"Well, what gives?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing you'd understand!" Brian said quickly, his teeth clenched.

His father exhaled audibly and said, "Girls again, is it?" When his comment was meet with silence, he added, "I've told you a hundred times, there will be plenty of time for girls later."

And then the routine lecture on the importance of football and being number one in order to get to the treasured school Texas renewed itself, while Brian half-listened, his mind on Brenda's hurt expression, and his own frustration.

Now that he had won the scholarship, and football season was over, Brian felt very much alone. His father had released his clutches with such reality, that Brian was confused and disoriented. He had a month before spring training on the Texas campus, and his father had told him to take full advantage of the free time.

He tried to call Brenda at least a dozen times, but when he told who was calling, the answer was invariably that she was out or too busy to talk. Once she had answered the phone herself, and he had received a chilling, "oh, it's you!" followed by a crash of the receiver.

He walked into the local drive-in, not really hungry, but wanting to find some of his friends and shoot the breeze.

And then he saw her, sitting only two tables away! Her back was to him, and she hadn't noticed him come in. Her long hair was thrown over one shoulder as she sipped on a milkshake, a book in her left hand.

Mustering up all his courage, Brian walked over and said, "What are you reading?"

Brenda looked up and her body flinched. There was a dead look in her eyes as they met those of Brian's.

"A book," she said finally, her tone dull and flat.

"I can see that!" Brian said, trying to laugh, but not quite pulling it off. "I mean, what's the name of the book?"

"Animal Farm," Brenda answered, her voice sharp and quick.