Beginning, Section II

Jump to new as of October 2, 2002

Chapter Ten

July 20, 2001
To: Sarrybear47
From: Katiedid
Subject: B-day bash!!!

dear sarah,
oh my gosh. today is my birthday, lalalala!!!! we have been having soooo much fun! we went to mgm studios and animal kingdom yesterday. they were ok. i liked the rockin' roller coaster. they played this really loud old school rock music, i think it was arrow smith. anyway, today we're going to sea world with belle anne and john (bleah... I know it's her brother but he is just creepy and fat) and then... guess what!!! i'm going out on a date with enrique!!!!! *swoon* oh, i'm too excited. turbo excited! i am gonna phreak. he's taking me to some restaurant and then we'll walk around or see a movie or something.

remember the girl i told you about, belle anne? well, i think she reeeely likes jay. they're all holding hands and stuff. jay likes her too. but, duh, she looks like britney spears but her eyes aren't that funky shape. she kinda acts like her, too. and definitely dresses like her.

tomorrow i'm gonna go bike riding with enrique's sister, illeane. she is so sweet, sarah! you would love her. i'm gonna borrow jay's car and go to her house. i get to meet their dad, mr. tilne, who is supposed to be some big music producer or something. i wonder what happened to her mom. they never mention her. you'd think if they were divorced, they'd at least see her on weekends or something.

anyway, i got up early this morning because i was so excited i couldn't sleep! i can't wait to see shamu! well, i'll send you a postcard with dolphins or something. write me soon!
love ya
K

Katie looked inside. She pulled out the same shirt! "Now we can look like twins today!" grinned Belle Anne.

"Sure," beamed Katie.

Finally the two families were ready to go. John was quieter than usual, being tired, and he and Jay sat silently in the front seat while Katie and Belle Anne, wearing their matching shirts, chatted away in the back seat. Mr. and Mrs. Morland took their car.

When they were inside, the groups again decided to split up. Mr. and Mrs. Morland wanted to see all the shows, and the teenagers wanted to ride the roller coaster. They agreed to meet up for lunch and then go see the sea lion show together.

After they had had their picture taken, Belle Anne grabbed Katie's arm. "They boys are being so stupid and grouchy. Why don't we go do something while they chill out?" she whispered.

"I want to ride 'Kraken,'" Katie responded.

"Afterwards, then," Belle Anne pleaded.

"Sure."

They boys perked up when they saw the loops and drops of the coaster. They could hear the screams of the riders as they approached, and, after going through the turnstile, they ran up to the end of the line.

"Should we take the front?" asked John, as there was hardly any line.

"But it takes 30 minutes. Why don't we just ride in the middle?" complained Belle Anne.

"It's not worth riding if you don't go up front! We didn't have to wait in line at all. Let's go in the front." Jay smiled as he grabbed Belle Anne around the waist.

They joked and laughed for the waiting time, and were not disappointed about riding in the front. The employee assured them that no seat compared to it. As they went up the first hill, Katie pretended her feet were running up the track. Since there was no floor, her feet looked as if they were right on it. As they approached the top, they all gasped at how high they were! The drops were dizzying, and if they had had seats in front of them, they would not have enjoyed them as much.

When they got off, the four ran to the picture station to see what they had looked like while riding the ride. Katie's eyes were closed and she was screaming; Belle Anne wore a big smile as her hair whipped uncontrollably around her face; Jay's eyes were squinted and he looked like he was saying "Ooh," and John obviously knew where the camera was; he was flashing "peace" with his fingers and had one eyebrow raised, like The Rock.

"I want to go on the simulator with Katie," declared Belle Anne. "You guys go do your own thing. I haven't seen much of Katie this week!"

"Are you going to meet up with us for lunch with my parents?" Jay grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"Of course. Don't be a baby! We'll be together again in a couple of hours. I swannee, Katie, these boys think they can do nothing without us."

John snorted.

Belle Anne ignored him and continued, "We're just going to go off and have some fun. If we spend too much time together, Jay, we're going to get sick of each other. You two just run along and we'll see you later."

"O.K., if that's what you want to do," Jay said kind of mopily.

As the boys walked toward the Atlantis ride, Belle Anne said, "Katie, I know what you'll say. You'll say Jay and I are made for each other and he should move down here to be near me. But I wouldn't have him ruin his education just for me! Even if he doesn't seem to be able to live without me."

Katie said innocently, "I wouldn't say that at all, B! Jay needs to stay in school so he can keep his scholarship and finish in four years. Besides, there's always email!"

Belle Anne just looked at her incredulously before changing the topic.

They walked together happily over the bridge. When they got to the simulator, Belle Anne took out her map and studied it for a minute. Katie assured her that they were in front of the simulator and she really did want to get in line as it was already very long. At last she put the map away and walked toward the line.

"Oh look, K, there are two guys in front of us. I suppose they'll want to talk and flirt. But they should realize I have a boyfriend and won't flirt back."

"I'll back you up on that," assured Katie.

As they took their place in line, the guys ignored them. Belle Anne kept her back to them and talked to Katie about the cute shoes she'd seen the other day.

Finally she turned around and, seeing the boys weren't doing anything, asked them, "So, have y'all been on this before?"

The taller one replied in a British accent, "No, this is our first time in Orlando. Have you?"

She grinned widely. "Of course! I've lived here all my life. This is a pretty good simulator. Have you ridden those before?"

Katie thought it was odd that Belle Anne should so want to avoid a conversation with them, and yet started one, anyway. She just listened as they discussed roller coasters and other rides.

