When Friday came, Jess made sure to start home from the cabin well before dinner.  While she walked through the woods, she wondered what she and Doug might do when they went into town, and a nervous chill went through her.  As images from the last time she went out with him ran through her mind, she clutched her books tighter to her chest and let out a deep breath in an attempt to relax. 

Even though that night had been a disaster, the one positive thing it had done was prove that Doug wouldn't let anything happen to her.  She knew he'd never put her in harm's way again, and he had said they wouldn't be hanging out with his friends.

The kitchen was empty when she let herself in, and she headed up the stairs to her room.  After changing back into her school dress, she pulled on a sweater since the air had turned cooler over the afternoon, then went in the bathroom to redo her pony tail.  When she heard a knock on her bedroom door, she set down the brush and went to answer.  It was Doug, already wearing a jacket.  He lifted his head and after a pause, a smile spread across his face.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Almost.  I just need to fix my hair." 

"Oh, you –," he started just as she turned away, and then stopped.

"What?"

"Nothing.  Never mind," he said, shaking his head.  He shoved his hands in his pockets, and dropped his head. 

"You don't have to wait in the hall.  Do you want to come in?" she asked, opening the door wider.

"Uh, sure," he said with a shrug. 

Once he'd passed her, she closed the door behind him and headed towards the bathroom while he looked around.  At that moment, she realized this was only the second time Doug had been in her bedroom.  The first time, he'd been more intent on getting her to agree to not tell his dad what he was up to when he went out with his friends than to notice what it was like.

As soon as she had her hair up and secured with an elastic, she came out and Doug was standing between her twin beds with the framed wedding picture of her parents in his hand.

"Oh, sorry," he said when he saw her, setting it back on the nightstand. 

"It's okay.  I don't mind."   She went to the wardrobe to collect her loafers.  "Do you know where we're going?" she asked, sitting on one of her beds and pulling on her ankle socks. 

"I gotta couple ideas, but we'll see what looks good when we get downtown," he replied while he watched her.  Curious what he had in mind, she slipped on her last loafer and stood.

"I'm ready."

"Alright," he said, smiling again and holding his arm out for her to lead the way.

Jess expected Annie and Uncle Jonathon to be waiting at the bottom of the stairs to inspect them like they had when Doug had taken her out the first time, but neither were in sight and the house was quiet. 

Doug headed straight to the front door and opened it for her.  When she stepped out, James was standing in front of the open garage smoking, but flicked the cigarette butt away and turned towards the black car when he saw them. 

While they watched James unlock the padlock, Jess suddenly noticed how quiet it was in the car.  Doug must have noticed too, because he turned on the radio and the song 'All I Have to Do Is Dream' filled the silence.  With the gate finally opened, Doug pulled through onto the dirt road and Jess looked out the passenger side window at the iron fence and the deep forest beyond.

Listening to the Everly Brothers' melancholy harmonies, her thoughts turned to Marty.  She hated that he was all alone at the cabin.  Did it bother him to say good bye to her and then spend all those hours by himself in the quiet before he felt he could go back to his house?  In a perfect world, he'd be the one taking her out so they could spend the rest of the evening together instead of Doug, she thought with a sigh. 

By time the next song had started, they were on the two lane road heading the familiar route back into town, and Doug still hadn't said anything.  If it kept up like this, the night was going to turn out to be an awkward one.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, finally breaking the silence when they reached the edge of town.

"Yeah."

She thought he'd talk about which places to eat, but he was quiet while he wove through the streets.  Jess faced the window to hide her disappointment, but when he parked the car and turned off the engine, she turned towards him with a smile. 

"The Golden Skillet?" 

"Since this is your friend's family restaurant, I thought you might want to see what it's like."

"Thanks, Doug!" 

Hoping Louise would be inside, she jumped out of the car.  When they walked inside, Jess looked around to find her, but only saw other diners.  Doug chose a booth alongside the plate glass windows and Jess slid across the vinyl seat opposite him.

