Lou walked over to see Kimberly and try to explain why she couldn’t go to the dance with her and why she would be seen with Tyson instead. She tried to come up with any other way except the true reason and realized that she would have to swear Kimberly to secrecy.

"Oh, hi, Lou!" Kimberly greeted, giving her a big smile.

Lou felt like a heel already. She’d found her in the boutique getting fitted for her costume and she turned to ask Lou what he was going as. The worried frown on Lou’s face stopped her from saying anything. She immediately asked the girl who was helping her with the fitting to excuse them.

"What’s on your mind, Lou? Somethin’ wrong?"

Lou shuffled her feet, trying to come up with something . . . anything! Nope, the truth was the only way out of this mess. She pulled Kimberly over by the door, her eyes watching for signs of anyone near.

"Kimberly, I gotta tell ya somethin’ and ya ain’t gonna like what I got to say," she said, taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, "But, I wantcha to understand why first, alright?"

Kimberly nodded, completely confused at Lou’s actions.

"Tell me this, do ya really think Teaspoon would let a girl ride for the Pony Express?"

Kimberly stared blankly at Lou for a few seconds, then her eyes grew wide and her face flushed with embarrassment. Lou! A girl? No way!

"You’re . . . you’re a girl?" Kimberly screamed and Lou clamped her hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

"Shh! I don’t want everybody knowin’. I got to do this, there ain’t no decent work for a woman that pays as much as they do. Please, don’t be mad at me and you gotta swear not to say a word!"

Kimberly agreed, wondering how she hadn’t noticed before. She was humiliated at first because she’d liked what she thought was a man, only that man turned out to be a woman. She didn’t like girls . . . not that way!

"Oh, Lou, I didn’t know . . . please, don’t think I like girls. I’m not that way," Kimberly explained quickly.

"I know, ya had no way of knowing, forget about it," she replied, relieved that someone finally knew that could probably help her now.

"Ya mind telling me then who it is you’re really going to the dance with?" Kimberly pried, smiling and elbowing her in fun.

Could she tell Kimberly the rest of the truth? Would she understand? Lou had waited for this for so long, now she didn’t know. No, let her find out at the dance. Lou looked at Kimberly and shook her head, laughing when she stomped her foot.

"Oh, c’mon! Tell me! I won’t tell, you got my word, please!" she begged.

"Nope, you’ll just have to go to the dance and find out," Lou said, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Now, that ain’t fair, Lou, and you know it," Kimberly pouted, "You know I ain’t got anybody to go with now!"

Lou shrugged and couldn’t help but laugh out loud as she walked out the door. She turned to Kimberly, who stood with her hands on her hips.

"You know who to ask, Kimberly, don’t play dumb," she said before disappearing.

Kimberly knew Lou was right, but she just couldn’t! She couldn’t ask Kid!