8:00 AM

   In a remarkable display of both solidarity and hubris, Stacy showed up at school wearing one of Jeff's striped shirts. The two kids, who only a couple of weeks earlier looked like polar opposites, were now starting to look like twins. The same height, the same age, the same blond hair, and now even the same clothes. What was even more incredible, is that the majority of the kids who knew them, were already starting to get used to the idea. With Gavin and Clifford temporarily sidelined, and Gordy no longer a threat to be reckoned with, Jeff now felt alot safer traversing the halls in between classes. He continued to say "Heya" to anyone who was in any of his classes, but now, more than a few of them were actually starting to say "Heya Feingold" back. Carl was no longer the only person in the school who called him by his first name. Cindy and Rhonda now both addressed him as Jeff (and not Joey or Johnny).
   One of the few holdouts was, of course, Dana. If anything, the relationship between one of her best friends and the wise-ass shlub who publicly insulted her mother, made her even more temperamental than usual. What on earth could an intelligent, well-groomed, impeccably made-up Goddess like Stacy possibly see in this dorky kid who had absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever? Little did she suspect that this would turn out to be the most transformative day of her life.

1:00 PM

   It was in between 4th and 5th period, that Cindy and Rhonda stopped Stacy in the hall. They had a look of concern in their eyes that was not common for two girls who were normally as easy-go-lucky as them.
   "Stace, we've gotta talk to you," said Rhonda.
   "What's up?"
   "Me and Cindy are seeing a movie at the mall while our parents are at the meeting tonight. Wanna come along?"
   "Aw, thanks, but I'm already going to do that with Jeff this afternoon. We might even catch you arriving as we're leaving."
   "There's something else we wanted to mention," Cindy sounded serious. "Dana is apparently spending the evening with Gavin."
   "What!?" Stacy was alarmed. "How...?"
   "Her mom is driving her there, under the pretense that they're going to be doing homework."
   "Homework? They're not even in the same grade!"
   "We don't think her mother really cares, one way or the other. All she knows is that he lives in the Palm heights area, which of course, automatically makes him 'desireable' in her strange universe."
   "Stace, we were hoping there's an outside chance that you might be able to talk some sense into her," pleaded Rhonda."We tried, but to no avail."
   Stacy thought about it for a moment. "She's in Langsdale's 5th period math class, right?"
   "I believe so."
   "I'll catch her as she's leaving. On some level, she's got to realize that this is just plain wrong...and probably dangerous."

2:00 PM

   When Dana arrived at her locker, Stacy was waiting there for her.
   "What do you want?"
   Stacy was slightly thrown by the coldness in her voice. "You haven't spoken to me since yesterday at lunch."
   "Gee, I can't imagine why," was Dana's sarcastic retort, as she fiddled with the combination on her locker.
   "Dana, are we still friends?"
   "I don't know, are we?"
   "Cindy and Rhonda tell me that you're planning on spending the evening with a guy who just got expelled for beating up my boyfriend."
   Dana was incredulous. "Like he's the only person who's ever done that." She slammed her locker shut. "Need I remind you that all last week, your boyfriend was expelled for insulting my mother in front of an entire class...among other things."
   Stacy sighed. "I hate to say this Dana, but the more I learn about your mother, the more I realize just how much restraint Jeff was using when he said what he said."
   "I've heard enough of this." Dana started to take off, but Stacy grabbed her arm.
   "I don't know whether or not you still consider me to be your friend, but I still consider you to be mine. Please tell me that my phone number is still on speed-dial on your cellphone...Just in case."
   "Just in case what!?"
   "Dana, I don't give a rat's ass how big, strong, handsome and wealthy Gavin is. I think that guy is seriously dangerous, and I just want you to know that I'm there for you...no matter what."
   Dana didn't answer. She didn't know what to say, or for that matter, what to believe...or who to believe. Her mother tells her one thing, her friends tell her the opposite. The simple fact is that although she instinctively knew how to put on make-up and always wore clothing that showed off her curvaceous figure, the pretty brunette was not nearly as emotionally mature as her blonde friend. The two of them were literally textbook examples of superb raw material, influenced heavily by bad and good parenting, respectively. The two of them parted quietly.

3:45 PM

   The Faircrest Galleria was a large indoor mall, located within easy walking distance of the school. It was anchored on either side by two large department stores. The third floor was dominated by culinary businesses and a multiplex. Jeff and Carl were seated at the pizza place where the girls were supposed to meet them.
   "Do you think I should offer to pay her admission?" Asked Carl.
   "No, that would be way too obvious. Not unless she specifically indicates that she's short of funds. Remember, Stacy just told her that she's going to see a movie at the mall with a couple of friends. She didn't specifically say that it would be her boyfriend and another guy. You don't want to seem too anxious."
   "Well, I'm certainly not going to argue with the master."
   "Carl, I'm no master at anything. Getting together with Stacy was merely the result of a ridiculously improbable string of events. There was an accident in the gym, an earthquake, a large grandfather clock...Not to mention the fact that Rhonda Gaines really knows how to think on her feet...much to my surprise. If any single one of those elements had been out of place, we would not be sitting here right now. Or maybe we would be, but we certainly wouldn't be wating for anyone."
   Carl was doubtful that lightening could possibly strike twice in the same school. "I've got a feeling that the moment she sees the two of us sitting here, she's going to realize it's a set-up, and bolt."
   "Well, if that happens, there are other girls." Jeff tried to sound as inspirational as possible. "By any chance, do you have a second choice?"
   "Yeah. My second choice is anybody who happens to be female."
   Jeff spotted the two girls as they emerged from the escalator and waved to them. As they walked over and sat down, it was obvious that Carl's prediction was pretty close to accurate. Although Linda wasn't making a run for it, the look on her face was indicative of someone who felt she had just been misled. Stacy put her arm around Jeff's shoulder and gave him a big kiss as usual. Linda didn't even make eye-contact with Carl.
   "Have you guys picked out a film?" asked Stacy.
   Although they actually hadn't, Jeff immediately pointed at the marquis. "Yes, that one." It was a romantic comedy.
   "Interesting choice," observed Stacy. "Any particular reason?"
   "Yeah, because it starts in about two minutes, and I don't feel like waiting around." Actually, he sensed that Linda wan't exactly thrilled with the situation. He was genuinely worried that if he didn't hustle the four of them into the theatre as quickly as possible, she just might bolt, like Carl had predicted.

