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{\title It has been said that there\'92s no more destructive force in the universe then clumsy teenagers}{\author David Yellope}{\operator David Yellope}{\creatim\yr2003\mo9\dy20\hr13\min39}{\revtim\yr2003\mo9\dy20\hr13\min39}{\version2}{\edmins0}
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\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid10296471 It has been said that there\rquote 
s no more destructive force in the universe then clumsy teenagers.  Especially when there\rquote s alcohol involved. When you gather 65 of them in one place, and there are no parents (}{\insrsid14619607 i.e.}{\insrsid10296471 
, the enemy) to keep them in check, you can expect a }{\insrsid13114545 heck of a }{\insrsid10296471 raucous party.
\par 
\par And yet Dana was keeping everything in check, somehow. I watched her from a corner of the room, flitting from group to group, gently reminding folks that it was her house, and that she\rquote d be in killer trouble if anything happened}{\insrsid13256777 
, but still letting folks have a good time. Her }{\insrsid14619607 pony-tailed}{\insrsid13256777  head b}{\insrsid13114545 
obbed as she laughed along with a joke offered by one of her classmates, and tossed a little double entendre back that had everybody in the group roaring with laughter. With a toss of he
r hair, she jokingly flounced away, and the laughter followed her. She was doing her best to make sure every person at her party had a good time.}{\insrsid10296471 
\par }{\insrsid13256777 
\par Too bad she wasn\rquote t having }{\insrsid13114545 a good time}{\insrsid12929215  herself. }{\insrsid13256777 She could hide it from 99% of the people, but I knew better. W
e had grown up best friends and next door neighbors, and even though we had slightly drifted apart in high school (we were in different cliques), we could still read each other like a book. She was wound tighter then a delicate }{\insrsid14619607 Swiss}{
\insrsid13256777  watch powered by a Porsche engine. }{\insrsid13114545 And I think I knew why}{\insrsid12929215 ,}{\insrsid13114545  Dana was without her other half.
\par 
\par Her boyfriend, Johnny, was supposed to have been there about an hour ago, as he had helped her plan this party weeks ago, when they realized }{\insrsid14619607 her}{\insrsid13114545  parents would be in Acapulco for a week. }{\insrsid10577785 
 The fact that it was her 17}{\super\insrsid10577785\charrsid10577785 th}{\insrsid10577785  birthday this week just added to it. }{\insrsid13114545 
His absence was noticed, but not questioned by most. After all, they were the perfect couple. The football hero, and the captain of the cheerleading squad. They looked so damn CUTE together, like they were saying \'93Yeah, we\rquote re every clich\'e9
 in the book, but we make it look new and fun\'94.}{\insrsid4395979  }{\insrsid14619607 There was an ongoing project by the in-clique to have them preemptively declared the King and the Queen of the Senior Prom, and one had to admit that there weren
\rquote t many better choices.}{\insrsid13114545 
\par 
\par As Dana finished a circuit of the main room and headed for the }{\insrsid4395979 table with the drinks on it (mostly soda and water, but in homage to the teenager-created tradition, there was also }{\insrsid12929215 a bowl of }{\insrsid4395979 
fruit punch that was probably spiked three or four different ways from discreet bottles and hip flasks), I decided to leave my corner, and see if there was anything I could do to help.}{\insrsid13114545 
\par }{\insrsid4395979 
\par As she poured herself a soda (she never drank alcohol it seemed, unlike just about every other kid in our school, I had a glimmer of an evil idea, and waited until she set the soda bottle down, and gave her a soft poke in the back, and whispered \'93
And what\rquote s a nice girl like you doing at a crazy party like this?\'94.
\par 
\par She barely }{\insrsid14619607 suppressed}{\insrsid4395979  a shriek of surprise as she half }{\insrsid14619607 jumped;}{\insrsid4395979  half twisted away from my joking poke, and turned to face me, ready to swing at the guy who\rquote d dare }{
\insrsid14619607 proposition}{\insrsid4395979  her. Her face relaxed when she saw who did it. \'93You are such a GOOBER, Hopkins!}{\insrsid14619607 \'94}{\insrsid4395979  she said quietly, but the grin on her face took t
he sting away from her words. It was a welcome respite from the growing look of worry in her eyes, but it was only a brief respite}{\insrsid919513 , as a noise by the door, caused her to look over at there anxiously, before turning back to me.}{
\insrsid4395979 
\par }{\insrsid919513 
\par  \'93So, where\rquote s Tall, Dark, and Prone to eating opposing Halfbacks\'94
, I continued, my tone light, but I saw from the look on her face that she was wondering the same thing, and she sighed, making sure nobody was watching her, so to keep all the gossips from commenting about how lost she
 was without her PRECIOUS Johnny. She might have been the most popular girl in the school, but all that meant is if she fell, she\rquote d fall from a greater height. And the gossips were always willing to pull somebody down.
\par 
\par Apparently convinced that none of the gossips in the room were paying attention to a couple old friends talking over a couple sodas, her fa\'e7ade slipped for a second, and she looked both worried and }{\insrsid14619607 vulnerable}{\insrsid919513 . \'93
I don\rquote t KNOW, Mike..\'94 she said, her hand absently playing with a couple strands of her hair}{\insrsid11366882 
, curling them around her finger, a nervous habit that she had ever since she was young, and one that normally I would have taken great pleasure in teasing her about}{\insrsid9177908  }{\insrsid11366882 it.}{\insrsid4487597  At the moment it seemed }{
\insrsid6704089 kind of}{\insrsid4487597  like I\rquote d be piling on if I teased her.}{\insrsid919513 
\par }{\insrsid11366882 
\par Taking a deep breath, she continued. \'93He left me a message on the cell phone that he would be a little late, that he had to pick someone up, and to do something, before he could make}{\insrsid9177908  it, but he\rquote d be here.\'94. The }{
\insrsid14619607 furtive}{\insrsid9177908  look she gave the door made me think something ELSE was going on, but I didn\rquote t inquire further beyond a slightly raised eyebrow. Dana was NOT good at keeping secrets from me.}{\insrsid4487597 
 She was a mask to most other people, but we had been friends long enough for me to pick up the signs. If she wanted to say something, she would.
