Chapter 28

The next school week flew by. I had been accepted by my fellow students and was beginning to make friends with the girls in my classes, and I had started to eat lunch more and more with my own friends instead of with Carol's. I was still being stared at by all of the boys in my classes and the boys that I passed in the hall, but not one had approached me, and only a few in my classes had even talked to me, other than a nod or quick hello. That was okay with me, since I was so preoccupied with my acting roles that I didn't want to have to start thinking up excuses for refusing dates.

On Friday, I went straight home from school, and went to bed. I would probably be working very late and I wanted to be as alert as possible, for as long as possible. At 8 p.m. Mom woke me up and I started getting ready to go to Barrett's. I grabbed a quick bite for dinner just before Mom and I left for the Mall.

We entered Barrett's from the rear, employee entrance, as we had been instructed. The Mall would be closing about now and they would be herding people out the main doors. The rear entrance allowed us access to Mr. Greening's office area and we walked there under the watchful eyes of the security cameras mounted in the hallways. The receptionist asked us to have a seat because Mr. Greening was on the sales floor, but we only had to wait for about five minutes before Mr. Greening came in. We sat in his office and discussed the shooting before going out to the sales floor to join the crew from the advertising agency.

There were more people in the store than I expected. Several cleaning crews were hard at work cleaning floors and straightening up merchandise displays, while the filming crew was busy setting up at the first location. A production assistant escorted me to a special changing room where the outfits that I would wear had been placed. The room had been, until today, a storeroom. As I entered I found Barbara and Marge separating dozens and dozens of outfits.

"Barbara! Marge!" As we hugged I said, "What are you doing here?"

Barbara said, "Your mom recommended to the store that we be hired as your wardrobe and makeup people since we had worked together so much. We've been here all afternoon, working with the advertising people to select outfits for you to wear. It's been a nightmare at times. You wouldn't believe some of the things that they wanted you to wear. I had to constantly explain why your figure wouldn't look good in some of the clothes. They kept picking outfits that were designed for 6 foot, 98 pound anorexic fashion models. Those clothes do not hang properly on a 5 foot 4 actress with a healthy bosom. We have finally narrowed down the choices to about 4 dozen selections. We will need twelve for the shots that they have planned."

I took a moment to glance about the room. In addition to the racks of clothes, there was an entire section with what appeared to be a hundred pairs of shoes, and an entire table filled with jewelry. There was also a makeup area all set up.

Marge said, "Everything that you will wear is available for sale at Barrett's. They were very specific on that point. But Barbara will alter the final selections for your figure, and I'll do your makeup for each outfit. We'd better get started on your first outfit. We have them organized by location shot."

Barbara, Marge and Mom helped me change into the first outfit. Barbara had helped me to take off my corset because it might show beneath the clothes that I would be wearing tonight. Months of wearing the corset virtually around the clock had served to train my waist anyway. Without the corset on, I had a 22-inch waist now. The constant use had rearranged my internal organs, and probably altered the shape of my ribs slightly. I also suspected that the weight that would normally have accumulated on my waist was being stored higher and lower on my frame. While my waist was shrinking, my chest and my tush seemed to be getting bigger even though I had lost a little weight. This would probably change quickly if I stopped wearing the corset altogether, but I could go without wearing it for a certain amount of time each day as long as I wore it whenever I was at home, and, whenever my clothes allowed it. I also needed it in order to get into the special costumes that required a smaller waist, such as the dresses with an 18-inch waistline, which I had worn for the play.

When I was dressed, Marge worked on my face and hair. She matched my makeup to the outfit and added falls to my hair to give it greater body and a little length. When she was done Barbara added the jewelry that she had selected for the shot, and I was escorted back to the first location. It was a pleasure to walk and work in clothes that hadn't been altered to hug my body like a boa constrictor. The crew had the first location all ready. The lights and reflectors were in all in place. They had checked their audio levels and set the focus stops on the camera. With my arrival the crew sprang into action and we began a series of walk throughs. I had memorized the script and I only needed to learn my marks.

Over the next 6 hours we shot scenes in 8 different locations with 8 different clothing changes. That was only two-thirds of the scenes that had been planned, but it was a minor miracle that we accomplished that much considering that the clothes had not been fitted in advance. After we had shot each of the scenes, a photographer had had me pose in different positions for a full roll of still shots at each location. We called it a night at 4 AM and arranged to meet again tomorrow night at the same time. I changed back into the clothes that I had arrived in and we left for home. It was fortunate that we didn't live very far away since Mom's eyelids were drooping, and in spite of my nap, I was exhausted also.