After the simulator ride, the two guys (who were named Charles and Will) took them over to the children's play area. They found they could climb on the nets, so they climbed up to the top and had fun sliding down the slides. Then Katie looked at her watch and realized it was time for them to go meet her parents. They said their good-byes and walked off amiably.

"Well, they were very nice," remarked Katie. "And that Charles sure was cute."

"Yes, but he kept talking about his girlfriend back in England. Sounds like she wasn't interested at all, from the way he talked. He looked more interested in you, Katie. But then, you could have any guy in this park. They are all dying to be with you, you know! Anyway, I'm so hungry!"

After a nice lunch, the families went to the sea lion show, which they found very cute. Katie wondered why Jay wasn't more embarrassed when Belle Anne hung all over him. But then again, he wasn't embarrassed by John's gross or rude remarks, so Katie supposed he had grown used to such behavior at college.

They went to see another show, and then they realized Katie would need to get home and get ready. The boys and Katie's parents went to pet the sting rays as Katie and Belle Anne posed for a caricature.

The artist finally handed them a portrait where their heads were very big, and instead of the prints they had on their shirts, the artist had written "Backstreet Boys Rule!" on Katie's shirt and on Belle Anne's shirt, "Boy Crazy 4 Ever!" Belle Anne looked like a cartoonish version of herself, but Katie thought he had over-emphasized her own largish nose. She was disappointed, but her parents enjoyed a laugh when they saw it. "It's just a joke, honey," her mom assured her.

She was only too glad to pile into the car and drive home. She smiled to herself as they listened to the radio. Enrique would be over to pick her up at 6:00!

Silky smooth/ Lips as sweet as candy, baby
Tight blue jeans/ Skin that shows in patches
Strong inside but don't you know it
Good little girls they never show it
When you open up your mouth to speak
Could you be a little weak?

Chapter Eleven

Katie heard the doorbell ring and panicked. She was dressed, but her hair looked kind of funky, and her eyeliner was uneven. She heard her father greeting another male, and closed her eyes. Breathe, she told herself. Counting to ten, she brushed her hair another time. It began to look like itself. She stepped back and examined her eyes. They really didn't look so bad. Just a little dab to the edge-there. Just perfect!

She walked out to the living room. "Look who's here, honey!" her mom exclaimed.

Enrique was sitting on the sofa, and popped up when he saw her. "Happy Birthday, Katie," he grinned. He held out a small bouquet of brown-eyed susans.

"Oh, who told you?" she took the flowers from him and smiled. Looking around, she realized they had no vases in the townhouse-she would have to use a glass.

"Illeane. She told me I had better do something special. Have you been to the Cheesecake Factory?"

"No! I've heard it's wonderful! Did you make reservations?" interrupted Mrs. Morland.

"You can't," he explained. "We'll just have to get there and see how it is. There are a few more restaurants close by just in case."

They made their way out to the car, her parents smiling and waving. John had gone over to the Thorpes, so he didn't see her off.

During their drive, Enrique turned on the radio. Quick Latin beats pulsated from his speakers. "Who is this?" Katie inquired.

"D.J. Laz. He's got a mix of Latin and techno, well, sort of. Maybe it's just kind of dance music. Do you like it?"

"It's... interesting," Katie said honestly. After a minute, though, it grew on her. "Not bad!" Enrique kept the radio tuned into the station that played dance music.

They arrived at the big shopping village and had to search for a place to park. Katie finally spotted a car pulling out toward the back of the parking lot nearest the restaurant. They pulled in and walked up.

The Cheesecake Factory, an impressive restaurant, was indeed busy. They had to wait 15 minutes before getting a table. "Wow, this place is getting better," he offered. "Last month, we would have had to wait over an hour to get a table!"

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. All of the tourism industry is slowing down. We're feeling it at the park, and my friend, who tends bar at one of the restaurants, says his tips are really bad lately."

"Well, we're here!" said Katie cheerfully. "And I've been having a great time!"

"How much longer are you here for?" asked Enrique.

"Another week. And three days after that."

"Cool," he said. "Well, not cool, because I like having you around." He smiled, revealing even white teeth.

Her heart did a little flip! What a charmer.

Their dinner was very good. Of course, he had told their waitress that it was Katie's birthday, and some waiters brought a piece of cheesecake to her, singing a birthday song. She loved being sung to, and enjoyed it every opportunity she had a birthday. She noticed that a few other people had also had birthdays in the restaurant. In fact, after the waiters were gone, a party of about 6 people walked by, with a girl holding a big gift bag and a balloon. Katie waved at the girl and motioned to her own cake.

After they finished, Enrique paid and they walked to the movie theatre. He grabbed her hand and swung it as they walked. It began to drizzle.

Katie chirped and trotted toward the line to buy tickets, pulling his hand as she went. They got in line and she felt her hair, worried that it was frizzy or flat.

"You're cute, you know that?" asked Enrique, tapping her on the nose. Once again, her heart did the floppy thing.

"America's Sweethearts" was very cute and funny. Katie and Enrique laughed at the same places and groaned whenever Catherine Zeta Jones's character made a pristine remark.

The rest of the evening was charming. They didn't lack for conversation in the car. Katie couldn't believe she had spent almost 5 hours in a guy's company and hadn't made a complete fool of herself. She found that she had had a terrific time, and hoped he would ask her out again.

When he gave her a quick, sweet goodnight kiss, she didn't pull away. Her eyes stayed closed for a few seconds afterward, savoring the moment. He promised to call her Saturday, and then walked to his car. She watched as he pulled away, then sighed and leaned against the door.