   The movie turned out to be o.k, but not great. Jeff and Stacy held hands and shared a bucket of popcorn, while Carl and Linda just stared at the screen. Carl's eyes would occasionally drift towards her, but she never returned any glances.

5:30 PM

   When it ended, the four of them regrouped at the same table they were sitting at before going inside.
   "That was alright, but I'm probably not gonna remember it in a week," Opined Jeff.
   Stacy concurred. "Remove a couple of swear words, and you've basically got a reasonably competent made-for-t.v. screwball comedy." She turned to Linda. "That girl who played the accountant's niece sort of reminded me of you."
   Linda just sort of stared at all three of them simultaneously, and literally spoke for the first time since she and Stacy arrived at the mall. "I enjoyed it. Thanks for inviting me, but I'm not feeling too well. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." With that, she got up and left.
   As soon as she disappeared down the escalator, Carl stood up and leaned over the table. "You two are the best. I'll see you in class tomorrow."
   "Carl, you can hang with us if you'd like..." Stacy started.
   "Thanks, but I'd feel like a third leg. You guys have already done enough for me." With that, He got up and left.
   Jeff looked at Stacy and sighed. "Well, we tried." There was a five second pause. "Just out of curiosity, can you picture Cindy or Rhonda with Carl?"
   "No," Stacy sounded certain. "Believe it or not, I'm not giving up on Linda just yet."
   "You've gotta be kidding. She didn't even acknowledge his presence once over the last two hours."
   She looked at Jeff and smiled. "How soon you forget that there was once a time when I treated you like that."
   "Yeah, but not when there were two mutual friends present."
   "I'll try talking to her tomorrow. You know, my guess is that this probably has nothing to do with Carl. She might just simply not be into guys yet. Not everyone is at our age."
   "Either that or she already has a boyfriend."
   "Naw, if that were the case, she would've insisted on bringing him along." Stacy looked at the big clock in the center of the mall. "It's 5:30 and dark outside. I'll call my mom and see if she'll give us a lift."
   "But I've got my bike."
   "Our car has a rack."

6:00 PM

   Stacy's mom picked them both up at the mall, and dropped Jeff off at his house. Little did the two of them know that this was only the beginning of what would turn out to be a long, tumultuous evening.

7:30 PM

   Dana's mother was obviously impressed as she drove up to the guard booth of the Palm Heights gated community.
   "Name?" asked the guard.
   "Lefkowitz," she answered.
   Dana spoke up from the passenger seat. "The Marshall residence is expecting us."
   The guard turned a couple of pages on his clip-board, wrote something down, and then the crossing gate lifted. Mrs. Lefkowitz's eyes were nearly popping out of her head as she slowly made her way through the well kept streets full of gigantic stately homes. The sun had gone down a couple of hours earlier, and the mansions all seemed to look even more impressive in the soft moonlight. She was in heaven. These were the sort of residences she fantasized about in her dreams.
   "So what class is this boy in with you?"
   "Huh?" Dana was caught a little off guard.
   "You said that you and he are going to be studying together."
   Of course that wasn't the case. Even if Gavin hadn't been expelled, he was in the 9th grade, and the two of them weren't in any classes together. That was just an excuse she used to get her mom to drive her to his home.
   "Um..." Dana wasn't sure how to answer this.
   "Well, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're making friends with the right people."
   Whether or not Gavin was a straight-A student or an axe murderer was meaningless in the warped mind of Dana's mother. To her, anybody who lived in a ritzy neighborhood like this fell under the category of 'the right people.'
   Dana glanced at the road map. "Turn left up ahead. It should be just around the corner."
   As the car rounded the bend, the Marshall estate came into view. Mrs. Lefkowitz was beside herself. She parked the car in front of what had to be the longest walkway either of them had ever seen.
   "Listen Hon, the meeting at the school is going to last about two hours, and it's going to take me at least a half hour to get there and back. Three hours should be more than enough time to get whatever studying you need done. I hope you also take some time to get to know this boy and his family a little better."
   "Mom, you haven't even met him yet. Let me introduce you..."
   "Dear, I'm going to be late for the meeting. I'm sure he's a nice kid. Just go knock on the door, and when he answers, I'll wave to the two of you."
   Dana got out of the car and scurried up the walkway. She rang the bell and it didn't take long for Gavin to open the door.
   "Heya babe." Getting expelled from school had done nothing to mute Gavin's usual narcissistic demeanor.
   "Hiya Gav...Wave to my mom." Dana turned around and waved, and Gavin did likewise.
   Neither of them could actually see her mother in the darkness. Her mother could barely see them as well. The porch was dimly lit, and at least twenty yards from the curb. She could just just make out two small silhouettes waving their hands. She was satisfied that someone was home, and drove off.
   "Come on in." Gavin led her through a cavernous foyer. As they walked, their footsteps echoed loudly. The place was not well lit, and a bit like a museum after hours. Dana did her best to ignore the sheer creepiness of the whole situation. Soon they arrived at a room in the back with a huge high definition widescreen television covering up most of the wall. "Have a seat." He motioned towards the couch that was facing the t.v.
   Dana was understanably a little weirded out that no one appeared to be in this giant sized estate besides him. She thought she would be meeting his family. "So are your folks going to the P.T.A. meeting too?"
   "Naw, they're not here." He sat down next to her. "They're at our other home near the coast."
   Holy crap. alot of thoughts were now racing through her head. Just how rich are these people? How did they acquire all this wealth. What on earth is Gavin doing in a public school in the first place? Don't people of this sort of means, usually send their kids to private schools?
   "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" It was just starting to occur to Dana how little she really knew about him.    "I have an older brother. He's off at college."
   "Usually places this size come with butlers and maids."
   "The help doesn't live on the premises. The maids arrive at eight and leave at leave at five." The conversation wasn't going the way he wanted it to. "So is there any movie in particular that you'd like to see? We've got a big collection."
   He pointed towards a large bookcase that was filled with DVDs. She got up to examine them. Unlike Stacy's father's library, this one skewed heavily towards movies of a more recent vintage. She was a little disturbed by the staggering amount of horror films there were in the collection.
   "Well what haven't you seen yet?" She asked.
   "I've seen all of them, but I wouldn't mind seeing any of them again. It's always different when you watch it with someone else."
   Gavin had it all planned. Like most guys, he knew that a good scary movie might cause a girl to suddenly grab on to whoever is sitting next to her for protection. The oldest trick in the book. Dana actually assumed that she would be snuggling up next to him on the sofa, but not while watching something like that. She was thinking more along the lines of a romantic film for a romantic evening.
   "I've got a better idea," she sat back down on the couch. "Why don't we just see what's on TV?"
   Gavin tossed her the remote control. "Knock yourself out. There's a big sattelite dish outside. We've got every channel on the planet, and whatever you want to watch is fine with me."
   She picked up the remote, and started to flip through the channels. Her female instincts kicked in when she stumbled upon a romantic scene between two people in an opulent restaurant. It didn't matter that she didn't see the beginning, or really know what it was about yet. This was obviously a recent chick-flick, and girls are just naturally hardwired to zone in on this sort of material.
   "Let's see what this is."
   "Alright." Gavin sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
   Dana leaned into him, and they both settled into watching the film. For the next half hour or so, they would remain in this position, with Gavin occasionally kissing the top of her head. This would eventually change.