I don't remember a thing after my head hit the pillow, until I woke up. I looked at my clock radio and saw that it was noon. The siren at the firehouse must have awakened me when it sounded to signal the noon hour. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, searching for my fuzzy slippers with my feet as I tried to will myself awake. After making it to the bathroom and splashing some water on my face I began to feel a little more awake so I put on my robe and went downstairs to the kitchen to have a cup of tea and wake up the rest of the way. Carol and Mom were both at the table when I walked in.

Carol said, "Well, hello, sleepy head."

Mom said, "Good morning, dear."

I gave them a weak smile and said "Good morning, or rather, good afternoon."

Carol said, "Mom told me how late you got in this morning and that you didn't finish."

"Yeah, we only got through about two-thirds of the shots. We'll probably have to go until 1 or 2 o'clock again tomorrow morning."

"That's too bad. Pete & Sean got concert tickets for our double date tonight."

I looked at her for a couple of seconds. "You did tell them that I might not be able to make it, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. But they got an opportunity to get the tickets and they bought them."

"I feel bad that I won't be able to go. You'll have to find a date for Sean even if he balks because he doesn't want you to see him with anyone else except me. How about Heather?"

"Oh, NO, Crys. She had the hots for Sean this summer. She'd jump at the chance to spend an evening with him and steal him from you. I know that she's one of my best friends, but you're my sister. I'll find someone to go with us that Sean couldn't possibly get serious about…, but who will be good company for one night? I know. I'll call Louise Wilson. She just broke up with that computer geek that she's been dating. She'll be good for one date but not much more. I'll call her right after lunch."

"Okay, Sis. I hope that you have a good time at the concert tonight. I wish that I could go, but duty calls."

Mom said, "What would you like to eat, honey? Breakfast or lunch?"

"Breakfast I guess. It feels like morning even if the hour says otherwise."

"Okay, bacon and egg?"

"Sounds great. Is there any juice mixed."

"Yes, I made it just before you came it. It's in the fridge, honey."

"Great. Anyone else want any?"

When both Carol and Mom shook their head I got up and poured a glass only for myself. Mom made an egg and a couple of pieces of bacon for me. I was stuffed as I finished the last morsel but it was so good that I wished that I could take off the corset and eat another portion. Carol and Mom enjoyed a BLT sandwich as I ate my egg, bacon, and juice. Mom said that she and Carol would clean up if I wanted to take my bath. Just the thought of relaxing in the tub brought a smile to my face. I was upstairs in minutes, pouring the bath crystals and fragrant oils into the tub as the warm water flooded in. As soon as I could wiggle out of my corset I was lowering myself into the water. It was heavenly. I leaned back against the end of the tub and closed my eyes.

When I awoke, the water was cold and Carol was standing over me.

"Come on, Crys, it's my turn to use the tub."

"Okay, Sis. Sorry. I guess that I fell asleep. Give me a few more minutes so that I can finish up."

"Okay. Just knock when you're done."

I ran some more hot water in so that I could finish washing. I ran a razor over my legs to keep them silky smooth, and did my armpits as well. Standing up when I was done, I hit the drain knob so that the tub could empty. I wrapped a towel around myself as I knocked on Carol's door, and she stepped into the bathroom naked and began running her bath. I walked into my room and dropped my towel as I put on a pair of panties. I was doing a quick inspection of myself in my full length mirror as Carol came in.

"Okay, you're beautiful. Now stop admiring yourself and I'll help you with your corset before I get into the tub."

"I wasn't admiring myself. I was thinking about the way that wearing the corset has affected my body. I think that my rib cage has shrunk. Do you think that it's dangerous?"

Standing next to me in front of the mirror and looking closely at my torso she said, "I don't know, Crys. You don't look deformed or anything. Without the corset you look just like a normal girl to me. Look how similar we look in the mirror. As long as you don't try to get your waist down to 16 inches or anything crazy like that, then I don't think that it's a problem. Do you want to leave it off today?"

"No, I guess not. I just seem to be getting skinnier in the waist and fatter on top and bottom. Especially the bottom."

"That's normal. You're getting older and the fat gravitates to our hips and thighs. You're still behind me in the 'behind' department but I'm a year older."

