"It doesn't hurt as much as you'd think," said Anita.

Early in the party, the conversation turned to why each girl had chosen their subject. They had almost finished going around the room, with only Samantha, Erica, and Jo left.

Samantha looked at Erica. "Eric" looked back at "Sam". They shrugged. "Why English Literature?" Erica echoed back at Jo. "Because," she finished.

Sam tried to stifle a laugh behind her hand. "Yes, because," she affirmed.

"Shared appreciation for Radclyffe Hall, I shouldn't wonder," jibed Anita.

"Rita Mae Brown, I should think," chimed in Allison.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Cathy.

"Never mind, Cathy," said Sam. "They're just being silly." She readjusted her clingy knit sweater.

"Tipsy," said Eric.

Jo poured herself another cup of spiked punch, then tilted her chin toward Samantha and Erica. "That means you girls must not be giving proper respect to the punch. Sam, Eric, care to get yourselves another cup?"

"I'm reading Politics," Jo began, "to save the world and all that rot." She sipped from her cup. "Anti-vivisection. Anti-fur. Don't eat anything with a face. And most of all, to stop **** against women."

"I'm all for that!" said Allison. The girls cheered.

Jo continued. "In all its nasty forms. Partner ****. Economic subjugation. Female circumcision." She made a face. Allison groaned in sympathy.

"What do you mean?" asked Cathy. "How do you circumcise a woman?"

Allison held up her fingers in a scissor shape. "Some African tribes cut their little girls' clits off. Snip-snip! And even worse."

Suki squeaked and covered her eyes.

"Definitely worse," Jo said. "And it's happening in the UK and America, now that there are larger tribal communities some places."

"Um. I don't think I need to know about how it can get any worse," said Cathy.

"Yes," said Erica. "It gives me the creeps to even imagine getting pierced down there. It must hurt like blazes for weeks."

"You're such a baby, Eric," Sam replied. "You don't even have your ears pierced!"

"Sometimes I think you like pain, Sam," Erica said. "How you used to twist those starter hoops around and make them bleed."

"It doesn't hurt as much as you'd think," said Anita.

Five pairs of eyes and a pair of glasses were on her.

"Care to tell us how you happen to know?" Jo asked.