"She waved a hand at Beth."Trust me, setting you two up may be the best thing I ever did." Shesmiled, pleased with herself."I'm going out with Kurt, s...ys he has a big night planned." Ambergiggled."I'm fucking taking the fucking coolest person." Bella intoned. "Me." How about you?" Bobbie asked.She smiled. "I'm going with Faye."Rach ran a hand through her blue hair."What?" Rach leveled her gaze. "I'm worth it."Rach enjoyed eating with what she had come to think of as Bobbie'sBrigade.Looks like I. I fully expected him to leave, to run, to do something but, to my suprise, he remained sitting at the table. I turned around to see that he was looking at me, quickly turning his eyes as not to let me notice. I sat back down at the table across from him, nervously; trying to think of what to say."Chris...", I finally had the courage to begin, "I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I promise,  whatever it might be, it can stay just between us." I was hoping to dispel any fears. Taking Beverly's advice, Idressed in a black knee-length dress, tights and flat Mary Jane shoes.Of course with my hair still being too short, Beverly fixed the brownshoulder length wig to my head after she had put light makeup on myface. At 10.am, Beverly announced that my mother and Hailey had arrivedand I held out my left arm to allow her to place the electronicbracelet around my wrist. She said I didn't need a coat as it was awarm spring day and so I was now ready to meet the two people I. Again and again the cane tapped and then struck her poor defenceless bottom. Her head began to swim as her mind and body absorbed the pain. Her sense of self was reduced to existing in the moment as she wriggled and cried out at each stroke, floods of tears streaming down her face as twenty years of pent up guilt poured from her. After what seemed like an eternity, she realised that the cane was no longer falling and that cool hands were rubbing and soothing her bottom. A warm feeling started.