Chapter Twelve

Katie heard a Latin voice singing and, in her half-asleep state, thought it must be Enrique. She then realized it was the wrong Enrique she was picturing. She opened her eyes to see Belle Anne rifling through her CD's.

"Hey, what's up?" Katie rubbed her eyes.

"Not much, sleepyhead. Were you having sweet dreams about a certain young man?" Belle Anne fluttered her eyelids and puckered her lips.

Katie giggled. "Er... um... not about him, maybe, but they were nice." She stretched. "What did you do last night?"

Belle Anne, for once, appeared shy. "Oh, Katie, I can only tell you this!" she gushed. "I've never felt so wonderful, so alive..." She laid on the bed and kicked her legs in the air. "But you've probably already guessed what I did last night?"

Katie had a sick feeling about what Belle Anne did last night. "Um, did you do it with my brother?"

Belle Anne grinned a big goofy grin. "Yes...."

"Would my parents approve?"

"Certainly not!"

"Oh..." Katie felt silly. Here she was, ready to talk about her great kiss, and Belle Anne had bigger tales to tell.

"Well, it was really good. Not like other guys. He was so sweet and tender...you know?" Katie didn't know, but Belle Anne continued. "It was a little awkward at first, but we had my place all to ourselves, and we just kind of did it."

Katie had a lot of feelings about that. First, that Belle Anne was talking to her about it was repulsive. She didn't want to picture her brother like that! Second, she was embarrassed that she herself was so inexperienced. Third, she was worried that Belle Anne would break Jay's heart like his last girlfriend. But she really didn't want to tell her all these things...

"Were you careful?"

"Of course. Jay's very thoughtful about things like that."

Katie thought quickly about how to end this conversation as quickly as possible, backing into the bathroom as she did. "Oh, well, I need to go shower. I got rained on last night, you know, and I want to wash off that dirty feeling. I don't want to go bike riding with Illeane looking greasy." She slammed the door.

She clutched the edge of the sink, her wrists facing the mirror. How could Belle Anne tell her things like that? She knew she was acting prudishly, but she was sickened by the thought of Jay and Belle Anne doing that. How immoral! Or was it? Maybe Jay was right. Maybe she needed to loosen up. When she got to college, probably all her friends would be having sex. She couldn't freak out on them!

She shook her head, turned on the bathtub faucet, and took off her nightclothes. Well, if this is what Jay wants, then this is something she'd have to accept. She stepped into the shower and sighed her resolution. No more Ms. Innocent ! she thought.

When she got out of the shower, Belle Anne was on her bed still, and Jay and John were sitting on the floor. Jay hopped up. "Um, Katie, do you want to go to the beach with us?"

She started combing her hair forcefully. "I can't. I'm going to ______ Lake Park with Illeane."

"No, you're not. She just called. She said she's going shopping and she'll call you later to reschedule."

Katie put down her comb. "What?"

Jay started flipping through the CD's. John talked quickly. "Yeah, I talked to her. She said she was going to go to the Florida Mall and she'll call you later to do something else. But today," he gave her a grin, "you're going with us."

"Oh." She stared at her dresser, pondering going to the beach with them. "I can't believe she'd just cancel like that, without giving me a reason."

"Shopping's a good reason, Katie," reasoned Belle Anne.

"Right, but she wanted to go with me the other day. I wonder what made her change her mind?"

John shrugged his shoulders. "A good sale? Come on, grab your skimpy swimsuit and let's go!"

The boys walked out into the living room to let her get dressed. She was very angry. Why didn't Illeane want to go with her suddenly? Maybe Enrique had had a bad time and didn't want them to be friends anymore. But that was absurd.

So, Katie packed a little bag and put on shorts and a T-shirt over her swimsuit, which was not skimpy. She tried to tell herself that a day at the beach with Jay and John and Belle Anne was an acceptable substitute for bike riding with a new friend, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been stood up.

Luckily, the group took Jay's car. Unluckily, John insisted on sitting next to her in the backseat. She really did not want to sit next to him, especially after having such a lovely date with Enrique, but she had brought along Bridget Jones' Diary and read that the whole way, her feet up on the seat and knees in her chest. John tried to talk to her the whole time, but she ignored him.

They arrived at the beach in just over an hour. They found a good spot and set up camp. Blankets and a radio were produced, as well as a cooler and some beach loungers, and the group settled into the sand.

Katie was prepared for Jay and Belle Anne to make spectacles of themselves, making out in the ocean, smooching in the sand. But she was not prepared for Belle Anne to get up on top of the car and dance, exhibiting for all the guys in passing cars to see. Jay was visibly embarrassed and asked her to get down, and she said she didn't want to. She said Jay was being boring, and that she could do whatever she wanted. He settled down miserable on the blanket next to Katie.

When John came back and told Jay he had rented some 4-wheelers for a half hour, Jay jumped at the chance, and the thought of racing down the beach enticed Belle Anne down off the hood. Katie definitely did not want to ride on the back, holding on to John's waist, but the boys locked everything up in the car and told her she couldn't stay by herself. So, with tight lips and clenched fists, she swung her leg over and they took off, spraying sand, and John showing off, eexperimenting with the speed.

Chapter 13

Katie knew she shouldn't have come. She could feel her cheeks flaming (with anger, not sunburn), her fists clenching, and her leg scraped and bleeding. Scrambling up, she retrieved her sunglasses which had fallen off in the sand and stalked down the beach toward the car.

"Katie, wait!" John pushed the 4-wheeler back upright, turned it around, and started it. He pulled alongside her. "Here, get on. I won't play anymore."