\par }{\insrsid9177908 
\par }{\insrsid5970039 Apparently, her need to talk to someone, }{\insrsid14619607 anyone}{\insrsid5970039 , about her issues and her lack of practice in keeping secrets from me meant even that small bit of }{\insrsid14619607 pressure was}{\insrsid5970039 
 enough to make her yield. \'93It\rquote s just that}{\insrsid14619607 ...}{\insrsid5970039  that tonight was supposed to be big for us. He\rquote s been telling me we should take the relationship to the next level, and for the past few weeks, we\rquote 
ve not been able to find a time to BE together}{\insrsid14619607 ...}{\insrsid5970039  and I was going to see if we could do something after the party.\'94}{\insrsid919513 
\par }{\insrsid5970039 
\par Well, THAT rocked me back a step or two mentally, that was unexpected! But I was able to fallback on a joke while my mental thought processes realigned. \'93Greeeaattt}{\insrsid14619607 ...}{\insrsid5970039  remind me to pull my shades}{\insrsid483239 . I
}{\insrsid5970039 f I remember correctly}{\insrsid483239 , your room and I look out on each other.\'94 I half laughed, half groaned. Inwardly, a bit of my psyche wished that I could see that, see her body twisting in }{\insrsid1798038 desire;}{
\insrsid483239  hear her groan in pleasure}{\insrsid14619607 ...}{\insrsid483239  but down that road }{\insrsid1798038 lays}{\insrsid483239  madness}{\insrsid14619607 , so I ruthlessly }{\insrsid1798038 suppressed}{\insrsid14619607  that thought}{
\insrsid483239 .}{\insrsid4487597  }{\insrsid483239 I\rquote ve had a crush on her for years, since I\rquote ve been able to understand }{\insrsid14619607 what that meant, but I\rquote ve never acted on it. Why try if you\rquote 
re doomed to failure, you know? We\rquote re still friends after all this time, and that\rquote s pretty cool, isn\rquote t it?}{\insrsid5970039 
\par }{\insrsid14619607 
\par She laughed under her breath while giving me a speculative eye as I had trailed off while trying to stomp down the part of me that was making blood flow to places they shouldn\rquote t while in public. I shrugged. \'93
Cool. Should I assume that means you two haven\rquote t been\'85 }{\insrsid1798038 err}{\insrsid14619607 \'85 intimate as of }{\insrsid1798038 yet?\'94 I}{\insrsid2494761  knew it was a bit of an indelicate question, but I couldn\rquote 
t think of anything else to keep the conversation going, and I wanted to keep her from worrying about where Johnny was.}{\insrsid919513 
\par }{\insrsid2494761 
\par She knew it was an indelicate question, but she didn\rquote t even flinch. \'93Well}{\insrsid1798038 ...}{\insrsid2494761  it\rquote }{\insrsid1798038 s been everything but, really, but he really wants to go further, and show how much he loves me... He
\rquote s been saying that it\rquote s like ordering a sundae full of toppings, and then just eating the toppings and leaving the ice cream to melt\'85\'94 Her voice tailed off as she looked at me. I\rquote m sure my face shown my disquiet at the topic.

\par 
\par \'93So, he\rquote s been setting the pace... has he? Are you... no...? Not my place to say.\'94 I forced a smile to appear on my face, and desperately cast around; trying to find a safe subject that wouldn\rquote t lead to me
 asking her if she had any choice on how far they were going. After a couple seconds, I was able to come up with SOMETHING. \'93Listen, do you need a cleanup crew after the party\rquote s over, or something? My folks know I\rquote 
m over here, and as long as things aren\rquote t too out of hand, I\rquote d be glad to pick things up\'94. 
\par 
\par \'93Nah, that\rquote s ok... Johnny and I will clean up...\'94 and her voice just died completely as she froze, looking over at the doorway. Right then and there, I knew something was so wrong. }{\insrsid6503847 So wrong, in fact, thing
s would never be the same. }{\insrsid1798038 I slowly turned my head to the doorway to see what had affected her so completely}{\insrsid2955843 , and would have done a spit-take}{\insrsid11555473 , had I been drinking.}{\insrsid1798038 
\par }{\insrsid11555473 
\par Standing in the door way, like a King and Queen, hand-in-hand, was Dana\rquote s boyfriend Johnny, and one of the biggest snobs in school, the self proclaimed \'93rich bitch\'94, Judy Williams! They smiled at each other, }{\insrsid6503847 obviously proud}
{\insrsid11555473  of having up-staged Dana\rquote s party with their entry. She was even wearing his letterman\rquote s jacket, for god\rquote s sake.}{\insrsid8196717  }{\insrsid11555473 As they wal
ked over to wear Dana was standing, shock obvious on her face, I saw a glint from a necklace that drooped }{\insrsid8196717 down over her dress, and peeked out from underneath the way too big letterman\rquote s jacket, and felt a double shock.
\par 
\par It was a class ring, presumably Johnny\rquote 
s, hanging on a heavy gold chain designed to attract attention, and I felt a surge of anger build inside of me. They had obviously planned this for weeks, and Johnny had taken advantage of her, by pushing her into sexual situations, while hoping to dest
roy her, both socially and emotionally in one fell swoop.}{\insrsid11555473 
\par }{\insrsid8196717 
\par Dana knew a setup when she saw one, and kept her emotions under check as much as possible, but she was really upset about this. Not waiting for either of the two lovebirds to throw it in her face, she went on the offensive \'93
Well, hello, Johnny. When you told me you had to pick someone up before you showed up, I thought you meant someone who\rquote s welcome at my house. Did you have to search many street corners to find her?\'94. There was an audible \'93oooooooh\'94
 from the folks who could hear her comment, and they slowly edged away from the four of us.
