"Been waiting long?" Not really," she replied, walking with me arm in arm to the parkinglot.She was in one of her pensive moods, I realized. Something...had beenbothering her from the start of the football season, but whatever itwas, she didn't want to talk about it. I didn't press her. I rememberedshe had always been a little moody.Marla's family had moved to Caliente about the same time mine had -justas we were starting middle school. The suburb had been new then, withonly a couple of hundred. She’s nice but tends to keep to herself. She also teaches history.”“Is she married?”“Uh, no, definitely not.”“I see,” said Jessica, mentally creating a profile of Ms. London. Almost certainly a lesbian, probably some people at the school understood as much but didn’t talk about it. She lived quietly and was sexually frustrated, took the coaching job because she liked being around young girls in cheerleader outfits, but was too smart and self-disciplined to risk crossing that line. But could she. I figured that this was a good time to go after more recruits for joining Wolfton before the weather got too bad. We put Lefty in charge, and Alice, Sharp Eye, and I set out to see if we could find anyone else who wanted to join us while there was still decent traveling weather. This time we took a wagon, thinking that the extra carrying capacity might come in handy. We took some bronze knives for incidental gifts and trading items; we planned to kill elk as our friendship gift.It was a bright,. "Well Blake, there went 10 Grand!" Don't worry about it Taylor,Jeffanie and Leigh are worth every penny!" We approached a smallplane on the runway and parked about 10 feet from it. Both girls gotout and unbuckled our seatbaelst. "End of the line girls, this is asfar as we go tonight." Blake helped me out of the car and beganwalking me to the steps leading up to the plane. Taylor walkedLeighton to the same first step and I wrapped my arm around hergirdled waist. "Don't they look awesome Taylor?".