"You're not fat, Carol. You have a wonderful shape."

"Thanks, Crys. So do you. I think that you're worried for nothing."

"Okay. Maybe you're right. You're bath will be full soon. Better help me quick and jump in."

A few minutes later Carol was headed for the tub and I returned to the full-length mirror to have another look. Carol was right. I did look very similar to her. I had always had a very slight build, but where before I had appeared wiry, I now had begun to appear soft. My skin looked softer and I had begun to lose my muscle tone. Months of lack of exercise must be taking its toll. Even without the corset my shape was definitely female. Of course a large part of it is the false breasts that are affixed to my chest. They would make a telephone pole appear female. But it was more than that. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it but the look was unmistakable. ‘Once this is over,’ I thought, ‘I will have to spend time getting back into shape’. For the time being the soft, female look definitely served my purposes.

I sat down at my makeup table to work on my face. I just did a basic job because Marge would do me at the store, and I wasn't planning on going out anywhere. My plan was to work on my homework and lounge around the house until it was time to go to work. I finished dressing after Carol had returned, following her bath, to complete the lacing of my corset. I pulled on a pink sweater and shorts set, and a pair of pink tennis shoes.

While I worked on my homework, I heard Carol talking to Louise Wilson. By the time that she was off of the phone she had arranged for Louise to join them for the concert. She left for Sheri's house a little later as I was doing my trig homework. By 4 o'clock I had finished all of my homework and decided to grab a nap in case it was another late night. Mom had gone to her bedroom earlier to take a nap and the house was very quiet with Carol gone. I lay down fully clothed and fell asleep within ten minutes.

I awoke to Mom gently shaking my shoulder. The time on the clock radio was 7:50. Mom had made dinner and we ate before leaving. Mom told me that Carol had left on her date about twenty minutes earlier, and we left for Barrett's as soon as we had completed our meal.

Barbara and Marge were waiting for us when we arrived. The store was still open and we had gone directly to the special dressing room. Barbara started working on me immediately. There were three outfits to select from for the first location shoot and I tried on all three. Barbara liked the third, best, so she went about adjusting and pinning me up. By the time that Barbara and Marge had finished with me the store had been closed, cleared, and the filming crew was ready for the first location. The director showed me my marks and we did several run throughs before rolling the camera.

We only had four locations to do tonight so the director spent a little more time on each until he had a 'perfect' one from each spot. We completed the shooting by 2 AM and were home by 2:30. Carol was home already so we locked up the house and went to bed. I was glad to have the commercials completed. Only the host work now remained to be done.

We all slept late the following morning and we didn't eat breakfast until around 11 o'clock. We spent the afternoon cleaning the house and doing the laundry. Between our going to school and Mom's job, weekends were the only time to catch up on chores. By dinnertime our chores were complete and we could relax and enjoy our evening meal and then watch a movie afterwards. We retired at our normal time for the first time in several days.

The television studio contacted Mom on Tuesday to arrange for me to come to the studio to shoot the hosting sequences. So on Friday, after dinner, we all went to the studio. Even Carol wanted to come this time.

The station had their own wardrobe and makeup people to get me ready. I was given a revised copy of the script as they worked. There would also be a teleprompter set up for each of the shots. The three act play, plus the introduction, closing remarks, and cast party award had been divided up into twelve segments to allow for insertion of commercials. A commercial from Barrett's would be played during each break, and I would make comments at the beginning, at the start of each segment, and at the completion of the broadcast. Except for the long opening remarks and closing remarks, my lines were not much more than some silly dialogue and simple statements that summarized the previous segment and led into the next. My introduction was a short narrative about the play and author, the history of the Community Theatre, and the actors who would be seen tonight. My closing remarks thanked the audience for watching and expressed my hope that they enjoyed the production, and then entreated them to support the Community Theatre and this station for the quality entertainment that they brought to the community.

The dress that they had selected for me to wear was beautiful. It was a long gown similar to the one that I had worn to dinner with 'Michael', except that it allowed me normal movement. The wardrobe person told me that they had gotten my fitting information from Barbara and the dress was almost perfect when I put it on. Because we were not changing clothes, and locations, the shooting progressed at a decent pace. Within three hours of starting, we were done, and we were home by midnight. I felt great now that the work was behind me. The broadcast was scheduled for next Friday night, and Oliver On Board would be televised the following Wednesday night at 8:30 PM.