She didn't stop walking. "H*$& no! Do you think I'm crazy?"

John laughed at her outburst. "Come on, I promise. I won't let us tip again."

Katie walked in silence for a minute. There was no way she was getting back on, and she just wanted him to leave her alone. Finally she replied, "John, this was just the final straw, OK? You've been bugging me all day, and I didn't want to go for a ride. Then you started showing off for those girls in bikinis, which would be fine if I weren't on the back seat. We could have gotten really hurt when we tipped over! All I want to do now is go back, lay on my towel, and read."

He made some sort of grunting noise, grumbled "fine," and rode back in the other direction. She did a little dance in the sand, fists toward the blazing sun. She had finally accomplished the impossible: for him to leave her alone!

When Jay and Belle Anne pulled up to the car twenty minutes later, they found Katie giggling at Bridget Jones dressed as a bunny, going to the tarts and vicars party without Daniel. "Where's John?"

She glanced up, and then looked back at the page of her book. "He almost got us killed, so I came back here. He's riding around the beach. You can look for him if you want."

"What?" Belle Anne hopped off the seat and took a Sprite out of the cooler. "And he just left you to come back here by yourself?"

"Shoot, I'd better go find him." Jay started the bike back up again.

"Well, we have to turn it in in a minute," pointed out Belle Anne.

Katie spoke up. "He knows when he has to return it. Besides, he'll be the one getting charged if he doesn't bring it back in time."

The couple agreed with her. When Jay came back, bikeless, Katie told them all about how he rode past a group of girls in their twenties, all bikini-clad, and tried to turn sharply, spraying up sand, and had succeeded in overturning the 4-wheeler. Katie was glad she only had a scrape on her leg to show for his foolishness.

Finally, a strutting John Thorpe came back, 45 minutes late. "'Sup, y'all?"

Jay stood up. "Come on, get your stuff together. We have to go soon."

John ignored him. "Jay, come on, man. You've got to see this sweet bunch of honeys sitting just over there. One of them has on a thong."

Jay glared at him. "I don't want to go, dude. You left my sister after you dumped her off of the bike, and we want to go home. We've been waiting for you."

John glared back. "What, that little spill? She totally overreacted."

Katie stood up and threw her sandy towel and flip-flops in the back seat. "I didn't overreact. And if I did, I'm glad I reacted then and didn't wait for you to crash into something."

Belle Anne, not wanting to take sides, said quietly, "Come on, John. Just get your stuff together. They'll cool off on the ride home."

That seemed to appease him. He gathered up his stuff, but he continued to tell his sister about how fast he had gone, and how these guys had wanted to race and he smoked them, or something like that. Katie snorted, imagining John racing strange guys on a rented 4-wheeler.

Not much was said on the way home. Katie just wanted to get back to her room and call Illeane. She still wondered what had happened, and hoped she could straighten it out.

Chapter 14

"Hi, you have reached 407-....." Illeane's voice instructed Katie to leave a message after the tone.

Beep.

"Hi, Illeane, this is Katie. Hey, I just wondered if you wanted to reschedule our hanging out. Give me a call. Thanks, Bye." She hated answering machines. She always felt like she was babbling or saying something stupid that would be recorded for the other person to play over and over, amusing visiting guests at her bizarre message.

She didn't feel like emailing Sarah, didn't feel like being alone. She went out on the couch and turned on the T.V.

Jay came in in a little while. "Hey Katydid, don't be angry anymore. He didn't mean it. He was just being a jerk."

She didn't look up from the screen. "I'm not angry. I just don't want to be around him anymore. He's such a dork."

"No, really, Katie, he's not always like that. Can't you give him another chance?"

"A chance for what? To annoy me? To attempt murder on me? No, I don't think I can."

Jay popped the top of a soda and sat down next to her. "He's not always this annoying. He can be a great friend."

"Well, you be his friend then. I just don't want to do anything with him."

Jay ignored this. "We ordered a pizza. Belle Anne and I are going out to get a movie. Do you want to come?"

"Nah, I'll just stay here. You have a good time."

She was only alone for a few minutes, though. The doorbell rang half an hour later, scaring her half to death. When she opened the door, a pizza deliveryman stood there, holding 2 boxes. John appeared behind the man, handed him money, and brought the pizzas inside. Katie stood in the doorway, not wanting to go inside. Luckily, Jay and Belle Anne drove up and parked before she had to wonder too long what to do.

Grabbing a paper plate, Katie chose 2 slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza and took it into the dining room. She could still see the T.V. from the table, and this way, she didn't' have to share a couch with Mr. Doofus.

Right as she bit into her second slice, the phone rang. Katie wiped off her fingers and picked up the kitchen extension. "Hello?"

"Hi, Katie, this is Illeane. How are you?"

"OH! Fine. Here, let me switch phones."

She set the phone down on the countertop and ran for her room. She lifted the phone off the hook, ran back to the kitchen, and replaced the phone in its cradle. Then she went back to talk to Illeane. What a pain! She wished this place had cordless phones.

"Hey, what's up?"

Illeane sounded formal and distant. "Nothing, I'm just returning your phone call. Did you have a fun time at the beach?"

Katie wondered why she sounded like this. "Yes and no. I wish I would have gone with someone else. What did you do?"

Illeane sounded sad. "Nothing much. I had some errands to run, so I did that."

"Did you have fun shopping?"

"Well, I did a little grocery shopping, so you know, it was tons of fun." Now she was being sarcastic.

"What, you didn't go to the mall?" Katie was confused.

"No, most of my friends were working today and I didn't want to go by myself."

