A/N: As we recall, Mr. Meyers had a mysterious conversation….

Duncan would be watching his dad very closely.

Was the voice a male or a female? It sounded like it was a male… but Duncan couldn't be so sure. And what did the voice mean by "when will you be there?" Was he in some type of organization that only met at night? Or maybe…

He was contemplating a little too much. Maybe his dad had to run some light errands. Or maybe he was called in late. But something in his gut told him otherwise. He needed to get some sleep and these things on his mind weren't making it any easier.

First the graffiti and now this? What was going on? Was someone after Courtney and her friends? If so, why? They didn't do anything! Why did they have to be the victims of crimes?

All these questions… but no answers. And Courtney also had that strange dream to ponder about as well. It was like they were both trapped. Duncan was trying to get to her and she was trying to get to him.

She was sleeping peacefully… finally getting her mind off of the previous events. And then Katie calls her, reminding her of all of it once again.

Now she was contemplating too much. Courtney lay awake on her bed, wondering what was in store for her in the future.

June 15th, 1962

"Did you hear the news?" Courtney asked her dad, sitting at the breakfast table.

"What news?" John yawned with his mouth wide open.

"Did something happen?" Linda asked.

"Well," Courtney sighed. "At about 12:30 this morning, Katie called me. She sounded terrified."

"Did something happen to her?" John questioned.

"Not to her," Courtney lowered her voice. "But to her dad. His office caught on fire… and it was arson."

"Goodness!" Linda exclaimed, nearly dropping her plate of breakfast. "Did he come out okay?"

"Fortunately," Courtney explained. "He wasn't alone. He and some other workers were able to get him out in time."

"Now we have another thing to worry about," Linda sighed.

"Don't worry," John assured, massaging her shoulders. "We'll figure this out eventually."

But when? It seemed impossible.

"Courtney," John warned. "I need you to be more careful around town. Don't stay out too late, avoid suspiciousness, and don't talk to strangers."

Courtney nodded.

John sighed. What could he do? He was trying to hold the family together as much as he could. But every day, it started to get harder and harder. He couldn't keep Courtney in the house, away from the world. She had to live her life. They all did. If he didn't fight for freedom now, it may never happen. Leaders like Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Rosa parks were doing what they could. But John didn't think it was enough.

It was now or never.

Definitely now.

11:30 A.M.

Duncan woke up to the sounds of birds chirping loudly outside his window.

Stupid freaking birds, Duncan thought. I could've slept in. He soon smelled pancakes cooking on the stove. Duncan ran down the stairs, hungry as ever. Plan Watch Dad Like a Hawk is officially in motion.

Mr. Meyers was looking in the fridge.

He was probably looking for juice or something. Mr. Meyers found some orange juice and began to eat his pancakes.

Duncan casually walked into the dining room and sat at the breakfast table.

"Good morning Duncan," Mr. Meyers yawned and Duncan had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Good morning dad," Duncan greeted nonchalantly. "What are you doing today?"

Mr. Meyers gave Duncan a perplexed look. Normally Duncan didn't care much for what Mr. Meyers did.

"Actually," Mr. Meyers said slowly. "I'm patrolling the Downtown Jackson Area today."

Ugh, Duncan thought. That's where he usually hung out. He'd just stay in Belhaven today.

"Sounds neat," Duncan said, even though he couldn't care less.

"What are you doing today?"

"Just. Chillin." Duncan explained.

There was no way he was patrolling downtown Jackson with his dad. With that in mind, Duncan quickly left the room to go upstairs. He got into the shower and turned the hot water on.

I should attempt to hang out with Courtney today, Duncan thought. But would someone like her hang out with someone like him? He could try…

12:30 P.M.

"Hi Leshawna," Courtney talked to Leshawna on the phone. "What're you doing today?"

"Sorry Court, I have to go out of town with my dad today," Leshawna said. "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright," Courtney sighed and hung up the phone.

Katie would be out of town today as well. DJ was helping his mom do some errands, Sierra was busy trying to get that Cody kid to hang out with her, and Noah was reading books. What to do…? Her dad would be at work and her mom would be busy running errands. There was no way she could stay in this house.

Maybe she could just hang out around town today. Who knows? Maybe she'd run into Gwen and Bridgette from Belhaven. Despite their rough start, Courtney thought Gwen seemed pretty cool.

And she'd be back before dark.

Courtney ran upstairs to her room and decided to wear her black bell bottom jeans with a white button-down cropped blouse. She closed her window and locked it.

"Mom, dad, I'm going into town," She exclaimed.

"Be safe…" John warned. "Stay out of trouble, Court!"

Courtney made sure to take her keys.

Duncan dressed in his usual brown khakis with a dark blue short sleeved cotton bottom with blue and white saddle shoes. He was ready to leave the house. But wait… Courtney didn't know he was hanging out in Belhaven… so he'd have to go into town and bring her back here. Duncan knew his ad was going to ask him to patrol the area with him. So he left the house very quietly but quickly.

He walked to the bustop and the bus arrived within 10 minutes. Duncan walked unto the bus, spotted Courtney, and took a seat in front of her. Surprisingly, there weren't many people on the bus.

"Sir, there are seats in the front," The bus driver mentioned and Duncan rolled his eyes.

There was no law that he said he had to sit in the front. Whites could sit anywhere they wanted on the bus. It's just that the law only prohibited blacks from sitting in the front, even if the seats were empty.

"Why are you sitting here?" Courtney scoffed. "Why not sit in the front?"

