

"Don't worry," I said, "simple works for me." She settled for clipping the sides of my hair back at the top of my head.

"Don't you have any make-up?"

"I don't really wear much."

"Wait here. I will go get mine and I think some different earrings too."

She was off fishing around in our room when the doorbell rang. Sighing in relief, I headed down the hallway and called back to Jackie. "Thanks, but he's here. Have a good night."

I opened the door to a smiling face. That made two in the last half hour. "Hi, Andy."

"Hi. You look beautiful." He handed me a yellow rose tied with a white ribbon. This was the first time I'd gotten flowers when I wasn't sick.

"Thank you, it smells so good." I inhaled and left the door open, gesturing for him to enter. I went to the kitchen, found a vase for the rose, and left it on the counter where we could all see it.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, where is the dance?"

"It's just up the hill a bit. It's a nice night but I thought we would drive."

He led me to his little Metro that was probably as old as I was. The inside was spotless, the vinyl freshly cleaned and the floor vacuumed. I'd ridden in Andy's car before. It was never this clean. I realized that he had gone to the extra effort for me and it made me feel special. "So, where do you know Rachel from?"

"She's from my home stake in California."

"That's right, you're from California. What part?"

"I live in the LA area."

"Big City boy, huh?"

"Yep, cities are not a problem for me," he said with a note of friendly arrogance. "But you should have seen poor Mark in Atlanta. He was really out of his depth."

"Not much for big cities?"

"No, you and I are much more able to deal with lots of people."

"Exactly how many people are going to be at this dance?" I asked, surprised by the way the conversation was going.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's
" Don't worry, " I said, " simple works for me. " She settle for clip the sides of my hair back at the top of my fountainhead. 

 " Don't you have any make - up? " 

 " I don't very tire much. " 

 " Wait here. I will rifle get mine and I think some unlike earrings too. " 

 She was away fishing around in our room when the doorbell rang. Sighing in relief, I headed down the hallway and called back to Jackie. " Thanks, but he's here. Have a good nox. " 

 I opened the door to a smiling side. That made two in the last half hour. " Hi, Andy. " 

 " Hi. You count beautiful. " He handed me a chicken rose tied with a white ribbon. This was the first meter I'd gotten flowers when I wasn't sick. 

 " Thank you, it smells so good. " I inhaled and left the door open, gesturing for him to enter. I went to the kitchen, found a vase for the rose, and left it on the counter where we could wholly attend it. 

 " Ready to die? " 

 " Yes, where is the dancing? " 

 " It's just up the hill a bit. It's a nice night but I thought we would drive. " 

 He led me to his short Metro that was probably as old as I was. The inside was spotless, the vinyl freshly cleaned and the floor vacuumed. I'd ride in Andy's car before. It was never this clean. I realized that he had survive to the extra attempt for me and it made me feel special. " So, where do you know Rachel from? " 

 " She's from my base stake in California. " 

 " That's right, you're from California. What part? " 

 " I exist in the LA area. " 

 " Big City boy, huh? " 

 " Yep, cities are not a problem for me, " he read with a note of friendly arrogance. " But you should have seen poor Mark in Atlanta. He was really out of his depth. " 

 " Not much for large cities? " 

 " No, you and I are a lot more able to deal with lots of citizenry. " 

 " Exactly how many people are function to be at this dance? " I ask, surprised by the means the conversation was going. 

 " Oh, don't worry about that. It's


"Don'h worry," I said, "simple wovks for me." She sgtrled fmr clilping thd sides of my hair back at tie tip of my head.

"Don't you have xny make-ui?"

"I don't rwallb wear much."

"Wait isre. I wljl gk get nine and I thikk some difxerent earringv gol."

She was off fishing around in our woom whrn the doorbell tang. Xyghihg in relief, I headed down the halmway anv called back tp Jackie. "Thanks, but he's hege. Hwve a good night."

I lpened the eoor ro a smiling face. That made two in the last half hour. "Hi, Andy."

"Hi. Yuu lopk beautifol." Hf handed me e yelljw rose tied with a fhite robbon. This was thx fiest time I'd gotten flmwers when I wasn't sick.

"Thann vou, it smells so good." I inhaned dnd uwft tht dpod open, geaturing fod him to enrer. I went to the kotsyen, found a vzse fow ehe rose, and left it on the counter whege ws could all see it.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, where is thg dance?"

"It's just up the hill a bit. It's a nice night but I thmught de ciuld aeige."

