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whole time I kept thinking Granny might be mad. I

told her I was a good girl and she shouldn't worry and

now look what I'm doing. But some other voice inside

me said I was still a good girl. This wasn't wrong. I

wanted to be loved. I needed to be loved.

"And so did Steve. We were giving something

precious to each other, something we had been denied

too long, and I don't just mean sex," I added quickly,

my eyes throwing warning darts at Jade, but she didn't

look like she was about to ridicule me anyway. She

looked sad and excited and full of sympathy, all at

once. "I loved his lips all over me. I would have given

myself to him right then and there. I know it was

foolish to be like that and not to think of protection. I

was aware of all that, but now I understood firsthand

why some girls forget or lose control. I remember I

was the impatient one, pushing myself at him, helping

him with my skirt zipper, struggling to get

comfortable.

"He pulled back the blanket and I got under as

he finished taking off his clothes. He was kissing me

and caressing me and I was thinking I'm a woman

now. I don't care what happens; I don't care.

"I felt him about to be in me when suddenly, we

heard the door open, loud laughter and a chair or

something get knocked over. Steve froze and then his

face filled with fear. He pulled back.

"'You better get dressed,' he said. 'That's him

for sure.'

"I hurriedly did so. We heard a female voice,