them, clean, but | don’t like the taste ‘em.” She stared at my glasses instead of me. | wished | didn’t have them on. She was the only person who made me feel funny about wearing glasses. | still wanted to go awful bad. | didn’t know if Mom would let me bring everything. But | wanted to go so awful bad that | decided | would go if | had to pay for the stuff out of my allowance. That night about ten kids were in Ann‘s backyerd. The fire crackled in a strip of dirt between the orchard and her lawn. It was night so the only light came from the fire. It sent shadows up and down the trees and the kids under them. Ann‘s daddy had circled the fire with bales of hay. The kids played hide an’ go seek. They would cluster around the garage doors; then run away in every direction. The fat kid, Nick, was of mustard unless it is on wieners. The kids were leaning against the hay bales. A boy and @ girl who were older, “Oh, always “it”, He couldn’t run fast because he was so heavy. When he got caught, he always whined. The air smelled like a wet lawn. When Nick wes counting to a hundred by twos, Gary grabbed my hand and loped behind the hay stack. Gary threw himself down on the hay. He whispered, “Be quiet, about thirteen, were going steady. They sat off by themselves with their backs to the fire. The fire wasn’t as big as before, but it smoked a lot. A breeze kept blowing smoke and cinders in my face. When | tried to fan it away Ann said, “Smoke follows beauty.” | saw daddy walk into the fire light. He took two big steps, and he was next to me. “Kathy,” he said in his big voice, “It’s nine. Your mother wants you home.” | didn’t know | had to be in at nine. Nobody else had to be in that early. and Nick won‘t find us. He never thinks of looking back here.” He grinned and scratched his nose. I flopped down next to him and shook my hair away from my neck. The hay was prickly and stuck through my jeans. | whispered back, “Thanks, for helping me.” The hay smelled dusty and warm. Gary wriggled to the corner of the stack and peered around it. | could hear Nick yelling at Jane when he saw her. Gary whispered, “I'll show you some more choice places to hide later.” We were sitting around the fire later, eating wienees. My bun oozed mustard out of the sides. The mustard got all over my fingers. | licked daddy,” | moaned, “let me stay later. Nobody else has got to go.” | stood up with my back to the fire. “| haven't even had a marshmellow yet.” Daddy was only half listening. “I'll wait in the car, Kathy. Hurry up.” He walked back out of the light. “Oh, daddy.” | said. | wanted to stay so bad. Gary and | were going to find some more choice places to hide. Ann yelled, “Do you have to get your beauty rest?” | turned and saw her on the other side of the fire. She sneared again. “Yah, beauty rest,” Marilyn yelled. | couldn’t say anything. “She has to go beddy-bye,” Nick whined. | didn’t want to cry so | tried taking ten deep breaths. “Do you use your mother’s beauty cream?” Ann hollered. Then Gary yelled, “Too bad it doesn’t work,” | turned and started running toward the car. | could feel my eyes getting hot and watery. When | got to the car, | slammed the open door. Looking surprised, mom put her arms around me. | took a deep breath but started to cry anyway. (40)