\par 
\par Johnny looked to reply, but Judy stepped in front of him, and launched her own attack. \'93Oh don\rquote t worry, we won\rquote t be staying long, we just thought it would be pol
ite to tell you to your face that he had decided to break up with you to be with some one better. It\rquote s not OUR fault that you\rquote ve been avoiding him,}{\insrsid9134239  and we had to deal with it in public,}{\insrsid8196717  is it?\'94
\par 
\par To me it sounded like two cats yowling at each other, bearing their claws, but I saw how deeply Dana had been hurt, even though she maintained the half-smile on her face and didn\rquote t flinch }{\insrsid9134239 once. \'93Oh, he\rquote 
s had plenty of opportunities to tell me he prefers a horse-faced shrew like you to me, but he never got around to it.. }{\insrsid6503847 But}{\insrsid9134239  then again, I think he\rquote s ashamed of making that decision, isn\rquote 
t he? I wonder when the lure of your money will wear off\'85\'94}{\insrsid8196717 
\par }{\insrsid9134239 
\par The crowd drew another half breath of shock and surprise, and I was doing the same. In a war like this, usually it was fought
 in muttered asides and whispered innuendo, and no fight ever got to this level of hatred before somebody stepped into to defuse the situation. This was different. This was no brushfire conflict that would quickly flare up, and just as quickly die down. T
his was nuclear war.}{\insrsid6503847 
\par 
\par }{\insrsid9134239 Neither Judy nor Dana\rquote s reputation would survive this, but neither cared any more. Judy\rquote s plans had supposed that Dana would play the role of victim, and Dana might have been lost, hurting, but if there was one thing}{
\insrsid6503847  Dana was not, was a victim. From the level  of the glares they were }{\insrsid5324206 leveling}{\insrsid6503847 
 at each other, they were seconds away from physically attacking each other, and I swallowed my anger long enough to decide that shouldn\rquote t happen.}{\insrsid9134239 
\par }{\insrsid6503847 
\par Before Judy could recover, and continue throwing insults at Dana, I stepped in between the two of them, and they both transferred their glares to me, and I think they were both a bit surprised. While I wasn\rquote 
t totally invisible at school, I was certainly one of the less active troublemakers (or as the case may be, peacemaker) in the school. To step }{\insrsid5324206 between}{\insrsid10577785 
 these two was a major step out of character for me. I think I was even shocked, but I knew where this would end, and wanted to at least keep it from getting to that final confrontation. My voice was level
 and calm, but even to my ears, my voice had its own edge. \'93You\rquote ve shown up, you\rquote ve made your point, and I think you know you\rquote re not welcome here. I think you\rquote d better leave. You\rquote 
re ruining a good party with your petty tactics.\'94
\par 
\par Judy seemed ready to launc
h an attack on ME for daring to get between her target and her, but Johnny laid a protective hand on her shoulder, to keep it from getting worse. This was his first physical reaction to the argument. He just stood there, with a smile on his face, as if he
 was PROUD that he, the football hero, had two girls fighting over him. Johnny just smirked at me, and said \'93And if we didn\rquote t want to leave, who\rquote s going to make me? You, wussman?\'94
\par 
\par I didn\rquote t even dignify that with an answer, just looked  from him, to the doo
rway pointedly. I was so angry that I WOULD attack him, despite the differences in size and weight. I was in pretty decent shape, but I was giving him four inches and twenty five pounds. But I wasn\rquote t going to move one inch.}{\insrsid4487597 
 Not for that asshole Johnny. I didn\rquote t care if he had the whole football team with him.}{\insrsid10577785 
\par 
\par Johnny had expected me to back down, just like everyone else did to the football hero type. But when I stood firm, there were a couple angry murmurs from the crowd, even one or two fellow members of t
he football team, and he judged the lack of support he was getting, and shrugged. \'93}{\insrsid5324206 Ok}{\insrsid10577785 , ok.. }{\insrsid5324206 We\rquote re}{\insrsid10577785  heading out.\'94}{\insrsid5324206  }{\insrsid10577785 
He half-turned away, and then if something had }{\insrsid5324206 just crossed his mind, looked back at Dana. \'93Nothing personal babe, you\rquote re good looking and all, and would }{\insrsid5404646 have }{\insrsid5324206 b}{\insrsid5404646 e}{
\insrsid5324206 e}{\insrsid5404646 n}{\insrsid5324206  real good, if you weren\rquote t such a frigid bitch.\'94}{\insrsid10577785 
\par }{\insrsid5324206 
\par Something deep inside me snapped at that point. I think the only reason Dana didn\rquote t attack him first was it had taken a second or two for his attempt at a last word/attack to sink in}{\insrsid4487597  for her}{\insrsid5324206 
. By that point, I had taken 3 of the 5 steps between us, and lowering my shoulder, barreled into him with a roar of outrage. He only had enough time to semi brace for impact before I knocked him down. He had much more experience on the giving end of th
at kind of tackle then the receiving, and I think he was shocked that I would actually DO something about it.
\par 
\par The instant we hit the ground I was swinging wildly at him, punches glancing off every part of his face and shoulders. I heard a couple indistinc
t feminine shrieks behind me, but my vision was filled in a red haze, and all I cared was battering that handsome nose into a bloody pulp. Johnny fired back a few good ones, catching me under my left eye with a punch that rocked my head back for a second,
 but I was like a machine, I didn\rquote t feel any pain. Soon he abandoned all attempts at offense and just tried to avoid my punches or deflect them, his eyes wide with shock as he tried to fend me off}{\insrsid5404646 .}{\insrsid5324206 
\par 
\par I felt hands trying to pull me off of him, and I struggled mightily. The first time they pulled me off, I managed to somehow break free and jumping back on him, continued to attack, but the second}{\insrsid8999842 
 time, there were three of them. One had me by the waist, and the other two hand my shoulders and arms.. }{\insrsid7423614 And}{\insrsid8999842  I was still attempting to break free.}{\insrsid5324206 
\par }{\insrsid8999842 
\par I heard a girl whisper.. \'93Geeezz.. }{\insrsid7423614 He}{\insrsid8999842  just kicked Johnny Antonucci\rquote s ass!\'94 to a confederate, as I looked down on him. Indeed, Johnny was still looking up at me, though he didn\rquote 
t look so hot, with blood trickling from both his nose and a split lip, and the beginnings of a good shiner underneath his right eye.