8:15 PM, Faircrest Middle School

   The parents and teachers had gone through all the requisite greetings and handshakes. Eventually they all filed into the school auditorium and found their seats.
   Principal Lazarus stepped up to the lecturn stage left, and addressed the crowd. "Greetings, parents and faculty. I would greatly appreciate it if, for the next hour, you would all please turn off your cellphones." As he spoke, a giant screen descended from the ceiling behind him. "This is a short film that describes how the new spy-cam system works. As you are all probably aware by this time, we have already had to expel one student who we caught assaulting another student in the hall."
   Oddly enough, Jeff's parents had no idea whatsoever that the recipient of that assault was their son. Jeff never talked about stuff like that with them. He just figured that they would assume that it must have been something he did.
   The seemingly innocuous hour long deactivation of the cellphones would usher in a watershed moment in at least one girl's life.

8:30 PM, Gavin's House

   The movie was heading towards it's climax. On the screen, the two romantic leads were now engaged in a long, romantic kiss. Gavin decided that this was his cue. He held Dana a little tighter, hoping that she would take the hint. She nervously turned to face him and closed her eyes. Despite all her braggadocio, the fact is, this would be the first time she had ever kissed a guy full on the lips. She basically just imitated what was happening on TV. Although she didn't exactly feel any fireworks, the experience wasn't unpleasant either. She was slightly disappointed that her first kiss proved to be a fairly unmemorable moment. She briefly opened her eyes, gave him a half smile, and then tried again.
   This time, however, he decided to be a little more aggressive, and put his tongue in her mouth. Dana definitely did not enjoy this, but pretended that she did, simply because she didn't want to let him know that she had never done this before. She felt that it wouldn't look good if word got around that she was a bad kisser.
   The two of them turned and watched the screen as the credits rolled. As the film ended, they turned to each other and kissed once more. This time, Gavin really decided to press his luck. As they kissed, he reached over and put his hand on her breast.
   Dana gasped. She wasn't even going to attempt to pretend that this was within the boundaries of her comfort zone. "Uh, Gavin..." she grabbed his hand and removed it.
   "Sorry," He sounded insincere, but she was glad that she wasn't going to have to put up a fight.
   This moment proved to be an epiphany for her. She now realized that she was in over her head, and started to question what her own motives were for spending the evening with him in the first place...Did I come here to please my mother? Did I come here to prove that I could get a better looking guy than Stacy? Did I come here to try and convince myself that I'm ready for something that I'm actually not ready for? It was proably a little of all three, but mostly the later. Needless to say, his motives were now obvious.
   Nontheless, knowing that she was stuck there for at least another hour and a half before her mom came for her, she quickly decided to change the subject. "That was good, can I see what else is on?"
   Gavin sighed. "Sure, I'll be back in a minute or two."
   After he left the room, Dana started to flip around with the remote. My God, she had never seen so many channels in so many different languages. What was the point of having all these stations that no one is ever going to watch? She managed to come across a channel that specialized in classic movies, and coincidentally, they were showing The Maltese Falcon." This briefly brought a smile to her face, as it brought back the memory of her watching it two weeks earlier at Stacy's, and the way they were commenting on how indecipherable the dialogue was.
   Gavin re-entered the room, with a couple of beverage filled glasses. "Perhaps some refreshments are in order." He placed one of the glasses down in front of her on the coffee table, while he continued to hold the other.
   Dana could tell by the color that they were filled with liquor of some sort. "Um, I usually only drink on religious occasions."
   "Well, why don't we just pretend it's Christmas...or Passover...or whatever your preference."
   Once again, she directed his attention towards the big screen. "You know, Stacy and I had to do a sociology report that involved this film. It's called The Maltese Falcon. The dialogue is real difficult to..."
   All of a sudden she stopped. The movie was at the scene near the end, when Humphrey Bogart was talking to Sidney Greenstreet, "So that's when you slipped me a Mickey..."
   Dana now gazed down in horror at the glass of wine in front of her. Suddenly, Stacy's words kept ringing in her ears about not being able to trust this guy.
   "What's wrong?" Asked Gavin.
   "Huh?" She was clearly distracted.
   "You were about to tell me something about this movie?"
   "Oh," she composed herself. "Just that it's real hard to understand what's going on. "Listen Gavin, I really don't feel like drinking anything with alcahol in it right now. By any chance, do you have a can of soda or something?"
   "I believe we've got some Pepsi."
   "That'll be fine."
   Gavin put his glass down on the coffee table and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Dana suddenly had an idea. She picked up both of the glasses of wine, and switched them around, being very careful to put one glass in the exact place that he had left the other. If he were to pass out next to her after drinking from it, her suspicions would no longer be ambiguous.
   Suddenly, the story got a little more complicated. She clearly heard the sound of the top being popped off of a Pepsi can from the direction that he just headed towards. If several red flags had already been hoisted, they were now really flapping in the breeze. At least thirty seconds had elapsed since she heard the can open, and still no sign of him.
   "Gav, What's taking so long?"
   "I'll be there in a second" came the voice from the other room. He then walked in, handed her the can, and sat down next to her.
   "Y-You didn't have to open it for me." She tried not to stutter. Her hand was also starting to tremble a little.
   "I'm just bein' a gentleman." He sat down next to her, and put his arm around her once again. "Hey, you're shaking. Are you cold?"
   "No, it's not that." Her mind was now racing...What do I do now? "Uh, which way is the bathroom?"
   Gavin pointed to the door that they entered through. "That way. Make a right at the end of the hall."
   "Thanks, I'll be right back."
   That was a lie. She knew what she had to do. First she walked down the hall, opened the bathroom door, and without actually going inside, turned the light on. She then shut the door loudly enough for him to hear. It was time to make her escape. She tiptoed through the cavernous entry hall and opened the front door as quietly as possible, exited, and then shut it behind her in equally as quiet a manner. Once she was outside, she ran. She wasn't sure of which direction she was going, but she wanted to get as far away from that house as possible. She whipped her cellphone out, and immediately set it so that any incoming calls from Gavin would receive an instruction to just leave a message. Once she was about two blocks away, she managed to compose herself enough to speed-dial her mother's number....nothing. Her mom's cellphone had been turned off. Now she was starting to panic. She didn't want to be wandering around in the dark late at night in some strange neighborhood. What if Gavin were to come looking for her? She quickly scanned through the list of all the other numbers she had listed on speed-dial, focusing on the adults. Since all the adults were at the meeting, perhaps she could ask one of her friend's parents to relay a message to her mom. She tried giving Rhonda's parents a call. No luck. Just her voice mail. Same with Cindy's and Stacy's. It soon became evident that everyone's phone was turned off.
