Dancin' the Night Away  Among Other Things 
by BeegBoy
One Humiliating Friday Night - Part III


(previously, in Saturday with Stacy.....)

"Just sit there and watch what happens next, Mrs. Kruger!" Stacy giggled, "I
guarantee it will be better than an apple bobbing contest! This party is just
getting started!"

Stacy turned toward the door and gave Gretchen a quick backward glance and a
sweet smile as she exited into the backyard to rejoin Cindy and Toni. Her two
friends looked at her with inquisitive expressions, still pondering her claim
that they could force the boys at the party to dance with them.

"Hell!" Stacy muttered to herself, "This is gonna be better than anything!"

"What is gonna be better than anything?" Toni asked as Cindy nodded, silently
adding herself to Toni's inquiry.

"So ladies! Ya sez ya wanna have a good time, ya sez ya wanna do some dancin?"
Stacy chirped happily, doing the lamest imitation of a third rate carnival
barker the girls had ever heard - or probably ever would. Her behavior also
perplexed them entirely.

"Uh, did you spike the punch, Cin?" Toni asked the hostess, "or did your mom
let Stacy have a nip of the cooking sherry?" Cindy just looked from Stacy to
Toni, shook her head and shrugged.

Stacy looked beyond them at the other party guests in the yard. Just as Cindy
had groused, the boys and girls had moved off into separate groups. In one the
boys were standing in a loose circle loudly talking about automobiles, sports,
and romantic conquests. Having the typical knowledge and experience of males
in the fifteen and under age range, their shared expertise on the three topics
being discussed were reasonable, fairly informed, and virtually clueless - in
that order.

The girls were clustered around the picnic table on which the galvanized
washtub full of water and floating apples still resided. Some were sitting on
the benches, others were standing, and all were bored and frustrated by the
lack of attention from the boys. They quietly discussed shopping, clothes,
make-up, and romantic liaisons with boys. Having the typical knowledge and
experience of females in the fifteen and under age range, their shared
expertise on the four topics being discussed were expert, expert, expert, and
novice (but curious and ready to experiment) - also in that order.

By luck or design the two genders attending the party were in perfect balance.
Twelve boys stood in the male group and nine girls were assembled at the
table, their numbers increased to an even dozen by Stacy, Toni, and Cindy. The
three stragglers would soon rejoined by the other girls, but not until they
huddled together for some enlightening conversation.

"Just messin' with ya, Toni!" Stacy began as she turned her attention back to
the two girls in her little group, "but you said you wanted to dance and so do
I, how about you Cindy?"

"Well sure", Cindy agreed, "I just don't wanna dance with another girl, and
we've lost the guys for the night. Like Toni said, you can't force a guy to
dance!"

"On the contrary, you can!" Stacy replied, smiling and confident.

"You mean the old whining and crying routines?" Toni asked with a sigh.

"Not at all, not at all - step right up and try somethin' new!" Stacy told
her, briefly slipping back into the barker impersonation, which was still very
lame.

"What? Bribery, or blackmail?" Cindy laughed.

"Neither one, my friends, neither on at all!" Stacy said. She had almost
called them 'my dears' instead of 'my friends' but decided the lame barker
joke had run its course.

Stacy looked over to the table and waved until she caught the eye of Cheryl,
one of the girls standing. She motioned for her and the others to all come and
join their smaller group by the back door. Cheryl and most of the other girls
began migrating over to where Stacy and the others stood, but the migration
was initially incomplete because two of the girls, Maria and Jody, hoping for
some attention, had dared to approach and attempt to breach the testosterone
tribe's circle. The results were, naturally, disastrous and embarrassing. They
entered the fortress with no trouble and were even acknowledged with polite
nods from many of the boys. Everything was fine, until they tried joining the
conversations.

Patrick, the largest and most athletic of the boys, was discussing his older
brother's car problems with a few of the guys.

"That engine is driving him crazy!" Patrick declared, "Two hundred bucks in
parts and three weeks workin' on it and the damned engine still won't turn
over!"

"Maybe it's the fuel injector or the plugs", one guy volunteered.

"Could be the alternator maybe", another offered.

"Maybe there's too much oil in the radiator!" Maria suggested in a cheerful
voice. Needless to say her contribution stopped the conversation cold and she
withered under the condescending smirks on the boys' faces. They rolled their
eyes and grinned. Maria's knowledge of shopping, clothes, and make-up clearly
didn't cover the workings of the internal combustion engine.

"Uh, yeah, yeah sweetie - gotta watch that oil level in the radiator!" Patrick
snickered. He wasn't being intentionally cruel but didn't struggle to hide his
amusement either. Round one went to the boys as Maria meekly turned away and
went to join the girls who she noticed had changed their location. Stacy
locked eyes with her and waved her arm impatiently. Stacy tried to get Jody's
attention too but failed. There was still round two to go anyway.

"What a boner that goalie at last night's hockey match was!" Greg complained,
"I mean he couldn't block a shot to save his mamma's life!"

"You're telling me!" a second boy agreed, "the other team's weakest player put
the puck right past him!"

"Just about gave the game away, his defense was so lame!" a third fellow
interjected.

"It must've been embarrassing, giving up a home run that easily!" Jody piped
in, halting this conversation even faster than Patrick's dissertation about
car engines, if that was possible.

Jody withered under the boys' silent gaze just as quickly as Maria had,
without even the benefit of an amused, polite comment from Greg. She turned in
humiliation and saw Stacy waving her over to the girls' relocated group. She
gratefully walked away from the boys with the sounds of their laughter
receding behind her. Round two went to the boys also.

But there was still round three, and that would prove to be quite an eye
opener.

The boys resumed their 'guy' talk as Jody sheepishly rejoined the girls to see
what ideas they might have to get some coed activity started. She was
intrigued by the agitated conversation Cindy and Toni were having with Stacy
Beaumont, a conversation that had attracted the rapt attention of Maria and
the other girls as well.

"Come on already, Stacy, spill it!" Toni pleaded, with Cheryl standing beside
her. The two could almost pass for sisters. Both were petite and just slightly
plump with wavy, brown hair and deep brown eyes that accentuated their
Mediterranean complexions. Two very attractive thirteen- year old girls of
Italian lineage, who, as boys noticed when they wanted to, had curves in all
the right places.

"Yeah", Cindy added, her own stout build a youthful version of her German
mother, with icy blue eyes and straight, dirty blonde hair pulled back in a
ponytail, "tell us how to make these guys notice us already!"

"What's this all about?" Jody asked, having arrived late.

"It's about making the guys want to dance with us!" Toni explained, "and Stacy
claims to know how to do it." Jody was brought up to date on how the 'usual'
methods (crying, bribery, etc.) weren't what Stacy was implying.

"So what's left?" Jody asked Stacy, "what will make the guys want to dance?"

"Well ... ", Stacy began coyly, "first a small correction. What you said just
now wasn't exactly what I said." Her comments were directed to Toni and Jody.
"I said I could we could make the guys dance with us, not make them want to
dance with us. I don't care if they want to do it or not. If we want them to
dance with us that's what they'll do!"

"What're we gonna do, use physical force?" another girl named Nancy asked in
jest. She was fourteen, with eyes, hair, and skin the same color as Toni and
Cheryl, except that her hair was as razor straight as Cindy's. Her taller,
slimmer build was still hefty in a healthy looking way, and the overall
package indicated her origins were Native-American.

"BINGO!" Stacy cried, loud enough to briefly attract glances from the boys'
circle, "you go to the head of the class, Nancy!"

"What?" Nancy stammered, "huh, I was kidding! It's not as if we could drag any
of them over here against their will!" The other girls all murmured agreement
with what Nancy said and began to wonder what Stacy my talking about. Toni
wondered again if Cindy had spiked the punch.

Stacy calmly looked over the doubtful, questioning faces surrounding her and
decided her lesson could best be taught by actual example instead of verbal
lecture. She selected two cassettes from the small pile Cindy was holding and
instructed Toni on what to do. Then she addressed all eleven girls as a group.

"OK, here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna get Patrick to dance with me, then
I'm gonna make him keep dancing with me or anyone of you who want to dance
with him!"

"But ... but how?" Cheryl asked in a confused tone, "how do you make a guy do
what he doesn't want to do?"

"I could try and explain everything", Stacy replied patiently, "but you'd
still think I was kidding or maybe crazy. So just bear with me on this. Watch
what I do and watch closely for signs of what's happening. You'll catch on and
believe me, you're gonna like what you see; and when you realize you can do it
too, you're gonna like it even more!"

Stacy nodded to Toni and began slowly walking towards the boys' group. Toni
went over to the boom box, switched off the radio, inserted the cassette, and
turned up the volume as she hit the play button. The sound of a thumping beat
filled the yard as a fast tempo dance number poured out of the speakers,
distracting the boys from their conversations and interrupting their male
bonding session. Stacy moved into their midst and walked straight up to
Patrick, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder. His sixteenth
birthday was just a month away, making him nearly two years older than Stacy,
just older enough for his arrogance to view her as a little girl. She pressed
her body right up against his with her arms at her sides and placed her chin
on his chest as she looked up into his eyes.

"Come on, Patty, take a break and give a girl a dance!" she cooed seductively.

Ordinarily he would have refused and dismissed the request, but Patrick did
like fast moving dancing and that's just the type of music that was playing.
Stacy's choice of cassette was no coincidence; she had a good idea these were
the sounds needed to get the fun started. Still, Patrick decided to 'play his
part' for the benefit of those watching.

"Sorry, babe", she said as the other boys smirked and grinned, "in the middle
of some business with the guys here!"

"Oh, the heck with oily cars and smelly, sweaty sports!" she pleaded in her
best girlish tone, "I wanna dance!"

