⚠Chapter includes rape attempt⚠
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Date: September 2nd, 1949
Name: Eleanor Hazel Bush
Age: twenty-three
Two weeks had passed and Eleanor stayed on top of her work, but Professor Curtis continued low-balling her grades. She didn't want to hate him, but she now did.
"Thank you," She muttered as she walked out of the bus. English Literature had ended and now all Eleanor wanted to do was go to the library. Everything about the library gave her joy, each book had the power to take her to a different place in time. It was peaceful.
The bus stopped a block away from the library, but walking always gave her time to think and clear her mind. She enjoyed it.
"My luck has changed!" A scratchy voice called out as she neared the library.
Eleanor's heart dropped. She had the worst luck in the world.
"Well, I'll be! For a negra this pretty I'd be willing to show you off!" The man declared and licked his lips as he eyed her body.
Eleanor took a deep breath and sprinted away from the man. "God, please don't let him hurt me. Please," She whispered as tears built up in her eyes. She was horrified.
"Don't you run from me, girl!" The man demanded with a short tone. When Eleanor didn't slow down, the man let out a strange noise. "You negras got big ears, I know you heard me girl!"
Eleanor gasped at the vile words and continued running away from the man.
"I had enough of this!" The man yelled and grabbed something from his bag and threw it towards Eleanor, making her stumble.
The man laughed as she cried out in pain and fear. Once he caught up with her, the man bent down to her level and grazed her face with his hand. "Now you wouldn't be hurt if you would've just listened to me," He cooed with a patronizing tone.
Eleanor turned her face away from the man and tried to get up. "I-i promise that I won't say anything if you just let me go!" Eleanor cried as the man kissed her neck, making her skin crawl.
"No!" She yelled hysterically as the man tried to remove her shirt.
"Shut up, negra." The man hissed and slapped her making her cry out again.
-
"What will come out of it? We aren't sure but we'll keep everyone posted," The radio host explained as Dale drove down the road.
He was going home to grade the homework of his students, and he hated to admit it, but Eleanor was his most impressive student. She was his only impressive student.
"That radio ain't saying anything important," He muttered and turned it off. He wanted to have some peace and quiet, but the radio host had a lot of shit to say.
With the windows down, Dale continued his ride home.
"No!" A woman's voice rang throughout the street. She sounded hysterical.
Dale sighed and pulled over to the side of the road. He was never a man to ignore the sounds of a helpless person. It went against his moral code.
"Which one?" He asked, trying to decide between his pistol and his baseball bat.
Grabbing the pistol, Dale hurried to the direction where the scream came from.
When he made it, he found a man straddling a now unconscious woman.
"You piece of junk," Dale muttered before kicking the man in the side.
The man groaned in pain. "G-get your own negra," He coughed out and tried to swing at Dale.
Dale dodged the man's punch and uppercut him in the stomach. "Colored or not, you don't hurt women." He hissed at the man and knocked him in the head with the back of the gun. "Stay down, punk." Dale spat on the man and kneeled beside the woman.
"Good Lord," He whispered shocked at the woman's identity.
It was Eleanor, the sass mouth from his class.
Though she annoyed the sense out of him, he couldn't deny that seeing her in such a position made his heart clench.
Taking off his coat, Dale wrapped it around Eleanor's unconscious body and carried her bridal style to his car.
After lying her down on the back seat, Dale made sure to drive carefully so she wouldn't roll off the seat.
"Crap," He sighed sharply while running his hand through his hair. He realized that he had no clue where she lived, so he had to take her to his house.
The ride to his house was much longer than normal, seeing as he had to drive with caution. Once he arrived and unlocked the front door, he returned to the car and carried Eleanor to his guest bedroom.
"I should make her some tea, she's probably cold." He murmured after tucking her in the bed. He felt awkward taking care of a person other than himself, but he didn't hate it.
Walking into the kitchen, Dale turned on the teapot and went to the cupboard to find something for Eleanor to snack on.
The teapot began to whistle and Dale poured the hot water into a mug and placed a teabag in the cup.
Once he gathered sugar and crackers, Dale walked back into the guest room, only to find Eleanor sitting up with a look of horror in her eyes.
"Ahh!" She screamed and covered her mouth shortly after.
Dale walked into the room and placed the tray next to the bed. "Made you some tea." He grunted out.
Eleanor tilted her head at Dale and squinted her eyes. She had no clue why she was at his house.
"What am I doing here?" She finally asked after moments of silence.
Dale sat back on the loveseat and began telling her everything he knew.
"And now you're here," He finished.
Eleanor shook her head and swallowed her pride. "T-thank you for saving me, Professor Curtis." She said kindly and took a sip of the tea that had cooled down considerably.
Dale's eyes widened at her sweet tone, he had no idea that she could sound so pleasant. She was normally brash, but he would admit to provoking her.
He cleared his throat and waved his hand. "You don't have to thank me, Eleanor. I was just doing what was right," He said trying to end her gratuitous minute.
But she didn't let him. "No. A lot of white men would have let those men hurt me, or even worse joined them. You didn't," She explained honestly and turned her attention back to her tea and crackers.
Dale couldn't help but laugh, which earned a look of confusion from Eleanor. "You infuriate me, I don't hate you." He answered plainly and gruffly. "I'm bringing you home," He demanded and Eleanor removed the covers and followed him out of the door.
The car ride to Eleanor's house was quiet, apart from her telling him the address.
Neither of them had anything to say, but their minds were running rapidly.
Breaking the silence, Eleanor spoke. "This is it,"
Dale pulled into the driveway of the medium-sized white house and stared at it in shock, though he wouldn't let Eleanor know.
After unlocking her seatbelt, she spoke again. "You saved me, but it doesn't change how I feel about you. You still cheat me out of good grades and you assign me extra work."
Dale couldn't believe his ears. He expected her to say something kind and gratuitous, as she did earlier, but he should've known better. That woman couldn't be docile for a whole night.
Instead of voicing his aggravation, he just laughed and rolled his eyes. "Well, then you better have that five-page analysis on my desk by Monday, or you'll really hate me." He said and flashed her a bright smile once her facial expression changed to one of anger.
"You are the most infuriating man I've ever met!" Eleanor huffed and stormed out of his car and into her house.
That man made her blood boil. Though she didn't hate him anymore, his arrogance and uncaring demeanor made her dislike him.
-
Authors Note
So, how did we feel about this chapter?
It's 1949 and it's tough to be black. You go on a walk and risk a lot. Whew, thank God for brave men and women who fought for our rights that we have today. Bless their souls!
Anywho, Dale saved Eleanor, but they still don't like each other. We'll see that-wait, I'm not about to spoil anything! Ya thought! hehehe
Moving on, how do we think things will go from now on? Will Dale continue being evil and messing over Eleanor? Will Eleanor drop his class?
Remember, 'M' is bad....😌
You can take my advice now, or be shook later.
That's it for now! I kinda think that because these chapters are short, maybe I should do four updates a week instead of three. I'll think about it and ask God.
Let me know how you feel about the chapter and anything else!
Bye!