   She tried calling Rhonda and Cindy, but they were both in the theatre at the mall, and had to turn their cells off. Finally, there was Stacy. Dana just stared at her number for a minute, pondering the amount of crow she was going to have to eat, if she dialed it. Stacy did practically order her to give her a call under these exact circumstances. Preparing to humble herself, she pushed the button. It rang twice, and a familiar voice answered.
   "Hello?"
   Dana's voice had a noticable tremble in it. "It's me, Stace."
   "Dana?"
   "You were right. Gavin is a creepy guy who lives in a big creepy house."
   "Where are you!?" She sounded frantic.
   "Right where I shouldn't be."
   "Dana, get out of that house!"
   "I'm already out of the house. I sneaked out when he wasn't looking. I'm a couple of blocks away, hiding in the bushes."
   "Have you tried calling your mom?"
   "Yes. I've even tried calling your mom. Apparently something is going on at the school that required them to all shut their phones off." Dana was now crying profusely.
   Stacy paced back and forth a couple of times. "Dana, I want you to know that I'm very proud of you."
   "What are you talking about?"
   "I can imagine how difficult it must have been for you to get up the gumption to call me right now. You have no idea how thankful I am that you did. Were you planning on spending the evening there?"
   "No, my mom is supposed to pick me up, but that's not for another hour and a half. I'm wide open to any ideas."    "Oh yeah?" Stacy had a minor brainstorm. "Listen, I'm now going to ask you to do something that is going to require more courage than anything you have ever done in your life. Are you up for it?"
   "I'm up for anything that'll get me away from here." she wimpered.
   "Alright." Stacy pushed a few buttons on her phone. "My boyfriend has an older sister who drives, and has her own car. Give him a call, and inform him of the situation. Perhaps he can persuede her to give you a lift."
   "Feingold?" Dana was ashen-faced.
   "If you want him to be receptive to the idea, I strongly suggest that you call him by his first name. You do know what that is, don't you?"
   "Wouldn't it make alot more sense if you were to call him? He'll probably just hang up on me...And frankly, I don't blame him."
   "Dana, it's the principle of the matter. You've discovered some important things about the boy you love this evening. Now I think it's time you learned a little about the boy you hate. That is, unless you want to wait another hour for that P.T.A. meeting to end."
   Dana was now starting to get cold. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
   "Call me back as soon as you get off the phone with him and let me know how it goes."
   "Alright, Goodbye."
   She punched in the number that Stacy sent her and pressed 'send.' In many ways, this was even more nervewracking than sneaking out of Gavin's house. If Stacy hadn't given her the tongue lashing she knew she deserved, perhaps Jeff would make up for it.
   "Hello?" The familiar voice answered. Jeff was busy making himself a sandwich.
   "Hello." Dana was so nervous she could hardly speak.
   "Who is this?"
   "It's Dana."
   Jeff couldn't imagine why she would be calling him. "Alright, what did I do this time?"
   "You didn't do anything. But this is the hardest thing I will ever do in my lifetime."
   "What are you talking about?"
   "I'm in big trouble, and I need your help. Stacy tells me that you've got a sister with a car."
   "Yeah?" He was understandably suspicious.
   "Jeff, I need someone to pick me up."
   He was flabbergasted. This was the first time she had ever called him by his first name, and actually got it right. "Dana, where are you?"
   "Near Gavin's house..."
   "Oh, so that's it, huh?" The mere mention of Gavin's name caused a red flag to go up in his head. This sounded just like the sort of cruel joke that he would likely put Dana up to. "Listen, you tell Gavin to go screw himself. I'm not falling for that again. I've gotten a little older and wiser over the last few months."
   "Jeff, I'm serious. He's trying to..."
   "I'm not as stupid as you think." He hung up on her.
   Dana immediately called Stacy back.
   It took less than half a ring for her to answer. "Dana?"
   "He didn't believe me, and I don't blame him. He hung up on me."
   "Hang tight. I'll give him a call." Stacy hung up and called her boyfriend.
   "Hello?" He was now eating the sandwich he had just prepared.
   "Hi Jeff, it's me."
   "Hiya Angel. You're not going to believe this, but Dana just tried to lure me into..."
   "Jeff, she really was at Gavin's this evening..."
   "Charming. I cannot think of two people on the planet who are more deserving of each other's company." He continued to munch on his sandwich.
   "You've got to listen to me. This is not a practical joke. She's genuinely in trouble."
   He sensed the urgency in her voice. "You're absolutely posistive she's not trying to pull something over on you, just to stick it to me?"
   "Jeff, listen. You know I would never lie to you. Dana has alot of deep-rooted psychological problems. They all stem from the fact that her mother is a whore. Believe me when I tell you that burried deep inside that self-centered jap is a genuinely good person trying to claw it's way to the surface."
   Jeff was still skeptical. "Need I remind you that the 'genuinely good person' you are talking about would've hit me in the back of the head with a very large anthropology textbook if you hadn't held her back..."
   "Well you did insult her mother in front of a whole class..."
   "And if she had insulted mine, I might've been indignant, but I certainly wouldn't have..."
   "That's because you're a much better person than her!" Stacy was now crying. "Jeff, I'm going to make this as plain as possible. Gavin lured her over to his house this evening. He evidently tried to pull something on her that was similar to whatever it was he pulled on you. She managed to escape, and is now hiding in the bushes somewhere in his neighborhood."
   "So why doesn't she call her mom?"
   "Because they evidently made all of our parents turn off their cellphones at the meeting tonight. If you don't believe me, try calling yours."
   "I'll take your word for it."
   "Jeff, a week and a half ago you completely forgave me for treating you like garbage," She was now screaming. "Now it's time for you to do the same for Dana!"
   "Alright," he sighed. "First I've gotta go ask Marcie if she's got time for this." Jeff carried the cellphone down the hall. His sister's door was open, and she was lying on the bed, reading something. "Marce, I've got a favor to ask."
   She put the book down. "What's up?"
   "Somebody I know at school has gotten herself into a serious jam, and needs a ride. She's about twenty minutes away from here."
   "Do I have to drive through a crummy neighborhood?"
   "As a matter of fact, just the opposite. She's in the Palm Heights area. We'll be the ones who are considered to be the undesireables in that neck of the woods."
   Unbeknownst to Jeff, Aggie had been listening in on the conversation from her bedroom across the hall. She walked up behind him. "You guys are going for a ride into the Palm Heights district? Cool. Can I come along?"
