Dallas glanced around guiltily “Kathy-it’s not smart to be seen like this, right out in the open.”

Her purple eyes smiled up at him, across at him as he ducked down into his VW, and she said, “Man, man-you look good enough to eat. To eat again, that is.

Wow! What a flue night that was, darling.”

“Kathy,” he said, more softly, “Kathy…”

“Did old Kingston give you a bad time? Are you going to cut all that gorgeous hair and shave your cute mustache?”

“Answering your questions in order,” Dallas said, “yes, no and hell no.”

“Good for you,” she grinned. “I told the kids you wouldn’t back down. I’m waiting here for Marty Brooke. This is his car; you know Marty.”

Dallas also knew an unreasoning stab of jealousy. Marty Brooke was a senior, a long and lanky kid who drew girls like freaks to a rock concert. But of course, Kathy hadn’t been a cherry when he got into her; she had been at a party that was turning into an orgy when they left together. And probably, if she had been a virgin, he’d never gotten the chance to screw her.

“Marty drives me around a lot,” she said then. “This afternoon, he’s taking me to a place on Ivy Street-1128. That’s away out on the edge of town, on a dead-end road, almost. There’s a way out, but not many people know about it.

It’s rented in this phony name, and we all chip in to pay for it. Nothing fancy, but a groovy pad where people can go when they want to swing. We keep it quiet there, even if it is a long way from any other houses, and we usually drive in the sneaky way, from the back and across the field. Remember the number, darling-1128. Here comes Marty now.”

Dallas tried again. “Kathy-look, I can’t just go out there…”

“Hi, Mr. Bradburn,” Marty Brooke said.

“Hi,” Dallas answered, and frowned when Kathy said, “See you-soon.”

He watched the clunker drive from the school lot, and caught a flash of red hair as it turned into the street. It was the damndest thing, but he felt his pecker rising, felt it pushing against his pant leg. The kids had a hideout pad, a place to swing. If he was ever caught in it, he’d be sent to jail on however many charges and outraged community could trump up.