"Welcome to Provincetown," he said. "I see you've already made friends with some of the girls.
Are you going to their beach party Saturday night?" "I don't know. I . . I'll see."
"I hope to see you there," he said. His face
glittered with a handsome smile as he moved away to
join his friends, who, I saw, included a very pretty
brunette. She glared at me as she threaded her arm
through his and moved him down the hall and away. I
stared after him until Lorraine nudged me. The girls
had been standing nearby, watching.
"Be careful," Lorraine said. "That's Adam
Jackson." "I know. He told me."
"Did he tell you he puts a nick in the bow of his
sailboat for every girl he takes to bed?"
"What?"
"One more nick and that boat might sink,"
Betty added. We continued toward class before I
could catch my breath.
"But maybe she won't mind becoming one of
Adam's nicks," Janet quipped. "Would you, Melody?"
"What?"
Everyone laughed again. I was beginning to
feel as light and helpless as a balloon caught in a
crosswind, blown one way, then another. And I had
been here only a couple of days!
Mr. Malamud, my chemistry teacher, spent
some time with me after class to be sure I was up-todate with the class. It was my last period of the day.
Cary wasn't waiting for me when I finally emerged
from the building.
I gazed around for a few moments and then
hurried along. I assumed he had picked up May from