   "Well, since both of you are obviously into this, I guess I have no choice." Marcie put down the book and reached for her jacket.
   Jeff spoke to Stacy, who was still on the phone. "Alright, it looks like we're off to the rescue."
   "Thank you so much. Jeff, can you guys bring her over to my house?"
   "Sure, why not."
   "You've got her number, right?"
   "Yeah, it's still in my phone's memory from when she called a few minutes ago. I'll give her a call and keep you posted."
   "I love you."
   "I love you too." Jeff hung up.
   The three of them all piled into Marcie's car, with Jeff in the back seat, and Aggie riding shotgun.
   "Do you know exactly where we're going?" inquired his older sister.
   "Just drive in the general direction of Palm Heights. I'll give you more specific instructions once we're in the vicinity." Jeff now picked up his phone once again, and punched in Dana's number. It took less than half a ring for her to answer.
   "Hello?" Her voice was still trembling.
   "Dana, it's Jeff. I just got a call from Stacy. We're coming to get you."
   "Th-thank you."
   "Listen, for the time being, just calm down. You are not walking in some dark back alley on skid row. You're in a well lit wealthy gated community. There's no need to be hiding in anybody's bushes."
   "I'm afraid of Gavin."
   Jeff sighed. "Yeah, welcome to my nightmare. Look. Just start walking towards the guard gate. If you walk at a brisk enough pace, you'll keep warm, and by my estimate, you should arrive there several minutes before we do."
   Dana got up and started walking. "Alright, I'm on my way."
   "Give me a call if there's a problem. I'll see you in about 15 minutes." Jeff hung up the phone. As soon as he did, it rang again.
   This time it was Stacy. "Jeff, there's something I've gotta ask you."
   "Yeah?"
   "Obviously you've known him alot longer than I have. What exactly is Gavin's story?"
   "Needless to say, I'm no authority on what makes him tick either. All I know is that his parents are stinkin' rich...I mean, we're talking nine figures...and that they're hardly ever home. From what I understand, that giant mausoleum he lives in is only one of several, in numerous different cities. I think they breed horses or something."
   "In other words, this is a guy who's used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it." Observed Stacy.    "Yeah, on top of being rich, he's also tall, handsome and muscular. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if getting expelled was his very first brush with anything remotely resembling adversity."
   "That actually explains alot. I'll see you a little later."
   "Bye Angel." Jeff closed his cellphone
   Marcie had been listening in on the conversation, and was curious to know what was going on. "So exactly what kind of a Jam has this friend of yours gotten herself into in the Palm Heights area?"
   "I'm not so sure she's my friend," Jeff was even more droll than usual. "Basically, we're on a mission to rescue an asshole from the clutches of an even bigger asshole."
   Marcie didn't press the matter any further. She and Aggie just kicked back and enjoyed the scenery for the next fifteen minutes. Jeff finally gave a couple of specific directions.
   "Turn right up ahead, and then drive a couple of blocks. You'll see a guard booth on the right. She should be wating for us there."
   Marcie followed his instructions, and sure enough, there was Dana. She seemed to be shivering, even though the guard had lent her his jacket.
   As they drove up, Jeff swung the right rear door open. "Hop in, Dana."
   Dana handed the guard his jacket and thanked him. She then got in the car, never dreaming there would actually come a day when she would be relieved to see Jeff Feingold.
   "You alright?" He asked.
   Without looking at him, she answered very quietly, "Yes."
   "These are my sisters, Marcie and Aggie. This is Dana Lefkowitz."
   The three girls exchanged hellos and Marcie spoke up. "So where do you live, Dana?"
   "We're not taking her home," interrupted Jeff. "We're taking her to my girlfriend's house. It's not far from ours."
   With that, Marcie drove off. For the first five minutes of the ride, Dana just sat in silence. For her, it was still unbelievably strange hearing Jeff Feingold using the phrase 'my girlfriend' when referring to Stacy.
   "Dana, I think there's something you should know."
   She turned and looked at him with a blank expression. Jeff took this as a sign that he had at least earned her respect, if not her friendship. Ordinarily, she would just flip him off.
   He continued. "Last summer, out of the blue, I got a call from Gavin one day. I asked him what he wanted. He said that he and a bunch of guys had a party going on at his house, and he invited me over. I couldn't believe it. I thought he hated me, and I asked him about that. He said that that was just a school thing, and...you know, what the hay. It's summer, and he had a big backyard with a big pool, and the more the merrier, yadda yadda yadda."
   The expression on her face remained blank, but Dana listened intentively.
   "Anyhow, being the idiot that I am, I hopped on my bike, and pedalled all the way out here. To make a long story short, the moment I set foot in the backyard, he and three other guys grabbed me, and tossed me in the pool, fully clothed. At first I thought, Oh great. Now I'm going to have to cycle home soaking wet. Well, at least it was a hot day." The expression on Jeff's face now became noticeably more serious. "Then something happened that I really wasn't expecting. Gavin jumped in the pool after me, and proceeded to hold my head underwater. I'm not talking about just for a moment. I mean for a good forty seconds. He had an iron grip on the back of my neck, and I could hardly move."
   Dana was now gripping her cellphone tightly.
   "Finally, I did the only thing that was left to do. I reached out, grabbed his balls, and squeezed them so hard that I wouldn't be surprised if there was permanent damage. It incapacitated him long enough for me to finally come up for air and get out of that pool. The other guys at the party started to chase me, but I noticed that I had one advantage over all of them. I was still wearing sneakers, and they were all barefoot. I took off through that wooded area behind the backyard where the ground is covered with briars and brambles, so they gave up on the chase pretty fast. I managed to circle around, grab my bike in front of the house and make it home, soaking wet, but intact."
   Dana looked down as she was taking all of this in. For the last hour she had merely suspected Gavin of beeing a creepy guy. Now it was no longer ambiguous.
   "The point is, I want you to know that unlike, say, Clifford or Gordy, Gavin is no ordinary schoolyard bully. The guy is a genuine psycho, and I do believe that he is going to kill somebody someday. Last summer, that somebody was almost me, and tonight, that somebody could easily have been you." Jeff leaned back. "Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you called me earlier, but I hope this explains why. For all I knew, he might've convinced you to work with him. Your phonecall had all the hallmarks of yet another ambush."
   Dana now looked up and with an expression on her face that was indescribable, finally spoke up. "I can't believe you're apologizing. If the roles had been reversed and you had called me, I would've hung up in your face, even if I knew you were telling the truth."
   The remaining five minutes of the drive to Stacy's house were completely silent, save for Jeff giving his older sister a few last minute directions.