"Don't tell Annie," Doug said, leaning forward conspiratorially as handed her a menu.  "But their pie is very good."

"Okay, I won't," Jess grinned.

"What can I get for you two," a woman said and Jess looked up.  It was Louise's mom wearing a white dress and apron, her eyes widening as she recognized Jess.  "Why, hello Jess.  What a lovely surprise."

"Hello Mrs. Brooks.  Is Louise here?" Jess asked eagerly.

"No, honey.  She's at home.  I expect she's putting Jack to bed right about now."

"Oh, right," she replied more quietly, remembering Louise had said she usually babysat nights so her mom could work at the restaurant.  Mrs. Brooks glanced at Doug, and Jess spoke up.  "Oh, this is my cousin."

"I've been here before, but we haven't been formally introduced," Doug interjected, holding his hand out with a smile.  "I'm Doug Blackwell.  It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Brooks."

"It's nice to meet you too, D–, uh, Mr. Blackwell," she stammered, suddenly looking embarrassed.

"Please, call me Doug," he offered.

"Oh, uh, alright," she said, looking even more flustered as her face reddened and Jess ducked behind her menu to hide her smile.  It seemed even adult women weren't immune to Doug's charms.  "Do you know what you want?" she asked, determinedly looking down at her pad of paper with her pen poised and her face still flushed.

"I'm going to have a coke, and a hamburger and french fries," Doug said.

"Okay, and you Jess?"

"That sounds good.  I'll have the same."

Once she left, Jess looked around the restaurant, noticing how neat and tidy it was.  Decorated simply, it had a row of red vinyl booths along the plate glass windows and cream tables with chairs covered in matching red vinyl down the center.  There were a few families with small children, but most of the diners were older people, some with elderly parents, or teens like Jess and Doug.

"What did you do over the summer?" Doug asked, getting Jess's attention.  "I mean, what did you do all day to keep from getting bored?"  Looking in Doug's curious blue eyes, she immediately felt wary.

"Well, uh, I read a lot, and  I walked around – in the woods," she said vaguely. 

Much to her relief, Mrs. Brooks showed up with their sodas and both of them thanked her.  Doug didn't say anything else, and she hoped he was satisfied with her answer.  But while she chose a straw from the dispenser, she began to remember what her summer had really been like, spending long hours, either alone or with Marty as her only company, constantly feeling restless and trapped like a caged animal, and anger rose up in her that her uncle wouldn't allow her the freedom to come and go as she pleased.

 "I tried to climb the fence," she said forcefully. 

"You did what?" Doug said loudly, then quickly looked around at the other diners as if he'd just realized they weren't alone.  He leaned forward and lowered his voice.  "You could have killed yourself!" he insisted, his eyes filled with worry.  She knew it was mean to bring it up, especially knowing how ashamed he already felt about the way his father treated her, but she couldn't hold back at least this part of the truth.

"Well, obviously that didn't happen," Jess retorted, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Did you – manage it?  Did you make it over?"

"No," she said bitterly, and leaned over to take a sip from her straw while keeping her eyes on the cars parked outside.  

Her mind went back to that day, reliving the crushing disappointment she'd felt when she'd realized she'd never be able to scale the fence and be free.  She'd felt terrible, but Marty had understood as soon as he saw the look on her face and held her while she cried.  A longing to be with him again washed over her as she remembered his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Jess," Doug said, interrupting her thoughts, and she looked at him.  He was tearing his paper straw into small pieces with a scowl, and then his eyes came up to meet hers.  Seeing the sadness in them, she immediately felt guilty.  "I won't let it happen again next summer.  While I'm still home, I'm going to make sure to take you out.  I promise," he finished firmly. 

She opened her mouth to respond, but Mrs. Brooks appeared, placing a plate with a hamburger in front of her.  Jess thanked her while she placed another plate with french fries next to it.

"It's quite alright, dear," she replied kindly, placing Doug's two plates in front of him.  "Do you need anything else?" she asked looking back and forth between them.  After they both said no at the same time, she left and Doug reached for a bottle of ketchup.