"Because you're not there," Duncan whispered in her ear, making her blush.

She was so adorable when she blushed. Duncan should make her blush more often.

"But it's against the rules," Courtney said. "Do you want to get yourself in trouble?"

"There's no rule that says I can't," Duncan said. "And if there is, I don't really care."

"But rules keep our society in order!" Courtney defended.

"Wow, can that pole up your butt get any larger?" Duncan laughed. "Besides, do you really believe segregation keeps the city in order?"

Duncan was right. Just look at all the trouble it was causing.

"Well, um," Courtney stuttered.

"That's what I thought," Duncan sighed.

"Want to hang out with me in Belhaven?" Duncan asked, afraid of the answer.

Duncan really hadn't thought about what they would do. Or what they could do. International day wasn't today and most of the fun places were segregated. Maybe they could go back to his house and…

Okay, he was twisted.

"Like I'd ever hang out with you," Courtney laughed. "But what could we do anyway?"

"I don't know," Duncan said. "We could just… hang out? Got anything else to do?"

"Well, um, I have to-, no…" Courtney lowered her voice.

"We could get something to eat in town first…" Duncan suggested. The bus made its stop. Duncan took hold of Courtney's arm and led her out of the bus. They received stares from the few people on the bus.

"Duncan…. People were staring," Courtney said.

"Pfft," Duncan laughed. "As if I cared!"

But Courtney still felt uneasy about the whole staring thing.

"Joes?" Courtney asked and Duncan nodded.

"So how's your um, summer?" Duncan asked.

"Aside from the trespassing, notes, and supposed arson, it's been okay."

Duncan frowned. Arson?

"Arson?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah, my friend told me someone tried to burn down her father's office," Courtney sighed.

Arson… dad coming in at late hours of the night…. Connection maybe? Hmm…

"I'm, uh, sorry..." Duncan said.

"Thanks…" Courtney said slowly. That had been the second time he apologized to her.

"Hey, is that Heather over there?" Duncan pointed to a girl on the other side of the sidewalk wearing pink hip huggers.

"It's not polite to point," Courtney suggested. "And unfortunately that's her."

Heather noticed them and crossed the street to greet them.

"Hello Duncan," Heather greeted. "And Courtney is your name right?"

Courtney nodded slowly.

"You know, I actually respect you," Heather said. "No one has ever stood up to me like that.

"Well, someone needed to put you in your place," Courtney smirked.

"It was surprising… I thought everyone was scared of me."

"Well it looks like I made history," Courtney said.

"Yeah," Heather scoffed. "I'll see you guys around." Heather walked away.

Courtney gave Duncan a perplexed look and he simply shrugged.

"What was that about?" Courtney asked.

"She probably won't be bothering you all that much," Duncan said. "I mean, Heather doesn't respect a lot of girls."

"Wow," Courtney said. "I must've really taken her aback."

"Well," Duncan started. "You were strong, brave, outspoken, hot, no-nonsense…" Duncan sighed dreamily.

Did he just call me hot? And sigh dreamily?

Duncan snapped out of it and quickly realized what he had sad.

"Um, you were brave..." He laughed nervously.

"Thanks," Courtney laughed awkwardly.

Duncan looked around the area for his dad's police car. He didn't find it so maybe Mr. Meyers hadn't left the house yet…?

They were soon at Joe's. The place was so lively, with people dancing to the radio playing and gambling.

"Courtney!" Joe exclaimed. "I see you've come with your boyfriend!"

"For the last time," Courtney explained. "He's not my boyfriend!"

Duncan put his arms around Courtney's shoulders. "She digs me," Duncan said.

"You crazy kids," Joe laughed. "So what do you guys want to eat? You can have anything you want, it's on the house!"

"I'll take a southern style chicken with fries and a sprite," Courtney said.

"I think I'll take the same thing milady is having," Duncan said and Courtney rolled her eyes.

Courtney walked over to the colored section and Duncan sat with her. He received stares from nearby customers. Who cared about rules?

"You know, people are staring," Courtney said, looking around.

"Yeah, I don't really care," Duncan scoffed. "They can stare all they want but I'm not moving."

"Whatever," Courtney yawned, looking out the window. How did she get stuck with him today?

Duncan couldn't help but stare. She was so pretty.

"You know, you're really pretty," Duncan thought aloud and realized it was too late to take his words back.

Courtney stared at him, eyebrows raised.

"I mean, for a girl," Duncan scoffed and Courtney narrowed her eyes at him.

Idiot, Duncan thought.

"What a lame comeback," Courtney laughed. "Of course I'm pretty for a girl, I am one!"

"Uhuh…." Duncan said and looked out the window. Was that his dad? Once they got their food they should eat quickly because Duncan didn't feel like dealing with his dad right about now.

"So are you still up for hanging out with me in Belhaven?" Duncan asked.

Courtney didn't know if she should… her dad told her to stay with her friends. And she wasn't sure if her parents would like that…

"I don't know if my parents would like that," Courtney said. "I mean my dad wants me to be careful. With all these things happening and all"

"Aww come on babe chillax," Duncan said. "You got to live on the wild side sometimes."

It could be fun…

A/N: I don't like my chapters to be too long so a part two of this chapter will be coming soon. Anywho, I'm almost to 100 reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviews! And 100th reviewer gets a oneshot lol.

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R.I.P. to Medgar Evers... he was gunned down and shot in Jackson, Mississippi on this day in 1963.