“I’LL LICE,TRACE.IT’S JUST.. .I-I SAW DRAKE.” DAVE SAID SOFTLY.TRACI

         SMILED AND TUCKED HER KNEES UP TO HER CHIN.
         
           “HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? I MEAN,WHEN YOU SAW HIM KISS HER?” TRACT

         ASKED GENTLY.DAVE LOOKED AT HER AND LAUGHED QUIETLY.
         
           “LIKE I WENT ON A ONE WAY TRIP TO HELL.” HE SAID AND LOOKED AT HIS FINGERS.

         “THAT’S PRETTY BAD.WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.” TRACT SAID.DAVE LOOKED UP.
         
           “WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU THAT HURT? LET ME GUESS.YOU RAN OUT OF HAIRSPRAY.”

         THE BITTERNESS IN HIS VOICE ASTOUNDED TRACT.
         
           “MY FATHER DIED ABOUT A MONTH AGO.” SHE ANSWERED QUIETLY.DAVE’S EXPRESSION

         SOFTENED.HE LOOKED AT TRACT.
         
           “HE OWNED AN ART GALLERY.THERE WAS A REALLY RITZY SHOW THAT NIGHT AND
         
         DADDY WAS ALL HYPED.ANYWAY. . . .THERE WAS A ROBBERY AND DADDY WOULDN’T LET
         
         THEM TAKE A HOSTAGE,SO THEY SHOT HIM.ME AND CLAE WERE THERE PRETENDING TO
         
         BE ART CRITICS AND I REMEMBER HOW SHE’D FIND AND ARTIST AND TELL HIM FLAT
         
         OUT HIS ART SUCKED.IT TRIPPED ME UP.BUT THEN THERE WAS THIS BANG! BY THE TIME
         
         I FOUND DADDY,HE WAS DEAD.” A TEAR ROLLED DOWN TRACT’S CHEEK AS SHE WATCHED
         
         THE BOYS THAT WERE SWIMMING.DAVE COUGHED.
         
           “I’M REALLY SORRY.IT JUST HURTS TO LOVE SOMEONE,AND THEN TO LOOSE THEM.”

         DAVE SHOOK HIS HEAD AND LAUGHED.
         
           “CLAE’S THE ONLY GIRL I USUALLY TALK TO LIKE THIS.SHE LIKES TO LISTEN.”
         
         “SHE LIKES TO TALK EVEN MORE.” TRACT SAID TRUTHFULLY.DAVE LAUGHED.THEY GOT
         
         UP AND WALKED DOWN TO THE SHELTER.THE SKIES WERE TURNING AN UGLY BLACKISH
         
         BLUE AND THE WAVES HAD INCREASED IN SIZE.TRACI SHUDDERED AND WENT INTO HER
         
         SHELTER.CLAE,DRAKE AND SIMON WERE ALLSLEEPING PEACEFULLY.TRACI KNELT AND
         
         GENTLY SHOOK DRAKE.HEOPENED HIS EYES AND SAT UP.HE LOOKED DOWN AT CLAE AND
         
         HIS FACE SOFTENED.AT THE SAME MOMENT HE LEANED DOWN TO KISS HER,DAVE CAME
         IN ALL SMILT~.                                         _______________________