On Saturday I went to the Mall with Carol, Sheri, and Heather. This might be one of the last weekends that I would be able to shop in relative anonymity for a while. Recognition of me had been slowly diminishing as we got further from the final date of the play. But if I thought that I would be able to shop peacefully then I was mistaken. We had only been in the Mall for five minutes before a crowd started to collect behind us and then the autograph seekers started again. I was surprised at the magnitude of the crowd that had begun to gather since it had been weeks since the play had ended. As quickly as I signed autographs, new seekers replaced the ones that had received theirs. Carol, Sheri, and Heather ran interference for me by encircling me to protect from the crowd, and then Mall security arrived to help further.

When I commented to one of the autograph seekers that I had been surprised to have been recognized, she said, "Are you kidding? Haven't you been into Barrett's today? Your picture is everywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"There's hardly a place in the store that doesn't have your picture in it. Are you the official spokesperson for the store?"

"I've done some commercials for them, but they haven't run yet as far as I know."

"Well, they're running them in the store." And as I finished signing the personalized autograph, she said, "Thank you, Miss Ramsey."

"You're welcome."

I signed autographs for perhaps the next half-hour and then managed to quickly exit the Mall with the help of the Mall security guards. Sheri drove me home and we all went inside. Mom was surprised to see us back so soon until we told her the story.

She said, "I didn't know that they would use the pictures so quickly." Looking at Carol, Sheri, and Heather, she said, "Girls, I'm sure that you would like to continue your shopping day. Please stop in Barrett's and see about these pictures."

"Okay, Mom," Carol said, and they left for the Mall again.

I changed out of my skirt and into a pair of shorts since I wasn't going out. I got the book that I had checked out of the school library and laid down on my bed to read. The afternoon passed quickly as I became immersed in the novel.

Carol arrived home around 5 o'clock. I had just started to help Mom prepare dinner when she came into the kitchen.

"Mom, Crys, you wouldn't believe it. Crys's picture is everywhere. They have giant posters promoting the special next weekend and other posters showing Crys promoting the store. They also have videos running at a dozen places where they are showing the commercials that Crys made. It's incredible. It's like Crys is a famous movie star or something."

Mom said, "Well dear, it looks like your notoriety has started a week sooner than we thought. This should help to boost the ratings for the show though, and that might help get some notice from the studios in Chicago."

"Yeah. I guess so Mom. It looks like I had better invest in some sun glasses, though."

"Way ahead of you, Crys," Carol said reaching into a bag that she was carrying and removing some sunglasses. "One of the drug stores was have a '2 fer' sale, so I got you 4 pair. Look at this pair. Isn't it just the coolest pair that you have ever seen? And look at this mauve pair."

I picked up the mauve pair and put them on. Flashing a big 'Hollywood' smile I said, "What do you think?"

Mom just grinned. Carol said, "Wow. They look great on you, Miss Incognito."

"Thanks, Sis, for getting me the glasses."

"You're welcome."

"Okay, girls. For the next couple of weeks things may get a little crazy. Crystal, from now on you have to look the part whenever anyone can see you. No jeans, pants, or shorts. Skirts and dresses only. Your appearance must be impeccable whenever you leave the house. Remember, you will never know when someone is taking your picture, or listening to your conversation, so be alert at all times. We don't want your opportunity ruined before it has a chance to flourish. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom."

"Carol, stick as close to your sister as you can when she's outside the house. We will never know when she needs help to avoid a difficult situation."

"Okay, Mom. In school too?"

Mom looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Not after the first couple of days. The other students should accept her notoriety quickly and leave her alone. Most of them anyway. We always have to be wary of stalkers though. No, I'm more concerned about her being overwhelmed by reporters, fans, and autograph seekers. The special presentation will be seen throughout the entire region. For a few weeks Crystal should be one of the most popular people in the area. After that it will die down quickly and we won't have to be as concerned. Remember that this isn't Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York where people are used to seeing movie, television, and stage personalities. Crystal is a bit of an exception here. Okay?"

We both nodded.

"Good. Now let's finish making dinner. I'm getting hungry."

I spent the rest of the weekend at home. There was a full-page promo for the TV special in the Sunday paper, and the station had started to run a promo spot every couple of hours.