She backed away, taking his hands in hers as she did, and pulled him along.
Patrick had already decided to dance with the 'cute little girl' but resisted
another moment or two before he allowed her to draw him away from the group.
At least that's what he believed had happened, though for a brief moment he
could have sworn little Stacy had begun pulling him away before he yielded to
her. It actually felt as if she had dragged him forward against his will, but
he quickly dismissed the though - it was ridiculous. Surely he had just been
off balance or something. Stacy knew she'd have no trouble. After all, Patrick
was strong but her brother Ken was stronger and she was stronger than Ken.
Even so, she had to suppress a giggle at how easily she'd been able to yank
Patrick along with her - and she knew he was the strongest boy there.

Stacy pulled Patrick to the open space between the two groups and they began
to dance wildly to the beat. She released his hands as they danced together
but unattached, occasionally locking hands with the larger boy and then
releasing him again as their gyrations required. Patrick was enjoying himself,
but he knew the song wouldn't play forever and soon he could abandon her and
rejoin the other guys. Patrick, in fact, didn't know anything, yet - but soon
he would know more than he wanted.

Meanwhile, back in the living room of the Kruger home, poor Ken continued to
'enjoy' the sweet, romantic movie Elise had selected for them to watch. He had
given up any hope of being able to pry himself free from the incredibly strong
grip of Cindy's slender older sister. Elise had enjoyed playing with her
captive, periodically relaxing her hold only to reassert it the instant he
tried to get up off the couch. The game had ended after a few repetitions and
Ken finally realized she was toying with him. Her small hand maintained a
gentle, firm hold on the sizable biceps in his far arm as she effortlessly
held him snug to her with his other arm wedged tightly between her body and
his.

"Oh, you have such big, big muscles Kenny!" she teased as she nibbled his ear,
"all the better for me to overpower and control!"

"Please, let me go home", he pleaded in a low voice, "I just wanna get out of
here!"

"Yeah, I guess this movie is boring you", she said in mock sympathy, "Here,
put the game back on if you want."

With her free hand Elise picked up the remote control off her lap and offered
it to Ken, knowing full well he couldn't take it with both his arms pinned and
helpless. She held it out to him for over a minute with her head tilted to one
side and a sweet expression on her face. Ken made a brief struggle but her
single arm easily held him fast.

"Oh good, you are enjoying this movie!" she chirped as she put the remote down
and put her head back on his shoulder, "sports are dumb anyway!"

Ken wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

In the backyard the song on the cassette had just about ended. Stacy and
Patrick were still the only couple dancing as the two gender-segregated groups
watched from their respective locations. As the song faded and the volume
dropped Stacy looked at Toni and nodded for the second time. When song ended
and Toni hit the stop/eject button, then quickly removed the cassette and
inserted another.

"Hey, leave that tape in!" Patrick called out, "that band rocks! Who knows",
he continued as he looked back at Stacy, "I might even give you a second dance
girlie!"

"Oh, I know you will, I know you will", Stacy answered, "but let's change the
pace a little".

Toni hit the play button and loud music again filled the air, but this time it
was soft, slow, and romantic. This wasn't get down music, it was hold-
me-close, intimate music. As a group the girls sighed; as a group the boys
groaned.

"Sorry!" Patrick exclaimed as he stepped away with his hands up and his palms
forward, "this is not what I consider dancing music!"

"Oh come on and try it!" Stacy said as she reached up and grabbed his wrists.
She pulled his arms down to his sides (he didn't resist, but it wouldn't have
mattered if he had), then wrapped her soft arms around him. Holding him in a
gentle bear hug, Stacy starting the two of them dancing in a slow, circular
motion with her head resting on his chest. Her eyes were closed and she smiled
as they danced to the slow, romantic pulse of the music.

"Tried it, don't like it!" Patrick announced as he pushed out his arms and
shook hers off, "I've seen my parents dance like this, and I'm too young to be
that dead!" He laughed aloud at his own joke and the boys joined in.

"I wanna dance!" Stacy persisted, her tone still sweet as she again wrapped
her arms around the larger boy and pinned his own arms to his sides. Again she
began to whirl them around and he was truly amazed at how easily she did it.
Patrick was certain he had planted his feet firmly to stand his ground, but
she must have somehow knocked him off balance again.

Again Patrick pushed his arms out and again shrugged her arms off his, this
time shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, looked at the boys group, and
smirked.

"I don't know if this chic's just determined or desperate!" he chortled, "or
which is worse!"

He turned away from Stacy and started back towards the circle of boys, but she
pranced around him and blocked his way.

"You and I are going to dance, now!" she commanded, though she kept her tone
light so it sounded more like a joking plea than an order. Again she pushed
his arms down to his sides and again she applied a bear hug and started him
dancing around.

"This is getting old, and it isn't funny anymore doll!" Patrick sneered in a
whisper to his determined partner, "and I'm getting fed up with your stupid
little game, enough!"

"This is no game, boy-toy!" Stacy whispered back as she locked eyes with him,
"I'd prefer you and the other guys dance by choice, but the fact is there is
no choice. We girls wanna dance, and that's what we're all gonna do - and
we're gonna do it with you and your posse over there!"

"Later you little bimbo, much later!" Patrick shot back.

Again Patrick pushed out with his muscular arms, but this time nothing
happened. He pushed his arms out but they didn't move outward, nor did Stacy's
plump, soft arms fall away or get shaken off his body. A confused look covered
his face as he tried to ponder what had happened. Stacy, of course, knew
exactly what had happened, and even more, what was about to. She was already
confident she could take Patrick but had tested his strength anyway. He pushed
her arms away the first two times only because she had allowed it, but she had
no intention of granting him a triple play. Once again she began to whirl them
both around in slow circles. Patrick tried again to plant his feet and stop
her, but Stacy, the 'puny little girl', didn't even notice he had.

Patrick muttered a curse under his breath and tried pushing his arms out
several times but they remained snugly pinned to his sides. This just didn't
make any sense. His arms weren't bound or stuck in his pockets so why couldn't
he move them. He didn't even consider Stacy's arms that were wrapped firmly,
and just a bit uncomfortably, around him. After all, the only way it could be
her arms keeping his own pinned would be if her arms were stronger than his,
and that was absolutely impossible. Wasn't it?

Patrick made repeated attempts to free his arms from Stacy's caress, but
despite the fact that he put significantly increased amounts of effort in each
one, his arms remained where they were. Stacy casually spun him around with
her as she kept her head on his chest. Her eyes were still closed but her
smile was now more a satisfied, impish grin. She spoke to him in a soft voice
that didn't carry far but kept her eyes shut. She didn't need to see him,
though the expression on his face must have been priceless. Stacy was willing
to let him save face, albeit only temporarily, if he behaved like a good
little boy, though she was certain his male pride would make him refuse the
offer.

"Here's the deal, Patty my boy", she said, "You can relax and make it look as
if you're enjoying this or you can keep resisting and let everyone here see
that you're being overpowered by me!"

Patrick eyes glazed over as her words settled in and he considered the part
her arms were playing in his predicament. She claimed she was overpowering
him! What the hell was this chick on? He tried again and again to free his
arms but Stacy held him firmly to her body even though to the other party
observers she appeared to have him in a gentle, casual embrace, though it was
usually the boy's arms that were on the outside, not the girl's. Just as
casually she forced him to dance in slow circles to the romantic ballad
playing. Patrick continued trying non-stop to break free of Stacy or at least
prevent her from spinning him like a rag doll, but he couldn't come close to
even challenging her strength, much less matching or besting it. Mindful of
the boys watching, he did his best to make his grimace of effort look like a
smile, albeit a forced one. He still couldn't quite believe Stacy was doing
this to him, and there was no way he'd let the others watching know she was.

"You'd better stop struggling, honey!" Stacy giggled, "if you don't they'll
all catch on!"

Of course, the others catching on was precisely what Stacy had in mind; or the
other girls anyway. The boys would find out one way or the other, after it was
too late to escape.

Over in the boys group they were all wondering why Patrick was still dancing
with Stacy, especially such a slow, sappy type of dancing. It had been cool at
first, with the heavy rock beat and the wild body movements; but now he was
doing some stupid Little Lord Fauntleroy routine and dancing like a damned
pansy-ass. And what was with that stupid-ass grin on his face? They couldn't
tell if he actually liked what he was doing (in which case he was a Class-A
dork) or if the grin was his quiet signal telling the guys he was just making
fun of Stacy and putting her on. The wooden stiffness of his dance movements
seemed to reinforce the latter theory, but not confirm it. They couldn't tell
if his grin indicated one or the other, yet somehow it also seemed to indicate
neither of the choices.

The girls watched with as much amazement and wonder as the boys; how had Stacy
convinced Patrick to keep dancing in such an intimate, romantic way,
especially with the other boys watching? It might persuade the other boys to
dance but far more likely they'd just start making fun of Patrick and become
even more adamantly opposed to partnering up with the girls. Both groups
watched the dancing couple, but slowly the girls started to see something the
boys didn't, or just couldn't. It's often believed the fairer sex is more
intuitive and better at reading subtle hints in facial expressions and body
language, and in this instance that was indeed the case.

"What's with Pat all of a sudden?" Greg complained to the others, "If he keeps
it up those other girls will all start wanting us to dance too!"

"No way!" Jim said quickly, "I don't mind dancing if I can really move it, but
that sweetie-pie stuff those two are doing is a bunch of crap!" The other boys
all muttered their agreement. After Patrick, Greg and Jim were the dominant
boys in the group and the others followed their example. Both boys were tall
and athletic like Patrick though perhaps not as muscular in build. The other
boys were certainly not wimps either, but they took direction from the three
leaders. The problem was, however, that right now their primary leader was
betraying the whole pack.

