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He's what they call a skinhead." She was
choking with anger. It was bad enough to have witnessed her daughter's sexual
escapade with this man, not to have it compounded by what she perceived as the
dark ugliness of his character.
    "So what? He knows what he's doing."
    "You're jailbait, Jackie. Do you understand what I'm
saying?"
    "Perfectly. And I had better not hear it again."
    Grace could see that she had gone too far. But the implied
threat was ominous.
    "This is not the way you've been brought up,
Jackie."
    "Stop that crap, Mom. I don't think we want to talk
about the way I was brought up. Hell, I'm the daughter of two losers."
    "And you seem to be heading in that direction
yourself," Grace said, fighting to remain calm.
    "Monkey sees, monkey does," Jackie muttered.
    "He seems ... subhuman." Grace sucked in a deep
breath. Her frustration was acute as she searched her mind for ways to admonish
her daughter that wouldn't make things worse than they already were. "You
keep talking about your champagne tastes. It's sickening, trading your body for
a lousy ride to school. And with that ... that Nazi."
    "All right, Mother, you've made your point,"
Jackie sneered, pouting with typical adolescent indignation. "At least he
has the courage of his convictions. He's making a statement."
    "A statement? It's a curse. The Nazis were worse than
devils," Grace cried.
    "Come on, Mom. Cool out," Jackie said, resorting
to her usual ploy when the argument between them grew too heated. "Don't
be so old-fashioned. I think he's cute is all. It's all for effect. And riding
his hog is a lot better than the school bus. Besides, I get a lot of respect
from the kids...."
    "Respect!"
    "Have you forgotten what it is to be young?"
    Always that, Grace thought. Emphasizing the generational
disparity, throwing it up to her as the root of their misunderstanding.
    "I haven't forgotten what it means to be a parent,
Jackie. You're sixteen. That's still a kid in my book. And legally you're still
under my jurisdiction."
    "Again, legally! Jesus, Mom. What are you gonna do,
hire a lawyer?"
    "Well, it's obvious we need some kind of help here.
Maybe a counselor. Really, Jackie, things are getting out of hand. You're my
only child. I love you and I hate what you're doing to yourself."
    "You sure are making a big deal out of nothing,
Mom."
    Jackie shrugged, but Grace could see that her burst of
rebelliousness had softened.
    "Please, Mom. I love you. I really do. Don't force me
to say things that are hurtful."
    "Hurtful? What I just witnessed was hurtful."
    "Mom. I haven't been a virgin since I was thirteen.
You knew that. I'm on the Pill. You knew that, too. I felt horny. Darryl is not
anyone I'd choose for a serious relationship. He's got a good body and is good
in the sack and I like him a lot. I know he seems weird, but he serves my
needs."
    "He scares the shit out of me, Jackie. That shaved
head, that ugly knife and those Nazi things...."
    "Turns me on, Mom," Jackie quipped. "Just
don't worry so much. I can handle him."
    "Handle him? You shouldn't even go near him,"
Grace sighed, feeling suddenly nauseous. She did know about Jackie's sexual
proclivities but had never brought herself to picture her doing it, actually
having sex. Except for dire warnings, they had never discussed it in intimate
or graphic terms. She supposed it was a form of denial. Or acceptance. She
wasn't sure which. What made it even more terrible was that it was being done
in her bed, her own private place. It added to her sense of violation.
    "He's a low-life slob, Jackie. White trash," she
managed to say.
    "That's Darryl's biker image, Mom. Macho man. So he's
a skinhead, but don't let his macho talk fool you. He's smart."
    "I forbid you to see him," Grace said.
    "Forbid? Now you're my jailer."
    Grace sighed in despair.
    "This isn't fair, Jackie," Grace said. "It's
a worry we don't need. Why can't you size up this situation...?"
    "Worry about yourself, Mom. I'm perfectly capable of
watching out