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"Yes, I like him. He's very nice and s000000 polite," I said. "But I love it. He makes me feel . . . like a lady."

"I'm so glad," Jennifer said and we hugged and laughed. Before we could leave the bathroom, however, Marie, followed by the others, came storming in. She stood before us, her hands on her hips.

"All right, you two, what's going on here? How come no one in the 'special club' knew you two had boyfriends from Allandale?" she demanded.

"He's not my boyfriend," I said quickly. "I just met him tonight."

Marie turned to Jennifer.

"I met William at the end of the summer, but he hasn't asked me to go steady or anything," she replied. Marie bit down on the corners of her mouth.

"You should have told the rest of us you had dates, anyway," she said. "Members of the 'special club' don't hide things like this from each other. We trust each other with our hearts. That's what makes us special," she added, her eyes shooting daggers.

"But ."

"We all feel like idiots, not knowing. It's a kind of betrayal of trust," she added folding her arms across her bosom. "That's silly, Marie. We told you . . ."

"It's not silly." She turned to the others. "Does anyone else here think it's silly?" They were all of one face, Marie's face---angry, jealous, spiteful. "You should have told us," she repeated. "But it's just like you not to share, You didn't invite anyone else but Jennifer to your precious estate home, did you? You think you're better than the rest of us."

"I do not. I told you . . ."

"Have a good time," she snapped and turned. The rest of them moved along with her as if they were part of her tail, a clump of envy glaring back.

"Oh, Leigh, I'm sorry," Jennifer cried. "I got you into trouble with the others."

"I'm not in any trouble, Jen. They're just jealous, that's all. Forget about them. We'll do just as Marie said. We'll have a good time. Besides, it's as much my fault as yours. I didn't say anything to them, either."

Jennifer nodded, but I saw she was very upset.

"Come on," I insisted. "Forget about it." I took her hand and led her out of the bathroom.

But the rest of the evening was a nightmare for us. The others kept glaring spitefully at us. None of them would talk to us and before the dance ended, they were whispering things about us to other girls and laughing aloud.

Joshua sensed something was wrong, so I told him.

"Just like me," he said, "to be the cause of someone's problems." I was surprised at how quickly he accepted blame.

"Oh no, it's not your fault and it's a very stupid reason for them to argue and be angry. They're not really our friends if they would do this." I glared back at them across the dance floor. "Besides," I said, "I would much rather you be my friend than any of the so-called 'special club.' "

"Really?" Joshua's eyes lit up.

"Yes. I hope you will call me and come see me whenever there is an opportunity." I couldn't believe how brazen I was with him, but I was angry and I did like him.

"Oh, I will. I will." He beamed.

We danced again and again and when the slow dance came, he held me firmly against his body and his lips grazed my temple. I looked up at him and for a moment, he held his eyes on mine. We must have looked very romantic, because when I gazed at some of the other girls from Winterhaven who weren't members of our "special club," I saw them looking at Joshua and me with dreamy far-off expressions in their eyes and sighs on their lips.

Miss Mallory announced the end of the dance and advised the cleanup committee to be up early in the morning to do their job. Future parties, she warned, depended on how well they performed.

The boys began to leave. Jennifer and I walked out with William and Joshua, both of us holding hands with our dates. As soon as we walked out of the building, William pulled Jennifer into the shadows to give her a good-night kiss. Joshua and I watched. Then we turned to each other. I couldn't help my feelings. I wanted him to kiss me, too. Without realizing it, I was squeezing his hand. He looked puzzled for a moment and then, he led me toward another shadowy area where he kissed me softly on the lips.

"Good night, Leigh. I had a wonderful time," he said.

"So did I. Good night."

He joined William and they were off with the others. Jennifer and I waved until they were gone. Then we looked at each other and laughed. She and I hugged, held hands, and reentered the dorm.

When we arrived at our room, we found a note on our door that read: "KEEP YOUR SECRETS AND YOURSELVES AWAY FROM THE REST OF US."