Chapter IV

From a Tomboy to a Princess

Momma asked me to wear a dress for her on my high school graduation night. We went to town and she picked out the most DRESS she could find. I'm sure I had other dresses before I could remember and before daddy claimed me as his son. This was the first dress I could remember putting on. I HATED IT! All the ladies in the store oohed and aahed over how beautiful it was. I wasn't thrilled by any means. The final straw was when momma had me take off my boots and try on some heels. I almost broke my neck when they asked me to walk across the floor in those things designed to torture girl's feet.

The heels matched the dress and momma was thrilled. We stopped at the beauty parlor before we left town. I felt like a goat in a barnyard full of horses. I didn't belong. The only thing that made it tolerable was the other women called me Jake. It was the only name anyone knew me by. They put a rinse on my hair and teased it to make it look like some picture in a magazine. Donna, filed my nails which wasn't much. I never kept any fingernails to speak of. My nails were always getting broke loading hay, driving fence posts, or fixing a broken tractor. She glued those artificial nails on me. Immediately I hated them. If momma hadn’t been there they would have come right back off. Until the graduation ceremony was over about ten or so that night, I was going to have to watch what I was doing. When they were done I tried to untie the bib they had around my shoulders to keep the makeup off my shirt. I couldn't do it. Already those damn long nails were causing me more trouble than necessary.

I knew my dress and make over had cost momma a small fortune in milk money. Something we could ill afford. We were in the old Ford pickup headed out of town when I finally got my temper under control. I was driving and staring at the road to keep from having to look at anything else. "Thank you, momma. I love you."

She had been riding with her back to the door so she could look at me without turning around each time. "Katrina, I love you with all my heart. I know you don't like what I've done to you. Please be my little girl for one night. In two weeks you are leaving home for the rodeo circuit again. I don't know how much I will get to see you again before you start college. You're a young lady now, Katrina. Please let me enjoy that much of my baby girl."

I glanced in her direction. She had tears in her eyes. I don't guess I turned out quite like what momma expected when the doctors said her baby was a girl. "I won't make a fuss, momma. I'll practice walking in those heels when we get home. I'll walk across that stage like you always dreamed about. I'll keep the dress on after graduation, until I go to bed. I'll be your girl tonight, momma."

"You're a beautiful lady, Katrina. I'll always be proud of you no matter if you're wearing jeans or a dress." Momma turned to look out the window as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Those long nails were more trouble than they were worth. I had a terrible time holding onto that steering wheel. I'd keep them on for as long as they lasted just for momma. I pulled off the highway and headed down the country road toward home. It was another ten miles down a dirt road before we would be at the house. "Momma, if we leave by six, you can get a seat close to the stage. The air conditioners in the gym only halfway work. It's a lot cooler up by the stage."

"You sure you don't mind, Katrina? I know you don't want to be seen any more than what you have to in a dress." She glanced over at me and smiled.

"I could stand on my head in the cow lot for as long as it took if I knew it made you happy, momma." A skunk ran across the road and I dodged it, missing him by inches.

Momma glanced up in time to see what it was we almost hit. "If that had been me driving, I would have hit him and them we would have had to walk or drive the tractor to your graduation. We would all smell like skunk if I had run over him with the pickup."

"Tractor would work. I could hook up the wagon, put a couple chairs in it, and daddy could pull us to town while I waved at all the people. They would think we were part of the parade they missed." I could see the farm down the road.

Momma laughed so hard she cried. "You little nut. I bet you would too. It would embarrass the devil out of your dad and me. You would put on an entertainment show and make everyone think it was them who were out of step."

She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. "I love you Katrina. You are going to go far in this old world. You've never seen an obstacle you couldn't go over or go around. You've never run into a situation you couldn't figure out and never met a person you couldn't out think. In spite of your dad trying to make you his son, there's a young woman in there who will greet the world head on and come out a winner."

I didn't feel that confident but momma always was good at building up my ego. I turned into the drive. Dad was finishing chores and coming out of the barn. He looked up as I stopped the pickup. I knew he was trying to figure out who was in the pickup with momma. With a rinse on my hair, along with the lipstick and makeup, he didn't recognize me.

