"It's time to put on your dress, Molly. Eddie, Kathy, Brad, and Jenny are going to be here soon," Erin said as she sat next to her cousin on Molly's bed. "We're going to have fun tonight. I wish Frank could have come down, but we'll have a blast anyway." Nodding, Molly stood up. She removed her robe, moved to her full- length mirror, and looked at herself. Earlier that day, the girls all went to a salon to have their hair and nails done. Erin went to Molly's house to put on her makeup and get dressed with her cousin. Molly touched her hair, pushing one of two red curls hanging along her cheeks back a bit. She tugged at the cups of her new sheer pink bra, noting how her areolas showed through the delicate material. The matching garter framed her thong panties and held up the stockings she'd decided to wear. All of the girls purchased similar lingerie at the shop where Jenny's mom worked. Erin helped Molly put on the new gown. She zipped it up for Molly and then smoothed the shimmering material. "You look great, Molly," Erin said as she turned Molly around. She adjusted the front of the dress, making sure Molly's bra wasn't showing. "You look good too, Erin. That dark blue dress fits you like a glove," Molly said. The two girls finished primping. They went out to the living room to wait for their friends to arrive. Laura and Ted watched their daughters walk into the room. The girls modeled their gowns for their parents, giggling at the comments they received. Joel told Molly and Erin that they looked elegant. "What time are the other kids supposed to arrive?" Ted asked. "They will be here at about five thirty, Dad," Erin said. While they talked, Cindy and her Mom showed up. The three girls compared dresses while Cindy's mom, Clair, gave Ted a quick kiss. "Sorry we're late. Cindy spent way too long getting ready," Clair said while slipping her arm around Ted. Ted and Clair had been dating for several months. They planned to move in together after the school year ended. The idea of living in the same house and the possibility of becoming stepsisters excited Erin and Clair. The parents took pictures of the girls as they stood together posing. Cindy's date was due to arrive shortly to take her to the junior prom. When Erin asked about Kevin, Cindy smiled. The girls went to the kitchen to talk away from their parents. "I thought you and Kevin broke up," Molly said. "We did, but we're back together-at least for now," Cindy said. "You told me you weren't going back with him after he went out with what's her name," Erin said. "I don't know why I do it, Erin. Kevin can be such a jerk sometimes. He begged me to take him back and I did. I know he's going to just do it again," Cindy said. "So why do you keep going back with him?" Erin asked. "I decided to give him another chance," Cindy said. "Kevin and I have been planning to go to the prom and if we didn't go together, neither of us would have a date." "What's wrong with that? Molly and I don't have dates for the prom." Erin put her arm around Molly and giggled. "We're going together." "I thought you didn't like girls," Cindy said as she giggled. "I don't, but who can refuse a cute redhead with big boobs?" Erin said, causing all three of them to laugh. "Why isn't Kevin taking the other girl?" Molly asked Cindy. "It turns out she used him to get back at her boyfriend. Lesley didn't like Kevin. She wanted to make some guy jealous. I found out that they didn't even have sex. That was a rumor," Cindy said. "Kevin would have had sex if she would have let him, wouldn't he?" Molly said. "Probably, but that's because he's always thinking with his dick. I've been mean to him for the past two weeks." Cindy giggled. "I haven't let him touch me." Erin laughed and said, "Is that going to change anytime soon?" "Maybe, I'm horny," Cindy said with a grin. "Are you going to the hotel after the dance?" Erin said. "I plan on it. I think I'll make Kevin sweat for a while before I tell him though. He's been so nice since we talked. I don't think I can keep him hanging too long," Cindy said. The doorbell rang. Cindy giggled and then said, "Well, that should be him now. Don't let him know what we've talked about." The three girls went to the living room to see Kevin. He came in, said hello to everyone and then smiled at Cindy. "You look great, Cindy. All of you do," Kevin said. He handed Cindy a box with a corsage in it. "This is for you. Want me to help you put it on?" Cindy nodded. She removed the flowers from the box and handed Kevin the corsage. Holding her hand out, Cindy watched Kevin slip the flowers on her wrist. Clair moved Kevin and her daughter so she could take their picture. The couple posed for several shots before Molly and Erin joined them. "We have to go, Cindy. My mom wants us to stop at the house so she can see you and me all dressed up," Kevin said. Cindy and Kevin told Molly and Erin they would see them at the dance. They left the house so they could