"Just a manicure," I answered. "I've never had one before."I noticed Lisa smiling as she worked. The stylist with Nikki startedremoving the red polish...from her nails."Don't take me wrong," said Nikki. "More boys should get them. Mostboys have such ugly looking hands."I was certain I was the only boy in my class getting one. FortunatelyNikki and her stylist started gossiping and left me alone."Okay," said Lisa when she had finished with my right hand. "Do thoselook better?"I had to admit that. Aggie confessed she was close to breaking down, perhaps even committing suicide, when she finally met her new friends on Christmas afternoon.She was a senior at the University, majoring in environmental sciences and involved with a project onLake Champlain. Aggie knew nothing of The Intruder, and still felt shell-shocked by the news.Fatimahad come up with the idea of the group being guests of Aggie’s mall tonight as a way of making the social adjustment a little easier for her. Mark and Emily. He could not understand why. Each time theirritated boy heard it was becoming easier to fight the urge to itchafter being stung by sting needle than to stay quiet. He could notunderstand why his dad wanted him to say nothing and just play alongwith the joke.The reasons why the rumors were growing instead of ebbing in the age ofshort life cycle of gossip was Dave Irvin and Susan Lambru. Dave was notdoing it on purpose, he was just becoming more and more obsessed withhis fantasy of the rumor. I'd never given that kind of thing much thought, really, but as the story progressed, I found myself so -- so incredibly turned on. I... I fingered myself right there at my desk, until I came. I'd never done anything like that before." What about the other stories?" I hurried home and read them all... every one had a lesbian theme." She shook her head, an awed light in her eyes. "I couldn't stop touching myself while I was reading. It shocked me. I'd never known that I... could be that way.".