I had changed back into jeans and denim shirt before we left the beauty shop. The dress was on the front seat of the pickup along with those heels I was going to have to learn to walk in before tonight.

I killed the pickup, opened the door, and dropped out on the ground. "Hi pops. Did you have any trouble getting Doris in the milk stall? Has Roan dropped her calf yet? She looked darn close to me before we went to town."

Dad's mouth opened. He never said anything nor did he move, he only stared.

I was afraid of this. Dad hated what he was looking at almost as much as I hated being the object of what he was looking at. To him and the rest of the world I was Jake and I would always be Jake. Katrina was a name my mother used every now and then to talk to her invisible daughter.

Momma had already gathered up the boxes with my heels and dress. She shook her head as she looked at dad. She turned and walked into the house without saying a word.

I felt sorry for both of them. I wanted to tell daddy that I would be his boy tomorrow but tonight I had to be Katrina for momma. "I have to get ready. You lay out your black suit already or you want me to ask momma to lay it out?"

He was still staring as I walked into the house. I wondered what was going thorough his mind? I thought I knew him but obviously not. I had never seen him act like that. I beat everyone to the bathtub. Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in my room looking at the dress and heels momma had laid out on my bed earlier when she walked in.

"May I help, Katrina?"

"I don't know what to do momma."

"It's a natural thing honey. Sit down on your bed and pull your nylons on."

I sit down and gathered up two nylon stockings.

"The garter belt goes on first dear." Moma pointed to the thing with straps hanging down from it.

I knew what a girdle looked like. What momma was pointing at looked like a small girdle with clips. I slipped my feet into it and slid it up over my hips.

"Now the stockings, Katrina. Roll them down from the top. Slip your toe in and slid them on. The seam goes in the back."

I did as she told me.

Momma helped me fasten them up with the straps.

She backed up. "Slid your hands down the stockings, Katrina. It will smooth out the stretch and they won't wrinkle or bag when you sit down or stand up."

"I think all the girls are wearing pantyhose momma." I was sure most of the girls were wearing pantyhose. I NEVER heard any of them talk about wearing a garter belt and nylons. I was sure I had never seen any of them wearing nylons when they flashed a leg for the boys. I was positive, I had never seen any seams on any pantyhose the girls wore.

"I'm sure they are Katrina. Nylons are for real ladies. They are from a time when ladies knew what turned a man's head. Trust me Katrina, you will turn heads tonight. Now the heels."

I sit back down on the bed and slipped on the black velvet heels. I stood up. I did real good as long as I didn't try and walk. "Maybe we should have started with a shorter heel?"

"No dear, the dress demanded four inch heels." Momma handed me a black bra.

I really didn't need a bra. I was a thirty two B but I was going to be momma's girl tonight. The bra had a lot of padding to push me up and out. It made me look like I really had something. I managed to get everything adjusted and dropped the black satin slip over my head.

I was beginning to feel something I had never felt before. I wanted to show off not in a funny way like I always did before but in a sexy way. I dropped the velvet dress over my head and turned my back to momma.

"Hold in your stomach, Katrina." She ran the zipper up the back.

"Turn around and let me look at you."

I took one step away from her and slowly turned around. Momma was crying. "Oh my god. My little girl is all grown up. You're so beautiful. My god, look at you. You're a woman now."

She put her hands up beside her eyes to wipe the tears. "Where has my little girl gone? Oh Katrina, you're so beautiful."

She turned and fled the room crying. I felt strange, different, and something I had never felt in my whole life. Sexy. I walked, if one can call what I was doing in those heels, over to the door and pushed it shut so I could look in the mirror attached to the back side.

There was a stranger in the mirror looking back at me. I didn't know her. She was the woman my mother was crying over. The black velvet dress fit me like a second skin. The low scalloped neckline was showing plenty of breasts those padded cups were pushing up. The side walking slit was more than I could believe. It was showing the top of my nylon stocking where it hooked to the garter straps when I twisted my body. The hem was four inches above my knee. I hadn't shown that much leg since I went swimming in the creek.

