It was funny about him and Charles Ray, Jim thought. They worked together like a team of trained mules their last game they played in the state finals at Austin. Everything Charles Ray threw, he caught.

By closing his eyes while he tried to suck out some kind of sense from his cigarette, he remembered the game. They came from behind six points to make their last touchdown and then the field goal to win. He was on the forty yard line when he caught the pass that won the state championship and helped May Sue decide to let him have what he'd been trying to get every since he could remember.

She went crazy when he caught the pass. He could still remember her standing in her orange and blue cheerleader's outfit, jumping and going berserk. She was still yelling at him after the field goal scored.

It was the first year his father allowed him to drive the old pickup out of town. It took some talking to get permission for May Sue to ride back with him. She had to wrap up in a blanket to keep from freezing to death even if it was not very cold so far south the second week in December.

He was the first. Looking at her naked body in the dim light of the dashboard he turned on so she could find her comb was almost as thrilling as the actual love making. He had never seen her nakeder than the brief shorts she wore in gym class; well, he did see her in a bikini when they went swimming in the river.