

Copyright © 2017 by Anthony Lampe

Book edited by Kristi Lampe

Cover designed by Timothy Lampe

Cover image by Stokkete (Shutterstock)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the author, Anthony Lampe.

anthony_lampe@yahoo.com

www.anthonymlampe.wix.com/home

To my wife and children; to all men, women and children of God, may you always feel God's presence, guidance and love.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

About the Author

Interactive Adventure Books by Anthony Lampe

1

Andrew Jensen, no longer entertained by the conversation, shifted in the back seat of the sedan and slipped a black MP3 player out of his side pocket.

"Are you excited to be seeing your little sister competing in the ballet semi-finals?" His mother glanced over her shoulder with a wide smile, and awaited a positive response.

"Oh yeah," Andrew replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Just as excited as when you asked me two minutes ago."

"Now son," his father said, his deep voice slightly admonishing, "your sister has been perfecting her solo dance routine for months, and now she has a chance to compete for the finals."

"I know she will give it her all," he said sincerely.

"She is really dedicated," his mother stated proudly.

_I just don't always want to talk about Angela and how talented she is,_ Andrew thought.

When he turned on the MP3 player, and the music blared through the earbuds, Andrew had to quickly adjust the volume down considerably. He had not anticipated that his friend at school would have listened to music that loudly.

The rock music seemed a little dark, perhaps edgy, but the beat enticed him. As the singer began to scream the words, Andrew was caught off guard by some of the provocative lyrics and cursing.

His first thoughts were of disgust, and then curiosity got the better of him. His parents would never have allowed him to hear that kind of music, but since his friend lent it to him, the new music was exciting.

_Maybe it's okay,_ he reasoned with himself. Feeling slightly rebellious, he thought, _I'm seventeen. I'm old enough to listen to whatever I want._

"Son," his father repeated as his kind brown eyes gazed at Andrew's face searchingly in the rearview mirror.

Andrew jumped in his seat, fearing that his father could hear the lyrics. He yanked the earbuds out of his ears and shoved them under his jacket on the seat beside him.

"Yeah?" he responded, clearly off guard.

"You have a soccer game next weekend, right?" Andrew felt relieved that his dad mentioned his sport. "It's the quarter-finals of the tournament. If we win that, then we'll play the semi-finals game two hours later."

"That's great," he replied, "and I know you guys will do your best. Son, this isn't easy for me to tell you, but I know you are nearly a man now and you will understand. If Angela wins in the semi-finals today, then her final performance will also be next weekend."

Disappointment washed over Andrew and made him speechless. He glanced out the side window at the industrial buildings, which became a blur as his emotions heightened. After an awkward silence, he asked, "Hers would be at a later time than my games, right? I mean, you wouldn't miss me play, would you?"

"As I said," he began, glancing at Andrew's mother for support, "it depends on how she does today, but the finals would be going on at the same time as your second soccer game."

His mother turned in her seat to look at Andrew, her short brown hair framing her caring face, and added in her warm voice, "We can be there for the first game, but we'd miss the later one."

"Don't worry," his father said, "this is only your first soccer tournament of the year. There will be plenty more. But, this is Angela's last solo ballet competition. If she does well today, we need to support her in the state finals next weekend."

Andrew wanted to drown out his feelings of hurt, so he grabbed the earbuds and once again listened to the music. Despite the harsh lyrics being said that made him cringe inside, he just wanted the distraction from his thoughts.

"Son," his father said, but he did not respond.

His mother glanced back and then turned to his father. "Honey, we can discuss this more later. We are almost there anyways."

With a nod, he returned his focus to driving.

As each minute passed by, Andrew started to become annoyed with things. Suddenly his seat felt hard and uncomfortable and the air in the car became stale and oppressing. The turmoil inside him was overwhelming, and he did not want to accept that his parents would miss the semi-finals game, yet there was nothing he could do about it.

In his heart, he loved his little sister. He knew that Angela would do great at her semi-finals competition today, and would qualify for the state finals.

For a moment, he thought about how happy she would be to see their parents watching her final dance routine at State, and that nearly made him smile.

As Andrew felt his anger abate, he shifted in the sticky leather seat. The sleek MP3 player slid off his lap, which yanked the earbuds out of his ears, and fell into the darkness somewhere by his feet. As he lunged for it, his fingers accidentally brushed against the volume button, which sent the music screeching throughout the car.

When his dad heard the blaring music, and caught some of the blatantly offensive lyrics, he looked over his shoulder in shock and anger. "Andrew Michael Jensen, what kind of trash are you listening to?"

Andrew turned off the music abruptly and said rudely, "You wouldn't understand."

Realizing that his tone was disrespectful, Andrew felt a little ashamed.

"Since when did you start listening to music like that?" his father demanded, his voice sharp as a dagger.

Andrew silently fumed and refused to answer. The atmosphere of the car was as cold as ice.

"Your father asked you a question," his mother stated pointedly.

The car came to a sudden stop at a red light, and his father turned to him. His father's eyes were narrowed; his body was taut with tension, and his voice heavy with authority. "If you want to wait until we get home tonight to discuss this, we can do that. But, you are going to have to give me that MP3 player right now."

His father extended his hand expectantly for the device.

Feelings of guilt flooded Andrew's conscience, but he did not want to admit any fault. "I'm sorry, dad," he said obstinately, "but it belongs to a friend."

His father's eyes went wide with shock, and he took deep ragged breaths as he tried to control his anger. "Angela is about to start her performance, and I for one want to be there to support her. Please hand it over."

The stoplight changed.

"Dad," Andrew said nervously, "the light is green."

His father ignored the light and focused on his son.

"Hand it over," he said firmly, "now."

"Just drive," Andrew begged. "And leave me alone."

His father grinded his teeth in frustration and threw a glance over at his mother who appeared as distressed as he was.

The car behind them honked loudly. The noise reverberated throughout the vehicle.

Andrew tried to stuff the MP3 player into the depths of his pocket, but his father quickly reached back and seized hold of the earbuds with his right hand.

"Let go," Andrew pleaded as he felt the cool beads of perspiration break out on his clammy forehead.

They struggled awkwardly for several grueling seconds, both staring at each other in frustration.

The horn behind them went off again, this time it was pressed down and incessant. The noise was deafening. Andrew's father still held the earbuds securely in his fist, and he looked torn as to what he should do. His father's face was flushed with anger and his tormented eyes tore into Andrew's heart. With the earsplitting horn going off, Andrew's father abruptly made his decision. He let go of the MP3 player as he swiveled back into his seat, yanked hold of the steering wheel with his left hand, slammed his foot down, and accelerated into the night.

"Wait," Andrew shouted, his body rigid with fear while watching the yellow light change to a vivid blood red.

As their sedan sped into the intersection, his mother screamed in panic.

But it was too late.

A red pickup truck plowed into the front of their vehicle on the passenger side, and sent them into a spin. It was over as quick as it had begun. His mother's scream was silenced.

The crunching of metal against metal, the angle of the devastating impact made the front airbags ineffective. Whiplashed from the side, Andrew was left disorientated. When the sedan finally came to a halt, Andrew fought against his urge to pass out. He lifted his head up to see his parents, but their fate had been sealed.

2

Angela was uneasy.

She had performed this routine dozens of times and she knew it by heart. Despite being a part of a ballet team with a professional coach, it was Angela's mother, a former ballet student as well, who had helped her choreograph the dance number. Angela had memorized all the steps, yet her heart was pounding uncontrollably and perspiration was breaking out on her forehead.

_Where are they?_ she wondered fretfully.

Throughout the season, Angela awaited this night and the chance to qualify for the state finals. She practiced and perfected her routine until it was nearly flawless. She dreamt of this night.

As she looked out at the ornately decorated theater and glanced around at the full room, she still could not see her family.

"Come on," she whispered. "I'm about to perform. I need you here."Angela knew her talent and what she was capable of, but she needed to see her mom there to get her that confidence booster and sense of calm she desperately desired.

The symphonic music booming throughout the theater ended and was quickly replaced with a standing ovation from the cheering crowd.

A young dancer, bedecked in the colorful regalia of her school, stood proudly in front of the judges, curtsied to the audience and smiled with confidence.

After the lithe girl from a rival dance school exited off the stage, everyone returned to their seats and the buzz of conversation resumed.

"The last performance tonight is by Angela Jensen," the announcer said to a smattering of applause.

Mary-Ellen, one of Angela's teammates, patted her on the back and said encouragingly, "Out of everyone here, you have the greatest chance of blowing the judges away. You can do this!"

Angela blushed. "Oh, thank you."

She began climbing the short staircase leading to the stage and looked back at her teammates and saw their support. On the bus ride here, many of the girls told her how much they wished they could dance like her. How graceful she always performed. How they all knew she would win tonight and qualify for the state championship. She truly appreciated their support and kind words, but only her mom's presence would get those butterflies in her stomach to settle down.

Angela curtsied gracefully to the judges off to the side and took her place at center stage. She quickly scanned the room before the lights dimmed, but, to her dismay, her family was nowhere to be seen.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind of all doubt and replace it with confidence. She pictured her mom's warm brown eyes and replayed all the words of encouragement she had said earlier that day.

I can do this. I am ready.

As the soft classical music began, Angela sprang into motion. Her gentle moves were perfectly timed, her feet were light and on cue, and she was counting the steps in her mind.

A twist, a leap, a swan-like movement. Every step was planned; every change in form was precise. Trying not to get too overconfident, she focused on each step like they were her last.

As she did another leap across the stage, she caught a glimpse of a man in a blue uniform with a golden badge entering through the side door just to the left of the stage. It almost looked as though her brother was beside him, but she had to turn away as she continued her performance.

She felt her mind becoming distracted, and knew that she must refocus.

With a sudden increase of intensity, her body really came to life with the song. Another leap, a twirl, she matched the high speed notes as if the music had been composed for her. She felt beautiful in her blue and silver tutu. Her skirt caught the light as she swirled across the stage and dazzled the viewers with its sparkly shine.

_Almost there_ , she thought triumphantly.

Coming out of a twirl, she glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw her brother push past the police officer and rush up a set of stairs and onto the stage. Angela tried to ignore this sudden distraction as if everything was okay, but the tears running down Andrew's cheeks were alarming.

In mid-move, Angela came to an abrupt stop to face her brother. The music was paused a moment later, and the audience muttered in confusion.

The police officer walked over to the judges.

Her heart already pounding from her routine began beating uncontrollably. She gasped for words, but fear and confusion made it impossible for her to speak.

Andrew stood before her and stared at her, but said nothing. She put her two hands on his shoulders and gazed deeply into his brown eyes--eyes so alike both their parents. "Andrew, what's wrong? Where are mom and dad?" She was nearly shrieking as the words began tumbling out.

"I'm sorry." Andrew began sobbing. "I'm so sorry."

Angela glanced at the police officer who had briefly been conversing with the judges. His face was grave and she saw the look of sympathy on his face. He began to walk over.

As she tore her gaze away and looked back at her brother, she could see that he was devastated.

"What?" she asked as sorrow swept over her. The dread in her heart began to make her cry. "Please tell me."

Andrew fought back the tears and said, "We were in an accident. It was just an accident. I don't understand how this could happen. Angela, mom and dad are dead."

3

The funeral service was surreal. The older traditional church was decorated with lilies and chrysanthemums, the favorite flowers of Andrew and Angela's mom. The entire service had been quickly arranged for the weekend after the accident by their maternal grandparents, who used the readings they had long since planned for their own funerals—never realizing they would hear those same readings at their child's memorial service.

The church was overflowing, mostly with fellow parishioners.

Many fellow students attended, including the majority of the girls on Angela's dance team. Several coworkers of their parents and a few neighbors came by as well. Their parents were respected by many people. Everyone muttered words of condolence, but the pity in their eyes was nearly unbearable.

Andrew had trouble making eye contact with anyone, for the feelings of guilt inside him were too sickening.

When they all traveled in procession to the cemetery, Andrew felt alone in the backseat of the car. His black suit felt confining and his gray tie constricted his breathing. Despite his sister being right beside him, clothed in a muted gray dress, he stared at his two grandparents in the front, and wished more than anything that it was his parents instead.

Driving past all the gray tombstones jutting out of the drab lawns, the car finally came to a stop. As they joined the others around their parents' fresh grave, they all wept---all except for Andrew. He had cried enough tears. Now his heart felt frozen and empty. His appearance was grave, but otherwise expressionless.

The priest quoted the Bible, said many blessings, and the two wooden coffins were lowered into the ground, side by side. The priest had tried to speak with Andrew and offered counsel, but Andrew had brushed him off. He knew it was wrong, but in that moment he hadn't cared. God had forsaken him just like he had forsaken his parents. No blessings or counsel sessions were going to bring them back.

Angela stood at the open grave with her head bowed, tears running down her comely cheeks, and tossed a red rose into the ground as she whispered her silent prayer. When it was Andrew's turn, he froze there, unsure what to say to God. He felt the stares of onlookers. He felt as though he were on stage, but couldn't perform. He doubted he'd ever be able to cry again.

As many times as he said he was truly sorry, his words could not bring his parents back.

After Andrew flung his rose into the ground, he returned to his grandparents. They had traveled a very far distance to attend the funeral, and it had been a very long time since they had last visited. Age had not treated either grandparent fairly. Both were slightly stooped and their once brunette hair had long since turned to a glistening white.

"Your parents loved you so very much," his grandfather began in his gravelly voice. "They strived to provide for you, to give you a strong foundation in your Catholic faith, and to love you with all that they were, each and every day."

"We really wish we could take you in and be everything that your parents were," his grandmother quavered as she leaned heavily on her cane. "We also wish our current financial situation was different. With our high medical bills, we can barely afford the one bedroom apartment in the assisted living center. If we still lived in our old house, maybe it would have been possible to... well, no need to dwell on all that."

"Who is going to care for us?" Angela asked nervously as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I will." The words were loud and obstinate sounding.

As they turned around, they recognized the stocky man with the grizzly face.

"Uncle Billy?" Andrew asked with surprise and uneasiness.

"That's right. Your father and I were really close once. We were regular pals. Your pops never trusted anyone else like he did me." Billy smiled crookedly at the both of them. He wore an old dress shirt and slacks that had visible stains and tears.

_In childhood_ , Andrew recalled from his father's stories, _they were best friends._ _But,_ _they had not been close since then._

His parents had just a few distant relatives that lived far away. His paternal grandparents had died several years before. Uncle Billy, the closest relative to their home, still lived hours from there. He may have been their dad's only brother, but Billy should have been the last resort. Perhaps he was.

_You rarely came to visit_ , Andrew thought. _And when you did, our father almost always ended up arguing with you and asking you to leave because of your behavior._

"Come on now," Billy said with a forced smile, "we need to get you both settled in your new home." Billy grabbed Angela and Andrew's shoulders rather forcefully and steered them away from their grandparents. Their grandfather tried to call them back, but Billy just waved and began talking vociferously over him.

"Come on kiddos! I've been to your house and collected your junk, and now it is time to get this cursed drive over with. I don't want to waste any more of my day on you guys!" Billy laughed as though to dispel his cruel words, but his eyes showed his true feelings.

The long drive to the neighborhood of Bottom Grove worried them. The streets were all unfamiliar, and it was finally sinking in that they were truly starting over. Andrew was sweating and feeling terribly cramped in his suit squeezed next to his sister in the car. It was hard enough realizing they would never get to see their home again, than acknowledging they would be living with Uncle Billy from now on. Billy hadn't even given them the chance to say goodbye to their friends. But, Andrew reasoned, maybe that was for the best. Andrew wouldn't have been able to stand the shame of seeing the pity in their eyes one more time, especially if everyone saw the ratty uncle they would be soon living with.

The drive was mostly a silent one. Billy made a few crude comments here and there, but no real attempt at conversation was made. Angela hadn't spoken a word and the way her lower lip was trembling, clearly showed her internal battle.

When Billy pulled onto a gravel driveway, his house came into view. The small two-story home rested closely between two other houses. The white siding was rusted, the stairs were warped and the paint had worn away, and the screen door hung crooked on the rusted hinges.

"Welcome to your new home," Uncle Billy said with a yawn.

Andrew and his sister walked up the old spider infested stairs, which creaked with each step. Billy opened the moth eaten screen door and led them inside. The cramped and musty smelling living room had just enough free space to walk around the retro sofa and tube television.

They followed their uncle up a narrow squeaking staircase to the second floor. The short hallway was dark; the dull orange wallpaper was peeling, and the air stank of body odor.

"Here's your room. Took a whole minute to get it ready for you," Uncle Billy gestured to Andrew with a chortle. When he entered it, he saw the twin-size bed in the corner, a small wooden desk, a bookcase with one or two broken shelves, and a closet. The walls were navy blue, and the ceiling showed a little water damage.

Andrew caught up with his sister down the hall, and saw that her room looked like his, water damage and all, only the walls were a shade of yellow. She faked a smile and they headed back outside to retrieve their belongings from the car. They had already packed most of their things earlier at the recommendation of their grandparents, so luckily Billy had brought most of everything important. There was to be an estate sale followed by a short sale of their home sometime in the next week. Their grandparents were overseeing the process.

After they set up their rooms as best they could and changing into more comfortable clothes, they returned downstairs for dinner. Hearing a loud voice in the living room, they found Uncle Billy glued to the shabby sofa in front of the television, watching an obnoxious reality show.

"Supper's in the kitchen," he called without taking his eyes off the set.

They went to the adjacent room and found an empty pot on the stovetop, and canned pasta beside it. The kitchen was old and there was a sour smell in the air. There were some empty beer cans in the sink and Billy had a couple of pictures of scantily clad women pinned on the refrigerator. Andrew quickly averted his eyes feeling uncomfortable.

Angela's eyes were wide as she took it all in.

She whispered, "We _should_ be thankful for what we have."

Andrew recalled similar statements from their parents, yet at the present moment he could not fully agree with the words of wisdom.

"It's not going to be easy," Andrew muttered darkly.

His sister cooked the pasta while Andrew set the table. He placed down three plates, napkins and spoons, along with three cups of juice.

"Dinner's ready," Angela called out to their uncle rather timidly.

"I already had roast beef and potatoes," he replied, sounding annoyed at the interruption. "You kids enjoy your meal."

Andrew rolled his eyes.

_He ate roast beef and potatoes_ , he thought, _and we're stuck with cheap canned pasta._

Andrew took the extra dinnerware from the table and put it away with a loud clatter. He then sat across from his sister.

Angela scooped up their food and put her shaky hands together, ready to pray.

With their father and mother no longer with them, Andrew led the prayer. "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Lord, thank you for this food before us, the roof over our heads, and for each other."

"Can you keep it down in there?" Uncle Billy shouted. "I'm trying to watch my favorite show."

Andrew narrowed his eyes and Angela lowered her head. She whispered, "Please bless our uncle for taking us in and giving us this _lovely_ house to live in. In Jesus' name we pray."

"Amen," they said in unison sharing a smirk.

Neither Andrew nor Angela had much to say to each other. They had too much on their minds to process on their own, so they ate quickly. Afterwards, they cleaned up the dishes and went to their rooms. Preparing for sleep, Andrew kneeled at his bedside ready to say his nightly prayer. Ever since he was young, he had been saying the same prayer each night and just slightly adapting it. It was a constant struggle to make his prayers more sincere, and since the death of his parents, his prayers had been getting shorter by the night. Andrew's thoughts quickly raced over the events of the day. Nothing good had happened. He had never felt so alone. He could not think of anything to say to God. He could barely even remember his routine nightly prayer. Andrew shook his head and stood up, maybe tomorrow night he could pray, but not tonight.

4

As his alarm rudely woke him out of his fitful sleep, Andrew turned it off and got out of bed. He rubbed his bleary eyes and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face and stared at himself in the mirror. Dark circles were under his eyes and he felt as old as he appeared.

Meeting his sister in the kitchen, she asked tiredly, "Did you sleep well?"

"Not so much," Andrew admitted as he took in her puffy eyes and red nose.

"It will probably just take a while for us to get used to this place." Angela gave him a timid smile and sniffled slightly as she spoke. Andrew attempted a weak smile in return, but he quickly gave up as a loud grating sound cut through the silence.

"What's that awful noise?"

Andrew took a step away to peer out at the living room. He saw Uncle Billy stretched out on the sofa, fast asleep, and snoring as loud as a lawn mower. Beer bottles were scattered around the couch.

Andrew recalled every morning before school when he would go to the kitchen and his mother would have their breakfast and pre-packed lunch ready for them. Their father would be heading off for work, but would greet each of them and ask how they were doing. Obviously, he would not be experiencing anything like that here.

"Billy's asleep," Andrew surmised in response to Angela's questioning face as he walked back into the kitchen.

"I can make breakfast," Angela offered.

Knowing Angela was trying her best to make light of things, Andrew gave a half smile and said, "That would be great. I guess I can make it for us tomorrow, and I suppose I can scrounge for lunch food too".

Finding food for breakfast and lunch proved daunting. Billy's cupboards were generally full, but full of miscellaneous foods obviously found at a dollar store. The no-name brands and questionable ingredients were off-putting, but they did not have much room to be picky. Angela found a half box of some stale "O" grain cereal and some overly ripened oranges for breakfast, while Andrew made sandwiches with white bread, bologna, and cheese.

When they were done preparing food and eating, they quickly did the dishes and got ready for school.

They rushed outside and waited for the bus by the curb, the cool October breeze a fresh contrast to the warm stuffy air in the house. It was an awkward wait. Billy's neighborhood was definitely seedy. Just two houses down, there was a group of teenagers doing some kind of "exchange". All of the houses looked as dilapidated and ill-maintained as their uncle's.

Andrew and Angela felt very conspicuous and knew they were both drawing stares from neighbors visible or invisible. Andrew wore a solid blue polo shirt and nice khaki pants, as he was accustomed to at his old school. His sister wore the same. The previous night, Billy had mentioned they would be starting school the following morning and that they needed to be out front on the curb waiting for the bus to pick them up. He had been pretty adamant about that. "You guys better be on time for that bus, because I'm sure not going to be your chauffeur. You better behave and learn whatever it is you are learning...then again, take your time, you can stay there as long as you need to!" He had laughed pretty hard at his own private joke. Andrew and Angela were learning fast to avoid him.

As the white school bus came down the road, they noticed the flaking paint on the sides, and the school's name: Grove Public High School.

Andrew and Angela exchanged worried looks. _Public school?_ Andrew shrugged at his sister. "I guess everything in our life is changing, huh?"

The bus stopped in front of them and the door retracted open.

"All aboard," the burly male bus driver joked. He waved a tattooed arm and motioned for them to hurry up.

Andrew allowed his sister to climb up the stairs first, and he then followed closely behind. A mildewed smell was in the air, similar to what one might expect in a locker room.

Students were lounging in the benches on either side of the bus, which was nearly full. An empty bench near the back seemed one of very few options.

With each step down the aisle, Angela noticed that the guys were mostly wearing baggy jeans and faded t-shirts, while the majority of girls wore low-cut tops and short skirts.

Andrew noted the mixed expressions on some students' faces as they passed them, and might have heard someone comment about him and his sister wearing the exact same thing.

The ride to school was a little awkward, and neither of them felt fully comfortable. A couple kids kept turning in their seats to stare at them. Andrew wished that Uncle Billy could have driven them to school, but he had forewarned them that most mornings he would not be available.

_So he could sleep in_ , Andrew thought, _after watching TV so late each night_.

When the bus neared the public high school, Andrew saw kids skateboarding on the parking lot and others rollerblading and grinding the handrails. The school wasn't impressive, but it was decently maintained. The gray industrial-looking building was several stories high with wide staircases leading to each level. Nearby at the adjacent athletic fields, there were groups of students doing a variety of sports. As he looked around at the students, Andrew realized one important thing.

There was no dress code.

At the very least, the dress code was not strict, it appeared.

Andrew and his sister were the only students that were wearing khaki pants and solid blue shirts.

As the bus pulled up to the curb, students began to file out. One good looking boy slipped by Angela and gave her a roguish smile causing her to blush deeply. Andrew glared at him, but he ignored Andrew and kept on his way. Angela soon stepped onto the sidewalk, and Andrew followed close behind.

"I hope your classes go well today," Andrew said uncomfortably to his sister.

"Thank you," she replied obviously flustered and nervous. Angela was still new to the high school experience having only attended her Catholic high school as a freshman for several weeks before the accident. "I better figure out where I am supposed to go first. See you after school."

They walked up the main set of stairs and soon entered their new school.

Andrew glanced at the number beside the doorway: 402.

He looked down at the paper in his hand and saw the same number next to the word _Homeroom_. Upon entering, he quickly took a seat in the center of the brightly lit classroom, and placed his backpack under his desk. The teacher was at the front of the room writing his name, 'Mr. Carlisle' on the chalkboard. He looked to be in his early fifties, with graying hair, and clear blue eyes.

The bell rang and the teacher then said, "Mr. Jensen, can you please stand up?"

All the students in the room looked around, and then stared at Andrew. He saw their questioning, judging eyes, and his heart began to beat faster. Never one for being in the spotlight, Andrew had to force himself to stand.

"Would you please come up here and introduce yourself to the class?" Mr. Carlisle asked.

With a deep breath, Andrew walked up to the front of the classroom and stood beside the teacher's desk facing the sea of unfamiliar faces.

"Hello," he muttered quietly, "I'm Andrew Jensen. I just transferred here—"

"Where from?" a darker skinned male student asked from the back of the room.

"St. Peter's Catholic High School," he replied with reservation.

"That explains the uniform," the student said before snickering. The room tittered.

Mr. Carlisle snapped out, "Mr. Dunlap, keep your comments to yourself. And kindly force yourself to act more like an adult and less like a juvenile delinquent."

"Yes sir," he responded, a grin still on his face.

"Please continue," the instructor said. "What are some of your interests? And a little louder please, not all of us have hearing devices". The room tittered again even as Mr. Carlisle gave a sweeping glare.

Andrew hurriedly thought for a moment then rushed out with, "Well, I like soccer, reading books and spending time with my family."

Upon saying _family_ , a sudden sadness returned. Andrew crinkled his brow as he recalled that night in the car with his parents. _No more family. And it is my entire fault._

"Can I please sit down now?" Andrew whispered to the instructor feeling sick to his stomach.

"Aren't you going to tell the class why you moved here? Or why not tell us about your family?"

Andrew fought back tears. Those cursed tears he figured he would never shed again. "I would really like to sit down now."

"Of course," the instructor said with concern and uncertainty as he saw Andrew's tortured face.

"Thank you," Andrew whispered, the relief evident in his voice.

The teacher then stood up and said, "Class, we all remember our first day at a new school, whether it was freshman year or later. Please give Andrew a warm welcome and a round of applause". He paused briefly to eye Dunlap before adding, "And no funny business."

A few students clapped, while the rest just stared as Andrew returned to his seat.

The remainder of the class passed quickly with Carlisle giving an overview of the school primarily for Andrew's sake. The bell soon rang again, and Andrew was quick to grab his backpack. He left the classroom before too many people could slow him down, and he disappeared into the crowd.

Angela entered a classroom and was about to sit down in an empty chair in the center of the first row, when someone towards the back motioned to her. She hesitated when she saw the blond haired girl in a frilly white top and short skirt. Part of her just wanted to sit down immediately and ignore the girl, but she was also interested in knowing what the girl wanted.

Passing by several students already seated, Angela walked up to the student and said, "Hello."

"Well, hi," the girl said with a wide smile. "You must be the new girl everyone is talking about. You're Angela Jensen, right?"

"Yes," she replied nervously. "And, what is your name?"

"Jessica Martin," she said proudly, "I'm the head cheerleader. So, is it true what everyone is saying about you?"

Angela felt self-conscious, but still asked, "What are they saying about me?"

Jessica rolled her blue eyes and said, "Oh, don't worry, it's nothing bad. In fact, it would be amazing."

Angela just looked at her with confusion.

"Well, according to people that heard you speak in your homeroom this morning," Jessica began, "you are very passionate about dancing."

Relief swept over Angela as she replied, "At my last school, I was part of a ballet club. I made it to the semi-finals."

