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"It’s Mom," Carrie said

"What about your mother?" He saw that tears had pooled in Carrie’s eyes, and she wasn’t trying to hide the fact Like most men, Jason was uncomfortable when a woman started to cry No matter what the cause, he felt personally responsible And he felt an overpowering urge to do whatever he could to rectify the problem

He certainly felt that ith Charlotte--even more so She’d look at hihtest hint of tears, he’d be putty in her hands He was putty in her hands, anyway, tears or not, but that was because it was Charlotte

"My

Jason was no psychiatrist, but he wasn’t co to do with that dance?"

Carrie nodded "There’s this boy…his name’s Brad He’s the cutest boy in class and the star of the track teairl in school’s crazy about hi her hand to her heart "He asked rade dance When I talked to Moo, but when I said Brad’s father was picking us up and…and driving us there, she went totally weird onthe way she does"

"She won’t even talk about it"

"Carrie, listen I’d like to help, but this is between you and yourdecision"

Carrie nodded, her throat working as she struggled not to cry "I don’t expect you to interfere…I was hoping that you’d help me--tell me what to say toI haven’t said anything to Brad aboutme to be in the saht There isn’t much time left"

Jason rubbed the side of his face "What’s yourwith him makes it a real date And I’m not allowed to date until next year"

"I see What if she drove you and Brad to the dance?"

"That won’t work, either… Everyone will think I asked his to know otherwise" She wiped her eyes and took a ain her composure

"How about if Brad’s dad drops you off and your mother picks the two of you up after the dance?"

Carrie dropped her hands to her side "Picks us up?" she repeated thoughtfully

"It wouldn’t be considered a date then, would it? The two of you obviously need to be driven to and fro you"

"There’s a party at Aht afterward, but it’s directly across the street from the school and everyone’s invited"

"I have an even better idea," Jason said enthusiastically At Carrie’s blank stare, he explained "How about if yourby the look Carrie gave him, she didn’t share his enthusiasm "That wouldn’t work because she’d need a date Chaperones at our school dances are always couples"

"I’ll go with her," Jason said casually As soon as he ? The last dance he’d attended had been his sister’s engagement party He’d rented a tuxedo and been ht Before then, his only other experience on the dance floor had been as a high-school junior He didn’t kno to dance then and he hadn’t learned since

"You’d do that?" Carrie asked, her voice rising For the first time since she’d entered his home, her eyes sparkled with hope

"Ah…" Oh, what the heck, he’d do it if it would help the kid "Sure," he answered "I’d volunteer to be a chaperone"

Carrie let out a cry of glee and raced across the rooht not be willing--"

"She will," Carrie said confidently "Mom’s crazy about you"

"Yes, but will she be crazy about the idea of Brad’s dad driving you there and the two of us taking you home?"

Carrie mulled that over for ano doubt "Why shouldn’t she be? It’s a wonderful compromise We’ll both be satisfied… I mean, this plan isn’t perfect--no one wants theira school dance--but it’ll work because Moested it"

Jason was suffering fro Charlotte’s doorbell an hour later Carrie had devised a plan for approaching Charlotte with his idea At the appropriate point, he was to suggest the two of them chaperone the dance and make it sound like a spur-of-the-moment idea