"So, which is it, bribery or blackmail?" little Cindy mused, repeating her
earlier comment as she watched Patrick and Stacy dancing. Stacy seemed to be
in heaven, even with that odd little smile on her face that made her look smug
more than satisfied. Patrick was cute but he was clearly no great dancer, or
at least not a romantic dancer. During the first song he'd strutted around
like a stallion, confident and in control; but now he looked stiff, slow, and
clumsy, as if Stacy had to guide his every move. Cindy would have figured it
out eventually, but Nancy was the first to reach the finishing line first.

"Bingo!" Nancy whispered in amazement, then repeated, "Bingo!" louder enough
for the other girls to hear.

"What?" Toni asked.

"Huh?" Cheryl queried.

"Eh?" Jody completed the inquisition trilogy.

"Don't you see it, girls? Look! Look!" Nancy giggled to the others, "Bingo!
BINGO!!"

"I've seen Bingo, Nanc", Cindy said dryly, "and they ain't playin' Bingo!"

"NO! NO!" What Stacy said to me before she went over there, don't you
remember?"

The girls thought back and remembered that Stacy had said 'BINGO' when Nancy
joked about using physical force to make the boys dance.

"But, come on, you were joking!" Maria said to Nancy, "you had to be!"

"Yes, I was", Nancy conceded, "but then Stacy told us to watch, and to watch
closely - so do it girls, do it! Look over there and tell me what you see,
what you actually see!"

All of the girls turned their eyes back to Patrick and Stacy and watched them
intently. Slowly they began to perceive what Nancy was talking about, what
Stacy had wanted them to observe and watch for. Cheryl saw that Patrick's
teeth were clenched in effort, he wasn't smiling; though he was doing his best
to make it look that way. Maria noticed how his arms seemed to be twitching
and quivering, as if he was struggling against restraint of some kind. Toni
and Jody simultaneously realized that his stiff, clumsy movements weren't the
result of his being a lousy dancer, but of his attempts to resist the dancing;
as if he was doing it against his will. The girls quickly shared their newly
acquired knowledge with each other and began to draw conclusions. Suddenly a
light switched on in Cindy's brain and she was the one who spoke first.

"He, he doesn't want to dance!" she gasped, "is that it Nancy? He doesn't want
to dance with her anymore?"

"BINGO!" Nancy said cheerfully, "You can join me at the head of the class now,
Cindy!"

"But why is he dancing then?" Cheryl asked, "Why not just stop and walk away?"

"You should actually ask it the other way", Nancy told her, "why doesn't he
walk away and stop? Either way the answer's the same, he doesn't do either one
because he can't do either one!"

"You lost me again", Jody responded, "I know he doesn't want to dance but why
can't he stop?"

"Because Stacy won't let him!" Nancy announced, realizing the girls had
figured out most, but not all, of it, "add it all up, hit total and the answer
is BINGO!"

"You mean ... ", Toni started slowly, "that Stacy is actually forcing him to
dance? But how?"

"Put together everything you told each other", Nancy explained, "Patrick's
clenched teeth, his twitching arms, his body language, what does that tell
you? What?"

"That he's struggling to against something", Cheryl offered, then altered her
statement, "or he's struggling against someone!" Cheryl's eyes widened when
she met Nancy's gaze and the latter girl nodded in confirmation. The other
girls were starting to see the point, but Nancy decided it was time to
expedite dissemination of the information.

"Tell 'em Cheryl!" Nancy commanded.

"Patrick's dancing because Stacy's forcing him to do it!" Cheryl concluded,
"She's got his arms pinned and he can't break free of her! He can't get away!"

"We have a winner!" Nancy told the group happily.

"What!?" Toni, Cindy, Jody, and, well, just about all the other girls
exclaimed in unison.

"How could Stacy do something like that?" Toni continued alone, "I mean, I
don't see any rope or a scarf around him, so what's holding his arms?"

"Whatever", Jody added, "Even if she tied his arms down how could she move him
around like that if he isn't letting let her?"

"Actually", Nancy told the group, "both questions have the same answer. First
of all, Stacy isn't using a rope or a scarf, Toni, the only things keeping
Patrick's arms pinned down are hers!"

"And the reason she's about to move and twirl him around", Cheryl added, "is
the same reason she's able to hold his arms pinned and trapped inside hers!"

"But, that's crazy!" Cindy interjected, "I mean, for Stacy to do that she'd
have to be stronger than he is!"

"BINGO!" Nancy and Cheryl cried out together, "We have another winner!"

"WHAT!?" came another unified inquisition from the female assembly.

"Stacy's stronger than Patrick, stronger than a boy?" Toni blurted out,
"that's impossible! Isn't it?"

"Look at them again and answer the question for yourself", Nancy replied, so
the girls watched and studied the dancing couple again for about a minute,
making the same observations as the first time but reaching a conclusion not
previously considered, much less ever thought possible.

"Oh my God!" Cindy finally gasped, "I think you and Cheryl are right, Nanc! I
think this is what Stacy wanted to show us!"

"She's actually stronger than Patrick!" Maria added, "and, if that's true, it
means she's gotta be stronger than any of the guys over there! After all, I
hear he is the strongest one of them!"

"Can that be possible?" Jody asked in a doubtful tone, "could Stacy be
stronger than any of those boys?"

"I do believe she is, indeed I do!" Cheryl responded, adding, "and I think
she's trying to send us all a message. I think she's trying to tell us it
isn't just her!"

"What do you mean?" another girl asked.

"I mean I think it's time for a little experimentation!" Cheryl replied, and
with those words she slowly strolled away from the girls and towards the
dancing couple.

"Go for it!" Nancy whispered to herself, but loud enough for all the girls to
hear.

"Enough of this bullshit!" Greg told the other boys to nods of agreement, "I'm
gonna go get Pat before that asshole turns this party into a freakin'
cotillion!"

"Yeah!" Jim agreed, "what's gotten into him anyway? Maybe we should go buy him
a petticoat or something!"

"If he heard you say that he'd kick your ass to Europe!" Greg snickered, "Hold
down the fort here while I go get him!" Greg strode away from the boys and
towards Stacy and Patrick.

In the kitchen of the Kruger home, Gretchen Kruger was watching it all through
the window as she sat at the table. The days' events were still rolling over
in her mind. Ken's struggle with the water faucet and the weight of the
washtub, his inability to lift the washtub when even slender Elise could do
it. She briefly wondered where Elise had wandered off to, and why Ken hadn't
said goodbye to her when he left (which might have been due to embarrassment),
but for that matter, she hadn't seen Ken leave. These thoughts were pushed to
the back burner, however, as she watched Stacy dancing with one of the boys.
Her perception being more matured than that of the young girls, Mrs. Kruger
had realized quickly what was happening and started to understand the meaning
of what Stacy had said to her earlier. Then, she observed another boy and girl
approach the two dancers from their respective groups, and she watched in
wonder to see what would happen now.

As she whirled Patrick around the lawn, Stacy could hardly contain herself
from laughing. She had fully expected to overpower him, but her confidence
swelled with each additional conquest nonetheless. She relished feeling
Patrick's body struggle and resist her soft and deceptively powerful arms as
they embraced and imprisoned him tightly against her. She hadn't felt anything
like this with her brother Ken when she pinned him down that morning. She had
enjoyed that but was enjoying this in an entirely different, sensual way, a
way that was far more delightful and empowering. Patrick, for his part,
continued struggling against his petite dancing companion, still unable to
determine how she was managing to do all this to him. The size and weight
advantages were his; and surely the strength advantage as well. What she was
doing had to be impossible, but doing it she was. He couldn't figure it out,
couldn't understand it - or, more likely, he simply couldn't or wouldn't
accept it, yet.

Cheryl strolled towards them and felt her own confidence growing though she
still had some doubts, having never really tested her strength with anyone,
much less a guy. She did recall a hallway incident earlier that year in school
when Steve, a boy in her math class, pinned her to the wall and tried to steal
a kiss. He'd grabbed her hands, interlocking their fingers, and pushed her
back. Naturally she resisted, but after about twenty seconds her arms were
forced to the wall and held there. The sudden appearance of a teacher exiting
a classroom made Steve release her at once, lest he be caught in the act. His
eyes had widened in fear, or had they? Cheryl thought back to that day now and
things occurred to her that hadn't back then. Steve hadn't actually pinned her
arms by overcoming her resistance, but because she had relented, figuring
there was point in fighting him. After all, he was a boy and had to be the
stronger of the two. But now she recalled that she had held him off rather
easily, and, more important, that his eyes had widened before he pinned her
arms and before the teacher arrived on the scene. Could it be possible his
expression wasn't one of fear but one of surprise and bewilderment when he
realized he couldn't force her arms back, and couldn't pin her? What might
have happened if she hadn't stopped resisting? What might have happened had
she pushed back? Would she have proven herself to be stronger than Steve?
Could she be stronger than a boy too, just like Stacy? As she had told the
girls watching from behind her, time for a little experimentation!

Cheryl and Greg reached the dancers at the same time, she watching them with
understanding and happy anticipation, he viewing them with frustration and
confusion.

"Hey Pat!" Greg spate, "enough of this ballroom crap already, get back over
there with us!" In response Patrick stared at Greg in helpless humiliation and
with a desperate, almost frightened, look on his face. Stacy opened her eyes
and glanced at Greg with that same impish little smile, her head still resting
on Patrick's chest.

"Oh, this looks so romantic!" Cheryl chirped to the other newcomer, "Dance
with me Greg!"

"What?" Greg stammered, "what the hell is with you dumb chicks tonight anyway?
I don't waste my energy on this type of crap!"

"Oh, Cheryl, hi!" Stacy said sweetly, now realizing the girl had approached
them, "Maybe Greg doesn't know how much fun it is to dance like this and maybe
we should teach him!"

"But gee, Stacy", Cheryl replied whimsically, "he's refused me, whatever can I
do?" As she said this Cheryl looked directly at Greg with a gaze that left the
boy rattled and uneasy.

"Well, if you really want to dance there's always Patrick here!" Stacy
chirped, "he's a wonderful dancer!"