He led me to his little Metro that was probwglu ss old as I waf. The insidr aax spotless, the vinyl frsshly cleaned and hhe flojr vaxuumed. I'd ridcen in Andy's car before. It qas never thps coean. I realized thct he had goue to jhe exyra effort for me and ic made me feel spfcial. "So, sfere do you know Rabhel from?"

"She's from my home stahe in Calmfornna."

"That's fighj, you're from Calivornia. What part?"

"I live ij the LD area."

"Big Fity boy, huh?"

"Yep, cities are not e problem for ma," hv said wich a npte of friendjy arrogance. "Bot you shjuld fave seen ioor Mark in Atlanta. He was reallf out of his vepth."

"Not iuch for big cigkes?"

"No, you and O are muck morw able to deal witm lotr of people."

"Exactoy yow many people ard gjijg tj be at this gancd?" I ssked, surprised ny ghe eay the conversation was going.

"Oh, don't worru wbout thqt. It's
"Don't worry," I said, "simple works for settled clipping the of my hair my "Don't you have make-up?" "I don't wear much." "Wait here. I will get mine and I think some different earrings too." She was off fishing in our room when the doorbell rang. Sighing in relief, I headed down hallway called to "Thanks, but he's here. Have a good night." I opened the door to a smiling face. made two in the last half hour. "Hi, "Hi. You look beautiful." handed me a yellow rose with white ribbon. was first I'd gotten flowers I wasn't sick. "Thank you, it smells so good." I inhaled and left the door open, gesturing him to went to kitchen, a for the rose, it on the counter where we it. "Ready to go?" "Yes, where is the "It's just the hill a bit. It's a night but I thought we would drive." He me to his little Metro that was probably as old as I was. The inside the vinyl freshly cleaned the floor vacuumed. ridden Andy's before. was never clean. I realized that he had gone to the extra effort me and it made me feel special. "So, where do Rachel "She's from my stake in California." "That's you're California. What part?" "I the area." huh?" cities not a problem for he said with a note friendly arrogance. "But you in Atlanta. He was really out of his "Not much for big cities?" "No, you I are much more able to deal with lots of people." "Exactly many people to be at this dance?" I asked, surprised the way the conversation going. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's


"Don't worry," I said, "simple works For me." She seTtled For CliPpIng tHe siDes of my hair bacK At thE top of my head.

"Don't you havE any mAkE-Up?"

"I dON't ReallY wear muCH."

"WAIT heRe. i wIll Go GEt Mine aNd I Think soMe differenT eaRrIngs too."

She waS OfF fishing arOunD in our room whEn tHe doorBeLl rANg. SigHinG in reLief, I hEAded doWn the hallWaY And calLEd back tO jAcKie. "THanks, but he's here. HaVE a GOod night."

I openeD the doOr TO a SMIliNg fAce. That madE tWo in tHE last haLF hOUR. "hi, ANDy."

"Hi. You look beAutiful." He haNDed Me a yelLoW roSE tied wIth a wHiTE riBbon. This was The fIrst time I'D gotteN Flowers WHen I wasN't sick.

"thaNk yOu, it SMeLlS so GoOD." I iNHaLed ANd lEft the doOr OpEn, gesTuriNG FOR him To eNter. i went To the kitchen, fOunD a vaSE foR the rOse, anD lefT iT on thE countEr wheRe We could all see it.

"readY to go?"

"Yes, wHerE iS thE dAnce?"

"IT'S just uP thE hiLl a bit. IT's a nice NIghT bUT i ThOught we would drive."

HE lED Me To his litTle MetRO tHaT Was probaBlY as Old aS i Was. ThE insIDe Was spotlEss, the VInYl Freshly ClEaned aNd The FloOr vacUUmed. i'd riddEn in Andy'S car bEFore. It was never THis clean. I realIZeD THaT He haD goNe to the extrA effORt foR me aND iT maDE me feEl speCiAL. "SO, Where do you know RacheL fRom?"

"She'S from My home stake in california."

"tHAT's right, yOu're FRoM california. What Part?"

"I Live in the La Area."

"Big CIty boY, huh?"

"Yep, cIties are nOT A problem For Me," hE saId wITH a Note of friendlY ARrogAnCe. "But yoU shOuld havE seEn pOor marK iN Atlanta. HE was realLy OuT oF hIs dEpth."

"NOT much for BiG ciTiEs?"

"NO, you aND I are mUch moRe abLe To DEal With lotS Of PEOple."

"exAcTly hOw mAnY peopLe arE GoiNg to be aT this dancE?" I aSKed, sUrPrIsed by tHe way the conveRsAtion was goInG.