"That's amazing," Jessica said. "Angela, you are very talented. In fact, you might be just what we need."

5

Students flooded into the cafeteria.

Andrew navigated through the crowd and took in the scene. All throughout the large dining hall, students gathered together in groups, cliques. Some consisted only of boys or girls, others were coed. In some, the students had similar clothes, like all black gothic shirts, pants, and they wore pale makeup. Other groups appeared to be of sports teams.

As he walked past several tables looking for an empty one to sit at, a guy called out, "Hey, Andrew, over here."

He looked around the cafeteria and saw a muscular jock signaling him over to his table. Wondering if it was best to sit alone or to join the guy and his group of friends, Andrew finally decided to give it a chance.

When he neared the group, he finally recognized the guy.

"Dunlap?" he asked with reproach.

"Oh, so you do remember me," the guy said. "Well, I was just messing with you in homeroom. You can call me Darren."

Andrew stared at him and saw how the guy's friends were all sizing him up, seeing how he would respond. None of them were snickering or giving him weird looks.

"Come on Andrew," Darren said, "take a seat."

As Andrew sat down at the table, a guy beside him said, "I'm Shawn Wright."

"Hello," Andrew replied.

"And this is Johnny McPherson, Max Stevens, and Carson Reynolds," Darren said as he pointed to each of them.

"Nice to meet you all," Andrew said.

Andrew still felt awkward and out of place sitting at their table. He wondered why they had invited him there. They were all, with a few exceptions, just like Darren: muscular, generally good-looking, jocks. Andrew was athletic having played soccer for years, but he didn't have a very strong looking physique and while he wasn't bad looking, he never considered himself all that attractive either. Certainly girls never looked at him the way boys glanced at his younger sister.

When he noticed that all the other guys were starting to eat their lunches, he opened up his bagged lunch. He pulled out a sandwich, a small bag of chips with the clearance tag still on the bag, and a bottle of water.

Out of habit, he then placed his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to silently say grace. In the middle of his prayers, he was soon interrupted.

"Wow," Shawn said his blue eyes wide with disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just praying," Andrew said in surprise as he gazed out at the confused group.

Carson grimaced, "What for? I mean, it's just food... not even good food at that." He continued after peaking at his fare.

Andrew squirmed in his seat and replied uncertainly, "I'm used to saying prayers before meals."

"Not at this table you don't," Johnny stated matter-of-factly.

"What will people think of us?" Max asked with raised eyebrows.

Darren waved the other boys off. "You need to cut the habit if you want to sit with us."

Andrew peered at the guys who all seemed disturbed by his actions, and then glanced towards Darren. "I'm not sure what you mean by that."

"My boys and I are just saying that it makes us uncomfortable," Darren began. "I mean, we're the idols of the school, and everyone else looks up to us. Sorry to break it to you, but this isn't your old Catholic school. It's not even Christian. Grove High is a public school, and around here, you don't pray."

Shawn added, "Andrew, my man, you want to hang with us, right?"

"Yeah," Carson chimed in, "you want to sit with us, right? Not with those other cliques or all by yourself."

"That's right," Johnny said. "And another thing, lose the uniform. Nothing screams newbie like a clean-cut uniform."

Max laughed. "Yeah, man, you look like a—"

Darren raised his hand and Max fell silent. "Enough, you guys. Give the kid a break. It's his first day here, and he just didn't know any better. Okay?"

Some of the guys nodded, while others shook their head in disbelief.

"We want you to feel comfortable around here," Darren said, "to be one of us. You want popularity, hang with us. You want to be respected in this school, act like us. And if you want to be a king among the students here, be one of us."

Andrew felt overwhelmed. He debated his current options, and pondered if leaving the table was a good idea or not.

He glanced around the cafeteria, searching for a different group to sit with, or a nice empty table to call his own. As his eyes scanned around, he noticed someone else who also wore a solid blue shirt.

_Angela_ , he thought.

Then, Andrew noticed that she was at a table full of girls and seemed to be fully engaged in conversation with them.

_She already made new friends_ , Andrew realized _. Angela is always so perfect at doing everything. She's the talented one. The popular one. The one with the looks. What about me?_

"Well?" Darren asked as he leaned closer to Andrew. "Do you want to be one of us, or what?"

6

The final bell rang and Andrew was one of the first in the classroom to escape into the hallway. He managed to reach his locker before the hall was too crowded, and quickly swapped out some of the books between his locker and his backpack. Now, with more students moving about, it took a little extra time to navigate to the stairwell and down to the first floor.

Passing through the corridor, he looked around until he finally saw someone in a blue shirt leaving from her locker. As he approached her, he said with relief, "Well, we survived our first day here."

"Yeah," Angela agreed with a tired smile. "It was a very, well... interesting day I suppose."

As they walked down the hall, Andrew thought about the day and said, "I was hoping to sit with you today at lunch." He paused, then added with slight censure in his voice, "but it looked like your table was full."

"Oh, yes," Angela replied distractedly, "you would have felt uncomfortable anyways."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andrew retorted angrily.

"Just that those girls really love to chat about fashion and gossip," Angela admitted with embarrassment. "Besides, I thought I saw you with a group of boys."

"They invited me over," Andrew said calming down. "One of them is in my homeroom."

"What did they talk about?"

"You know," Andrew began, "mostly about music and sports."

They continued forward, but as they reached an intersection in the hallway, Angela started to turn to the right, while Andrew stepped in the other direction.

"It's this way to the bus," Andrew pointed out with a half smile.

"I know," Angela said nervously. "The girls at the lunch table—"

"Your friends," Andrew said with a hint of jealousy.

Angela looked away for a moment, and then said, "I just met them, but I guess you could call them that. Well, they had heard that I am a very talented dancer, so—"

"Okay," Andrew said with his hands raised up, "I get it."

"I'm not saying that to brag or anything," Angela said honestly. "That isn't what I wanted to tell you."

She stopped and tried to figure out how to share her inner struggles. While eating lunch, Jessica had told the other girls about Angela having a strong background in dancing. After which she asked Angela if she would like to become a cheerleader. The question had taken her by surprise, and Angela said she would have to think about it. Jessica said that was okay and if she wanted to hang out after school with the girls she could.

Angela wished that she was close to her brother like they used to be. They were always the best of friends, and very open and honest with their parents and each other. Now, she felt the void between them, and silently prayed that they could overcome that, and be there for each other once more.

Andrew paused beside her and for a moment, he sensed that maybe she had something important to reveal to him. "Angela, what is it?"

She gave a small smile, but looked away from his gaze as she struggled with the dilemma. Angela loved to dance, to learn the graceful moves and to become one with the music. Ballet was her shared passion with her mother, and she had so many fond memories over the years. She used to dream of becoming a professional ballerina or to at least be able to teach it to others. But, now, she felt lost.

Far away from her old home, the Catholic high school, her former friends from her extracurricular dance team. Far away from her dreams.

"I miss dancing," Angela admitted, which seemed to confuse Andrew to how that was relevant. In an attempt to clarify her thoughts, she said, "So, Jessica, one of the girls, asked me today if I—"

"Alright," Andrew said. "You have new friends and you want to hang out with them. Its fine, I understand."

"No," she insisted, "I mean, I don't know if I should—"

"Have fun," he muttered, "I'll see you later at home."

Angela watched as her brother stormed down the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts and struggles.

Loneliness swept over Angela and seemed to make her decision for her. She did not feel like chasing after her brother to continue the conversation, or follow him to the bus and have a long, awkward ride home. Jessica and the other girls were waiting for her in the gymnasium, so that is where she felt destined to go.

As she left the school building and crossed the parking lot, she followed some signs to the gym nearby. Upon entering, she immediately saw a group of girls huddled in the lobby.

"I was hoping you would come," Jessica said with a smile. "Girls, some of you met her already at lunch, for everyone else, this is Angela. She just transferred here, and she is only a freshman, but she is an extremely talented dancer with years of experience."

Angela stared blankly at the girls, and although she grinned, she felt her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

She recognized two of them from lunch.

Kayla, a senior, was a brunette like Angela, but her hair was cut at shoulder length and was several inches shorter. She was best friends with Jessica, and they knew each other since the first grade. It seemed like whatever Jessica would say, Kayla would agree with. Melissa, a sophomore, had dark black hair that was halfway down her back. She was around Angela's height, and seemed to have similar interests with Jessica and Kayla. All three girls were generally friendly, but Melissa was less outgoing than the other two, perhaps more reserved. She was more likely to agree with what Jessica and Kayla would say rather than voice her own opinion.

"Hello," Angela said softly.

Kayla nodded and Melissa did a small wave, while the rest of the girls were still assessing her.

One girl that was leaning against a wall stepped forward and said, "I'm Carol."

Another girl with nose piercings and bleached blond hair just said, "Julia."

Several others introduced themselves, but none wasted their breaths. They knew there was no point in being too nice, not until she proved herself to them.

"Alright you guys," Jessica shouted, "hit the locker rooms and I'll meet you on the court in a few minutes."

As everyone walked down the hall, Jessica stayed beside Angela.

"They're a great group of girls," Jessica began. "In fact, they're the best this school has seen in over a decade. Since my freshman year, I've worked to train them well, and with each new addition, we have gotten stronger and more competitive. This year, we are going for the gold. This year we will win the State Cheerleading Competition. Would you like to know why?"

Angela nodded.

"Because we have you," Jessica said.

"Really?" Angela was astonished. "You think I have what it takes?"

Jessica put her hands on her hips and said, "That's what we're about to find out."

Angela took a step back, slightly panicking. "What? Like right now? I didn't practice. I don't have a change of clothes." She pointed down to her khaki pants. "I'm just not ready for this."

"I have something you can borrow," Jessica insisted. "Today is your only chance. You either have what it takes, or you don't. If you really are a dancer, then prove it."

7

I can't wear this in public. It's skimpy and makes me feel uncomfortable.

Angela finished slipping into the tight tank top. She pulled her dark brown hair into a ponytail, and then looked back down at the blue uniform. Red shiny letters across the front said _Grove High School_. White trim lined the edges of the sleeveless top and the low neckline, as well as the bottom of the very short, ruffled skirt.

Even standing in the stall of the restroom, Angela felt uncomfortable in the cheerleader outfit. When Jessica had handed her the uniform, Angela insisted that she would try it on in the restroom, not the locker room. Although she did not state her reasoning, she wanted her privacy. Her mother had taught her to always be modest, and changing clothes was no exception.

The tank top is too form-fitting, and the neckline shows too much skin. The skirt is inches shorter than anything I have ever worn before. It makes me feel sick.

"Almost ready in there?" Jessica asked from outside the doorway. "The girls are waiting on you."

_Jessica is in the hallway,_ Angela thought, _and the_ _rest of the team is in the gym waiting for my performance. What can I do? If I change back into my school clothes and tell Jessica I am no longer interested in becoming a cheerleader, she'll probably insult me and spread rumors about me. The school bus already took off, and I'd have to walk a few miles to get home. But, if I go along with this, will I regret it?_

"Just a minute," Angela replied as she anxiously bit her lip, buying herself a little extra time to decide.

She never would have dreamt of being a cheerleader. Ballet was her passion. But, her parents were no longer around to support her dream, and Uncle Billy would laugh at the idea of funding her ballet lessons and competitions. Her old ballet club was too far away, and finding a new one was pointless without the money and support to join.

Angela packed her school clothes into her backpack and soon opened the stall door. She went to the sink to wash her hands, and as she did, she looked at her reflection. Seeing herself in the uniform made her shudder. Her old ballet attire, though formfitting, used to make her feel graceful, but this outfit made her feel dirty.

She dried her clammy hands while trying to get over her nervousness. Each step towards the door was more difficult as her fear increased.

What if I can no longer dance? What if this is a huge mistake? Which will I regret more, trying out to be a cheerleader, or never knowing if I should have?

As she walked out the doorway into the hall, Jessica's eyes lit up. "Wow, wait until the girls see you now. Hot stuff! Angela, you look just like one of us."

"Thank you," Angela said, unsure how to take the compliment.

As they walked towards the glass doors to the court, Angela could see some of the cheerleaders practicing synchronized moves, cartwheels, and even flips. She felt out of her comfort zone, and nearly turned around to leave.

When she glanced at Jessica once more, she could see a wide grin, one that reminded her of the smiles her mom did when she was proud of Angela. She could also see a hint of excitement in Jessica's eyes, like she really looked forward to seeing Angela try out for this.

Jessica opened the doors and Angela walked in, and soon grabbed the attention of the whole team. Everyone stopped practicing and stared straight at her.

_They don't seem to like me,_ Angela thought with trepidation _, or they are trying to make up their minds._

"Okay squad, clear the court," Jessica commanded.

Angela took notice of a taller, more mature woman with dyed blonde hair and a fair amount of makeup that crossed the gymnasium and approached her. "You must be Angela."

"Yes," she replied softly, a little intimidated by the lady's serious demeanor.

"I'm Coach Swanson," she stated as she scanned over Angela as though she could assess her ability from her looks. "Well, let's see if you have what it takes to be a cheerleader. The dance floor is all yours," she said while waving at the shiny wooden basketball court.

The cheerleaders rested on the front row bleacher while Jessica led Angela to a table at the mid-court sideline. A pile of a dozen CD cases were stacked beside a portable boom box.

"Here are all the CDs that we dance to," Jessica said. "You only have one chance to impress everyone with your moves. Try and pick whatever music makes you feel the most comfortable so that your dancing is authentic and passionate. Good luck."

Jessica patted her on the shoulder and joined the other girls and the coach on the bleacher. Angela started to browse through the collection and instantly noticed that all the music was Pop, Rock, or Rap. Ever since she was little, she would only listen to classical and Christian music, and always chose classical songs for her ballet performances.

Angela's mother had pointed out that if a song had lyrics that were negative, sexually provocative, contained cursing or profanity of any kind, or spoke against God, then she should not listen to them. With the wisdom that harmful music could negatively influence her thoughts or actions, Angela was very selective as to what she would listen to.

Many of the CD covers showed woman wearing immodest clothing or men dressed as gangsters holding a gun or a bottle of alcohol, and although some stated the music was the edited, _clean_ , versions of the songs, Angela knew the potentially sexual lyrics and harmful messages would still remain. Checking the song titles on the backside of the cases, she realized that most sounded like they were about casual relationships, breakups, drinking alcohol and wild partying.

She glanced towards Jessica and saw her smile, then motioned for her with her hands to hurry up. Angela decided to set the CD cases back down, and as she did, she glanced at the portable stereo. She raised an eyebrow, then turned the radio on and tuned it to the local classical station. Angela increased the volume and headed towards center court.

Coach Swanson leaned in towards Jessica and whispered loudly, "This is the girl you are counting on to help the team win the State Cheerleading Competition? Seems to me she belongs in the Nutcracker."

Before Jessica could respond, Kayla muttered angrily, "This girl has some guts playing music like that in here."

"Give her a chance," Jessica insisted trying to stay nonchalant. "Let her dance moves do the talking."

As Angela reached her position, she faced the bleachers and prepared herself. The symphony song that was playing was one of her favorites, and although she had never attempted to dance to it, she tried to ignore the cheerleaders and focus on performing. She stood there as the piano music softened, and right as the violins started, she soared into motion.

Starting with a forward leap, her body flowed into a twirl. She continued with a series of leaps, twists, bends, and swanlike movements that closely matched the changes in the music. It was awkward doing moves in her tennis shoes, but she forced herself to imagine she was wearing her ballerina shoes instead. The force of her moves made her already too short of a skirt fly up, and every time she bent over, she blushed in shame. But soon the melody of the music enfolded her, and she let herself surrender fully to the dance. Trying to hold nothing back as the song reached its climax, Angela pushed herself to alter the dance moves with every change in the music.

Nearing the end, she began to think about that night when tragedy struck, but quickly dismissed the thought. Focusing only on her dance moves, Angela entered into a final twirl, one that was as fast as she could move. Right as the song came to an end she broke out of the twirl, paused, and then bowed to the audience.

Coach Swanson, expressionless, slowly stood up and walked over to unplug the extension cord, which then turned off the radio. She stared at Angela, standing there in the Grove High cheerleader uniform, still bowing and breathing heavily. All the girls on the squad remained silent and waited to see how their coach would react.

The coach raised her hands and began clapping. "Very impressive."

Angela lifted her head slightly to peek at the rest of the girls. The cheerleaders all stood up and filled the gymnasium with a round of applause. Some of the girls whistled loudly as well, and many rushed forth onto the court. Gone were the hostile looks and judging eyes, there were smiles all around now.

"You really know how to move," Kayla said giving her a high five.

"It's like you were born to dance." Melissa smiled to defuse the jealous tone in her voice.

Angela stood up straight, smiling from ear to ear, and replied, "Thank you." For the first time in a long time, she finally felt the tension and unhappiness ease in her heart.

"I think I can speak for everyone here," Jessica stated as she gave her a warm hug. "Welcome to the team."

8

It was late as Jessica pulled her blue convertible in front of Angela's house.

During the drive there, they had chatted about Angela's background in ballet, and how excited the squad was to have a new teammate. After her performance in the gym, several of the cheerleaders had congratulated Angela and told her how talented she was. The boost in morale really made her feel appreciated.

When Jessica had asked her where she lived, and Angela said her address in Bottom Grove, the head cheerleader had winced. She stated that it was too bad she lived in such a poor neighborhood among less respected families. The comments had made Angela feel embarrassed.

When the car stopped, Angela got out and said with genuine warmth, "Thank you for the ride."

"Well," Jessica began as she scanned the area with a wary eye, "I can't say it's too close to my house in Upper Grove Heights, but I can give you rides home after our cheerleading practices if you'd like."

"That would be wonderful," Angela said in surprise. "I really appreciate it."

"Anything for a fellow cheerleader," Jessica replied. "Speaking of that, practices are everyday after school."

"When do they start?" Angela asked with anticipation and apprehension.

"Tomorrow," Jessica stated eagerly. She rubbed her hands together as though she could barely wait.

"Okay, sounds good."

"Oh, and don't worry," Jessica said as she motioned around her, "I won't tell the other girls that you live in Bottom Grove. It'll be our little secret."

Angela frowned, and then nodded uncomfortably. As Jessica waved and pulled away, Angela waved back and walked towards the derelict home. She was not happy that Jessica looked down upon where she lived, not just for the appearance of the house, but because of the neighborhood. Although, it did not seem to affect how Jessica thought of Angela. She genuinely seemed to care about her wellbeing. It wasn't as though the neighborhood was a safe one either. Angela peered around her and made a dash to the front.

When she began up the creaking stairs, the porch light flickered on and the front door swung open. Andrew held the screen door as she entered, and closed it behind them. Despite it being hours after school ended, Angela looked as though she just got off the bus. Her blue shirt, khakis pants and backpack reminded Andrew of their conversation in the hallway earlier that day.

"Did you have fun with your friends?" Andrew asked both curious and uncaring to hear how great a time she had.

"Yes," she replied happily, "it was exciting."

"Good," he said. "Uncle Billy decided to eat at a buffet restaurant tonight, so he left out a box of macaroni for us."

"Such a gentleman," she said sarcastically.

"My thoughts exactly. I already finished my homework, so I'll make dinner if you want to start your homework."

"That's nice of you," Angela said with a smile. "Okay then, I'll be upstairs."

As Andrew headed to the kitchen, Angela went to her room. She closed the door, rested the backpack on the bed and started unzipping it. She then pulled out a blue Grove High cheerleader uniform and held it up.

"At least I get to dance again," she told herself as she tried to ease the strong feeling of guilt that was welling up in her.

She then hung the outfit in the back of her closet. Returning to the backpack, she pulled out her science textbook and went to the desk to read. She turned on her clock radio and soothing classical music reminded her of the cheerleading audition.

Down in the kitchen, Andrew waited as a pot of water boiled on the stove. Once again he thought about the conversation he had with Angela in the school hallway. It had made him feel lonely when he realized that his sister was going to hang out with new friends when he had to spend the evening at the house with Uncle Billy.

_I can't believe she has friends already_ , Andrew thought. _And,_ _what could she have done after school that was so exciting?_

To distract him from his curiosity and loneliness, he went over to an under-the-counter radio and turned it on. The rock music that played must have been what his uncle liked listening to. The music sounded older, somewhat edgy, but the tune was generally interesting. The longer he heard the lyrics, the more he realized what they were saying. It appeared that the singer was venting about an ex-girlfriend and looking for a new one. Andrew shook his head, almost turned off the radio, but then let it play. As his thoughts wandered, his eyes did too. It wasn't long before they rested on the posters of the skimpily clad women on the refrigerator. Andrew felt his pulse accelerate, but he allowed himself a few extra seconds of staring before he tore his gaze off them. The picture remained in his head as though it had been burned there.

A short time later, Angela heard her brother call out that dinner was ready. As she came downstairs, it sounded like music was playing, but the kitchen was silent when she entered it. Angela washed her hands while Andrew set two plates of food on the table. She then took a seat and placed her hands together.

As she closed her eyes and was ready to say grace for them, she heard a metal fork tap against a ceramic plate. She opened her eyes in surprise and saw that Andrew was already munching on the macaroni.

"Weren't we going to say a prayer?" Angela asked in disbelief.

"Oh," he replied trying to stay nonchalant. "I was debating that earlier."

Angela placed her hands on the table. "Debating? We always pray before meals. What's there to debate about?" Incredulity colored her voice.

"Just that last night Uncle Billy gave us trouble," Andrew began defensively, "and today at lunch, some of the guys, well, never mind. In any event, I just think that maybe we should just pray silently, or when we feel the need to."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Angela said sounding just like their mom.

Andrew struggled to respond, unsure if he should apologize or stand firm on his decision. They always said grace as a family. When their parents were around, everyone would take turns saying a prayer for them. The prayers were personal, meaningful, and inspirational.

_We always prayed before meals_ , Andrew thought sadly, _when our parents were around._ He then continued to eat without taking the time to pray. _No more family. What was the point for prayers? Praying wouldn't bring back his family, but not praying would bring him a new family of friends._

"Suit yourself," Angela stated her voice heavy with reproach. "I for one believe in thanking God."

Andrew's face reddened in anger as he pushed back his chair, stood up and stormed out of the room. Angela sat there in shock as she heard heavy footsteps go up to the second floor. She had the urge to go to her brother and say she was sorry for her harsh words. But, as she started to press down on the table for support, she sank back into the chair instead.

_I'm not his mom_ , Angela thought, her ire getting back up. _I'm not going to put up with his tantrums._

She brushed off the idea of apologizing, said grace, and then ate her macaroni, which by then, had gone cold.

Andrew had slammed his bedroom door shut and paced around the room. He fought back his feelings while trying to sort out his mixed thoughts. After minutes of walking back and forth, he nearly got down on his knees and prayed about everything. About not saying grace, about what Angela said, and about what he was going to do next. Instead of dwelling on it any further, he turned on his clock radio and let the rock music distract him.

When Angela had finished eating and doing all the dishes alone, she headed to her room. Walking past Andrew's door, she heard the unsettling music, but decided not to interrupt him.

The next morning, she awoke and had hoped Andrew would have made breakfast like he said he would. She was frustrated to see her brother crunching on the last bowl of cereal as she walked in the kitchen.

"It was your turn to make breakfast," she said pointedly.

"I made dinner last night," Andrew bluntly retorted. "Besides, I'm making the sacrifice and eating this junk. There is box of pancake mix you can mess around with."

"Fine," Angela stonily agreed. "Then don't expect me to make it anymore."

"Can you two pipe it down and let me get some sleep?" Uncle Billy shouted from a bedroom down the first floor hallway.

Andrew stared at his sister and muttered, "Billy's cranky. I think he got home really late last night."

"From a buffet?" Angela questioned innocently.

"I'm not sure eating was all he was out doing last night," he replied darkly.

Dropping the subject, they went back to their rooms to get dressed for school. When they finally left out the front door, Andrew wore a solid black t-shirt and jeans, while Angela had a modest white blouse and a medium length skirt.

"Dressing up today?" Andrew asked as he eyed her skeptically.

"Well," she replied in annoyance, "I thought it would be better than dressing down."

Andrew took the jab and smirked.

As they got onto the school bus, Angela followed her brother down the aisle. He noticed Shawn at the very back, so he walked ahead and joined him. Angela frowned at the thought of sitting alone everyday on the ride to school, but then saw Melissa.

"Is this seat taken?" Angela asked politely as she gestured to the empty seat beside the girl.

"Yes," Melissa said firmly with a stern face. She then giggled and admitted, "I saved it for you."

Angela rolled her eyes and took a seat.

Shawn turned to Andrew and asked, "So, my man, what have you decided? You want to hang with the boys?"

"I thought it over," Andrew said. "I'm in."

9

The school days started to fall into a set routine for Andrew. Each day on the bus he would sit with Shawn and talk about popular music, movies, and their classes. In homeroom, Andrew would chat with Darren, who did most of the talking about how their football team was really practicing hard. At lunch, all the boys sat together and had random conversations about anything on their minds. They often talked about girls—mostly about their looks than anything else. After school they would hang out at Darren's house and listen to edgy music while goofing around.

One night, Carson surprised the group with a horror movie. At first, Andrew felt uncomfortable about watching it. He had asked what it was about and Carson replied that it was a slasher flick where a psychopath kills people off. Andrew's parents had never let them watch movies that contained those kinds of elements. He had tried to get out of it by telling the guys that he had just remembered about a test he had the next day that he needed to study for, but they just teased him. To avoid further ridicule, Andrew finally agreed to watch it. Among many disturbing images of death, there was profanity and sexual scenes too.

Initially, Andrew had felt uncomfortable hanging out with the boys, but overall he preferred that over staying at home with Billy. With Angela constantly out late with her friends after school, Andrew would end up being the first one home. He would sometimes find Billy asleep on the retro sofa with the old television set still playing tasteless television shows.

Many times Andrew would turn it off immediately because it was loud and offensive. But, sometimes as he would enter the room to do so, something on the screen would catch his attention such as violent action scenes or attractive women. Often, Andrew would watch the shows and movies for a while before finally deciding to turn the television off. He would never watch those types of things in front of Angela. He knew they were things his parents would have classified as provocative and sinful, but it was similar to the stuff that his friends showed him at their house.

_Its just entertainment_ , Andrew had told himself on many occasions trying to knock his conscience back into hiding. _It's not like I do that stuff too. It's not hurting anyone. Plus, I am not a child anymore and watching stuff like that makes me feel more like a man._

When Billy wasn't in a drunken stupor he would be very short and bossy with Andrew. "Hey Andrew, get me a drink." This was his favorite line. Andrew became used to being a beer caddy. He promised himself never to drink simply on the basis of never wanting to be a lazy slob like Billy. Occasionally Darren and the boys would drink beer while watching movies, but they never seemed to notice or care that Andrew didn't join them. Other than calling for more beer, Billy didn't say much else to Andrew besides, "I'm going out tonight."

Uncle Billy seemed to be eating out at restaurants more and more each week. Sometimes he said it was at buffets, other times he would eat out at fancy restaurants which served steak or expensive seafood. Any leftovers he brought home he said that he would eat the next day for lunch. Andrew and Angela would always make their own dinners, constantly the cheapest meals available for the stove or microwave.

As Andrew returned home one day, the house was even louder than usual. He shut the front door and followed the blaring sounds to the living room, where he found a large flat screen television mounted to the wall in place of the tube TV. The sound bar beneath the high-definition television was extremely loud. The couch across from it was empty, but was not the same retro one from before. This new leather sofa was the cleanest thing in the house, and really stood out of place against the old striped wallpaper. Andrew was confused by it all, so he turned off the television and took a seat to check out the new couch.

"Hey kid," Billy shouted as he stormed down the hallway, "I was watching that." As he appeared, he saw Andrew on the sofa and said threateningly, "Get up, now."

"I'm sorry," Andrew said out of reflex as he stood up. "It's very nice."

"Sure is," Billy said as he checked the sofa out as if Andrew had damaged it, "it's the best around."

"You must be doing pretty well at work," Andrew said impressed. "Did you get promoted or something?"