stop at Kevin's house before going to dinner. At Jenny and Eddie's house, Jenny, Brad, Eddie, and Kathy waited for Tom to arrive. Brad and Eddie sat with the girls, talking about the upcoming surprise they planned for Molly and Erin. "This could backfire on us you know. We might hurt Molly," Kathy said. "What do you mean?" Jenny replied. "Well, what if she thinks we asked Tom to come because Eddie and I didn't want to take her as our date?" Kathy said. "We didn't ask Tom, Kim offered to have him come," Eddie said. "We know that, but Molly doesn't. I hope we didn't screw up," Kathy said. "Don't worry about it, Kathy. I'm sure Molly will understand after we explain everything to her," Jenny said. "The last thing I want is to hurt her." When the doorbell rang, Jenny jumped up. She went to the door, opening it for Frank and Tom. Kathy joined her, greeting the two boys. Tom and Frank walked into the house. They took a few moments to greet everyone and then sat down. "How are you doing, Tom?" Eddie said. "To be truthful, I'm as nervous as hell," Tom replied. "Don't be, everything will be great," Eddie said. "In fact, I have an idea." Eddie told the others his plan. By the time he finished, everyone agreed that what Eddie proposed would be a good idea. Jenny, Eddie, Brad, and Kathy's parents came in from the backyard. They chatted with the teens, took pictures and told them they should get going. Ellen told the kids that she and the other parents would follow the limo to Molly's house so they could take pictures of the entire group. Eddie gave Tom the flowers for Molly. Jenny bought a corsage for Erin and gave it to Frank. They went out to the limo and got in. On the way, Eddie, Brad, Jenny, and Kathy thanked Tom for getting the car. Tom quickly told them it was his Dad and Uncle Don that arranged everything. The limo pulled up in front of Molly's house. The teens climbed out and headed for the door. As they planned, Frank slipped around the side of the house to stay out of sight. Jenny knocked on the door. The group waited for someone to answer. Tom stood back behind Eddie and Brad. Laura opened the door for the teens. Jenny, Kathy, Eddie, and Brad filed in. Tom lagged back a few steps. Molly and Erin began grinning when their friends came into the living room. "Hi, Tom. What are you doing here?" Molly said the moment she saw him. "Hi, Molly. They told me Erin needed a date so I came down," Tom replied. "Hi, Erin." Erin furrowed her brow. "Um, hi." She turned to Jenny and Kathy. "What's going on, you know I'm in love with Frank?" "We know, but we thought you'd like a date for tonight," Kathy said as she fought the urge to laugh. "I appreciate you making the trip, Tom, but I don't know about this. What if Frank found out and got mad at me?" Erin said. "I don't think Frank would mind, Erin. I guess I could ask him if it would be okay-that is if you want to go to the prom with me," Tom said, reciting what the group planned. "Tom, I don't know how to tell you, but I just don't thing this is a good idea," Erin said. "If Frank says it's okay will you go with him?" Jenny said. Erin shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to ask Frank. If he says no, I'll figure out something else to do," Tom said. Tom turned around. Sticking his head out the door, he said, "Hey, Frank, can I take Erin to the prom?" Turning around, Tom looked at Erin. "Frank said he didn't want you to go with me." "You're a nut Tom!" Erin said and then she giggled. "I'm not kidding. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me," Tom said. He opened the door again. Frank stepped into the doorway and smiled. "Are you sure I can't take Erin to the prom?" Tom said. Erin let out an ear-piercing screech. She pushed past the others and threw herself against Frank. Frank and Erin kissed each other for several moments. When they separated, everyone started laughing. "How did you get here? I didn't think you could come down," Erin said while clinging to Frank. "I came with Tom. He called me and asked if I wanted a ride," Frank said. "We flew down on a private jet." Turning to Tom, Erin said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You had me going there." She moved close to Tom and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Once things settled down, Erin said, "So who are you going to the prom with, Tom?" "I don't know. I heard there was an extra seat at the table so I decided to join you guys." Tom looked at Molly. "I would be honored if you would go with me tonight, Molly." Molly swallowed hard. She looked at Tom and then at Kathy and Eddie. Kathy smiled as she nodded her head. Molly took Kathy's hand, dragging her out of the room. "What are you doing, Kathy? Did you ask Tom to take me to the prom?" Molly said. "No, actually, it was Kim. She called and offered to have Tom take you. Look, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'll be Tom's date and you can be with Eddie. We, Eddie and