A SMALL TOWN IN NORTH AMERICA, LATE 1950'S
 
JD : "My name is Joey Dawson, and I am part of a secret society of young men who stake out a perch above one of the local swimming holes--the ones where the girls go swimming in the summer with no clothes on. We are Gawkers. We are sworn to observe which ones start to fill out--but never make them aware of our presence. One day, my oath was put to the test. It wasn't my fault, though."

SIX WEEKS EARLIER
 
( Joey sits with Jimmy Horton )

JD : Hey, Jimmy, what's that you're holding?

JH : Its Danielle Stenton's clothes. I took them from her while she swam.

JD : But that violates our Gawker's oath!

JH : Your story. I say--let them wander around naked all the time!

JD : Jimmy--I think she has more clothes at home.

JH : Don't worry, Joseph--we have plans in motion that will soon eliminate all female clothing!

---------------------------------------

JD : I started to suspect that Jimmy had lost perspective. My sister said that part of this stemmed from her own decision to delay putting out for him until her 16th birthday. After I threw up at this thought, I decided this was not a good enough reason for his insanity. The next time Jimmy struck at Danielle, I was ready.

--------------------------------------

Danielle Stenton : Oh, where are they!!!

JD : Psst! Here they are ( Throws them )

DS : Heyyyyy---have you been gawking at me?

JD : Err...Yes.

DS : Oh. Gee. Is my butt alright? ( Turns )

JD : Faa-Faa-Faa-FIne!

DS : Say---have you gawked at Sadie?

JD : Yeah, once or twice.

DS : Does she stuff? Because, she turns her back to us as she gets in the water, then stays half-under and waits til everyone has left.

JD : Danielle, revealing that would violate my Gawker's Oath.

DS : I'll let you keep Gawking, if you tell me. Plus, I'll clue you in as to where the Sorority girls do their swim.

JD : Sadie stuffs---whole BOXES of tissue into her---

------------------------------------

JD : Yes, I had crossed the line. But Danielle was a line into what the girls were thinking. She provided information that I would not have otherwise had access to. Plus, once, when the Church Ladies almost found the girls' swimming hole, I was able to run back to their homes and grab a bunch of bathing suits. It was almost the end, for both Swimmers and Gawkers, that day. Then Jimmy struck hard. I had to act.

--------------------------------

JH : ( Has a bunch of guys with him, runs wildly toward the shore ) All right, girls--OUT where we can see em'! My friends here have a LOT of film to shoot. We have your clothes--don't even think about running--we have telephoto lenses.

Girl1 : What'll we do?

Girl2 : I guess we better do what he says.

Girl3 : Why? The water's warm, and he has to leave eventually.

Girl2 : Yeah, but its the 1950's and he's a boy!

JD : Stay in, girls! Jimmy, you take these guys and go--or I'll tell my sister!

JH : NO, Joey! She might delay--ya know--again.

JD : Your Call, Horton.

JH : Jerk! Just for that--You're not a Gawker anymore!

JD : Jimmy, its one thing to invade their privacy and demean their dignity by Gawking. But terrorizing them on the Shore goes way over. Plus, you know that Gawkers are forbidden to use cameras.

Girl2 : Why is that? That's dumb. I mean, there are cameras that don't need a flash.

Danielle : Hush!

JD : No, Danielle, she's right. It was dumb, and counter to our seeming main objective. But you can't really capture the magic of that sunlit body shooting out of the water--any more than you can explain how I came to admire the way Danielle defended her friends when the others would tease them. Sometimes, Gawkers, you have to stop Gawking and make an awkward grab. That's just life.

JH : Then stay here and rot with your precious naked girls! Go
 underwater and watch for all I care!

---------------------------------------------

JD : That's just what I did. By the next summer, I was a fixture at the swimming hole--and the girls had all filled out big time. In fact, it was 37 positive pregnancy tests a couple of years later that set me on the path to Nam'. Years later, I met up again with Danielle--not one of the 37, due to precautions--and started going out with her again just before an Immortal who wanted vengeance on Duncan ran her over. I therefore never had a chance to tell Danielle the truth---I had cameras positioned all over that Lake!!! Oops-gotta go--Mac's fighting somebody or other, starts with a K---