Walter Stratford looked on in concern as his elder daughter prepared to leave for the party. He knew his daughter was responsible, but he wasn't so sure about the other kids at her school.
"And Joey's parents are going to be home the entire time?" he asked for the fiftieth time.
Kat sighed impatiently, wishing he would stop asking so she wouldn't have to lie again. "Daddy, I'm not answering that question again." She took one last look in the mirror hanging near the front door and then kissed her mom on the cheek and said, "I promise I won't be home late."
"I think eleven is reasonable," Walter stated.
Kat laughed, "I don't think so. Mom already said that since Joey lives within walking distance that I can stay until 12:30."
"Sharon!" Walter exclaimed, looking pointedly at his wife.
"She's a mature girl, Walter," Sharon said patiently. "And I trust her to do the right thing." She smiled at her daughter before opening the door, saying, "Call if you need anything and we'll come pick you up."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine."
As the door closed behind his daughter, Walter sighed heavily, "I don't have a good feeling about this."
Sharon smiled tightly. "Walter, you haven't felt good about anything in years, so why should you feel any differently now?" With that she left Walter standing alone in the foyer.
At the top of the stairs, Bianca sat numbly, unable to stand up. She had come to surreptitiously watch her sister leave for her first party - someday it would be her! And when Kat had left, Bianca had been shocked to hear the tone in her mother's voice when she spoke to her dad. Bianca had never witnessed such....coldness.
* * *
Kat was half a block from Joey's house and she could already hear music thumping from the backyard. Her pulse surged with excitement as her steps came more quickly as she was greeted by other students also making their way to Joey's for the party.
Coming up the driveway she waved hello to several of her classmates, grimacing slightly at the sight of beer cans littering the front yard. Kat saw a sign on the front door that said, "Enter in the back". Kat followed the arrow on the sign and saw that on one side of the house the large fence gate was open and a few kids were milling by the entrance. Kat nervously ran a hand through her long blond hair and straightened her jacket before going through the gate and stepping into the backyard.
Kat's jaw dropped open immediately. She had seen movies depicting wild high school parties, and this one was right on par with those scenes. Dozens of kids milled around the deck behind Joey's house. She saw several couples making out on benche, drunkenly oblivious to their surroundings. Kat doublechecked her watch, noting that it was only 8:00 p.m. and the party was already in full swing.
Kat moved through the backyard, looking for Joey. She had noticed that many of the party-goers were, in fact, seniors. But when she walked onto the pool deck she found a bevy of fellow freshmen hanging out. Spotting a girl from the geography class she shared with Joey, she walked over and said, "Hey, Wendy. Have you seen Joey?"
Wendy nodded and pointed to the other side of the pool, saying, "He's right over there, Kat. He's been waiting for you and has behaved himself."
Kat laughed and thanked her before walking over to Joey, who was surrounded by a bunch of his teammates. Joey was in the midst of telling a story but when he saw Kat his eyes lit up and he quickly said, "Hey fellas, make some room for my girl here."
Kat blushed as they parted and allowed her to step up next to Joey, who slipped an arm around her confidently and laid his hand on her hip. He had a large plastic cup in his other hand and gestured to the boys, saying, "Mind if you give us a minute, guys?"
A few grumbles later and Kat found herself alone with Joey - if it was possible to be alone among hundreds of classmates. "How's my pussycat?" Joey purred into Kat's ear, causing her to blush for the second time in two minutes.
"This looks like a wild party," Kat said, "Aren't you worried about the neighbors complaining about the noise?"
Joey laughed. "Nah, my brother used to throw wicked parties all the time so they are used to it by now and don't bother. My dad gives generously to the Policeman's Ball every year, so they tend to leave our family alone."
Joey led Kat towards the house, keeping his arm around her waist. "You don't have a drink yet. What do you want? Beer? Vodka? Wine? We've got just about everything represented here tonight."
As they entered the kitchen through a sliding glass door, Kat replied, "Uh, I'll just have a soda or something."
"A soda?" Joey asked in disbelief as he released her to move to the refrigerator. "You only get a soda if you mix it with some rum."
"No really, just a Coke is fine, Joey."
