I watch the color drain from Emily's and Julie's faces. I remain calm, regarding Stacey impassively, giving nothing away. I nod to her. "Hello, Stacey," I say, slow and cool.

"Hello," she replies, taking her eyes off Dawn, moving them to me. "What's going on here?" she asks again and we all know what she really means. What are you all doing with Dawn?

"We're having dinner," I answer. "What are you doing here?"

"The same. I'm with Mom," Stacey says and turns, pointing behind her. Mrs. McGill's seated at a table tucked away behind the counter, almost completely obscured from our view. She smiles and waves.

"Where's Mary Anne?" Dawn asks, staring in Mrs. McGill's direction, hand lifted but unmoving.

"She's staying with her grandma for a couple days."

Emily wrinkles her nose. "What's all this staying with grandparents business?"

"What were you saying about my dad?" Stacey asks, ignoring Emily's comment.

"I wasn't saying anything."

"You said something, Emily."

"We were just talking about New York," Dawn cuts in, her voice casual, all the awkwardness and embarrassment evaporated. "Emily said you guys stayed with your dad over Spring Break. I said he hadn't changed then. Remember how he always let you drag the BSC along on your visits? That's all I meant."

"Oh," Stacey says, frowning. She may believe Dawn. She may not.

"Do you want to join us, Stace?" I ask her.

Stacey hesitates and glances back at her Mom. "Mom and I are about to leave," she says and behind her, Mrs. McGill's counting out money, which she slides beneath a half-empty water glass. She slips out of the booth and heads toward us, carrying her purse over her shoulder and Stacey's in her hand.

"Hello, girls," she greets us, stopping beside Stacey. She smiles and pushes her long blonde hair back over her shoulder. "Everyone's here, I see."

"Except Mary Anne," Stacey points out.

"Except Mary Anne," Mrs. McGill repeats and looks over at Dawn. "Too bad."

"Can Stacey stay with us, Mrs. McGill?" Emily asks.

"Of course," Mrs. McGill replies and smiles again. "As long as you promise to keep all your food on your plates."

Mortification washes over me and I hope it doesn't show on my face.

"I thought we were going to the supermarket?" Stacey asks her mom.

Mrs. McGill chuckles. "I think I can manage on my own, Stace. Besides, don't you dread the A&P? I can go by myself. Stay with your friends and have a good time. Besides, if you're not going to be home, I won't feel guilty about stopping off at work afterward. I'll see you at home later." Mrs. McGill pats Stacey's back and smiles at us once more. "Goodbye, girls. Behave yourselves," she says and chuckles again. "And Stacey? Don't be snacking. You've already had a big meal. Remember what Dr. Werner said during your last appointment." And then Mrs. McGill leaves us with a final smile and wave.

Stacey rolls her eyes and sighs. "She's become such a nag lately," Stacey complains.

I can't see what Stacey has to complain about.

"Scoot over, Julie," Emily commands. "Sit down, Stacey."

Stacey remains hesitant. She stares down at the space Julie has cleared for her. For several passing moments, she makes no move at all, remaining tall and still, towering above us, looking down. Finally, she slides in beside Julie, completely our fivesome in our usual booth. Except we are without Mary Anne and instead in her place sits Dawn, Our replacement fifth, our imitation Mary Anne. Stacey watches her a moment and then looks away.

"Why were you talking about New York?" Stacey asks me.

"Because I'm going there on Friday. I'm taking the train in to go shopping with my mother."

Stacey's eyes widen. "Really? I thought you weren't allowed to take the train."

I fight back a fierce flush. "Of course I'm allowed to take the train!" I say, snappishly.

"You weren't allowed to over Spring Break."

Dawn glances over at me and cocks her eyebrow.

I continue fighting back the flush of humiliation. "That had nothing to do with the train," I reply, edgily, voice rising slightly. "My parents don't want me traipsing around the city without adult supervision. The city is a dangerous place and my parents think your parents are nuts for allowing you to run around the city alone." I give Stacey a meaningful look and then turn it on Emily.

"Your parents are paranoid," Stacey says, dismissively.

"Better safe than sorry," says Julie, who has never admitted it, but is terrified of the city.

Our waitress finally appears with our food and Stacey orders a diet soda. She watches as we begin eating, squeezing a lemon wedge into her soda and then stirring it in. She doesn't have much to say and she isn't acting like Stacey and we all know it's because of Dawn.