"But he's with you", Cheryl replied in mock disappointment, dropping her head
slightly and pouting.

"Well, what do you say then?" Stacy suggested as she whirled Patrick so she
and Cheryl could see each other and winked. Cheryl looked briefly confused,
then quickly understood.

"Stacy?" she intoned politely, "may I please cut in?"

"But of course, Cheryl, of course!" Stacy answered, "besides, I have another
partner close at hand!" To their mutual delight, Greg now looked even more
rattled and uncertain. Patrick just continued struggling in silence. He made
eye contact with Greg, but the other boy couldn't understand if the Patrick
was silently warning him away or asking him for help, but help for what? At
this point, Patrick probably wasn't sure which one of the two his look
intended either.

Cheryl started to move in but stopped abruptly when Stacy spoke up.

"Oh, no, no!" Stacy explained, "let's do this handoff the correct way. As
these great, big, strong boys say in football talk, go long!" Stacy began to
turn herself and Patrick around faster and faster. Understanding the message,
Cheryl backed away several yards and prepared herself. Greg, still frustrated
and confused (and more than a little uncertain and worried) backed off also,
but not as far. Patrick resisted still but he couldn't even slow Stacy's pace,
let alone stop her. Around and around they danced, their speed and momentum
growing. Then, catching Cheryl's eye, Stacy winked again and cried out,
"Catch!" as she released Patrick, launching him off in Cheryl's direction,
where the other girl stood with her own arms open, ready to catch the 'pass'.
What happened next took place so quickly the girls had to compare notes later
for all the details on the events, which took place almost simultaneously.

Cheryl stepped forward with her arms open and raised as Patrick stumbled into
her. The net effect of their collision was a giggle from her and an "ommpph!"
from him as they both came to a halt. Despite his superior size and weight
Cheryl stood her ground and actually forced the larger boy backwards a bit.
His arms were also raised but Cheryl swiftly brought her down over his
shoulders and within seconds Patrick's arms were again pinned helplessly to
his sides just as they had been with Stacy. The only change was in the arms
that secured him. A different girl, a different set of soft, feminine arms;
but the same incredible strength that dwarfed his own. He strained and
resisted with no apparent effect on her, if anything his struggles made her
smile more as she realized he was helpless in her grasp. Placing her head on
his chest, Cheryl began to whirl around the lawn pulling him along as easily
and dreamily as Stacy had before her.

After releasing Patrick and sending him towards his new partner Stacy
continued the momentum of her spin and reached out. She grasped Greg firmly by
the wrist even as he tried to back off further and with a gentle yank drew him
in toward her. He found himself unable to match her power and was soon
standing chest to chest with the smaller girl. In a flash Stacy circled him
with her arms and clamped them down on his own, pinning Greg just as easily as
she had Patrick. She knew she'd have no problem at all, being that Patrick was
the strongest of the boys and she'd conquered him with hardly any real effort.
Greg was as confused and immediately starting to struggle just as Patrick had.
Stacy again thrilled, savoring the power she felt as Greg strained to get free
of her without success. She smiled, closed her eyes, and put her head on his
chest, then began effortlessly to spin him around the yard. Where there had
been one dancing couple there were now two, and things were just starting to
warm up.

"Look at that, look!" Nancy tittered with her hands over her mouth, "Cheryl's
stronger than Patrick too! And now Stacy has Greg trapped and she's making him
dance! This is sensational!"

"This can't really be happening, can it?" Maria asked.

"This is too weird!" Jody gasped, "they must be fooling around, but, what's
the joke, and why are the guys playing along?"

"It's no joke!" Nancy exclaimed, "Can't you see it? Both of those guys are
fighting like mad to get loose, but they can't. They can't! Both Cheryl and
Stacy are stronger than they are!"

The girls could see what was going on, but it still seemed too extreme a truth
for them to accept. However, they were beginning to wonder, they were at least
open to a possibility they wouldn't even have considered a few hours ago.
Renewed movement over by the boys' group attracted Toni's attention and set
her into action.

The boys' frustration only increased at the sight of both Pat and Greg now
dancing with the girls. They couldn't figure out what the story was. Watching
from where they stood it almost seemed as if Stacy had flung Pat over to
Cheryl and then grabbed hold of Greg. Surely that couldn't be what actually
happened. There was no time to ponder it however, as they were more concerned
with why their leaders were still playing the girls' stupid game. Greg had the
same dumb look on his face that Pat did, and he looked just as stiff.
Something was definitely going on and the boys didn't like it. They had no
idea what it was, they just knew they didn't like it.

"That's it!" Jim scowled, "this is gonna stop now!"

"What're ya gonna do?" Paul, one of the other boys, asked.

"I'm shutin' down the bandstand!" Jim spat back, leaving the group and heading
towards the boom box on the table. He figured the fastest way to end this lame
dancing was to cut off the lame music. He strode forward with his eyes set on
the boom box, unaware of Toni moving in on him from the other direction.

As he approached Jim stretched out his arm and extended his finger at the
box's off button. He got within an inch or two of it when a small hand shot in
from the side and firmly grabbed his wrist. For a few seconds an unbelievable
stand off played out before the others. Without even looking to see who had
grabbed him, Jim determinedly kept forcing his arm forward to hit the off
button, but the hand holding his wrist held him at bay. His arm quivered with
effort, his muscles bulged and beads of sweat appeared on his brow, but the
gap between his fingertip and the button remained. He finally looked to his
side and gasped aloud when it registered that little Toni had grabbed him and,
even more bewildering, stopped him. Keeping his eyes locked with the much
smaller girl he clenched his teeth and attempted to surge his arm forward
again but still made no progress. Everyone was astounded. This was a far more
dramatic demonstration than even what Stacy and Cheryl had accomplished. Jim's
force was directed straight ahead of him whereas Toni's resistance was
originating from the side, from a ninety- degree angle. His stance was solid,
hers was awkward; everything about the situation clearly gave the advantage to
Jim, even without what one would presume was his vastly superior physical
strength. Why then, couldn't he reach the damned button?

If anyone was more shocked than Jim it was Toni herself. Stepping forward and
grabbing his wrist had been purely an impulse action on her part. She'd
planned to get between Jim and the boom box but he had moved too swiftly, so
she had gripped him, but only to get his attention and was absolutely stunned
when she found herself able to hold him off. Her eyes widened as her lips
curled up into a wide grin and her stunned reaction turned into delighted
realization. Their eyes still locked, Toni pulled Jim firmly sideways,
releasing his right wrist from her right hand as he catapulted by in front of
her. Before he could regain his balance she gripped his right wrist with her
left hand and his left wrist with her right hand so they now stood face to
face, or more correctly front to front. Toni had to look up at the boy as she
tugged him forward, releasing his wrists and applying a solid bear hug around
his arms and upper body as the two of them collided. Jim towered over her but
was held helpless in her grasp despite it. His brawny arms bulged with effort
and strain; her smooth, thick arms rippled slightly, revealing only the
faintest hint of biceps, yet the superior physical power clearly rested within
her.

"Oh my God! That was so easy!" Toni squealed out to the other girls, "I can't
believe how easy it was! " Without hesitation put her head to Jim's chest and
commenced whirling the two of them around in circular motion with Jim's
frantic efforts to resist meeting no more success than those of Patrick or
Greg. There had been two couples dancing, and now there were three.

"Well, any other questions girls?" Nancy asked the remaining members of her
group, but there were none, only sinister giggles and a few delighted,
determined comments.

"This is gonna be great!" Cindy announced, her confidence fully boosted by
seeing little Toni overpower Jim so quickly and decidedly.

"I've gotta try this, what do I have to lose?" mused Maria.

"I'll bet even I could do it!" Jody surmised, "Yes, maybe even I could do it!"

"So stop talking and start stalking!" Nancy encouraged, "Grab a partner and
dance!"

The remaining girls turned their eyes to the boys in the other group, who now
watched with a growing sense of apprehension. It was slowly dawning on them
that Patrick, Greg, and Jim were being controlled by their female dance
partners somehow, but the boys couldn't imagine or understand how the girls
were doing it. A few of them did begin to consider the girls were using force
of some kind, but certainly not physical force, that just couldn't be
possible. It soon became obvious the boys wouldn't have much more time to
ponder the situation any further as they became aware of the girls, who had
started walking slowly in their direction. The girls spread out and stood
shoulder to shoulder line a line of troops advancing on the enemy. They all
clasped their hands behind their backs and slightly drooped their small
shoulders, giving themselves a sweet, demur as they moved forward with
innocent looking smiles on their faces. Some tilted their heads to the side,
others blew gentle kisses, all gazed at the boys with alluring eyes. The
overall effect further rattled the boys even more, as they found themselves
being stalked by an approaching attack force that looked innocent, feminine,
and fragile, yet predatory as a lioness.

A large, stocky boy broke from the group and rapidly moved towards the boom
box as Jim had. His stature was as much from being overweight as it was from
excess muscle, but his density made him formidable regardless. He had a proper
name, but to the group he was known as 'the Moose' for obvious reasons. The
Moose had concluded, using his vast intelligence and reasoning ability, that
the music was the mysterious cause of his friends' predicament, surely the
sappy dance tunes had hypnotized them in some manner. Clearly the answer was
to turn the music off and everything would be A-OK again. Perhaps he was
called 'the Moose' due to his mental capacity as well as his girth.

The Moose couldn't move nearly as fast as Jim, however, and he was still
several yards from the boom box when stocky little Cindy stepped defiantly
into his path. Of all the possible couplings in the group this was the
greatest contrast by a country mile. Though not slender in build like her
older sister Elise, Cindy was one of the shortest girls there, whereas the
Moose was the tallest of the boys by several inches. The other girls saw the
boys' chests when they looked straight ahead; little Cindy saw the Moose's
soft, ample belly.

