Disclaimer: The Cobras, Castle Rock, etc. belong to Stephen King and Columbia Tristar. Katherine, her parents, Maggie, Sarah, and Jennifer belong to me.



Chapter 2

That first week at Castle Rock High just kinda flew. I got to know Sarah, Maggie, and Jen really well, and I guess I became the fourth member of their little group. Me and Maggie didn't talk about what had happened that Monday and it was kinda neat having that be our secret. I also didn't see much of the Cobras at all, 'specially not Ace, who I found out had got suspended for the rest of the week for beating on those nerd kids on Monday. That was a relief. I didn't really know how he (or the rest of 'em) felt about me, and it was weird how much I cared. I hated that. Anyway, Friday came, and me and the girls were hanging out on Maggie's lawn, sipping from bottles of Coke and gossiping. Real girly-girl shit. "Hey, Kat, have any plans tonight?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, you'd know if I had anythin goin on," I reminded her. She was my closest friend in the group.

"Okay, okay, I know. Well, want some plans?"

I frowned a bit and then sighed. I *really* didn't want to get into any trouble. "What kinda plans?"

"Nothing bad, sincerely! We were going to hang out by the docks. It's still warm enough and all, and sitting around here is boring. No offence, Mags," Sarah hastily added.

"Like what time?" I asked. It didn't sound like such a bad idea.

"Well, I figure we'll split and get changed, then meet back here," explained Sarah.

"How we gonna get there?"

Jen stood up, stretching her long legs. "It's too far to walk," she started.

"So, I'm guessin my car?" I wasn't pissed or anything. I didn't mind being the driver.

"Pretty much," she admitted. "You're okay with that?"

"Sure, you guys just gotta tell me how to get there." I replied.

"Neat. All right, then it's a plan," Maggie said cheerfully and we went our separate ways.

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My house was empty when I got there. Daddy was working late again and Mama went out with some of her new friends, and probably wouldn't be back till much later that night. I didn't care. I went up to my room and took off the capri pants and short-sleeved shirt I was wearing, and put a pair of cut-offs and a blue t-shirt over the bathing suit I changed into. I quickly plaited my hair into a braid and stuffed a towel and some money into a canvas bag.

As I was doing all this, my mind for some reason wandered to Ace again. I didn't even know the kid at all, and I was thinking about him non-stop! What would the girls say if they knew about this? They'd told me all about the Cobras' and all the shit they were always doing. Beating up on little kids, getting drunk, boosting cars, all sorts of really bad stuff. The kinda stuff I was trying to get away from. They weren't just greasers, for sure. They were the real deal. Which maybe's why I was attracted to 'em. The guys I used to hang out with in suburban Boston were just in it for the look. They didn't have none of the problems I knew Ace and his friends did.

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I got to Maggie's a little after six, and Sarah and Jen were already there, both dressed kinda like me, cept Jen's shorts were just that, and Sarah was wearing a tank-top.
I honked the horn and waved, and both girls jumped into the car, Sarah in the front. Guess she called dibs. Maggie came out a minute later, and her mom stood on the front porch and waved at us as I drove away. "My mom wants to meet you," Maggie told me as we rounded the corner.

"How come?" I asked.

"Says she likes to know all my friends," she replied with a shrug.

But I knew better. I was Katherine Reyes, the daughter of John Reyes, who was the man who ran the new bank that replaced the old faithful. I was also thinking that she had heard about my 'problems,' probably from some of my nosier neighbors. But I didn't tell Maggie that.

Sarah directed me down a dirt road, and soon we came to a gravel-filled, empty parking area. "Nobody comes here much after Labor Day," she explained.

"Or at night," Jen added.

The man-made lake that was just outside of Castle Rock didn't have a beach attached to it or anything, least not on the side we were on. The grass just went right up to the edge and it was kinda swampy right there. But if you walk to the end of one of the six docks that lines the shore, the water gets totally clear. Only the first three had boats attached to 'em, so we walked onto the fourth one and arranged our towels on the wooden planks. We took off our shirts and shorts, and I was glad I wasn't the only one in a bikini. Sarah was too. Jen was obviously too modest and had opted for a one piece, and Maggie was self-conscious for some reason about her body and was wearing a one piece also. Maggie was the first in the water, and we all jumped in after her.

We were all having fun, real innocent fun, just swimming around and playing water games as the sun went down. Then I heard some voices. Male voices. "Sarah, you hear that?" I said urgently.

"Yeah, I do, Kat. Maybe we better get back to our dock," she answered, a worried look on her face.

We got Maggie and Jen, who were perched on a raft, and we started swimming quickly back to the dock. When we got there my heart dropped. It was the Cobras, and they were going through our stuff! "Hey!" I yelled and they looked up, smiling at us.

"Shoulda known it was you girls. At the docks at night, what were you thinkin?" Ace asked condescendingly.

"What are you doin with our stuff?" I asked, and realized that I was the only one speaking up. Also, we were still in the water. I turned to Sarah and whispered, "I think we best get outta the water."

She nodded and I was the first to get out. Sorta. I gripped the edge of the dock to hoist myself up when Ace crouched in front of me and reached out a hand. "Here, let me help you out of that water."

"I don't think so, Ace. Just move outta the way," I replied, still holding onto the dock.

"Kat! Don't start!" Maggie exclaimed in a quiet voice.

