When I got to Lori's house, and parked, I went up to the front door and knocked. Lori answered the door almost immediately, with a wide smile.

"You're here!" she said, in greeting, reaching to take my bag from over my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm here," I said, laughing.

"Come in!" Lori said, and drug me inside. We deposited my stuff in Lori's bedroom, and then we went to the kitchen, where Lori's mother was

rolling out biscuit dough.

"Hello, Harlie," she said, warmly.

"Hi," I said. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"You're welcome here anytime," Lori's mother said.

We went off to Lori's bedroom again, and sat around for a while. We were just talking, and then after awhile, Lori's mom called

us to eat supper. She sat with us while we ate tuna salad. Lori's mother is what I think of as one of the mother's that you see on a television show.

I mean, sort of like Donna Reed or Beaver Cleaver's mom on tv. She doesn't wear just dresses and high heels or anything like that, but she devotes her

life to Lori and her brother, and to their father. From the stories I've heard about my own mom, she was like that, too. She looked after my dad

and all my brothers as her main focus. That's what Daniel and Evan say. I know for a fact that Adam and Isaac are Hannah's priorities in

her life, and of course me and Guthrie. But-Lori's mom, well, it's the way she fusses over Lori, and all-I think all she'd have to do is put on that dress and high heels and pearls, and I could imagine her as a tv mother.

She's sort of strict, not nearly as strict as Lori's dad is, though. I have to admit, it's nice to have a friend with stricter parents. Mostly the kids I

know can get away with a lot, and since I can't, it helps that Lori has to toe the line like I do. I'm frankly intimidated by Lori's father. He's so-harsh seeming. Lori says she can't talk to him at all about anything important, and that he never gives her the benefit of the doubt in things.

"What are you girls planning to do this evening?" she asked Lori and I.

"We thought we'd go to Butch's for awhile. Talk to some of the kids," Lori said.

"Well-" I could tell that Lori's mom wasn't thrilled. "Why don't you stay around here? Watch a few movies?"

"We're going to do that, too," Lori said. "But, later."

"Your father won't want you to be out late, Lori," she said.

"We won't be late, mom," Lori said.

Even though her mother fussed a bit more, Lori and I went to get changed to go out.

7

Since Lori's house isn't that far from Butch's, we just walked over there. We left the house, but not without warnings from Lori's mother to call before

we headed home, since it would be dark.

Lori sighed as we walked. "I wish my mom wouldn't hover over me so much."

"She probably just worries about you."

"I know, but-gosh. But if my dad was home, he wouldn't even let me go to Butch's like this. Or if he did, he'd drive me and sit outside

in the car, waiting for me. My mom won't tell him that we went down here," Lori said.

Wow. That was strict.

"Did you tell Adam that we might come down here, and walk around and all that?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I told him."

"See? You're always saying how strict Adam and Brian are-but yet they let you do normal stuff like this," Lori said, sounding glum.

"He lets you go out with Trent, though," I pointed out. "At least he lets you date."

"He knows I've gone out with Trent, but he has no idea how long or how often we go out," Lori confessed.

"Oh," I said.

"And then, look at Kristen," Lori talked on. "She can do whatever, whenever, that she wants. Nobody to tell her she can't, or to scream at her if she

messes up."

"Yeah," I said. I'd had those same exact thoughts about Kristen myself. "It'd be sort of scary, though, to know you're all on your own, though. Don't

you think?"

"Maybe," Lori said, as we were within sight of Butch's. "But I'd like to see how it is at least for a while."

There were already lots of teenagers hanging around Butch's. They were crowded in the doorway, and spilling over to the outside parking

lot. Kids were calling out to each other, laughing. Lori and I stopped to talk to some of them. Chelsea was there, giggly as always. I also saw Tony, who I'd

been out with a couple of times early last year. I waved at him when he gave me a wave. I knew Kenny wasn't going to be around tonight, because his

dad wasn't feeling well lately, and Kenny's been more busy helping at their ranch. Besides, he wanted to come over to see me tomorrow.

