Web of Dreams (Casteel 5)

Jennifer's mother had remarried, too, and she was just as unhappy about it and just as eager to get back to Winter-haven and the "special club." She was waiting outside our dorm when Miles drove me up. She ran to the car and we hugged and kissed and talked so quickly and so much, we both grew hoarse. She helped me unpack my things and then we went around to see the other girls. Everyone but Marie had arrived. She was coming a day later, directly from Paris.

That first night back, Jennifer and I sat up in bed talking into the wee hours. I finally told her about my modeling experience. When I described the way I had first undressed and how Tony slipped the sheet from my body gradually, she grew quiet, her voice then dropping to a bare whisper.

"But he's so young-looking," she said. "I don't know if I could have done that. How did you do it?"

"I don't know. My mother talked me into it," I told her. "You know she's an artist and artists don't think much of that sort of thing," I explained. I didn't tell her about Tony's method of touching me and then painting and sculpting. I just couldn't confess to that. Even so, what I described was enough.

"You must promise not to tell anyone in the 'special club,' Jennifer. I don't want the others to know the details. Let them think the doll's body was created from Tony's imagination. They will laugh anyway when they see it."

"Why?" she asked quickly.

"Because it looks older than I do, more mature. Especially here," I said indicating my bosom.

"Why did he do that?" Jennifer asked, her eyes wide.

"I don't know. I don't understand men, not my father, not any man."

Jennifer grew quiet. I thought she was thinking about her own father, but she surprised me.

"I met a boy the last week of the summer," she said, "and we had two dates."

"Jennifer Longstone, you never told me a thing about it in your letters and phone calls," I cried, sitting up quickly. "What boy? What's he like? How old is he?"

"It happened so fast I didn't have time to tell you, and anyway, I didn't want to make a big thing out of it until I was sure he really liked me. His name is William Matthews. He's sixteen and he attends Allandale so he will be at the dance this coming weekend. Are you going to be able to stay?"

"Yes. My mother has agreed to let me stay every other weekend."

"Oh, that's wonderful because William's roommate will be coming too, and when I told William about you, he said you and his roommate would be perfect together."

"Jennifer, you didn't. What did you tell him?"

"Just the truth . . . that you're beautiful and smart and fun to be with."

"Oh Jennifer."

"It's all right. I didn't make any promises. I wouldn't do that without talking to you first. William's roommate's name is Joshua John Bennington. William says he's very shy, but very good-looking and one of the brightest boys at Allandale. Also, he's very rich."

"You sound like a matchmaker. Since when did you get so sophisticated about boys, Jennifer Longstone?"

"Since the last week of the summer," she whispered and then went on to tell me about her two dates with William, the second one occurring at her house where they were alone together.

"He kissed me, Leigh," she confessed. "It was the first time I let a boy touch me. Did you ever let a boy touch you, Leigh?" she asked.

I thought again about Tony running his hands over my body, but I was still ashamed to tell her about it.

"No," I said quickly. "I don't think I could unless I loved him and he loved me," I said. Jennifer nodded, looking a little guilty.

"I like him a lot," she admitted. It made me think there was more to her story.

"What happened?"

"I liked it, Leigh. But I made him stop when he went too far," she added quickly. "I did," she emphasized. "That's the secret, knowing when to stop. That's what Wendy Cooper told me and Wendy ought to know. She's been going steady with Randolph Hampton for almost a year now and Randolph's nearly seventeen!" We were both quiet a moment and then Jennifer said, "But it's hard to stop, Leigh. Things happen inside you and you have to argue with your own body. You'll see when it happens to you," she promised.

I thought about the way I had trembled under Tony's touch, experiencing feelings I had never had. But I had been mostly embarrassed. I wondered if I always would be, even when I did these things with the man I loved.

Jennifer had really surprised me. Of all the girls in the "special club," I would have thought her the least likely to do these things with a boy. There's no way to be sure about anyone, I thought, not a best friend, and certainly not a father. Summers were short, yet so much seemed to happen over summers. Everything in and around my life was happening so quickly now. I felt like I was on a runaway roller coaster.

"Oh Leigh, it's so good to be back with you and have someone I can talk to again. I hate my mother now and I can't talk to her about anything that's important to me anymore. Do you hate your father?"