Austin, Texas

26 April 1967

"Please come, it'll be fun."

"Fun like it was last time?"

"Fun like it was previously."

"I'll go, but if anyone says anything, I'm leaving."

"I'll be right beside you."

"Thank you."

Susan had made a promise, one she'd probably intended to keep, but she was nowhere to be seen so it was difficult to collect.

Parties were parties and as enjoyable as they'd been in the past, now the experience held little appeal. Nobody had been awful to her so it wasn't that she wished to leave because she felt ostracised, it was simply that drinking, dancing, and flirting weren't fun anymore.

The loss of complete control of her thoughts and movement was terrifying so a drink was out of the question, and she couldn't stand to have people touch her platonically in the daylight, so dancing or even simply talking in the dimness of a party was difficult too.

There was nothing for her at the party and she wanted to leave, so she did.

Wandering through the front door of the fraternity house outside for some fresh air, continuing past the front gate, her mind was on nothing but getting back to the sorority house, until she heard her name being called, then her mind was everywhere, her body freezing as someone touched her.

"Sue Ellen?"

A hand on her shoulder, she turned around, startled.

"Walt, you scared me."

"Are you leaving?"

"I'm not feeling well."

It was the truth, she didn't feel up to staying, so she was going.

The sorority house not far, she didn't think she needed an escort, but she had one, one she found herself wishing she didn't have.

Dodging Walt's attempt to kiss her, the same sickly feeling she'd had so many times over the past month returned.

Stopped within yards of the neoclassical style brick house, underneath a large oak tree, it didn't matter that she could see the lights on through the window, nobody but Mrs Clark, the housemother, was home, and it was unlikely she was listening out for the sound of returning girls, not when curfew wasn't for several hours yet. She was on her own, trapped again with a man she had no interest in and no easy way to escape from.

"You're a tease, you know that?"

"I am not."

"You are too. You let everyone think they have a chance and then rip that chance out from under them."

Doing nothing of the sort, especially not with him, she took offence at his statement.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"But I do. You teased Alex and you're teasing me now."

Gripping her arm, he spoke with surety despite the fact that she'd barely been more than polite to him and he hadn't been at the cabin so he had no way of knowing what had happened there and even less of what had gone on directly between her and Alex.

"If you feel anything remotely positive coming your way it's not because I'm sending those signals. I don't want you, so leave me alone."

Attempting to wriggle away from him, she failed miserably, his grip on her too strong to have much impact.

"You're trying to make it sound like it's my fault now."

"Isn't it? I'm telling you I'm not interested and you're continuing to pursue me."

"Sure, you might say that, but it's not how you really feel. You did the same to Alex, and still gave it to him in the end."

She hadn't known earlier if Bobby had said something or if everyone had forgotten what they'd assumed to be her fault, but she knew now. Best intentions or not, he'd done more harm than good, because it seemed that instead of reconsidering what was polite or acceptable, all it had made Walt do was feel entitled, entitled to take what he wanted from her, whether she wanted to give it or not.

"You're wrong."

"Am I?"

Leaning in, he pushed her up against the oak tree, leaning in and attempting to kiss her again.

"Yes. Now, let go of me!"

Turning her head to avoid his advances, her heart was pounding and she felt as if she were about to be sick. It was happening again, just a month after the first time, and she felt powerless to stop it because a raised voice was no match to physical will.

"Not until I get a thank you."

"A thank you? For what?"

Still now, she met his eye, curious to hear his explanation for what he'd done for her because in her eyes he'd done nothing but harass her.

"Escorting you across campus."

"I didn't ask for that."

"People don't ask for a lot of things, those providing the service still expect a tip."

Leaning in again, this time she wasn't quite quick enough to dodge his advances. Squirming as his lips met hers, she attempted to get away from him again, succeeding only in moving her head to break the kiss.

"In that case I'll give you a dollar for your time."

Catching him off-guard it seemed, she took advantage of his surprise and moment of breathlessness to reassess her position. If he was going to get his way, it would be in the same manner Alex had but she wasn't prepared for that to happen without first putting up a fight.

Unfortunately, it seemed that a fight was something that wasn't too far off what he was willing to participate in, lunging at her again.

"You little!"

Raising her knee and as he came at her, she took advantage of his surprise and pain, pushing him off her, swiping him with her nails, then turning and running, running as fast as she could the few remaining yards back to the sorority house.

Pounding on the door, her key too difficult to get into the keyhole in her state of panic, she pushed her way inside the moment Mrs Clark answered, bursting into frightened tears the second the door closed behind her.