Austin, Texas

10 March 1967

"…and the lucky girl who'll get to spend some time with me tonight is… Susan."

Watching her friends get paired off one by one, the group getting smaller as some chose to leave, others staying behind to get to know each other semi publically before they headed off on their own, Sue Ellen's stomach lurched not from the drinks she'd consumed but from the realisation that she was about to meet the same fate.

A door tax was one thing but this was quite another. It wasn't just the fact that the process was impersonal, she'd long ago set aside her unease regarding people judging her based on superficial and often unexplainable preferences, what bothered her most was that she had not a single say in whether she participated at all.

She hadn't put her bracelet in the hat with any knowledge of why she was doing so and when her bracelet was pulled out of the hat at random it was looking more and more likely that she'd have no knowledge of what she was getting herself into, the guys she knew best all paired off already.

"That's me."

Having initially sounded uneasy about the idea of cohabitation, Christine's attitude now couldn't have been more different, her interest clear as James took her hand and led her away from the campfire.

More and more, her own discomfort began to feel foreign which made her wonder if it was entirely rational. She'd never had a problem with using what she had to her own advantage but this was different, this was someone else making the choice for her.

"Yellow bracelet. Who put the yellow bracelet in here?"

"Sue Ellen, that's you."

Completely missing her own selection she almost wished she'd actually be sick instead of just feeling that way, illness enough to kill any mood that might have existed. Unfortunately, the contents of her stomach stayed exactly where they were supposed to be.

Seeing her bracelet held up just as Nancy had indicated was happening she truly thought her luck had run out. She knew of Alex, she knew of everyone present, but she'd never had a full conversation with him, yet she was now expected to do as he wished. The expectation wasn't explicit but making a fuss would be controversial and she wasn't at all the type who willingly entered a controversy.

Approaching her, Alex didn't hesitate to lean down and break the barrier between them, his lips on hers not immediately sending chills through her like the touch of a man she completely despised but also not doing a whole lot to inspire affection. She felt nothing for him, likely because she barely knew him and didn't much want to get to know him.

"Sue Ellen."

"Alex."

Saying very little she thought her demeanour would convey the message that she wasn't overly keen on whatever it was he had planned but she wasn't sure it did.

"Drink?"

Nodding, she was grateful that he didn't immediately try to walk her back towards the cabin as Tom had Martha, her sorority sister only too willing to follow him, but still, she was apprehensive about what the rest of the night held.

Watching Alex pull Sue Ellen's bracelet out of the hat and the subsequent encounter that followed, Bobby knew immediately that he hadn't lost anything but a single chance at making a move.

Sue Ellen was polite but that was all. The flirty smiles and giggles she'd had an apparent abundance of for several of his fraternity brothers was nowhere to be seen now, indicating to him, an outsider, that she wasn't at all interested in Alex.

In a different circumstance, he might feel bad for the guy but in this case he was pleased, although he'd never say it aloud.

"Alex…"

Feeling his hand on her thigh, only her pantyhose separating his skin from hers, Sue Ellen reacted immediately by putting her hand out to push him away.

"Mm?"

Rolling onto his back, he took the hint she gave albeit reluctantly it seemed, his sigh and mumbled protest telling her a lot.

"It's not that you're not attractive, you are, it's just…"

Lying beside him, the small bed barely big enough for the two of them together, the atmosphere between them became icy the instant she hinted at her hesitation to continue with what they'd started.

"What?"

"Do you mind if we… don't?"

Raising the subject as best she could she hadn't wanted to have to have the discussion at all but it had come to that.

"If you're worried about staying safe, I have that covered."

Leaning over the side of the bed to grab his jacket off the floor, he pulled a couple of small square packets out of his pocket and handed them to her to inspect.

Satisfied he'd come prepared, she worried he still believed he had a chance with her because of that preparedness in spite of a clear lack of enthusiasm on her part.

"Actually, I'm worried about my wedding night."

"I'm not asking you to marry me."

Cracking a joke, his comment indicated he knew very little about her. Clint and every man she'd ever let get as far as she'd been pushed to letting Alex get had been rejected in much the same manner. She wasn't overly traditional, she liked to have fun, but there were some things she simply wouldn't do, not until she was somebody's wife.

"Exactly."

"I don't understand you at all."

Dropping the contents of her hand on the bed, she stood and walked across the room, sitting on the edge of the other bed.

