It was dark and foreboding, and Karen found herself staring at it paralyzed by fear. Eventually her paralysis was broken by the feel of someone bumpin...g into her from behind. ‘Geez, k**! What’s the matter with you, standing in the middle of the sidewalk like that?’ Karen turned around to face the owner of the voice. It was a tall blonde girl, about sixteen years old. Something else to frighten f******n year old Karen. ‘You just gonna stare at me, like a little freak?’ Karen shook her head.. He was happy to see his “chubby puppy” back from school he said. I threw the bag on the side sofa and went next to him. He pulled me close to himself and gave me the “good boy” kisses as he took off my tie and shift buttons. “What kind of a school expects kids to wear a tie in summer” he said as he pulled my shirt over my head. Aunty brought in the cold orange juice glass and took over from uncle. She unbuttoned my shorts and decided I need a shower to get rid of all the sweat and dirt. I. She had to stay there, with her bare butt against the glass until ten cars had passed. It was a riot.So Suzie, who wanted to avoid talking about masturbation that she might or might not have been engaged in on a routine basis, suggested it was time to play sardines.But there were only seven of us. You can pack seven fourteen year old girls into almost anyplace, especially in a big house like Chrissy had.And then Marnie Filkins said something that ended up changing my life.“Why don’t we ask. That’s her thinking, anyway. I don’t see it happening. Of course, it could just be vindictive and she’s going to do it just to prove how powerful she is.”“So what do we do?”“First, we talk with the leadership team. Then we talk with the Board. Then the staff. I think we can head off most things she can say if we think it through.”“What about someone else acting as CEO instead of you?”“I thought about that. My first inclination is to stay the course because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let.