Austin, Texas

10 March 1967

Her own drink in one hand, Nancy's drink in the other, Sue Ellen looked around the sparsely decorated log building, one she felt to be more of a bunkhouse than vacation home, giggling when Susan echoed aloud her thoughts.

"This is it? This is the great cabin you were talking about?"

A little dusty from disuse, the space was generally tidy although that was surely because there was nothing more than necessary inside rather than because someone had taken the time to prepare for guests.

Having followed the group up the hill, away from the water and to the cabin, she hadn't been expecting much except a real bathroom but for whatever reason the reality was still surprising.

Nodding, Tom ignored Susan's tone and continued the tour, showing them the basic bedrooms, the sets of bunkbeds or twin beds sitting beside each other raising a new set of questions.

"Where are you all going to stay?"

Speaking up as they walked past the final bedroom back into the living room, Margaret's query was of concern to each of the five sisters. The sorority house could feel cramped at times but at least there, they had assigned space, here it seemed that overcrowded was an accepted state even before the crowds arrived.

"Don't you worry about that."

"We are."

Of much the same opinion as Christine, who expressed her unease next, Sue Ellen didn't speak herself, preferring to let everyone else deal with the difficult topics.

"There's plenty of space."

Thinking back over the rooms they'd just covered she did the math. There were five girls including her present inside and another five down by the lake, which made ten, so unless there were only a small handful of fraternity brothers planning to stay the comment was a complete lie.

"Yeah, if we double up."

Doing the same math she had, Eve's comment struck her as far too accurate for comfort, especially when Tom laughed but said nothing.

There was certainly enough space for everyone if no one slept alone and she would be naïve now not to believe that that was entirely the point.

"I'll sleep in the car."

Hearing Margaret stating her intentions, her friend equally as protective of her virtue as she was, she thought it a reasonable solution until Tom chuckled and she realised it wouldn't be nearly as easy as it sounded.

"As you wish, there'll be plenty of cars to choose from."

Thinking she should say something, words escaped her, and Nancy's appearance back at her side, taking the drink from her hand reminded her of the reason they'd left the campfire for the cabin in the first place.

Finishing her drink, setting her cup down on the old wooden table, she slipped away from the group wordlessly, heading down the hall towards the bathroom.

"You weren't kidding."

Beer spilling over the side of his cup onto his hand when Greg appeared behind him, slapping him on the back, Bobby chuckled, knowing exactly what they were discussing without needing to ask.

"Best you ever had?"

"Close enough."

Flirty and excitable, Julia wasn't self-centred, she simply fed off positive reinforcement, which was easily given considering how well she did what she did.

"I owe you one."

Tipped off earlier, Greg had wasted no time finding out for himself what the peppy co-ed had to offer and was clearly pleased with the advice he'd received.

"I'll collect now."

Sure Greg had knowledge he didn't he decided to strike while the iron was hot.

"Shoot."

Tilting his head at the brunette girl sitting a few yards away, head close in conversation with Peter, he didn't ask any specific question, assuming his friend would understand what he wanted.

"Pink and yellow dress."

"Sue Ellen Shepard. Great kisser, unfortunately I can't attest to anything else."

"No?"

Shaking his head, Greg confirmed he hadn't been so lucky.

"Hm."

Curious now, knowing Greg could be mighty persuasive when he wished to, he wondered whether Peter, Russ or any of the others he'd seen her interact with shared the same experience, and more importantly, if he tried, would he?

"Interested?"

"Maybe."

Definitely interested, he didn't give away too much, not wanting to be seen setting himself up for failure. He would and did happily share success stories but he was nowhere near as open about his attempts that went nowhere.

"Yellow bracelet, about half an inch thick."

"Hm?"

"If you're looking for a guaranteed opportunity."

Following the nod at the hat filled mostly with jewellery, he got the message.

"Oh, thanks."

Grateful for the information, they were even now.

"Sue Ellen."

Called away with an urgent tone and an insistent wave, Sue Ellen's mind cleared surprisingly quickly after following Martha to where Nancy knelt in the grass beside the lake.

The life of the party at times, Nancy was human just like everyone else, eventually overwhelmed by the potency of the punch she'd been consuming for hours.

"How are you feeling now?"

Difficult to tell much in the dark, she guessed from the lack of hunched over heaving that the worst of it was over, although she still asked, just in case she was wrong.

"Better."

"Do you want to lie down?"

"I'll miss the party."

Chuckling, knowing exactly what that feeling was like, she didn't respond with words, instead just smoothing her friend's hair and handing her a cup of water. They could sit and just breathe for a while, the party wasn't going anywhere.

"Who wants to play a game?"

Knowing exactly what was coming when David blew a whistle loud enough to hear a hundred yards away, forgetting they weren't on a football field, Bobby couldn't say he was exactly pleased with the timing having just managed to get Joanne to agree to 'look at the lake' with him.

"Better luck next time."

Kissing him on the cheek the way a friend would, she stood and straightened her dress, leaving him sitting on the grass with several shirt buttons undone and a pair of pants that didn't comfortably zip up.

"You go on ahead, I'll be right there."

Another few minutes and it wouldn't have been a problem, but now, now it was and observing her standing in front of him, a reminder of how the problem could have been rectified was not his ideal situation.

Waiting it out, thinking of just about anything but what was coming next, eventually he was in a position to return to the campfire, the opportunity to participate in exciting but not something he wanted to think too much about for fear of his excitement becoming obvious again.