Baptist Lake

They laughed crazily and squealed off. Dumb boys! Why wouldn't they ever leave her alone? She couldn't step out the door and walk two blocks without some boy going by in a car and yelling something dirty at her. All they wanted to do was get into her pants. Even Mark looked at her sometimes like he wanted to get into her pants – her own brother! Well, they could all go jump in the lake. No boy was going to get into her pants until she was good and ready for it. When will you ever be ready for it? a disturbing voice deep inside herself asked. You know that almost all the other girls at school have had boys between their legs, or so they've claimed or implied. Do you want to be the last one to spread your legs for a boy? How much longer are you going to let Mommie's rules control your life? Do you want to end up a Baptist church-woman, spending your days in a church basement eating coffee and doughnuts and gossiping about all the sinners outside? Sally's heart pounded. She started trotting. The sooner she got to the church, barefooted and half-naked, the sooner her mother would blow up and send her back home ...»