I, wanted to make sure you would have a good time tonight. We know you were leery about going with Eddie and me. "The four of us can go as a group too, if that would make you feel better," Kathy said. Molly mulled over the situation. She didn't know what to think or do. Kathy wrapped her arms around Molly. Kathy gave her a kiss and said, "Please don't think we did this because we didn't want to be with you tonight-we do. Eddie and I thought it would more fun for you if you had a date other than us. Molly, we love you and want you to be happy." The two girls hugged for a moment. When they walked back into the living room, they held hands. When Tom saw them, he put his arm around Eddie's shoulders. "Well, I guess it's you and me tonight." Eddie grinned. He nodded and said, "Okay, but I get to lead when we dance." "Only half the time," Tom said, sending the room into a fit of laughter. Once the laughter subsided, Tom offered Molly the corsage he had for her. She thanked Tom as he put it on her wrist. Laura told the kids she wanted to get pictures of the group. Tom ran out to the limo to get his camera. For the next twenty minutes, the teens posed for the cameras. Harry, Ellen, Sarah, and Jack Waters showed up to join the festivities. Tom asked Harry to take pictures with his camera for him. As the couples moved around, Molly found herself standing next to Tom. She looked up at him and smiled. Tom put his arm around Molly's shoulders and posed with her while the parents snapped away with the cameras. "Thanks, Kim would kill me if I didn't come home with a picture of you and me together," Tom said. Molly looked shocked, but didn't say anything. The group moved outdoors so the parents could get a few pictures of the kids next to the limo. Once the photo session finished, the girls put the duffel bags they packed in the trunk of the limo. The teens climbed in the long car, jockeying for seats. Erin and Frank sat very close together. They didn't' pay much attention to the others while they made up for lost time. From the moment they sat next to each other, the two of them made out without pause. The driver pulled away from the curb. He drove through the neighborhood and then turned onto a main road. "This is great," Jenny said as she held Brad's hand. "I'll have to remember to thank your dad, Tom." Tom nodded. He glanced at Molly and smiled at her. Molly returned the smile, but then she turned away. She sat between Tom and Kathy, wondering what was going on as well as what she would do. The limo driver pulled up to the front door of one of the area's most exclusive restaurants. He opened the door, holding it so the teens could get out. In the restaurant, the host greeted the teens. Tom gave the man his name. The host nodded and led the group to their table. He held the girls' chairs as they sat down. Two servers came to the table. They took drink orders from group and left. Molly glanced at Kathy, stood up, and cocked her head toward the restrooms. All of the girls got up and left. "What is going on?" Molly said to Kathy. "Do you want me to be Tom's date tonight?" "I want you to have a good time, Sweetie. You can do whatever you want to as long as you have a good time," Kathy said. Jenny took her cell phone out of her purse. While Kathy and Molly talked, she called Kim. The two girls arranged to have the call as soon as Jenny could get Molly away from Tom and the other boys. "Here, it's for you, Molly," Jenny said as she handed the telephone to Molly. Giving Jenny a strange look, Molly took the telephone from her. "Hello," Molly said. "Hi, Molly, this is Kim. How are you doing?" Kim said. "Um, okay I guess," Molly said. "Look, this was all my idea. I suggested that Tom go down to take you to the prom. I asked Kathy and Eddie about it before we cooked up our plan. If you have to be mad at anyone, be mad at me. Don't blame Kathy or Eddie. Honey, if they didn't love you, they wouldn't have agreed," Kim said. "What about you?" Molly said in almost a whisper. Kim giggled. "What about me?" "I mean Tom is your boyfriend-isn't he?" "Molly, I love Tom. I love you too. We all know we're too young to be tied down. What ever happens, I will still love you," Kim said. "You have to get back to your friends. Tell everyone I said hi. Most importantly, have a great time tonight," Kim said. She giggled and added, "Sally and I are going to double team Jack all weekend." "You're crazy, Kim," Molly said. "Yeah, I guess I am. Oh, I want to tell you that Tom is great in the sack! Have a blast, Sweetie," Kim said with a giggle. "KIM! I can't do that," Molly said. "Why not, don't you know how?" Kim replied. "That's not what I mean." "I know, but just so you know, I plan to seduce Eddie as soon as we move down there. He's cute," Kim said. "You are so bad, Kim," Molly said. "I don't think so. In fact, I'll seduce you too and then you'll know I'm good," Kim said. "Have fun and give me a call tomorrow." "By, Kim. Thanks, I