Chapter 1

The information I used in these chapters was gathered from my sisters and I talking over the years with our parents and my father’s siblings. My oldest sister Kelly, who is three years older than me, was only seven when Grandad died. Kim, my other sister, was five and he died on my fourth birthday.

Aunt Terri has given us a lot of information. Being a beauty operator, she loves to gossip much to my mother’s regret. Terri has always been really close to dad as they are twins. Jerry, my dad, talks to Terri when he has problems with Becky, my mom. Their baby sister Patti was mom’s best friend and she has really helped us nosy kids find out a lot of the good stuff on our loving parents.

Mom was born and raised on the ranch we still live on. She grew up riding her horse and was a very good athlete. Dad was three years older than mom, but lived in the community that was close to mom’s parent’s ranch which had been in the family for two generations already. Dad started working for mom’s father when he was a sophomore in high school. He spent the summers and most weekends working on the ranch.

Mom developed a huge crush on dad and he was just as enamored with her. They spent a lot of time working together and many more hours having fun together. When dad graduated he went in the army and spent two years in the army. He returned to mom waiting for him in her senior year of high school. Granddad put him back to work on the ranch.

They were in love, but they got careless. Mom became pregnant with my sister Kelly, with two months left in her senior year. My grandparents were not happy about it—mom was an only child. Dad asked mom to marry him and she accepted. They got married the week after mom graduated from school. Kelly was born seven months later to parents that worship the ground she walked on. Spoiled is probably what you’re thinking, and you would be correct.

My grandparents were older when they got married and had my mom. Granddad’s father was raised in a family that was poor, but he worked very hard and become a banker. Later, he bought the ranch we now live on. Granddad inherited it from his father and bought more land to put with it. The ranch now has just over 22,000 acres and is my home. Thanks Grandpa.

My parents worked on the ranch helping my grandparents. My grandfather died in the early eighties leaving the ranch to mom. Grandma had been sickly before he died and she died the next year. Grandpa had set up a trust fund for mom and each of his granddaughters. My parents own the ranch and raise cattle as a hobby instead of a living. They only do what they need to do to keep the ranch going and are able to enjoy the ranch more that way.

I attended a small high school in the mountains where I played volleyball and basketball for four years. I’m blonde and one quarter inch shy of being six feet tall. My school had just fewer than one hundred seniors the year I graduated. I was also a cheerleader when I wasn’t playing in the event currently being played or when the boys were playing a game. I guess I ought to confess, I was All State in both those sports and I won the state high jump in track my senior year.

Being the youngest sibling of three, I was the only one currently still living at home. My two sisters were in college at the other end of the state. They both had boyfriends and weren’t coming home for the summer break that year. Being my father’s right hand helper, I would be insuring that none of the cattle got out or were sick while checking fences all summer.

Back in April before I graduated, my best friend Jill started taking treatments for cancer. I’d gone to school with Jill since first grade. She had been the starting point guard on my basketball team. I was devastated—I had to be there for her, but what could I do?

I went to visit her after her treatments in the hospital. I met Jill’s mom, Susan, out in the waiting room and she held my hands. “Kip would you talk with Jill and try to cheer her up? She’s had about all she can take and I’m worried about her. She doesn’t talk to any of us. She lies in her bed and cries all day long. The doctors are even getting worried about her.”

“Mrs. Randall, I’ll try, but what do I talk about? I mean, I’m her best friend, and we usually tease each other about boys and all. I’m not sure about doing that. I know she had a crush on that new boy that just came to school in January.”

“It’s probably not a good idea. She feels like she is the ugly duckling right now. Maybe talk about her horse, Thunder. I know you been taking good care of him for her.”

“I have. He is really missing her and I miss riding with her. I’ve been riding him some and leading my horse, Parker, for exercise, and vice versa.”

Susan and I went to Jill’s room where she gave Jill a hug then kissed her cheek and went to the cafeteria. I was left with Jill. Jill always had long brown hair down to almost her waist. When I visited her she had a scarf around her head; her skin was really pale. My best friend looked like death warmed over. I could tell she had a very rough time with the therapy. I walked to her bed and rubbed her shoulder. She had her back to me, so she turned to look at me. Jill came into my arms and I hugged her. I was crying as I held her; I really loved my best friend.

“Girlfriend, I’ve got to get you out of here. Thunder misses you so much, not to mention what a basket case I’ve been without you.”

As I hugged her, the scarf slipped from her head. I saw her gorgeous brown hair was all straggly and most of it was gone. I could only wonder how we could make her hair pretty again.

Then an idea hit me. “Jill, you’re still the same beautiful person you always have been. Just because you’re having a bad hair day, think of it as a badge of courage. You are a survivor—make us all proud that we have the opportunity to meet a true hero.”

