Trudy's office was a doorway down from her class. After Anita's footfalls had faded, she called Nathan into her office. "Nathan Fulton, would you step in here for a moment? -And close the door, behind you."
She planted her elbows on her desk, an arched hand supporting her chin. Her other hand rapidly tapped the desk with her ever-present pencil. "Hmm," she smiled.
"She's an attractive girl and very smart, even for here. ...Well-mannered. She'd be on the highest tier of eligible girls at this school." She stood up and walked around her desk, sitting down on the front edge, about four feet away from where Nathan was seated. "...If she were white," she finished significantly, her expression neutral.
"So, young. '...sincere but deluded idealists.'." She held up a hand, hoping he'd the supply the author of the quote, but she continued. "-Ayn Rand. Not a favorite, but that quote applies."
He kept still and listened.
"I'd like to see where your mind is a month from now, or two, or six. You seem hard-headed enough."
"We shall see, Mr. Fulton. I think life will teach you a hard lesson, before the school-year ends. But I do hope," she continued, as she stood up, the corners of her mouth ticking up a bit into the barest hint of a smile. "...I'll see you in class on Thursday. Don't forget your reading."
He stood up and just as he was about to leave the professor's office, she said "-Oh, and uh, I know mathematics is your subject, Mr. Fulton. Literature, however, obviously is not. You might want to look to Anita for that."
She absently leafed through her class roster, as she spoke. "She has already read and has a full understanding of all of the required reading for my course."
"Goodbye, Mr. Fulton." she said, not looking up.
He left her office and shook his head. My favorite professor, he thought.
Anita waited at the bottom of the stairs. She, along with Jasmine and Janine had made a pact to stay together as much as possible. It was safer. They didn't even trust the campus police.
One of them had been eyeballing Janine. He always talked about indecent subjects around her. -Vulgar come-ons implying that she was a whore.
They were supposed to meet here. All of the girls' courses ended at the same time.
What could be keeping them? she thought. Rebecca came around the corner, happily chattering with two other girls. When she spotted Anita, she broke from the pack, heading towards her.
Anita turned and walked in the other direction.
"Hey, colored girl!" she called out.
But Anita kept walking, as she thought inwardly I have a name, evil-cracker.
"Hey!"
She felt a hand grip her shoulder, hard.
"You heard me calling you. Why didn't you stop?"
She shrugged it off.
"There are three other colored ladies here. I had no idea you meant me. " she said, trying her best to prevent her sarcasm from being obvious.
Rebecca chuffed. "You're the most colored of your lot, of course I meant you."
"I supposed one such as yourself, would call for a tree in the forest, instead of a pine, oak, or ash."
"There are no trees here, just five little nigg-"
"-Rebecca, don't you have somewhere else to to be?" Kensington said, from behind her.
YOU ARE READING
ASHWOOD ACADEMY
Historical Fiction[EDITORS' CHOICE, June 2020][#1 History June 2020] -- Five black students make history as the first to integrate a prestigious school for gifted students in 1950's Vermont. One student, Anita Prescott, is a young girl whose strength and leadership...