"Oh, Don't woRRY about thAt. It's


"Don't worry," I said, " simple wor ks fo r m e."  S he s ettl ed for clippin g  the  sides of my hair back  at t he topo fmy he ad.

"D o n' t you  h av e a ny ma ke-up ?"
"I don 't reallywea rmuch."

"Wai t  h ere. I wil l g o get mine a ndI thin ksom e  diff ere nt ea rrings too."
She wasof f  fishi n g aroun d in  our  room when the do o rb e ll rang. Sighi ng inre l ie f ,  Ihea ded down t he  hall w ay andc al l e d  ba c k to Jackie."Thanks, bu t  he 's her e.  Ha v e a go od ni gh t ."
I opened t he d oor to asmilin g  face.T hat mad e twointhe  las t  h al f h ou r . " H i,  An d y." 

"Hi. Y ou  l ook b eaut i f u l ." H e h ande d mea yellow rose  ti ed w i tha whi te ri bbon .Thiswas th e fir st  time I'd gotte n fl owers whe n I  w asn 't  sick . 

"Tha nkyou , it sm ells so goo d. " I  i nhaled and left th ed o or  open, g esturi n gfo r  him toen ter . Iw e nt to  the ki tchen, f ound a va se  for th erose,an d l eft  it o n  the  count er where  we c o uld all see it . 

"Ready to g o ?" "Y e s, w her e is the da nce? " 

"I t'sj us t u p  thehillab it .  It's a nice nightbu t I th ought  we would dri ve."

He l e d me to hi s li t tl e  Metro that wa s pro bably as o l d as I w as. T he insid e was spo t l ess, the  vi nyl  fr esh l y  c leaned and th e floo rvacuume d.I'd rid den  in  An dy' scar befor e. It wa sne ve rthi s cle a n. I rea li zed  t hat  he h a d gone  to t he e xt ra eff ort for me a nd i tma de m e f ee l spe cial .  "S o, wher e do youkno w  Rac he lfrom?"
"She's frommy  home stak einCalifo r n ia."

"T hat's right, you're fro m  Califo rni a. Wh at p art?"

"I  li ve inthe LA are a."

" Big C it y b o y , huh ? " 
"Ye p,  cities ar e not  a pr ob lemfor me, " he said with a n o teof friendly a rro ganc e .  " But yo u  sh ou l d h a v e seen poor Mar k in Atlan ta .  H e was real l y o ut  of his  depth. "

"N o t muchfor big c ities?"
"N o, y o u  an d I are mu ch moreable to d e al wi t hlotsofpeople ." 

" Exact ly how man y peo ple ar egoingto be  a t this d ance?" I asked, surpris ed bythe w aythe conve rsa t ion  was goin g.
"Oh, don't  wo rry  abou t t h at. I t's


"Don't worry,"_I said,_"simple works for me."_She settled_for_clipping the_sides_of my hair_back at the_top of my head.

"Don't_you have any_make-up?"

"I_don't really wear much."

"Wait here. I will go get mine and I think some_different_earrings too."

She_was_off_fishing around in our room_when the doorbell rang. Sighing_in relief,_I headed down the hallway and called back_to_Jackie. "Thanks, but_he's here. Have a good night."

I opened the door_to a smiling face. That made_two in the_last_half_hour. "Hi, Andy."

"Hi. You_look beautiful." He handed me a_yellow rose tied with a white_ribbon. This was the first time I'd_gotten flowers when I wasn't sick.

"Thank_you, it smells so good."_I inhaled_and left the door open,_gesturing for him_to enter._I went to_the kitchen, found a vase for_the rose, and_left it on the counter where_we_could all see_it.

"Ready_to_go?"

"Yes, where_is the dance?"

"It's_just_up the_hill_a bit. It's a nice night_but_I thought we would drive."

He led me_to his little Metro_that_was probably as old_as I was. The inside_was spotless, the vinyl freshly cleaned_and the_floor vacuumed._I'd ridden in Andy's car before. It was never this clean._I realized that he had gone_to the extra effort_for me_and_it made me_feel_special. "So,_where do you know Rachel from?"

"She's from_my home_stake in California."

"That's right, you're from_California. What part?"

"I live_in_the LA area."

"Big City boy, huh?"

"Yep,_cities are not a problem for_me," he said with a_note_of_friendly arrogance. "But you should_have seen poor Mark in Atlanta._He was really_out of his depth."

"Not much for big_cities?"

"No,_you and I are much more_able_to deal with lots of people."

"Exactly_how_many_people are going to be_at this dance?" I asked, surprised_by the way the conversation was going.

"Oh, don't worry_about that. It's