Ace heard her and smirked. "Listen to Mags, Kitty-Kat. Let me help you."

I looked back at Jen and Sarah and they just kinda looked at me helplessly. I looked over Ace's shoulder at his moron friends and I knew I just had to bite the bullet and take his help. "All right, all right," I sighed.

"All right, what?" asked Ace, and I saw he was trying to humiliate me.

"All right, nothin. Move the fuck outta the way," I snapped, no longer caring about not starting trouble.

Ace's smile wavered a bit and I saw the anger flicker in his eyes a bit. And damn, were his eyes nice-looking. "Come on, I don't wanna beat up on a girl. I ain't that type."

"Well, I ain't some priss. I'm not playin any games. I got my pride." I replied.

"Fine, fine," Ace growled. He leaned over and his lips brushed my ear. "Just take my fuckin hand, Kat. Just do it," he whispered.

I looked into his eyes, confused. There was anger there, but also disappointment or something like that. I decided to give in, just this once. "Okay, Ace. Help me," I said.

His real smirk returned and I took his offered hand and he helped me up onto the dock, where I was immediately greeted with catcalls and whistles. Suddenly my black bikini didn't seem so great. I looked back at my friends and they were scrambling onto the dock themselves, with no help from those damned Cobras. Jen and Maggie rushed to cover themselves with their towels, and then I realized that some very important things were missing. Our clothes, and me and Sarah's towels. "Hey, where's our stuff?" I demanded, and Sarah's eyes widened in horror when she saw what was missing.

"Dunno. Maybe some wild dogs took 'em or somethin," Eyeball said, and the other guys started to laugh.

Sarah's eyes glassed over with tears and she ducked her head. I knew why she was upset, and so did Maggie and Jen. She realized that Eyeball probably didn't give a flying fuck about her. "Wild dogs? That's a good one, Chambers," I said, and half-smiled.

"I know," he replied with a grin.

Sarah breathed heavily and lifted her head. "All right guys, where the fuck is our stuff?" she asked calmly.

I coughed in shock and exchanged a glance with Maggie and Jen, but they didn't seem phased. I guess Sarah always did the talking when it came to standing up to these guys.

"Ouch! And McLaughlin gets feisty!" Ace exclaimed, and one of the other guys, Billy I think, meowed.

"Yeah, uh-huh. Guys, this isn't funny," Maggie said from behind us.

"Sure it is," Eyeball replied.

I shook my head. I'd had enough. They didn't have my keys, which I never let outta my sight. They were on a silver chain around my neck. "You guys wanna think you can play this stupid game all night, fine, have fun. We're goin home, right girls?" I said and turned to them, hoping against hope that they would agree with me.

They saw that I had my keys and I think Jen must've almost dropped dead with relief. She wasn't as tough as the rest of us, not even Maggie. "Yeah, let's just go," she said.

"And how ya gonna get home? Walk?" asked Billy, who obviously wasn't too bright.

"Yeah, Billy, we're gonna walk," Sarah said and rolled her eyes.

The four of us started to walk around the guys when Ace and Eyeball stepped in front of us. "Aw, come on girls. We's only kiddin," Eyeball said.

"Only kidding, Rich? Nobody's laughing," replied Sarah and started to walk again.

"Sarah, hey, swear on my motha's name. We was gonna give ya stuff back in a minute. Sincerely," said Eyeball as he stepped directly in front of Sarah and put his hand on her shoulder. "Right, Ace?"

Ace just shook his head. "Yeah, sure we were. In a minute."

"Real convincin, Ace. At least you didn't swear on your mother's name," I said but smiled anyway.

"So, we cool?" he asked.

"We'd be fine if we knew were our shit was," I answered.

"Awright, they're back at our cars. You're walkin that way anyway, right?" Ace asked. He didn't wait for an answer. "We'll walk you. It's dangerous here at night."

"Fine with me," Sarah replied for us and started walking, Eyeball close behind her.

"We was gonna give 'em their shit back?" Charlie asked and Vince slapped the back of his head and hissed, "Shut the fuck up, cock-knocker!"

When we got to our cars, Ace popped the trunk of his nice looking Ford and handed me a bundle of clothes and towels. "Here ya go."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically.

"Well, don't I get a kiss for my troubles?" he asked and my friends, who were headed back to my car as quick as possible, stopped dead in their tracks and turned to looks at me and Ace.

"Your troubles? What about mine?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, then I'll give *you* a kiss for *your* troubles," he answered smoothly, and before I could reply he grabbed my waist and planted one directly on my lips.

I was stunned. What the fuck did he think he was doing? The shock lasted about half a second and then I actually kissed him back. Dammit, and I was doing so good! I pulled away quick enough, though. "Just what did you think you were doin?" I sputtered and took a big step back.

"It's called a kiss. You didn't seem to mind," Ace said and he started to get into his car. "See ya later girls. Especially you Kitty-Kat."

They pulled away, their radios blasting.

"Come on, Kat. We'd better go," Sarah said, pulling my arm to get my attention.

"Yeah, okay. What the hell was that about?" I mused out loud.

"I think he has a thing for you *Kitty-Kat*," Maggie teased.

"Aw shut up, *Mags*," I shot back as we got into the car and I pulled out of the dock's parking lot.

That night had turned out to be a lot more interesting than I had ever wanted. And I knew it was only the beginning.