9:30 PM

   Stacy ran out of her front door upon seeing the car pull up in front of her house. Dana stepped outside followed by Jeff, and the two girls immediately embraced.
   "You had me so worried!" Stacy held her tighter. "Go inside the house and try to relax, I'll be in in a minute."
   Dana started to head for the front door, but stopped and turned around. "Hey Feingold..."
   "Yes?" Answered Jeff, who was leaning against the car.
   "...um, Jeff...I owe you one. Big time."
   Jeff paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "You know, there actually is a favor I'd like to ask of you."
   "What's that?"
   "Tomorrow after school, can you meet me in room 202?"
   Dana thought for a moment. "I suppose. What exactly did you have in mind?"
   "You'll see. Good night"
   With that, Dana waved goodbye and disappeared into the house. Stacy then threw her arms around Jeff and planted a huge kiss which knocked him backward on to the hood of the car. Marcie and Aggie observed this with both amazement and amusement.
   "I swear you are the best!"
   "Um, have you met my sisters?" Jeff managed to ask.
   Without answering, Stacy went right to the open passenger door window. "Hello Jeff's sisters!"
   "Uh, Marcie and Aggie, this is my girlfriend Stacy" Jeff managed to blurt out.
   "Hi" the two sisters said in unison."
   "Thank you so much for picking up my friend," Stacy was animated.
   "No prob," responded Marcie.
   "Hey, did you know that your brother is a major stud?" Stacy was now embarassing Jeff.
   "Well, I guess we do now" Aggie was struggling not to burst out laughing.
   "Excuse us a moment" Jeff pulled Stacy aside. "Stace, did you have any plans for Saturday morning?"
   "Actually, I was planning on spending it with you as usual."
   "Great. Can you be at the corner of 14th street and Glyndon at around 10:00?"
   She thought about it for a moment. "Isn't that where that fancy private school is?"
   "That's the place. I've got a surprise for ya."
   "Really? Can you give me a hint?"
   "No. Just be there. I don't think you'll be disappointed."
   "Ay-yai Skipper" She gave him one last kiss, then waved at Marcie and Aggie. "Nice meeting you. Perhaps we'll be sisters in law some day!"
   "See you tomorrow Angel." Jeff climbed back in the car as Stacy disappeared into the house. His sisters were both starring over their shoulders at him with wide grins on their faces. "What're you two learing at?"
   "You're girlfriend is very pretty" observed Aggie.
   "Gee, you noticed that too?" Jeff responded sarcastically. There was a long pause, as they kept grinning at him. "Well, what are we wating for? Let's go."
   Finally Marcie spoke up. "C'mon, aren't you gonna tell us how a shlub like you managed to get a babe like that?"
   By this time, he was a bit steamed. "You know, that's something like the fiftieth time I've been asked that question over the last seventy two hours. I'm not dignifying it with a response anymore."
   The girls both shook their heads and laughed, and the car sped off towards home.

