teeny pill fall past her chin and cascade down into her ample double…D…sized cleavage。
We always knew it would e in handy！
？We were about to play Duck； Duck； Goose；？ one of the Coors…drinking guys announced with a
pletely straight face； as if he were trying to organize a friendly touch…football scrimmage。 He
was wearing nothing but a pair of electric blue bike shorts； and he looked like a Tour de France
bicycle racer； with ropy muscles； a shaved head； and intense blue eyes。 ？Wanna play？？
？Sure！？ Harry Bass responded enthusiastically。 He wrapped his arm around Jenny？s waist and
kissed the top of her head。 ？My little cucumber；？ he murmured affectionately。
Jenny had the feeling the tab of E Harry had just taken was not his first of the afternoon。 She was
about to shrug him away when she realized that she was going to have to at leastpretend she was
on Ecstasy； otherwise； it would be obvious she hadn？t taken it。 Problem was； she didn？t even
know how long it was supposed to take to start working。 ？Yay！？ she squeaked。 ？Let？s play！？
They joined the circle and sat down between a chubby Japanese boy sporting Madras plaid
Bermuda shorts and a cute rocker haircut and the muscular boy in the blue bike shorts。 Everyone
was grinning so hard； it looked like their teeth hurt。 ？I？ll go first；？ April volunteered。 ？But first I
think we？re going to need some of this。？ She passed around a few packets of cinnamon Dentyne
gum。
？You？re a goddess；？ blue bike shorts boy told her appreciatively。 He shoved three pieces of gum
into his mouth and began to chew them voraciously。 ？Mwa； mwa； mwa！？
April cracked tiny pink bubbles with her gum and then clapped her hands together。 ？Okay；
people； let？s go！？ She wound her way around to the outside of the circle and began to walk
counterclockwise； tapping each person on the head as she passed。 ？Duck； duck； duck； duck； duck；
duck；goose！ ？ she shouted as she tapped the Japanese guy with the cool haircut on the head and
then sprinted away。 He jumped to his feet and gave chase； catching her in his arms and wrestling
her to the ground。 They lay like that for a while； panting and sort of petting each other。
Jenny noticed that none of the other kids were even watching them。 They were too focused on
their gum…chewing； or they were rubbing their hands up and down each other？s backs and giggling。
Then she felt a hand on her back； too； underneath her shirt。
？Let？s take our shirts off；？ Harry suggested eagerly。
？Okay；？ Jenny agreed； not wanting to be a prude。 She only had three buttons left buttoned；
anyway。 The guidebooks were definitely right about Croton。 It was wild； and maybe？once she got
used to it？exactly what she needed。
？Wow；？ he murmured as she folded her shirt neatly and placed it on the grass beside her。 The
look on his face was the absolute definition of the phraseto gawk 。
？Now you；？ Jenny said； feeling confident in the knowledge that she was the only sober one in the
forest。 Well；almost 。
？What the hell are you kids doing back here？！？ a deep voice boomed。 An athletic…looking man
with curly brown hair and a brown mustache strode down the path； barefoot； wearing faded Levi？s
and a threadbare light blue oxford shirt； unbuttoned to midchest。
April sat up and wiped her mouth； her brown eyes shining。 ？Hi； Mr。 Tortia。？
Mr。 Tortia didn？t look as angry as he？d sounded。 He almost looked like he wanted to hang
out。 ？So； what did I miss？？ he demanded eagerly。 Then he noticed Jenny。 ？And who； may I ask；
are you？？
Harry rubbed the spot between Jenny？s bare shoulder blades。 ？She？s a prospective。 And I think
maybe she took your share。？
Jenny crossed her hands over her chest。 Actually； his share of the E was somewhere inside her
nude…colored Bali extra…support bra with double…duty underwire and chafe…free superwide straps；
but she wasn？t about to volunteer that information。
Mr。 Tortia picked something out of his tobacco…stained teeth and flicked it angrily into the grass；
looking genuinely pissed off。 ？This is a school； not a strip club。 Put your clothes back on；？ he
snapped at Jenny。
Gladly。
Jenny snatched up her pretty Japanese…style shirt； rising to her feet as she slipped her arms inside
the sleeves and buttoned it up to her chin。Who the hell is this guy； anyway？ she wondered with
frightened indignation。
？You can？t be serious about attending this institution；？ Mr。 Tortia observed； his thick brown
mustache slick with sweat and spittle。 ？Croton prides itself on its discretion。 Our students are the
cr？me de la cr？me！？
Jenny gazed down at the circle of Croton students； their bare navels and nipples blinking up at
her in the warm summer sun； their mouths working the Dentyne； blissed out from the Ecstasy； and
exhausted by a single round of Duck； Duck； Goose。 Discretion？ Cr？me de la cr？me？ The cr？me de
la cr？me of fuckups； maybe。 And what right did this dude with the mustache have to tell her
whether she could go there or not？
？Are you a teacher here or ？？？ she asked politely。
Mr。 Tortia squatted down and held his palm out to April； who handed him a piece of Dentyne。 He
stood up again。 ？As a matter of fact； I？m the headmaster；？ he replied flatly。 He pulled on his
mustache and offered her his first smile。 ？Discretion lesson number one： Let？s not mention this
little incident to anyone。 Got it？？
Jenny nodded mutely。
Mr。 Tortia held up both hands and waved with his palms facing backwards； like the Queen of
England。 ？Arrivederci； little prospective girl！？ he chimed； dismissing her。
Harry reached up and patted Jenny on the bottom。 ？Drive safely；？ he told her affectionately； even
though she was obviously not old enough to drive。
Arrivederci； fuckups！
Her whole body trembling with outrage； Jenny hurried down the path through the woods；
wishing with all her heart there was a subway stop right there by the duck pond。 She could swipe
her MetroCard and catch the 3 train down to Ninety…sixth Street and Broadway； and be home in
time forAmerican Idol 。 The green…headed mallard quacked at her mockingly as she hurried
by。 ？Cr？me de la cr？me！ Cr？me de la cr？me！ Cr？me de la cr？me！？ he seemed to be saying。
Jenny whipped out her cell phone and dialed information。 ？Taxi。 In Croton Falls； New York；？ she
instructed。
？We have no listings for Taxi；？ the operator responded blandly。 ？I？ll check Limousines。？
？Fine。？ Jenny typed the number for the Village of Croton？s only limousine service into her cell
phone。 With the money her father had given her bined with the money already in her wallet；
she could probably get the driver to take her all the way home。
Who said she wasn？t the cr？me de la cr？me？
V experiments with double happiness
When Aaron came home from band practice Vanessa was standing in front of the bathroom sink；
contemplating her hair？or lack thereof？in the round； toothpaste…spattered mirror； still wet from her
shower。 She？d ridded herself of Dan？s musty smell and was horrified to discover that she sort of
enjoyed the fact that Aaron had absolutely no clue。
When she？s bad； she？sbad 。
？N