I noticed a smile start to come on her face. “You, my friend, are wicked. You make me laugh when all I want to do is cry. Thank you. I needed you to kick my butt—I needed my bestest friend here with me.”

“When you come back to school, I’m going to shave my head, and we will be wild and crazy sisters again.”

“No you’re not. You would look like a freak just like me.”

“They say misery likes company. You’re stuck with me, and we are going to do this together.”

“You’re crazy, but I do love you.”

Susan came back into the room and rushed over to give me a hug. “My God, you got her to talk. Is that a smile I see?”

Susan held onto me and kissed me; she was ecstatic. “Thank you Kip. I knew if anyone could bring her back, it would be you.”

I left the hospital feeling like a God. I had my best friend on the mend and everything was going great. I was wondering how I could help Jill and Susan with all their bills. Jill’s father was killed in a car accident four years before. Susan was a court stenographer and had insurance, but I was sure she needed some extra help with all the bills for Jill’s illness.

The next day at school, I had world history with my favorite teacher Miss Tate. After class, I got Jill’s make up work and talked with Miss Tate.

“Miss Tate I want to ask you something?”

“Kip, what’s your question?”

“I visited Jill. You know her treatment has destroyed her beautiful hair. I’m thinking about shaving my head so we kind of match when she comes back. I was wondering if you thought I was being crazy or what? I haven’t mentioned this to my mom and dad yet.”

“Kip, the rest of us would be so lucky if we had a friend like Jill has.”

“Thank you. One last question I would like to raise some money for Susan and Jill. I was wondering if you had any ideas about a way I might do this.”

“Kip, how brave are you? I read about another girl back in Georgia I think, she was supporting her friend. She had them sell tickets to the event. She had her head shaved in public with people watching, and she then sold the hair to an organization that buys it for making wigs.”

“Really? I think I can do it. Will you help me make it work, please?”

“Kip, I would love to help. I’ll talk with the principal and see if we can use the school auditorium for it if that’s okay.”

I went to my other classes and then home to dinner with my parents and told them what I wanted to do. My dad was shocked, but my mom thought I was very courageous.

At school the next day, my first class was with Miss Tate. She told me at first the principal had problems with the idea. He finally agreed to take it to the school board and ask what they thought.

The school board meeting was that night. They had a concern about it being for an individual, but they would agree if it was for cancer research or something like that. I told them I had no problem with it going to cancer research. However, I asked that an account be set up for Jill and Susan so anyone could send a donation to them and that it was advertised at the event. They agreed to the demand, and we set a time for the event the following week.

That night I was working on the computer and I got an Email of a site from my friend, Pam. Oh my God, it was a site that showed women in pillories and having their heads shaved. I got so horny looking at those. I gave myself many orgasms that night and actually ended up sleeping completely naked for the first time.

I walked into Miss Tate’s room fifteen minutes early the next morning. “Hi, Thanks for helping me get the school board to approve the idea.”

“Kip, you’re welcome. I hope you don’t get cold feet now that you’ve gotten permission.”

“No cold feet, but you wouldn’t believe the dreams I’ve been having.”

“I’ve been having a few dreams of my own that I can’t discuss with you on school property.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I had a friend like Jill when I was in school. I wasn’t as good a friend as I wished I had of been. She later passed away from her disease and I’ve always wished I could have done more for her.”

I rushed into her arms and hugged her. We were both sobbing as Pam walked into the room. Pam walked over and hugged both of us.

“Pam, you are wicked. That site was evil,” I said.

I forgot Miss Tate was standing there with us. “Girls, what site are we talking about?”

“Ah ... Oh ... Well it shows women having their heads shaved,” I said.

“Is that all?”

“No, they were locked in pillories. It was punishment for not paying taxes in England, I think.”

“I think it’s a male fantasy,” Pam answered.

“Why so?” Miss Tate asked.

“Maybe it’s because they’re naked,” Pam answered back.

“I ended up sleeping naked last night, and that was a first for me,” I added.

“I always sleep naked,” Miss Tate confessed.

“Really?”

“Yes, my girlfriend and roommate in college was a nudist. She hated wearing clothes. She was naked most the time in our room, so I got so used to it that now I can’t sleep if I have clothes on.”

“Are you a nudist then?”

Miss Tate winked, “I’ve done some things in the nude. I have a nice backyard on a small acreage just out of town. I’ve found I don’t like tan lines.”

“Who would ever believe it?” Pam chuckled.

“Please don’t tell anyone. I trust both of you. I could probably get fired for even having this conversation.”

“So Kip, are you going to use the pillory idea as a prop for your unveiling?” Pam inquired.

“It’s fun to think about, but I’m sure they won’t let me get naked on the stage of the auditorium, even if I had the guts to do it. Besides, where would I get a pillory if I did?”