\par 
\par Now that HE had the advantage, he shook off the dizziness, and advanced toward me, only to have someone ELSE stop him. Hank Kartsen, }{\insrsid7423614 who was}{\insrsid8999842  known as \'93Hank the Tank\'94, for 
his skills on the gridiron (and the fact that he resembled a tank, despite being a gentle giant) stopped him before he could get close enough to where I was to return the favor I did him. Hank spoke slowly, but every word was measured. \'93
Not gonna happen, Johnny. Turn around, and walk away.\'94
\par 
\par Johnny tried to push past him}{\insrsid12929215 , but Hank easily kept him at arm\rquote s length. Johnny }{\insrsid7423614 knew}{\insrsid12929215 
 that his reputation had taken a major hit, and tried to salvage what he tried to push Hank away, with one hand, looking past him, and screaming at me \'93You better watch your ass, }{\insrsid7423614 because}{\insrsid12929215 
 next time I see you, Hopkins, I\rquote m going to put you in the hospital\'85\'94
\par 
\par His angry words turned into a shriek of pain, as Hank reached down, took Johnny\rquote s wrist in one of his huge paws, and SQUEEZED hard. I think, even from where I was standing, I heard bones grind against each other. Hank\rquote 
s voice was softer then before, but there was no softness in his words. \'93You do that, Johnny, and I\rquote ll tell them exactly where to look. That is if I don\rquote t find you first. I said, turn around.. }{\insrsid7423614 And}{\insrsid12929215 
 WALK AWAY.\'94}{\insrsid7423614  }{\insrsid12929215 He finally gibbered his }{\insrsid7423614 acceptance}{\insrsid12929215 
, and Hank let go. Obviously defeated and shaking his hand, gingerly made his way toward the door. Judy followed her defeated man toward the door, thankfully silent}{\insrsid7423614 
\par 
\par }{\insrsid12929215 As the door shut behind them, the folks holding me back finally got me to sit down, and just like that, all the adrenalin that I had in my body just evaporated}{\insrsid7423614 
, and  I was left wondering what had happened, and how I had in the words of that unknown girl, \'93Kicked Johnny Antonucci\rquote s ass\'94
. I barely had enough energy to raise my head, and look at Dana, who was looking back at me like I had grown antlers or something.}{\insrsid16718143  }{\insrsid7423614 
Hank checked out the window, and apparently satisfied that Judy and Johnny were NOT coming back to cause more trouble, turned to the crowd. \'93Listen, I know we had a good party going on before those two jerks ruined it, but I don\rquote t think it
\rquote d be polite to bother Dana any further. I think we should all pack up our stuff, and call it an evening.\'94
\par 
\par There was a quiet, subdued round of murmurs, and the party began breaking up. Hank walked over and whispered something to Dana, who was beginning to go through shock at this point}{\insrsid16718143 
, and she mechanically began to pick up items and putting them away. He then ambled over to me, and crouching a bit, so he could look me in the eye, spoke quietly. \'93Don\rquote t worry about that windbag Johnny. If he tries anything, he\rquote 
ll lose any chance of a scholarship and catch himself a beating at the same time. We knew he was a scumbag for a while now, but we thought Dana over there was civilizing him\'94}{\insrsid7423614 
\par }{\insrsid16718143 
\par I looked at him as if he was from another planet or something. All we ever heard was how the football players acted together, but in this thing, Hank had not only worked against the football team\rquote s hero, }{\insrsid5404646 he 
had told him that if anything happened to me, not only would he make sure the authorities knew about it, he would offer a bit of private justice for me.
\par 
\par }{\insrsid16718143  He smiled slightly. \'93Dana said you offered to stay and help, but I think she needs some time by herself. She\rquote s going to need to cry... and she\rquote s going to think. And soon\'85 she\rquote 
s going to realize how you feel about her\'85 I mean how you REALLY feel about her\'85 and then she\rquote ll understand why you did what you did.\'94
\par 
\par He must have caught my look of panic, and Hank chuckled to himself. \'93
Listen man, I may be no genius with the ladies myself, but I saw the way you stood behind her when it all started, when other folks would have stepped away. And I saw the look in your eyes when you took a run at him. It wasn\rquote t becaus
e he was insulting you that you got mad. They tried to twist the knife in her emotional wounds, and you were defending your friend. Don\rquote t worry}{\insrsid9780932 ...}{\insrsid16718143  I think she\rquote ll understand.\'94}{\insrsid1445611  }{
\insrsid16718143 Fortunately, she was cleaning up the kitchen, whil}{\insrsid4144374 e Hank and I chatted in the den. I took advantage of the chance to get out without talking to anyone. Folks gave me sidelong glances and really didn\rquote 
t talk to me that much, }{\insrsid9780932 and then}{\insrsid4144374  again, I was glad for the silenc}{\insrsid1445611 e.
\par 
\par }{\insrsid4144374 I spent the rest of that night, staring out the window toward Dana\rquote s house. I could see lights go on and off from various windows around the house as she cleaned up}{\insrsid4413030 . About midnigh}{\insrsid9780932 
t, or when the party was supposed to wind down, }{\insrsid1445611 I noticed the light go on in Dana\rquote s room. Even at a distance, I could see the tear tracks on her face. }{\insrsid6704089 She came}{\insrsid1445611 
 up to the window, and we spent a good half minute just staring across the gap between us. I\rquote m not just talking about a physical one. The sad smile she gave me showed me how much of an emotional gap there was as well. There was a feeling of di
sconnection between us, underscored by the fact that she eventually waved slightly, and lowered the shade, breaking off contact.}{\insrsid4144374 
\par }{\insrsid1445611 
\par I wished it hadn\rquote t happened, of course, but I wish that it happened during the school year.}{\insrsid6972359  That way I could have kept busy at the books or whatever, and not brooded about it. }{\insrsid6704089 
The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. }{\insrsid6972359 Sure I had done the right thing to protect a friend, but I basically usurped her right to take care of it herself. Or at least that\rquote s what I kept telling myself.
