A/N: I know this update took awhile, but this has been a really crazy week. I was going to post the next chapter as well, to apologize for the lateness and the fact that this chapter is not very good, but I barely had the time to get this one up. I'll try to get the next update up much sooner then this one, though! So, if you could review this...I'd be very happy.

Disclaimer: No, still don't own anything...

"Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

And I feel a weakness coming on

Never felt so good to be so wrong

Had my heart on lockdown."

--Boys Like Girls, "Hero/Heroine"

Early March, 1962

Snow was rare for this time of year, especially in Baltimore.

"I bet it's going to be all gone by noon tomorrow," Amber drawled, still tugging at her hair in the stand-up mirror hanging on her bedroom door. She didn't even bother glancing out the window at the snow, where most of the girls were currently gathered.

"You always have to ruin everything, don't you?" quipped one of the girls at the window, Shelley. Rather then answering, Amber sighed dramatically, turning to face the group of girls assembled in her room.

"I'm bored," she announced, to no one in particular.

Brenda's eyebrows rose mischievously, red lips turning up into a smirk.

"I have a secret," she said lightly, toying with one of her stiff black curls. Her eyes scanned the room as nine other perfectly hairspray-ed heads turned to look at her. Brenda nodded, growing more excited at the prospect of telling everything by the minute.

It's a bad idea, a voice in the back of her head said. They're gonna tell.

"I do," Brenda continued, ignoring her voice of reason. "But…" she trailed off. They'd need to give her something in return, something she could use against them if they ever told…

"Tell us!" whined the girl to Brenda's right, Darla, who was Brenda's closest friend on the council.

"I can't," she moaned, enjoying her moment in the spotlight. "It's just-"

"If you weren't going to tell us, you shouldn't have brought it up in the first place," Amber interrupted, still standing by the door, arms crossed over her chest cynically, though Brenda could see a hint of intrigue in the other girl's eyes.

"Like I was saying," Brenda went on, pointedly ignoring the party's host. "It's just, I think you all should give me something of yours, so that I have something I could ever use against you, should one of you tell anyone."

Amber raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow skeptically. "Come on," she said. "It can't be that big. I bet you're making whatever you're about to tell us up." Despite her disbelief, Amber settled down on a throw pillow on the ground, in between Tammy and Doreen. Brenda shrugged and yawned, stretching out on the one the ground, enjoying the feel of having all the eyes in the circle on her. As she lay cat-like on the throw pillows spread out on Amber's bedroom floor, she fiddled with the necklace Jesse had given her for their one month anniversary. Brenda felt like she shouldn't be wearing it, but at the same time, it would feel wrong if she took it off.

"What should we give you?" piped up Vicki, clutching possessively to the promise ring she had been given by Mikey. Brenda shrugged again, scanning the faces of the girls in the circle.

"I don't know. Jewelry, journal pages, some secret of your own. Anything of importance to you, really."

Darla was the first to respond, taking off the charm bracelet her father had given her for her sixteenth birthday. "Here," she said, handing it over. "You can keep it if I tell anyone." Darla watched as Brenda fingered the bracelet, her symbol of trust to her friend. Slowly, the other girls joined in, handing over jewelry and telling stories. The last girl left to give something up was Amber.

"Fine," she grumbled reluctantly, grabbing a small porcelain doll from her bedside table. "Take this. This better not be some sort of…trick. Or something," the blonde snapped, dropping the doll onto the pillow beside Brenda's head. "Her name is Louisa," Amber added, as a vague after-thought. Shelley raised both eyebrows, snickering.

"Louisa?" she giggled, eyes dancing.

"I'll keep good care of Louisa," Brenda sniffed, completely ignoring Shelley. She promptly stuffed everything she'd been given into her bag, grinding her wad of gum between her back molars as she did.

"So," she began, turning back to face everyone. "I don't really know how to begin this…"

Becky gasped, eyes widening. "Are you gonna…die?" she asked, mouth dropping open to form a shocked 'O'. Brenda narrowed her eyes, blowing a bubble in her gum.

"No. No, hopefully not."

"So how many people know about this?" Darla asked, sprawling out on the floor, head propped up on her right fist.

"One."

"Who?" Noreen demanded, leaning in closer; causing everyone else to follow suit.

Brenda tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I don't know if I can tell you that…"

"Damn it, stop being so mysterious. It's not fooling anyone. Just spit it out," Amber moaned, though the look of interest had completely taken over her face.

Brenda smirked. "I don't think Jesse's the right one for me," she said innocently.

"That's it?" Lou Anne muttered. "Can I have my locket back?"

"Yeah, Bren. It's not like this is the first time you've gone through a boy in a month," Darla added hesitantly.

Brenda's smirk grew wider. She loved this. "So? I'm not…dumping him or anything. I can have two men on my hands at once," she said slyly, watching their eyes grow to the size of saucers.

"You didn't," hissed Tammy, excitement flicking through her eyes.

"Who's to say I didn't?"

"Geez, Bren. Do you really think that's a good idea? It's only going to end badly," Lou Anne cautioned. She was always the one with the sort of mothering quality about her.

Brenda rose up to a sitting position, thrilled to have their undivided attention. "But you haven't even heard the best part yet!"

Amber narrowed her eyes, studying Brenda cautiously. Slowly, her eyes grew wider. "I bet I know who it is…" she began slowly, confidence gaining. "I saw the way he…looked at you the other day, and…Oh my God, Brenda. Is it…" she trailed off, hoping Brenda would know who she meant. Amber had seen the way they looked at each other. She had just written it off as…well, she hadn't really given it a second thought.

"Brenda," she added. "You could both loose your jobs. You better hope I don't tell my mother."

"Well, that's the beauty of it Amber. It's dangerous. And besides, if you tell your mother, I'll know exactly who told her."

Amber shrugged, hooking her pointer finger through the collar of Tammy's dress, pulling her close enough to whisper into her ear. Tammy's eyes widened and she whispered something to the girl next to her. The chain continued until every girl in the circle got the news.

"My God, Brenda…" Noreen whispered. "That's so…risky. And romantic, too. Wow. And to think no one ever guessed."

Brenda grinned proudly. "I know. We've gotten good at hiding our relationship." She placed a hand over her heart. "I just wish we could be more public with it. He didn't even want to tell anyone, but I think you all should know. And besides, it would just kill Jesse," she exaggerated. The council girls nodded in agreement, like a bunch of bobble head dolls. "Plus, Amber is right. We could both loose our jobs. So…it's a sacrifice we have to make," Brenda added, playing on old clichés.

Amber shook her head, her hair barely moving.

"I'm going to bed," she grumbled, climbing to her feet and to the light switch, shutting off the lights and leaving the other girls in the dark, still gossiping about Brenda and her little…adventure.