"While you're still home?  Are you going somewhere?" Jess asked with bewilderment.

"Oh, that's right," he said, concentrating on unscrewing the cap.  "I guess I didn't tell you.  My dad said I could go to college."

"Really?  That's swell, Doug!" Jess said excitedly.

"Yeah!  It is," he agreed brightly, but he wouldn't look at her, and there was something off in his tone.

While he tried to shake the ketchup loose, he looked uncomfortable and Jess wondered what was going on.  This was exactly what he'd wanted, and yet he didn't seem very happy about it.  She was about to ask him what was wrong, and then she remembered her and Louise stumbling upon a distraught Donna in the girls' bathroom the previous week.  Was this the reason why he'd broken things off with her?  

Frowning at her plate of fries, she considered it further, deciding there could be no other explanation.  After Uncle Jonathon had given in on something so important, he'd need to be especially careful so his dad didn't have any reason to change his mind. 

"Well, I'm sure you're going to have a real good time in college," she said cheerily, taking the bottle of ketchup from him.  "I'm glad you're going to get to go."

"Thanks, Jess," he replied, and gave her a halfhearted smile before taking a bite from his hamburger.  The awkward silence between them returned while they ate and Jess pretended to watch people passing outside.

"Do you like the woods?" Doug asked after a while.

"It's okay," Jess said, disappointed he'd brought up the subject again.

"My mom used to take me on walks in the woods."  Jess was surprised.  This was the first time Doug had brought up his mom.

"What kinds of things did you do there?" she asked, wondering if he'd been to the cabin.

"Not much," he replied with a shrug, but he avoided her eyes. 

There was so much mystery surrounding the cabin and why no one was allowed to go there, she suspected he was being evasive on purpose.  She was dying to ask him what he knew about it, but it was out of the question since it would give away the fact she knew about it too. 

"I remember a big field – and water, like a lake," he added with a far off look on his face, and then turned his attention back to Jess, his blue eyes intense.  "Did you ever find a lake?"

"Uh, there's a small pond," Jess said, the wariness returning.  "It's nothing like a lake," she stated emphatically.  The last thing she wanted was for Doug to decide he wanted to go swimming.

"I guess everything looks bigger when you're little," he said, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Do you remember much about your mom?" she asked gently.

"Not a lot," he said, leaning back in his seat and looking out the window.  "I was pretty young when she died.  Sometimes – I don't know if I really remember her, or if I just remember what Annie's told me about her."  

He continued to look outside while Jess watched him, suddenly reminded of Marty.  It made her sad that the two most important boys in her life had lost their mothers at such a young age. 

 "We had picnics by that – pond, I guess.  I do remember that," Doug said, then he looked back at Jess.  "She had blue eyes like me, and blonde hair." 

Jess immediately pictured Donna and wondered if that was what had attracted him to her, and then she realized she'd never seen a photo of Doug's mom in the house.  No doubt it was at Uncle Jonathon's insistence since it would be painful for him, but it wasn't right.  Doug should have pictures of his mom like she had pictures of her parents. 

"She was always singing," Doug continued.  "She liked to listen to the radio or records all the time, but even if she wasn't, she'd sing anyway." 

"Do you miss her?"  Doug shrugged his shoulders.

"I wish she hadn't died, but – it's been a long time," he said, leaning back in his seat again.  "It doesn't hurt anymore.  Do you miss your parents?" he inquired gently.

"Yes, but it's easier now.  In the beginning – it was hard." 

He dropped his head and then looked out the window while his face reddened, but not before Jess had caught the look of shame in his eyes. 

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, and Jess knew what he was referring to.

"It's okay," she said sincerely.

"I know I wasn't very nice – when you first came."

"Doug, it's really okay," Jess insisted, and he met her gaze.  "I know it had to be hard to get used to having another kid in the house, but it's different now between us, and that's what matters."  He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Mrs. Brooks.

"Do you two want dessert?"

