Firefly Lane (Firefly Lane 1)

Tully twirled for inspection. "How do I look?"

The gold toga showed off her big boobs and tiny waist, and a riot of curled, teased, sprayed mahogany hair spilled down over her shoulder, à la Jane Fonda in Barbarella. Blue eye shadow and heavy liner made her look exotic.

"You look gorgeous," Kate said. "The guysll be falling all over themselves. "

"You care too much about love; must be all those romance novels you read. This is our night. Screw the boys. "

"I dont want to screw them, but a date would be nice. "

Tully grabbed Kates arm and led her out into the hallway, which was crowded with laughing, talking girls in various stages of dress, running down the busy corridors with curling irons, hair dryers, and bedsheets.

Downstairs in the formal living room, one of the girls was teaching the others to Hustle.

Outside, Kate and Tully merged into the crowd walking down the street. There were people everywhere on this balmy late September night. Most of the fraternities were having an exchange. There were girls in costume, in ordinary clothes, in almost nothing at all, walking in sorority groups toward their various destinations.

The Phi Delt house was big and square, a fairly modern mixture of glass and metal and brick, that was set on a corner. Inside, the walls were worn, the furniture was broken and ripped and ugly, and the décor was prison-era 1950. Not that most of this could be seen through the crowd.

People were packed in like sardines, chugging beer from plastic cups and swaying to the music. "Shout!" blared through the speakers and everyone was singing along, jumping up in time to the music.

A little bit softer now . . .

The crowd crouched, stilled, then raised their hands and rose up again, chanting along.

As always, the minute Tully stepped into a party, she was "on. " Gone was the edge of depression, the hesitant smile, the irritation at losing the job. Kate watched in awe; her friend instantly grabbed everyones attention.

"Shout!" Tully yelled out, laughing. Boys moved in close, drawn to her like moths to a flame, but Tully barely seemed to notice. She surged onto the dance floor, dragging Kate along with her.

It was the most fun Kate had had in years.

By the time shed group danced to "Brick House," "Twistin the Night Away," and "Louie Louie," she was hot and sweaty.

"Ill be right back," she yelled to Tully, who nodded, and then she went outside, where she sat on the low brick wall that marked the propertys edge. Cool night air breezed across her sweaty face. She closed her eyes and swayed to the music.

"The partys inside, you know. "

She looked up.

The guy whod spoken was tall and broad-shouldered, with wheat-colored hair that fell across the bluest eyes. "Can I sit with you?"

"Sure. "

"Im Brandt Hanover. "

"Kate Mularkey. "

"Is this your first frat party?"

"Does it show?"

He smiled and went from good looking to gorgeous. "Just a little. I remember my first year here. It was like being on Mars. Im from Moses Lake," he said, as if that should explain everything.

"Small town?"

"Speck on the map. "

"It is kind of overwhelming. "

The conversation moved easily on from there. He talked about things she could relate to. Hed grown up on a farm, feeding cows before dawn and driving his dads hay truck when he was thirteen. He knew about feeling both lost and found in a place as big and sprawling as UW.