Billy hesitated to answer, and then said, "Yeah, something like that."

"What exactly do you do again?" he inquired.

"You don't remember?" Billy asked. "It doesn't matter anyways. It's good to finally get what's coming to me."

"Must be nice," Andrew said. "My friend's house doesn't even have a television that big, and his parents are pretty well off. Man, if the kids at school saw this, they would—"

"Okay, that's enough," Billy said hurriedly and with a hint of worry in his voice. "No need to go on about it. Hey, if you keep this between us, I could always buy you a nice thirty-two inch TV for your room."

"What?" Andrew said astonished. "You would do that?"

Uncle Billy grinned and said, "Sure, you know, share the wealth and all. Why not? We can talk more about this later. My favorite show is about to start. I bet you have homework to do."

"Yeah," Andrew agreed, his mind spinning with the thought of his own TV. "We _definitely_ can talk later."

As he went to his room, he turned on his clock radio and listened to some alternative rock. He started to work on homework, but he could not stop wondering about the expensive things his uncle had just purchased.

_We've been living here in this dump for a while now_ , Andrew thought. _Uncle Billy has been wasting more and more money on overpriced dinners and now a super pricey television, sound bar, and leather sofa that would make my friends jealous. I never see him work anymore, so how is he able to afford all of this?_

He continued on his homework for a while, but as he looked across the room to an empty wall, he imagined what it would look like with a television there. He thought about how amazing it would be if the TV also had a built-in DVD player. Then he could borrow movies from his friends and watch them without Angela seeing them.

_She wouldn't understand_ , Andrew thought.

As he tried to continue on his homework, he leaned back against the wall and muttered, "Where's the money coming from? Should I really question it, or just take the free TV?"

Frustrated about it all, he turned his music up louder. Moments later, he thought, _I'll just have to see what the boys think about all this._

10

Cheerleading was nothing like ballet.

For her first official practice, Angela wore clothes that made her feel more comfortable. Her shirt was looser than the uniform's tank top, and the sleeves came down almost to her elbows. Her skort reached her knees, and overall, she felt more at ease.

However, the other girls on the team all wore clothes that were nearly as revealing as the official uniforms. They seemed to all want to show as much skin as possible. Angela had casually asked Melissa if the uniform or the clothes that she wore to practice made her feel uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess they did when I first started dressing like the team," Melissa replied with a shrug, "but, you get used to it. You can trust these girls to know what is popular."

The clothes were just one thing that put Angela on edge. Although the basic cheerleading moves were innocent, the dance routines made her extremely perturbed.

The easy moves of cheerleading consisted of clapping, stomping and raising a fist into the air. These actions were accompanied by simple cheers that would be used in between plays at a football game. But, the dance routines were the ones that they would perform during halftime at home games or at competitive cheerleading tournaments against other schools.

Even the very first song that the team taught Angela to dance to made her feel dirty. The song that was played sounded like a mix between R&B and Pop, and the female singer's lyrics spoke of drinking and casual dating of random guys. For this song, the moves seemed to act out the reckless night at the club. The cheerleaders acted like they were out at the dance club trying to win over guys with the way they moved their bodies.

Although Angela caught on to the moves quickly, performing them was not natural. Later that night after practice, Jessica took Angela to an empty classroom. She then pulled out her smartphone, searched the internet, and then played the music video to the song that they had danced to. Angela was shocked by the way the singer represented herself with tight clothes, heavy makeup and seductive dance moves. She seemed to sell herself with her appearance and body with no regard for her integrity or self-worth. As the video ended, Jessica led Angela through all the dance steps until they were smoother.

"Wow," Jessica teased, "the singer better watch out, you'll out dance her soon."

Angela admitted that she had never seen the video or heard the song before then, and was not very knowledgeable about pop culture. Jessica simply laughed at that thought and told Angela that she was doing well, clearly a fast learner.

The practices that followed each school day were a combination of easy cheers and complex routines. When dancing with the team, Angela tried to ignore the provocative lyrics and focused primarily on the moves. During some routines, half of the team would be dancing, while the other half would be doing flips around them.

As the weeks went by, their private practices on the basketball court were sometimes noticed by some of the students that lingered in the gymnasium. During one dance number, with the music blasting and the cheerleaders really moving on the court, Angela saw several teenage boys coming through the doors. They watched in awe as the performance kept their attention, and when the music stopped, the boys were smiling and clapping.

Julia and Kayla waved to the guys, and a few winked and waved back. The coach stood at the boom box and motioned for the girls to prepare for a repeat performance. Jessica took notice that Angela seemed a little shy with the boys still watching.

"Stage fright?" Jessica teased as she playfully swatted at Angela's shoulder. "I can introduce them to you if that would help."

"No," Angela insisted quickly, horrified at the thought. "That's not necessary."

The crooked smile on Jessica's face made Angela fear that she would invite the boys over anyways. A moment later, Jessica turned to the guys and said, "Wait for the big game on Friday night, boys. That will be one halftime show you are sure to remember."

The teens laughed, waved, and disappeared down the hallway.

As the music began, they did the routine once more. And then again.

"That's a wrap," Coach Swanson said. She led the practices and gave plenty of critique, but Jessica was considered the true leader of the team.

On the car ride home, Angela thought about the football game coming up. It would be the cheerleader's first performance of the year, and the routine was nearly perfected. The coach had been complimenting Angela's ability to learn the dance moves, which made her feel proud. The girls on the team had been very supportive as well.

Jessica turned off the radio as she entered Bottom Grove and neared Angela's street. "About the boys in the gym—"

"What?" Angela replied with trepidation. She had hoped Jessica would have forgotten about that.

"It's normal to be a little nervous dancing in public," Jessica said kindly.

Angela was quick to respond, "I've been performing ballet for years. When I am on stage, I dance to the music, and I am the happiest I've ever been."

"Well said," Jessica began with a knowing smile, "but, I understand that cheerleading is not ballet. The passion you have for ballet is what we have for cheerleading. We give our bodies to the music. We entertain the crowd. We keep them happy and get their hearts racing. You are a very natural dancer, Angela. The whole team is excited that you are with us."

"Thank you," Angela said with sincerity. "It's good to be dancing again."

As Jessica pulled up along the curb, she said, "We'll have a busy week of practices with the football game coming up. Bring your A-game every time, and our performance Friday night will be phenomenal."

Angela waved as Jessica drove off.

As she entered the house, she saw Uncle Billy sitting on a leather sofa shouting at the noisy television, which seemed even more deafening than usual.

Shrugging it off, Angela headed upstairs and heard some music blaring through her brother's bedroom door. She almost knocked on it to tell him she was home, but quickly dismissed the thought. They had not spoken much in weeks. Angela almost always came home well after Andrew, except on nights he would stay late at his friends' houses doing who knows what.

Angela went in her room, but left the door open behind her. She worked on homework for some time, and eventually Andrew left his room. The music had been turned off and her brother glanced at her with heavy eyes. He almost looked as if he had something to ask her. Something that troubled him.

Then, Andrew just turned away and walked downstairs. Angela wondered what was on his mind, but figured that it must not be too important or he would have said something to her.

The next morning, they both continued their usual routines. On the bus, each sat with their own friend and never spoke a word to one another.

"So," Melissa asked eagerly, "are you excited about our first halftime show on Friday?"

Angela thought about all the practices they had, all the time they spent on the moves, and hanging out with the team. For the first time in a while, she finally felt accepted, needed, and appreciated. Angela grinned and said, "Yes, I'm super excited. And after our performance on Friday night, the whole school will be too."

11

It lingered on his mind all day.

While sitting on the bus with Shawn on the way to school, Andrew nearly brought up the issue several times, yet he could not figure out how to phrase the situation. His friend talked about many random things, and Andrew hoped that Shawn would ask him if something was on his mind, but he did not.

In homeroom, Andrew said good morning to Darren, and almost asked him about what he thought of it all. However, he knew there was not enough time to explain the whole thing, and decided to bottle it up inside.

During lunch in the cafeteria, all the boys were gathered together and chatted about all kinds of things. Andrew remained nearly silent for the majority of the time, eating bites of his bologna sandwich while building the courage to speak up.

Finally, Andrew just blurted out, "I think my uncle is a thief."

"Uh," Max said clearly taken off guard, "what?"

"For real?" Johnny asked with a raised eyebrow.

Andrew looked at the faces of his friends, debating whether or not it was a good idea to tell them anything. Their facial expressions were a mix of skepticism and curiosity. He then nodded and decided to lay it all out there. "I'm pretty sure something illegal is going on."

"Did you find large bags of money lying around the house?" Johnny asked with a sly smile.

"Well," Andrew admitted, beginning to doubt himself, "nothing that obvious, but—"

Carson leaned forward eagerly, "What about black gloves and a mask on the kitchen table?"

"No," Andrew insisted angrily, realizing that the guys were giving him trouble.

"Enough, boys," Darren said gazing around imperiously. "Let the man talk."

Shawn turned toward Andrew and said, "What has been going on?"

Andrew waited until everyone was paying attention, then said, "when I first moved in with Uncle Billy, I knew he was working a job in the morning. He said he couldn't drive me to school because he had to head off to work. I can't remember what he did for a living, but he looked like he was just barely making it."

"Where do you live?" Darren asked curiously.

"Bottom Grove," Andrew replied trying to act indifferently.

"Ouch," Johnny said with a grimace, "I'm sorry."

Andrew continued, "Anyways, the house is rundown. Everything is retro, well, was retro. Suddenly, when I came home yesterday, I saw that my uncle had a new leather sofa, a high-definition television and a sound bar."

"Nice," Max said.

"So?" Darren asked with eyebrows raised. "Your uncle saved up and then splurged on some upgrades. People do that all the time. What's the mystery?"

"For the past few weeks, I'm fairly positive my uncle has not been working at all." Andrew continued, desperate to keep their attention while he had it. "As I leave the house each morning, he's usually there passed out on the couch. When I come home, he is still there, and is wearing the exact same clothes as when I left. And on weekends, he just watches television all day long. Endless shows and movies. At night, he eats out at expensive restaurants. I've even seen the receipts lying around the place. He's spending all kinds of money, but I never see him make any."

"And you think he just stole the new stuff?" Doubt was evident in Shawn's voice.

"From a store?" Max asked seriously. "You think he lifted all those things by himself?"

Andrew replied with feeling, "I don't think he has any friends that could have helped him."

"And you said you noticed the new things after you came home from school?" Darren asked. "Not before?"

"Definitely after," Andrew said.

"So," Johnny began as he exchanged looks with the other boys, "while you were at school, your uncle went to a store during business hours and stole those things in broad daylight? And, he carried it inside the house all by himself? Maybe he is related to Superman."

Some of the guys snickered and grinned.

Andrew just gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I didn't say any of that."

"And there's no chance he won the lottery?" Max joked.

"No," Andrew said firmly. "He wouldn't still live there if he had. I wouldn't."

"You have a strange uncle," Darren admitted. "Did you ask him about the stuff?"

"Actually, yes, I did. I asked him if he got a nice raise or something at work, and he looked very uncomfortable. Then, before I knew it, he changed the subject by offering me a new thirty-two inch television for my room. He is definitely not a generous guy, so it was way out of the blue."

"Lucky," Carson said. He gazed at Andrew with envy in his eyes.

"Ask him if he'd steal us some TVs too," Johnny said grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Knock it off," Darren said. He stared off to space deep in thought. A glint came into his eyes and he continued, "Andrew, it sounds like you may be on to something. If your uncle was just wasting money on good food, that's one thing. But, a new sofa and TV? That's worth investigating."

Andrew was relieved Darren was taking him seriously. He was anxious for his direction and approval. "I thought so. What should I do?"

"I'd check out your house after school," Darren said, "but Carson and I have football practice."

Johnny didn't bother looking up from doodling a drawing of a curvaceous woman. "Sorry, I wouldn't be seen in Bottom Grove."

"Me neither," Max agreed looking over Johnny's shoulder.

"Thanks guys," Andrew said sarcastically as disappointment washed over him.

Shawn stared at Darren for several moments and then made a decision. "Hey, I'll go with you. I ride the bus by there anyways. You can show me the stuff, and I'll just walk home afterwards. No big deal."

"Thank you," Andrew said with relief, "that would be great."

Darren pointedly looked at Shawn. "Let me know how this turns out."

"No problem," Shawn replied.

After the bell rang and they went to their last set of classes for the day, Andrew felt a mixture of excitement for the investigation and fear of how it would end.

When school was over, Andrew headed to his locker and then met Shawn at the bus. During the ride to Bottom Grove, they chatted about various things, but did not bring up the investigation. Andrew began to get nervous as the bus went down the street towards his house. He was not sure if Uncle Billy would still be home or not, but to his surprise, the car was gone.

As the bus stopped, Andrew stood up and started walking down the aisle. A few paces later, he glanced back to see if Shawn was following. His friend was right behind him, which gave him a boost of confidence. They stepped off the bus and headed towards the front porch.

"I always wondered what the inside of your place looked like," Shawn admitted curiously.

"Don't be too disappointed," Andrew warned him.

He unlocked the front door and led his friend to the living room. Shawn's eyes lit up at the sight of the new leather sofa. He headed straight over and plopped himself right on it. "Oh, now I could get used to this." He kicked his feet up and put his arms behind his head.

"Yeah," Andrew said nervously. "It's very nice." He kept worrying that Billy would suddenly come home. He didn't want to imagine what his uncle would do if he saw Shawn on his couch...or even in his home for that matter.

"Your uncle has good taste," Shawn began. He then looked at the outdated striped wallpaper and said, "Well, at least for the couch."

Andrew pointed to the flat screen television with the remote and pressed the power button. Moments later, it came to life with a clear picture. When Andrew activated the sound bar, the action on the screen was then complimented by the high quality audio.

"Oh yeah," Shawn said excitedly, "We need to watch some movies on this thing sometime. It is so life-like. This thing is way better than Darren's. He is going to be so jealous when he finds out!"

Andrew abruptly turned it all off and said, "I'm not sure where Uncle Billy is right now, but he may come home at any moment."

"Right," Shawn agreed as he tore his eyes from the TV. "Down to business. Where's his bedroom?"

"At the end of the hallway," Andrew pointed out.

"I'll check it out for any clues," Shawn said. "You can search around the living room and kitchen for any receipts he might have misplaced."

"Okay," Andrew agreed.

Shawn hurried down the dark hall and disappeared into Billy's bedroom. Andrew quickly checked around the living room for anything that might hint towards where the stuff came from, or how his uncle could afford it all.

Suddenly, a startled voice echoed down the corridor.

"Hey," Shawn shouted, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were home."

Andrew froze as his heart thudded in his chest.

"No, I'm not," Shawn continued, "I'm a friend of Andrew's. Seriously, I'm telling you the truth. You can put that thing down now."

Andrew turned towards the hallway and tried to listen to everything that was being said. The floorboards creaked in the distance and sent chills through him.

"Please don't," Shawn said in panic. "I'll leave right now. I promise. Just, set the weapon down and you'll never see me again."

Despite his fear, Andrew took off down the hallway and ran for his uncle's bedroom. Right as he reached the darkened doorway, he heard a loud thud and Shawn fell to the ground at his feet.

12

Is Shawn dead? Am I next?

Andrew did not hear any movement in the dark bedroom before him. He feared that Billy was lurking in there, waiting for him to step inside and meet the same fate as Shawn. Andrew was not going to enter the darkness; however, he would not leave until he could check and see if Shawn was still breathing.

He took a step towards the body and carefully placed his foot down quietly. As Andrew leaned down over the teenager, he could barely identify the face. The features were dim, the eyes were shut, the mouth was cracked open, and everything was completely silent.

"Shawn," Andrew whispered as quietly as possible.

When his friend did not respond, Andrew leaned down even further. But as he extended his hand towards the body, Shawn's hand shot forth and grabbed his wrist.

Andrew screamed as the hand held him in place. As he stared at his friend's face, it suddenly distorted into an evil grin.

"Gotcha," Shawn shouted as he released Andrew's wrist.

"What?" Andrew replied, half hysterical.

Shawn rolled on the ground and laughed as hard as he could. "You should have seen your face," he said between heavy chuckles.

"You mean you faked this?" Andrew asked fuming.

He reached inside the bedroom, flipped on the light and peeked around the door to search for Uncle Billy. The room was tan colored and was furnished with only a queen-size bed, a desk, and a cracked dresser. Posters of swimsuit models cluttered the walls.

When he was sure that they were alone, Andrew stared down harshly at his friend.

"It's just a joke," Shawn said defensively as he caught his breath.

"I don't have time for jokes," Andrew began, "Especially about death. I trusted you to help me. Darren sounded like he believed me. "

Shawn stood up and put a hand in his left pocket. A moment later, he pulled out two receipts. "You underestimate me."

Andrew took the receipts warily and looked them over closely.

"You see," Shawn said, "I found those the minute I walked in here. They were just on the desk over there."

"I don't understand," Andrew replied, confusion clouding his voice. "These receipts are from the two stores down the street. So, my uncle actually bought the sofa from the furniture store, then got the sound bar and television from the electronics store. It even shows a same-day delivery fee."

"Mystery solved," Shawn said with a shrug. "Your uncle isn't a thief, or at least he didn't steal from the stores. He's probably keeping the receipts for the product warranties. He wasn't hiding them, just hanging onto them."

Andrew dejectedly handed the receipts back to Shawn, who then returned them on the top of the desk. Shawn said, "I'm sorry if that's not the answer you expected."

"I just really thought the whole thing was strange," Andrew answered honestly. "Uncle Billy looked like he was hiding something. When I told him that my friends would be jealous of his new things, he seemed really eager to buy my silence with a new television for my room."

"As your friend," Shawn said, "this is my advice to you. Accept the television."

Andrew stared at him confused.

Shawn waved his hand in the air. "Maybe your uncle really is hiding something. Maybe he is trying to buy your silence. You can't prove anything, but he doesn't know that. Tell him that you'll take the television, and ask for more things too. Ask for movies, CDs, and how about some for the boys too? I'm sure you'd get props for hooking us all up."

"Why would my uncle go along with that?" Andrew asked uneasily.

"Because you can tell him that you know the truth," Shawn began. "Tell him that you know everything, and all you are asking for is some new stuff."

"You want me to blackmail my uncle?" Andrew caught his breath in surprise.

Shawn raised his hands up. "Look, I'm just trying to help you out. Why don't you think about it? But, don't wait too long, 'cause your uncle's offer won't last forever. Take it while you still can."

"I don't know if I should," Andrew replied, dismayed.

"Your uncle obviously has the money to buy expensive stuff. Sounds to me like he is just a cheapskate when it comes to sharing his wealth. Now you've found a weak point in him. You need to capitalize on it. This is the time to get what you deserve and show how good a friend you are to us." Shawn gave Andrew's shoulder a light hearted punch. "I'll leave it up to you to tell Darren and the guys about whatever you decide to do. I know you will make the right decision."

The sound of a car door shutting alerted Andrew.

"Oh, man," Andrew said fearfully, "my uncle is home. If he sees you, he'll flip out."

Shawn quickly looked around and asked, "Is there a back door?"

"Yeah," Andrew said pointing. "In the kitchen."

"Okay," Shawn began as he started taking off, "head to the living room and keep Billy distracted while I slip out the back."

Andrew rushed into the living room right as Uncle Billy walked in the house.

"Hello uncle," Andrew said, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

Uncle Billy stared at him and replied, "Hey." He then glanced around the room and said, "Well?"

"Huh?" Andrew asked uncertainly.

"You're home sooner than expected," Billy said as he eyed him. "What are you up to?"

Andrew looked away, and then said, "My friends were busy today, so I just came right home after school."

"Is that right?" Uncle Billy narrowed his eyes as he walked past him and glanced down the hallway. Andrew followed his stare and saw that they forgot to close his bedroom door. As his Uncle neared the hall, he cut into the kitchen. Andrew saw something out of the front window. When he walked closer and peeked outside, he noticed Shawn dashing down the street and disappearing past a set of bushes.

Uncle Billy came back out of the kitchen and went down the hall to his bedroom. Andrew was about to head upstairs when Billy said, "Hey, come here for a minute!"

_Oh, great, what did Shawn mess up in there?_ Andrew pondered.

He walked towards his uncle's room and saw that he was seated at the desk. As Andrew stopped in the doorway, Uncle Billy turned to face him.

"You know, when I came home," Billy said with a hint of accusation in his voice, "the front door was unlocked."

"Well, yeah," Andrew replied while shrugging, "that's because I got home first. I left it unlocked so that you or Angela didn't have to use your key to get inside."

Uncle Billy furrowed his eyebrows and growled, "I need you to keep the doors locked at all times. I don't want someone coming in and taking my new TV or something."

Andrew was relieved that his uncle showed no sign of suspecting Shawn's visit, or their investigation. "Okay, I'll be sure to keep the front door locked."

"The kitchen door too," Billy added as an afterthought. "Why was that unlocked?"

_Because_ _Shawn escaped that way_ , Andrew thought. Somehow outwitting his uncle made Andrew feel empowered.

He then replied with a slight smile, "I was just checking to see if you were home."

"Why?" his uncle asked clearly annoyed. "What does that have to do with you? It's really none of your business where I am or what I'm doing."

_I can't stand how rude you are sometimes_ , Andrew thought. _I wish I didn't have to be under your roof one more second and I can't wait until I am out of here. I was trying to be nice, but maybe I shouldn't be. Would it really be wrong to blackmail a creep like you?_

"I just wanted you to know," Andrew said as he made his mind up, "I accept your offer."

"Oh yeah?" Billy asked only half paying attention. "What offer was that?"

"The TV for my room," Andrew said slowly. "It would be nice to have one up there."

"Is that so?" Uncle Billy replied his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You want me to buy you a TV?"

Andrew narrowed his eyes and insisted, "You said that you would."

His uncle grinned. "Maybe I changed my mind."

The smug look on his Uncle's face made Andrew realize that Uncle Billy was toying with him. "I don't think so," Andrew muttered angrily.

"What did you say?" his uncle asked firmly as he began to get up from his chair.

Andrew was shocked that he said that out loud, but he did not want to back down now. He hoped that his fear would not come across as he said, "I know what you are up to, Billy."

"Listen, kid," his uncle said while pointing at him, "you don't know what you're talking about. And, I'm Uncle Billy to you."

"I do know," Andrew bluffed trying to keep his voice cool as ice, "and I want a new TV-DVD Combo, or—"

"Or what?" Uncle Billy asked as he wiped a beat of sweat from his brow.

Andrew stared hard at Billy and replied, "Or else your secret won't be a secret anymore."

Uncle Billy stood completely out of the office chair and took a few paces around the room, trying to contain his frustration. Andrew tried to look for a hint of guilt or worry, but his uncle's reddening face just appeared full of anger.

As Uncle Billy crossed the room towards him, Andrew tried to stand his ground and look confident. His uncle stared him in the eyes and said, "Alright, kid, you'll get the new TV. But, don't go blabbing things that you shouldn't be talking about. Deal?"

"Deal," Andrew agreed. _For now_.

13

"Good morning, Grove High!" The young voice on the school's PA system sounded like a radio talk show host. "It's Friday, and at last the wait is finally over. Get ready for Friday night football as the Grove High Growlers start off the season in a home game against the Westview Warriors. Come show your support and cheer on the Growlers tonight at 6 pm."

Angela smiled when she heard the word _cheer_. She had been working so hard at practicing all the moves and routines, and now she could show the whole school. Months had passed since her last ballet performance—since she was truly happy. She sincerely hoped that she would succeed at the big game and not let the team down.

The morning went by fairly quick and soon she was seated with the girls for lunch. Jessica bragged to the group that the cheerleaders were ready to rock the crowds with their moves at the halftime show.

"Regardless of how the jocks do on the field," Jessica began saucily, "everyone will be watching us out there. And while the football players take a break at halftime, we'll keep the crowd all riled up."

Some of the cheerleaders seated at the table beside them overheard Jessica and they said in unison, "Grove Girls gonna rock the house!"

"Go team," Melissa joined in with a smile.

"Woo," several cheerleaders shouted.

Darren glanced over the table of guys to see the cheerleaders at the far end of the cafeteria. "Tonight's game is going to be a blast."

"The Westview Warriors won't know what hit them," Carson said as he made a show of flexing his muscular arms.

"More like the Westview Weasels," Darren laughed, "Because they'll be eating dirt when we're through with them."

Johnny and Max chuckled, Shawn smirked, and Andrew just ignored them.

"Our offense will slip right past them," Darren said already imaging the game in his head.

Carson added, "And our defense will be tight."

Darren peered across the room again and said, "You know what else will be tight? I hear that the halftime show will be out of this world."

"Cheerleaders rule," Johnny said as he tried to catch any of the girls' attention from a distance.

"Like you would know," Max stated with a snigger.

Carson smiled roguishly, "I would certainly like to."

"I heard that most of the cheerleaders are single," Shawn said.

"Not after we crush the Weasels," Darren boasted.

"We'll win the game and the girls at the same time," Carson agreed.

Shawn glanced at Andrew and noticed that he was ignoring him and just eating his sandwich. After the bell rang, as the other boys walked away, Shawn approached Andrew. "Hey, you've been silent all week. You never told me what happened that day I left your house. Your uncle didn't hit you or anything, did he?"

"No," Andrew said quietly, "nothing like that."

"You didn't chicken out of demanding the TV, right?" Shawn asked with a hint of accusation.

Andrew walked quickly into the hallway and knew that Shawn was not going to drop the subject without an answer.

"Uncle Billy came home in a grouchy mood," Andrew began, "which is why I didn't feel too bad asking for the TV. But, when he tried to take back his offer, well, I—"

"Spit it out, man," Shawn said.

"I told him I knew everything," Andrew replied, dropping his guard. "After I stood my ground, he just caved. The next day when I came home from school, there was a brand new thirty-two inch flat screen television with a built-in DVD player in my room."

Shawn punched his arm into the air and let out an excited yell. "You own him! Do you understand? Now that he's caved, you own him. Anything you ask for is all ours."

Andrew fell silent again.

The smile on Shawn's face faltered when he noticed Andrew's reservation. "You are going to ask him for stuff for me and the boys, right?"

"I'm lucky he gave me the TV," Andrew admitted. "I can't prove he's doing anything illegal, so maybe I shouldn't push this any further."

"I don't think the guys will like hearing that," Shawn said clearly upset.

Andrew quickly trying to make amends. "They never need to know. I don't plan to tell them anything. Why, you're not going to say anything, are you?"

"I'm just saying," Shawn began slowly, "the boys are going to ask about it. You better be ready to give them an answer."

The final class ended as the last bell rang.

Angela hurried to her locker and then she met up with Jessica and some of the other cheerleaders. They went to the gymnasium and practiced for a few hours to assure that their later performance would be flawless.

"That's a wrap," Coach Swanson shouted. "Eat some dinner, relax, and be ready for tonight."

Jessica and the girls headed to the locker room, as Angela snuck off into the restroom to change in privacy. As usual, she finished before the other cheerleaders and was waiting for them outside the gymnasium.

"Love the fresh air, huh?" Melissa asked as she joined her outside.

Angela was a little embarrassed to admit that she felt uncomfortable changing in front of the other girls. She was teased a little at first for always disappearing to change clothes, but they no longer gave her too much trouble about it.

"Sometimes it's just nice to step away from it all," Angela said.

"Well," Melissa began, "the whole team is heading out to get some burgers. I'm catching a ride with Julia. Do you want to come along?"

"I didn't bring any money," Angela admitted.

She thought about what she was going to do next and frowned. The game was over two hours away, and if she did not go out to eat with the team, she would be very hungry. It would take over half an hour to walk home, and she dreaded the thought of spending time there with Uncle Billy. He refused to give them any allowance and only had the cheapest and most junky food for them to make themselves.

"Don't worry," Melissa said, "I'll cover you."

"You don't have to do that for me," Angela replied, feeling bad.

Melissa smiled at her and said, "You're a Grove Girl now, and we take care of our own."

Angela smiled. "Well, that's very kind of you. Thanks."