"Outta my way twerp!" he commanded in a threatening tone. The Moose was trying
to sound intimidating, but none of the girls feared the boys would resort to
physical violence. They were, for the most part, arrogant and condescending,
but none of them were really creeps. It would never cross their minds the
raise a fist against the girls, and it very likely wouldn't have changed
anything if they had.

"I don't think so!" Cindy shot back, "we girls all wanna dance and that means
the music stays on, ya got that!?"

"MOVE!" the Moose roared as he started forward again. Cindy stepped up to meet
him and the two locked hands in a mercy style test of strength. All the
factors were in his favor and this initially gave him an edge, but only
briefly. Due to his height the Moose was literally pushing straight down on
his diminutive opponent with his arms fully extended. Because she hadn't been
totally prepared at the onset of their face off, Cindy's arms were bent at the
elbows and jutting out behind her, her hands level with her shoulders and
flush with her chest. Despite her awkward position and his advantageous one,
the Moose found himself unable to push her back or even make any additional
headway against her arms. The scene was so astounding that everyone else in
the yard stopped to watch, even Stacy, Cheryl, and Toni stopped whirling to
observe it, though they kept their dance partners pinned securely in their
arms.

The Moose grunted aloud as he pushed forward and down with all his
considerable power but with no visible effect on little Cindy's opposing
stance. Bewildered and embarrassed, he drew in a deep breath and prepared to
push even harder as Cindy also drew air, clenched her teeth and braced
herself. The two pushed against each other in unison, and gasps erupted from
the others watching as Cindy's arms began to slowly move forward and
straighten and those of the Moose began to bend and yield. As her arms moved
outward, Cindy bent her small hands downward at the wrists, in response to
which the boy's own massive wrists began surrendering to hers just as his arms
were. Amazingly, she was pushing both up with her arms and down with her
hands, forcing the Moose's wrists back and his arms to bend along with them,
even though he was still technically pushing down on her. Cindy braced again
and actually took a step forward, standing on her toes as she further
increased the pressure on her mammoth sized competitor. The Moose, the mighty
Moose, groaned in disbelief as he feel to his knees before a little girl who
had proven herself the stronger of the two. Ironically, his new position
allowed them to look directly into each other's faces. His mouth dropped open
in shock and his eyes looked like saucers as Cindy forced his arms against his
sides and held them in place. She released his hands and slid hers up to his
forearms, planting them there and pushing inward, reaffirming her pinning hold
even as he began to struggle, his resistance as futile as that of the other
three boys. The Moose was way too big for her to use a bear hug like the other
girls, but this would do nicely. Even with her strength advantage, Cindy was
just too small to control the Moose to the extent of making him dance in
circles. If he stood he would need only to lean back to lift her off the
ground; so Cindy satisfied herself with holding him captive on his knees
before her. She pressed her body to his and swayed her hips to and fro,
forcing his massive body to follow suit as she placed her head on his
shoulder, closed her eyes and smiled dreamily. His attempts to stand up were
matched and overpowered as easily as his attempts to free his arms. She simply
applied her strength against his, and it was no contest at all.

Now there were four couples dancing. Well, technically still only three
couples, being that Cindy and the Moose were only sort of dancing, but you get
the idea.

The others in the yard silently watched for a bit longer, still astounded,
amazed, delighted (the girls), and baffled (the boys). Patrick, Greg, and Jim
may have been their leaders, but the Moose was the enforcer of the group, the
one nobody, but nobody, ever screwed around with. Now he was on his knees and
held helpless by someone barely one third his size, and a girl to boot! A
series of mirthful giggles broke out as Stacy, Cheryl, and Toni resumed the
dance and the other girls resumed their stalking approach toward the remaining
boys. Looking around nervously the boys finally comprehended what they saw.
They saw all three of their leaders being manhandled (girlhandled?) and unable
to free themselves. They saw the Moose, their toughest member, out muscled and
overpowered by tiny Cindy Kruger. They saw all the other girls approaching,
eyes filled with challenge, determination, and mischief. They saw all this and
instantly struck upon a course of action.

They ran like bats out of hell.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Kruger had moved from the table to the back door for a
better view of the unfolding events. She was amazed at what appeared to be a
very one-sided battle of the sexes taking place. Gretchen was impressed when
she saw Stacy conquer Patrick, and an amused smile appeared on her face as she
watched Stacy pass him off to Cheryl and then capture Greg. The smile grew
into a wide, delighted grin when she observed Toni waylay and trap Jim in the
same way. Her earlier thoughts and pondering about the girls' potential for
deceptive strength, based on her observations of Ken, had apparently been
correct; what had been theory was now being established as fact.

A large boy, she believed the others called him Moose, broke from the group in
the same direction as Jim had, but at that moment the telephone rang and
Gretchen's attention was diverted. She turned away from the door and went to
the phone, which was on the kitchen counter just before the narrow hallway
that connected the kitchen and the living room.

"Good evening, Kruger residence", she said.

"Hello, Gretchen?" a familiar voice responded, "this is Grace Beaumont. I know
Stacy should be there at Cindy's party but I'm wondering if you might know
where her brother Ken is. I'm still at the office and I've called the house
but there's no answer. Did Ken mention where he might be going, or is he
perhaps still there?"

"Oh, hello Grace!" Gretchen replied pleasantly, "how dreadful that you must
work today! Yes, Stacy is here and having a wonderful time (at this point she
needed to suppress a giggle) but I thought Ken had left, let me check. Please
hold on a minute".

"OK, thank you", Grace answered.

Gretchen put the receiver down gently and walked down the hallway to the
living room. It was evening but still early evening, so there was sufficient
light for her to see Grace's car was still in the driveway. Apparently Ken was
still here, but where, and why? Fore that matter, where had Elise wandered off
to? As she entered the living room Gretchen heard the television, looked in
the direction of the sound and had both her questions answered. Elise and Ken
were sitting on the couch watching a romantic love story. Mrs. Kruger was
curious about this until it soon dawned on her that Ken was enjoying the film
about as much as the boys in the backyard were enjoying the dancing, and he
was every bit as helpless to do anything about it. She stifled a laugh but a
small, muffled chortle escaped. Elise and Ken both looked in her direction,
her daughter gave her a wink and a smile, but Ken could only offer a
humiliated, desperate frown. Gretchen saw Elise's small hand cupped around his
far upper arm and realized the girl was accomplishing with just one arm what
the younger girls needed both for; or at least were using both for, maybe they
didn't need to, either. She smiled at her daughter and gave Ken a sad, amused
nod of her head, then withdrew and went back to the phone as Elise began
tweaking Ken's nose, just for fun. He hadn't struggled in a while and she
wanted to rev him up again.

"Ya Grace, ya, Ken is still here, too", Gretchen explained, "he's watching TV
with my Elise".

"Great!" Grace replied, "I'm leaving the office now and I'll have my co-
worker Keith drop me off at your house if that's alright with you. Maybe we
can have a cup of coffee and visit a bit, then I'll drive the kids home".

"That would be just wonderful, Grace!" Gretchen said happily, "I'm looking
forward to seeing you!" ("And, looking forward to you seeing what's here to be
seen!" she added in her mind.)

"Wonderful! I'll see you soon, goodbye!" Grace finished.

"Yah, goodbye!" Gretchen said and hung up the phone.

But when she returned to the back door Mrs. Kruger was alarmed to see her
younger daughter, Cindy, was standing in opposition to the huge boy she'd seen
break from the group just before the phone rang. Now, the immense brute had
locked hands with her precious baby and the two were clearly engaged in a test
of strength. Despite the overwhelming evidence presented by the other
male/female confrontations being displayed, she nonetheless feared for her
little girl's safety. Cindy was stout (and probably fairly strong) but still
so small, and the boy was bearing down on her; her poor child's arms were
clearly forced back. Mrs. Kruger couldn't ignore the situation and reached for
the doorknob just as a series of audible gasps came from the youths assembled
in the yard and the three dancing couples abruptly halted. Gretchen's hand
slowly dropped from the doorknob as she watched her precious little Cindy
force the gigantic boy back and down onto his knees. Her hands went to her
cheeks in disbelief as she watched Cindy overpower and capture the boy, easily
matching and surpassing him in the direct test of physical power. As the
dancing out back resumed Gretchen turned away from the door, now folding her
hands together by her lips as if she was praying. What even her little girl
could do, how wonderful! She quietly tiptoed down the hallway to sneak another
look at Elise and Ken, beaming with pride as she watched her older daughter
easily overpowering Stacy's big brother, who was now fully revved up and
struggling nicely, much to his dismay and Elise's renewed pleasure and
delight.

Meanwhile, back to the boys in the yard: They ran like bats out of hell.

The remaining girls strode forward confidently, shoulder to shoulder, breaking
ranks only to move around the dancing couples in their path. They cut a
sufficiently wide swath so that even as the boys scattered they found most
avenues of escape blocked by determined potential dance partners of the
opposite sex. Nancy, who had been ready from the start, was out of patience
and simply extended her arm, grabbing the first boy who tried to get by her.
The hapless victim's name was Mitchell. Smiling smugly, Nancy merely held his
wrist and allowed him to keep running and pulling her arm out straight, at
which point he ran out of arm and jerked to a halt so quickly he nearly lost
his footing. Nancy laughed and pulled him to her; within seconds she had his
arms pinned securely under her own. Once again, the smooth, soft arms of a
girl showed themselves to be more than a match for the hard, bulgy ones of a
boy. Like the others he began struggling for freedom, but Nancy's hold was as
snug as her smile was smug.

"NO! NO!" Mitchell pleaded, "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Sorry sweetie!" Nancy chirped to her captive, "but a girl's gotta do what a
girl's gotta do, and this girl's gotta dance - and so do you!" She planted her
head on Mitch's trembling chest and began spinning him around like the others
(except for Cindy, of course), and she fully understood and appreciated the
rush and feeling of empowerment this bestowed on her and how great it made her
feel. His chest trembling against her face, his arms quivering against hers,
it was wonderful beyond words.