I was still studying the woman in the mirror when momma came back in holding jewelry in her hand. She held it up for me to see. It was the only diamond jewelry momma owned. A simple little gold necklace with a tiny little diamond drop on the end. A couple clip on earrings with a little tiny diamond in the middle of a small gold flower.

"These were given to me on my wedding day by my mother. You get to wear them tonight and when you get married I will give them to you." She held them up for me.

I picked up the earrings and clipped them on. I tried putting on the necklace and couldn't get the clasp with those long fake fingernails I was having to contend with.

"Turn around Katrina. Please, let me do it."

I turned around and momma snapped the clasp shut on the necklace.

"You have an hour to learn how to walk in those heels Katrina. Watch me." Momma walked across the bedroom and back again swinging her hips and placing one foot exactly in line with the other. I had never seen her walk like that before.

"Okay." I gave it a try and wobbled across the floor and back again.

"It's okay Katrina. You will get the hang of it before we leave." She turned and left.

I was dressed for graduation. Now all I had to do was learn to walk in those four inch heels momma had bought me. Simple enough. Or so I thought. I stumbled across that bedroom floor a hundred times before I found the trick to wearing heels and walking like a lady.

I heard a snort at my bedroom window. I knew who it was before I opened the window and looked out. "Look Gun, what do you think?"

Gunshy was eyeing me suspiciously. I walked across the room and back again just for him. "Well?"

He shook his head up and down. I felt a whole lot better knowing I had his approval. "I'm going to pick up my diploma tonight. I'll be back to show you."

Again he gave me his approval. I turned and walked into the living room where momma was putting daddy's tie on for him. I saw him swallow as his eyes got as big as egg whites when I walked into the room.

Holding out my hands I turned around for him. Momma was looking too by the time I finished my audition. Daddy got a lopsided grin, started to say something, bit his lip and tried again. He still couldn't get it out. He smiled as his lip quivered. I saw a tear trickling out of his right eye before he turned and walked out the front door.

That scared me. "Momma, is he mad at me?"

She walked up and put her arm over my shoulder. "No Katrina, he has seen his little girl for the first time and she's a young lady. He's so proud of you he can't tell you how beautiful you are."

She checked her watch. "It's time to get going. You ridding with us or you taking your pickup?"

"I'm ridding with you. I don't have any reason to stay around after graduation ceremonies. It will save some gas."

"Good enough." She picked up her purse and shepherded me toward the door.

We made the school parking lot in good time. Dad found a decent place to park. As we got out of the pickup daddy turned and took a good look at me. "You're the prettiest girl here Katrina. I guess I lost Jake tonight. I'm not sorry. I picked up a beautiful daughter instead."

"Don't worry daddy. Jake will be back in a couple hours. Besides, I'll always be your Jake."

Momma gave me a hug as she checked her camera. "We're going to find some seats up front. We'll wait on you after the ceremonies."

A couple of boys, Ricky and Eddie, from my class walked by looking me over. I could hear them talking as they walked on by. "Jeeze, did you check out that blond? I wonder whose older sister she is? Find out who she came to see graduate. Why couldn't I have been in her school?"

Ricky looked back over his shoulder. "I think I know those people she's with. Isn't that Jake's parents?"

Eddie took a second look. "Yeah, I think so. You think that's Jake's older sister? Nah, can't be. She couldn't be kin to Jake. She's too good looking."

That scared me, I wanted to be back in my jeans and boots. I turned to momma.

"Hold your head up Katrina. You will be all right. It's like building fence, milking cows, calf roping, or all those other things you do. Take it one step at a time. Don't take so much of it you can't handle it. What do you do when you build fence? You set your corner posts first. This is the same thing. When you walk into that auditorium you hold your ground. You aren't the kid they sit in class with everyday. The others will come over and look you over. People are no different than those cows you work with. Some are bullies, some are friendly, and some will be indifferent. When they get where they scare you then name them with the names of the cows that have their personality."

Momma laughed as she was already doing in her mind what she told me to do. "Those two boys who walked by? Who do they remind you of?"

I gave it some thought before it came to me. "Lucy is always curious and getting into things she shouldn't. Ginger is usually tagging along with her and doing the same."

