for some reason they just weren't getting the memo.

  "I'm invisible. I'm invisible. Please God make me invisible!" I quickly whispered to myself as a hand came down hard or my left shoulder.

Startled where I stood I snapped my eyes open and let out a loud yelp of fear while my heart came to abrupt halt.

  "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. Ya know ya shouldn't walk alone out here. Ma said there's some creep stalking kids in a blue van."

Meet Peter Dixon! He lives just a few houses down from me and for the first time ever in life his mom finally let him out of his cage. Back in elementary school Peter was ugly. I'm talking mouth full of braces freckle face bottle cap glasses and super skinny ugly. He was always teased by Andre and the guys and they would often do stupid shit to try to hurt his feelings. Like go into the coat closet and take a bite out of his sandwiches then put them back the way they found it. Or if that wasn't enough they would glue thumb tacks to his chair and force him to sit down. What was worse was when Andre gave him a bag of gummy worms....that were actually worms. By middle school they left him alone when I started standing up for him. Peter never believed in fighting back because he was the only white boy in the neighborhood. Prince was never on the left or right side. He just went with the flow and would either let Andre rip poor Peter to shreds or would leave him be once I stepped in and told Andre about himself. Now that we're in high school he's put on some muscle and his deep freckles have faded almost completely from his face and he got his braces removed last winter and now has teeth straighter than mine. All the girls think he's quite the cutie now. His mom still treats him like he needs to be hidden from the world all the time. It was heard around town that his parents were supposedly members of the KKK and that some of the missing black kids that we seen on the back of the milk carton were kidnapped by Mr. Dixon himself. That is of course according to Morris and Andre. I have yet to see them kidnap anyone. Then again in Minneapolis anything is possible.

  "Is it cool if I walk to school with you?" Peter asked with a smile.

  "Ummm....yeah....sure. I guess." I said to him nervously and clinging to my book bag for dear life.

We walked up the street and rounded the corner towards the intersection as the crossing guard crossed us I was trying to give her silent signals that if anything were to happen to me it was his fault. However I think I failed when she  rolled her eyes and laughed at me and waved me off. It's gonna be her fault if I turn up on the back of her milk carton one of these days.

  "So! How are you?" He asked me trying to start conversation on this rather weird and awkward meeting.

"I'm....ok. How are you?" I asked him back looking over my shoulder.

  "I don't know. I feel a little scared right now."

  "Really? Why?"

  "Because you keep looking over your shoulder like someone is after us or something. Or are you looking for someone."

The blood almost drained from my face when he thought that I was looking for someone. In a way I wasn't but then again I was. I was looking for his father to pop out from behind a bush and snatch me up and Peter would cover it up as if he never saw me. I had to think of something to tell him but I didn't know what so I just blurted it out accidentally.

  "I just don't want to get kidnapped."

Peter let out a chuckle as he patted me on the back.

  "It's ok! I was only jerkin' ya about the blue van thing. Don't be such a scaredy cat!"

  "No not that! By you're dad!"

  "My dad? Why would my dad wanna kidnap you?" He questioned puzzled.

  "'Cause ain't he in that group with the white sheets and the pointed hoods?"

Peter's face went from a big smile to being stunned. I think I just offended him and I really didn't mean to.

  "You think my father is a White Knight. Dontcha?" He asked me stopping directly in front of me.

Shit he has me cornered and I'm not even sure where to run except back the other way.

  "The brotherhood was meant to be kept secret and now that you know I guess there's only one thing I have to do." He said as he somehow backed me into a fence.

I was a stuttering idiot and was trying to think of something to say to try to dig myself out of this seriously dangerous ditch that I got myself into but I couldn't think of one thing to say.

  "I.....i.....i uhhhh......."

Peter quickly raised his hand high above us and  flinched and in near tears begged him to spare my life.

"OH PLEASE PLEASE! I'm sorry! I won't tell anyone I swear!" I yelled as I tried to shield my body from him getting ready to clobber me with his fists.

Then suddenly. He laughed. He laughed so hard that he was laying on the ground holding his sides. After opening my eyes and getting over the fear of possibly getting beat up I stood up straight and gave him an earful.

  "Hey you jerk that wasn't funny at all! You couldn't have killed me!" I shouted angrily at him.

  "You should have seen yourself! You looked like a scared dog!" He laughed as he rolled back and fourth on the concrete holding his sides.

  "Go ahead and laugh! Laugh until you choke!" I shouted and stormed away from him.

I heard him settle himself down and get up from the ground running after me.

  "Wait! Hold on!" He said as he got closer.

  "Go away!"

Peter ran ahead and stopped me and we were staring eye to eye at each other.

  "Wait! I'm sorry. That was mean. I shouldn't have done that to you. You've been so nice to me since I've known you and you didn't deserve for me to trick you like that. However! You shouldn't have believed that rumor about my dad. I don't know who started it but my dad is a catholic priest. Definitely not a clansman. Yeah he wears white but that's just on communion Sunday."

Boy do I feel stupid.

  "Gee Pete. I'm sorry. It's just.....you're never around and some of the other guys think that you're parents don't-

  "Like black folks? See. Again not true. Our moms work together at the hospital. My mom is a neurosurgeon and she always has your mom and her number one nurse. My mom always says that she'd be lost without your moms nursing skills. Must be pretty cool huh? Your mom being a nurse and all."

  "Yeah- yeah! It really is. Listen Peter. I'm a jerk for believing all that junk about your family. That must make you think that I'm a fool. How can I make it up to you?"

Peter scratched the back of his neck and thought for a moment.

  "Hmmmm. Weellll. You could be my date to the fall formal in two weeks. That is.....if you don't already have a date and are going."

I was kinda surprised that he was asking me to the dance. I thought he would want to go with somebody pretty and popular.

  "I thought you weren't into dances?" I asked him intrigued.

  "Well I saw how pretty you looked and I figured I would ask now before someone else did. Which is why I made up the whole blue van thing. I wanted to have a reason to walk with you."

I began to blush wildly and I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I couldn't miss the change to go on my first date to the dance now.

  "You can stop trying flatter me Pete. Yes I'll be your date to the dance."

Peter's smile grew big across his face and he put his arm out.

  "Well then my lady? Shall we continue our walk to school on this fine sunny morning?" He joked.

I couldn't resist and join in on his gittiness.

  "Why yes my lord we shall!" I replied happily and wrapped my arm around his.

I can't believe it! I finally got asked to the dance! I guess Rachel's mom will need to make my dress after all!