As Andrew did his homework upstairs, he could hear the phone ring in the kitchen. He started down the hall to head downstairs, but then he listened as the living room television was turned off and his uncle stomped into the kitchen.

"Hello?" Uncle Billy practically belted into the phone.

Andrew rolled his eyes at how loud his uncle was talking, which he knew was because of always having the television so noisy.

"Oh, hey sweetie," Uncle Billy continued, "yeah, I'm free tonight, but—"

_My uncle has a girlfriend?_ Andrew pondered incredulous.

He stood at the top of the stairs very quietly as he tried to overhear more.

Uncle Billy then said, "I wish I could, but I can't withdraw more money this week. I would love to take you out to dinner, but I'm maxed out for now."

Andrew waited to hear more, hoping for his uncle to say too much.

"Don't talk like that, babe," Uncle Billy said. "First the kid, and now you too? Give me a break."

_What is he talking about?_ Andrew thought as he strained to hear more.

"I told you before," his uncle said sounding annoyed, "If I pull out anymore than the set amount, it'll raise red flags. I don't want the authorities looking into this."

_So, I was right. Billy is doing something underhanded._ Even though the news should have made him feel better about blackmailing him, for some reason it left him feeling bad.

"Okay, okay, don't do anything hasty. Alright already, I'll take you out tonight. Yes, the lobster place. I know, honey, I love you too. I'll pick you up in an hour. Bye."

As his uncle headed back to the living room, Andrew walked quietly into his bedroom and shut the door. He tried to understand what his uncle was talking about, but the whole thing had his head spinning.

_Uncle Billy has an account, but can't pull out too much?_ Andrew pondered. _Why not? And why would red flags go up if he pulled out too much in too short of a time?_

Andrew nearly screamed in frustration, but he knew that his uncle would hear it if he did. _Uncle Billy must have thought I was listening to rock music or watching TV, which is why he did not seem to control his voice over the phone._

Setting his homework aside, Andrew turned on his dark music and once again drowned out his thoughts and worries. He sang along with the lyrics, skipping some curse words here and there, but the more he got into it, the more he let loose. Soon, he was feeling the anger of the singer and cursing along with every bad lyric and message.

The last song he had time to sing along with was about women. The MP3 player that was hooked up to the clock radio had belonged to Jake, his former best friend from his last school. Jake had let him keep it after the car accident, and Andrew had been listening to it off and on ever since. The MP3 player was set to shuffle and this was one song that he had heard before, but had never paid attention to the words.

From the moment the song began, Andrew realized that the singer was going to bash women with his lyrics. However, Andrew did not feel like turning it off yet. He finally wanted to hear it out, and see what it had to say. As the singer spoke of women like they were just objects, with no respect towards them, Andrew sang right along. By the end of the song, he felt empowered, like he could now say anything without holding back.

Andrew opened his bedroom door and headed downstairs to the kitchen for a quick snack. He was trying to avoid speaking to Uncle Billy or coming down too soon after the phone call to raise suspicion. To his advantage, his uncle was in his bedroom with the door closed. Andrew grabbed some food to go and left the house in a hurry.

He rushed to Shawn's house so that they could get picked up by Johnny for the big game. On the car ride back to school, Max was in the passenger seat up front, while Shawn and Andrew sat in the back.

Max looked over his shoulder and asked, "Are you guys stoked for the game?"

"Yeah," Shawn replied, "I hope Darren and the team crush the Weasels."

Andrew thought about the way the singer had treated women like objects, then he thought about the halftime show. "I just can't wait to see the cheerleaders perform."

14

The lights over the field lit up as the sun set in the distance.

The bleachers were filling up as students and their families took their seats for the game. Johnny and Max picked out a spot towards the center of the home team bleachers at the top row so that they could get a great view of all the action. Andrew and Shawn sat beside them. The announcer was stationed in a tower above the concession stand between the two sets of bleachers.

Whereas the home team bleachers were predominately full of people wearing blue to support the Grove High Growlers, the fans in the other set of bleachers wore black for the Westview Warriors. This was the first game of the season for both teams, which considered each other to be rivals.

The school band was in the top corner of the home team bleachers and they played their drums and horns to buildup anticipation for the game to begin.

Angela stood on the side of the field wearing her formfitting blue cheerleader uniform along with the rest of the squad. As much as she wished the uniform was less revealing, since the other girls showed no signs of being self-conscious, she decided to do the same.

Coach Swanson walked up to the cheerleaders, serious faced as ever. "I would like to tell you that you have all done a fantastic job preparing for this moment. Your hard practices have shown that you are more than ready for tonight, and I hope you girls all have fun motivating the crowd and supporting our football team. Jessica, the squad's all yours."

"Alright, Grove Girls," Jessica said enthusiastically, "Let's start this off right."

As the coach walked towards the bleachers, Jessica led the cheerleaders to face the crowd and get into position.

Kayla, Melissa, Carol, Angela, and the rest of the squad all awaited their head cheerleader's lead. As Jessica raised a fist in the air, the whole team shouted in unison, "G-R-O-V-E, G-I-R-L-S."

They alternated their hands and arms as they each spelt out the letters. As they finished spelling it out, they repeated it again, this time with some dance moves accompanying it.

Next, they all shouted, "The Grove Girls are here for you, with lots of moves and cheers, and as the Growlers win, the Warriors will shed tears."

Their school's crowd burst out laughing and clapping, while the other team's fans snickered and some booed.

The cheerleaders just smiled and waved to the bleachers.

"Oh, man," Johnny said to Max as he leaned as far forward as he could, "Grove Girls rock."

Max laughed. "Calm down dude, you are practically drooling!" With a glint in his eye, he continued, "They sure know how to rock those uniforms."

"I wish we would have sat closer to the bottom of the bleachers," Shawn began annoyed, "so we could see them even better during the game."

Andrew silently agreed. At the top of the bleachers, they could see the cheerleaders' bodies, but their faces were unrecognizable from that distance. He could just imagine the way they looked up close. Despite the thoughts going through Andrew's head, he did not feel comfortable saying them out loud. He figured that he could think whatever he wanted to, as long as he kept it to himself.

"Well, you can see the game better from up here," Johnny said, "and the halftime show too. We can get some close ups after the game."

Max just smirked and nodded in agreement.

"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls," the announcer said over the loud speakers, "put your hands together for the Grove High Growlers."

Darren led his team in front of the bleachers, and they passed by the cheerleaders as they waved to the crowd. The squad cheered as they jogged on by.

Angela noticed that some of the football players were flirting with the cheerleaders instead of waving to the crowd. One guy passing by Angela winked at her and blew her a kiss. She blushed, half from embarrassment and half from the attention.

Jessica glanced at her and smiled. She mouthed, "You go girl."

Angela smiled awkwardly and her gaze followed Carson onto the field.

_Could he actually like me?_ Angela wondered. She had always been shy of boys and had previously never given them much of her attention; always instead preferring to work on her ballerina skills. It was exciting thinking a boy might actually be attracted to her. _Do I like him back?_

Angela shook off those thoughts and just cheered along with the squad.

When the Growlers were all on the field the announcer said, "And now let's welcome their rivals tonight, the Westview Warriors."

The opposing team came from around their set of bleachers and their school cheered them onto the field. The Grove High fans just booed and put their thumbs down at them.

Darren met the other team's captain at centerfield. The referee did the coin toss and the Growlers won it. They chose to have the ball kicked to them. After the players on both teams lined up in position, the game began.

The cheerleaders rooted on the Growlers as they ran with the ball. "Let's go, Growlers, let's go!" The school band's drummer played along with the cheering.

After the first and second downs, the Growlers were close to the Warriors' end zone. With a faked pass and a breakaway, their team scored a touchdown. The fans clapped and the squad cheered.

While the other team had control of the ball, the cheerleaders chanted, "Defense, defense." Over and over again they repeated the same words, and the crowd soon shouted them as well.

Johnny, Max, Shawn and Andrew were having fun cheering on Darren as he scored several times. Carson made some great tackles and interceptions which prevented the Warriors from scoring often. As the second quarter came to an end, the Growlers had a major lead. Both teams left the football field for halftime.

"Darren is making fools of those Weasels," Max said gleefully.

"I bet the Weasels are shaking in their locker room right now," Johnny added.

Shawn grinned. "This is a great way to start the season off."

"Yeah," Andrew said. He was not really into sports, but he was having some fun watching his friends on the field. Especially since their team was dominating.

The school band played some various songs while many fans stretched and bought things from the concession stand. Andrew and the guys stayed in their seats because they didn't want to lose their place. They could see all the plays from there and they knew the halftime show was about to begin.

Jessica rounded up the cheerleaders after they took a quick break and she brought them to the edge of the football field.

The band finished their song and then set their instruments down.

"And, now," the announcer began, "please make some noise for the Grove High cheerleaders as they dance to Spotlight."

All the girls followed Jessica out to centerfield. They walked slowly, allowing the crowd to take their seats and get ready for their performance.

Andrew watched as the girls lined up in two rows, one behind the other, and they lowered their heads and stood still. "This is going to be great," he muttered as he felt his pulse begin to accelerate.

As the music began, the cheerleaders started to breakout in synchronized moves.

"Spotlight, all eyes on me," the lyrics said, "this girl's moves are your fantasy."

Andrew realized the song was very provocative, which only fueled his interest in watching the cheerleaders' suggestive dancing. At that moment, he was glad he wasn't attending his old school. St. Peter's rigid rules would never have allowed the girls to perform that song. Andrew loved every second of it.

While half the cheerleaders continued dancing, the other half started to do flips. Jessica and Kayla did some forward flips, and Carol and Melissa did back hand spring flips. They went opposite directions, then headed back and flipped right past each other. Angela was in step with the other dancers, and soon the girls were all synchronized once more.

Towards the end of the performance, the Grove Girls moved their bodies with the beat of the song, imitating the singer's clear intentions with the lyrics. The cheerleaders practically strutted in front of the crowd.

Angela focused on the moves without questioning them like she used to. She wanted to be as flawless as possible to fit in with the squad and impress everyone with her talent. Nearing the final moments, she felt like the music freed her from being so conservative. She loved the complex movements and quick changes in the dancing.

As the cheerleaders all moved as fast as the music, the intense beat finally stopped and all the girls struck a different pose for the crowd. Each girl held a smile as the fans gave them a standing ovation.

"Yeah, woo," Johnny screamed as he jumped up and down.

Andrew stood on his seat and clapped along with Shawn and Max.

The cheerleaders waved and exited off the field as the football players charged back out there. The Warriors started the second half strong, but their determination for a comeback was not enough to damper the Growler's huge lead. Darren managed to speed past the defense for a few more touchdowns, and Carson continued to block the opponents' advances.

The last quarter ended with Darren catching a quick pass and scoring a final touchdown. As the time on the scoreboard came to an end, the Growlers rejoiced in victory. The cheerleaders stood there congratulating their players as they headed off the field towards the locker room.

As Carson approached Angela, she began to blush again.

"You did great out there," Angela blurted out.

He let the other players continue past as he stopped beside her.

"Thanks for cheering us on," Carson said smiling. "We couldn't have won without your support."

She grinned and replied, "You're sweet."

"Listen," Carson said as he reached out and gently touched her arm, "maybe we can talk sometime."

"Okay," she said as she nervously bit her lower lip.

Carson grinned, his eyes fastened on her lips, and then he ran off and caught up with the team.

"You guys were stellar," Jessica said as she faced her teammates. She turned to Angela with a wide smile, and said, "You really brought it tonight. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Angela said warmly. She felt incredibly happy and excited.

As the cheerleaders left the side of the field and walked closer to the bleachers, Johnny gestured emphatically and said, "Come on, you goofs. Let's go."

Andrew glanced at Shawn confused, and he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hurry up," Max said as he hurried away, "or you'll miss your chance."

"What?" Andrew asked.

Johnny yelled over his shoulder, "Just get down to the bottom of the bleachers, quickly."

When they hopped over the final row and reached the railing overlooking the field, Andrew stared at the guys, still confused. Johnny glanced slyly over the edge and to the side, and then waited for the right moment to speak.

"So," Johnny said casually, "what did you all think of the cheerleaders tonight?"

Max replied in a similar tone, "They were great."

"Very amazing halftime show," Shawn said with a smile.

Andrew was trying to think of what he was going to say to the guys. He could barely notice a hint of blue clothing beyond the railing as people were walking past them below, but he ignored it. He remembered how the cheerleaders were dancing very suggestively to the song during halftime, and it made him grin.

"The Grove Girls were super hot," Andrew relished. "I wish they would perform that song again just for me. Those cheerleaders are babes."

"Excuse me?" Jessica shouted angrily as she stood there with the rest of the team staring up at them from below. "Keep your fantasies to yourself."

Andrew's friends tried to hide their faces as Jessica gave him a scolding look. Some of the other cheerleaders started to mumble comments about him. His face turned bright red as he looked at the squad and said, "I'm sorry, I—"

Then he stared right into Angela's eyes and his mouth dropped open in shock and confusion. Her eyes were narrowed and she looked like she was holding back tears.

15

After the cheerleaders walked away, Max turned to Andrew and said, "You are so busted."

Johnny laughed hard and said, "I can't believe you said that to them."

"I didn't know they were standing there," Andrew attested. "Honestly."

Shawn shook his head. "Oh, that's just embarrassing."

"You sure know how to talk to the ladies," Max teased.

Andrew could not get over his feelings of guilt and embarrassment, and knew he had to do something. "I'll catch up with you guys on the parking lot."

"Running off to throw up?" Johnny asked with a grin.

Andrew just shook his head and took off down the stairs and towards the school building. He weaved past many groups of fans hanging out on the sidewalks, and through openings in between people crossing the path.

"Wait," he called at someone up ahead.

As Angela turned around, Andrew gently put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the side. After a few paces, she brushed his hand away.

"How dare you," Angela said while poking a finger into his chest. "How can you talk about girls like that? Show some respect."

Andrew saw the hurt in her eyes, yet he fired back. "Are you kidding me? You're a cheerleader?"

"Yes," Angela admitted, "I am. And, I'm very disappointed in you."

"How can you go out there on the football field in front of the whole school," Andrew began, "wearing a skimpy uniform like that and dancing to a trashy song like Spotlight? And you want respect?"

Angela glanced away while trying to think of a response. "There is nothing wrong with cheerleading," she said. "Jessica and the rest of the girls are extremely talented dancers. This is just the type of dancing that they love. Besides, months ago when Jessica wanted me to try out for the team, I tried to ask your opinion. But, you just ignored me and walked away."

Andrew raised an eyebrow and thought back to when that could have been. Then, he recalled the small argument in the hallway when he left her there and went home alone.

"Well, I can make decisions on my own now," Angela continued. "I don't need your opinion anymore. I love dancing."

Andrew held out his hands and asked, "But, cheerleading? It's so...so trashy."

"How can you love the performance," Angela said clearly upset and hurt, "but then condemn me for being a part of it?"

Andrew noticed that some of the groups nearby were watching them. He put his hand on her shoulder to try and led her aside again, but she did not budge.

"It's okay if the cheerleaders want to dance for the crowd," he said slowly trying to help her understand. "That's what they're there for. Our entertainment."

"Then why bash me for cheerleading?" Angela asked, trying to get him to approve of her actions to give her more assurance that it was okay.

"Because," Andrew said as though stating the obvious, "you're my sister."

"You hypocrite," she shouted as her eyes began to water. "You only care about yourself. You just want whatever makes you happy, but you want to ruin my happiness."

"It's not like that," Andrew said, angry at how impossible she was behaving.

"Hey," Kayla said as she emerged from the sea of spectators watching them. "Is this guy giving you trouble? Want me to take care of him?"

Angela smiled when she saw her friend, but she did not want to explain the situation. "No need," she said looking pointedly at Andrew, "he's just leaving."

Kayla gave him a dirty look until he turned and walked away. As Andrew glanced back, he saw Angela and Kayla enter the building.

_Great_ , Andrew thought sarcastically. _I've really messed things up now_.

When he reached the parking lot, he saw his friends hanging out beside the car.

"Get it all out of your system, Romeo?" Max teased.

Andrew was in no mood for joking, "Lay off, okay."

"We're just kidding," Johnny said throwing his arm around Andrew's shoulder. "No hard feelings?"

"Whatever," Andrew replied shrugging his arm off.

Andrew was relieved when the rest of the boys changed the subject and began to chat about the game and all the exciting plays. Finally, they spotted two guys exiting the gymnasium and heading their way.

"Great game," Max shouted.

Johnny added, "You two really made those Weasels look like rookies."

"Yeah," Carson said smugly, "Tackling them was as easy as tackling a dummy."

Darren laughed and said, "Sprinting past them was a breeze too."

"Tonight was amazing," Carson said. He turned away, "Well guys, it's been great, but I need to head back home. We have family visiting this weekend. I'll see you all on Monday."

His friends waved as he walked to his car and soon drove off.

To break the silence, Shawn then said, "And how about those cheerleaders?"

Johnny and Max snickered while staring at Andrew, watching him squirm.

"I missed most of the halftime show," Darren admitted, "but from what I saw, they were very hot."

Darren's comment made Andrew felt a little sick inside. He had thought the same thing about the cheerleaders until he realized that Angela was one of them. He knew what his thoughts were about the girls, but he did not like other guys thinking those things about his sister.

Andrew felt faint, so he opened the car door and sat in the back with the door still open so he could feel the breeze.

Shawn walked over to him. "Are you okay?"

"I just have a lot on my mind," Andrew admitted.

The boys huddled around the open door.

Max knowingly replied, "Oh, with your uncle."

Andrew had thought the guys giving him trouble about the cheerleader incident made him feel lousy, but the mention of his uncle made it worse.

"That's right," Darren said perking up, "You were going to demand a new television and some stuff for all of us. What did he say when you asked him?"

Andrew knew he could not hide the truth from them any longer. He avoided the subject the last few days, but now he had no choice. "Well, I confronted him and got a new TV in my room."

"Alright," Johnny said with feeling. "Way to go, bro."

"That's great," Darren said as he gazed hard at Andrew, "and our stuff?"

Andrew looked away for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase his response. "I don't think it was right to accept the TV, and I can't ask for anything else."

"What?" Darren shouted, clearly livid. "I don't get it."

Shawn quickly said, "His uncle thinks that Andrew knows the truth. He could easily squeeze more things out of him if he really wanted to."

Andrew stared at him with narrowed eyes, but Shawn continued anyways. "I guess he just doesn't want to hook us up."

Johnny threw his hands in the air. "Man, I thought we were friends."

"What a waste," Max huffed.

Darren had his hands on his hips and shook his head in disapproval. He then appeared to be thinking for a moment.

"Hey, guys," Darren said excitedly, "I just got a great idea. Who wants to celebrate our victory tonight?"

Andrew was relieved that Darren dropped the subject. He figured that he was still too happy from winning the game and that nothing was going to take that away from him.

Johnny gave him a questioning look and then quickly said, "Count me in."

"Me too," Max chimed in. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"You'll see," Darren said as he threw another look at Andrew. "It'll be a surprise."

"Sounds good to me," Shawn said noting the byplay.

Andrew hesitated to answer. It was a Friday night and he had nothing better to do. He really did not want to go home yet and face Angela again. There was a chance she would be out with the other cheerleaders, but he did not want to risk going home and having another argument. Especially not in front of Uncle Billy, if he was back from his date. And, if he declined the invitation, someone would either have to drop him off at home, which would be out of their way, or he would have to walk a few miles. He also wanted to prove himself to the boys and make them forget about the whole 'Uncle Billy Drama'.

"Alright," Andrew said, "I'm in."

Darren smiled slyly, "Awesome. Johnny, follow my car and I'll lead you guys there."

As Darren got into his red sports car, the rest of the guys went into Johnny's sedan. When Darren headed off the parking lot, Johnny followed close behind. After a few miles, Darren pulled onto the nearly empty parking lot of a small hardware store. Johnny was a bit confused, but he parked alongside his friend.

"I just have to pick up some supplies," Darren told Johnny with a wink.

Darren walked into Daniel's Hardware Store and left the other guys on the lot.

"I gotta say," Johnny began, "whatever he's up to, it must be epic."

"Yeah," Max agreed. "I can't wait to find out."

Shawn eagerly leaned forward. "I love surprises."

Andrew stayed silent, lost in his thoughts and wondering what Darren had planned for them.

Five minutes later, Darren came out of the store holding two shopping bags in his hands. He went straight to his car, started it up, and exited the parking lot. Johnny once again followed him down the street, and after several miles and a few stoplights, they pulled off the main road.

"No way," Johnny began excitedly, "We're at Westview High School."

Max laughed. "Oh, man, this is going to be great."

Andrew looked out the window and saw the school building coming into view. Johnny followed Darren's car around the school and they parked in the shadows behind a few dumpsters.

Moments later, everyone got out of the cars and gathered around Darren. Johnny and Max tried to take a peek through the shopping bags.

"Hey," Max said, "are those cans in there?"

Darren motioned for the guys to be silent, and then he whispered, "Tonight we are going to congratulate the Weasels on their loss." He reached into one bag and pulled out a blue can of spray paint. He then asked, "Who's up for tagging their school?"

16

As Jessica finished putting gas in her car, she walked into the gas station's small convenient store to pay with cash. Kayla returned to the front passenger seat, while Angela just watched from the back.

Angela glanced out the window to see Jessica inside the store browsing around. "I thought Jessica was just paying for gas."

"Oh," Kayla began as she looked at herself in the mirror, "she also said that she was going to score us some drinks to enjoy back at her place."

"Like soft drinks or something?" Angela asked naively.

Kayla looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Something a little more exciting."

Angela peered inside the building just in time to see Jessica approach the counter. She placed a pack of glass bottles beside the register and started talking with the clerk. He pointed to a sign that had two numbers on it, _21_.

Jessica just smiled and flipped her blonde hair a little, as if she was trying to flirt with the college-aged clerk. He seemed to not buy it at first, but then she took out a piece of paper from her purse, scribbled something on it and handed it to him. He smiled, rang her out, and then Jessica left the store with the pack of glass bottles.

She rounded the car, opened the door across from Angela and set down the pack of bottles beside her. As Jessica did so, Angela noticed a word on the side of the cardboard package, _Beer_.

"You rule," Kayla said to her best friend. "You always manage to pull it off."

"It took a little practice," Jessica admitted obviously pleased with herself, "but, I got it down now."

Angela was disconcerted. "I thought you had to be over twenty-one to buy alcohol?"

"If you have enough charm you can do whatever you want," Jessica flippantly answered.

Kayla raised a brow. "But, you didn't really give him your phone number, did you?"

Jessica laughed and replied, "Of course not. I'm not desperate."

Angela did not feel comfortable sitting beside the alcohol, and as Jessica drove away, the sound of the glass bottles tapping against each other annoyed her. She tried to ignore it the best she could. On the ride to Jessica's house, Angela stayed fairly quiet, and Jessica and Kayla were busy singing along to some pop music on the radio.

"Welcome to Upper Grove Heights," Jessica said to Angela. Her pride in her neighborhood was obvious in her voice.

Angela admired the well constructed townhouses lining both sides of the street, and it was very apparent that the owners were well-to-do. Many of the wide, two-story homes had intricate landscaping all around. Their walkways and stairs were lit by decorative light posts and their front doors had large stain glass windows in them.

"Very impressive," Angela said with sincerity.

"Thank you," Jessica began, "it's the best place to live around here."

Kayla turned in her seat to stare at Angela, "Oh, you've never been here before?"

Angela quietly responded, "No, we're always so busy hanging out at the malls together."

"Yeah, that's true. Well, I just live a mile away, so I come over all the time. Where do you live?"

Before Angela was forced to answer that, Jessica kindly said, "Angela lives a little south of here."

"Okay." Kayla glanced at Jessica. "There are some really nice homes there too."

"Yes," Angela agreed. _Just not all the way south in Bottom Grove_.

Jessica pulled into her driveway and parked in the garage. As they all got out of the car, Jessica said, "My parents are still gone, or their car would have been parked in the garage too. I think they went to a play or something."

"Do your parents ever watch you cheerleading?" Angela asked semi-wistfully.

"They used to," Jessica replied trying to act indifferent, "but they would rather go out instead. Honestly, they stay out of my business and I stay out of theirs. So, we should have no problem hanging out upstairs and drinking."

Angela thought it was sad that Jessica's parents would not spend time with her, but mostly she was worried about the beer that they had.

Jessica carried the bottles inside, while Kayla headed to the kitchen. Angela walked inside the clean home and loved the spacious living room. She then followed Jessica upstairs into her bedroom.

The room was twice as big as hers was, the bed was a queen-size, and the closet was over four feet wide. As Jessica set down the pack of bottles, Angela crossed the room. On the wall above the desk were pictures of Jessica and in many of them, there were different guys posing with her.

"I wouldn't recommend any of those guys," Jessica said with a laugh.

"Friends of yours?" Angela asked.

Jessica rolled her eyes and said, "They wish. No, just former flings. Why waste too much time with any one of them? Once they're boring, you can just find a new one."

Angela decided not to comment, because she did not want the conversation to shift to her. But, unfortunately, Jessica then asked, "So, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No." Angela replied so fast that she wondered how it just came across. "I mean, not right now."

"Well," Jessica began teasingly, "I saw you flirting with the quarterback at the game."

"We were just talking," Angela said as she blushed.

"Sure you were. I think you two are a good match. Besides, he is very muscular. If you don't date him, I just might."

"Hey!" Angela started, but then fell silent.

"Oh," Jessica said her eyes wide with fake innocence, "so you do like Carmen?"

Angela replied quickly, "It's Carson."

Jessica just laughed. "I see."

As they heard footsteps coming up the stairs, Jessica tossed a shirt over the beer. But, when she saw Kayla with a pizza, she smiled.

Jessica closed the door and locked it. Kayla set the pizza pan on the dresser along with some paper plates. Each girl grabbed a plate and a few slices of pizza. Angela took hers, said a silent prayer, without doing the sign of the cross, and then ate.

Kayla took a beer bottle, popped the cap and started gulping it down. Jessica grabbed one and held it out towards Angela. "Do you want one?"

Angela's first instinct was to say no. Her parents did not drink, and they had warned her of the dangers of drinking alcohol. She watched as Kayla guzzled the first beer like it was cold water on a hot day. Angela knew that drinking was addictive, and that being drunk impaired your thoughts and self-control. Jessica appeared to think nothing of offering her the beer, like she was offering her candy.

"No thank you," Angela said, waving a hand in refusal.

Kayla said, "Oh come on, Angela. It's just a beer. I started drinking around your age."

Angela replied uneasily, "I don't drink."

Jessica took a few swigs. "Really? Do you have a weak stomach or something?"

"No, my stomach is normal," Angela said, getting slightly annoyed at their persistence.

"All the Grove Girls drink," Kayla insisted vehemently. "You don't want them to think you're afraid or anything."

"Kayla, let's not pressure her," Jessica cut in. When Angela heard that, she was glad. She did not want to be peer pressured to drink, and she was happy that Jessica realized that. However, then Jessica said, "She can decide to drink when she's ready."

Angela's stomach flip flopped. "I don't feel that great."

"I'll take you home," Jessica said as she downed the beer. "It was your first game. You're probably exhausted from all the cheerleading."

Kayla gave her a smile and added, "You just need some sleep."

"Yeah," Angela said as she gave a weak smile in return. "I'll be fine tomorrow."

Jessica asked Kayla to clean up the room while they were gone. Kayla waved to them as they left the room and headed to the garage.

The ride home was fairly quiet. Angela was a little sore from cheerleading, especially the halftime show. She leaned back in the passenger seat and just closed her eyes for a bit. Angela was glad that she did not drink, and was upset that the other girls were into drinking. But, she did not feel like questioning Jessica about it, knowing that they still had the rest of the cheerleading season together.

Jessica soon said, "We're here."

Angela opened her heavy eyes and saw the house. Billy's vehicle was not there, which made her smile. She grabbed her backpack and got out of the car.

Jessica leaned out the window. "Oh, there's something I forgot to tell you."