love you," Molly said. Kim didn't respond. Molly closed the phone and handed it to Jenny. She giggled, turned to Kathy and said, "I'll be Tom's date tonight and see how things go." "What did Kim say?" Kathy said. "She told me it was her idea for Tom to come down and take me to the prom. Kim also said Tom is good in bed," Molly replied with a grin. "Maybe you'll get a chance to find out. If you do, remember that Eddie and I love you and we want you to have fun. If you and Tom have sex, we won't be mad," Kathy said. The girls finally left the restroom. When they arrived at the table, they shifted their seats so Molly sat next to Tom. The boys all glanced around, looking at the girls. Molly leaned close to Tom so she could whisper in his ear. "Thanks for coming down to be my date tonight. I'm sorry if I acted weird," Molly said. Tom chuckled as he nodded. "I don't think you acted weird at all. We'll have a good time tonight, Molly. Just so you know, I have no expectations other than enjoying our evening." "You're sweet, so is Kim," Molly said. Tom ordered appetizers for the table. The four couples munched on shrimp cocktail, oysters, clams, fried cheese sticks and the other items on the large platter. Tom asked Molly for a suggestion. She pointed at the surf and turf, asking if it would be okay to order it. Tom said she could have anything she wanted. "Molly says the surf and turf is good here, that's what I'm going to order," Tom said. "By the way, dinner is complements of my dad and uncle." "They don't have to pay for our food," Brad said. "I know, but Dad told me he and Uncle Don would take care of dinner. You can call my dad or uncle if you want to argue with them," Tom said. He turned to Molly. "Have you eaten here before?" "Yes, Joel brought Mom and I here once," Molly replied. "I had the surf and turf then. That's how I know it's good. They have great garlic mashed potatoes, but I don't want bad breath tonight." Tom chuckled and said, "Garlic mashed sound good to me. I'll get them too so we'll both have bad breath." Giggling, Molly nodded her head. The teens all ordered the surf and turf when the server came back to take their orders. Unlike most restaurants, the surf and turf consisted of a whole Maine lobster instead of just a tail. "How was your flight, Frank," Jenny asked her cousin. "It was the best! The plane picked me up at a small executive terminal. I didn't have to wait in line or go through the security," Frank said. "Maybe you'll get to fly on a private plane someday." "She will, all of you will fly on the jet when you come up to Michigan to fish in a couple weeks," Tom said. "Do you like fishing, Frank?" "Fishing is okay. I don't get as geeked as the rest of you do though. I do like going on the boat," Frank said. "I like boating better than fishing too," Erin said. "You two will have to go out with us this summer. Even if you only go for the boat ride," Tom said. The dinners came and the server passed them out to the teens. As they ate, everyone complemented the food. "My steak is cooked to perfection," Eddie said. "So is mine. This lobster melts in your mouth," Kathy said. "How is your food, Jenny?" "Excellent, this is one of the best meals I've ever had in a restaurant," Jenny said. The praise went on until everyone finished. The guys sat back, groaning because they felt so full. The girls also complained about eating too much. The teens declined desert when the server brought a tray filled with cakes, cheesecake, and other sweet treats. When the host brought the bill, Tom simply signed it. The host thanked the teens for coming and invited them back. On the way to the car, Molly held Tom's hand. "You didn't have to give them a credit card," Molly said. "No, I guess my dad and uncle have an account here now. Dad told me that I would only have to sign the check," Tom said. When they all got in the limo, Molly sat closer to Tom than she had on the way to the restaurant. There was room on the seat, but Molly ignored it. Kathy and Eddie sat next to Molly and Tom with Kathy next to Molly. On the far end of the long leather seat, Frank and Erin resumed their kissing and hugging. The driver pulled up in front of the country club. He stopped behind several other limousines to wait his turn at the door. The other cars pulled away so the driver could pull forward. He opened the door for the teens, making sure he didn't watch the girls exit the car. Jenny led the rest of the group into the country club. She checked the table assignment and pointed at the chart when she found the table the group would sit at for the evening. The teens walked through the elegant hall to their table. Cindy spotted the group, stood up, and waved. Tom held Molly's chair as she sat down. Brad, Eddie, and Frank noticed what Tom did and mimicked his action. Once they seated the girls, the guys sat beside them. Eddie asked if anyone wanted something to drink. When everyone said they would, he enlisted