"Exactly. And I'll bet there isn't a single one of those classmates of yours who doesn’t have a counterpart in the dairy herd."

"Thanks momma." I wasn't scared any more. I gave her a hug and then gave daddy a kiss on the cheek.

He was getting all choked up again. I turned and walked toward the auditorium. That black dress momma had picked out for me wasn't a short miniskirt but it wasn't far from it. Four inches above the knee was showing a lot of leg, especially for a girl who had grown up in blue jeans. Other kids were arriving and most of them were talking about the lady in black as I walked into the auditorium.

My English teacher, Mrs. Inman stopped me at the door. "Students and faculty only in this door. Parents and guests are supposed to go in the front entrance around on the other side."

"Yes, I know. Thank you for reminding me." I waited to see if she was going to recognize me.

Her eyes closed slightly as she was trying to match up something in her mind. "I know you aren't a regular teacher here. Are you one of the student teachers?"

That got me tickled thinking she thought I was three to four years older than I really was. "No, I didn't student teach here Mrs. Inman."

Not all the students had arrived but those that had were sure staring. The whole room was whispering and pointing in my direction. Mr. Cuff, our principle had walked up by this time. From the look on his face, he was ready to tell me I had to leave.

Mrs. Knight, my Algebra teacher had a smile from ear to ear as she walked over to our little gathering. "My, my, and how we have grown up since I saw you yesterday. I wouldn't have known you if I had been looking before I heard your voice."

She took my hand as she studied me. "I see a beautiful woman before me where a child stood only yesterday. You look absolutely stunning." Mrs. Knight was enjoying herself to no end as she had figured me out and no one else knew.

Mr. Cuff was getting a little peeved over the whole situation. "Mrs. Knight, you know this lady?"

Mrs. Knight was laughing as she looked at all the faces gathered around us. "I sure do. Mr. Cuff, I would like for you to meet Miss, Katrina McDonald."

That still didn't ring anyone's bell. It was a name on an enrollment slip and nothing else. How many people ask to look at your enrollment slip after the first day? None! I was surprised Mrs. Knight would remember it.

Laughing out loud, she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. "This young lady is Jake. You know? Jake McDonald? Imagine cowboy boots, jeans, denim shirts."

Mr. Cuff looked shocked. "Jake McDonald? Jake McDonald? Jake is a…, This is a Jake? No? It can't be!"

He glanced at my breasts where those padded cups were giving him something to look at. "But I thought Jake was a…?"

He was checking my height. "No way…, Jake is shorter."

Mrs. Knight was crying she was laughing so hard. "Miss McDonald is wearing heels."

By now I was getting tickled and beginning to see the humor in all this. "I still get to graduate, right?"

"Sure, if you're Ja…, If you're the McDonald who has been coming to my school for the past three years, then you get a diploma same as all the others." Mr. Cuff wasn't too sure how he should handle this situation. He had been handed something he had never had to face in his whole career. He turned around and left with a quick purpose in his stride. I knew what he was going to do. He was going to check that enrollment slip to see whether he had enrolled a boy or a girl.

Mrs. Knight put her arm around me and gave me a hug. "Katrina, you're the prettiest girl in our school. I wouldn't have missed this for a million dollars. Have fun tonight and let me know if you need any girl support."

"Thanks, Mrs. Knight. I appreciate it."

She backed up and looked me over. "You look better than nice. I haven't seen stockings like that since my mom wore them. I must have the name of the place where you found them. You look soooo…, wow."

The seniors who had arrived earlier and those who had come in after me had been grouped up discussing the "hot chick" who was talking with the teachers. They had heard Mr. Cuff and Mrs. Knight mention Jake McDonald and Katrina McDonald. Most of them didn't make the connection any better than Mr. Cuff. I never socialized in school as I always had chores to do. I didn't have any real friends as none of the girls liked Jake and most of the boys didn't want anything to do with Jake either. The only kid in that whole school who would accept Jake, was a boy named Ernie Stover. Ernie was a computer and electronics geek. Those were the two things I never understood but received a whole lot of information about because I hung around Ernie during school hours. The only mutual friendship we had was, there weren't any other kids in school who would give either one of us the time of day. So, we kind of looked to each other to have someone to talk to. Ernie didn't understand horses, farming, or any of the things I did. I didn't understand ohms, resistors, capacitors, or any of the things he did. I'm sure I gave him as much education about the rodeo and farming as he gave me about circuits.