I saw Eddie, too, and he was in a crowd of other guys. My heart quickened, I don't know why. Well-I knew why. Because I'm a hormonal teen girl, and

because I think Eddie is really good-looking, and when he talks to a girl, he makes them feel so special...

With a snap, I brought myself back. Eddie was smiling my way, and we walked close enough that he said, "Hey there, Harlie," with his wide

smile.

"Hi," I said.

"You wanna talk later?" he asked, then.

More heart pounding. "Sure," I said, sounding casual. There was nothing wrong in talking to him, was there?

"Okay," he said, and turned back to his friends.

Lori gave me a nudge in my ribs as we walked inside. "He likes you," she said.

"Maybe a little," I admitted. "But-I don't think he would really want to date me or anything. He just talks to me sometimes when he

sees me."

Lori made a sound as if she didn't believe me, and, once inside, we spotted Trent and Guthrie at a back pool table. Lori happily made her way to

Trent and they started talking, since it was Guthrie's turn to shoot.

"Hey, Har," Guthrie said, in greeting, eyeing his shot.

"Hey. There's lots of people here tonight," I said.

"Yeah. We had a hard time gettin' this table," Guthrie said.

"I'm going to get a Coke," Lori said. "You want one, Harlie?"

I told her that I did, thinking I could have just the one, as Lori headed over to where Bets Baker was selling the concessions. Popcorn, candy,

and sodas.

Guthrie took his shot, sinking two balls, and stood up, resting his pool cue on the floor, as Trent began to plan out his own.

"Kristen's here," Guthrie said, sort of low.

"Is she? Where?" I asked, looking around.

"Somewhere. I don't know. She's driving Dean's car. She talked to me for a couple of minutes."

"She did? What did she say?" I asked, surprised. "I thought she wasn't talking to you at all lately."

"She didn't say much or anything. She's buzzed, though."

I gave Guthrie a worried look. "She is?"

At his nod, I said, "I guess I'll go find her and say hi, at least."

As Lori came back and handed me my bottle of Coke, and I took a drink, I scouted the crowd, to see if Kristen was in my sight.

"There she is," I said, and told Lori what I was going to do. "Do you want to come with?"

Lori shook her head. "No."

I started to walk towards the back of the building, where I'd spotted Kristen.

"Har," Guthrie said, stopping me.

"What?"

Guthrie came closer, and spoke close to my ear because of all the background noise. "Don't go with her anywhere."

I stared into his face. "I'm just going to talk to her, Guthrie."

"Okay. I'm just sayin'. Don't let her talk you into going anywhere."

"Okay, Bossy Boots," I told him, shrugging his hand off of my arm.

"I mean it, Har."

"Guthrie. Okay," I said. "Good grief."

I was halfway to where Kristen had been sitting, on one of the platforms where people play music at, when she saw me, and hopped

down, coming to meet me. Her eyes were wide, and she was very, very animated.

"Harlie!" she greeted me.

We small-talked for a couple of minutes, and Kristen told me she had Dean's car for the evening.

"He went with his buddies somewhere, and he said I could use his car," Kristen said, with enthusiasm.

I wondered at the judgement of her driving while using whatever it was that she was using.

"There's something I want to show you," she said, clutching at my arm, and practically jumping up and down.

"What?"

"Not in here," she said. "Let's go outside and I'll show you."

She moved her hand and I caught a glimpse of a small canister, sort of like one of those Altoids things for candy, that she held.

"Come on," she urged, tugging on my hand.

I went with her, thinking that, once outside, maybe she'd tell me whatever it was that she wanted to tell me, and maybe we could

talk about whatever it was that she was using. What was actually happening with her? It had been so long since we'd had a real

conversation. I pulled back, forcing her to stop.

"If we go out, we have to talk, Kristen. Really talk. Or I won't come out," I told her, firmly.

"Okay, fine," she said, laughing. "Come on!"

7