Chapter 1

Begin Again: 1

There was a young girl

Named Michele Finnegan

She had whiskers

On her chin-chin-chin-ne-gan

The wind blew them off

And blew them on again

Poor young Michele Finnegan, Begin Again

There was a young girl

Named Michele Finnegan

She went fishing

With Michael Finnegan

Sat all day

Reeled it in again

Poor young Michele Finnegan, Begin Again

There was a young girl

Named Michele Finnegan

Ate her dinner

From a tin-tin-tin again

Was so good

She ate some more again

Poor young Michele Finnegan, Begin Again

There was a young girl

Named Michele Finnegan

She got fat

Wanted to be thin again

She had a baby

And got then thin again

Poor young Michele Finnegan, Begin Again

There was a young girl

Named Michele Finnegan

She was so clumsy

Banged her shin again

she shouted loud

Oh what a din again!

Poor young Michele Finnegan, Begin Again

There was a young girl

Named Michele Finnegan

She looked up and saw those twins again

She turned 'round

And there they were again

Lucky young Michele Finnegan, Begin Again

Actually? Her name was Connie McDavid. But that didn't rhyme ... such is life. She didn't have whiskers on her chin ... a couple of stray hairs ... maybe ... three ... but none of them were growing out of the mole on her chin ... not that it was a mole ... just a little ... bump ... and it wasn't the wind, it was the laser hair removal her brother gave her for her sixteenth birthday ... and they didn't grow back ... and didn't leave a scar ... well ... maybe just a little one, ... when the technician slipped ... but it wasn't completely disfiguring ... not totally awful ... a small bag would do ... and her parents felt pretty bad ... not that they were ... ashamed, actually ... mostly ... they did send her ... and her brother ... off to Cancun for spring break,

"She might find a husband," her mother said...

"Fat chance," her father said...

"Do I haveta?" said her brother.

"Yes, Dear ... you have to. Your father and I would feel awful if she was KIDNAPPED ... or something worse if we sent her down alone."

"Yes, son ... you must promise to keep an eye out for her ... don't let her get in too much trouble ... they're all college kids and she's going to be a junior in highschool ... if she comes back."

I don't know how much broader a hint they can give him, ' she thought. 'I'll just have to do the best I can. I'm sure there are gulls there. I can slip away and not come back. She sighed, and clattered something before she stepped out of the hall.

Her mother ... smiled. "Hello Connie ... are you packed?"

"Yes, mom."

Daddy shook her hand ... that's bad ... no hug ... and his eyes kept dropping to her chin and jerking back up ... she did have pretty eyes ... maybe a veil.

When he dropped her hand, there was money in it ... quite a lot...

Her mother had slipped a couple of grand in her fanny pack ... she found it by accident.

Even her grand parents ... on her mothers side ... Daddy's parents couldn't stand to look at her ... gave her money ... and somebody had slipped a roll in one of her socks.

It's just a little ... gouge ... can't call something that deep a scar ... seems like they could at least give it a chance to heal. Cancun ... Spring break ... I could wear a mask ... like the Japanese do when they have a cold.

The airplane ride was bumpy but it was nice and warm ... just an hour and a half and they were checking into a beachfront motel.

"Connie," his eyes didn't meet hers, "Did you see the sailboat?"

"No ... I was busy," 'Busy avoiding the looks of pity.' "Where is it?"