Brad, Tom, and Frank to help. Kevin got up and followed. On the way to the bar, Eddie walked next to Tom. "It looks like Molly has relaxed a bit," Eddie said. "I think so. I can understand how she must have felt when I showed up today," Tom replied. "Yeah, if I had it to do over, I think I would talk to Molly first. It was a little presumptuous of us to do what we did," Eddie said. "You think?" Tom replied with a chuckle. "Kim is a special person, isn't she?" Eddie said to Tom. "Yes, she's very special, Eddie. I thought there was problem between us when she asked me to come down, but I realize there isn't. She just wanted Molly to have fun," Tom replied. At the bar, the guys ordered sodas for the group. Each of the boys carried two glasses back to the table. They handed the girls their drinks and sat down again. While they sat at the table, several kids stopped by. Molly and Erin gleefully introduced Tom and Frank as their friends and made sure everyone knew how far the boys traveled to be there. The girls didn't mention the fact that Tom and Frank came down on a private jet. The band came on stage. The lead singer introduced the band members and then they began to play. The song they started the set with was a fast rock and roll number. Tom stood up, offering his hand to Molly. "Would you like to dance?" Tom said. "There isn't anyone out on the dance floor yet," Molly said. "So, we don't need anyone else, do we?" Tom said. "We'll dance too," Jenny said as she glanced at Brad. By the time Tom, Molly, Jenny, and Brad reached the dance floor; other couples were starting to dance. Tom stared into Molly's eyes as he began to move. He remembered the steps Kim and Sally taught him before he ventured down to Florida for the dance. Molly started to grin. Her body swayed with the music as she danced with Tom. After two fast songs, the band slowed the pace. Tom took Molly in his arm and began to lead. Molly followed, smiling up at Tom. He maintained a proper distance between their bodies as they danced. Molly kept smiling as she followed Tom's steps. "You're a good dancer," Molly said. She giggled and asked, "Did Kim teach you?" "Yeah, Kim and Sally helped me learn. I didn't want to embarrass either of us," Tom said. "That's sweet," Molly said as she closed the gap between them. Tom and Molly stayed on the dance floor. They danced to every song during the band's first set. When the lead singer announced a break, Tom led Molly back to the table. "Wow, I didn't think you two were ever going to quit," Kathy said to Molly. She looked past Molly at Tom. "I hope you don't think you're going to have every dance with her tonight." "I might share, but not too often," Tom replied, causing Molly to giggle. During the second set, Tom sat at the table while Molly danced with Kathy. The girls moved to the fast song, moving their arms and feet. Tom took out his camera, got up and moved closer. He took several shots of Molly and Kathy before returning to the table. Tom grinned when the music slowed and Molly danced close with Kathy. He watched the two girls as they moved, trying to decide which one of them lead. Jenny asked Tom to dance. He got up, took her arm, and walked out to the dance floor. He took Jenny in his arms when they got close to Molly and Kathy. "Are you having a good time tonight?" Jenny asked Tom. "Yes, I'm having a great time, Jenny. This is a nice place," Tom replied. "Tom, I think Molly is having a good time too," Jenny said. "I hope so. Molly is a sweet girl," Tom said. The song ended so Jenny and Tom returned to the table. Eddie went out to the dance floor to dance with Molly. While they held each other, Eddie kissed Molly's ear. "Are you enjoying yourself, Sweetie?" Eddie said. "Yes, I'm having a nice time, Baby. You aren't upset because I've been dancing with Tom, are you?" Molly asked. "No I'm not. I'm happy that you're having a good time. You know that we're going to Tom's house after the prom, don't you?" Eddie said. "I didn't know that. I thought we were going to a hotel," Molly replied. "We were going to, but Tom's parents talked to our parents and they decided they would rather have us at the house. I couldn't tell you before because we wanted to surprise you," Eddie said. Molly giggled. "Well, you certainly accomplished that. I was very surprised when Tom showed up. I was even more surprised that he came down to be my date tonight," Molly said. "What he did for Frank and Erin is precious. I think that Erin almost pissed her panties." "It was funny, wasn't it? It was my idea to tease Erin by telling her that Tom came down to take her to the prom," Eddie said. Molly giggled and smacked Eddie on the arm. "You're a brat, do you know that?" "Yeah, but you still love me," Eddie said. "Molly, I'll always love you. I know that someday you're going to find someone special, someone that you'll want for a boyfriend. That won't change how I feel about you." Eddie stopped dancing and looked into