Donna, one of Julie's best friends, had taken her aside during lunch period and tried to explain about Billy.

"Julie, are you nuts?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Donna?" Donna clutched at her friend's upper arm, making Julie wince.

"Are you stupid, girl? Billy Powers is a sex maniac!"

Julie yanked her arm out of Donna's hurting grip.

"You're the one who's nuts, Donna!"

"Oh? You better ask Norma whether I'm nuts or not! She can tell you all about him! And I mean ALL!"

Julie pouted her lovely lips and creased her brows in a pretty frown. She whirled away from her friend and sat down on the cement steps leading down toward the football field behind the school.

"Okay," she said. "Tell me about him."

"I don't know," Donna admitted, sitting down beside her young friend, and taking her upper arm in both her hands, and pulling Julie close. "But Norma told me some absolutely terrible things about him."

Julie tried to pull her arm free, but only halfheartedly. She liked Donna a lot, and sometimes she even liked the other girl's gentle caresses, her delicate touches – but right now all she wanted to do was hear about Billy Powers.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" she insisted, offering her arm in exchange for the secret information.

Donna stroked Julie's bare skin with her fingertips, just barely touching, tickling, loving.

"Norma told me Billy wanted to…"

"Well?"

"Billy wanted her to let him… tie her up!"

Julie's head jerked back, causing her long thick blonde hair to fall down over her pretty face and shoulders.