Ernie had arrived before I did. He was one of those kids hanging back watching when I walked into the room. Slowly he edged over one shy step at a time as he intently stared at me. Finally he got up within four inches of my face. He studied me as he adjusted his glasses. "Jake? It's you isn't it? What did you do to yourself?"

I backed up a step so I didn't have him right in front of my nose. "Hi Ernie, this is me. What do you think? Be pretty hard to rope a calf in this outfit don't you think?"

Ernie's eyes were blinking as he tried to digest the fact his best buddy had turned into a girl. "Golly, Jake, you look real nice. I don't guess you want to hang around me any longer. You're the prettiest girl in this school. You'll want to hang around all the football studs and talk girl talk with all the other girls now."

Ernie was a real good looking boy in his suit and tie. I knew the boy inside all those dress up clothes. I certainly didn't think I could stomach any of the football studs, as Ernie called them. I stepped up and put my arm over his shoulder like we usually did the past four years. "I don't have anything I want to say to the other boys Ernie. You and I have always been and always will be best friends."

Ernie's Adams apple was bobbing up and down as he was swallowing. That tickled me to think I had shocked someone who had been a close pal since junior high. "Ernie relax, it's only me, Jake. I'm not going to eat you. If girls scare you that bad, imagine me in boots, jeans, and my old cowboy hat. I'm still the same guy you always knew. Nothing's changed except a little outside cover."

He still wasn't buying me as his old friend. I figured I needed to get him thinking about something else besides me. "You said you were going to get a five watt ham radio set up in the basement this week. How did it go?"

That was the icebreaker. For ten minutes I listened to Ernie explain something I knew nothing about. But he was in familiar territory and talking about something he knew better than anyone else in school. Katrina had been put out of mind as Ernie talked to his best friend, Jake, about his latest electronics experiment. The boy-girl thing was forgotten for a little while.

The other girls didn't want anything to do with me. I was a social stigma they weren't prepared to handle. Some of the boys who thought they were hot jocks tried to edge in and push Ernie off to the side and strike up a conversation. Ernie was too meek to protest but when he was edged over, I would edge over with him. I really didn't care to be discussing what evers with the boys who thought they were god's gift to the girls. Let the girls who had played that game the past four years giggle and laugh when the jock said something totally not funny to anyone but him.

Finally it was time for the graduation ceremony. From the time I first arrived that was the longest fifty-eight minutes I had ever lived through. Ours was a rural school and the only part of the cap and gown we wore was the cap. There weren't any gowns. I tried to put mine on my head as we were lining up to take our places in the auditorium. Ernie was trying to help. Placing that cap on top of a full hairstyle that had been teased and sprayed until it was like steel wool wasn't working.

Mrs. Knight walked up and took the cap from me. "Here Katrina, let me do it."

She pulled some bobby pins out of her left hand, put the cap in place, and pinned it. "There, it will stay where it belongs now."

I felt with my hands if it was where it should be. It was cocked back. "Is that right?"

She put her right hand on my left shoulder and looked me in the eye. "It is perfect for a young lady. You look lovely Katrina."

The band was playing and the first students were walking into the auditorium. I straightened up. I was going to do my best to make momma and daddy proud. "Thanks Mrs. Knight."

After we took our seats on stage, there was plenty of time to look over the audience as the special awards were passed out to the kids who did something extra special. I finally found momma and daddy in that sea of faces looking at us. What shocked me was, sitting beside them was Bill Randall and his wife LeAnn. I didn't think Bill had any kin in this school.

They finally came to the end of the awards ceremony and it was time for the seniors to cross the stage and pick up their diploma. I was waiting for the first name to be called when I heard my name. "Miss Katrina Ann McDonald to the stage."