Angela came closer. "What's that?"

"Julia is currently dating one of the football players," Jessica began with a smile, "and she said that after the game, Carson was telling the guys in the locker room about you."

Angela tried not to sound too interested, despite her heart picking up a beat. "Oh, yeah?"

Jessica nodded encouragingly. "Maybe you should talk to him next week at school. He obviously has a crush on you. Why not give him a chance?"

Angela rolled her eyes and replied, "I'll think about it."

Jessica waved and drove away. When Angela unlocked the front door and entered the house, it was the quietest it had been in a long time. With Uncle Billy gone, the television was silent. As she walked upstairs, she tried to listen for Andrew's radio in his room, but she could not hear any music blaring.

She was relieved that she did not have to say anything else to her brother that night. Angela was still very upset with him, but she was not interested in another fight. After preparing for bed, she closed her door, turned off the light, and laid down. While Angela rested, she thought of how exciting cheerleading was, and then she recalled how she felt when Carson flirted with her.

_He really has a crush on me?_ Angela thought. _He seems like a nice guy_. _I wonder if he would ask me out. What would I say if he did?_

17

Johnny held the spray can close to the brick wall and pressed the button. As the blue paint was sprayed on the side of the school building, Max and Shawn positioned themselves further along the wall and started tagging their own messages.

Darren pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. His shadowed faced looked eerie in the dark. "Okay, they'll take care of the outside, we'll take the inside."

Andrew glanced over at what Johnny was spraying. _Westview Weasels_. He was very overwhelmed by what his friends were doing and what he was about to be a part of, but he did not know what to say to them. They were the only people he ever spoke to at school, and without them, he would be alone.

"Come on," Darren said authoritatively, "let's look for an open window."

They walked along the side of the school, peering at the darkened windows, until they finally located one that was ajar.

Darren stood below the window and motioned for Andrew to come closer. "You're lighter than me. I'll lift you up, and after you climb through the window, head down the hallway until you find the exit door near our cars and then open it up for me."

"I don't know about this," Andrew said, fear apparent in his voice. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and the palms of his hands were sweating. _Am I seriously about to break into the school and vandalize it? This is wrong...I know it is wrong, so why am I still going along with it?_

"You're the only one who can do this," Darren said as he grasped Andrew's shoulders. "Can you imagine the Weasels' faces on Monday when they see what we've done? It'll be priceless."

"What if they know we did it?" Andrew tried to think of a way to get out of it. "I don't want to get caught."

"We won't get busted," Darren said with confidence. "Westview may figure out that our school was responsible for it, but they can't do anything to us. They won't be able to prove a thing. Besides, it's just spray paint. The school can easily scrape it off or paint over it. Seriously, it's no big deal. It's just for fun."

Andrew stared at him and then glanced back at Johnny and Max who were busy spraying messages all over the brick wall. He saw how much they were getting into it, and that they seemed to be smiling and suppressing their laughter.

"Don't let us down again, Andrew. We are in this together. It is time you prove yourself to us. Do this and we will know you are really our friend."

"Alright." Andrew said feeling himself capitulate. _I need these guys._ _Like Darren said, it is just for fun. No harm is being done._ "Lift me up. We'll have to be quick though."

"Yes," Darren said quietly, "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

Andrew stepped on Darren's readied hands and was hoisted up towards the high window. He grabbed hold of the frame and slipped between the slanted window and the sill. He peered down in time to see a spray can being tossed up to him. Andrew balanced on the windowsill and caught the can with one hand.

"I'll meet you at the door," Darren said before taking off.

Andrew lowered himself on the inside onto the tiled floor. He peered through the darkness and gave his eyes a moment to adjust. Soon he realized that he was standing in a men's restroom. He took a deep breath and carefully stepped towards the wooden door ahead.

As he pushed it slightly open, he looked down the dimly lit hallway. He remained still while listening for any movement or echoes, but there were none. Andrew walked into the hallway and glanced down the other direction. When he was satisfied that the coast was clear, he ventured down the hall in route to the side door.

From the outside of the building, the walk did not seem long. However, with Andrew's heart beating rapidly and with him on edge, the trek felt like it was endless. He knew Darren was waiting outside, counting on Andrew to let him in.

_I can do this_ , Andrew thought. _I'm almost there_.

He continued towards an exit sign that hung halfway down the hallway. He focused on reaching that point and ignored his fears as he took each step forward. As he approached the sign, he looked to the side and saw steps leading down to the metal door. He silently rejoiced as he followed the stairs and reached the bottom.

Andrew was about to push the metal bar to open the door, but he noticed a small red blinking light _._ He was furious as he realized that the door was armed with a security alarm, and there was no way past it without setting it off. He stared at the metal door, then made a fist and did two soft knocks on it.

A slight echo went down the hallway, which he halfway expected. A moment later, he heard Darren whisper from outside, "Andrew, is that you?"

"Yes," he quietly replied, "it's me."

"Good," Darren said. "Now, open the door and let me in."

"I can't," Andrew said hurriedly. "The door is rigged. If I open it, the alarm will go off."

"Okay," Darren said, "If there is no way to let me inside, then go ahead and tag the hallway without me. Write some dirty things that will rile up those Weasels."

Andrew glanced at the blue spray can in his hand, and then replied, "I'll see you at the window in a few minutes."

"Right," Darren said with suppressed mirth.

Andrew turned around and walked away from the exit and back up the stairs. He stared down the hall for a moment as if he heard something, but after he paused to listen for it, he shook his head.

Walking alongside the lockers, he looked at the spray can once more. It seemed to glint ominously in the dark.

_Darren would never know if I used it or not_ , Andrew thought. _Except that he will notice that the spray can is still full. Maybe I should empty some of it into a trash can._

Andrew walked over to a trash can beside a water fountain. He took the cap off and shook the spray can a few times. He then put his finger on the trigger button.

"Stop right there," said an authoritative voice from behind him.

Andrew jumped in place and then froze.

The man continued, "Set the spray can down and slowly turn towards me."

"This isn't what it looks like," Andrew said as he thought desperately what to do.

"You are trespassing," the man stated, "and by the looks of it, you were also vandalizing the school."

"No, I didn't do anything. I mean—"

The man voice was sharp as ice. "Listen, kid, I'll be honest with you. This doesn't look good for you at all. If I were you, I would do exactly what I tell you to. Now, let's try this again. Set the can down and turn around. Keep your hands in the air."

Andrew slowly put the cap back on the spray can, then placed it on the floor. He then turned towards the man and noticed his uniform. By the gray scrubs he was wearing, Andrew realized that he was a janitor.

_He's not security_ , Andrew thought shrewdly. _I bet I can out run him, but I don't think I'd make it out the restroom window in time._

"Alright," the man said. "Let's see what you look like."

He walked over to a light switch on the wall and he used a key to activate it. The hallway lit up within seconds as all the lights came to life. Suddenly, muffled voices came from outside, followed by car doors shutting.

"You didn't come here alone, did you?" the man asked.

Before Andrew could answer, tires screeched on the pavement outside.

The man pointed to Andrew and said, "Wait here. Don't move an inch. I'm going to trust you."

The janitor ran down the hallway towards the exit door and disappeared down the stairs. Rather than wasting any time finding the key, he pushed the door open and the alarm went off.

_They left me here_ , Andrew thought _. The cops will come, and they just left me here_.

Andrew debated whether running was a good idea or not. With the janitor outside, he was not sure if escaping out the restroom would just get him caught on the parking lot. He felt angry at himself for going along with all this, and frustrated that his friends abandoned him.

Minutes passed, yet Andrew remained still. As heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, he saw the janitor come back into view.

From the distance, and over the sound of the alarm, the janitor said, "Well, kid, you were smart to stick around. Your friends are long gone anyways."

"They're no friends of mine," Andrew said bitterly.

"Well," the janitor said, "apparently not."

Andrew, desperate, tried one last time. "Please let me go. I didn't do anything."

The janitor rolled his eyes and replied coldly, "You can save your story for the police."

18

Angela stood in the kitchen while drinking a cup of water. She glanced into the living room and saw Uncle Billy still lounged on the couch like he had been ever since he got home hours ago. He was watching some kind of action movie, with the music and explosions blaring through the sound bar.

She set the empty cup down on the counter and left the room towards the stairs. As she neared them, flashing red and blue lights caught her attention through a side window. Angela stared at the lights as they intensified and seemed to hover right in front of their house.

Then the doorbell rang.

_What's wrong?_ She thought as fear raced through her body. _No, not again. Please, let everything be okay._

She felt her stomach knot up as she took heavy steps towards the front door. The last time a cop spoke to her was when her parents died. She feared the worst.

The loud sound effects in the living room stopped abruptly. She noticed Uncle Billy just standing near the front window staring at the flashing lights around the curtains. The beer can in his grip shook along with his hand.

"Why are they here?" he muttered nervously as he set the can down on an end table.

He looked Angela in the eyes, almost as if he wanted her to answer the door instead of him. She started to take a step forward to open the door, but her uncle waved her to the side. His shaking hand unlocked the deadbolt and he twisted the door knob.

As he cracked the door open, Uncle Billy stared at a police officer that was dressed in all black. He had a golden name tag and a silver badge pinned to his shirt. His serious demeanor made Uncle Billy at a loss for words. Standing behind her uncle, Angela was unable to see the officer, but was close enough to listen.

"Good evening, Mr. Jensen," the police officer said.

Uncle Billy replied, "Um, hello. Who are you?"

"I am Officer Casey. The reason I am here is because of an incident regarding your nephew, Andrew Jensen."

Angela put her hands on her face and was near tears. _Please, no._

"What did he tell you?" Uncle Billy demanded. "That boy is nothing but trouble and full of lies."

The officer said, "He says that you are his legal guardian, and that he lives here. Is that true?"

"Yes," Uncle Billy said rudely. "That doesn't mean any of it is true."

"I'm afraid that it is." The officer looked Billy over with a critical eye. "This is a very serious matter."

_What is going on?_ Angela thought confusedly. _Where's my brother?_

Uncle Billy put one hand on his stomach and the other to his mouth. He looked like he was going to throw up, but instead he belched in the officer's face.

"I would advise you not to do that again." Officer Casey's voice hardened. "Have you been drinking tonight?"

"I have a right to do whatever I want in my own home," Uncle Billy said with attitude. "Furthermore, I don't appreciate you disrupting my evening."

"Maybe you don't fully understand the gravity of this situation. Wait right here."

As the officer turned and walked back to his vehicle, Uncle Billy glanced over his shoulder and realized that Angela was still standing there behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said. "Did I tell you to stay there and snoop?"

Angela crinkled her brow and snapped, "I saw the flashing lights and I just wanted to know that Andrew is alright. Shouldn't you care about your own nephew?"

Her uncle retorted, "Of course I care about the brat, I mean, your brother. But, I don't like a cop at my door. Now, get upstairs and let me handle this."

Before Angela could move, her uncle turned to peek outside and saw the police officer escort Andrew to the door.

"There you are," Uncle Billy said his voice suddenly sweet as rotted pumpkin pie. He extended his hands toward Andrew. "I was very worried about you."

Andrew stood there with his head lowered and did not say a word.

Angela stepped to the side to see past her uncle. When she saw Andrew there, she could tell that he was upset and embarrassed.

Uncle Billy turned to the police officer with a forced smile. "This little boy is like a son to me. My concern for him made me a bit puckish. So, please tell me, what's this all about?"

The officer raised both eyebrows at Billy as if to tell him his playacting hadn't fooled him, and then he said, "There were several teenagers that were trespassing at Westview High School. Apparently, they were there to vandalize the school building."

"What?" Uncle Billy said, seeming almost relieved. "And, Andrew was there?"

"The night janitor caught him in the hallway with a spray can in his hand." Officer Casey looked hard at Andrew.

_You wouldn't_ , Angela thought in disbelief. _Why would you ever do something like that?_

Then she thought about their argument after the football game, and the degrading things he said about the cheerleaders.

_I don't even know you anymore_ , she thought painfully.

As her worry for Andrew turned to anger, she ran upstairs to her room.

Uncle Billy asked with a happy inflection in his voice, "You mean to tell me that you are just here about that?"

"This is not something to take lightly," the officer said sternly. "This matter is being investigated as we speak, and the principal of that school has already been notified of the incident."

"What's going to happen? You're not going to arrest him now, are you?

"Principal Thorton of Westview High has decided not to press charges as of yet," the officer replied. "But, as I said, this is being investigated."

"Is there anything you need from me?" Uncle Billy said. "I'm always here for the police."

"As a matter of fact, yes. As the legal guardian, I need you to meet with Andrew and Principal Hart at his school to discuss this matter with him tomorrow morning at eight o'clock in his office."

Uncle Billy frowned. "Is that really necessary? I can discipline Andrew myself."

Andrew glanced up at his uncle to try and see if that was a threat.

Officer Casey saw Uncle Billy stumble a little, and he shook his head. "Andrew, you can go ahead inside. I need to talk to your uncle alone."

Uncle Billy tensed up as Andrew slipped through the doorway past him and ran upstairs to his room, leaving him with the officer.

"Mr. Jensen," the officer said, "You are—"

"No," he exclaimed, "you can't arrest me."

The officer gave him a hard look. "Is there some reason I should?"

Uncle Billy fell silent. After a few awkward moments he said, "No. Of course not. I'm just a little tired, that's all. And worried about the boy. His parents just didn't raise him right. I've been trying to help him, but there is only so much a working man like me can do, you know?"

"What I am trying to tell you," Officer Casey said ignoring Billy, "is that you need to speak to Andrew's principal if you want to help keep this incident off Andrew's record, and honestly, to make sure Andrew isn't expelled."

"Fine," Uncle Billy said with feeling, "I definitely want the boy in school. We'll meet with the principal tomorrow."

"I'll be in touch if needed."

Officer Casey nodded and then returned to his police car.

_This is insane_ , Uncle Billy thought. _That boy brought a cop to my house. He's really going to get it_.

He stormed up the stairs with his fists clenched, but as he neared the top steps he recalled what he first thought about when the police officer arrived. He stopped in the upper hallway and pondered what to say to his nephew.

Uncle Billy knocked on Andrew's bedroom door, but there was no reply. "Hey, Andrew, open up."

When Billy tried the doorknob, he discovered that it was locked. He could hear alternative rock music playing from inside the room. When he knocked again, the music became louder.

_Yeah, just ignore me_ , Uncle Billy thought with annoyance.

Inside the room, Andrew laid in bed staring at the ceiling.

_Just go away_ , he thought _. Just leave me alone_.

To his surprise, he heard the steps creaking as someone walked downstairs.

_I can't believe this is happening to me_ , Andrew thought. _My whole life is a mess and it's just getting worse._

Andrew crossed the room and turned off the radio. He flipped the light switch and he laid down in the darkness. His stomach growled, but he realized that he could not eat without going downstairs and facing his uncle. He sat up and slammed his fist against the bed.

"I didn't want any of this to happen," Andrew said while staring up at the ceiling. "I don't deserve this. Please, don't do this to me."

19

"I can't believe you'd do something this reckless," Uncle Billy said from the driver's seat of his car.

Andrew sulked back in the passenger seat and just stared out the window as they left Bottom Grove. The morning had been a little rushed, since him and his uncle both needed to be at the high school at eight o'clock.

During breakfast, while Andrew was alone eating cereal, Angela had come into the kitchen. When she looked at him, he glanced away. He knew what she wanted to ask him, but he did not feel like talking about it. Andrew would already need to state his case and claim his innocence to his principal, and he did not want to get into the drama at home with his sister first.

Uncle Billy had woken up after Andrew was ready to head out the door, which was Andrew's plan. _Be ready, stay as silent as possible, and save it all for the principal._

Despite Uncle Billy's attempts at breaking his silence, Andrew shrugged off his comments and focused on what he was going to say in the office. He felt that he would only get one chance at this, and he did not want to lose his cool.

"I have better things to do, you know," his uncle said coldly.

_Like what exactly?_ Andrew thought dismissively. _Anyways, this isn't my idea of fun either._

As they got closer to the school, Andrew felt his heart beating faster. He rolled down the window to feel the cool breeze outside, which seemed to help some. Since it was a Saturday, the parking lot was nearly empty. His uncle parked the car close to the school and they walked to the main entrance.

When they stepped into the lobby, Andrew sighed as he pointed towards the right. He looked at the open doorway ahead and saw the principal seated at his desk. As they approached, the middle-aged man with graying hair and a blue suit stood up.

"You can come inside," the principal said.

Once through the doorway, Andrew noticed another man in a chair to the side of the principal's desk. His dark hair was short, he wore a casual blue polo shirt and black pants, and there was a curious look on his face.

The man behind the desk came forth and greeted them with a firm handshake. "I am Principal Hart, and this is Senior Counselor Robertson."

"Good morning," Robertson said as he shook their hands.

As the principal closed the door and returned to his chair, he motioned for them to take a seat in front of the desk. Once everyone was seated, the principal said, "Gentlemen, we are all here because of the vandalism at Westview High School."

Uncle Billy turned towards Andrew and shook his head with anger as he looked at him with judging eyes. Andrew ignored him and tapped his foot lightly on the ground out of nervousness and fear.

"Andrew," Principal Hart continued, "I heard the police report and have spoken with the Westview principal this morning about the vandalism of their school. I know what happened, and that you were there last night. These are very serious allegations and this meeting, along with Principal Thorton's decision, will determine if charges will be pressed and what the outcome will be. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Andrew replied quietly.

"Very well." Thorton rested his fingertips on his temples. "Please tell us exactly what happened at Westview High School last night."

Andrew looked down for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I was at the Grove High football game and afterwards, my friends—I mean, I went to Westview High School just to check it out, when—"

Principal Hart's cold stare made Andrew shift in his seat and lose focus.

"I know you are feeling nervous," Counselor Robertson said kindly. "It is extremely important that you are honest about everything that occurred, so we can better understand."

The principal nodded and said, "Right. We know more than you may think we do, so I would strongly encourage you to just come right out and tell us everything. The reality is that you could be suspended, or even expelled. Your side of the story, your insights may prevent anything that severe from taking place."

Andrew thought about how the guys would react if he sold them out. Then he remembered how they left him stranded at the school to take the blame. They never even called him at home to see if he ever made it back there and if he was okay.

"Alright," Andrew said with resignation, "this is what actually happened last night. After the football game, I got back into my friend Johnny McPherson's car along with Max Stevens and Shawn Wright. Darren was in his car, and we started following him. Now, we were confused when he stopped at Daniel's Hardware Store and he bought something secret. After we reached Westview High School, Darren told us that we were there to tag the school with spray paint."

"Darren Dunlap?" Principal Hart said looking unsurprised. "He's the football player from our team, correct?"

"Yeah," Andrew said swallowing hard. Darren was never going to forgive him for selling him out.

The principal nodded to the counselor who was already writing all of this down on a legal pad.

"And, what did everyone do when they found out what Darren had planned?" the principal asked.

"Well," Andrew replied, "Johnny, Max, and Shawn were all hesitant at first, but then they took the spray cans and started tagging the outside of the building near the dumpsters and along the wall towards the football field. Darren wanted me to sneak through a window and go around to the exit door to let him inside."

Andrew paused and narrowed his eyes. That really made him sound bad. But how could he phrase it so as not to sound bad?

"And you agreed to do that?" Principal Hart asked shrewdly.

"I didn't know what else to do," he said trying to garner sympathy. "I've never been there before, and if I didn't go along with it, I'm not sure what they would have done. If they turned on me, it would have been four against one. I wouldn't have stood a chance. So, yes, I agreed to enter the school. Darren lifted me through an opened restroom window, but when I made it down the hallway to the exit door; I saw that it was protected by a security system. I told Darren that I couldn't let him inside without setting off the alarm."

"What did he say after that?" Principal Hart continued to stare hard at Andrew.

"Darren told me to tag the inside of the school," Andrew said, "and then escape back through the restroom window."

"And that's when the night janitor caught you ready to spray the wall?" The principal glanced over briefly at the counselor.

Andrew replied, "No, I mean, yes that's when the janitor saw me, but I wasn't going to spray the wall. I didn't want to vandalize the school at all, but I couldn't return back to Darren with an unused spray can. So, I was going to spray half of it into a trash can to use up some of the paint."

Principal Hart glanced at Counselor Robertson again, and then said, "Just to make it clear, are you stating that you did not vandalize the school at all? It was just your friends?"

"Yes," Andrew said in relief, "although I know now that they are not really my friends."

Uncle Billy looked at Andrew then the principal and said, "Well, you heard the boy, he didn't do it. He is a good boy really."

Andrew looked at Billy in surprise. _He is actually trying to support me now?_

The principal leaned forward and said pointedly, "Andrew still trespassed."

"Please," Andrew said, "I was driven there. I didn't choose to go to Westview. I couldn't leave because that's miles from my home and I wouldn't possibly have known my way back."

Principal Hart sat back in his chair and shook his head. "So, you gave in to peer pressure. You took what seemed like the easy way out. Andrew, I appreciate your honesty and you clarifying many details, especially about what your classmates had done. I hope in the future you can make better decisions in tough situations. I'm going to speak to Principal Thorton this weekend and continue the investigation."

"So, what does this mean?" Andrew asked fearfully. "What's going to happen to me?"

Uncle Billy leaned forward and said heavily concerned, "Could he really get expelled for this?"

"It is entirely possible," Principal Hart said. "Andrew, this investigation is confidential and it would be in your best interest not to talk to anyone about it, especially those involved."

Andrew nodded tiredly. Nothing had been resolved.

"Mr. Jensen, thank you for coming," the principal said to Billy. "Andrew, I expect you in my office a half hour before school starts on Monday, and I'll let you know our decision."

20

As the front door was slammed shut, Angela heard the noise from her room. Ever since Andrew had left that morning, she wondered what would happen to him. She worried about her brother getting expelled and being sent off to a farther away public school. He had been gone for over an hour now, and she could not stand being in the dark about something so severe.

Angela rushed downstairs and found her brother just standing there. The look of sadness on his face was alarming, and he appeared to be nervous.

"Where's Billy?" Angela asked timidly.

"He's going off to see his girlfriend."

Angela crinkled her brow in confusion. "Girlfriend? I didn't know he was dating someone."

"Yeah," Andrew said scratching his head wearily, "I just found out recently too."

Both siblings stood across from each other, but stared away as if searching for what to say next. The awkward silence lasted for too long and finally Angela could not take it anymore. "So, what happened? Do you want to tell me, or what?"

Her attitude caught Andrew a little off guard, but he seemed too weak to fight off the question. "I talked with the principal, and I told him the truth. But, I won't know the outcome until Monday morning."

"So, you admitted to it?" she said not bothering to hide her disbelief and disgust. "I mean, you really did vandalize their school?"

"You really think I'm guilty?" Andrew fired back. "You hear that your brother did something bad, but instead of immediately coming to my defense, you believe that I'm guilty?"

"Andrew," she replied with her hands on her hips, "You have been acting really odd lately you know."

He appeared frustrated and said, "The guys were flipping out last night because I refused to blackmail Uncle Billy to get them free stuff. Then, they brought me along to the school, and they started tagging it. Darren really pressured me to join in, and I was afraid that if I didn't go along with it, then it would be the last straw. I didn't want to lose my only friends."

"Well, that's a big mess you got yourself into. And, what do you mean blackmail?" Angela asked as she tried to sort everything out. "What are you talking about?"

Andrew had admitted it out of anger, and although part of him wanted to keep the whole thing a secret, his pain inside was too much.

"Aren't you curious where Uncle Billy got the money for the new television, sound bar, and the sofa?" Andrew said. "When I told my friends about it, they agreed with me that it doesn't make any sense. So, they wanted me to... take advantage of the situation... to ask for a new TV for myself. Well, I confronted our uncle, and he gave in. I got the TV. But, my friends wanted things too. They wanted me to blackmail him."

"I don't get it," Angela said, shaking her head.

"Uncle Billy doesn't even seem to work anymore," Andrew said, "but somehow he can buy all these new things and even take out his girlfriend too. I think she's the reason he's always out at fancy restaurants."

"I'm not sure about what our uncle has been up to," Angela said slowly, "but that's no excuse to vandalize a school."

Andrew raised his hands and shouted, "I didn't do it, okay. And I'm done talking about it too."

As Andrew stormed off to his room, Angela was left standing there.

_I can't believe how much you've changed_ , she thought. She felt saddened at how large the gulf between them had grown.

After giving her brother a generous head start, she then went upstairs to go to her room. Her brother's door was shut, as she hoped it would be which made it easy to sneak into her room and close the door.

Angela spent most of the day doing her homework and avoiding Andrew. Still, she reflected on how sad Andrew looked, and the pain she had seen in his eyes. As hours passed, she finished all her school work and just relaxed in her room.

In the evening, the phone downstairs began to ring.

Angela wondered if anyone would answer it. She was then curious if the phone would ring more than three times.

_I don't think it's ever rung more than twice_ , she thought.

And the third ring never came. She then heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hallway towards her.

Knock, knock. She jumped as she heard the rapping at her door.

"Um," Angela said, "yes?"

"Hey," Uncle Billy muttered, "it's for you."

Angela crossed the room, opened the door and saw her uncle holding out the cordless phone. As she took the phone, she raised a brow.

_I didn't know you ever came home_ , she thought. _Huh. Well, I wonder who is calling._

"Don't tie-up the line," her uncle said. "Be quick."

He disappeared down the hallway and she closed the door behind her. As she lifted the receiver to her ear, she said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Angela," a guy replied, "it's me, Carson."

Angela immediately blushed and smiled. "Well, hi. I... didn't know you had my number."

His gentle laughter calmed her nerves, though her heart was still racing. "Your friend Jessica gave it to me."

Angela rolled her eyes. _I can't believe it. She could have warned me that he would call._

"So," he continued, "how are you?"

"I'm doing well," she answered, "How are you?"

"Even better now that I'm talking with you."

_Corny or sweet?_ Angela debated. _How should I respond to that?_

"You're sweet," she decided. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Well," Carson said, "A few relatives came over last night. Some aunts and uncles from my mom's side of the family. We played games and talked all night."

"I bet that was fun," she said with a hint of remorse in her voice. Angela used to have so much fun playing games and talking with Andrew. So much had changed since her parents' death.

"We had a great time," he replied suavely. "One of them said they had two tickets to a concert tonight."

"Oh, yeah?" Angela said, fearing yet hoping where the conversation was headed.

"Yes and actually, they're not going to stay for it. They're going to be taking off early tonight to head back home, so they'll miss the concert anyways. They offered me both tickets."

"And you took them?" Angela asked as her heart began to beat faster.

"Of course," Carson said. "They're practically front row seats. I mean, it's just a local band playing, but it should be fun."

"I'm sure it would be," she said hopefully.

After a few moments had passed, Carson chuckled. "Angela, would you like to go to the concert with me?"

Angela felt a mixture of happiness and nervousness, and hesitated to answer. She then said, "Carson, I... yes, I would."

"Alright," he said sounding pleased, "I'll pick you up at seven o'clock."

Angela couldn't stop smiling. "See you then."

In unison, they both said, "Bye."

As she lowered the phone, she thought, _Is this a date? Maybe I should have asked him. Maybe—_

She screamed inside as she tried to get the excitement and fear out of her system. As Angela headed down to the living room, she found her uncle in the kitchen.

"That sure took a while," Uncle Billy said dryly. He sat at the table staring at some bills. "So, who was he?"

Angela thought for a moment, and then replied, "Just a guy from school. We're going to... hang out tonight."

"Okay," he said dismissively, "but that doesn't mean you can talk on my phone all day."

"What?" she said. _You don't care that I'm going out somewhere with a boy, but you care that I'm on the phone?_

"I pay for that," he continued. "Besides, I'm your guardian. I should be concerned about what you're doing."

_Yeah_ , she thought, _some guardian_. _You really don't care that I'm going out with a boy? Why are you so protective of the phone, but not of me?_

Angela handed him the phone and dropped the subject. She quickly headed upstairs to her room to get ready for the concert. She browsed through her closet and tried to decide what to wear.