Molly's eyes. "Sex isn't love, Baby. I can love you even if you're making love to someone else." "Eddie, what are you telling me?" Molly said. "I'm telling you that I love you. And that I always will," Eddie replied as he began to move again. The song ended so Eddie and Molly went back to the table. "Where's Tom?" Molly asked Jenny. "He's dancing with Kathy. Didn't you see them out there?" Jenny said. "No, I was busy talking to Eddie," Molly said. "Is everything okay?" Jenny said. "Jenny, I don't know how I could be any better," Molly said. Tom and Kathy came back to the table. Tom held the chair for Kathy and then sat next to Molly. Brad came back from the bar with a tray full of sodas. He passed out the glasses before sitting down. "Aren't you two going to dance?" Brad asked Erin and Frank. "You guys haven't moved since we got here." "We're fine, Brad. Frank and I are catching up," Erin said. "More like feeling up," Cindy said with a giggle. "You haven't moved your hands from under the tablecloth since we sat down." Everyone acted shocked for a moment and then they all laughed. Erin's blushing gave away the fact she and Frank were fooling around. Giggling, Jenny smacked Brad on the back. "I'm jealous," Jenny said. The group of teens laughed and kibitzed. Molly stopped laughing and said, "Oh shit, here comes trouble." Everyone turned to see Lenny walking toward the table. Behind Lenny, Bobby Jackson and his two friends followed. When Erin saw Bobby, she cringed. "Hi, Molly," Lenny slurred as he stood behind her. "Who's your new boyfriend?" "Lenny, please go away. We don't want any trouble from you or your friends," Molly said. "Trouble? I'm not causing trouble. I just want to know who this guy is. I don't remember ever seeing him before now. What's the matter, did your girlfriend throw you out. You know, like you did to me?" Lenny said. Tom started to stand up. Molly put her hand on his arm, but Tom didn't stop. Standing nose to nose with Lenny, Tom said, "Hi, I'm Tom. I'm Molly's friend from Detroit. I came down to take her to the prom." Tom offered Lenny his hand. "Fuck off, Yankee. I was talking to Molly," Lenny said. "That's right, you were talking to her. Now you're finished talking to her and leaving," Tom said. "How would you like to get your ass kicked around this room?" Lenny said. "Sorry, I promised Molly the next dance," Tom said. "Maybe one of your boyfriends will dance with you." "What the fuck do you think you're doing, trying to make fun of me?" Lenny said as he stood swaying. It was obvious Lenny was drunk. "No, I'm not trying to make fun of you. You're doing a fine job by yourself, Lenny," Tom said. Tom glanced at Bobby and the other two boys. "Why don't you take him outside so he can get some fresh air?" Lenny doubled his fists. Stepping back, he looked as if he was ready to take a swing at Tom. When Bobby and the other two boys stepped up, Frank got out of his chair. "Tom, I think we should escort these guys outside. It looks like Lenny wants to start a fight," Frank said. All of a sudden, Bobby recognized Frank. He grabbed Lenny's arm and tried to pull him back. "Lenny, we should just leave. I don't think we want any trouble tonight." "What, from these wimps? Don't make me laugh. Hey, Molly, want to go out to my car. I think you remember the backseat," Lenny said. Tom put his left hand on Lenny's shoulder. He shoved his right hand between Lenny's legs and grabbed his genitals. Applying pressure, Tom leaned close and whispered, "I've tried to be nice to you, but you're too stupid to realize it. I think you owe Molly an apology. I would suggest you do it while you can still piss standing up. If you say anything else, I'll crush your nuts like the grapes they feel like." Brad and Eddie stood up. They moved closer to Tom and Lenny to block the view of anyone that walked by. A simple glance from Frank caused Bobby and his two friends to stand back. Tom glanced at the table. He told Jenny to find one of the chaperones and have him come over. He tightened his grip on Lenny, causing him to gasp. When Tom saw Jenny heading toward the table, he gave Lenny a final squeeze. Lenny doubled over the moment Tom released him. Kneeling on the floor, Lenny gripped his stomach. "What's going on here?" Mr. Paulson said when he walked up and looked down at Lenny. "I think Lenny is drunk, Sir. He seems to be sick too," Tom said. Kneeling next to Lenny, Mr. Paulson took a deep breath. He shook his head, grabbed Lenny's arm and stood him up. "You know the policy about drinking at school or a school function, don't you Lenny? Our policy is zero tolerance." Mr. Paulson led Lenny away from the table. Bobby and his friends faded into the crowd that had gathered. Molly began to cry and wrapped her arms around Tom. She quivered while squeezing him as tightly as she could. Kathy moved close to Molly. She began rubbing Molly's back while telling her everything would be okay. After a moment, Kathy, Jenny, Erin, and