"I'm going to New York this weekend, too," Stacey says, out of nowhere. "I'm visiting my dad and Samantha. They called last night to invite me. Samantha had a photo shoot in Vancouver canceled and now she and Dad are free to see me. I'm going on the one o' clock train. When are you going?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

"Come on the one o' clock train," Stacey suggests. "I'm sure it'll make your parents feel a lot better knowing you're with a seasoned New Yorker."

"New York's overrated," Dawn pipes up, stabbing her fork into her salad. She lifts the bite to her mouth. "You and Mary Anne romanticize it too much."

Stacey flips her thick blonde hair back and fixes Dawn with a steely stare. "I don't romanticize anything anymore," she replies.

"Well, you don't talk to me anymore, so I wouldn't know that, I guess," Dawn says, lightly, and takes a huge bite of salad.

I raise an eyebrow at her. Is Dawn attempting to pick a fight? I glance across the table at Emily and Julie, who shift in their seats, appearing almost unsure and uncomfortable. Emily pops one of Julie's french fries in her mouth and chews it a long time before swallowing.

Stacey doesn't say anything. She sips her soda.

"I'm not an ogre," Dawn points out.

"If you are, you're the prettiest ogre I've ever seen," a male voice drawls.

I groan, looking up to see Logan Bruno approaching our table with Cary Retlin trailing behind him. Wonderful. Two of my least favorite boys at Stoneybrook High.

"Evening, lovely ladies," Logan says, stopping at our table. He tips his baseball cap at us.

"Go away, Logan," I snap.

Dawn kicks me under the table. "Hi, Logan," she greets him and then eyes Cary. "Cary?" she asks.

Cary has the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up over his head, partially hiding his face and his shaggy blonde hair. He scowls at our table and nudges Logan. "Who the hell is that?" he asks.

Logan chuckles. "Dawn Schafer, of course, the lovely lady I've been telling you about." He winks at Dawn. "You remember her. She's Mary Anne's stepsister,"

"Oh, yeah..." Cary says, but doesn't sound convincing.

Logan leans against our table, staring down at Dawn, grinning. "So, what are you lovelies up to on this warm summer night? Are you in need of some male companionship?"

Julie chokes on her cheeseburger.

Emily scowls at him. "Logan Bruno, you are such a caricature of the South!" she cries, testily. "My mother's from Georgia and I am appalled on her behalf. You sound like a moron!"

I can't help myself. I laugh and Julie joins in, coming in behind me, deep and full-throated.

"You're a feisty one, Bernstein," Cary tells her.

"Don't talk to me," Emily snaps at him. "And don't stand at my table either. I don't want people thinking I'm buying your drugs!"

Cary laughs. "Ow. That stung, Em," he says and slaps Logan on the back. "We're not wanted by these lovelies. Shove on, pal." Cary turns and struts away to a corner booth, where his and Logan's friends wait.

Logan grins and tips his hat again. Thankfully, he follows Cary.

"What was that about?" Stacey demands.

I wave my hand. "Logan's hot for Dawn," I explain.

"And making an ass of himself in the process," Julie adds, dunking a fry in her ketchup.

"That was disturbing," Stacey says and finally looks at Dawn. "If you ever want to make up with Mary Anne, stay away from Logan. She'd freak out if you went out with him."

Dawn's eyebrow cocks. "Why?" she asks, flatly. "Mary Anne dumped Logan in the eighth grade."

Stacey shrugs. "You just wouldn't be doing yourself any favors," she says, coolly and looks away again.

"What a loss," Emily comments, dryly.

"Oh, no, he's coming back," I moan and press a hand to my forehead.

"Sorry to bother you ladies again," Logan apologizes, "but I wanted to invite you to a party a friend of ours is having tonight. It's her birthday and her parents are out of town, so we're throwing her a little soiree ."

"Oh, that sounds like a fabulous idea," I say, sarcastically.

"Whose birthday is it?" Stacey asks.

"You wouldn't know her. She lives near Howard Township."

"Oh? Is this someone Cary sells drugs to then?" I inquire, innocently.

"No. She's Austin Bentley's fourth cousin."

I roll my eyes. If Logan, Cary, and Austin are all somehow involved, I know I don't want any part of this. Austin's a drunk and a cad. Plus, he once dated Lauren Hoffman and there's absolutely no excuse for that.

"I am uninterested like you wouldn't believe," Emily says, speaking my thoughts.

"What kind of party is it?" Dawn asks.

Logan punches her in the shoulder. "There's my kind of gal!" he exclaims. "It's nothing fancy. A few close friends, a few kegs, some food, some music. You want to go, don't you? And I know I can count on this wild lady to come along, too," Logan says and rests a hand on Stacey's shoulder.

Stacey shoves it off. "There's nothing wild about me anymore," she remarks, coldly.

