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Her lips softened and spread like two strips of

butter on a frying pan. "How long have you been

sneaking around with him?" she followed.

The other girls smiled. and Karen looked so

self-satisfied. I felt like smearing my piece of pizza

over her pudgy blah face.

"I haven't been sneaking around with him or

anyone else," I said.

"Really?" Susie looked at the others. She wore a look of achievement, the expression of some investigator who had just exposed the criminal. The others nodded.. "You don't have to be ashamed. Unless you and Chandler are doing something pretty

kinky," Susie added, and started eating.

"I'm not ashamed. There's nothing like that

going on!"

"Or embarrassed."

"I'm not!" I practically screamed.

"Do you go to his place, or do you take him

into your barn with the cows?"

"Stop it!"

"Sensitive, isn't she?" Susie asked the others.

All eyes were on me. I took a deep breath, calming

myself.

"Chandler and I are taking private music

lessons together, if you have to know," I finally

confessed. "We have the same teacher, and he's

having us practice duets, me on the violin and

Chandler on the piano."

"So, you admit you're making music together,"

Susie said, and the whole table roared and giggled

with laughter. "I hope you're on key and in rhythm." Their laughter was louder.

"Does he say please first and thank you afterward?" Janice Handley asked. She was Susie's alter ego, her gofer, ready to jump at her beck and

call.