"Good, I will take you to school on one condition." Ben dropped his forehead on to the table in mock distress, "What?" "You have to call this CO guy and tell him what has happened to you. If he says you still have to come to school, then I'll take you."

That seemed way too easy, "Tell him what exactly?" "Tell him that you have been kidnapped and are being held prisoner by four beautiful girls who are forcing you to drink slushies and eat pancakes."

Ben laughed, "OK." " And, that they want to keep you all afternoon to torture you." MG was loving her plan, "And Carrie has to go with you to the phone to make sure you say exactly what I told you to say."

"Fine." Ben took another drink of slushie and pushed away from the table. Carrie followed him to the pay phones near the restrooms. While Ben dialed, Carrie glared at him with her most stern prison matron look.

She could hear his CO answer, "Captain Ferguson, this is Sergeant Gorman, I, um, I have a situation sir, and I might not be able to help out in the booth today."

He paused briefly, "Yes, sir, I, um, I've been kidnappd, sir, by, um, by four beautiful girls, and they are forcing me to have pancakes and slushies for breakfast." Carrie burst out laughing and fell against him. "And they want to keep me all afternoon to torture me, sir."

Carrie couldn't hear what the man on the other end of the phone said, but Ben's huge smile told her that he was all theirs today.

"Thank you, sir," Ben paused again, "Yes, sir, I'll call you if I need back up." Ben hung up, and Carrie jumped up and hugged him, "Ha ha, you are mine now." She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the table. "Ladies, and Steve, we have a prisoner."

The girls cheered, and Steve slapped him on the back, "Don't worry, man, I won't let them hurt you."

Ben nodded a thank you, but said, "I think I've got this covered."

By the time the pancakes arrived, they were all buzzing a little from the vodka.

"So Ben," Casey smiled and slurred, ready to give him grief, "What country do you plan to blow up after high school."

"I have basic training first, then AIT before they'll let me blow anything up."

"English." MG barked at him.

"AIT, Advanced Individual Training. What are you planning to do after school?"

Casey shrugged, "Probably work at Wynmark. They make wallets. My sister-in-law works there."

"I'm moving to New York," MG announced. "Bullshit," Steve shot in.

"My mom and I already have plans, asshole." Carrie looked up from her food, shocked. This was the first she had heard of MG planning to leave after next year. Seeing her fear, MG nudged her, "And Carrie's coming with me."

"I am?"

Ben looked just as shocked, "She is?" "Yeah, Carrie, come with us. It's not like you need to stay here for anything. Maybe you can get a job at some high end interior decorator."

Carrie was boosted by MG's encouragement, "That'd be cool." "She'd be great at it," Ben's eyes filled with excitement for her, "bossy as hell," and he smiled at their inside joke, "but great at it."

He had told her before that he thought she was good at decorating, but for some reason his ringing endorsement really touched her this morning. The emotion overwhelmed her and she gave him a shy smile and couldn't look him in the eyes when she said, "Thank you, Ben." He bumped her leg with his under the table.

When the waitress laid one bill on the table, Ben reached for it, read it, then pulled out his wallet and placed the bill back on the table next to him with $25 on top. Carrie hadn't really thought much about it before, but Ben always seemed to have money and didn't have a job that she knew of. Maybe his grandpa gave him money.

When they noticed that Ben was paying, Casey and Gina thanked him, and MG leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She always got overly affectionate when she drank. Steve insisted he could pay for himself.

Ben held up his half empty slushie, "Tell you what, why don't you get us something else to drink. This sweet stuff is getting disgusting."

Steve nodded in agreement as he and Gina and Casey got up to leave.

"To Chuck's house." MG ordered.

Steve let MG know, "We're going to stop by my place and get some beer."

"Cool, we'll see you there."

On the way out of the restaurant Ben caught up with Carrie, "Chuck, as in your boyfriend Chuck?"

"Yes, problem?"

Ben stopped walking so Carrie stopped too. He hesitated, "You know I won't do drugs, right?" "Ben, none of us do, well, OK, Steve and Chuck do some, but don't worry about it. We'll have fun, I swear. I've got you covered."

"Why are we going there? Just to drink?" "No," Carrie looked up and gave him a devious smile, "We are playing strip poker." She quickly walked away, giggling and leaving him dumbfounded where he was standing.

On her way out the door MG shouted, "Prisoner!" Ben let out a long sigh and followed her and Carrie.

Chapter 13.

It wasn't until they pulled up in front of Chuck's house that Carrie thought to ask, "Does he know we are coming over?" They had never bothered to call before because they had only been there on the weekends for constant parties.

"Nope, I figured we'd wake him up and give him a big surprise." MG was back in conniving mode.

Carrie knocked on the front door and few times, there was no sound from inside, "Now what?" She asked MG.

"See if it's unlocked."

Carrie turned the handle and pushed, and it was unlocked. "We're just going in?"

"How the hell else are we going to surprise him?" Trying to giggle quietly, Carrie and MG tip-toed across the living room carpet to Chuck's bedroom. Ben came in and shut the door, but stayed next to it. He could hear them open a door, and MG yell "Surprise!" then "What the fuck?!" Carrie came running out of the hallway, her face red. She pushed Ben aside, jerked the front door open and ran down the steps toward the car.

"You fucker, you stupid fucker," MG was yelling in the hallway. And she was still yelling as she came into the living room, "You are a fucking loser, Chuck Parnell, you suck, your lame fucking band sucks. I hope you and that whore die a long and painful diseased death!" She didn't even look at Ben as she ran out the door after Carrie. Ben was torn between going and meeting Chuck with his fist or following the girls. Since Chuck never came out of his bedroom, he followed MG out the door.

Carrie wasn't in the car, but MG got in and told Ben to get in too. He was about to when Casey, Gina and Steve pulled up behind them. Ben stood by the car, looking around for Carrie while MG went to tell them what had happened. Casey shot out of the front seat and ran up the steps. She threw the front door open, letting the handle hit the wall behind it hard enough to leave a hole, "Hey, fucking loser," she shouted in, "I would key your car, if you still had one!" She left the front door open, letting in the cold, winter air.

"Where's Carrie?" Ben was worried about her.