"You know, I never told anybody else this," Annie said confidentially, managing to get Betty back to her seat.

"What?"

Betty felt her heart beating faster. It was going to be another confession, another admission of some sexual freaky thing Annie liked doing. But Betty couldn't tear herself away from her friend. She had to hear it all! The girl felt her heart beating like a trip hammer while her nipples were growing stiffer. And all along Betty was aware of those guys across the aisle staring at her.

"You ever hear about bondage?" Annie said, her thin lips curling up into another knowing smirk.

"Bondage?"

Betty drew back, feeling her flesh crawl.

Someone somewhere had told her stories about women who enjoyed being tied up and beaten. But her best friend Annie couldn't be into something that kinky, that weird! She and Annie were only teenagers. That sort of stuff was for older people.

"Sure, you know, ropes and stuff!"

Betty's eyes widened again. She imagined Annie had screamed out the last few words. The girl was too frozen with surprise and horror to move. Hugging her books to her tits, Betty sat there as Annie began explaining.

"Well, we don't go into the hard stuff – you know, all that leather and whips and stuff. It's too weird. And besides, we don't have enough money for it," the girl said, tracing her fingertips along the smooth table top and playing with a few crumbs.

This can't be happening! She can't really be saying this! Betty thought to herself. Yet she was. Those words were tumbling out, horrible words, sentences about how Hank and she got together every Wednesday night when her folks went out for the bridge club.

"No, I don't want to hear this," Betty whispered, her voice growing low and throaty. She couldn't move! Her legs seemed paralyzed, nailed to the floor as Annie paused for a moment.

"Come on, sure you do. I can see it in your face," Annie countered, smugly smiling at her friend.