"No one told me this is what we'd be doing…"

"Did they need to?"

"It might have been nice."

"You're a junior, I'm a junior, that's three years in college. I've certainly been to several parties just like this, haven't you?"

Making it sound like being raffled off was a common occurrence his experience differed greatly from her own.

"Parties? Yes. Parties just like this? No."

"You really don't want to?"

Sounding genuinely surprised, his attitude confused her already somewhat foggy thoughts. Was it truly surprising that she didn't wish to let someone she barely knew into her life the way he was suggesting or was he pretending in order to guilt her into going along with his wishes?

"I can't."

Shaking her head, she reiterated her answer. If he wanted to go to bed with someone tonight then he could but she wouldn't be volunteering herself for the task.

"No one will know."

"I will."

"Well, we're here now. Why don't we just have fun anyway? You don't have a problem with that, do you? I saw you down at the lake with Peter."

Standing and walking towards her, he didn't wait for her answer before he sat beside her, leaned in and attempted to resume the embrace they'd been locked in before she'd pushed him away.

Surprised and distracted by his comment, then his lips on hers again, it wasn't until she found herself on her back with him for a second time that she realised she was trapped.

She'd probably shared a kiss with eighty percent of the men present at some point or another however the passion involved in those encounters widely varied. She had never attended a party with the purpose of finding someone to sneak off to a quiet place with but she was a flirt and when she saw reason to she didn't have a problem with using what she had. Unfortunately, he'd seen her behaviour and taken it as an invitation to take what he wanted from her, whether or not she wished to give it to him.

Participating in the duel he seemed determined to fight with his tongue, allowing him more than she wanted to while she attempted to figure out what to do, she froze when he moved, his change in position making it clear there wasn't much time left before she was truly in a situation she couldn't escape from.

"I feel like I'm teasing you."

Speaking again, scared, she broached the subject with care, attempting to be as kind as possible, acutely aware of the potential consequences of a complete breakdown in communication.

"Don't you worry about that…"

Not comforted at all by his tone, the way he spoke making it sound as if there was an unspoken ending to his sentence, she noted that in talking, he'd loosened the hold he had on her.

"But I am."

Sitting up, she again made it sound as if living up to his expectations was what was her mind rather than stating her actual feelings, feelings that mostly consisted of fear.

Sighing, he seemed to take her hint, sitting up himself and walking across the room to get something from his jacket.

"You always worry this much?"

Shrugging, she didn't really have an answer. Her thoughts were a bit muddled and the alcohol and stress didn't help her memory of the past.

"Take one of these, they'll help you relax."

Pulling a container from his jacket pocket, he unscrewed the lid and removed a pill, walking over to her and laying it in her hand.

"I don't know, I don't…"

Unidentifiable mixed drinks were one thing, everyone participated in that, but this was too much.

"They're not dangerous, see."

Taking the pill from her hand, he swallowed it dry, something she'd never been able to do and had little desire to try after watching him do it first.

"How do you feel?"

"The same, but soon I'll be real relaxed. Care to join me?"

"Why don't we have another drink?"

Obviously hoping his attempt to lead by example had been enough, he sighed when her answer wasn't what he'd hoped for but instead of arguing he put his jacket back on, seemingly in preparation for doing exactly what she'd suggested.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

Kissing her goodbye, he left the room.

Watching him walk out the door, she waited until she heard his footsteps disappear down the hall and then did the exact opposite of what he'd told her to do.

They were playing a game, a stupid one, and she didn't have to participate if she didn't want to.

Spin the bottle could be fun but this was too much. Alex was fine looking and someone else might be happy to have him but she didn't want him. If she'd felt like spending the night defending her choice not to do everything now open to her thanks to the marches and protests of so many women who had come before her, she would have simply stayed behind with Clint. She wasn't entirely sober, she hadn't been for hours, but unlike the usual feeling she had after a few drinks, she didn't feel good and carefree which told her something about her desire to be anything more than friends with Alex, she had none.

Slipping her shoes on again she opened the door and walked quickly on tiptoes down the hall, finding herself in the living room. Passing Harry and Eve in the midst of an embrace on the couch she didn't doubt they hadn't noticed her presence, nor would they welcome her if they did know she was there, so just as quietly as she'd entered, she left, ducking out the side door into the cool night air again.