by: Trix

Khas Brianne Dalton had made a home on the Duke farm. It had been two years
since she had lost her father and grandfather. And two years since she’d met the Duke
clan. She considered Bo and Luke her older brothers, and Jesse was like a surrogate
grandfather to her. While Daisy had been her shoulder throughout the whole ordeal. She
was now one of her closest friends.

Friends.

Khas had gone back to high school and she’d made three of the closest friends
she’d ever had. A red-head named Rita Janice Danes. A brown-haired girl named Violet
Fawn Chase. And a wheat-blond haired young man named Daniel James Embers. All
except Daniel, who had graduated two years prior, were seniors in high schools, two
weeks from graduating.

She also had a 1970 Pontiac GTO. Through the family lawyer, Mr. Unton, she had
found out that her father Gus had left her the car, as an heirloom of sorts. She found out
on her 17th birthday, which was two months after her arrival in Hazzard. She had thought
she’d never want to see it again but she was wrong, she wanted that car real bad. Mr.
Unton told her that he’d discovered it when Mr. June, the Dalton family lawyer in
Hazzard, had called him a month after her families death. The car of course was in New
England, so in order to make it legal, Mr. Unton drove it down to Hazzard for her, and he
made sure it was in mint condition.

The car had been dark red and black but Khas re-painted it so it was all black with
two thin purple stripes going through the middle of each side, from front to back. One
day, when out with friends the same year she got the car, they were racing with some
other kids and their car pushed them off the road. But Khas had managed to stomp on the
breaks. And when the back tires kind of drifted sideways, because of the mud, it had slid
them back on to the road. In enough time to win the race by a hair.

After that day they had appropriately called the car Drifter, because it seemed to
always drift over to the right place at the right time.

Her life seemed to fall into place once she had her father’s car.

Of course, in Hazzard, nothing is actually in order.

Balladeer: That’s right, folks. Our darlin’ Khas has made a home
here in Hazzard, with the Dukes. And let me introduce you to the newest car in
Hazzard…Drifter.

“K.B.,” Rita said from the passenger side, “we have company.”

Khas looked into the rearview mirror and saw none other then Sheriff Rosco P.
Coltrane at her back door.

Khas sighed. “Hold on, R.J.”

Balladeer: Now, how much trouble do you think Khas, her friends
and that car can get into in one day?

Khas put the pedal to the floor and turned off the road they were on and, about
one-second later, Rita reminded her of something. “K.B.”

“What?”

“Isn’t the bridge on this road out?”

Khas looked from Rita, to the road, to Rosco, and back to the road. “Well,” she
sighed as she drove, “I guess we’ll just have to jump it.”

Rita looked at her, rolling her eyes. She said, “Okay.”

It wasn’t anything she wasn’t used too. Since Bo and Luke had taught Khas how
to drive ‘Hazzard-style’ they jumped creeks at least once every two days, and that was
because of Rosco.

A few seconds later, Khas had jumped the bridge and landed safely on the other
side. She couldn’t say the same for Rosco.

She picked up her CB. “You alright back there, Rosco?”

Rosco picked up his CB and said, “Kee jit, I’m dandy!”

“As long as you’re alright,” Khas smiled at Rita.

“Shall we return to the farm for lunch?” Rita smiled.

“We shall.”

As they drove back to the farm, they unknowingly past a car that was hidden
behind some bushes. Two men got out of it.

“Is that her, Huby?” a scrubby looking blond asked his brother.

“That’s her all right, Dwayne,” the other, another scrubby blond answered. “That’s
the girl who beat me at the race last year.”

“Don’t worry, Dwayne. We’ll git her for humiliatin’ ya at the race.”

A hard look past Dwayne’s face. “Darn right. Let’s go, brother.”

Balladeer: Y’all remember that question I posed earlier? Well
never mind, I don’t want to know.

Meanwhile, the girls had made it to the farm in time for lunch. Daisy was working
and Jesse had to go to town, so it was just her, Rita, Bo and Luke.

When they sat down at the table Luke asked, “So, how much trouble did you git
yourselves into today?”

The two played innocent and, in unison, said, “Who? Us?”

Bo laughed and Luke rolled his eyes. Khas smiled and said, “Nothing out of the
ordinary.”

“Yep, that’s right,” Rita agreed. “Dropped Violet off at her house, went driving
some, jumped a creek to get away from Rosco and now we’re here. Eating lunch.”

