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She'd seen hi her way and practically fainted On the jukebox, "Stairway to Heaven" had been playing Talk about ro to you," he said

She tried to look mature and worldly as she said, "I like trouble"

The s she'd ever seen before For the first time in her life, she felt as beautiful as people always said she was

"You wanna come to the party with me on Friday?"

"I could make that work," she said It was a phrase she'd heard Erica Kane use on All My Children

"I'll pick you up at ten" He leaned closer "Unless that's past your curfew, little girl?"

"Seventeen Firefly Lane And I don't have a curfew"

He sain "I'm Pat, by the way"

"I'm Tully"

"Well, Tully, I'll see you at ten"

Tully still couldn't believe it For the past forty-eight hours she'd obsessed over this first real date All the other tiroup or to a school dance This was totally different, and Pat was practically a man

They could fall in love; she knew it And then, with hi so alone

She finally made her clothes choice

Low-rise, three-button bell-bottom jeans, a pink scoop-necked knit top that showed off her cleavage, and her favorite cork platfor more and more on until she looked foxy She couldn't wait to show Pat how pretty she could be

She grabbed a pack of her arettes and left her bedroo rooazine "Hey, iss aluy invited ht Like Tully would invite anyone to co him on the road"

"Oh Cool Don't wake et home"

"I won't"

Outside, it was dark and cold The Milky Way stretched across the sky in a path of starlight

She waited by herfrom foot to foot to keep war on her reen to purple She tried to remember what that meant

Across the street and up the hill, the pretty little farainst the darkness Each as like a pat of war butter They were probably all at ho Risk She wondered what they'd do if she just visited one day, showed up on the porch and said hey

She heard Pat's car before she saw the headlights At the roar of the engine, she forgot all about the fa

His green Dodge Charger came to a stop beside her; the car seeer seat The music was so loud she knew he couldn't hear what she said

Grinning at her, Pat hit the gas and they were off like a rocket, blasting down the quiet country lane

As they turned onto a gravel road, she could see the party going on below Dozens of cars were parked in a huge circle in a pasture, with their headlights on Bach Care of Business" blared from so the fence line

There were kids everywhere, gathered around the flas of beer set up in the grass Clear plastic cups littered the ground Down by the barn, a group of guys were playing touch football It was late in May, and su coats She wished she hadn't forgotten hers

Pat held her hand tightly, leading her through the crowd of couples toward the keg, where he poured two cups full

Taking hers, she let him lead her down to a quiet spot just beyond the perimeter of cars There, he spread his letterround and motioned for her to sit down

"I couldn't believe it when I first saw you," Pat said, sitting close to her, sipping his beer "You're the prettiest girl ever to live in this town All the guys want you"

"But you gotinto his dark eyes

He took a big drink of his beer, practically finishing it, then he set it down and kissed her

Other guys had kissed her before;a slow dance This was different Pat'shis na at her with pure, sunshiny love in his eyes "I'lad you're here"

"Me, too"

He finished off his beer and got up "I needwhen he frowned at her "Hey, you aren't drinking I thought you were cool with partying"

"I am" She smiled nervously She'd never really drank before, but he wouldn't like her if she acted like a nerd, and she was desperate for hi the plastic tu the whole a When she finished, she couldn't help burping and giggling

"Far out," he said, nodding, pouring two more beers