_I can't believe it_ , she thought, _my first date_.

21

As Carson led Angela to their seats in the small auditorium, she could not help smiling. The bleachers were filling up fast and the stage was nearly ready for the show.

_I'm on a date with the star quarterback_ , she thought hardly believing herself.

He glanced over his shoulder and returned a smile of his own. When they reached the first row, he gestured forward. "After you."

She took a seat and replied, "Thank you."

"Angela," Carson said as he sat closely beside her, "You look very pretty."

She looked down at her short blouse and skirt, and tried to hide her rosy cheeks. Then, she slightly crinkled her brows as she recalled what Andrew had said when he had caught her leaving the house earlier.

"Where are you going dressed like that?" he had practically shouted at her.

"Just out with a friend," she replied still angry with him.

"A boy?" Andrew asked. "Who?"

"Carson," she admitted.

Andrew cringed and said, "You can't go out with him, especially dressed like that and wearing all that makeup. What are you thinking?"

"Back off," Angela heatedly responded, "you have no right to tell me what to do. And, what's wrong with how I look?"

"You look like you're out of a pop music video or something," he said as he crossed his arms.

"Leave me alone," she replied, trying to brush past him.

"But how can you date Carson?" Andrew said switching tactics. "He was one of my friends."

Angela paused for a moment and said, "I thought so. But, what does it matter?"

"My friends turned on me," he said with reproach.

"Not Carson," Angela said. "He couldn't have. He was with his family last night. Besides, he never would have gone along with vandalism. He's not you."

Andrew fired back, "Yeah, well, if you only knew how ridiculous you look right now, you wouldn't leave the house."

Angela was upset with how he treated her, how he made her feel self-conscious and that she was making a mistake. She had taken off outside and slammed the door behind her. As she reached the curb, a blue sports car had pulled up.

Carson was very polite when he got out of the car to open the door for her. He was everything she always dreamed of, with his strong muscles and kind heart. The fact that he was several years her senior and still interested in her, really made her feel special. And, his compliment at the auditorium really flattered her.

_You look very pretty,_ she heard over and over in her thoughts.

"You're really sweet," Angela replied. "Thank you."

As the musicians took the stage, Angela noticed that the guys were about their age. They wore cut jeans and faded t-shirts.

"They're young," she said in surprise. "Your aunts and uncles bought tickets for a young adult band?"

Carson said shrugged slightly embarrassed, "Well, actually, not quite."

Angela noticed that he was nervous so she said, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

"It's okay," he said, "really. My relatives had online credit for concert tickets that was going to expire today if not used. Since they decided to leave town early, they gave me the choice of what band to watch."

"I see," Angela said as she comprehended what he was saying. "Well, I'm glad you asked me to join you."

"I couldn't image asking anyone else," Carson said smoothly while his blue eyes met her gaze.

She bit her lip and then said, "You have very pretty eyes. Handsome eyes. I mean—" She blushed harder at her poor attempt at flirting.

He laughed and replied, "Thanks. Your eyes are quite lovely too."

Angela loved his compliments, yet wondered how they came out so natural.

When the rock music came over the speakers, she could feel the beat in her body. The bleachers vibrated with the sound and although she never heard the song before, she could see that Carson really liked it. As some of the fans stood up around them, Carson did as well, and he extended a hand towards Angela.

She slipped her hand into his and stared at it for a moment.

_He's holding my hand_ , she thought. _Wow, I love this feeling._

Carson just smiled and started to bang his head to the music. He looked at her and said, "Come on. It's fun."

She gave it a try, and despite not really caring for the lyrics or the tune, she did like making Carson smile. As the songs continued, she got into the music and let loose like him. They laughed at the sight of the faces they made as they nodded to the beat.

When it got dark, Angela felt the cool breeze on her exposed arms and she began to shiver. Carson took off his blue Grove High letterman jacket and placed it around her. As he did so, he kept his arm over her shoulders.

She felt a little awkward as he held her, but she did not want to hurt his feelings by telling him to back off.

_He's just being kind_ , she thought. _I'm sure he's not trying to be fresh or anything._

At the end of the concert, the music stopped and the fans applauded the band. Carson took Angela's hand once more and guided her through the crowd. When they reached the parking lot, he helped her into the car and drove her home.

"Did you have a good time?" Carson asked with a smile.

"Yes," she said smiling in return. "It was very nice."

After he parked his car at her house, he got out and opened the door for her. She left the letterman jacket in the vehicle, took his hand and walked to the porch.

"Thank you for going with me," Carson said smoothly. "I would really love to go out with you again sometime."

Angela blushed and said, "I would really like that too."

He locked eyes with her and leaned in closer. She turned her head to the side and he kissed her on the cheek. He whispered in her ear, "Goodnight Angela."

She watched him walk to his sports car, and as he got inside, he waved.

_Goodnight Carson_ , she thought.

Angela remembered that kiss for the rest of the weekend and could not wait until she would see him again.

22

"Alright." Uncle Billy slowly cruised the car to a stop in front of the building. "You can get out now."

Andrew glanced with consternation at his school and then back at his uncle. "Well, aren't you coming with me?"

His uncle sat there and barely even looked at Andrew. He smirked. "I don't need to hold your hand anymore. Your principal said for _you_ to meet him today, not me."

"I'm sure he meant for you to come too." Andrew felt his body tense up. _Great, I really don't need to get the principal even madder at me by not having my uncle with me._ His thoughts jumped around half-crazed in his head. "What if I'm suspended or expelled? How am I going to get back home?"

"You should have thought about that before you went along with your friend's plan," Billy replied coldly.

Andrew opened the door and got out, hoping his uncle was just kidding around. When he realized that the car was still running, he knew that his uncle was serious.

He slammed the door closed and turned from the car, which began to rapidly pull away as he approached the school. Only a few students were hanging out in the lobby as Andrew entered, and he wondered if they were watching as he reached the principal's office.

Andrew was about to knock, but then he saw a silhouette through the hazy frosted glass of the small window in the door, so he lowered his hand. The figure in the office headed towards the door from the other side, and soon opened it.

"Andrew." Principal Hart inclined his head at him and motioned, "please, come in."

As he walked past his principal, he saw Senior Counselor Robertson in the room as well. The man gestured for him to take a seat. His face, just like the principal's, was free of any noticeable emotion. "Thank you for coming again, Andrew."

Andrew just shrugged in response. _Like I had a choice._

The principal still held the door open and peered out into the lobby for several moments. "Is your uncle joining us?"

Feeling almost embarrassed to admit it, Andrew replied, "No, he's not."

"Oh." the principal's voice was cool and measured. "I suppose I should have been clearer and invited him then."

Andrew sat up straight, trying to sense what would happen next, but Principal Hart was hard to read. His serious face gave away nothing, leaving Andrew dwelling in his own fears.

Upon closing the door and taking a seat behind the large wooden desk, Principal Hart leaned forward and put his hands together. "I have spoken to Principal Thorton and I have explained to him everything you have told us. I would like to let you in on something that may surprise you. Westview High School has security cameras throughout their school building and on the parking lot as well."

Andrew stared at him in confusion and in shock. _Would that help or hurt me even more?_ "You mean everything was recorded?"

"Not quite," Principal Hart admitted. "For security reasons, I can't disclose anymore about it, except that the license plates of the two cars were not fully readable on the security footage. Your testimony about it being your classmates' cars has checked out, and your story of the events that had taken place that night were verified and found to be accurate."

Matching the principal's stare, Andrew once again attempted to read his expression, but was left uncertain.

"Senior Counselor Robertson and I have reviewed your previous academic record." Principal Hart made a show of pulling out a file and browsing through it. "You were an A-student and had a clean school record. No absences, no detentions or anything of concern. It seems that since transferring to this school, you had just been involved with the wrong kind of friends. In light of that fact, and along with your honesty regarding what had occurred, with Counselor Robertson's recommendation as well as my own, Principal Thorton of Westview High School has decided not to press any charges against you."

A wave of relief swept over Andrew as he relaxed in the chair and smirked. _Awesome._ He then stood up and said, "I appreciate it. May I head off to homeroom now?"

"Not so fast." Principal Hart's voice turned colder and he narrowed his eyes.

Andrew looked at the counselor who motioned for him to take a seat once more. He sank back into the chair and stared forward. Mixed emotions flooded his thoughts and the fear he had first felt had now returned.

"Principal Thorton will not press charges," his principal continued, "since I have assured him that you will be held accountable for your actions regarding the incident."

"I'm still going to be punished?" Andrew asked with concern apparent in his voice.

Principal Hart nodded his head. "After school today, I ask that you report to Senior Counselor Robertson's office on the fourth floor."

"Andrew." Counselor Robertson's eyes softened and he spoke gently. "Try not to view it as a punishment, but as an opportunity to grow as a person. To get on the right track again."

"You will meet with your counselor each and every day after school," the principal continued, "and you will be required to participate in community service. Counselor Robertson will explain more about that later."

"I understand." The fear had dissipated within him, but Andrew still felt disappointed. For a few moments he had seriously thought he had gotten away with it all. _Did Darren and the boys get community service? Maybe they won't blame me too much when they realize that my punishment is the same as theirs._

Principal Hart stood up and stared down at Andrew. "The vandalism at Westview High School has already been erased. The investigation is over, and everyone involved in the incident has been addressed. This matter is to be kept confidential as to maintain respect for everyone's privacy."

"Yes, sir." Andrew nodded. "Thank you."

His principal shook his hand and opened the door for him. Before leaving, Counselor Robertson called out, "I'll see you after school, Andrew. Take care."

Andrew gave him a sharp nod and headed to his homeroom.

He had arrived there before most of the other students had, and he took his seat. As he glanced at the empty chairs behind him, he realized that Darren Dunlap should arrive shortly after. He feared that his former friend would not be glad to see him again.

_I hope Darren doesn't blame me for anything_ , Andrew thought worriedly. _I had to be honest._

The closer it got to the first bell ringing, the tenser Andrew became. When the bell finally rang, the homeroom teacher took attendance.

"Mr. Adams?" Mr. Carlisle scanned the room with a practiced eye.

"Here," the student replied lazily.

Andrew listened intently as the students' last names were being called out, especially when the teacher reached the names starting with the letter D.

"Mr. Diaz?" he called. When the student replied, he then rattled out, "Mr. Dyson?"

_What?_ Andrew pondered. _Why didn't he say Dunlap?_

No one else in the room appeared to be concerned. Andrew swallowed his fears and slowly turned around. As he stared behind him at the students' faces, he noticed one empty chair in the back row.

_He's not here_ , Andrew thought feeling mixture of relief and concern. _Maybe he's late. But, then the teacher still would have called his name._

Andrew was left in confusion throughout the rest of homeroom and his first two classes of the day. As the bell rang for lunch, Andrew headed to his locker, then went down the stairs to the bottom floor and entered the cafeteria.

He held his bagged lunch as he looked for an empty table to sit at. As he glanced across the cafeteria, he saw the table of his former friends. Andrew only looked long enough to spot Shawn and Max, but he did not want them to see him too. Beyond their table, at the far corner of the room, he located an empty table. Andrew took the long way around, and tried not to catch his friends' attention.

On the way there, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his sister. But, instead of sitting with the cheerleaders as usual, Angela was alone with Carson. Andrew shook his head in disapproval and finally reached the empty table moments later. As he took his lunch out of the bag and began to eat his 'Skippi' Peanut Butter sandwich, he saw a shadow loom over him.

"Well, look who it is." Johnny's voice dripped with venom, "the rat."

Andrew turned around as several guys surrounded him.

"Some friend you are squealing on all of us like that." Max glared at him and flexed his arms menacingly.

Shawn shook his head in reproach and sneered down at him. "I can't believe you did that."

"Guys," Andrew swallowed hard. "Take it easy."

Max was livid. "You got caught, so you ratted on all of us to save your own neck. You are the lowest of the low."

"That's not what happened!" Andrew bit his tongue. Even though he would have phrased it differently, there really wasn't anything to contest. He had ratted on them, but only after knowing they had deserted him.

"If it wasn't for you," Johnny continued spitefully, "Darren would still be here."

"What are you talking about?" Andrew asked with a sinking feeling.

"Don't play clueless." Max slightly shoved Andrew's shoulder. "You know what happened."

Andrew raised his hands while shaking his head. "I seriously don't have any idea what you are talking about. I noticed Darren wasn't in Homeroom, but I don't know why."

"Because of what you told the principal," Shawn spit out, "Darren was expelled."

As Andrew looked at each of their faces, he realized that it was true. _That could have been me._

"You just better watch your back." Johnny leaned down close to Andrew, "because nobody likes a rat. And, without Darren on the football team, they're going to start losing badly. Once everybody at the school hears that you were the one that sold him out, no one here will talk to you ever again."

23

Andrew was getting sick of visiting offices.

After his former friends had given him grief in the cafeteria, his last two classes went by at a snail's pace. All he could think about was the trouble that his friends had gotten him into. They had called him over to their table when he first transferred to that school. They talked badly about the cheerleaders first, and he only said what he did because they started it. He never would have trespassed at Westview High School or considered vandalizing it if his friends had not brought him there and done it first.

_They're to blame for everything_ , Andrew thought grimly, _and I'm the victim here_.

Despite how much he wanted to believe that, he was torn inside.

He knew that his former friends were guilty of pressuring him, but he also knew that he was the one that went along with it.

As he sat in the office staring at his counselor, he just wanted it all to be over.

"Thank you for coming." Senior Counselor Robertson had a kind face and his eyes twinkled when he spoke. "I would first like to assure you that this is not a punishment. As I said earlier, this is—"

_An opportunity to grow as a person_ , Andrew recalled while his counselor repeated those words. _Yeah, right._

Counselor Robertson continued, "Grove High was founded to be a place where free education could be provided for those in need. I can see from your academic records that you had transferred from a Catholic school. That must have been a strange transition, perhaps a very difficult one?"

"It has been challenging," Andrew admitted. His stomach was in knots.

"And," Counselor Robertson peered thoughtfully at Andrew, "Throughout these challenges that you have faced, how did you feel?"

"Overwhelmed," Andrew replied honestly, "and... lonely."

The counselor nodded in understanding. "It's only natural that you would feel alone and look for new friends. To try and find someone that would understand."

Andrew shook his head at the thought that his counselor was actually trying to relate to him, to truly understand him.

"Your records show that you were a solid student." Robertson glanced down at the academic record on his desk. "Clearly above average with your grades. And, you were even on the soccer team every year. That's pretty impressive."

"It doesn't matter," Andrew muttered despondently.

"I think that it does." Robertson's face turned serious. "Are you aware that your grades are slipping?"

The question took Andrew by surprise. "Um, what?"

"At your last school you were practically a Straight-A student," the counselor continued pointedly, "but now your grades are averaging in the B's and C's range."

Andrew was taken aback. The boys and Billy's mystery had taken all of his attention lately. "I guess I really hadn't noticed that."

"Why do you think your grades have dropped?"

"I've been busy," Andrew replied defensively. His parents used to be so proud of his grades.

Counselor Robertson folded the file and set it aside. "You still have time to turn everything around and get on the right track again, to be a part of the winning team. Speaking of team, how come you didn't try out for this school's soccer team? I'm sure with your experience you would have done well."

At the mention of soccer, Andrew recalled the conversation that he had with his father in the car on the way to Angela's semi-finals. Andrew was so frustrated, so upset that his parents might miss his semi-finals soccer game to possibly watch his sister's State Competition instead.

Andrew distractedly answered, "I haven't played soccer since... since my—"

His glanced away from his counselor as his eyes began to fill with tears. He tried to forget his feelings of pain, of guilt, but they were all beginning to resurface.

Counselor Robertson stood up and walked over to Andrew. "I'm sorry."

Andrew glanced up, but instead of just seeing his counselor's concerned expression, he thought about his father's face. He remembered his father's upset eyes as he tried to take the MP3 player away from him. He saw the look of disappointment, of anger. Then, he saw the look of horror, and it made Andrew burst out in tears.

"I'm sorry dad," Andrew said through tears, "I am so sorry." Andrew felt so ashamed of himself that he hid his face in his hands. _What is the matter with me? Why am I falling to pieces in front of this guy?_

His counselor gave Andrew some space and then continued, "I know you miss him. I know you miss both of them very much." Robertson's voice was full of compassion.

"More... than... anything," Andrew replied as he struggled to control himself.

As he continued to cry, he reflected on everything that had happened since the accident, and it made him feel ashamed. Andrew wished his mother was there to tell him everything would be alright. He wished his father was there to forgive him. He wished the pain would just go away.

"Andrew." Counselor Robertson's voice was thick with emotion, "I'm sorry about your parents. When you lose someone close to you, it feels like you've lost a part of yourself with them."

"How do you know?" Andrew said while staring at him with saddened eyes. "How could you really understand?"

Counselor Robertson walked back to his chair and took a seat. He glanced briefly at Andrew before making a show of looking through papers on his desk. "We can continue this another time. This session is over. You are free to go now."

"No." Andrew was incensed. "I've heard this all before. Everyone always says that they know... they know... but what do they really know about the pain?"Andrew felt himself redden at his outburst, but he didn't back down.

"I'm going to tell you something." Robertson slowly folded his hands together on the desk. "Something that is not easy to say sometimes. I am Catholic."

Andrew crinkled his brows in surprise, clearly caught off guard. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to realize that you are not alone." Counselor Robertson smiled at Andrew, but his eyes reflected his tortured soul. "I was born a Catholic, I lived the faith, but when my wife... when she died... I felt that I had lost everything."

"What happened?" Andrew felt oddly captivated at the thought of someone else having lost a loved one. He wiped away the last of his tears.

"My wife had developed cancer five years ago, and despite the treatments, the cancer spread. There was nothing anyone could do to save her." Robertson spoke softly. "We always wanted to have children someday. I really wanted to be a father. But, when she passed away, I was bitter, angry with God, and I lost my way. I had blamed God for taking my wife from me."

He paused and let Andrew reflect on that for a moment.

Robertson continued, "So, to get away from it all, I quit my job at a Catholic high school and settled for this position. For many years I struggled to understand what my purpose was anymore. Everything felt hollow, unimportant. Throughout my time at this school, I saw many students rise, and many fall as well. Although it took a while to understand, I realized my purpose at this school. As a counselor, I have a chance to help those who want to change. I can help give students confidence in their abilities. To give them hope. In a way, being a counselor is like being a father. God had a plan for me, and He has a plan for you as well."

Andrew remained silent and just looked at his counselor. "My father used to say things like that. That God has a plan for everyone. I wish I knew what my purpose is."

"Why don't you just ask Him?" Robertson gently prodded Andrew. "When was the last time you went to Mass?"

"This is a public school," Andrew replied feeling defensive and self-conscious. "Are you allowed to ask me that?"

Robertson grinned. "Our meeting officially ended when I said you could leave. This conversation is in our free time, and we are allowed to say whatever we want."

"I suppose I can answer the question then," Andrew said as he chewed his lip. "I haven't gone to a church in months."

"Why is that?" Robertson seemed genuinely concerned.

"My parents used to take me there," Andrew admitted, "and now that I moved, my uncle watches over me. But, he's not Catholic, at least not practicing that is. I don't even know where the closest church is around here."

"Where do you live?"

"Bottom Grove." Andrew fidgeted.

"Hmm." Robertson looked deep in thought. "Well, I'm sure there's a church nearby your house somewhere, but, I'll tell you what. If you would like to go to Mass again, I will be more than happy to go with you. There's a really nice church I attend that is nearby."

Andrew felt vulnerable and uncomfortable. "I don't know." He stood and looked awkwardly at his counselor. "I think I'm going to leave now. May I be excused?"

"Of course." Robertson almost sounded disappointed. "We can talk more tomorrow after school."

Andrew froze as he remembered that he was required to report to his counselor every day after school. He looked him in the eyes and pointedly asked, "Can we talk about something different next time?"

"Yes." Robertson smiled kindly. "We will."

"Thank you," Andrew replied, relief evident in his voice.

As he headed for the door, Counselor Robertson called out, "Mass isn't until this weekend, you have plenty of time to think about accepting my offer."

Andrew grinned at how persistent his counselor was and then he left.

24

When Andrew met with Senior Counselor Robertson the next day, he learned what his community service was going to be each week. Following every single home game and school event, he would be required to clean up the trash afterwards. The thought of picking up trash in front of all his classmates, parents, teachers, and visitors made Andrew dread the mandatory community service assignment.

He later heard that Johnny, Max, and Shawn were ordered to help the janitors clean the inside of their school each week. Despite knowing that his classmates were also punished, Andrew was not happy. On Friday, when his counselor asked Andrew if he would be interested in going to Mass with him, he declined the offer.

The next time Angela saw her brother, she ignored him as usual. They mutually seemed to avoid conversations and even ate dinner at separate times. They still rode on the bus to get to school each day, but Andrew no longer sat with Shawn anymore. He always sat alone. On the bus, at lunch in the cafeteria, and even at home.

One night Andrew had to clean up the trash after a school event. He came home late, and like many other nights, Uncle Billy was out with his girlfriend. His uncle spent less and less time in the house anymore, which both Andrew and his sister enjoyed.

Andrew ate dinner alone and went to his room where he listened to his MP3 player through the clock radio speakers. He felt so alone at school and when he came home each day, Andrew drowned out his sadness with rap music. The edgy, dark tunes were somewhat disturbing, yet gave him comfort.

Angela walked past her brother's room and heard the music, but it was nothing new, and she just ignored it. She wanted to see how Carson was doing, so she grabbed the wireless phone from the kitchen and dialed his number. When she realized that there was no dial tone, she was confused.

_Why isn't it working?_ Angela wrinkled her brow in consternation.

The main phone unit was in her uncle's room, but since she knew he was still out, she quickly walked down the hallway and into his room. She lifted the phone and listened, but once again, there was no dial tone. Angela looked behind the main unit, followed the telephone cord behind the desk and then saw that it was not plugged into the phone jack in the wall.

_Uncle Billy disconnects the phone when he's gone_ , Angela thought. _How odd._

She plugged it back in and made a brief phone call to Carson. They chatted for a few minutes, then said goodnight. Angela disconnected the phone cord again, turned off the light, and shut the door behind her. She went upstairs to her brother's door, knocked twice and waited for him to open it.

Andrew opened the door and stared at Angela uncomfortably.

"I went to use the phone," Angela quickly said, "but it didn't work. I checked our uncle's room, and he had the phone line disconnected."

Andrew looked away from Angela briefly, deep in thought. "So he doesn't want us to call anyone or them to call us while he is out?"

"Yeah, it sure looks that way." She shrugged her shoulders feeling awkward. "I just wanted to let you know."

"Thank you." Andrew gave a distracted smile and shut the door.

As the weeks went by, every day at school, Angela looked forward to sitting with Carson for lunch. Jessica was more than excited that Angela had a boyfriend now, and she and the other girls gave them their space. After school, Angela would join the cheerleaders in the gymnasium for practice. They worked on new routines for the football halftime shows, which stunned the crowds for all the home games.

Outside of school and cheerleading, Angela would meet up with Carson and go to local attractions to hang out.

One night, while walking hand in hand at a park together, Carson asked, "So, you transferred to Grove High, right?"

"Yes." Angela was slightly taken aback by the suddenness of the question, but she was also thrilled that he wanted to learn more about her. "I went to a Catholic school."

"I bet they were super strict." Carson shook his head as he smiled. "Did they have ridiculous dress codes and all?"

Angela almost felt as if she needed to defend her old school. _But, I am happier here without the rules holding me back, right?_ "Yes, unfortunately. I guess it wasn't too bad though."

"Why did you change schools?" Carson noticed her discomfiture at his question.

"After my parents... passed away, I had to move in with my uncle who lived too far away from my old school for me to still go to it."

Carson squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry to hear that. So, it's just you and your uncle?"

"No." Angela was so ashamed of Andrew that she had never wanted to admit to being related to him to anyone at school. She quietly continued, "My brother Andrew too."

A few moments passed, and then Carson turned to her and said with a controlled voice, "Andrew and I were friends once. Well, until the vandalism incident."

Angela shook her head. _So everyone knows, great. Way to go Andrew_. "That whole thing upsets me."

"Me too," Carson replied heavily. "I just wish I would have been there that night too."

"What?" Angela stared at Carson in shock. "Why?"

Carson took her other hand reassuringly and said softly, "Then maybe I could have stopped Andrew from breaking into the school."

"But," Angela pulled both of her hands out of Carson's and stepped back, "my brother didn't—"

Carson gave a theatric sigh. "I'm just telling you what I heard from Darren. He got expelled because of what Andrew did that night."

Angela stopped and looked Carson in the eyes. "I heard that he was expelled, but it couldn't have been Andrew's fault."

"The guys were just hanging out and cruising around town," Carson began, "when they headed past Westview High School. Darren just wanted to show everyone where their rival's football field was, since we would be playing there later in the season. But, when they reached the parking lot, Andrew got this idea to vandalize the school. He got out of the car, tagged the building and then broke inside. And, when he got busted by the janitor, he told everyone that it was Darren's idea."

"That's not what I heard," Angela insisted faintly.

Carson closed the distance between them. "I'm not surprised. I know Andrew's been going through a hard time lately, but that's no excuse to lie to everyone, especially not to his beautiful sister."

_Andrew_ , she thought in despair, _how can I defend you if you never tell me the truth?_

"Anyways," Carson grasped hold of her hand once more, "With Darren kicked out of the school and off the football team, we've been really struggling."

"I noticed, but, you've been doing really great on the field. I've been cheering for you."

Carson smiled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Thank you, Angela. I really appreciate that."

He kissed her on the cheek and took her home.

As the football season came to a disappointing end, school soon let out for the holidays. Christmas came and went before they knew it. Uncle Billy did not bother to decorate the house. There were no lights hanging from the roof, no Christmas tree in the living room, no stockings at the fireplace, and he did not even give Andrew or Angela a single present. Nothing about the day felt special, it was just a hollow holiday. Uncle Billy was out all day with his girlfriend, Angela spent some time with Carson, and Andrew just stayed home alone. Although he felt a little guilty for not going to Mass on Christmas, he drowned that out by listening to some rap music and watching a few rated-R movies that Shawn had once given to him.

After the New Year began, Angela and Andrew continued to ignore each other. Angela had too much on her mind, constantly thinking about Carson or cheerleading. Her team practiced new cheers and half-time shows for the basketball season, and the girls were also practicing for the upcoming State Cheerleading Competition. With Angela on the team and performing flawlessly, Jessica was sure they would win the whole thing and become State Champions.

"Watch how Angela does the moves," Jessica had told the other girls, "and do them as perfect as she does."

Angela loved mastering the moves, but not all the girls on the squad were happy about how Jessica told them to learn from her.

"Why should we watch a freshman?" Julia frowned so hard that the ring on her nose looked ready to pop off.

Kayla, always backing up Jessica had replied, "Because she's one of the best here."

Even Kayla was occasionally jealous of Angela's ability to learn the dance moves and make even the most complicated ones look easy. But, she also really admired her natural talent.

Right after the practice, the cheerleaders left and the gymnasium was setup for a dinner event. After the evening meal ended, Andrew arrived on cue to start cleaning up the plates and sweeping the floor. He noticed a poster on the wall advertising for Senior Prom, which was less than a month away. Andrew shook his head at the thought of going to his prom and he finished cleaning the gym.

At his next meeting with his counselor, he decided that it was time to tell him all about Uncle Billy. Andrew explained to him about how they were stuck living with him instead of their grandparents, that Uncle Billy was spending money left and right, how he brought those new things, that he has a girlfriend, that he drinks all the time, and that he even disconnects the phone when he's gone.

Counselor Robertson was curious about it all as well, but he told Andrew not to spend any more time thinking about it. "I think it's best to let me look into this, while you focus on your school work and the community service project."

That was not the answer Andrew wanted, but he accepted it for the time being. As that session ended, Senior Counselor Robertson asked a question Andrew was all too used to hearing. "Would you like to join me for Mass this Sunday?"

With the Uncle Billy issue out of his hands, and getting sick of being alone every weekend, Andrew finally said, "You know what? Okay, why not?"

