KeatonStory

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plays love songs on Sunday – Friday nights on Q99. I

got an autographed picture of her for Christmas one

year.

I hung out with the boy who lived across the street

from me. He moved in the house across the street

from my house nine months before I moved to Pu-

laski. He went to Dublin Middle School just as I did.

He used to invite me to do a lot of stuff. That was the

only person that I hung out with at the time. We still

keep in touch.

I used a program called Virginia Grade Level Alterna-

tive to complete the state testing. I passed the math

and English tests. I did not pass social studies or sci-

ence because my teachers accidentally turned in mul-

tiple choice questions and not my essays and fill in

the blank tests. They got some training after that and

learned how to complete the V.G.L.A. notebooks.

I performed in piano recitals every year at First Unit-

ed Methodist Church in Pulaski, Virginia. All of my

family and many of my friends and neighbors attend-

ed my recitals. One day before I had a recital in the

evening, I performed in a talent show at my middle

school. Many of the office staff and cafeteria staff

came to watch. They cheered and cried.

The big end of middle school events were the 8

grade dance, awards ceremony, and graduation. I did

not decide to go to the dance until the last minute

when one of the faculty members called my parents

at home. He told them that he was very disappointed

that I was not coming to the dance and that he wanted

me to come. I went to the 8

grade dance that Friday