\par 
\par So I basically got away from it all. I got up, ate, showered, got dressed, and headed out the door, and basically walked around here and there until it was time to walk back home. Each night, there were messages from well-wishers and the like, but I ju
st tossed the notes into the trash bin without ever reading them. I think Dana even left a message with my folks a couple times, but I didn\rquote t call her back. I was afraid to, I guess. I was trying to pretend like nothing happened, but it wasn
\rquote t working. 
\par 
\par It was three days later, when things changed. I had returned from another all-day aimless walk and had grabbed a bite to eat. }{\insrsid6704089 When I entered my room, }{\insrsid6972359 I noticed a flashing light coming across the yard. Dana was }{
\insrsid6704089 there;}{\insrsid6972359  apparently she was waiting for me to get home. She did it a couple more times, until she was sure she had my attention, and as I waved to her}{\insrsid6704089 ,}{\insrsid6972359 
 Smiled, gave me a A-OK sign, and pulled down her shade. I was confused, until I saw the piece of paper taped to it. In big, bold, RED letter}{\insrsid13579615 s written against the white background}{\insrsid6704089 , it}{\insrsid6972359  read.
\par 
\par \'93Mike}{\insrsid6704089 ...}{\insrsid6972359  Can you come over?\'94
\par 
\par }{\insrsid13579615 Part of me wanted to pull my own shade down, and pretend that I hadn\rquote t seen it. }{\insrsid6704089 But that would have been a lie, and one that would have hurt her, and myself as well. }{\insrsid13579615 So I did the best thing
 I could. I took a deep breath}{\insrsid6704089 ...}{\insrsid13579615 
 and waited. When the shade came back up, and her expectant face looked across, I nodded, and gave her a thumbs up sign. She smiled, and copied the gesture (and then followed it with another gesture that had me laughing}{\insrsid6704089 ...}{
\insrsid13579615  apparently whatever else happened, her spirit wasn\rquote t broken.}{\insrsid6972359 
\par }{\insrsid13579615 
\par I grabbed my stuff, poked my head into the kitchen, let my mom and dad}{\insrsid6704089  know I was headed back out, that if they needed me, I was at Dana\rquote s\'85 and hit the door at about 100 miles per hour. Coincide
ntally, that was about how fast my mind was going, in the few seconds it took to cross my yard into hers, and then up her stairs, and knocked on her door.}{\insrsid13579615 
\par }{\insrsid6704089 
\par When it opened, I was nearly assaulted by the sense of d\'e9j\'e0 vu. The }{\insrsid4747367 living room was set up exactly a
s it was the night of the party. Just about everything I noticed was the same, down to the punch bowl and drink counter. I looked around}{\insrsid1057051 ...}{\insrsid4747367  }{\insrsid1057051 \'93
Another party, right after what happened the last time, Dana? }{\insrsid4747367 What\rquote s going on?\'94 I was utterly confused, to say the least.}{\insrsid6704089 
\par }{\insrsid4747367 
\par }{\insrsid4339013 She laughed}{\insrsid1329209 , took my head and led me into the empty living room}{\insrsid4339013 . \'93Oh, yeah}{\insrsid1057051 ...}{\insrsid4339013  I thought that last }{\insrsid1057051 time;}{\insrsid4339013 
 we had a few too many people, including two people who fortunately will never set foot in this house again}{\insrsid1329209 . So tonight, this party has an EXTREMELY restricted guest list.\'94}{\insrsid4747367 
\par }{\insrsid1329209 
\par \'93That\rquote s cool\'85 who did you invite?\'94 I was utterly confused}{\insrsid1057051 ...}{\insrsid1329209 
 I knew Dana was tough, but to be with a group of people, all of whom were there to see her boyfriend (ex-boyfriend, should I say), try to dump her in the most }{\insrsid1057051 publicly}{\insrsid1329209 
 humiliating way, just three days later. If my confusion level was high after her last comment, it was nothing compared to what would happen next. \'93Oh\'85 you know\'85 }{\insrsid7736818 a really select group}{\insrsid1057051 ...}{\insrsid1329209  }{
\insrsid7736818 just }{\insrsid1329209 the guy who did his best to see Johnny Antonucci hurt as much as he had hurt me}{\insrsid1057051 ...}{\insrsid1329209  I figured he was the guy that truly deserved to be here.\'94
\par 
\par With that, she took me in her arms and gave me the softest of kisses on my cheek, and held me tight}{\insrsid13591989 . My arms went }{\insrsid7736818 around her, and all my tension, my nervousness, my anger at myself flew out.}{\insrsid13579615 
\par }{\insrsid7736818 
\par For the next hour and a half, we pretended we were at a party, chatting with each other, even joking when she went to use the bathroom that she had to mingle with the others. It was fun, and Dana actually seemed like she was having a good time. }{
\insrsid1057051 We chatted about our upcoming senior year of school, what teachers we were hoping to get (and conversely, the few teachers we were hoping more then anything to AVOID), just typical stuff...}{\insrsid7736818 
\par 
\par Then she grabbed a CD from the rack, and tossed it into the C
D player. And making sure the right track was queued up. And before it could start, walking over to the couch where we had sat, and pulled me up, and led me to the middle of the room, where I could see furniture had been moved to set up an impromptu dance
 floor.