Joey grabbed a can from the fridge and as he closed the door said, "All right, you can have a Coke for now, but you are DEFINITELY having a real drink before the end of the night."
Kat smiled in relief that Joey didn't press the point and was thrilled once again when Joey handed her the soda can and put his hand back on her waist.
Just then the same teammates from by the pool came in and grabbed Joey, telling him they had to show him something by the pool. He looked back helplessly at Kat as they all but carried him and said, "I'll be back - I promise!"
Kat waved and called back, "I'll be fine!" just as he was pulled through the sliding glass door and was gone from sight. She stood a few moments in the kitchen, wondering where to go next. Deciding to take a tour of Joey's large house, she left the kitchen and moved to the stairway, which was packed with kids overlooking the large foyer which was being used primarily as a dance floor.
Many students greeted her, undoubtedly recognizing her because she spent so much time with Joey. But she didn't know many of the students and only smiled back in response as she made her way to the top of the stairs. She saw a long hallway and noted that many couples were peeking into rooms hoping for some privacy. Taking a sip from her soda she stood at the banister at the top of the stairs just watching people for a few minutes.
Suddenly she realized she was really bored. And it was only 8:30. She sighed and looked around helplessly for a place to escape. She saw at the end of the hall there was a dimly lit room that no kids had gone into, and quickly scuttled down the hall to that room.
Walking in she saw that the room was set up to be a library, thus it's lack of appeal to the partygoers. It was a large room with a cathedral ceiling - almost unheard of for a second floor in a house. From floor to ceiling were bookshelves stuffed with all kind of books, both old and new. The only furniture in the room were a pair of St. Anne chairs in the middle of the room with a single table in between them with a lamp, which was turned on. Delighted, Kat moved to one shelf and ran her fingers lightly over some older volumes before selecting one and taking it out. It was an old leather bound copy of "Taming of the Shrew", by William Shakespeare.
Sitting in one of the chairs and placing her soda can on the table, Kat flipped through the volume, reading bits from various scenes of the play. She was so immersed in the book that she didn't see or hear someone enter the room and watch her for a few moments before emitting a slight cough to get her attention.
Kat glanced up quickly, slamming the book shut and rising to her feet in haste. Standing in the doorway watching her was none other than Patrick Verona.
"And Joey's parents are going to be home the entire time?" he asked for the fiftieth time.
Kat sighed impatiently, wishing he would stop asking so she wouldn't have to lie again. "Daddy, I'm not answering that question again." She took one last look in the mirror hanging near the front door and then kissed her mom on the cheek and said, "I promise I won't be home late."
"I think eleven is reasonable," Walter stated.
Kat laughed, "I don't think so. Mom already said that since Joey lives within walking distance that I can stay until 12:30."
"Sharon!" Walter exclaimed, looking pointedly at his wife.
"She's a mature girl, Walter," Sharon said patiently. "And I trust her to do the right thing." She smiled at her daughter before opening the door, saying, "Call if you need anything and we'll come pick you up."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine."
As the door closed behind his daughter, Walter sighed heavily, "I don't have a good feeling about this."
Sharon smiled tightly. "Walter, you haven't felt good about anything in years, so why should you feel any differently now?" With that she left Walter standing alone in the foyer.
At the top of the stairs, Bianca sat numbly, unable to stand up. She had come to surreptitiously watch her sister leave for her first party - someday it would be her! And when Kat had left, Bianca had been shocked to hear the tone in her mother's voice when she spoke to her dad. Bianca had never witnessed such....coldness.
* * *
Kat was half a block from Joey's house and she could already hear music thumping from the backyard. Her pulse surged with excitement as her steps came more quickly as she was greeted by other students also making their way to Joey's for the party.
Coming up the driveway she waved hello to several of her classmates, grimacing slightly at the sight of beer cans littering the front yard. Kat saw a sign on the front door that said, "Enter in the back". Kat followed the arrow on the sign and saw that on one side of the house the large fence gate was open and a few kids were milling by the entrance. Kat nervously ran a hand through her long blond hair and straightened her jacket before going through the gate and stepping into the backyard.
Kat's jaw dropped open immediately. She had seen movies depicting wild high school parties, and this one was right on par with those scenes. Dozens of kids milled around the deck behind Joey's house. She saw several couples making out on benche, drunkenly oblivious to their surroundings. Kat doublechecked her watch, noting that it was only 8:00 p.m. and the party was already in full swing.