Katie started to get the idea of what happened. "Illeane, did you call here this morning? And talk to John Thorpe?"

"Yes," replied Illeane.

"What did he tell you?"

"He said you had changed your mind about going with me and you'd call me later. He was kind of rude."

Katie held the phone from her ear and screeched. "Illeane, I'm so sorry! He told me you had called and canceled."

"What? No!"

"I know. He's been ticking me off ever since he got here. Ugh! So, can you do something right now? They're out there pigging out on pizza and watching 'Blue Streak'."

"Um, yeah. I don't have anything else planned. It's only 7. Do you want to go see a movie, or would you rather come here and hang out?"

"Well, I don't have a car, so it's your call. Which would be easier?"

"I think we should come over here. I'm not in a dressing-up mood. We've got tons of movies."

They agreed that Illeane would come by to pick her up in about 30 minutes and hung up. Katie quickly showered, pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and pulled on some shorts and a T-shirt. She was so glad to be out of the house with the Thorpes that she didn't say anything but "Bye, I'm going over to Illeane's house," and walked out the front door with them watching her with their mouths open.

Illeane was punctual. Katie climbed in and kissed her friend on the cheek. "Oh my gosh, you don't know how glad I am to get out of there!"

"Why, what happened?"

Katie told Illeane all about the incident on the beach, and how they had come in and overrun her house.

"What about your parents? Where are they?" Illeane turned on her blinker and merged.

"They went to some art show today. They probably stayed to have dinner."

The girls talked the rest of the ride, getting everything straightened out. Illeane agreed that John Thorpe was the biggest dolt in the world, and that Belle Anne was using Jay.

Illeane had a beautiful house. It was a 2-story brick house with a beautifully manicured lawn. The grass was green and full, even though there were water restrictions. Katie guessed they could afford to hire someone to take care of it.

The inside was beautiful as well. Everything was beige, white, or light brown. They took off their shoes as they went inside so as to not track dirt on the white carpet. However, Illeane was not picky about handing her a soda to drink on the couch, so long as she put a coaster under it on the coffee table. They picked out "You've Got Mail", put their feet up, and discussed the relationship between the characters. Just when Meg Ryan was figuring out that she had been emailing Tom Hanks, they heard a key in the door. Enrique walked in holding a grocery bag.

"Hey, it's my two favorite girls in the whole world!" He brought the bag which contained a package of cookies over to the couch.

"Hey bro!" smiled Illeane. She pushed the pause button on the remote control.

"Hi, Rique," Katie almost blushed as she said.

"So why are you two here on a Saturday night?" he questioned.

"We didn't feel like going out. Katie had a rough day."

"A rough day! But you're on vacation. What could be stressful?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "We went to the beach. My brother's friends are a little much to take."

"Well, you should have taken me to the beach. Then your day would have been stress-free."

"I wish I could have gone bike-riding with your sister. Then the day would have been better."

"Why didn't you go?"

Illeane told him about John's evil plot. He looked angry. "Why is your brother letting this guy do this stuff? I'll kick his @$$ for you, if you want!"

Katie grinned. "No, that's OK. I think my brother is blinded by love. I'm just worried about having to hang out with them for another week. I don't think I can take much more of this!"

Enrique and Illeane exchanged a look. Then Illeane looked at Katie and spoke up. "Do you think your parents would let you come stay with me?"

"What, here? That's very nice, but I think they'd rather I stay in the condo."

"No, I mean at the beach. My dad was thinking about going next week. Do you think they'd let you go?"

"I don't know! I'd have to ask them. They might need to meet your dad, to make sure he's OK, but maybe if I explain to my mom what's going on, she'll understand."

Illeane disappeared into the kitchen to pop some popcorn, and Enrique scooted closer to Katie, his arm on the back of the couch. "So, I hope you had a good time last night. I know I did."

"Yeah, it was really nice. I loved the Cheesecake Factory."

"It's really good. Listen, do you want me to take you home? I work the next couple of days, so I don't when I'll be able to see you again."

"That's cool. If Illeane doesn't mind, that is."

Illeane returned and they watched the rest of the movie. She didn't mind that Enrique was taking Katie home; in fact, she smiled.

While he was driving, Enrique held Katie's hand and told her about the beach house. He said that he would probably be able to join them for a couple of days because he had two days off in a row.

Katie was glad it was so dark in the car so he couldn't see her huge smile. She was sure she hadn't smiled all day at the beach, so it felt good!

"Good night," he said, leaning in. Katie breathed in and closed her eyes. Tonight's kiss was longer and more passionate than last night's kiss. It took her breath away. She fumbled as she dug her key out and opened the door. "Good night," she responded breathily. Then she went inside, grinning at him as she shut the door.

Chapter 16

The Morlands went to Islands of Adventure the very next day. Katie and Jay went on the roller coasters together. After they went on the "Ice" side of the "Dueling Dragons" coaster, they ran over to the "Fire" side. The coasters are two intertwined tracks that run at exactly the same time. Twice during the ride, the cars hurtle toward each other and then curve upward to avoid a collision. Both sides have a thrilling combination of twists, loops, and drops. They argued afterward about which side was better.

They spent the day pleasantly, and when they returned home, Katie had a message that Illeane had called. She grinned and ran for the phone in her room.

Illeane was glad Katie had called. "Did you have fun at Islands of Adventure?"

"Yeah. It's so nice to spend time with just my family and not John or Belle Anne. My brother is so fake with her around. And we both love roller coasters!"

"I do, too. Which one is your favorite?"

"Um, maybe the Hulk! That part at the beginning is awesome."