"What should I get?" Jess asked Doug.  He looked at her intently, and then smiled up at Mrs. Brooks.

"We'll have two apple pies a la mode."

"I'll be right back," she replied, taking their empty dishes.

"What other kinds do they have besides apple?" she asked, wanting to make sure they didn't go back to the subject of how he'd treated her.  There was no point in rehashing the past when they were getting along so well now.

When Mrs. Brooks returned with their pie, she told Jess it was her husband's family recipe.  After she left, Jess took her first bite, then closed her eyes.  It really was the best apple pie she'd ever had, and that was saying something considering what good cooks Annie and Cora were.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Doug asked, and she opened her eyes, nodding and grinning while she chewed. 

When she'd scraped the plate clean, she set her fork down feeling full and satisfied.  Doug picked up the bill and looked at his watch.

"I guess it's time to go."

"Are we going home now?" Jess asked, slumping in her seat.

"No, it's almost time for the late show.  Unless, you'd rather –."

"We're going to the movies?" Jess asked brightly.

"Sure, why not," Doug said easily with a smile, putting some coins on the table for a tip, and Jess grinned back at him.  She hadn't been to a movie since she'd been in Manhattan, and she'd missed them terribly. 

When Doug paid their bill, Mrs. Brooks called Mr. Brooks out from the kitchen and a short, slightly stocky man dressed all in white with a stained apron, came from the kitchen to greet them.  Jess smiled at his kind face, noting his hair was every bit as curly and red as Louise's. 

"Good to meet you!  Good to meet you!" he said heartily, pumping both their hands.  Now that she'd met them, it was obvious Louise's parents were both just as kind and friendly as their daughter.

Once they'd said their goodbye's and headed outside, Jess stepped off the curb to get in the car, but Doug put his hand on her arm.

"It's just a short walk from here."

"Oh, okay," Jess said, joining him.

By now the sky was dark and streetlamps lit the sidewalk.  The displays in the closed shop windows weren't nearly as elaborate as the ones Jess was used to in Manhattan, but it was still fun to look at them while they walked.  After they rounded a corner, she saw the movie theater marquee with a crowd of people under it, and her excitement rose. 

They got in line to buy tickets, and Jess began reading the movie posters, but when she saw what was playing, she turned to Doug with trepidation.

"Are we really going to see that?"

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I don't watch horror movies," she said with concern.

"What?" he laughed.  "It's not a horror movie.  It's just 'Return of the Fly'." 

Jess turned back towards the poster, too embarrassed to say anything, but she couldn't help remembering the nightmares she'd had after her dad had taken her to see 'War of the Worlds'.

"Look, it won't be that bad," Doug said more gently.  "I saw 'The Fly' last year.  It wasn't scary at all!  It was really good!" he insisted, but she was unconvinced.  "Come on, Jess!  It'll be fun!"

"Okay," Jess relented with sigh.

Finally it was their turn at the ticket booth and Jess took a deep breath to relax while Doug paid for their tickets.  As soon as she stepped inside, she smelled popcorn and immediately felt better.  They took seats in the middle of the theater crowded with teens, and Jess smiled as she looked around.  For a small town, she was impressed the old theater was decorated so elaborately.  Then she noticed a few girls she recognized from school and waved at them.  Maybe this would be fun after all, she thought just as the lights went down. 

There were whistles and loud laughter, and then the coming attractions started, accompanied by shouted jokes but once the movie started, the audience settled down.  Jess's nervousness about whether the movie would be too scary was soon forgotten as she lost herself in the story of a young man who wanted to vindicate his deceased father's scientific work by continuing his experiments. 

The action picked up when a corporate spy killed a policeman who was about to take him to jail, shoving him in a machine that would dematerialize him in order to get rid of the evidence.  But when he rematerialized him, it went horribly wrong because he'd forgotten he'd already dematerialized a guinea pig. 

The hokey and obviously fake guinea pig arms on the policeman didn't bother Jess, nor did the shot of the