Even Mister Novak had commented that she seemed distracted during their little encounter that morning. She made a mental note to make it up to the swe...t man when she was in a better frame of mind."And I was upset that you were in bed with Billy? I just don't know where you'd get an idea like that." Mommy mused. Kathy's dream had become the centerpiece of the evening's dinner conversation."Yeah, and just how did I turn into a Teddy bear?" Christi interjected. "Am I gaining weight or something?". "Yeah. Anyhow, yeah, I didn't want anyone to know, so I avoided contact. Plus, remember Monday? Remember how I almost took your head off?" I nodded. "There's a time bomb inside me waiting to explode, I know that. That's the other reason I find it hard to get close." Well, you've got friends now. Me, and my cronies. Amanda thinks you're sweet." I know," she smiled. "It's made more of a difference than I ever imagined." I'm glad about that," I said. "Unfortunately, look at the time. We need to go. In the water, the cool water that shriveled everything and cooled it off, was much easier.The locker room was typical high school boy locker room of that period, just a big, open area with lockers along the walls and an open shower room with shower heads on the walls. There was an office at one end, with a glass wall through which the teacher could monitor the locker room. Oddly, we never saw Miss Anderson there. But Miss Roberts, locker room monitor, was always there.She watched us strip, and. For that, I will always be grateful to him. But I made it, I’m home. Now, I don’t need him anymore. In the bathroom, just off our beautiful bedroom, so unchanged from the day I left it, there is peroxide and hair dye among my dusty possessions. Silently, impassively, I bleach my hair from root to tip, shocking my jet black tresses until I barely recognise the ashen blonde staring back at me from the mirror. When I am satisfied, I carelessly work the neat red dye in, watching bloody runnels fall.