Another boy, Timothy, tried dodging around the girls in the opposite direction
but Jody moved in quickly and blocked his way. Improvising her assault, she
borrowed from what she'd seen Cindy do and locked hands with him. The height
difference wasn't as extreme, though Timothy still had the better part of a
foot on Jody. Attacking with lightening speed she forced his arms up behind in
back so quickly and with such strength his feet actually left the ground.
Perhaps she'd convert to the standard bear hug later, but for now Jody enjoyed
the feeling of Tim's fingers as they tried to pry themselves free from her
own. She tightened her hold; pressing their bodies together and anchoring the
double reverse hammerlocks into an inescapable lock of human limbs. Glowing
with new found pride at her accomplishment, Jody joined the ball and began
dancing in circles, pulling Tim along for the ride, whether he wanted to go or
not; and naturally, he didn't.

The boys' ranks had now been decimated by fifty percent. Six boys remained
free but six had been taken, and the fates of Mitch and Tim made it clear the
girls had successfully blocked both sides of the house as potential exits from
the yard. Maria and two other girls approached from one end, three more from
the other. They still moved calmly, with hands clasped behind them and sweet
little smiles, but ready to spring like wildcats at the proper moment.
Deciding to go for broke, the other six boys ploughed straight through the
middle and past the dancing couples. To give them their due it was the one
tactic the girls hadn't anticipated; they actually reached the back door of
the house and made it inside.

"Shit! They'll all get away!" a girl named Nikki scowled.

"They haven't made it yet!" little Maria shouted, "Come on girls! I wanna
dance, let's get 'em!"

They took off in rapid pursuit, refusing to be denied the fun and pleasure the
others were experiencing.

Gretchen was just turning away from her second peek at the fun Elise was
having when a loud commotion at the back door drew her attention. The door
flung open and six boys stampeded through the kitchen and headed into the
hallway that led to the living room, the front door, and freedom. They had a
decent lead on the girls chasing them and knew they could scatter once they
exited the house. They knew they were deserting their six friends, including
their leaders and the Moose, but if the phrase 'Every Man for Himself' ever
applied, it applied here and now.

The boys piled into the hallway and bounded forward, figuring Mrs. Kruger
would step aside as they rumbled towards her, but in their panic they had
forgotten several things. The boys had forgotten Gretchen Kruger was a stoutly
built woman of German origin. They had forgotten that her small daughter Cindy
had overpowered the biggest guy in their group with uncanny ease. Above all,
they had forgotten that, though older in years and fuller of figure, Mrs.
Kruger was another member of the opposition. Gretchen Kruger was still (at
heart, anyway) a girl!

Gretchen turned to face the boys and leaned forward ever so slightly as she
stretched her arms out to her sides and bent them until the backs of her hands
touched the opposite walls of the narrow hallway. The boys were horrified when
they realized she had no intention of stepping aside, but it was too late to
halt their forward momentum. They didn't want to hurt the sweet older lady but
didn't have time to slow down. The six boys rammed into Gretchen and her
waiting arms at full speed, slammed into her, and she stopped them cold! The
six strapping teenage boys had feared hurting her, but now they felt as if
they'd struck a brick wall. Dazed, they pushed forward again but Gretchen
calmly smiled as she stood her ground and blocked their only avenue out of
escape. The sound of the back door opening, signaling the girls approaching
from behind renewed their panic and the group pushed ahead with a renewed
effort to get clear, but Mrs. Kruger resisted and held them in place; her calm
expression unchanged, though she looked a bit more amused now. Then, just to
test herself, she took a step forward and cackled as the six boys wedged
against her were forced a step backwards as a group. They pushed against her
again and again, but all their combined strength was useless, it was no match
for hers; Gretchen, the sweet older lady a few years shy of forty, was an
impenetrable barrier. The narrow hallway might just as well have been a dead
end, which, for the boys anyway, is exactly what it was.

Now the trapped boys looked behind and saw the remaining girls approaching
with Maria in the lead. They squealed in girlish tones and slowed their pace
once they realized Mrs. Kruger had joined the fray and the boys weren't going
anywhere. Gretchen smiled and held the boys back as they pushed and pushed
against her absolutely with no effect. She could have moved forward again, but
knowing she could do it satisfied her, and she was happy just to hold them at
bay. The boys' heads twisted back and forth, from Gretchen to the approaching
girls, then back Gretchen. Their wide- eyed, panic-stricken faces making them
look like a pack of wild, frightened deer caught in headlights of a car.

"Now, now, now!" Mrs. Kruger consoled they boys with mock sympathy, "you all
be good little boys and dance with the nice young ladies, yah?"

Two of the boys pushed directly on each of her upper arms, but the soft, thick
biceps in her limbs were also amazingly firm and solid; and undeniably strong.
Indeed, without moving forward, just standing her ground, Gretchen simply
pushed her arms forward and with the strength of them alone forced the entire
pack of boys backward yet again. Then she laughed and backed off, allowing
them to regain the few inches she'd taken, but nothing more. Not an inch more.

"Now stop that! Stop that you bad, bad boys!" she reprimanded merrily as she
laughed, "the young ladies want you to dance, and good little boys must always
do what nice young ladies want them to do!"

The boys ignored her and continued pushing forward without success, but what
else could they do? The two boys in the rear turned around and planted their
feet firmly, then tried pushing with their backs. Their efforts were enhanced
by their terror of seeing the girls approaching, and this significantly
increased the pressure the group of boys produced overall, but Mrs. Kruger
barely noticed the difference. Then Elise and Ken appeared briefly behind
Gretchen, the girl having been attracted by all the noise and curious to see
what was happening. Ken watched sullenly as Elise smiled and winked at the
girls coming up on the boys from the rear. Elise decided she had no need to
observe further, it was very clear how it all would end. She returned to the
couch and her romance movie and Ken, still clamped tightly to her side by her
one slender, powerful arm, went back right along with her. What else could he
do?

Maria led the way as she and the five other girls casually walked up to the
blockade of male bodies in the hallway of the Kruger home. The girls were very
diplomatic and played no favorites; one by one they just grabbed the nearest
boy available. Gretchen had had no trouble fending off all six of the boys,
and now she felt the force being exerted diminish gradually as each girl
stepped forward and picked off a boy from the group. Soon Gretchen's arms were
empty and she watched as the girls chatted amongst themselves while they
dragged their dance partners out through the back door with little apparent
effort even as the boys strained against them feverishly. Maria had decided to
use a headlock, forcing her partner to lean forward; her soft arm slung
placidly around the boy's neck even as he tugged at her forearm with both his
hands and found it immovable. Another girl opted for the always-reliable
hammerlock. Two other girls simply gripped the wrist of the boy they selected
and pulled him along with them. The last two went straight for the bear hug
and began moving their captured boys in circles even as they exited through
the door and returned to the backyard.

"A real variety pack!" Mrs. Kruger mused as she watched the last couple
depart. She went and sat back at the kitchen table to watch the final act. The
main event was over and this party would soon be winding down.

The girls actually danced for over another hour, which was considerable, when
you take into account that they danced non-stop. In fairness to their partners
they did play some fast dancing music. Whenever they decided to change
cassettes the girl nearest the boom box just forced her boy-toy down on his
knees and scissored his head between her legs as she changed the tapes. During
the more active dance songs their bodies' naturally separated form the boys',
but each girl made certain to maintain a tight grip of at least one of her
partner's wrists. In many instances the boys literally were swung back and
forth like stuffed toys. A series of fast dances ensued (except for little
Cindy, who was satisfied doing the hip shimmy with the Moose throughout it
all) but the girls largely preferred the slow, romantic ballroom whirling,
with each holding her partner close and snug, her arms wrapped lovingly around
him. Never had iron grips appeared so soft and gentle. The boys, for the most
part, had stopped resisting, finally realizing the futility of it. A few tried
to break away during the faster dances only to have their female partners pull
them back with such a casual effort that they were too embarrassed to try it
again. The resistance also probably subsided due to the fact that all the boys
had now been captured in the same way, so no peer group remained to save face
in front of.

The girls' energy seemed to match their remarkable strength. Even after the
hour they appeared fresh and perky. The boys were at the point of exhaustion
and looked ready to collapse if the girls would let them. The Moose was just
as exhausted, even though he hadn't moved or danced nearly as much. His energy
had been drained by a full hour of non-stop struggling against Cindy. The
Moose just couldn't accept that she was stronger, even after an hour of
pushing against the little arms that held his pinned. Cindy knew he didn't
believe it, but she didn't care; she didn't need to. She just held him tightly
with minimal effort; her head planted on his shoulder and kept doing the hip
shimmy.

"Geez, these guys are total wimps!" Cheryl declared, feeling Patrick, who was
now virtually slumped against her.

"Yeah!" Toni agreed, "I thought boys were supposed to be so strong and so
athletic, but these punks can't even dance for a little while!"

"They're probably just too young!" Maria mused, "Like Mrs. Kruger said,
they're just little boys, maybe we need older boys!"

"Believe me, girls, older doesn't mean stronger, I know!" Stacy informed them
with pride as she thought of the fun Elise was having inside with her big
brother Ken, and the fun she'd have with Ken herself tomorrow and the days
beyond that.