Looking around at all the other faces who had turned toward me, I expected someone to say it was a joke. I slowly rose out of my chair and walked down to the stage where they handed out awards. Mrs Knight was at the microphone. "Tonight, we have an unusual award to present to an outstanding student. This award is normally presented at the national rodeo finals. However we were contacted by the National Rodeo Association and asked if we would honor this fine student who has made such an impression on the cowboys and cowgirls of America."

She pointed down toward Bill Randall. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to have the National Calf Roping Champion from our audience to present the award. Would you please welcome, Mr. Bill Randall. Three time winner as National Calf Roping Champion."

There was a rousing applause as Bill walked up on stage. He was dressed better than anytime I had ever seen him. A dark, shiny, brown, western dress suit and tan cowboy boots. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. He adjusted the microphone to his six foot seven inch height. "Thank you Mr. Cuff. Every year one cowboy is honored as being the most congenial, the best all around, the one person who exemplifies what a cowboy is. The cowboys vote for their favorite cowboy for this honor. They decide who defines by example, the best all around cowboy. The cowboy of choice normally scores consistently in the top honors of his field. He is usually on the rodeo circuit all year. By a vote of their peers, the cowboys pick whom they want to honor. After the final tally was in, the NRA had a small problem. The cowboy wasn't a cowboy. This year has been quite a challenge to the judges of the National Rodeo Association. "

There was a murmur from the audience. It had soaked into my brain where this was leading and my hands were shaking. Bill smiled as he continued. "The cowboy nominated rode the rodeo circuit only part of the year as school demanded the rest of his time. However, he performed consistently at the top in the events in which he entered. The cowboys knew him by the name of Jake McDonald. From my understanding after talking to the faculty here at Webster High, all his classmates knew him as Jake McDonald."

"Like I said, the National Rodeo Association had a small problem. The All Around Cowboy was a cowgirl. After learning about the situation, the NRA judges sent the nomination back to the cowboys for consideration. Jake picked up even more votes as the All Around Cowboy when the tally was counted again. It was my privilege to be half of the head and heel roping team with the young lady whom I am going to present this award tonight."

It was like the night I had roped that calf in the county fair, a rush of quiet dropped on me. Everything went into slow motion as I looked out across the sea of faces in the audience. What were they thinking of me now? Surely they hated me!

Mrs. Nickles walked out on the stage and handed Bill a trophy of a horse with a man standing beside the horse holding the reins. Now I understood how Mrs. Knight knew who I was when I walked in earlier. Obviously the secret wasn't shared with Mr. Cuff.

Bill turned around and held the trophy out to me. "To an All Around Cowboy, Cowgirl, Katrina Ann McDonald. You will always be a top hand in our stable."

As I took the trophy, my hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped it. I was so hot I was about to faint. Bill adjusted the microphone back down to my level and indicated I should say something. I couldn't think of a thing to say. Even if I had I wouldn't be able to say it. My mouth was cotton dry.

I leaned toward the microphone as if it was a rattler and cleared my throat. "Uhhhh, thank you. Thanks to all of you. Thanks to Gunshy, the best horse a cowboy ever had. Thanks to my mom and dad who told…, who taught me to always do my best."

I looked over at Bill. "Thanks to the best person a…, a…, a girl could ever team up with. Bill Randall."

I was through. I said more than I thought I could. Mrs. Knight indicated I should follow her and I did. We walked off behind the curtains on the side of the stage. She held out her hands. "Let me take care of your award Katrina. I'll give it to Mr. Randall or your parents. They will make sure it gets home for you."

I walked around behind the stage and back up to my seat. I could feel everyone staring at me. Thank goodness it was only a minute before Mr. Cuff indicated the diplomas were to be handed out and they forgot me again. We walked across the stage as our names were called. It was quickly over.

Before I could make it from the stage down to where my parents were waiting Donna Snyder stepped in front of me. She had always been the most popular girl in school and had been voted into everything that was going on. She was homecoming queen, student body president, head cheerleader, you name it, she was in it.

She was giving me the once over as she put out her hand to stop me when I started to walk around her. "Jake…, I mean Katrina, some of the kids are getting together for a party in a little while. Won't you come?"

I shook my head. "No thanks. I have things to do at home. I rode in with my parents. I don't have a way back unless I ride home with them. Thanks anyway."