Cindy took Molly to the restroom. "Thanks for taking my back," Tom said to the rest of the guys. "What was that all about anyway?" Brad and Eddie told Tom about Lenny. They told him how he treated Molly when they dated. Eddie told Tom how Molly broke up with Lenny and how she ended up dating Kathy and him. Brad told Tom about the party at Erin's house when Frank took out Bobby and his two sidekicks. "I think I overreacted. I should have just gone and found a teacher or someone to handle this. Now I've screwed up the prom for all of you guys," Tom said sadly. Molly came up behind Tom. She put her arms around his waist and gave him a hug. "You didn't ruin the prom, Tom. You saved it for us," Molly said. Tom turned around. Molly and the rest of the girls stood near him. "How can you say that?" Tom asked Molly. "Lenny has been mean to me ever since I broke up with him. If Eddie, Brad, or Kevin had stepped in, they would have gotten into as much trouble as Lenny is in now. The school has a zero tolerance rule about fighting too," Molly said. "It they beat up Lenny, they won't get to go into their next grade." "That goes for Frank too. He doesn't go to school here so he wouldn't have gotten into any trouble if he kicked Bobby's ass again," Erin said. Bobby walked over to the table. His two friends stood behind him. When Frank stood up, Bobby held up his hand. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I tried to talk Lenny out of making a scene, but he wouldn't listen. You know how he gets when he starts drinking. I want to say I'm sorry," Bobby said. Bobby's two friends nodded and apologized too. "Thanks," Tom said. "No problem. Look, when Lenny sobers up I'll talk to him. If he wants to give any of you any shit, I'll take care of it," Bobby said. Bobby and his friends walked away before anyone could say anything. The music began again and Molly sidled up to Tom. "Will you dance with me?" Molly said. Nodding, Tom took Molly's hand. They walked out to the dance floor and started to dance to the slow song the band played. Molly pressed her body against Tom's and moved her hand through the hair on the back of his head. Tom held Molly's waist for a moment before he circled her waist with both hands. "Thank you for standing up for me, Tom. I know Eddie wanted to, but…" "Don't worry about it, Molly. Everything is okay now," Tom said, cutting her off before Molly finished her thought. "Let's try to enjoy the rest of the prom." Tom and Molly danced to every song. The rest of the group danced too, even Erin and Frank. The band announced the last song of the evening. The lights dimmed as the band played an old song that most of the kids didn't know. When the singer began singing, 'Put Your Head on My Shoulder,' Molly hugged Tom tighter. He rubbed her back, moving his hand over the slick material of her dress. She looked up and gave Tom a kiss. The song ended and the lights came on. The teens made their way to the table so the girls could gather their purses. They went outside to wait for the limo driver to pull up to the door. Cindy and Kevin told the others goodbye. Tom invited them to the house, but Kevin said they had other plans. The limo pulled up and the driver jumped out to open the door. The teens climbed in one by one. Tom waited for Molly, watching as she bent at the waist to get into the car. When he sat next to Molly, Tom chuckled. "What?" Molly said. Tom shook his head. "I can't tell you want I'm laughing about." "Why not, is it bad?" Molly asked as she wrapped her arms around one of Tom's arms. "No, but I don't think I should say anything," Tom said. "Don't be a brat. Tell me," Molly insisted. "Well, when I watched you get into the car, I couldn't help thinking about how nice your butt looked," Tom whispered. "Oh my God, could you see it?" Molly asked. Shaking his head, Tom said, "No, but I remember how it looks." Molly giggled as she thought about the time on the boat that Tom told her she had a nice ass. She hugged his arm tighter, pressing it against the side of her breast. Kathy noticed and winked at Molly. The two girls shared glances and they giggled. The driver took the teens to Tom's house. After all of them got out of the car and retrieved their things from the trunk, the driver said goodbye. "What do I owe you?" Tom asked the driver. "Nothing, Sir, your father took care of the bill and my tip. Have a great night," The driver said. The limo pulled away. Tom told the others to follow him to the guesthouse. Once inside, he told his friends they could put their things in one of the bedrooms. Tom showed Eddie and Kathy to the room Jack and Sally used. He put Molly's duffel bag on the floor next to Kathy and Eddie's. "You guys can use Jack and Sally's room. It has a king size bed," Tom said. He left to put his bag in his bedroom. "Is anyone hungry? There's food in the main house," Tom announced. "I'm hungry," Frank said. Erin nodded and said she was hungry too. The