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watched some guest on a talk show discussing the

problems with young people in today's society and she

agreed with the conclusion that it was all happening

because young people were a bigger influence on each

other than their parents.

"'Peer pressure is stronger than family,' she

declared as if it was a major new discovery. It was

practically the only time I heard her lead a discussion

at dinner. She was so excited about the conclusion,

she couldn't stop talking about it to my father, who

looked bored, but politely listened and as usual,

agreed.

"After that, whenever I mentioned another girl

at school, my mother put me through a crossexamination that probably was more severe than a

cross-examination during the Spanish Inquisition." I

laughed. "I remember watching those court shows on

television, sometimes and imagining my mother in the courtroom, questioning the defendants, drilling them with biting questions as she fixed her eyes on their faces, catching every tiny revealing movement in their

lips or in the way they shifted their gazes.

"You don't lie to my mother. That's one thing

you don't do," I said almost proudly.

"You've got to be able to lie to your parents

sometimes," Jade said.

Misty nodded vigorously. "Jade's right. It's

better for them and better for you. What they don't

know, won't hurt them."

"It was just the opposite with my mother," Star

said. "She wouldn't know the truth if she tripped over

it. She was more comfortable with lies."

"Did you lie about something or just not tell the

whole truth?" Misty asked me. She smiled. "That's the