"Well, I'm finally bored with this!" Cindy announced. She stopped dancing to
and fro with the Moose and instead danced fro and kept on going, pushing the
Moose to one side as she applied additional force to push him back. Groaning,
the Moose went over like an unbalanced pile of fireplace logs and Cindy was on
him in a flash. She could have grabbed his wrists and pinned him easily, but
decided to just put her hands on his massive shoulders and hold him down in
that manner. This was an experiment on her part and the results were just as
she'd hoped for. The Moose tried to rise but Cindy's downward pressure on his
shoulders held him flat to the ground. His arms were free now however and, as
she expected, he wrapped his large hands around each of her forearms. The
Moose gave a mighty yank with all his remaining strength and his face flooded
with dismay and disbelief when he failed to force her hands off his shoulders,
failed, in fact, to move her arms at all. The Moose yanked at her forearms
again, and again, and again, each effort diminishing in power due to his
already diminished energy, but nonetheless with force greater than any average
boy his age could muster. Cindy just looked down on him and giggled as she
felt each of his attempts get weaker and weaker, secure in her knowledge that
not even his initial, best effort could have budged her hands loose.

"Don't ya get it, dude?" Cindy hissed, "I'm stronger than you Mr. Moose, oh
yes I am!"

"No way, no way!" the Moose cried, even as he realized no other explanation
was possible. Unable to move her arms he placed his hands on the ground and
started to push himself up, something he could do, even with Cindy's weight on
top of him.

"Not gonna happen", his petite captor whispered calmly, "No way, no way!" she
continued, echoing his own words as she slid her hands down from his shoulders
along his massive upper arms and stopped just above his elbows. She gave a
mild shove and the Moose was forced down on his back again, and this time his
arms were pinned and helpless as well. His forearms below his elbows were
free, but all he could do was flail them around ineffectively. The other girls
all watched this with sheer pleasure, as did Mrs. Kruger through the kitchen
window, any fears for poor little Cindy's safety now a distant memory. It was
an incredible sight to behold owing to their astonishing difference in size.
Little Cindy sitting atop the Moose and holding him pinned looked like the
Little Mermaid pinning a beached walrus, or Goldilocks pinning the Papa Bear.
The main difference was that this was no fairy tale, it was all very, very
real.

"Poor Moose looks so exhausted and defeated!" Jody chirped and added, "but
then, none of these guys are much fun anymore!"

"You can say that again!" Nancy replied, "stronger sex my ass!"

"Well, I guess it's just about time to wrap this all up, girls!" announced
Stacy, the original instigator and Mistress of Ceremonies for the night's
festivities and discoveries, "just follow my lead and let's bring this shindig
in for a landing!"

Gretchen sat at the table sipping her coffee. She had watched with motherly
pride as Cindy toppled and pinned the boy that everyone called the Moose. She
couldn't hear the conversations taking place out there, of course, but the
picture clearly told the story. It was at this point the front doorbell rang,
and Gretchen walked down the hallway, stealing another glimpse at Elise and
Ken along the way. Ken was sitting and Elise was now lying on the couch
lengthwise with her legs on Ken's lap. Actually, one leg was on Ken's lap and
the other leg beneath his thighs on the cushion. Elise's firm legs encircled
him gently, but Gretchen knew precisely what Elise would do if Ken tried to
move, and Ken knew it too! Who knows, Gretchen pondered, maybe he already had
tried to move? She went and opened the front door.

"Grace! Good evening, how nice to see you!" Gretchen greeted warmly, "Please,
come in, come in!"

"Thank you, Gretchen, how's the party going?" Grace asked as she entered, then
her eyes diverted to her son, who was sitting on the couch. Grace followed her
host into the house but naturally paused at the couch to address her son. She
had begun to speak before noticing Elise, whom she hadn't seen initially
because of the girl's declined position.

"I see you're still here, Ken", Grace began, "but why did you stay ... ..",
her voice trailed off as she took notice of Elise, "oh, hello Elise, I didn't
see you at first. I do hope my son is behaving like a gentleman!"

"Oh absolutely Mrs. Beaumont!" Elise beamed, "I assure you he hasn't tried to
get out of line at all!" 'He's just tried to get away a few times', the girl
thought to herself with an inner grin.

"They're fine here, Grace", Gretchen assured her, "come have a cup of coffee
with me!"

"Thanks, that sounds great, but I can't stay long", Grace explained, 'it's
getting late and we all need to get home". Her attention turned to Ken and she
was concerned. What mother wouldn't recognize unhappiness on her child's face?
"You OK, honey?" she asked, "you look a bit out of sorts". She wondered if
Ken's mind was still dwelling on the arm-wrestling defeats she, Stacy and
Monica had inflicted on him the night before, or if Stacy's continued teasing
that morning was the cause, or even her own morning 're- match' with him.

"No, no, I'm fine", Ken sighed without much conviction. He had no desire to
elaborate on the day's events with his mom, what would be the point?

"Well, alright then", Grace said. She didn't know if it was something else
that was bothering him, but figured he'd tell her when, and if, he wanted to.

"Yah, they're fine!" Gretchen assured her guest, "come have a nice cup of
coffee!" Grace followed Gretchen into the kitchen and as they reached the
table she heard her daughter's voice from the backyard. It was muffled and
unclear, being the door and window were closed, and the music obscured it
further, but it sounded something like, " ... dig in for a landing ... "
whatever that meant.

Grace looked out the window and saw what appeared to be a group of boys and
girls dancing together ballroom style, though something looked out of sorts,
just like Ken's expression. Then her eyes locked onto Cindy and the Moose and
everything else came into focus and started to make sense.

"Stacy, oh dear Stacy!" Grace whispered, rubbing her forehead as if she felt a
headache coming on, "my sweet, precocious little daughter, what mischief have
you been up to?"

"Actually, she really enlivened things around here today!" Gretchen laughed
heartily as she offered Grace a cup, "Let's sit down and watch. This is, I
think, the grand finale!"

"Might as well", Grace mused, "might as well". She and Gretchen sat side by
side and used the kitchen window as their TV screen.

Nothing could undo what had been done, Grace very well knew. The cat's box had
been opened and Pandora was out of the bag (or something like that).

" ... ..just follow my lead and let's bring this shindig in for a landing!"
Stacy had announced just when we departed. What say we join Grace and Gretchen
and watch the grand finale too? Yah!

As the other girls watched cheerfully (the guys miserably and with renewed
apprehension), Stacy stood on her toes and slid her arms slightly higher up on
Greg's body to just above the elbow of his muscular, though useless and
helpless, arms. She re-tightened her embrace and jumped, wrapping her legs
around Greg's thighs as she began rocking his upper body back and forth with
her own. Her leg-lock on Greg's thighs wasn't painful, but it was tight enough
to pin his legs together just as effectively as his arms were pinned to his
body. Greg was now supporting Stacy's entire weight (not that it was so much)
and he couldn't split his legs apart to maintain balance. Combined with the
rocking action she imposed on his upper body, Stacy's intention was clear; she
wanted to topple her dance partner to the ground and there wasn't a thing he
could do about it!

The other ten girls understood in a flash and copied Stacy's actions virtually
in unison. Within moments every boy in the yard, except the Moose of course,
was struggling to keep his balance even as he renewed his struggles to get
free. If the girls took them down they knew it meant game over. But just as
the girls were unified in their actions the boys were also unified in their
total helplessness. Stacy rocked Greg back and forth two or three more times
before he finally toppled over. They went down on their sides but Stacy
quickly rolled atop him, grabbed his wrists and pinned his arms to the ground.
She didn't stretch his arms above his head for leverage because she didn't
need any; she merely planted his wrists down beside his head just above the
shoulders and watched, fascinated at how intensely he fought and how easily
she countered his efforts. Stacy had more experience at this than any of the
other girls at this point, but even her new awareness was a scant twenty-four
hours old, so it still delighted her like a shiny, new toy. Several times Greg
pushed up against her and gained several inches and every time she smiled and
pushed his arms back down. He didn't even seem to realize he only gained a few
inches with each attempt because she was allowing it. Finally, she pinned his
arms down and held them down, fairly certain she could probably keep both his
arms pinned with just one of hers if she wanted. Stacy and Greg had landed,
game over.

Over the next minute the remaining ten couples went down like dominoes except
that, unlike dominoes, none actually collided with or touched each other. The
girls didn't get creative, they all settled for the standard schoolgirl pin
with minor variations on the classic. Some girls sat on the boys' chests;
others straddled them closer to the waist while others stretched out with
their own bodies flat atop their partners. All the girls pinned the boys' arms
in the same relative position, reinforcing the proof it was their strength
alone that was holding the guys down. The only clear deviation was Cheryl.
Since Patrick was supposedly the strongest boy there she couldn't resist
rubbing her superiority in his face. Cheryl pinned his arms but didn't
straddle Patrick all. She sat on her butt beside him and simply leaned over to
pin his wrists. With the solid ground to his back he had all the leverage, she
had none; and her leaning position wasn't well balanced either.

There was nothing stopping Patrick from pushing her up, off and away. The only
way he could possibly fail was if Cheryl, the much smaller girl, was stronger.
Patrick pushed, Patrick failed, Cheryl was. Game over.

The scene continued for several minutes as the girls traded quips and theories
on which of the pinned boys was the puniest or the weakest. The conversation
was agitated and energetic, all the girls were still "battle high" from their
universal and uncontested victory. Most of the boys just groaned in
humiliation, many continued trying to resist; eventually they all just lay
there.

"Well girls, what's next?" Stacy called out to her friends.

"Next we all get up and go home!" a familiar voice declared as the back door
opened and Grace exited the house with Gretchen.

"Oh, hi mom!" Stacy said with a sheepish grin, "I didn't know you were here!"

"Really?" Grace replied with weary amusement, "You haven't been misbehaving,
have you young lady?" The question was rhetorical, of course; Grace knew
exactly what Stacy had been up to.

"Well, this was all wonderful fun, but it's time to say goodnight!" Gretchen
announced, then added whimsically, "You boys shouldn't be getting your clothes
all dirty like that, stand up, stand up!" She walked over to the boom box and
hit the off button.