"I might be interested," Dawn tells Logan. "Can we have time to discuss it?"

Logan holds up his hands. "But of course. Here's the address." He slaps a napkin down on the table. He winks and leaves us once again.

I stare at Dawn, open mouthed. "You must be joking!" I cry.

Dawn picks up the napkin and shrugs. "It could be fun. There's not much else to do around here. My friends and I go to parties all the time back home. I'm not really interested in drinking. I'm usually the designated driver anyway."

"Where is this party anyway?" Emily demands, snatching the napkin out of Dawn's hand. "This isn't in Howard Township! I know exactly where this street is! It's nowhere. My great aunt and uncle live out by there and the streets aren't even paved!"

"You have way too much family," I inform her.

"I know," Emily agrees and throws the napkin back to Dawn. "My cousin Michael's housesitting for them. We could visit him instead."

"I don't want to visit Cousin Michael," I reply and then turn to Dawn. "Nor do I want to drive out to the middle of nowhere to a party with a bunch of drunk and stoned imbeciles. You don't live here. You don't know these guys. Any party that Cary and Austin are anxious to get to, you don't want to be there. Cary's a drug dealer. Everyone knows it. He sells drugs at the Stoneybrook Elementary playground."

"And he got Dorianne Wallingford knocked up last spring," Julie adds. "She had an abortion and he told the entire school. Not even her parents knew about it. They found out from the football coach."

"Cary's a sleaze," Stacey says with a nod.

"Sounds like it," Dawn says, still studying the address and the crudely drawn map beneath it. "But still...it's a party. Besides, it's only - " Dawn grabs my wrist and checks my watch, "not even nine o' clock!"

"It'll take half an hour to get there," I point out. "At least."

Dawn shrugs. "So? We'll hang out, eat some food and listen to music for an hour and then come back. I don't have to be home until midnight. When's your curfew?"

"I don't have one," I answer.

"Neither do I," Julie echoes.

"Midnight," Stacey says, "but even so, I'm absolutely not going."

Dawn looks across the table at Emily. "My parents like me home by ten," Emily tells her, "but that's usually negotiable."

Dawn wrinkles her face. "Ten?" she squeals. "That's wretched! Call them and ask if you can stay out later. Tell them things are really exciting at Argo's tonight."

Emily frowns at Dawn. She isn't used to being given orders. But something flickers behind her frown. Emily...is giving in.

"All right," Emily agrees.

I groan. "Emily!"

"I'll come, too, then," Julie says, which isn't a shock at all.

Stacey and Julie slide out of the booth to let Emily out. She crosses Argo's and vanishes through the door to the restrooms where the pay phone is kept. I am aghast. I can barely wrap my mind around the fact that Emily Bernstein of all people wishes to wander off to Howard Township for a party that will, no doubt, turn out to be a complete disaster. Are Stacey and I the only sane ones in this booth?

"Come on, Grace," Dawn prods, tugging on the hem of my shirt.

"Grace," Julie whines.

Stacey shakes her head at me.

"How about this? If we walk in and the party's too crazy, we leave?" Dawn suggests, releasing my shirt. "I promise not to argue about it. We'll walk in, check it out, and if you want, we'll leave. If nothing else, we'll have had a gorgeous drive through the country...at night when we can't see anything."

"No."

Dawn points her finger at me. "You said that because I'm driving, I get to choose where we're going," she reminds me. "Ha! I've got you!" She smiles, triumphantly.

I roll my eyes upward at the ceiling. I did say that. Why do I speak at all? "Fine," I say, thinly.

"Good luck with that," Stacey tells me, sliding out of the booth. "I'll call you tomorrow about New York. That is, if you're still conscious."

"Do you need a ride?" Dawn offers.

"No thanks. I just saw Rick go out the front door. I'll catch a ride with him." Stacey waves over her shoulder and retreats, pushing out through the front door.

"Stacey used to be so much more adventurous," remarks Dawn.

Julie and I exchange a look, but neither of us says anything. Stacey is our friend and we won't speak her secrets to Dawn. Emily reappears just as Julie and I polish off our dinners. She beams at us and announces, "Eleven o' clock. I can stay out until eleven o' clock!"

"Fantastic," Dawn says, pulling out her wallet and flipping it open. She counts out her portion of the bill and tosses it onto the table. The bills land on some diet soda that Stacey accidentally spilled. "I'll go tell Logan." She stands and strides away briskly toward Logan. When she returns, Logan and Cary are in tow. "Logan and Cary are ready to head out, too," she explains, leaning against the table. "We're just going to follow them, okay?"