\par 
\par I looked at her nervously, and she smiled. \'93Don\rquote t worry, I\rquote ll lead\'94 she whispered, as the first few bars played. I recognized the song. It wasn\rquote 
t one of those down and dirty slow songs that were so popular, instead, it was an artist that not many people entering their senior year would admit to liking. But somehow, someway, it was perfect. It was Celine Dion\rquote s \'93That\rquote 
s the Way It Is\'94}{\insrsid1057051 ...}{\insrsid7736818  and we both let the lyrics}{\insrsid1057051  wash over us as we swayed to it, holding each other.}{\insrsid7736818 
\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1057051 \fs24\cf1\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\i\f38\insrsid1057051\charrsid1057051 
I can read your mind and I know your story\line I see what you're going through\line It's an uphill climb, and I'm feeling sorry\line But I know it will come to you\line \line Don't surrender 'cause you can win\line In this thing called love\line \line 
When you want it the most there's no easy way out\line When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt\line Don't give up on your faith\line Love comes to those who believe it\line And that's the way it is\line \line 
When you question me for a simple answer\line I don't know what to say, no\line But it's plain to see, if you stick together\line You're gonna find a way, yeah\line \line So don't surrender 'cause you can win\line In this thing called love\line \line 
When you want it the most there's no easy way out\line When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt\line Don't give up on your faith\line Love comes to those who believe it\line And that's the way it is\line \line 
When life is empty with no tomorrow\line And loneliness starts to call\line Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow\line 'Cause love's gonna conquer it all, all\line \line When you want it the most there's no easy way out\line 
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt\line Don't give up on your faith\line Love comes to those who believe it\line And that's the way it is\line \line When you want it the most there's no easy way out\line 
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt\line Don't give up on your faith\line Love comes to those who believe it\line And that's the way it is\line \line That's the way it is\line That's the way it is, babe\line Don't give up on your faith
\line Love comes to those who believe it\line And that's the way it is. }{\i\f38\insrsid1057051 
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1057051 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid1057051\charrsid1057051 
As Celine went through the last line, Dana pressed her lips to mine and we just stood there for several seconds, enjoying the kiss. It was a study in contradictions, soft and har}{\insrsid1057051 d,}{\insrsid1057051\charrsid1057051 
 giving and demanding, and altogether indescribably GREAT.}{\insrsid1057051 
\par }{\insrsid1057051\charrsid1057051 
\par As we}{\insrsid1057051  finally stopped the kiss, I saw her blue eyes looking at me, a question reflected in those shining
 eyes. I nodded, letting her ask whatever she needed to ask. And her question was typical Dana. Simple and to the point, and if you weren\rquote t paying attention, you\rquote d be lost. \'93How Long?\'94
\par }\pard\plain \s15\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1057051 \fs24\cf1\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid1057051 
I just squeezed her tight, and now was the time that I could hold nothing back from her. \'93Months... Years... For as long as I can remember.\'94 I told her, voice quiet but letting her know that it was the simple truth.
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1057051 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid1057051 
She nodded, and took a couple seconds to assimilate that information, and then her eyes locked on mine again, and there was a hint of sadness to it, and I wasn\rquote t sure why. \'93Then why didn\rquote t you tell me before?\'94
 she asked, a questioning note in her voice.
\par }{\insrsid16009724 
\par \'93You seemed happy, going out with Johnny Football Hero. I felt that... aw hell... Dana\'85 I\rquote m having trouble with the words, but I just wanted you to be happy more then anything. I felt that I\rquote 
d be getting in your way, and you had your reputation to uphold\'85\'94
\par 
\par For the first time, I saw a bit of anger directed at me. \'93Do you think that\rquote s all I cared about? Johnny did make me happy. But a lot of it was just because that\rquote s what we\rquote re supposed to be like}{\insrsid15276569 ...}{
\insrsid16009724  I mean, everybody put me on a }{\insrsid15276569 pedestal}{\insrsid16009724 \'85 and you did it too\'85\'94
\par 
\par \'93Dana}{\insrsid15276569 ...}{\insrsid16009724  I\'85\'94 I tried to get out, but by now, she was on a roll, and wasn\rquote t stopping, come hell or high water. \'93
You know, for a brave, smart, good person like you Hopkins, you sure buy into a lot of the stereotypes. You told yourself that no matter if you were friends with a girl, that if she was the in-girl, the special one,\'94 (a little bitterness started to cre
ep into her voice) }{\insrsid15276569 that}{\insrsid16009724  you daren\rquote t ask her for more, because you\rquote re a}{\insrsid5404646 fraid of what the gossips will do to her }{\insrsid16009724 
if they see you together? I mean, Johnny and I had been together a whole year, but what about before?\'94
\par 
\par \'93You\rquote re right\'85\'94 I said quietly, and the anger drained out of her, and she looked down, at her feet}{\insrsid5404646 , but her hands never let me go.}{\insrsid16009724 
\par 
\par \'93Being with Johnny was a nice ego boost. Sure, he was good looking, a football hero, even had his own car, but do you think that means anything about being a good person? Sure, he was the life of the party, but do you think he\rquote 
d be a good study partner, or someone to giggle over mindless TV shows with}{\insrsid5404646 , or someone to hold hands with and watch the stars}{\insrsid16009724 ? When we were together, it was for a purpose. He wanted something o
ut of it, whether it was to be seen together doing the in-thing, or lately, doing things I wasn\rquote t sure I was ready for. But this whole thing made me}{\insrsid15276569  rethink a lot of things... like wh}{\insrsid5404646 at}{\insrsid15276569  I wan}
{\insrsid5404646 t... and whom I want it from\'85}{\insrsid16009724 \'94
\par 
\par And with that, she kissed me again, hard}{\insrsid15276569 ...}{\insrsid16009724  pushing me back against the wall, and pressing her body against mine. My eyes widened in shock, but I was lost in the moment, and her body was doing wonderful things to mine
}{\insrsid15276569 , and it was a minute before she finally broke the kiss. By this time, I was rock hard, and she could feel it press against her. I tried to catch my breath, but one question needed to be asked. \'93Why now?\'94 I asked her bluntly.