9:45 PM

   The two girls sat opposite each other on the window seat in Stacy's room. The light was off, and not needed. The full moon softly lit both of their faces. Dana was still a little shaken from the evening's events, but finally beginning to calm down. She knew that Stacy was about to give her a major tongue lashing and was pretty much resolved to the idea.
   "Go ahead" Dana's eyes started to tear.
   "What do you mean 'Go ahead'?"
   "You're about to give me a big lecture of the 'I told you so' variety. Let's just get it out of the way."
   "No I'm not. If you ask me, you were really impressive this evening...not letting your pride get in the way of your survival instincts like that. This is the first time I've ever heard you admit to being wrong about anything, and believe me, I feel alot closer to you as a result."
   The pretty brunette was speechless.
   Stacy continued. "And now, I've got to tell you something that might completely destroy our friendship, or make it alot stronger, depending on how you react to it."
   "I'm listening."
   Stacy took a deep breath. "Dana, your mother is a really bad person and an unfit parent."
   Surprisingly, Dana did not feel insulted. "I take it that you discovered her website."
   "Actually, Rhonda and Cindy discovered it by accident while they were doing their assignments, and E-Mailed me the link."
   Dana now looked particularly glum. "Does Jeff know about it?"
   "As a matter of fact, no. None of the three of us saw any need in telling anybody else about it."
   "Thank you."
   "But you're completely missing the point. Being a porn actress twenty years ago isn't what makes her a bad person. As a matter of fact, that's actually kind of funny. I'll bet alot of the other parents who are at the meeting right now probably recognize her, but are too embarassed to admit it."
   "Yeah," Dana concurred. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if Langsdale was one of them."
   "Dana, what's wrong with your mother is her overall view of the human condition. All that shit about 'seeking out the alpha male' and 'marrying up' is just that. A load of shit. May I be so bold as to ask how long she's been feeding you that shit?"
   Dana thought about it for a moment. "I guess since last year."
   "Yeah, that would make sense."
   "Why?"
   "Jeff tells me that he's known you since the fourth grade, and that back then, you wern't particularly mean to him."
   Once again, Dana paused. "You know, alot of things are starting to make sense. I'm just now beginning to realize how abnormal my mother is."
   Stacy leaned forward. "I'm listening."
   "When I got my first period, instead of just giving me the usual talk about how to maintain proper gynecological hygene, she started going on and on about what type of boys I should date...and more specifically, what kind I should avoid."
   "When she dropped you off at Gavin's tonight, what was her impression of him?"
   "She never even met him." Dana was now slightly embarassed.
   "What!?"
   "She just took one look at the size of that house and dropped me off. Apparently it told her all she needed to know about him." Dana's embarassment was now starting to moprh into anger as she started to realize the accuracy of Stacy's assesment of her mother's parenting skills.
   Stacy just shook her head. "I've gotta tell you, from the moment you introduced me to that guy, there was something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. Has he tried calling you since you left his house?"
   "I put his number on my cell's ignore list about an hour ago." Dana took out her phone and checked for any unanswered calls. "Apparently not...I wonder if he drank his own poison."
   "What?"
   "Um, nothing...listen Stacy, can I ask you something that I have no right to ask at this point?"
   "I suppose."
   "Why Jeff?"
   "Huh?"
   "You can easily have any guy in the school, or for that matter, outside the school that you want, and you're with Jeff Feingold."
   The beautiful blonde mulled it over for a second, and then responded, "Hmm, let's turn this question around. Why not?"
   Dana took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll state the obvious. When he graduates from high school, if he graduates, you know there's no way that someone with his grades is going to be accepted to any college. I can't even picture him in a community college. He's probably going to just wind up bagging groceries at some supermarket. The best case scenario I can see for him is possibly working his way up to cashier after about five years."
   As Dana spoke, Stacy was rubbing her chin, absorbing it all.
   "Well Dane, I don't know about you, but in my book, cashiering is certainly preferable to prison, which is probably where Gavin is gonna wind up even before he graduates high school."
   "Please Stace, I've already conceded that was a big mistake, and I am embarassed about it."
   Stacy continued. "You know, as I'm sitting here listening to you mouth off, I just keep learning more and more about your mother's philosophy of the world. Apparently she doesn't think too highly of America's working class in general, huh?"
   She looked down. She knew that she had said enough.
   "Dana, now that we're getting all of this out in the open, would you like to explain to me why I've never met your dad?"
   Knowing the jig was up, Dana just acquiesced. "Before I was born, my mother was an adult film actress that went by the name of Raepunzel Ferrari. Apparently, I was conceived on the set of one of her films." She looked down. "I lied when I said my parents are divorced. They were never married. I don't even know who my dad is, and my mom isn't too sure either. She was a shrewd business woman, however. She's one of the only...talents in that field who actually owns a piece of all her films from the 1980s. So she makes a little profit every time one of them is sold. Not just on her website, but any others as well."
   "Alright, there's something else I've got to ask you." Stacy put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Why the hell do you hate Jeff as much as you do? Even following your mother's twisted view of humanity would only make him someone to avoid, not hate. What is the source of your hostility?"
   Tears were now starting to drip down Dana's cheeks. "I don't know. I guess it's because everyone else seems to hate him, and I was afraid that if I didn't, they'd hate me too."
   Stacy now put both arms around her friend and hugged her tight. "O.K. Dana, it's time for me to answer your initial question."
   "I've even forgotten what that was" sniffed Dana.
   "The question was, 'Why Jeff?' and I'm going to tell you." She now held Dana's hands as she spoke. "Quite simply, he has the most profound sense of self-awareness of anyone I have ever met. He may not be a Rhodes scholar or a star athlete, but at least he's aware of his limitations, and doesn't pretend to be either. Furthermore, he treats me like royalty. He doesn't even cuss when he's around me, and I do cuss when I'm around him...alot!"
   "What's up with all those striped polo shirts? Doesn't he have any other clothes?"
   This question brought a smile to Stacy's face. "Actually, there's a great story behind them. He told me that last summer, he was at the mall, and noticed that Kmart was having a massive close-out on those things. They were going for something like two bucks each. He just walked in and tried one on. Once he figured out what size he wore, he just bought one in each color combination, feeling rather clever for being able to purchase a year's worth of wardrobe for under twenty bucks. The part that I find most amusing is how delighted he was that he only had to try on one pair, and not waste alot of time in the dressing room. Compare that to the likes of Gavin, who probably spends at least an hour combing his hair in the mirror every morning." Stacy shook her head and sighed. "Jeff might not be particularly coordinated or athletic, but he sure is masculine."
   "And that's another thing," Dana continued. "You know, some people would say that a guy who publicly takes batting lessons from his girlfriend has no shame."
   "And some others might say that is the ultimate demonstration of someone who is secure in his masculinity."
   Dana paused. "Stace, I've got one more question to ask. And it's of a slightly more personal nature."
   "I think I can guess where this is going."
   "Do you and Jeff...you know...?"
   Stacy smiled. "Dana, what the two of us do when we're alone is between me and Jeff. I know that it's traditional for girls to get together and gossip about this sort of stuff. But I'm not going to. By this time, I'm sure that more than a few guys have asked him about that, and I'm also sure that he doesn't answer them. I intend to show him the same courtesy. I'm afraid you're just going to have to use your imagination."
   This was not what Dana was expecting to hear at all. "Well, Gavin tried to feel me up, and it really creeped me out."
   "Ah, hah," declared Stacy. "You don't realize it, but you just revealed something really important about yourself."
   "What's that?"
   "Dane, I don't think you're ready to have a boyfriend yet. And by the way, that's nothing to be ashamed of. You were never really attracted to Gavin in the first place. You just thought it would make you look cool, hanging out with a rich 9th grader. As a matter of fact, it probably has alot to do with why you're so good at math. You're mind isn't all clouded with...other things, like mine is...and Jeff's is."
   "So do you know what it is that he wants to see me about in room #202 tomorrow afternoon?" Dana's tears were starting to dry a bit.
   "I have absolutely no idea, but I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. Jeff has a way of making things interesting, no matter what the situation is." Stacy looked down at her watch. "You know, the P.T.A. meeting should be comming to an end about now. It's time to give your mom a call and let her know that you're no longer at Gavin's. You can have her pick you up over here, or if you'd like, I can have my folks give you a lift home."
   "That's O.K, I'll give my mom a call. You've done enough for me this evening."