Emily, Julie, and I glance at each other and shrug.

This is such a bad idea.

"Do you have some kind of thing for Logan Bruno?" Julie asks Dawn when we're in the car and have passed out of Stoneybrook.

"Not at all. We used to be friends, that's all."

"Do you really think Mary Anne would be angry with you if you did date him?" Emily asks, leaning forward between Dawn's and my seats. "She has no claim to him anymore."

"Why are you asking, Emily? Are you interested in Logan?" Julie teases.

"Certainly not!"

I glance back at them and laugh.

Emily narrows her eyes and purses her lips. "Please, I don't have time for boys! And if I did, I wouldn't be after a moron like Logan. He isn't even Jewish!"

I laugh again and Dawn and Julie join in.

"Everyone thinks everything about my life is so funny tonight," Emily complains, eyes still narrowed. "Do you want to hear something really funny? My cousin Michael is in love with Julie!"

"Emily!" Julie shrieks.

I whirl around in my seat. "Cousin Michael? The rabbi's son? With the huge nose? That Cousin Michael?"

"His nose isn't that big!" Emily protests. "And that's such a stereotype, Grace Blume!"

"Nevertheless, his nose is ginormous. Since when is he in love with Julie? Since when is anyone in love with Julie?"

"Cousin Michael isn't in love with me!" Julie shouts from the back seat, shoving Emily aside to lean between Dawn's and my seat.

"Wait! Hold up!" Dawn yells, throwing her hands up off the steering wheel. "Who is Cousin Michael?"

"My cousin," Emily answers.

"Really? I didn't figure that part out," Dawn replies. "Is this Uncle Malcolm's son?"

"No," I answer, struggling to cross my legs in the small space of the front seat. The idea of Uncle Malcolm with a son is both frightening and baffling. I still haven't figured out how Mr. Bernstein managed to have Emily. I don't see how he and Uncle Malcolm both could have accomplished such a feat. Lightning doesn't strike twice.

Emily pushes Julie aside and leans in again. "No. Uncle Malcolm's never been married. He's a confirmed bachelor. Michael is Uncle Lee's son. Uncle Lee is my father's oldest brother. It's Uncle Lee, Uncle Malcolm, and then my father. Uncle Lee is a rabbi."

I have to bite my tongue so I don't point out to Dawn that Rabbi Bernstein is, somehow, totally normal. I don't know what went wrong with Uncle Malcolm and Emily's father. The children in that family just became progressively bizarre.

Instead of commenting on that, I chuckle and say, "So, the rabbi's only son is infatuated with a blonde -haired, blue-eyes Pentecostal girl? That's fabulous. Congratulations, Julie, you've just given the entire Bernstein family a collective heart attack."

"He isn't in love with me," Julie insists.

"That isn't what Uncle Malcolm's girlfriend says!" Emily exclaims in delight. "She told Uncle Malcolm that Michael is madly in love with you. Uncle Malcolm told my father and my father told my mother. My mother told me."

Julie snorts. "That girlfriend's a liar. She just wants me out of the way because she knows I'm serious competition for Uncle Malcolm's affections. I bet she's seen his calves."

"She's probably seen more than that," Dawn comments.

Emily covers her ears and screams.

"Ugh! Dawn!" I cry, wrinkling my nose. "That is so inappropriate in so many ways!"

"Really, Dawn! I eat the Sabbath dinner with these people!" Julie shouts.

Dawn laughs. "We were all thinking it. I just had the guts to say it."

"No. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who was thinking it," I assure her.

"I may never forgive you for putting that image in my head!" Emily barks from the back seat.

Dawn laughs again. "You're welcome. Now...what are Logan and Cary doing?"

I turn my head away from Emily to look out the front windshield. We've passed around Howard Township onto one of the darkened back roads. The streets are still paved, but in two narrow lanes. We've been following behind Cary's car, but now he's slowing and drifting into the next lane.

"He's stoned!" Emily screams.

"He isn't stoned," Dawn replies and begins rolling down her window while slowing the Cavalier. "What's going on, Cary?" she asks when the cars are side by side.

"Bruno wants to race!" Cary shouts from his car. "Are you game?"

"You want to race?" I shriek, leaning over Dawn. "Cary, you're in a Ford Fiesta!"

"Don't mock my car, Blume," Cary sneers. "My mommy and daddy can't afford to buy me a fifty thousand dollar pity present. Now shut your damn mouth. Ready to race, Schafer?"

I clamp my lips together and fall back into my seat, my face burning hot and furious.

"You're a jerkoff," Dawn tells him.