\par 
\par She smiled, and pressed against me harder. \'93Because going by your track record, Hopkins, you\rquote d dither and worry about what I want for months before you made a move. I\rquote m a little more impatient then that.\'94
\par 
\par She finally let me off the wall, but didn\rquote t let go of my hand, dragging me toward the stairs, and bemused, I let her lead me up the stairs, into her ro
om, and watched as she shut the door behind me. In the dim gleam of the nightlight, she kissed me again and whispered. \'93
I told you last time that after the party, I was going to get together with the one who cares for me, and the one I cared for, and I was going to have my first time. I\rquote m glad those two tried to ruin everything. It means}{\insrsid5404646 
 that I got a second chance to put it into action. I\rquote ve had the party, and now I\rquote m going to give the man who loves me}{\insrsid15276569  my}{\insrsid5404646  most precious gift\'85\'94}{\insrsid15276569 
\par }{\insrsid5404646 
\par We slowly undressed in the dim
 light from the window and spent every moment watching the other. She thoroughly enjoyed my gasp of wonder, when her firm breasts were released from her 34-B bra, and she made appropriate compliments, as she saw my chest as I pulled off my shirt, and joki
ngly tossed it at her (I think she muttered \'93yum-yum\'94 under her breath.. I wasn\rquote t overl}{\insrsid16402095 y muscled, but I kept in shape), but the smile on her face told me more then her comments ever could.}{\insrsid5404646 
\par 
\par She finished disrobing, showing no nervousness as she watched me expectantly. Her slit was bare, except for a little thatch of hair above her slit. She obviously saw me staring at it. \'93It feels nice, plus I don\rquote 
t have to worry about worrying if anyone can see it if I forget the bottoms to my cheerleader outfit\'94, she said, with a shrug. She then made a \'93Get on with it motion\'94
, so I did a little teasing bump and grind, and finally dropped my shorts and underwear, and stepped out of them.}{\insrsid15276569 
\par }{\insrsid5404646 
\par She then took me in her arms again, and gently pushed me back on the bed, waiting until I fell down, then immediately cuddled in with me, her back pressed against my chest}{\insrsid16402095 , her hands guiding mine to her breasts\'85
\par 
\par We didn\rquote t have any words at this moment, we didn\rquote t NEED any. I gently squeezed her breasts, and stroked her nipples, which drew a 
long, groaning breathy moan of pleasure, and she turned her head towards me and locked her lips against mine. She undulated her body against mine, sending electric shocks through my skin, her legs teasingly brushing against mine.
\par 
\par After a minute, she took my left hand from her breast, and guided it down between her legs}{\insrsid942910 ...}{\insrsid16402095  only breaking the kiss to say}{\insrsid942910 ...}{\insrsid16402095  \'93
See how crazy you drive me, Mike? I need you to take care of me, just like you did before with that jerk. But this time I need you in a different way\'85\'94
\par 
\par I let my fingers slide up and down with hers, stroking her lower lips gently, feeling the dampness that had gathered there, and another moan came from her lips\'85 using my last ounce of resistance, I tried a small protest.. \'93But you might get}{
\insrsid942910 ...\'94}{\insrsid16402095  She expected the question, although it earned me a smile (obviously I had earned bonus points, for not losing my head in the heat of the moment.) \'93It\rquote s ok}{\insrsid942910 ...}{\insrsid16402095 
 I tracked my pattern}{\insrsid942910 ...}{\insrsid16402095  in about ten days, we\rquote ll need condoms, or to find another place for this}{\insrsid942910 ...}{\insrsid16402095  (}{\insrsid942910 Sliding}{\insrsid16402095  
her hand down to where my cock was and stroking it lovingly).\'94
\par 
\par I stroked her slit, finally giving in}{\insrsid942910 ...and she returned to her gentle stroking of my cock. It was obvious where we were both headed, but we were in no hurry to get there. }{\insrsid16402095 We had all the time 
in the world. The passion of the night was upon us, we willingly surrendered ourselves to it.
\par 
\par Finally, she couldn\rquote t stand the warmup, any more, and raised her leg and laid it over mine, indicating her readiness for what was about to happen. Her soft blue eyes glowed in the moonlight like cat\rquote 
s eyes, as she took my hand off her quite wet }{\insrsid942910 pussy...}{\insrsid16402095  and put it on my manhood. The only word that broke the stillness, was a }{\insrsid942910 long... drawn out, whispered, \'93Now\'85.\'94}{\insrsid16402095 
\par }{\insrsid942910 
\par As I entered her, I felt her welcoming me, her walls
 rippling on me, and her long gasp of pleasure. Obviously, her cheerleader activities had removed her maidenhead a while ago, as there was no barrier to my entering her fully, sheathing myself in her like a sword resting firmly in its scabbard.
\par 
\par As I started to move in and out, Dana revealed another side to her. Gone were the soft moans and whispered pleas. She started to get louder with her moans, rising in volume with every thrust. \'93
So good... so good... you fill me up so good, Mike... please... harder... harder... make it better... Oh gooddddd, you do that so well\'85\'94
\par 
\par Her voice was in a way, a turn on. She made demands on me, and I endeavored to give it to her as best as I could. I tried to adjust my angle and depth of my thrusts, and she }{\insrsid8207960 continued}{\insrsid942910  to enco
urage me, getting slightly lewder with her comments, as she begged me to give her what she wanted. 