There was a pause while someone was talking in the background at Illeane's house. Then she said, "OK, I'll ask her. Katie, would y'all like to come here tomorrow night for a party? My brother is going to be home from the army."

"Sure! What time?"

"Probably around 7. We'll have finger foods."

"That sounds good. Do you want Jay and the buttheads to come?"

Illeane chuckled. "Sure, I mean, the more the merrier!"

Katie told Jay of her plans, and he agreed that they'd be up for a house party. He and John were, apparently, the party kings at college. So the next night they piled into John's car at 6:55, with Katie annoyed they were so late.

Their lateness was acceptable. They were the first ones there. (Hispanic cultures are very relaxed about time, so 7:00 usually means somewhere between 7:30 and 9:00.) Mr. Tilne, a middle-aged, balding man, greeted the foursome at the front door.

"Come on in! Illeane has told me about you, Katie." He kissed her on the cheek.

"I hope you don't believe her," quipped Katie.

"It's all been good. Don't worry," assured Mr. Tilne.

Belle Anne interjected, "This is a beautiful house!" She looked around at the elegant, expensive-looking decorations.

"Well, thank you very much. Hey, Illeane's in the kitchen, and the guys are out back," he said, motioning toward the French doors. "Ivan insisted on having a keg. Don't drink if you're underage," he joked, waving his finger at them. They were all underage.

Katie went to join Illeane in the kitchen, while the other three went out on the back porch. "Hey, cutie!"

"Katie! So good to see you again. Grab a knife and help me cut up these veggies."

The girls chatted about who was coming to the party, while more people continued to show up. After they had prepared everything, they set things up on the dining room table, buffet-style.

Illeane looked up as she finished arranging the plates and napkins. "There. Looks good. Hey, Katie, this is my big brother." Katie turned around and saw a tall, muscular man with short hair coming in the glass door. He looks like a military man, thought Katie. He looked like a brooding version of Enrique; his dark eyes were deep set in his head, and he had not shaved that day, causing his face to appear rugged.

"Ivan, come here. This is my friend Katie. Her brother's out on the porch."

Ivan held out his hand. "Is Jay your brother?"

"Yes, that's him."

"He's a trip! He was just doing a President Bush imitation."

Katie smiled. Jay was always trying to entertain people with his imitations.

After more guests had arrived and people were scattered around the room, eating the finger foods they had set out, Mr. Tilne called for everyone's attention.

"I just want to thank you all for coming tonight," he announced, beaming around the room. "I am very happy to have my son back home for a few weeks. He's going to help me out on this next part of the album." He motioned at a group of five young Hispanic guys near him. "As you know, "Muchachos'" first single went up to number four on the charts, and we're expecting the rest of the album to do well. We'll expect all of you to support them by buying the album," a small laugh circulated around the room, "and enjoy their performance for you tonight."

Katie whispered to Illeane, "Your dad produced Muchachos?"

Illeane whispered back, "Yes. He's been working on this album for the last year. Ivan used to help him out in the studio before he went into the military." She watched them set up some microphones in the backyard. "Isn't that Guillermo hot?"

Katie looked at the singer with ear-length hair, parted in the middle. "Yeah, he's cute. Do y'all go out?"

Illeane smirked. "Sometimes. We've been seeing each other on and off for the last six months."

When the Muchachos began their first song, a fast dance number, Belle Anne was standing with Ivan. Jay and John had taken over the keg, pouring for others and drinking lots of beer themselves. Belle Anne bobbed her head and swayed to the music.

"Do you want to dance?"

"Ivan! You know I am dating Jay."

Ivan glanced over toward the keg, where the guys were shouting and laughing as they splashed some beer on each other. "Well, he's not here. He should be paying more attention to his woman."

"Oh! You know I wouldn't dance with another guy. That's just rude." She set her cup down and started dancing, her hips swinging seductively and her arms in the air.

After a few minutes of watching her, Ivan started dancing closer and closer to her. Before long, he had his hands on her back and his legs were sandwiched between hers, grinding very close.

Belle Anne did not seem to mind. She turned around, he put his head on her neck, and she reached back, stroking his hair.

They had been dancing this way for some time when Jay sauntered up. He grew very jealous at the spectacle, but he was so drunk he had a strange reaction. He was rather turned on by the sight. So he danced facing Belle Anne, and soon the three of them were sandwiched together, dancing.

John Thorpe stayed by the keg, making lewd jokes at people who came over for some beer.

Katie had a good time at the party. When Muchachos first started to sing, she had felt awkward; it was hard to balance her Coke and still bob around, wiggling her bottom and shaking her fists. Enrique cupped his hand on her shoulder from behind. She could feel him moving with the music. She turned around to face him. He set her drink down on a nearby table and he swung her around, Latin-style. It took her a few minutes to get used to the foot movements, but Enrique was a patient teacher. They laughed and started dancing rather silly after a while. She felt just like Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing".

The best part of all for her was when he slowed down and put his hands on her hips. Leaning his forehead on hers, he gazed into her eyes. She melted at the attention!

When Muchachos had performed for half an hour, they turned on the stereo and went out into the crowd. Guillermo was happy to dance with Illeane, and the two couples had fun together.

Katie noticed what was going on with Belle Anne, her brother, and Ivan. All the anger that she had felt at Belle Anne began now to be directed at Ivan. Why was he going after Belle Anne? Katie thought Jay should speak up, and wondered why he didn't.

The night passed too quickly. Soon, several people were leaving, and Katie realized that it was one o'clock. She found her three friends (term used loosely) and told them it was time to go home.

