Tina is one of the bravest young women I've ever met. She hid out when the men who had killed her parents were looking for her, then she lived off the...land while she came over a hundred miles to try to find us. I'd have to love her for that, even if it wasn't for her personality and her looks." That's pretty much what Cassie and Katie said. Delia and I don't know her as well, but we both think she is a fine young woman." Sally got kicked in the head by that bastard she was married to. She. WOOOOOH!Turns out Dennis is quite a dancer. He really knows how to shake that groove thing! All the straight ladies were looking at me with envy. While some of the guys were drooling over me. Here at The Birchwood, I know, that THEY KNOW, what I really am, which makes it such an awesome turn on.But of course tonight I belonged to Dennis. You could tell he was running wildand enjoying himself off his leash.When things started to mellow a little bit it was time for Margaritta number two. . Normally Charlottedidn't allow Maddie to wear makeup, but this was a special occasion. Iwas all set, or so I thought. Charlotte had saved one more surprise--aprincess crown for me to wear.It's astonishing how big the world looks when you're three feet, threeinches tall. We headed for Charlotte's mini-van, and I started to climbinto the front seat, when she stopped me, "Remember honey, a girl yourage has to ride in the back. It's the law." Oh, right mommy." I could feel my little cheeks. My idiot son was stillreading, blissfully ignorant. I watched her go into her house and thenpulled up outside.It was a tall decaying building, vegetation eating into the plasterworkfa?ade, just one of hundreds like it all over the district, aching togive in to time and collapse. The whole suburb was settling intoobscene degradation, both the buildings and the carnal, lower classinhabitants. Alongside the otherwise beautiful Nockton, the twin townof Barton was a bruise of alcoholism, drug abuse.