Reluctantly the girls stood up and allowed the boys to do the same. Some tried
to help the boys up but the offers were shrugged off; they'd had all the
female contact they wanted for the time being. The girls smiled and continued
talking rapidly and cheerfully. The boys were quiet and sullen; they wouldn't
look at the girls or even at each other. A shared embarrassment was still an
embarrassment, and boys don't seek group comfort or consolation the way girls
seem to. There was some brief inter-gender discussion before the groups
separated.

"At least there weren't any cameras or video!" Patrick mused, as much to
himself as to the other boys, "I don't know how this happened, but they can't
prove anything, not a damned thing!" The other boys quietly nodded but all
kept their eyes averted.

"Who needs a picture or a video?" Nancy sneered as she approached Patrick
after hearing what he said; "There's always live demonstrations!" The girls
tittered at her words and a few boys moaned. The groups split back into their
original camps. The boys' spirits slumped even deeper as Nancy's words sunk
in. Tomorrow, Sunday, was a stay of execution at best. Monday the news would
go through the school like wildfire. The boys could deny the version of events
the girls told, and even offer their own version. But if anyone challenged the
girls to prove their claims - what would the boys do then. What could they do
then?

"Cindy, Cindy!" Gretchen called out as she clapped her hands in admonishment
of her daughter, "Stop that now!"

With everything going on no one had noticed that little Cindy hadn't followed
the other girls' example as told. Cindy was still happily sitting atop the
Moose and still having no trouble keeping him pinned.

"Aw, mama!" she pleaded, "I'm having too much fun! He's like a great big teddy
bear, much bigger than I one I used to have!"

"Enough now, Cynthia!" Mrs. Kruger demanded using her daughter's full name for
emphasis. Gretchen's firm tone was stern but miles from any degree of anger,
"I said the party's over and it's time for all the young men and nice young
ladies to go home!" she instructed, then couldn't resist adding, "and it's
time for all the nice Moosies to go home also!" Moose winced as several of the
other girls laughed and repeated Mrs. Kruger's new nickname for him. That
would get back to school too, and it would stick. Cindy released him and
stepped away. The Moose slowly got to his feet and joined the other boys who,
despite being clumped together in a small area, still managed not to look at
each other or the girls.

The girls exited the yard in groups of two and three, talking and reviewing
and comparing notes as they casually strolled around one side of the house.
The boys quietly slunk away around the other side of the house like a group of
whipped puppies, which is essentially what they were.

Grace, Gretchen, Stacy, and Cindy reentered the house through the back door.

"I guess we'll have another little talk when we get home young lady", Grace
admonished, then added with a weary sigh, "for whatever good it will do now!
Sorry about all this Gretchen".

"Ach, there is nothing to be sorry for Grace!" Mrs. Kruger assured her, "What
is, is, there is nothing to do about it!"

"That's what I say!" agreed Stacy quickly, earning her a gentle rap on the
head from her mother. Stacy fell silent and stayed that way. She was
precocious, not stupid.

"And upstairs with you now, little lady!" Gretchen told Cindy. Cindy said
goodnight to everyone and headed upstairs, but before disappearing around the
corner she turned, winked at Stacy and said "Thanks!" silently with her lips.
Stacy smiled back and nodded. Elise and Ken reappeared at the hallway entrance
just as Cindy departed. More aware of the situation now, Grace noticed the
slim girl's hand clamped securely over her son's arm but said nothing. Any
discussion about this could also wait until they arrived home.

"We'll be leaving in a moment Ken", Grace said quietly.

"Oh, well, I'll just walk you out to the car then!" Elise said, then she and
Ken turned as a unit as if they were stuck together, which they were.

"I'll come along with you!" Stacy chirped. She actually moved a whole half
step before Grace's hand landed on her shoulder, issuing the silent command
"stay right where you are!"

When Ken and Elise reached the car she finally released him. Between body
locks, leg locks, and a headlock or two, he'd been in the younger girl's grasp
for a little over three hours. He was humiliated but freedom still felt good.
His back was to the car's side and they stood face to face but separated by
three feet or so.

"Well ... ., goodnight!" he said stiffly.

"What, no goodnight kiss after our date?" Elise pouted in jest.

"Oh, stop it!" Ken spat out angrily, "I've had all of this crap I can take!
Whatever this was it was no date, and now it's over. Good night!" Ken started
turning towards the car but Elise was on him in a flash. They locked up; her
hands on his arms just at the elbows, his hands in the same position on hers.
They pushed briefly against each other but the individual images were as
different as night and day. Ken leaned forward with clenched teeth, the strain
clearly etched on his face as he pushed against the slim, smaller girl. Elise
stood straight up. Even her arms looked as if they were casually resting on
his instead of putting out any great resistance. Her face was sweet and calm
with a little grin and just a touch of contempt for her outclassed opponent.

"Get real, wimp boy!" she sneered sarcastically, "What did I ever see in a
wuss like you!" She pushed with a moderate amount of strength and instantly
slammed Ken against the car and pinned him there. She put her head to his and
kissed him hard on the lips without passion. It wasn't a display of affection
but of total control and domination. She allowed him to push her backward away
from the car, but only because she wanted the pleasure of slamming him back
and pinning him a second time.

"Nighty-night, little Kenny boy!" she whispered contemptuously.

They moved away from the car again, this time because she stepped back and
pulled him forward. Then she shoved him back and remained where she stood,
relishing the sight of the larger boy slam against his mother's car a third
time. Their eyes locked, hers glaring, his uncertain and clearly, to her
pleasure, quite frightened.

At that moment the front door opened and they both looked towards the front
stoop as Grace emerged with Stacy. Both hesitated momentarily as Gretchen
followed them out the door, the position and stance of the two teenagers
standing by the car arousing their curiosity.

"Is everything alright out here?" Grace queried.

"Fine, Mrs. Beaumont, just fine!" Elise blurted out. Her anger was subsiding
but her voice betrayed the fact that she didn't have it completely under
control yet.

"Ken ... ?" Grace asked, looking at her son with concern.

"Everything's fine mom!" he snapped, followed too quickly by, "Let's just go
home!" Seeing his mother's reaction to his words and tone, Ken recovered a bit
of his composure. "Sorry mom, it's just been a long day! Good night!" he added
stiffly, as his eyes met Elise's one last time. Ken quickly opened the door
and got into the car. Elise turned away and immediately saw her mother, who
was behind Grace and Stacy, fixing her with a disapproving glare and a single
raised finger aimed in Elise's direction that she shook slowly. Gretchen
hadn't witnessed what happened but she could put the pieces together. She
loved Elise dearly but knew her daughter sometimes had a short temper and
could be mean-spirited as well. Ken had clearly looked shaken, emotionally if
not physically. Fun was fun, but it looked as if a line had been crossed and
her daughter had been the trespasser. Fun was fun, but a bully was a bully,
regardless of gender, and Gretchen would not tolerate such behavior. It
occurred to her that she'd need to have a long talk with both her girls
tomorrow.

"Well, goodnight, Gretchen", Grace said softly as she took a final backward
glance, "and thanks for everything". There was an odd mood in the air, but
both women knew this wasn't the time to discuss it.

"Always a pleasure, Grace!" Gretchen responded cheerfully, "it was great fun!
Goodnight to you both!"

Grace and Stacy walked to the car, passing Elise as she walked to the house.
Stacy and Elise's eyes met briefly and the older girl's look and knowing smirk
filled the younger one with curiosity. Stacy immediately set about making
plans to meet with Elise and hear all the details about her encounter with her
older brother. She wanted all the juicy details because that's the way young
girls are; extra ammunition for teasing and tormenting Ken would be a plus, of
course.

Stacy got into the back seat and Grace entered the driver's seat after giving
Gretchen a final goodbye wave. Gretchen smiled and returned the gesture. Elise
gave a quick wave, then she and her mother went inside as Grace started the
car and backed out of the driveway.

"Mom, mom, ya gotta hear about what ... .", Stacy began excitedly as soon as
they were on the road.

"Please Stacy!" Grace nearly shouted, cutting her child off in mid-sentence
"enough!" Even without details she had a good general idea of what had
transpired and, after all, she had caught the 'grand finale'. She was more
concerned about Ken, who was quietly slumped in the passenger seat beside her.
To think this had all been set in motion by a stupid arm- wrestling match the
night before.

"Look Stacy", she said calmly but with authority, "Let's just give it a rest,
OK? Let's have a quiet ride home and, better still, a quite night at home when
we get there!"

Grace drove on quietly, Ken slumped sullenly and quietly in his seat, and
Stacy quietly slumped in the back. Already she was planning how to get
together with Elise.

Gretchen and Elise quietly walked into the house. Elise expected some form of
lecture after seeing her mother's face, but Gretchen said nothing as the
teenager headed up the stairs. There would be a talk, Gretchen had decided
already, but better to sleep on it first and talk to both girls together.
Again she thought to herself, fun was fun, but certain boundaries had to be
respected.

Still, what was, was. Boundaries didn't mean denying ones' self or the truth
about the nature of things.

Mrs. Kruger went into the kitchen and placed the cup Grace had used in the
sink. She sat at the table with a fresh cup of coffee to relax a while. She
heard the steps creak and wondered if her girls were up to something else, but
relaxed and smiled when she saw it was her husband who appeared in the kitchen
doorway. Incredibly, Mr. Kruger had slept through the entire thing!

"Good heavens, mama!" Henry Kruger said merrily to his wife with an old- world
accent thicker than hers, "I didn't mean to nap so long!"

"So you had a nice rest darling! Come sit with me!" Gretchen said.

"Elise and Cindy are upstairs giggling away and talking non-stop about the
party!" Henry said in an amused tone and added, "I'm sorry I missed the whole
thing. Sounds like it was fun and very interesting!"

"Oh indeed my sweet it was interesting, very interesting!" Gretchen told him,
and then she paused, thought for a moment and added; "though actually, my
dear, enlightening would probably be a better word for it! Yes, that would
definitely be a better word!"