"Oh, Katie, you're such a party pooper," slurred Belle Anne. She was sitting on Jay's lap with her legs in Ivan's lap.

"I think Katie's right; you've had enough partying for one night," Jay said seriously. He obviously wasn't enjoying sharing his girlfriend with a bigger, more muscular guy. Belle Anne made a growling, grunting noise and flopped her legs off of Ivan's lap. He promptly stood up and started stretching.

"See ya, guy," they guys said to each other, hitting each others' fists as if they were playing "hot potato". John and Jay put their arms under Belle Anne's armpits, making her walk toward the door. "Bye! Thanks!" they called as they walked to the car. Enrique walked out with them, hanging back with Katie a little.

Since Katie was the only one who hadn't drank, she was the one assigned to drive. The guys got Belle Anne buckled into the passenger side of the backseat, then Jay walked around to sit next to her. John sat up front with Katie.

Enrique leaned in the driver's window as Katie buckled her seatbelt. "Can you drive a stick?"

Katie laughed nervously. "I'm not very good, but I'll get us home," she ventured.

He smiled sweetly and, leaning in close to her ear, whispered, "I'd give you a good-night kiss but I feel weird in front of your brother and friends." He pulled back and said to the other passengers, "Call me when you get there, OK?" Enrique stood up straight, and lightly pounded the roof twice. "Be safe."

Katie started the car and managed to pull out without grinding any gears. John was slurring at her, "Don't shift until the RPM's are in the 4000's. I like to push it to the limit."

"I like to shift when they're a little lower. I just want to be careful," Katie frowned, signaling to make a left hand turn out of the neighborhood.

"Katie, %*%$# it, you don't know what you're doing," John groaned and leaned his head against the window.

She ignored him and drove down the road. The couple in the backseat were quiet until halfway home, when Belle Anne said, "Oh no. Pull over."

"What?!" Katie quickly looked over her right shoulder, put the signal on, and veered off onto the shoulder. She was so startled that she pulled her left foot off the clutch too quickly, stalling. Luckily, the car had already stopped. John had already flung off his seatbelt, and opened the car door. He leaned forward, pulling the seat back forward as he did. He was crying, "Don't hurl in my car! I just had it cleaned!"

Belle Anne almost made it. She splashed a little on the bottom of the doorway. John made disgusted noises, while Jay leaned over and held her hair back. Katie waited until Belle Anne leaned back in the seat and assured them that she was finished to start the car again and pull out into traffic. John spent the rest of the ride moaning about how much it would cost to have it cleaned.

When they got back to their townhomes, the boys took Belle Anne inside to get her into bed. Katie made sure she was safely in bed before heading into her own unit. She collapsed into the bed. Tonight had been an eye-opening experience! She wondered if Jay's eyes would be opened as well, or if he would continue to be blinded by Belle Anne's beauty.

Chapter 17

Katie was alone on the beach at night. Waves crashed loudly as she squinted at the extraordinarily bright moonlight reflected on the water. Everything else was dark as could be; she could see no stars, and could barely see the sand. A voice spoke to her from the black haze.

"You're really ugly, you know."

Katie looked in all directions, but could see no one. "Belle Anne?"

"Why don't you love my brother?" Belle Anne's voice was wavy, as if she were talking through water.

"I hate your brother, and I hate you!" Katie shouted. "You are such a stupid, worthless ho! If you don't get away from my brother, I'll..."

"You'll clam up and go play with your little friends. You're a wimp, Katie, and I'm glad I slept with him."

"Shut up! I hate you! I hate you!" Katie flew at the voice, attacking with her nails, her legs kicking; but when she pounced there was no one there.

Katie opened her eyes to bright sunlight. Her clock said 10:37. She remembered the anger from her dream, and wondered momentarily why she felt this way. Then she recalled last night's party; remembered Belle Anne's flirtations with Ivan, and Jay's putting up with it. She grimaced and got out of bed.

After a trip to the bathroom, Katie walked down the stairs to the main rooms of the townhouse. Her parents were awake, making pancakes, and laughing.

"Hey punkin!" her mother called cheerfully. "Want some pancakes and bacon?"

"Mmm, that would be great," grinned Katie. She sat on a barstool and waited as her mother poured some more batter and laid some bacon slices on the griddle. Ever since she was a child, the smell of these breakfast foods had been as great a comfort as her father's hug or her favorite blanket.

Her parents asked her about the party last night. Katie frowned and looked down. "It was, um, OK," she replied. "I hung out with Enrique and Illeane. They had Muchachos play! I didn't know Illeane was dating Guillermo! Can you believe it?"

"Who?" her father cluelessly replied.

"They're a new boy band, dear," Mrs. Morland had heard their music several times. "Guillermo is the tall one, right?"

"Yeah," said Katie.

"So, did Jay have a good time?"

Katie just looked away.

"Uh-oh. What happened?" asked Mrs. Morland, concerned.

Katie sighed. "Is he up?"

"No, he's been dead to the world. He got in about an hour after you. I went to the bathroom and I saw him. He said he'd stayed with Belle Anne to make sure she was OK."

"Oh, all right. It's just... well, Belle Anne is really not very nice to him," she summarized. "She flirts with other guys. I don't want him to break his heart."

Mr. Morland nodded. "I thought she seemed a little flirty. I'm not surprised."

"Well, he's dazzled by her pretty face," Mrs. Morland observed. "She's like those sirens who captivated men with their singing, and don't let them go." She slid some pancakes onto a plate and handed it to Katie.

"Yeah, that's how it is," Katie said, pouring syrup on the steaming stack. "He can't see how horribly she's treating him. I want to say something, but it's not really my business."