On Monday, we drove to school with Mom as usual. As we stood outside the school building before classes began, kids started to crowd around Carol and myself. They either wanted to congratulate me, or they wanted to know how I rated having my pictures displayed on the TV constantly. For the rest of the day I was the center of attention, and the main topic of conversations according to Carol's friends and my friends. By Wednesday things had started to get back to normal, but by Friday the anticipation had started to build attention again. Mom had made sure that I looked the part of a movie star during the week, making me wear my tightest skirts and dresses and 4-inch heels every single day, and I was rarely without my sunglasses except when in the classroom or at home.

Aunt Jessica arrived at the house in time for dinner. Mom had called and invited her down to enjoy the presentation with us. She lived just outside the broadcast range and wouldn't be able to pick it up at home. Also, Carol had invited Heather and Sheri to come over and see the show with us. I had invited Debbie, but her parents had wanted her to stay and watch it at home with them and their friends since she was in the play also.

At seven o'clock we were all seated in front of the television when the show started. We had made popcorn, and bought chips, dips, and root beer soda. Carol, Heather, and Sheri started to squeal as soon as I came on the TV but Mom shushed them down so that everyone could hear me speaking. Right after my introduction, the studio cut to my entrance on stage for the standup that I performed before each performance. Following that was a commercial break led by, you guessed it, one of the commercials for Barrett's. A number of other commercials followed the Barrett's commercial and for the first time in twenty minutes, there was something else on the TV except me. When the commercial break ended, the play began. For the next 3 hours and 40 minutes, there was very little time when I wasn't on the television screen. The station had even inserted two commercials for the premier episode of Oliver On Board. The show ended following the theatre groups presentation of my award and the closing statements that I made as host. I was still red-faced from having seen Rick lift me up onto the makeshift stage, and then take me down again and carry me over to the settee after I had received the award.

As soon as it was over, Carol said, "I told you that it should be called 'Crystal Night'."

That started an avalanche of congratulations from the small group. I again got as red faced as I had been when I had received the award from the theatre group. Mom proposed a toast to me with Root Beer soda and everyone joined in. After that came a brief critique of my various performances, the clothes that I had worn, and a discussion about stage makeup. At midnight Sheri and Heather left for home.

I was relieved that it was over. Now I only had to suffer through the premier of Oliver On Board. I feared that the big buildup would be very embarrassing if I didn't even appear in the episode except for the opening credits background. I wished that the studio hadn't run those promos associating me with the show. I hadn't intended to remind anyone that it was going to be on.

Aunt Jessica stayed for the weekend and left after lunch on Sunday. The Sunday paper carried a review of the Friday night presentation written by the same critic that had been so supportive of the play while it was running. Not surprisingly he raved about the play again. He also marveled at the clever blending of close-ups and wide angle shots by commenting that the close-ups must have been shot at a different time because he had attended the final performance and had not seen any videographers on the stage or in the wings. He also commented on the wonderful job that I had done as host for the broadcast, by saying how comfortable, and at ease, I appeared in front of the camera. I thought about how easy it is to be at ease in front of a camera with four or five people around compared to performing a live standup in front of hundreds of people. If I made a mistake, they simply started taping over again. Also, when on camera I had had a teleprompter. On stage, you're on your own.

At school on Monday, I was swamped with people congratulating me on the performance. During the day a representative of every school organization, except for the boy's sports teams, approached me. From the student government to the bird watching club, the representatives asked me to consider joining their group. I politely informed them that I would consider it and thanked them for the invitation. That seemed to be enough to satisfy them for the present. Carol made an effort to meet me at every class break but I didn't really have too much of a problem from the attention of my fellow students.

On Tuesday, I was having lunch with a couple of my friends when Lynn Evers and Donna Bricolli came over and sat down on either side of me, gently pushing my girlfriends aside to make room.

Lynn said, "Hi Crystal. Have you had a chance to think about joining the team?"

Lynn and Donna were the co-captains of the cheerleading squad. Lynn had stopped me yesterday and asked me to join the squad. I had put her off politely, as I had done to all of the other offers.

"Hi Lynn. I'm sorry, but I haven't really had time to think about it. I've been very busy."

"We understand. You're the biggest thing to happen to this school in years. You just HAVE to join. We won't take no for an answer. Now what do we have to do to get you to sign up."

"I'm very busy, Lynn. I don't know if I have the time to make the practices."

"No problem. We'll work around your schedule. If you can't make the regular practices, several of us will work with you when you have the time so that you can learn the routines."