10:00 PM

   Upon arriving home, Jeff went straight to his room and resumed his position at the computer, trying to make sense of his math homework. The evening's excitement was once again tempered by his realization that it still wasn't making any sense to him, and that there would be a make or brake test at the end of the week. There was a knock at the door.
   "Come in." Jeff looked over his shoulder. Marcie entered with a serious look on her face. "What's up?"
   "I couldn't help but overhear that discussion you were having with your friend in the back seat."
   "I'm not so sure she's my friend just yet."
   "That's not what I came here to talk about."
   "I'm really busy Marce, would you get to the point."
   "How come you never told any of us about being thrown in a pool, and nearly getting drowned?"
   Jeff let go of the mouse and swung around in the swivel chair. "And might I ask what good that would've done? It would've been my word against about twelve others who were at that party."
   While Marcie was vaguely aware of the fact that her brother wasn't exactly the most popular kid in middle school, she had no idea of the situation's magnitude. "Jeff, what did you ever do that would inspire that sort of hostility?"
   Jeff thought about the question for a few seconds, and then snapped back. "You wanna know the truth? It's mainly your fault."
   "My fault?" Marcie was understandably confused. "Would you like to explain that?"
   "Two years ago, you just had to be the school valedictorian. Most of the teachers you had are now my teachers. Very few days go by without at least one of them telling me about what an idiot I am compared to you. Your old math teacher Langsdale is particularly sadistic about it. He always makes sure the whole class is listening while he's berating me. The students just follow his lead...and most of the other teacher's leads as well."
   Marcie was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry. I had no idea Langsdale could be such a..."
   "Look," Jeff interrupted. "I sincerely wish to thank you for helping out tonight with the driving and all, but I've gotta get back to studying all this useless crap, that I'll either never understand, or immediately forget a day after I learn it." With that, he spun around in his chair and burried his face in the computer screen once again.
   "Goodnight Jeff."
   "Goodnight."