"Welcome to our world," quipped Mr. Morland through a mouthful of pancake. "It's not easy to watch your teenagers make mistakes, but sometimes that's our job. Do you think I need to say something to him?"

Katie, torn between pride that her father was asking her opinion and a nagging feeling that she was ratting her brother out, shrugged. "Do you think he'd break up with her if you told him to?"

Mrs. Morland smirked. "I think that would drive him straight into her arms. Well, I guess he just has to learn from his experiences. More bacon, my loves?"

Katie spent a relaxing morning on their back porch. There was a space where she could sunbathe in privacy, and she took her book out along with a bottled water. She read for a while, forgetting the plight of her brother and Belle Anne, until a sultry voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Hey, Kate, what's going on?"

Katie glanced up. "Wow, Belle Anne, I'm surprised you're up. How did you sleep?"

"Oh, I still have a headache. But I'll get over it. How are you?"

"OK." She scooted over on her chaise lounge so Belle Anne could sit next to her legs. She sat on the plastic strips, scooting the metal legs a little against the concrete. Both stared at the pattern of swirly, textured concrete on the ground, not wanting to say anything. Finally Belle Anne broke the silence.

"Wanna go to the Ale House for lunch?"

"I, uh, I'm not hungry now. I just had some pancakes."

"Oh, please go with me. I'm starving and there's nothing to eat here. I'm craving some of their chicken fingers." She gave Katie a pouty look with her eyebrows tilting slightly.

Katie scrambled for an excuse. She had nothing else to do today, and felt a little guilty for not having stuck closer to her during the party. "OK, yeah, I'll go get some shoes on."

They drove in silence to the Ale House. Katie expected a bar, but found it to be a relaxed grilling restaurant that smelled wonderful. Walking into the dim room from the bright parking lot, they smiled politely at the hostess. Yes, they were a party of two. Non-smoking.

After they had been seated and ordered some waters, Belle Anne avoided Katie's eyes, searching for something. Katie misread her and asked, "Did you tell Jay and John that we were coming?"

Belle Anne quickly smiled at her, then frowned and looked around again. "No, I think they're sleeping off their hangovers. What babies they are, drinking so much. Guys always have to prove their manliness and virility by drinking too much."

Katie almost spit her water out, trying not to laugh.

They ordered their food, Katie only getting some cheese sticks while Belle Anne satisfied her chicken finger craving. Katie was starting to regret agreeing to come, she was so bored, when Belle Anne's eyes focused on someone walking toward them.

"Hey, pretty ladies," crooned Ivan. "How's everything going? Can I get you anything?"

"Well, hi, Ivan!" Belle Anne seemed surprised. "What a coincidence meeting you here. We're just having some lunch. Do you want to sit?"

"I came up to see my friend Ray. He's a bartender here. But he seems to be busy so maybe I will sit down." He slid in next to Belle Anne, to Katie's horror.

Katie focused on the television that was hanging up so she wouldn't hear their conversation. She felt dreadfully intrusive. She overheard Belle Anne whispering that he should have waited longer, and he said he couldn't wait to see her, but seeing her was torturous. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, Belle Anne turn her head and say something like, well, he didn't have to look at her. Maybe if she turned around, he wouldn't have to look at her, but then he said that what he could see made him feel...

Katie couldn't take any more. She stood up and walked over to the bathroom/telephone area, unheeded by either of them.

Who could she call to come get her? Her parents were at an outlet mall. She felt bad calling Jay, knowing he might see the two of them together and get upset, possibly making a scene. She tried him anyway. She put coins in the pay phone, dialed the number to the condo, and cradled the phone against her ear, cringing at the thought of all the germs that must be on it.

Six rings. No one at home.

She put the phone down and retrieved her coins. She dialed another number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Illeane. It's Katie."

"Hey, girl! How are you feeling this morning?" She still sounded sleepy.

"Um, I feel OK, but I'm sickened at what I'm seeing."

"What's that?"

"Belle Anne made me come with her to the Ale House."

"Uh-oh," moaned Illeane. "I know Ivan was on his way there. Are they..."

"I don't know what they're doing. I got up and left the table."

"Oh, Katie, do you want me to come get you?"

"Would you, Illeane? I mean, that would be a pain for you..."

"No, it wouldn't. I need to go to the drugstore. Would you mind swinging by there after I pick you up?"

"Nope. How soon can you be here?"

"About ten minutes. I have to throw on some shorts and put my hair in a ponytail."

"Cool. I'll be waiting out front." After she said good-bye, Katie hung up and looked out. Should she tell them she was leaving? She really was not in the mood to be talked out of it. But she didn't want them to expect her back, either. She slowly walked back to the table. He was still sitting next to her, his arm propped up on the back of the booth, and she was giggling.

"Hey, Belle," Katie ventured softly. They looked up. "I'm getting a ride home with Illeane. I'll see you later." She turned to go.

"Katie, if you want to go home, I'll give you a ride," Belle Anne said, sounding annoyed.

"No, I really think I should go with her," said Katie. She smiled quickly and them and frowned again. Then she walked away and out the door.

It didn't take Illeane quite ten minutes. Katie was glad of that. She got in the passenger side and pulled the seat belt, which made a zipping noise. The rode through the parking lot and Katie made a growling noise.

"Was it that bad?" Illeane said sympathetically.

"Worse," moaned Katie. "What will I tell Jay?"

Illeane sighed and put on the radio. "Tell him the truth," she said. "And then tell him you won't see him for a few weeks because you're coming to New Smyrna with me. Can you go tomorrow?"