“Hold on,” Luke said. “What about Rosco?”

“We out ran him and jumped the creek to get away. He didn’t make but he’s
alright,” Khas said, while she ate.

“He’s always alright,” Rita added.

Luke grinned. “What’re you gonna do with the rest of your day?”

“Don’t know,” Khas shrugged.

“Actually, I think we promised Danny we’d help him with bail hay and get those
new horses situated at the farm.”

“Was that today?”

Rita nodded.

“Hmm. When did we tell him we’d be there?”

“Around two. That’s when the horses get in.”

“Why don’t I remember this?”

Rita shrugged. “Probably because, when he told us, you were talkin’ to Eli and
Paul.”

Luke and Bo laughed. “That wouldn’t be Eli and Paul Gates would it? Kip Gate’s
two youngest?” Bo asked.

Khas promptly blushed and said, “Shut up it was nothing like that.”

“Yes it was,” Rita teased.

“Shut up, Rita.”

“Actually, I might be wrong,” she smiled. “Did I or did I not hear Danny tell you
he’d escort you to the prom if you needed a date?”

“Rita! He’s not even in school no more…anymore.”

“So,” Rita said. “He can go with you, you’re a senior.”

“Okay,” Luke said, looking at Khas, “you ain’t leavin’ this house until you give us
details.”

Khas gave Rita a look then turned to Bo and Luke. “It ain’t nothin’.”

“Hey Luke,” Bo nudged his cousin’s arm, “have you noticed how she slips into a
southern accent when she gets…mad?”

Luke nodded. “Why Bo, yes I have.”

Khas stopped eating and knew she wasn’t getting away without telling them about
Danny. But before she could say anything Jesse walked in. Thank you, Jesse.

“Hey Jesse.”

“Well hey there yerself Rita.” He smiled at her. “How’ve ya been since yesterday?”

“Good,” she laughed. “And you?”

“Oh, I’m good too. You two been stayin’ outta trouble today?”

“Tryin’,” Rita smiled.

Khas saw her opportunity to leave and took it. “Well, we promised Danny we’d
help him with hay and new horses so we better get going.”

Just before she got to the door, Bo grabbed her by the arm and smiled, “Not so
fast, Khas.”

“What’re you boys doing?” Jesse inquired.

“Well, we told Khas here that she couldn’t leave without tellin’ us about Danny
and the prom.”

“That’s right,” Luke said.

Khas gave Jesse a pleading look. “Now you boys leave her alone. She’s been on
what, three dates since she was 17? She’s 18 now and two weeks from graduating. Let her be, if she wants to tell us she’ll tell us.”

Reluctantly, Bo let her go. “Alright.”

“ ‘Sides, there’s always supper,” Luke grinned.

Khas grabbed Rita and dragged out to the car. “Bye Jesse!”

“Bye girls.”

Jesse gave Bo and Luke a snap with the dishtowel. “You boys…”

Balladeer: Poor Khas, and she lives with’em too. Now, those two
ugly guys found themselves at the Boar’s Nest…at a table right next to who other then,
JD Hogg.

“Now Huby,” Dwayne said. “She’s stayin’ with them Dukes. So we have to git her
when she’s not around them.”

“Right,” Huby said. “And how do we do that?”

Boss looked at them, then to Rosco. “Rosco, this is the perfect opportunity to git
them Dukes.”

“How’s that Boss?”

“You numbskull! Just watch,” he said as he walked over to their table. “Hello
fellas.”

“What do you want?” Huby snarled.

“Oh, well, I couldn’t help but over hear your conversation about the Dukes.”

“And?” Huby said.

“And I just might be able to help you.”

Huby looked at Dwayne before saying, “How?”

Boss took a seat and explained. “See, you want that Khas girl and I want them
Duke boys. I figure we can help each other.”

“Continue,” Huby said.

“I can arrest them Duke boys on some trumped up charge so you can have time to
git to Ms. Dalton.”

“What’re you gettin’ outta this?” Dwayne asked.

“Me? Oh well…having them Dukes behind bars, even for a little while, helps my
cholesterol go down.”

After a moment of silence, Huby said, “Alright mister, you gotta deal.”

“That’s great! Rosco!”

“Yes Boss?” Rosco said, coming up close to him.

Boss said, “Go find Ms. Dalton.”

“How…?”

“Just go, Rosco! I’ll get in touch in a few minutes.”

“Yessir. I’m going, I’m outta here.”

Balladeer: And it starts.