\par 
\par \'93Stretch my pussy}{\insrsid8207960 ...}{\insrsid942910  mmmm}{\insrsid8207960 ...}{\insrsid942910  Mike. You make me so FUCKING wet}{\insrsid8207960 ...}{\insrsid942910  god}{\insrsid8207960 ...}{\insrsid942910 
 can you feel my pussy getting all tingly and wet on you?\'94 She asked me, her voice nearly a demand. I was VERY glad her folks weren\rquote t home to hear their daughter give me a command performance. \'93You\rquote re going to make me cum, aren\rquote 
t you? You\rquote re going to make me explode, and then you\rquote re going to cum in me}{\insrsid8207960 ...}{\insrsid942910  oh godddd, I can feel it now, you\rquote re going to cum in me so hard that I\rquote ll be leaking for days..\'94}{
\insrsid16402095 
\par }{\insrsid942910 
\par Her voice began to take its toll on me, and I could tell from her shrieks that she was close too. But somehow, I managed to hold off on my orgasm until she froze on me, and then with a quivering scream of pleasure, announced her orgasm to the world. (}{
\insrsid8207960 Or}{\insrsid942910  at least to anybody who might be listening). A minute or two later, just as she was coming down, I finally couldn\rquote t resist any }{\insrsid8207960 longer, and shot off deep inside her simmering pussy. She felt me j
am myself inside her and that was enough to set her off again.}{\insrsid942910 
\par }{\insrsid8207960 
\par We both collapsed, and she curled up against me as we tried to stay awake, but the intensity of our orgasms overwhelmed us, and we slept for two hours. We were both a little sore when we woke up, but neither of us regret it for an instant. She knew I
\rquote d be in trouble with my folks if I didn\rquote t show up SOMETIME, but we promised each other that first thing in the morning, we\rquote d meet and talk some more.
\par 
\par Admittedly, we had trouble NOT playing a  little grab-ass with each other, and I did have a hard on when I left, but I was also wearing the biggest smile ever on my face when she whispered \'93I love you, Mike\'94 and gently closed the door behind me.

\par 
\par I got home, and looked at the calendar, and realized what tomorrow\rquote s date would be. A smile came to my face, as I came up with a plan...
\par 
\par That next morning, after calling to make sure she was awake, I hurried over, with a bulge in my pockets, and she greeted me with a hug and a soul-searing kiss. Before we could do more then that, I gently led her over to the couch, and sat her down. \'93
Dana... sweetie... I realized what today\rquote s date was, and I realized I hadn\rquote t gotten you anything\'85\'94
\par 
\par She smiled and went to interrupt me, but I wouldn\rquote t let her. \'93But I think I have the perfect gift for you, for the gift you gave me. Could you run up to your room and get your favorite necklace?\'94
\par 
\par She was a bit confused, but nodded, and ran upstairs. I admired the view, and she gave me a smile at the top of the stairs, and quickly di
sappeared into her room, and just as quickly reappeared, a gold necklace in her hand. She came down and handed it to me, with a questioning look on her face. Before she could ask why, I put a finger to her lips, and waited until she nodded... then I turne
d my back, and removed something from my pocket, and quietly attached it to the necklace, before turning back to her, the necklace being hidden by my cupped hands. 
\par 
\par I indicated she should reach inside, and still a bit confused, she did so}{\insrsid2377353 ...}{\insrsid8207960  and froze, as she discovered the item I had attached to it}{\insrsid2377353 
. Slowly, and disbelievingly, she brought the necklace out, and hanging next to the gold heart at the end of the necklace... was a class ring. MY class ring. She looked at me, eyes threatening to tear over, as I nodded.}{\insrsid8207960 
\par }{\insrsid2377353 
\par \'93Last night, you said that you didn\rquote t care about the gossips or what have you. So, I figured that you would like a visible icon of how much I love you, Dana Crawford. You\rquote 
ve given me so much, and now it is time I gave back to you. You already have my heart. I figured my class ring wouldn\rquote t be any more of a sacrifice.\'94
\par 
\par That did it. That made her break down in some of the happiest tears I\rquote ve ever seen a woman cry, and I\rquote m sure I added a few of my own to the mix, as we held each other tight. 
\par 
\par She put the necklace on, looking down at how the jewel in the ring sparkled in a contrast to the gold on the necklace. \'94Damnit, Mike, you always ruin my plans. I never want to take this off\'85\'94
 she said, hand rubbing the necklace, then she gently lifted it off and placed it on the end table She looked up at me again.. \'93But I think it might rust or something if I took it with us into the shower.\'94
 She launched herself into my arms, and we kissed, and then she led me toward her bathroom, and the delights to follow.
\par 
\par That was six years ago.
\par 
\par Dana still wears the necklace with the ring attached when we go out. But she has one new ring to replace it already. An engagement ring, which soon would have a wedding ring on the same finger.
\par 
\par We were making up a list of people to
 invite, (including Hank, who I had asked to be my Best Man, for his role in what happened that night at the party), and I noticed that she had left one spot for an invitation open. I asked her who she had forgotten. Her smile had a predatory gleam to it.
 
\par 
\par \'93Well, it we\rquote re going to make Hank the Best Man for what he\rquote s done, I figure that Judy}{\insrsid9463388  Antonucci deserved at least an invite for what she did. After all, if she and poor henpecked Johnny hadn\rquote 
t done what they had, you never would have had the guts to do 
what you did. Besides, I kind of feel sorry for them, they have to deal with each other. Johnny never got that football scholarship, and Judy was a pariah for what she had done. So all they had left was each other. And they make each other miserable. Besi
des, I don\rquote t think they will show up, but I hope they do\'85\'94}{\insrsid2377353 
\par }{\insrsid9463388 
\par She smiled at me, and her hand found mine, and her eyes shone with the loss they had inflicted on her, and the ultimate victory she had claimed with me. She spoke, her voice, confident and strong, 
and filled with love, which provided an odd contrast to her words.
\par 
\par \'93To mangle an old song}{\insrsid6697418 ...}{\insrsid9463388  It\rquote s our party, and }{\insrsid8461417 Judy}{\insrsid9463388 \rquote ll cry if }{\insrsid8461417 she }{\insrsid9463388 want}{\insrsid8461417 s}{\insrsid9463388 
 to, you would cry too if it happened to you\'94
\par }{\insrsid6697418 
\par 
\par }}