Free Truth or Dare by Peg Cochran

girl.  Okay, go ahead.  But tomorrow afternoon we’ll plan something fun, okay?”
         “Sure, Mame, sure.”  Rivka slid through the open front door and hastened toward the shadowy end of the front walk.  Her stomach twisted in a way that made her wish she hadn't eaten so much of the pot roast for dinner.  There must be something wrong with her.  Lying to her parents always made her feel sick. But what else could she do when they insisted on being so absurdly old-fashioned?
         An expensive red sports car turned onto their street with a loud, insistent beat blaring from the radio. Rivka looked back at the house and thought she saw the blinds move ever so slightly.  She tried to melt into the shadows as the car came to a halt.
         Before the driver’s door opened, she yanked open the passenger door and slid into the seat.
         “I would have come up to the house.”  Lance protested as she fastened her seat belt.
         Rivka shook her head.  “That’s okay.  I was ready early so I thought I’d wait outside.”
         Rivka's face burned.  She shouldn't have said that!  Now Lance knew she'd been ready early.  He probably thought she was some stupid, geeky, high school kid.  Which basically she was—she hoped she could get through the evening without doing anything even more stupid.  
         She leaned back in the seat and ran her hands over the smooth, leather upholstery.  The whole car smelled like a pair of very expensive shoes.  She'd never been in one like it.  She would have really been enjoying herself if it weren't for her stupid conscience poking at her and making her feel guilty for having lied to her parents.
         Darkened trees whizzed by the window.  “Where are we going?”  Rivka asked when they stopped at a light.
         “I thought we’d go to the flicks, if you don’t mind.  That new comedy is playing—the one with the actor all the girls like.”  Lance glanced at Rivka and smiled.  “I don’t want you paying too much attention to him, though.”
         “I…I won’t.”  Rivka gripped the door handle.
         The movies!  Her parents were going to the movies.  The same one.  What if she ran into them?  What would she do?  It would be hideous. She’d die of embarrassment.  They'd probably drag her back home as if she were still in diapers. 
     “Lance?”
     “Hmmm?”
     “Could we do something else instead?”
         “Sure.  No problem.  What do you feel like?”

     “Maybe we could go somewhere where we’d be alone?”  Rivka gave him a look like she’d seen on actresses in the movies. She hoped she didn't look stupid.
         Lance looked startled, but then stepped on the gas.  “Sure.  There’s no one at our house right now.  Pamela’s out, and my parents have gone to a party.  Will that do?”  He turned to her and grinned.
         Rivka felt her face getting red again.  What must he think of her!  But she couldn’t risk running into Mame and Tate.  She couldn’t!  But what if he expected…  Rivka felt her face burn even hotter as she slunk down in her seat.
     
    Mary dragged her feet, dreading the moment when she would have to walk into Mr. Sobeleski’s news stand.  What if he had discovered that she’d taken the money?  She hadn’t taken all of it—just enough to cover the cost of her SATs.  But Mr. Sobeleskwi was pretty shrewd even if he didn’t keep track of all of the cash that crossed the counter.  
    She had to rush as she walked the last block into town.  She’d been to the psych ward at the hospital to visit her mother and had stayed too long.  Her mother was almost normal, or at least what passed for normal for her.  She’d put on street clothes and had combed her hair although she’d missed a huge spot in the back of her head where it was tangled into a knot that looked like a bird's nest.
    Mary passed the town clock which