She wasn't letting me get away as she held her position in front of me. "I have my Corvette. I'll drive you home after the party. It's not going to last too long. There's refreshments and pop. We thought we would get together one last time before all of us scatter from home."

I was thinking how Donna reminded me of the way Gunshy and I separate the cows. She was blocking my path. "I don't know."

"Just for old times sake? It's probably the last time you will see most of the other kids you went to school with." Donna wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Who all is going to be there?" I was considering her offer.

"All the seniors and a few of the juniors. Come on, I'll take you home when you want. It will be a lot of fun." She was willing to do everything to get me to the party.

"Okay. Ernie Stover is going to be there too, isn't he?" I was willing to see the other kids for one last time if my old school chum was going.

Donna hesitated. "Sure, all the kids will be there. Tell your parents you're going to a party and will be home later. You can ride over with me. Meet me out in the parking lot. You know my car. It's a red Corvette."

She stepped out of the way. I walked down to explain to my parents I was going to a class party for a few hours. Ten minutes later, I found Donna waiting in the parking lot. We were out of there in a flash. With all the people leaving the ceremony Donna was driving carelessly. I was wishing I hadn't agreed to ride with her. She was an accident looking for a place to happen.

Donna drove quite a ways out of town. The driveway she pulled into I recognized as being Lana Mortner's place. Lana was one of those women whose husband died when she was fifty-one. He left her a ranch, money, and tons of insurance money. She was always off some place like Florida, Colorado, or Europe, seeing if she could spend it all before she died. Her ranch was also only a couple miles down the road from Bill Randall's place.

There was one other car in the driveway when Donna pulled in. I was wondering where the rest of the kids were. "Are we early, or what? It doesn't seem like much of a party yet."

Donna killed the car and got out. "I guess we beat the others here. They'll show up."

I walked into the house with Donna. Kyle Adams, Donna's steady for the past three years was there, along with David Mercer and his girlfriend Ronda Alder. I didn't like the way they were looking at me when we walked in. I heard a car drive up out front. I was hoping it was Ernie and some of the other kids I knew. As I turned to look out the door I saw Ronnie Talsman and his date, Sherrie Henson getting out of a car. I was disappointed. So far I wasn't seeing any of the kids I cared to say goodbye to.

"Where's the refreshments?" I turned to look around the room. It didn't look like much of a party. There was only beer and liquor sitting on the table.

Donna pointed toward the table. "There's enough to go around. You want a beer, brandy, whiskey, or tequila?"

"Neither. I don't drink." I was wishing the other kids would get here and where was Ernie? Donna said he was coming.

Kyle turned on the CD and some acid band was playing some really wild, screeching music. I hated it. He picked up a couple glasses and poured some hard liquor into them.

He handed one to Donna and offered me the other. I shook my head. "I really don't drink."

"Sure you do. Here, it will get you in the mood." He forced it into my hand.

I took it rather than dropping it. "Thanks."

The others begin filling up glasses and drinking while dancing, if one could call it that, around the room. I felt totally out of place. I sure didn't like the drinking. I had a different kind of party in mind than this. I caught Donna as she swirled past me. "I think I'd rather go on home."

Kyle wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close. "Dance with me Ja…, Katrina."

He laughed as I tried to follow his steps. It wasn't possible as he didn't have any rhythm nor style. He was moving and that was it. "Kyle, I think…,"

“That's the problem, Jake. You're thinking too much. You need to loosen up. If you'd drink up then you'd feel better." He took the glass out of my hand and held it up to my lips trying to force me to take a drink.

I pushed him away. "I don't want any."

I turned toward Donna. "Take me home now."

Kyle grabbed me from behind wrapping up my arms and lifted me off the floor.

"Kyle, I said I don't want any. Put me down." I tried in vain to struggle free.

He threw me down on the couch and fell on top of me. Squeezing under my jaw he forced my mouth open and poured the liquor in. Clamping his hand over my mouth stopped me from spitting it back out. I held it in my mouth until he clamped my nose shut and I couldn't breath. I was forced to swallow it. It burned all the way down my throat.

Kyle was laughing as he took his hand off my mouth. "There, now you have joined the party."