"I've already promised Mrs. Abbott that I'll take part in the school play."

"Not a problem," Donna said. "Most of the games are on school nights or Saturday mornings or afternoons, but the play is always at night on a weekend. You can do both."

"But I may have other acting jobs come up."

"We'll work around them. No problem is insurmountable," Lynn said.

"Let me think about it, okay?"

"Okay. We'll talk again. See you later," Donna said, and they got up and left.

Barbara, one of the girls from my shorthand class, said, "Wow, Crystal. They actually came to you. Some of my girlfriends and myself tried out for the squad last year, but they barely acknowledged our attempts. The cheerleading squad only accepts the most popular girls in school. I can't believe that you didn't jump at the chance. You know, if you turn them down then they're going to be plenty mad because that would be real embarrassing for them? And I sure wouldn't want that crowd mad at ME."

Barbara’s comment startled me. As I thought about it, I realized that she was right. The cheerleader squad was composed of the school's social leaders. I knew that Carol had tried out for the team and had been rejected, probably because our family didn't have a high enough social standing in the community for her to become a member. It certainly wasn't because she wasn't pretty enough, or coordinated enough. If I turned them down after their recruitment effort, then they would consider it a slap in the face. Because of their aggressive recruitment activities, I either had to have an ironclad excuse, or I would have to join the squad. I also knew that Carol would be hurt because I had been recruited to join, where she had been rejected after she had applied to join. I couldn't be on the squad unless I found a way to circumvent the hurt that I knew that she would feel every time that she saw the outfit.

I waited until we were home before I told Carol that Donna and Lynn had asked me to join the squad. As I suspected, she went ballistic. "Why those two bitches. Our family wasn't good enough when I tried to join, but now they come to you because you were in the play. It'll serve them right when you turn them down. I can't wait to spread the word about it. They won't live this down for the rest of the school year. I love it. Those bitches will finally get a taste of their own medicine."

I thought for a minute before saying, "I don't know if I can turn them down."

"What? You're actually considering joining the squad?"

"If I don't they'll be venting their anger at me for the rest of the school year. Think about it. Like it or not, they occupy a powerful position with their own social roles and their family's positions in the community."

"We don't need them. We didn't need them before and we don't need them now."

"But before they weren't out to get you. They just rejected your application and forgot about you. This is a totally different situation. Think about what they can do if they actively consider us enemies."

Carol sat down on her bed and contemplated the possible reactions. "They could cause some problems but it might be worth it to knock them down a peg."

"In less than a year you're going to be entering college. Why start problems now just to get a little revenge? I've got a better idea. Let’s use THEM. How about if I get them to sign you up too? It would look good on your college application. I've heard that colleges love 'joiners'. It shows them that you'll fit in with their student body."

She said, "No. I don't want to join anymore," but I felt that she wasn't being totally sincere from the tone in her voice.

"Well, I'd hate to join without you. I need my big sister to help me."

"That time is behind me."

"You know, you could do more mischief from within the squad than from outside. And you get to spend all that time with the jocks."

I could almost see the wheels turning as she thought. "That last part would be great. That's the only reason that I even considered joining the squad in the first place."

"Okay, then. Next time they ask I'll tell them that I'll only join if you can be on the squad also."

"Wait a minute. I haven't agreed yet."

Hearing the 'yet' told me that she had decided. She just wanted to be convinced a little more. "This is the ultimate revenge. They rejected you not because you weren't pretty enough, and not because you weren’t talented enough, but because our family didn't have a high enough social standing. Now they wind up with not one, but two members of the lower classes. That's ironic, isn't it."

"Yes, you're right. Let's do it. Maybe we can even help get some others get on the squad. Each member gets to vote on new members."

I was glad that Carol would be with me on the squad. I also hoped that circumstances would arise that prevented me from actually participating. More than ever I hoped that I could line up some jobs that would force us to go to Chicago, or maybe even California. Carol would have to select a college soon and our fund was not nearly large enough for her to consider applying to one of the 'big' schools.

 

(continued in Chapter 29)

I want to express my grateful appreciation to Lynn Jennings for proofreading this story and all of the others in this series, and also to Lynn and J.B. for their editing help and suggestions. 

 

 

 

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© 1999 by Crystal Sprite. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.
Anyone wishing to make comments is welcome to e-mail me at crystal@storysite.org