25

As Andrew followed Counselor Robertson to the main doors of the small, but vibrant church, he started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Andrew looked at several happy families heading into the church, which only reminded him that he felt alone. When one boy glanced at him with a big smile, it made Andrew sad. When the boy's father looked at him as well, Andrew almost felt as if the man could see his heart and knew that it was full of regrets.

His counselor held the door open and Andrew walked inside the church into the vestibule. Following Robertson's lead, he touched his index finger into a holy water font and did the sign of the cross. They proceeded through a doorway and walked down an aisle past rows of pews. The church was old, but it was well maintained and clean. The pews were made from a dark wood, stained glass windows depicting various miraculous scenes from the New Testament filtered the light, and the decorations at the altar were elegant and homely. The tabernacle was off to the side and the red candle was lit. _That means_ _Jesus is here_ , Andrew thought as he remembered learning the significance of the red candle in religion class. When they reached an empty pew near the front of the church, they genuflected and then took a seat.

Robertson lowered the kneeler and went down on his knees to pray. Andrew looked at him briefly before deciding to do the same.

With his hands together, he wanted to pray and speak to God. But, Andrew was not sure what to say. He remembered how he used to pray at Mass, however, things were different. Andrew's heart now felt heavy, like an invisible weight held him down. When his counselor sat back down, Andrew did as well.

Andrew decided to just follow his counselor's lead, hoping that he would feel comfortable at some point during the Mass; although he feared that he did not belong.

The cantor soon began the entrance hymn and the priest proceeded towards the altar. Andrew did not sing along with everyone, but he noticed that his counselor did. During the first and second readings, Andrew felt distant from what was going on around him. He was like a spectator watching something that he did not feel a part of.

Suddenly, everyone in the church stood up and sang the gospel acclamation of alleluia. Andrew started to sing as well, and when he realized what he was doing, he continued anyways. When the song ended, the priest began to read the gospel.

When Andrew recognized the gospel reading, he recalled that it was the story of the prodigal son who demanded his inheritance and went off to a distant country and squandered it all away on a life of dissipation. Famine struck and threatened all the land. In dire need, the son hired himself to a farmer to tend his swine, but no one gave him food. Realizing that even his father's hired workers were well fed, he planned to return to his father and ask for forgiveness. Upon seeing his son return to him, the father was so glad that he embraced his son and held a feast in celebration.

As everybody took their seats, Andrew was curious what the priest was going to say about the prodigal son and how this parable related to everyone.

"We have a loving and forgiving God," the priest began gazing out at the congregation. "We might think that we have fallen too deep into sin, like the prodigal son, but God will always forgive us. It is easier to continue down the path of pleasure and sin than it is to admit that we have sinned and are in need of forgiveness."

Andrew's heart raced as he took in those words and realized that he was like the prodigal son. He felt lost, yet doubted that he would ever find his way to God again. He had become friends with the guys at school, and when they started to change him and pressure him into doing things that he did not feel was right, it was easier to go along with it than to stand against them.

"Sometimes we do not forgive ourselves for our sins," the priest continued, "and rather than seek forgiveness from God, we try to hide our sins. We try to bury them in our hearts, cover them up, and lie to ourselves about what we had done. It is difficult to admit that we were wrong and that we have sinned. But, we have an all knowing, all loving God. He already knows what we have done against ourselves and against one another. He knows our faults and failings. He knows our struggles and weaknesses. He knows everything."

A sick feeling swept over Andrew as he knew that the priest was right. God knew what he had done, He knew everything, and Andrew could never hide that from Him, no matter how hard he tried. Andrew wiped sweat off his forehead and sat uneasily as he knew God was watching him.

_What is God thinking about me?_ Andrew lowered his eyes. He felt dirty as though he were a weed among flowers. _These people here are so happy—so good. I have sinned so much._ _Would God ever forgive me for what I have done?_

The priest looked with kind eyes at the full pews throughout the church and then raised his voice, "My brothers and sisters, we have a loving and forgiving God. When we break His commandments, when we sin against Him, we must truly humble ourselves. We must turn to God, open up our hearts and trust in Him. God loves us, and when we sin, He wants to forgive us. But, we must first admit our sins and then repent."

As the priest slowly walked back to his chair, the silence Andrew heard around him was overshadowed by the beating of his heart. Moments past, then the priest stood and everyone began to say the Nicene Creed, and although Andrew went through the motions, everything continued in a blur.

Then, as the priest held up the Eucharist, Andrew heard him say, "At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took the bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying _: Take this, all of you and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you._ "

Andrew stared at the Eucharist then bowed his head not only in reverence, but also in deep shame. He felt unworthy of receiving it, and when everyone else stood and proceeded towards the altar, Andrew remained in the pew. He let his counselor pass by, and when he returned, they both kneeled.

_God, I have sinned against you_ , Andrew prayed fervently. _Please, forgive me. Please, give me the strength to change. I am sorry, please, help guide me._ Andrew had never realized just how deep the void inside him was until this moment. _God I need you. I realize now how wrong I was to doubt your existence. When my parents died, I blamed myself, but in reality, I was blaming you. Instead of turning to you, I turned my back on you, and it was only then when things truly went downhill for me. God, I don't want the life I have been living. I need your forgiveness._

After Mass ended and the priest walked down the main aisle and to the vestibule, Andrew lingered in the pew. He waited until the priest headed to a confessional at the side of the church and a line of people began to form outside of it.

"Counselor Robertson." Andrew felt shaky and his voice was cracking, showing just how vulnerable he felt. "I appreciate you allowing me to come with you to Mass today. If you're not in too much of a hurry, would it be possible for me to go to confession?"

His counselor looked at him with kind eyes and motioned for him to begin walking, "Yes, Andrew. In fact, I would like to go to confession as well."

Andrew nodded as they stepped into line. While he waited for his turn, he realized that it had been so long since his last confession that he was no longer familiar with what was to be said to the priest inside the confessional. Andrew debated whether or not he should stay in line, or push off confession for another time, when he might be more prepared. He glanced up at his counselor, who then gestured him towards the confessional. When Andrew turned around, he noticed that it was his turn. _There is no backing out now,_ Andrew thought nervously.

With a deep breath and silent prayers, Andrew entered into the confessional and took a seat across from the priest. He looked at the priest, unsure what he should do.

The priest motioned for him to do the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

When Andrew finished, the priest paused, then asked in a gentle, quiet voice, "How long has it been since your last confession?"

After moments of uncertainty, Andrew replied, "It has been a long time, Father, I honestly do not remember."

The priest clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and lowered his head. "It is okay, my son. Call to mind your sins."

Andrew sat there uneasy and silent.

"God has brought you here," the priest began as he leaned slightly forward in his chair, "and He is with you now. He will give you the strength to confess your sins. You can begin with the hardest ones to say, or any of them. Once you start, the rest will be easier."

"I have listened to bad music, spoke bad words, and watched bad movies." Andrew blurted out. He could feel his face redden. "I have had dirty thoughts about girls. I have gone along with peer pressure, and have trespassed on private property. Although I did not vandalize it with my former friends, I was the one caught. I told on them, not to be honest and to avoid telling a lie, but to get them punished too. I have fought with my sister, and have failed to be a good brother. I have caused my parents—"

Andrew hesitated and struggled on his words. "My parents were killed in a car accident, and I was the one who had distracted my dad which caused it."

Tears formed in his eyes, and he tried to hold them back. Images of his sins blurred his vision. "I blackmailed my uncle to give me a gift that he promised me. I had stopped praying and attending Mass, and turned away from God. I am truly sorry for these sins and more, and I want to leave my past behind me. I want to be close to God again."

The priest nodded thoughtfully and slowly opened his eyes, "God knows all of your sins, and because you are sorry for them, God absolves you of all your sins. God forgives you. It is easy to become desensitized to the harmful effects of impure music, movies, and all forms of media. God calls us to guard our eyes, ears and heart from impure things. This protects us from sinful thoughts and actions, and allows us to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. I am sorry to hear about your parents and the accident—"

Andrew bit his lip, drawing blood. "They would still be alive right now if it wasn't for me."

"You must not blame yourself," the priest admonished him. "Accidents are an unfortunate part of life. We may not understand why they happen, but we must trust in God and in His plan for each and every one of us. God has always been with them, and they are now with God in Heaven. You love your parents, but just imagine how much more God loves them. Instead of being angry over the time you will never have with your parents, be thankful for the time you did. Our lives and the lives of our loved ones are just on loan from God. He created us and no one can love us like He does. God and your parents must be so happy to be in Heaven finally together again."

Andrew paused a moment and thought about God. He imagined the creator of all life, of love, up in Heaven... and his parents up there with Him. Andrew held back tears and smiled. He thought of how beautiful it was that his parents were with God. He imagined his parents looking down from Heaven and smiling back.

"I think I might understand." Andrew was unsure if it was directed at the priest or God.

"For your penance," the priest smiled and looked him in the eyes, "you can say an Our Father. I would also encourage you to seek purity in all aspects of your life. Music and movies with messages against God and His people, especially women, should be avoided. Guard your eyes, your ears, and your heart in every way. If there is something in your life that comes between you and God, you should cast it away. Also, you can read the bible, pray often, and love your neighbor."

"Yes, Father." Andrew lifted his head and nodded seriously.

"Would you like to say the Act of Contrition?"

Andrew awkwardly replied, "I... do not remember all of the words."

"You can say what you recall," the priest offered. "Or, feel free to make up your own prayer of penitence in your own words."

"God," Andrew closed his eyes and spoke from his heart, "I have sinned against you and others. I have had impure thoughts and actions. I am sorry for my sins, and wish to live as you call me to. Amen."

The priest smiled, "That was very good."

He then said the words of absolution. Afterwards, they both did the sign of the cross and said, "Amen."

"God bless you. I hope to see you next weekend." The priest's eyes twinkled.

"Thank you," Andrew replied happily. Without the burden of sin, life had never seemed more beautiful.

As Andrew exited the confessional, he walked over to the nearest pew and kneeled. Bowing his head, he then prayed.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

26

On the drive home, Andrew reflected upon how different he now felt, like a heavy weight had been lifted. He thought it was amazing that the one time he finally decided to go to Mass again, the gospel reading was about the prodigal son.

_It's not a coincidence_ , Andrew thought with a grin, _it's a sign._

Senior Counselor Robertson glanced over at Andrew and smiled. "I'm glad you accompanied me to Mass today. Would you like to go with me again next week?"

"Yes, please." Andrew was anxious never to purposely miss Mass again. "I would really like that, thank you."

Robertson barely spoke the rest of the drive home, which Andrew was grateful for. It gave him time to reflect back on the momentous change that had just occurred in his life. _I believe in God again._

Soon, the car pulled up by the curb in front of his house. Andrew got out of the car and his counselor waved. "I'll see you in school tomorrow. Take care."

While Counselor Robertson drove off, Andrew began walking towards his house. When a blue sports car came into view at the end of the street, Andrew froze.

_That's Carson_ , Andrew thought in dismay, _and my sister_.

As the vehicle pulled up to the curb, it confirmed his suspicion. Carson got out of the car and opened the door for Angela, who seemed annoyed by Andrew staring at them. Carson glanced at Andrew, and smirked. He then kissed Angela on the cheek and they walked hand in hand towards the house.

_No_ , Andrew could barely contain his fury, _why are you letting him kiss you?_

Andrew had to bite his tongue to avoid saying anything unkind. As they approached him, Andrew forced a smile. "Hello."

Angela motioned with her head for Andrew to leave them and go inside. When he stayed there, she narrowed her eyes.

"Hey Andrew." Carson's voice was noticeably cool. "It's been a while, huh?"

"It has."

Angela turned to Carson and brushed her hand against his arm. "I'll see you later."

Carson leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Andrew had to restrain himself yet again. Carson smiled roguishly. "Have a great day, sweetie."

Angela smiled at Carson, all the while ignoring her brother, and headed inside.

When she closed the door, Carson immediately stepped closer to Andrew and raised his fist. "We took you in, we let you hang out with us, and how did you repay us?"

Andrew was blindsided by his words. "Look, I would like to apologize—"

"Apologize?" Carson spat as he tore his hands through his hair in frustration. "You ratted on Darren and got him kicked out of school. He was applying for football scholarships for colleges, but no school is going to give him one now."

"I'm sorry." Andrew genuinely was sorry, but it still didn't change the actual circumstances. "But he got himself expelled."

"Without Darren, our team lost the playoffs. No college will want to give me a football scholarship either. Not a really good school."

"That's too bad." Andrew reached out and grasped Carson's shoulder. "Listen, we've all made mistakes, and I'd like to get past it all."

Carson shrugged his hand off roughly. "Why? Getting lonely at school since no one will talk to you now?"

"You and the guys didn't have to spread lies about what happened that night." Andrew tried to stay calm, but it was difficult not to lose his cool. _What would Jesus do?_ "But, I forgive you for it."

"Well, I don't forgive you," Carson replied angrily, "and neither will anyone else."

Andrew was purposely waiting to bring up the subject of his sister, but it seemed there would be no good opportunity with the way the conversation was going. "Carson, can we talk about my sister for a moment?"

His former friend raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Yeah? You want to talk about Angela? Okay."

"With you dating Angela," Andrew struggled to keep his voice level and respectful, "I'd just like to know what your intentions are with her."

"My intentions?" Carson snickered. "We're just two people having fun, you know? But, we'll see where things go."

"What do you mean by that?" Andrew crossed his arms and stared hard at Carson.

"Angela is a very special girl," Carson replied. He then leaned over and grinned evilly. "She's a very good kisser too—among other things."

Andrew took a step closer as he felt fury course through his body. "You're lying."

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Feeling frustrated and enraged, Andrew looked Carson straight in the eyes. "I don't want you seeing her anymore."

"I don't care." Carson retorted bluntly. "I don't need your permission. She's my girl, and I can do whatever I want with her."

Carson's crooked grin taunted him, but he did not want to give in to his anger. Andrew stood his ground and tried to regain control of the situation. "Angela deserves respect."

"Whatever. I don't have any more time to waste on a creep like you." Carson shoved Andrew to the side roughly as he walked back to his sports car. In no time he had gotten inside and sped off recklessly down the street.

Andrew shook his head in disbelief and went into the house. He headed upstairs to his room, shut the door and blasted his MP3 player through the clock radio speakers. As the heavy music began, Andrew hoped that it would drown out his worries. But, once the lyrics started, he recalled the offensive words and the message of the song. He remembered his confession less than an hour before that, and what the priest had said.

Guard your eyes, your ears, and your heart in every way. If there is something in your life that comes between you and God, you should cast it away.

Before the first curse word could play through the speakers, Andrew rushed over and yanked the MP3 player out of the radio. As the room went silent, he stared down at the small unit in his now shaky hands and thought of all the trouble the music on it had caused. He had been falling back on that music for far too long, letting the provocative lyrics influence his life and hurt his relationships with those he loved.

_It's just music_ , he then thought. _It's just fun._

"No." Andrew felt overwhelmed as the revelation swept over him. "It's sin."

With one last look at the MP3 player, Andrew held it tight and then threw it against the wall. The unit instantly broke and the pieces fell to the floor.

_It's time to change_ , Andrew thought with fervor as his new resolution took hold of him.

He walked over and collected the remains of the MP3 player and tossed it into a trash can. As he smiled, he heard the priest's words in his head yet again.

Seek purity in all aspects of your life. Music and movies with messages against God and His people, especially women, should be avoided. Guard your eyes, your ears, and your heart in every way.

Andrew was fired up with his renewed conscience and the willpower to change. He looked around his room in search of other things that would tempt him to think impure thoughts, and stood between him and God.

His eyes fixed upon a poster on his wall of a teenage celebrity from a movie he once watched. Her suggestive clothing and pose made Andrew's decision easy. He tore the poster from the wall, ripped it up and tossed it in the trash can. He then walked over to his closet and browsed over a small secret movie collection he had hidden away. As he looked at the ratings and recalled scenes of sexuality, cursing, and extensive violence, Andrew decided to discard them all.

When Andrew was satisfied, he brought his trash can to the kitchen, dumped its contents into a black bag and then tossed it into the waste can outside. Coming back into the kitchen his eyes were drawn to the swimsuit model posters on the refrigerator. _I might not be able to change Billy, but junk like that does not belong here or anywhere. I don't need to be tempted by that any longer and I don't need it here to make my sister feel degraded either._ Feeling strong and ready to take any consequences from it, Andrew quickly tore the posters down and threw them into the trash can outside. He then brought his waste can back to his room, and as he set it down, he peered at the television his uncle had given him.

_I never should have demanded that_ , Andrew thought uncomfortably _. I can't keep it._

He unplugged the television, took it downstairs and set it in front of Uncle Billy's door. Andrew then went to the kitchen, wrote a note, and stuck it on the TV.

Andrew had spent most of the afternoon cleansing his bedroom. While checking the closet more thoroughly, he found a Catholic Bible that his parents had once given him. Now that he was done purifying his room's contents, he opened the Bible and began reading it.

As the sun set and he grew hungry, Andrew headed into the kitchen for dinner. At first, he was going to only make something for himself, but upon thinking about everything, he decided that he would prepare enough for everyone.

He set the table as the pasta finished cooking, and when everything was ready, he went upstairs. He knocked on his sister's door and he waited.

As Angela opened the door, she sniffed the air and asked, "Is that spaghetti?"

"Yes," Andrew replied with a genuine smile. "Would you like to join me for this evening's dollar store dinner made especially by yours truly?"

Angela gave him a skeptical look.

"What's the catch?"

"Nothing, I just thought it'd be nice to eat as a family."

His sister bit her lip as she struggled to make her mind up. "You know spaghetti's my favorite right?"

"I know," Andrew said with a grin.

She smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's eat."

They headed downstairs and when they took their seats at the table, Andrew placed his hands together and looked at his sister. She raised an eyebrow, then placed her hands together as well.

"Lord," Andrew began, "thank you for this food before us, and for this beautiful day. Thank you for all the many blessings in our lives, especially for the love of family. Thank you for this time that we may share together and for all that you have provided for us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."

After they did the sign of the cross, Angela stared at him for a moment, trying to read his thoughts. When she could not figure out his motives, she began to eat.

"This is really good." Angela sighed happily.

"Thank you."

When they were done, Andrew offered to clean the dishes. While finishing them, he heard the front door open, then close. Uncle Billy walked towards the hallway, and stopped briefly at the kitchen door.

"Would you like to eat some spaghetti?" Andrew asked.

"No." Billy growled. "I'm going out again."

He then turned and went to his bedroom. A moment later, he called out in surprise, "What? Andrew, come here."

Andrew knew exactly what Billy was concerned about. He quickly rounded the corner and reached his uncle. "Yes?"

Uncle Billy pointed to the television on the floor and then held up Andrew's note. "What is this about? Now, you don't want it?"

"I'm sorry for asking for it." Andrew forced himself to stand straight and stare directly into Billy's eyes. "It was wrong of me."

Billy shook his head. "That's nuts. Suit yourself, kid. I'm not going to argue with a lunatic."

He entered his room, and then returned to the hallway. He closed his door, lifted the television and started towards the front door.

"I'm going to give it to my girlfriend," Uncle Billy muttered. "Maybe she'll appreciate it more than you did. You ungrateful brat."

As his uncle went outside and shut the front door, Andrew returned to the kitchen and packed away the leftover spaghetti.

"What's he mad about?" Angela asked in confusion.

"I gave him back the TV."

"I don't get it." Angela stared at him puzzled. "And, why did you make us dinner?"

"I thought it'd make you happy," Andrew replied honestly.

Angela's confused expression changed to that of anger. "Wait a minute. I know what you're doing, but it's not going to work."

"What?"

"You spoke to Carson about me, didn't you?"

Andrew was confused as to where she was heading with all this. "Well, yes, but—"

"Are you trying to break us up?"

He was not sure the best way to answer the question, and judging by the look in her eyes, things were about to get worse.

"Carson is not a very respectful guy." Andrew was unsure of the best way to handle the situation. "He's just dating you for fun. To him, you're probably just another girlfriend."

Angela remembered how Jessica had spoken about her ex-boyfriends like they were all expendable and just for fun, nothing serious. The thought of her being used by Carson made her furious. "How can you speak about Carson like that? You talk about respect? You're the one who talked dirty about us cheerleaders. You have no room to preach about respect."

With that said, Angela stormed out of the room and went upstairs.

_I made you dinner_ , Andrew thought. _How could this blow up in my face? It was a kind gesture._

Andrew headed upstairs and when he saw that Angela's bedroom door was closed, he went to his room. He paced around in circles as he tried to think.

_I'm trying to protect her from Carson,_ he thought, _but she's just pushing me away._

Unsure of what to do, Andrew kneeled down on the floor and prayed. As he spoke to God, Andrew came to realize one thing. If he truly wanted to strengthen his relationship with Angela and win back her trust and respect, he would still need to work on his relationship with God. He would have to prove that he had changed, not solely by his words, but by his actions.

27

The cheerleaders posed as the song ended.

Coach Swanson clapped and awarded the girls with a genuine smile. "We'll win State with moves like that."

Jessica led the girls off the basketball court and to the bleachers, where they rested. As their coach packed up the boom box and left the gymnasium, Jessica faced the girls and said excitedly, "We're making great progress, now we just need to bring up the intensity."

"The State Competition is approaching fast," Kayla spoke up. "But, we're nearly ready for it. I know we can win this year. And, we'll hold nothing back. Right girls?"

The girls cheered, and then several grabbed their things and headed for the locker room. Jessica, Kayla, Melissa and Angela just relaxed at the bottom of the bleachers.

"So," Kayla said, "Who's looking forward to prom this Saturday?"

"You know I am," Jessica saucily replied. "Mason and I will be the cutest couple there."

"Mason Smith? He's the football player that took Darren's position on the team, right?"

"Yes," Jessica said. "I would have gone to prom with Darren, but he went and got expelled. He's old news now. Mason plays well, and I hear he dances well too."

"Going to stay with him longer than your last boyfriend?" Kayla teased.

"I'll just see how good of a kisser he is first." Jessica playfully batted her eyelashes and puckered her lips. "So, who's the lucky guy for you?"

"Jeremy Kendrick."

"The basketball player?" Jessica raised her eyebrows. "He's the team captain?"

Kayla nodded. "Yes, and he's scoring the most points this season too."

"Only the best for the Grove Girls, huh?" Melissa's smile didn't reach her eyes, and any hints of jealousy were lost in her forced response.

"You know it, girl!" Jessica turned toward the younger girls. "What about you two?"

Melissa lowered her eyes and replied in a quiet voice, "No one asked me."

"Well," Jessica said as she shrugged her shoulders, "there's four more days before the dance. Someone could still ask you."

"I guess." Doubt and sadness was more than apparent in Melissa's voice.

Ignoring Melissa's distress, Jessica turned to Angela and said, "I bet Carson already claimed you, huh?"

"What do you mean by claimed me?" Angela felt annoyed by the question.

"You're hot stuff right now," Kayla said. "A freshman cheerleader with super talent and killer moves always attracts attention. If Carson wasn't already your boyfriend, I'd wager that half the guys in the senior class would have asked you to the prom."

_Was that supposed to be a compliment?_ Angela pondered.

She awkwardly shrugged her shoulders. "He hasn't asked me yet."

Jessica looked over Angela's shoulder and began to grin. "Maybe he will right now."

Kayla and Jessica stood up and began to walk across the courtyard. Angela glanced behind her and saw that Carson was approaching. She looked at Melissa, who then realized that she should go as well. As she walked away, Carson appeared.

"Hey, cutie. Did you have a good practice?" He sat down on the bleacher next to her and casually threw his arm across her shoulders.

Angela smiled. "It went well. We're dancing to a new song, practicing for the State Competition."

"Nice. I can't wait to see you perform." Carson almost sounded distant. When Angela peered over at him it almost seemed as though he was staring at Jessica and Kayla as they were stretching across the way. _No, he wouldn't be checking them out. He is probably distracted and thinking about the dance._

As Angela thought about the prom, she decided to bring up the subject. "So, any plans this weekend?"

"Well," Carson slowly turned to look at Angela, "we're going to prom on Saturday, right?"

_You're not even going to officially ask me to it?_ She thought in disappointment.

"I was wondering about that." Angela said softly.

"Jessica is going to rent a limo and we're all going as a group."

_You mean Jessica already knew you were going with me?_ She pondered, taken aback. _She knew before I did?_

"And then we're all going to her place for the after-party. If anyone knows how to party it's Jessica." He smiled down at Angela. "Did you already pick out a stunning dress?"

"Um." Angela looked away as she processed everything he was saying. "Not yet."

Carson grinned. "I know you'll figure out something before then. I'm going to wear a blue tuxedo. You know, our school color and all. Maybe you can pick out a dark blue dress so we'll match."

"Yeah," Angela said, "Okay."

"I'll catch you later. I'm going to hang out with the boys tonight."

"I'll see you later, Carson."

"Bye," he said as he turned and left.

_I'm going to prom_ , Angela thought excitedly _. I just wish he had asked me and not assumed it._

She felt a little overwhelmed thinking about getting a dress. Angela quickly went off and changed, then met Melissa outside the gymnasium.

"He asked you," Melissa said, resignation ringing in her voice, "Didn't he?"

Angela hesitated to answer before saying, "We're going to the prom."

"Good for you." Melissa sounded anything but happy.

"Are you going with Jessica in the limo too?" Angela asked.

Melissa stared at her, before looking away. "I guess, I mean I didn't know there was going to be a limo."

"Me neither."

Jessica and Kayla finally walked over and they all headed for the parking lot.

Kayla and Melissa started talking, and Angela caught up with Jessica in front of them.

"Going to the prom with Carson?" Jessica asked.

Angela quietly replied, "Yes, but you already knew that, huh?"

"I might have known that he would ask you. I also might have invited him in the limo too, subject to him asking you to the prom."

"So," Angela felt her stomach cringe, "You persuaded him to ask me out?"

"Let's just say I sweetened the deal." Jessica saw the look on Angela's face and continued, "Look, I take care of my fellow cheerleaders. I want you to have a great time at the prom. The State Cheerleading Competition is approaching fast, and this would be a good chance to let loose before then."

"Well." Angela said, "Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," Jessica said. "Grove Girls always take care of each other."

They all got into the car and headed out. Jessica dropped off Melissa at her house first, then took Angela home. As they pulled up, Angela saw Uncle Billy standing on the walkway with a slightly younger woman with auburn hair and a cream-colored sundress.

"That's why I don't like Bottom Grove," Kayla said wrinkling her nose. "You never know who's going to be hanging around in front of your house."

Angela ducked her head to hide her blush. "That's my uncle."

"Oh," Kayla muttered.

"Who's the diva wannabe?" Jessica gawked at the woman who was now running her fingers through Billy's greasy hair as she pressed herself snugly against him.

Angela stared at the woman for a moment, then said slowly, "I guess that's his girlfriend."

"I didn't mean anything by what I said," Kayla insisted.

Angela just let it slide as she stepped out of the car and waved them goodbye.

As she turned towards her house, Uncle Billy glanced over at her, and then continued talking with the lady, who abruptly unattached herself from him.

"Now, honey," Billy cajoled, "come on. Can't we do something else instead?"

"If you don't want to take me out to eat," she said with a pout, "I'm sure someone else would."

Angela felt awkward as she walked towards them. The woman's perfume was very cloying. Up close, Angela could see the woman wore heavy amounts of makeup and her dress was cut extremely low. She tried to ignore their conversation as she thought again about buying a dress for prom.

_I probably don't have enough money,_ Angela thought. _Not for a really nice dress. I wish my uncle paid us an allowance or something._

She started to walk passed them, but then another thought crossed her mind. Angela stood beside her uncle and waited for an opportunity to speak.

"I just don't feel like going out tonight," he said, changing his tactic.

When Billy realized that Angela was still standing there, he turned to her and rudely said, "Do you mind?"

"What?" Angela, deep in thought about the prom, was completely taken off guard.

"We're kind of talking here," her uncle replied giving her the evil eye.