"Hey, you can jerk me off any time, Schafer," Cary calls out with a sly grin. "But you have to catch me first!" Cary slams on the accelerator and takes off.

"He's an even bigger moron than Logan!" Emily cries.

Dawn glances over at me, but I turn my head away. She looks behind her into the back seat. "Seatbelts on!" she orders and then slams her foot on the Cavalier's accelerator, sending the car and us shooting forward at a shocking speed.

"What are you doing?" I demand, tightening my seat belt.

"Catching Cary."

"Stop!" I shriek at her. "This is really stupid!"

"Grace is right!" Emily yells. "Slow down, Dawn!"

"Slow down!" Julie echoes.

Dawn speeds up.

I close my eyes and hold my breath. The last time I did something like this, I ended up doing something very, very bad. I keep my breath in and my eyes closed. I see everything from then, everything in a blur. I open my eyes because I don't want to see. I don't want to remember.

Cary's just ahead of us. We are catching him.

Dawn grips the steering wheel, knuckles becoming white and bloodless. Her eyes remain trained straight ahead, focused on Cary, focused on her prize. She pulls nearer and nearer. I can't see the speedometer from where I sit. I don't lean over. I don't want to look.

We pull up alongside Cary. Logan's waiting for us with his bare butt hanging out the window.

"I hate him," I say, flatly.

Dawn looks over and laughs.

From around the curve in the road, a pair of headlights blaze bright yellow in the night, heading straight for Cary. The driver flashes the lights. Cary jerks his steering wheel, jerks it hard to the right, coming into our lane. Coming into our car.

"Oh, my God!" Dawn screams and swerves.

It happens in an instant. We're off the road, flying down the embankment, our screams echoing in the air, following over and under one another, piercing through the night. I throw my arms up to protect my face. I don't see us strike the tree, but I feel it, feel the impact and the pull of the seat belt cutting into my shoulder.

I open my eyes.

I'm still holding my breath.

I release it and it comes out as a gasp, surprised and strangled. Beside me, Dawn sits ashen-faced, still gripping the steering wheel, lips bloodless like her knuckles.

I can't turn around to look in the back seat. "Julie? Emily?" I say in a whisper.

"Yes?" Julie responds.

Emily bursts into tears.

"Is everyone all right?" I ask and turn around, reassured that neither is dead.

"Well...we just drove into a tree," Julie answers and Emily sobs harder.

I turn back around and place my hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Dawn? Are you all right?"

She opens her mouth. It remains open, no sound drifting from it. It hangs there open.

"Dawn?"

"Richard's car," she whispers.

Hardly the worst of our problems. I unlatch my belt and push open the car door, stumbling out onto my long legs. They wobble beneath me. They wobble so much I must steady myself against the car, hands pressed onto the cool metallic roof. I didn't realize I was so shaken. Someone calls my name and I look up to see Cary and Logan running down the embankment.

"Is everyone okay?" Logan bellows, rushing toward the car.

"Yes," I answer and my voice barely carries. I clear my throat. "Yes!" I call louder.

Logan and Cary reach the car and both curse furiously, repeating the same four-letter word over and over again. Julie appears through the back passenger side door, pulling a sobbing Emily behind her. Dawn stays in the car. She's still gripping the steering wheel.

"Where's the other driver?" I ask.

"Never stopped," Logan replies. "Are you sure Dawn's okay?" he asks, peering down through the front windshield.

"She's worried about the car," I tell him and then laugh. It seems absurd.

"Why is Bernstein crying like a baby?" Cary demands.

"Why do you think?" I snap and shove him. "You jerk! Do you see what you've done?"

Cary shoves me back. "Don't be such a bitch, Blume!"

"I'll be a bitch if I want to, Cary! I just smashed into a damn tree!"

"Calm down! Calm down!" Logan shouts, stepping between us. "Everyone's okay. No one's hurt. There's nothing to worry about. Cary and I will call a tow truck as soon as we get to the party."

My jaw drops. I am speechless.

"You're leaving us?" Julie shrieks. "You're leaving us?"

Even in the shadows of the night, scarcely illuminated by the Cavalier's headlights, I can see Logan blush. "You see..." he begins, "Cary's license is kind of suspended and I...and I sort of have a DUI, so...we kind of can't be here..."

I throw my arms into the air. "Fabulous! This is fabulous!"

"We'll call as soon as we reach the party," Logan promises and hurries up the embankment after Cary.

"They're leaving us?" Emily screams. She's a little behind. She's a little hysterical. "They're leaving us?"

We hear the Ford Fiesta start up and they leave us.