Kat moved through the backyard, looking for Joey. She had noticed that many of the party-goers were, in fact, seniors. But when she walked onto the pool deck she found a bevy of fellow freshmen hanging out. Spotting a girl from the geography class she shared with Joey, she walked over and said, "Hey, Wendy. Have you seen Joey?"
Wendy nodded and pointed to the other side of the pool, saying, "He's right over there, Kat. He's been waiting for you and has behaved himself."
Kat laughed and thanked her before walking over to Joey, who was surrounded by a bunch of his teammates. Joey was in the midst of telling a story but when he saw Kat his eyes lit up and he quickly said, "Hey fellas, make some room for my girl here."
Kat blushed as they parted and allowed her to step up next to Joey, who slipped an arm around her confidently and laid his hand on her hip. He had a large plastic cup in his other hand and gestured to the boys, saying, "Mind if you give us a minute, guys?"
A few grumbles later and Kat found herself alone with Joey - if it was possible to be alone among hundreds of classmates. "How's my pussycat?" Joey purred into Kat's ear, causing her to blush for the second time in two minutes.
"This looks like a wild party," Kat said, "Aren't you worried about the neighbors complaining about the noise?"
Joey laughed. "Nah, my brother used to throw wicked parties all the time so they are used to it by now and don't bother. My dad gives generously to the Policeman's Ball every year, so they tend to leave our family alone."
Joey led Kat towards the house, keeping his arm around her waist. "You don't have a drink yet. What do you want? Beer? Vodka? Wine? We've got just about everything represented here tonight."
As they entered the kitchen through a sliding glass door, Kat replied, "Uh, I'll just have a soda or something."
"A soda?" Joey asked in disbelief as he released her to move to the refrigerator. "You only get a soda if you mix it with some rum."
"No really, just a Coke is fine, Joey."
Joey grabbed a can from the fridge and as he closed the door said, "All right, you can have a Coke for now, but you are DEFINITELY having a real drink before the end of the night."
Kat smiled in relief that Joey didn't press the point and was thrilled once again when Joey handed her the soda can and put his hand back on her waist.
Just then the same teammates from by the pool came in and grabbed Joey, telling him they had to show him something by the pool. He looked back helplessly at Kat as they all but carried him and said, "I'll be back - I promise!"
Kat waved and called back, "I'll be fine!" just as he was pulled through the sliding glass door and was gone from sight. She stood a few moments in the kitchen, wondering where to go next. Deciding to take a tour of Joey's large house, she left the kitchen and moved to the stairway, which was packed with kids overlooking the large foyer which was being used primarily as a dance floor.
Many students greeted her, undoubtedly recognizing her because she spent so much time with Joey. But she didn't know many of the students and only smiled back in response as she made her way to the top of the stairs. She saw a long hallway and noted that many couples were peeking into rooms hoping for some privacy. Taking a sip from her soda she stood at the banister at the top of the stairs just watching people for a few minutes.
Suddenly she realized she was really bored. And it was only 8:30. She sighed and looked around helplessly for a place to escape. She saw at the end of the hall there was a dimly lit room that no kids had gone into, and quickly scuttled down the hall to that room.
Walking in she saw that the room was set up to be a library, thus it's lack of appeal to the partygoers. It was a large room with a cathedral ceiling - almost unheard of for a second floor in a house. From floor to ceiling were bookshelves stuffed with all kind of books, both old and new. The only furniture in the room were a pair of St. Anne chairs in the middle of the room with a single table in between them with a lamp, which was turned on. Delighted, Kat moved to one shelf and ran her fingers lightly over some older volumes before selecting one and taking it out. It was an old leather bound copy of "Taming of the Shrew", by William Shakespeare.
Sitting in one of the chairs and placing her soda can on the table, Kat flipped through the volume, reading bits from various scenes of the play. She was so immersed in the book that she didn't see or hear someone enter the room and watch her for a few moments before emitting a slight cough to get her attention.
Kat glanced up quickly, slamming the book shut and rising to her feet in haste. Standing in the doorway watching her was none other than Patrick Verona.