teens went to the main house. Tom used his key to open the back door so everyone could go inside. In the kitchen, Tom pulled the trays of food out of the refrigerator. He placed them on the counter and then found the bread and rolls. Molly's mom left a note, telling Tom where he would find everything. Brad helped Tom remove the plastic wrap from the trays. The teens made sandwiches as they milled around the counter. Laura made potato salad as well as a nice relish tray. The group sat at the kitchen table to eat their food. Tom passed out cans of soda before he sat down with his friends. While they ate, the teens talked about the events at the prom. Molly thanked Tom and Frank for taking care of things the way they did. Both boys tried to remain humble as their friends praised them. The teens finished eating and all pitched in to clean up the kitchen. They recovered the trays and put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Tom suggested they go to the recreation room to relax. Tom turned on the big screen television. He searched the channels until he found one of the music stations. After adjusting the volume, he sat next to Molly on one of the couches. "We should take the boat out tomorrow," Brad said. "The weather report says it's going to be in the mid to high eighties with calm winds." "That would be great," Tom said. "Jack, Sally, and Kim will hate me, but what the heck?" "Are you going to fish?" Frank asked. He sat in one of the recliners with Erin on his lap. "We might. It's been a while since we've done any fishing," Eddie said. "I'd like to go out on the boat," Erin said. "I haven't been on the new boat yet." The teens decided to take the boat out if their parents would allow them to. They planned to call their parents in the morning. Tom stood up, taking Molly's hand. Pulling her to her feet, Tom asked Molly to dance. Soon, all four couples were dancing. Tom held Molly close, enjoying the feeling of her body against his. They danced for about twenty minutes before Erin and Frank returned to their seat. The couple began kissing and running their hands over each other. "I'm going to change," Jenny said. "I want to get comfortable." Brad wrapped Jenny in a hug. "Why don't we just call it a night? It's after one and if we're going fishing, we should get up early." "You aren't planning on getting up too early, are you?" Erin said. She giggled and added, "I'm not tired yet." "How about ten in the morning, is that too early?" Kathy said. "No, ten will be okay. Does that mean we're leaving at ten or getting up then?" Erin said. "We should leave by ten. You two can catch a nap on the boat if you don't get enough sleep tonight," Jenny said and then she giggled. Erin and Frank told everyone good night. With their arms around one another, they left for the guesthouse. The rest of the group couldn't help laughing at the couple's urgency. "They only get to see each other every few months. I would be in a hurry if I was them too," Kathy said. "A long distance relationship would suck," Brad said as he put his arm around Jenny. "You can tell Erin loves Frank. She doesn't go out or flirt with any of the boys at school," Molly said. "I wonder if Frank is as faithful as Erin is." Eddie said. "From what Frank told me on the plane, he is. He talked almost nonstop about Erin," Tom said. "He also said he thinks he and his mom will be moving down here soon." "That will make Erin happy," Molly said. The teens continued to talk on their way to the guesthouse. When they stepped outside, Jeri said, "Hi, how was the prom?" They stopped to tell Jeri about the evening, but left out the incident with Lenny. "We're planning to take the boat out tomorrow. We want to do a little fishing," Tom told Jeri. "Okay, have a good night and I'll see you in the morning," Jeri said as she turned to leave. In the guesthouse, the teens milled around in the living room. They said good night to each other and headed to the bedrooms. Jenny and Brad took one of the small rooms. Kathy, Molly, and Eddie went into Jack and Sally's room. Tom shut off the lights and went to his room. Tom removed his jacket, hanging it on the hanger that came with the rented tuxedo. He kicked off his shoes and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. When he walked back into the bedroom, he saw Molly standing in the room. She held her duffel bag in one hand as she stood smiling. Molly dropped the bag and walked over to Tom. Turning around, Molly said, "Tom, would you please help me with my zipper?" Tom moved closer. He located the tiny zipper tab and began to lower it. As he did, he gazed at Molly's back. Once he lowered the zipper as far as it would go, Tom released the tab. He cleared his throat and said, "There you go." Molly turned around. She used one hand to hold her dress against her chest. "Thank you, Tom-thanks for everything," Molly said as she slowly lowered the front of her gown. Tom swallowed and nodded his head.