"Um, okay. I just had a question, but I guess I can ask it later."

Her uncle put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes. "Fine, what is it already?"

Angela looked at the woman, then back at her uncle.

"It's okay, darling," the lady said in her sugar sweet voice. "Don't mind me. You can him ask now."

"Well," Angela said while peering into her uncle's troublesome eyes. "There's this dance I'm going to on Saturday, and—"

"You need me to pay for it?" her Uncle asked. "Is that it?"

_Gosh_ , Angela thought, _I didn't even think about buying a ticket._

"I think my boyfriend is paying for me to go," she said crossing her fingers. "But, I don't have a nice blue dress to wear."

"So you expect me to buy it?" Uncle Billy shook his head in disbelief. After he received a harsh look from his girlfriend he quickly said, "I mean, maybe I can pay for some of it."

The woman turned her baby blue eyes onto Angela and said, "Is it an important dance?"

"Prom," Angela replied.

"Oh, how fun! I remember how great my prom was. Kyle Phillips was—"

Uncle Billy glared at her as she began to talk about another guy. "Enough already."

The woman just grinned. "You need to pick out the perfect dress, and I'll help you do it."

"Really?" Angela asked, a little nervous to accept.

Her uncle shrugged his shoulders in resignation, "Go ahead, Paula. Have a blast."

Paula held out a hand and waited expectantly.

Uncle Billy rolled his eyes, then pulled out his wallet and handed her a red credit card. "Keep it reasonable," he pleaded.

"Of course, darling," she replied while planting a smacker on his thin lips.

Uncle Billy headed inside the house and Paula turned to face Angela. Her extended eyelashes and dramatic make-up made Angela wonder if she was the best person to give fashion advice. That, and Angela did not really know her at all.

"Well," Paula said with a wide smile, "Drop off your things and let's go to the mall."

"Like, right now?" Angela was dumbfounded at the turn of events.

"There's no time like the present."

Angela forced a smiled, then went inside and set her things up in her room. After she return outside again, she followed Paula and got into a pink two-door coupe. During the trip to the mall, Paula made small talk.

"So, the boy taking you to the prom," Paula said with a saucy wink, "is he cute?"

"I think he is," Angela said uncomfortably.

"Does he play any sports?"

"Football. He's a quarterback. Well, was one. That was his last season of football at our school. He's graduating this year."

Paula nodded and said, "I see. And, what do you like most about him?"

"Carson is sweet and he knows how to make me laugh." As awkward as Angela felt being with someone she never met before, she couldn't help but love being able to talk to an older woman. Paula was far from a mother-like figure, but Angela just pictured her mom's face and continued, "But, what I really like about him is that he is really strong. I feel safe around him."

They soon pulled onto the mall parking lot and Paula led Angela inside to a high-end dress shop.

A young girl around her age walked up and asked, "Hello. Is there a particular type of dress you are looking for?"

"She needs a dress for prom," Paula answered for her.

Angela added quickly, "It needs to be dark blue."

"Right this way," the girl said as she gestured to the back corner of the store.

The young lady guided her to a rack of long, eloquent dresses. Some had spaghetti straps and low-cut neck lines. Angela shook her head at several of the options.

Paula pursed her lips. "What's wrong with those dresses? Not your style?"

"They're a little revealing," Angela said, feeling ill at ease.

"That's the point, darling," Paula began as she grasped Angela's shoulders. "You want your man looking at you, not the other girls at the dance."

The employee eyed them and said encouragingly, "All of the dresses on this rack are bestsellers."

Paula grabbed a short sleeveless dress off the rack, "I bet you'd like one if you try one on."

Angela knew that Paula had been kind to take her there, but she just wished the dresses were more in her comfort zone. She was used to her cheerleading outfit, but she had never purposely bought any clothes that was that immodest.

"Maybe I'll try on this one," Angela said, pointing at a dress on the rack.

"Too boring. Try on this one."

Paula handed a dark blue dress to Angela, and she took it to the dressing room. After slipping into it, she looked into the mirror.

_It's not cut too much lower on the front than my cheerleader uniform_ , Angela thought, _and it fits well._ _But, the back is practically see-through material all the way down to my waist._

Angela stared longer at herself in the mirror then stepped out the dressing room to get Paula's opinion. Paula walked around her, then stopped before her.

"Darling!" Paula said excitedly, "it's perfect. We'll take it."

After Paula paid for the dress using Uncle Billy's credit card, they returned to the car and headed home.

"You are going to look gorgeous at the prom. Ah, prom! Sometimes I wish I could go back to my younger days and the first guys. They were the fun ones." Paula sighed dramatically as she reminisced.

"I really appreciate you helping me choose a dress," Angela said. "And, for buying it too. I'm sorry that it cost so much."

"It's just money," Paula waved her hand indifferently. "Besides, your uncle seems to have more than enough to go around. I don't mind spending it. As a matter of fact, I will spend it for as long as he's got it. As you and I both well know, there isn't much else about Billy that is worth sticking around for!" She chuckled.

_You just like him for the money?_ Angela thought with slight dismay.

When they arrived at her house, she grabbed the blue dress out of the back seat and thanked Paula again for her help. Paula then handed her the credit card and told her to give it back to her uncle. "Tell him I've let him off easy tonight, but that I want some sushi later this week if he wants anything from me!" She then drove away, and Angela went inside.

Uncle Billy was sitting in the living room watching a movie, and Angela walked towards him and handed him the credit card.

"Got your dress?" Uncle Billy asked while barely glancing up at her.

"Yes," Angela said biting her lip. She thought briefly about Paula's parting message, but then decided not to mention it. "Thank you."

Billy nodded, clearly distracted. "Don't mention it."

Angela then went upstairs to her room and walked up to the mirror on her closet door. She held the dark blue dress in front of her body and she felt anticipation rush through her veins. "I can't wait."

28

Each morning that week, Andrew made breakfast.

Angela was happy to enjoy the pancakes and eggs, and that made Andrew happy as well. Although they just chatted about random things, doing their best to avoid confrontational subjects, they had a very pleasant time together.

At school, Andrew continued to sit alone at lunch. After eating, he would use the remaining free time to read passages from the Bible. Some of the other students walking by gave him odd looks, but he did not let that discourage him.

After his classes ended each day, he met with his counselor. During one session, Counselor Robertson said, "Andrew, you have improved your grades significantly since we started our meetings."

"I had hoped so. I'm less distracted now than I used to be."

"Well, it definitely shows."

"Thank you," Andrew replied. "I just wish I could do more."

"With your grades?"

"With my life." Andrew looked seriously into his counselor's eyes. He struggled to find the right words to express just how serious he was. "After going to Mass and then confession, I feel renewed again. I haven't felt this kind of freedom in a long time. But, I know I've made mistakes. Now, as I strive for purity in my life, I wish I could help others do the same."

"That's a very mature ambition," his counselor thoughtfully replied. "Go ahead and pray about it, I will too, and we can discuss this later in the week."

"I will. Thank you."

He tried to brainstorm ideas as he did his homework that night, but could not come up with anything. Before going to bed, he prayed, "God, thank you for opening up my eyes to how I can live better. Thank you for allowing me the chance to change, and for always being with me. Please guide me as I search for ways to help others purify their lives so that they can strengthen their relationships with you and with others. Amen."

The next day, Andrew was busy enough in his classes that he did not think much about it. When speaking with Senior Counselor Robertson after school, the topic was not brought up.

On Thursday night, the school held a fundraiser dinner in the gymnasium. Andrew had heard of it, so after it ended, he was sure to be there to help clean up. While picking up trash and packing away the tables, he saw his counselor there.

"I'm surprised to see you here." Counselor smiled warmly at Andrew. "You know, your community service ended last week."

"I know," Andrew replied. He could feel his face redden slightly in humility. "I actually like helping out. It's kind of relaxing and gives me time to speak with God."

"That's great." His counselor gave him a firm handshake. "I'm proud of you. You have really turned your life around. Thanks be to God."

Andrew smiled and started to clean again. After everything was done, he waved to some of the faculty members to let them know he was leaving. He then went down the hallway towards the exit. Outside on the parking lot, he heard two people talking nearby.

"My son likes to play chess all the time," one man said, "so, he joined the school's chess club this year."

"Oh yeah?" the other man replied. "My daughter joined the drama club. They have so many clubs at this school, and I hear that they even let the students make them up nowadays."

_A club?_ Andrew mused. _That's the answer to my prayers._

The following morning in school, Andrew was distracted during his classes while contemplating ideas for a new club. In between classes, as he walked down the hall past other students, he heard several of them using curse words and name calling.

_I used to be like that. I bet the stuff they watch and listen to at home is negatively influencing them like it had to me,_ Andrew thought.

He saw several boys trying to flirt with some girls, and they were making sexual comments because of how the girls had dressed. They wore short skirts and sleeveless low-cut tops.

_Immodesty provokes lust_ , Andrew thought sadly.

He shook his head and continued down the hall to his next class. Everything seemed so cut and dry to him. Reading the bible daily as well as other spiritual improvement books, really allowed Andrew to mature to a level far beyond where he previously had been at. As Andrew entered a room, he saw that the teacher was not yet present. One boy was playing some sort of video game on his smartphone while another boy watched.

"Kill 'em," the observer said, "Kill 'em all."

_Does he realize what he's saying?_ Andrew was disturbed.

He took a seat and mulled over everything. _The world is so desensitized to cursing, violence, and sex... if my classmates knew that the majority of movies and television, popular music, and video games contain sexual elements, offensive language and morally degrading messages... if they only knew how harmful it is to them... if they could see through new eyes and understand that there is a better way to live... if they could turn to God and strive for purity in their lives..._

"Purity." Andrew's mind whirled with endless possibilities. "Thank you, God."

After the school day ended, he rushed up to the fourth floor and reached his counselor's office a little early. Andrew knocked on the door and soon took a seat inside.

"You seem awfully excited," Counselor Robertson said, gazing at Andrew with an interested and thoughtful expression.

"I just came up with the perfect idea for the club I would like to start at this school."

Robertson smiled eagerly. "God works fast! Please, tell me. What is it?"

"The Purity Club."Andrew felt his excitement grow at the sound of his new club.

"That sounds very interesting. You definitely have my attention. What is the premise and mission of the Purity Club?"

"When I turned to God, he opened up my eyes." Andrew stood up and began to pace quickly back and forth. "Before then, I was blind to how tolerant society is to sin, how a lot of mainstream media desensitizes people, and how much influence us students have on each other. The Purity Club will be a place where students can come together and encourage each other to strive for purity in all aspects of their lives and will show how purity brings us closer to God."

"I see. I believe that you are onto something here. It is scary and often unnerving trying to preach, evangelize, or just pray in a public school environment. But, that re-emphasizes just how desperately public schools are in need of God." Robertson paused to glance at Andrew before continuing, "From my understanding, in order to create a club at this school, you must have a member of the faculty sponsor it."

"I was hoping that _you_ would."

Senior Counselor Robertson leaned forward in his chair, placed his hands together on his desk, and said, "I'd love too."

Andrew grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you so much."

"We'll have to fill out some forms and I'll have to submit them to the principal and board members for approval."

"Do you think they'll accept the Purity Club?"

"It may take some persuading," Robertson said, "but I think it's possible."

Andrew stared earnestly at his counselor. "I'm ready."

"So am I."

29

Angela walked down the stairs wearing her short dark blue dress, which was high above her knees. The neckline was cut down low, with thin spaghetti straps leaving her shoulders and arms bare.

As she opened the front door, Andrew called out to her. "Wait."

She paused and looked back over her shoulder. "Carson's going to be here any minute."

"I know," Andrew said as he approached and stopped beside her. "Please be careful tonight."

"It's just a dance," she replied, feeling defensive. "Is this about Carson again?"

Andrew sighed and took her hand gently in his. "It's about you. I don't want anything happening to you. I know that you really like Carson. Please, just be careful with him. Make sure he treats you with respect."

"I don't want to keep talking about this," Angela said, clearly annoyed. "Carson is my boyfriend, and you're just going to have to deal with it."

Andrew exhaled deeply in disappointment. "Okay." _God, please be with her and protect her. Please let me earn her trust soon._

At that moment, he saw a black limousine pull up along the curb. Angela followed his gaze and her face lit up when she saw Carson walking up the path to escort her to the limo.

Angela left her brother as she went outside and met Carson. He stood there in his blue tuxedo and black dress shoes.

_He's very cute_ , she thought blissfully. _It is still so amazing a wonderful guy like him could possibly like me._

Angela stepped down the front stairs carefully with her high heels.

"Wow," Carson whistled softly. "You look hot. Love the dress, babe."

Angela's eyes went wide for a brief moment as his words reminded her of how Andrew talked dirty about the cheerleaders at the football game.

_I wish he didn't talk to me like that_ , she thought. _But, he's my boyfriend, so maybe it's okay._

Before she could respond, Carson held out something in his hand. Angela smiled as he placed a white corsage around her wrist.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "You're very sweet."

Carson then held her hand as they walked to the black limousine. He opened the door for her and they joined their friends inside. The benches in the limo faced each other, allowing the group to socialize.

"Hey Angela," Jessica began with a grin. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," she said. "Your dress is very pretty too." Jessica wore a tight fitting yellow dress that overly accentuated her curves.

Angela glanced at her friends' faces, along with a few she barely recognized. Jessica sat beside Mason Smith, and Kayla was with Jeremy Kendrick. They all exchanged compliments as the limo headed for the prom.

Then, Angela asked, "Are we picking up Melissa?"

Jessica stopped making out with Mason briefly to answer. "I'm afraid not."

"Poor Melissa didn't get asked out," Kayla said. "And, since she's not a senior, she can't go alone."

Angela was disappointed not to see her friend. "That's too bad."

"Yeah," Kayla said with a laugh, "Too bad she's not pretty like you. Then at least someone would have asked her."

Mason and Jeremy laughed, Jessica grinned, and Angela almost thought she saw Carson smirk.

_Why are they being so mean?_ Angela thought with dismay. _And, why would Carson think that's funny?_

"Well," Angela asked, "is Melissa coming to your party?"

Jessica shrugged, "Only people attending the prom are invited to my after-party. I can't just have everyone showing up."

Carson snuggled closer to Angela. "Don't worry about Melissa. Next year when she's a junior, someone will probably ask her to prom."

"I guess you're right," Angela said, trying to relax.

During the rest of the ride there, they all made small talk. As they arrived at the banquet hall where the prom was being held, each gentleman helped their lady out of the limo. When Angela stepped out she looked at the decorations leading to the building. She could hear music pumping from inside, which made her smile.

Carson guided her to the front door, then they went inside the hall along with their friends.

"Tickets?" a staff member said.

Carson held out two blue tickets and gave them to the man. He nodded and let them go by.

"Thank you again for buying the tickets," Angela said gratefully.

"Of course," Carson replied suavely. "Anything for you."

She blushed, and they continued towards the main hall. As they approached it, a photographer stopped them and asked them to pose for a picture. Carson placed an arm around her waist and drew her close. Angela shivered at the feel of him on her nearly bare skin.

_That's a little fresh_ , she thought, slightly perturbed.

Since his arm was already around her, she just smiled for the photo. After it was taken, his hand moved to her shoulder. He led her through the doorway and into the grand hall.

The darkened room was lit only by strobe lights and a disco ball spinning from the ceiling. The hall was packed with students from Grove High spread out across the dance floor. A refreshment table to the side had red punch and glasses.

"Care to dance?" Carson said with a grin.

Angela looked into his gleaming eyes and whispered, "I'd love to."

They headed on the dance floor with their friends and each couple danced. The music was a mixture of Pop, R&B, Techno, and Rap. Angela recognized very few of the songs, but she followed the beat of the music with her moves.

After dancing to a few fast-paced, upbeat songs, the music changed to a slow song. Angela felt a little tired from dancing and wanted a short break.

"Maybe we can get some punch and sit down during this song," Angela said hopefully as she tried to pull away.

Carson quickly replied, "It's the first slow song all night. We should dance to it."

Angela rolled her eyes and gave in. Carson grinned, slipped his arms around her, and held her close. Angela could feel the warmth of his hands through the thin sheer material on her back.

"Um," she said uncomfortably, "would you mind putting your hands a little lower, please?"

Carson looked confused, but then nodded with an impish smile. "Sure."

He rubbed his hands downward along her dress, until his hands rested well past her lower back.

"Excuse you," Angela said with disgust as she pushed his hands away.

"Hey," Carson loudly retorted with confusion and some anger. "What's your problem?"

As Jessica and Mason glanced in their direction, Angela realized that her friends could probably hear them. She did not want to make a further scene, so she said, "I'm going to get some punch."

She turned away from Carson and left.

At the table, she took some red punch and sat in a chair against a wall. When she looked back at her friends, she saw that they were talking and looking in her direction.

_Great_ , Angela thought, _now they think there's something wrong with me._

She looked down at her high heels and at her sore feet. She almost wished the prom was over already.

After the slow song ended, the music picked back up again. Angela could see her friends all dancing in a group and having a great time together. She wanted to have fun, but she was hesitant to return to Carson.

She nearly got up, but then shook her head.

As Angela just stared boringly at the floor in front of her, she noticed black dress shoes beneath dark blue pants. She peered up and saw Carson standing there with a hand extended.

"I'm sorry," he said, offering her a small smile. "Would you like to dance with me again? Just the fast songs if you'd like."

Angela gave a partial smile and said, "Alright."

She took his hand, headed back to her friends and danced with the group.

With the prom halfway over, the music came to a stop. On a stage along the far wall, a man with a microphone said, "Thank you all for coming to the Grove High Prom. I would like to announce this year's Prom King and Queen."

Angela's friends looked excited and they whispered to each other about who they thought would win.

"Your class has voted and the results are in," the announcer said. "This year's Prom King is... Carson Reynolds."

Angela's mouth dropped open and she stared at Carson as he jumped up and down. "Can you believe this?" he asked her. "I'm the Prom King."

"I didn't know you signed up for it," Angela muttered to herself.

Carson smiled and then headed up onto the stage, where the man placed a golden crown on his head. The announcer then said, "And, this year's Prom Queen is... Jessica Martin."

Kayla gave her best friend a big hug and said, "You did it, girl."

Angela watched as Jessica joined Carson on the stage. After the announcer placed a golden tiara on her head, he said, "Let's give them a round of applause."

Everyone clapped and cheered, and Angela tried to be happy for them, but she stopped clapping when Carson threw his arms around Jessica and gave her a tight hug.

_Hey,_ Angela thought incredulously, _what are you doing?_

As the applause ended, the announcer said, "Now it's time for the Prom King and Queen to have their first dance."

"What?" Angela was dismayed. Carson was her boyfriend and he was going to just hang out and dance with Jessica?

Carson held Jessica's hand tight as he led her off the stage and into the center of the dance floor. The DJ played a slow song, and Carson wrapped his arms around Jessica, placing his hands on her bare back.

_Carson_ , she thought as tears welled in her eyes, _how could you?_

Watching Carson dance with Jessica made Angela's stomach churn. She wanted to storm up to her boyfriend and demand that he stop dancing with Jessica, but she knew that was not a good idea. When the dance ended, Carson guided his queen back to their friends.

Angela was about to confront Carson when a song she recognized began to blast throughout the grand hall. It was the song they performed at their first halftime show, Spotlight.

Jessica turned to Kayla and called out, "Round up the cheerleaders ASAP. Let's own the dance floor with our moves."

As Kayla located Julia and a few other senior cheerleaders, Jessica said, "Come on, Angela."

The center of the dance floor was still cleared in a circle from when Carson and Jessica danced there.

Angela's heart started beating faster than when Carson held Jessica. She was upset with her boyfriend and did not want to attempt any cheerleading moves in her tight dress.

"Sorry," Angela said through stiff lips, "I can't dance in heels."

Carson rolled his eyes and tried to cajole her into doing it. "I missed your halftime performance, but I'd love to see you dance for me right now."

Angela hesitated, then shook her head. "My feet are too sore."

Jessica threw her hands in the air in disgust. "Whatever." She joined the rest of the senior cheerleaders and began doing their synchronized moves.

Angela watched as her friends danced in their prom dresses. She realized that Carson was watching the other girls dancing, and had a wide grin.

_Why is he staring at my friends dancing?_ Angela deliberated slowly. _Or is he just watching Jessica's body?_

"Do you want to dance?" Angela asked, hoping to draw Carson away from the other cheerleaders.

"Now you want to dance? Let's wait until they're done working it."

Angela tugged at the sleeve of his tuxedo. "Why do you want to watch them?"

"They're better than the singer in the music video," Carson replied. "You could have been out there too."

She turned to see her friends entertaining everyone with their moves, and for the first time, she realized that the dancing seemed a bit seductive. Angela noticed how Carson's eyes were fixed on the cheerleaders and he grinned with every move of their bodies.

When the song was over, all the classmates cheered and started dancing to the next song. Carson turned to Angela and asked if she still wanted to dance, but she shook her head.

"I just need to sit out for a few," Angela said.

She left the group and headed for the hallway. Once she made it to the exit doors, Angela sat on a bench under the front awning.

The night dragged on and she heard several more songs play before the music finally ended. As the students piled outside, Angela's friends approached her.

"There you are," Carson said with a grin. "I was beginning to think you left me."

Angela gave a small smile and shrugged. "I just needed some air."

"Well," Jessica said, "you really missed your chance to perform Spotlight."

Kayla wiggled her hips. "It was a riot."

Carson looked at her with concern. "You're not too tired for the after-party, are you?"

Angela looked at her friends as they stared at her.

"My parties are the best," Jessica said.

Kayla nodded. "It'll be great."

"Alright." Angela forced a smile. "Let's go."

Their black limousine picked them back up and took them to Jessica's house. The ride was much shorter, and most of her friends bragged about how much fun they had dancing, especially to the Spotlight song.

As they got out of the limo, Carson held Angela's hand and they went inside Jessica's house. Angela could see that the kitchen had lots of snacks waiting for them, so she munched on some while more of their classmates arrived for the party.

Kayla soon announced loudly, "Who wants a drink?"

Mason shouted, "Over here."

She walked into the living room and handed a bottle to Mason, then to Jessica, Jeremy, and then glanced at Carson and Angela.

"Beer?" Kayla offered while raising an eyebrow at Angela.

"Yeah," Carson replied enthusiastically.

He took two from Kayla and tried to hand one to Angela.

"No, thank you." Angela crossed her arms against her chest. She could feel her annoyance with him begin to creep back over her.

Carson smirked. "You don't drink?"

Angela shook her head. Being annoyed with him gave her the confidence booster she needed to refuse any peer pressure regarding drinking. "No, I don't," she said, her voice cool as ice.

Carson ignored her and popped the cap off his bottle and guzzled it down right in front of her. He stopped half way, and then offered her the rest.

Angela glanced around the room and saw that all of her friends, their boyfriends, and most of the other classmates were drinking.

Kayla, who was still standing nearby, stared at her. "Go ahead and give it a try."

She shook her head again and angrily replied, "No."

Carson looked disappointed, and he then finished off the bottle.

Jessica had set up a boom box and started playing slow music. She walked over to where Mason was resting on the couch and she sat on top of him. Angela watched as they began to kiss. Kayla set down her beer and slipped into her boyfriend's arms to make out. While some people drank, others held each other close and kissed.

Angela noticed Julia and a guy heading upstairs to the second floor. Jessica saw them too, and she took a moment away from kissing to say, "Have fun."

Julia waved and grinned as her and the guy disappeared.

Carson grabbed Angela's hand and led her away from the living room and towards the stairs. She crinkled her brows and wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure how it would come out. As they reached the top of the staircase, Angela looked past Carson and saw Julia and the guy enter into a bedroom and close the door behind them.

Carson began to pull her towards Jessica's darkened bedroom. "Wait!" Angela choked out as realization dawned on her.

Carson peered back, but instead of responding, he grinned and nodded at the open door.

Angela swallowed hard and pulled her hand from his. "What—"

"It's prom night," Carson whispered suggestively. "Let's relax and enjoy each other's company."

"But." Angela struggled with the words. Her stomach was tight and she could feel herself begin to shake. "Why in there?"

Carson stepped closer, his body less than a foot in front of hers, his eyes gazing into hers. "You know you are beautiful, Angela. Since the moment I first met you, I wanted to taste your lips."

He leaned in towards her, but she put her hands against his chest. He paused for a moment, inches away from her lips.

He breathed softly into her ear, "Don't resist me, baby."

"No," Angela stated firmly. She knew she was way out of her comfort zone. She knew she was naïve about a lot of things, but nothing was as certain and clear in that moment than one thing. "I don't want to kiss you."

Carson's eyes flashed. "We'll see about that."

She stiffened her arms as he leaned in closer, but he slipped an arm around her back and pulled her towards him. Her arms collapsed, and he held her body against his. Angela tried to say no again, but Carson leaned in the rest of the way and kissed her hard. He began to roughly move his hands all over her body as he tried to lead her towards the bedroom.

Angela's eyes started to tear up as she realized what was happening. She then lifted her right foot and slammed her high heel onto his toes.

"Ouch!" Carson yelped as he released her. "Hey! What's wrong with you?"

"You kissed me!" Angela said in a tortured voice. "I told you no."

Carson reached down to feel his foot. His face was red with anger and pain. "Why did you hurt me?"

"I said no!" Angela shouted.

"You're my girlfriend. I can touch you all I want. I can kiss you all I want. What's wrong with that?"

Angela wiped a tear from her cheek. "I was saving my first kiss."

"For what?" Carson retorted in disbelief.

"My wedding day."

He let out a maniacal laugh. "That's ridiculous. What's the point in waiting to kiss someone? If you never kiss, then you can never—"

"Stop! Please, just stop."

Carson narrowed his eyes and took a step closer to her. His voice went deep with barely suppressed fury. "We've been going out for a while now and I've been patient knowing you're younger. I've paid for our dates, I've paid for the prom, and I've settled for silly kisses on the cheek. The least you could do to repay me is kiss me. You owe me."

Angela stared at him in disbelief. "I don't owe you anything."

"You are a cheerleader." Carson growled. "You dance around in your skimpy uniform and short skirt in front of the entire school. You get all us guys aroused, but, then you act all innocent when we're together. You are just a tease."

"I thought you were a nice guy, a real gentleman. Apparently I was wrong."

Carson slumped down and sat reclining against the wall. "I knew I should have gone to prom with Jessica instead of you."

"What?" Angela felt numb with pain and heartache.

_You liked her first,_ she thought despondently. _That's why you talked to her. That's how she already knew you were going to take me to prom. You didn't even ask me to go with you, but you probably asked her first._

He shook his head dejectedly, "Forget it. I should have known better than to take my chances with a freshman. At least I got to dance with Jessica."

Frustrated and hurt, Angela fled downstairs and saw that the party was worse than when she had left it. Empty beer bottles were scattered all over the floor, several classmates were drinking more, while her friends seemed entangled with their boyfriends.

Angela crossed the room and looked down at the couch. Jessica was kissing Max intensely, while Kayla turned away from Jeremy and asked drunkenly, "You're done already? You animal."

"I want to leave!" Angela practically shouted. She could barely keep herself from sobbing.

Kayla stood up and took Jeremy by the hand. "If you're finished with the room, I'll take it, unless you want it Jessica."

Max jumped up excitedly, "We'll take it."

Jessica waved them up, "No, it's alright. Maybe after you."

Angela cringed at the thought that she almost entered the bedroom with Carson. As Kayla looked her in the eyes, she could see she how upset she was. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Carson," Angela mumbled as tears began to flow. "I... I want to go home."

Kayla shook her head, "Sorry. I don't have a car."

Angela then looked towards Jessica, but she was busy making out with Max again. As her eyes began to water some more, Angela begged, "Jessica, please."

Jessica looked up. "You're not going to stay here with Carson?"

Angela leaned down and quietly pleaded, "I told him no, but he kissed me."

"And?" Jessica arched her brow. "Was he any good?"

_You like him_ , Angela thought dejectedly. _You definitely liked dancing with him._

"Please, can you drive me home?"

"I'm busy," she said flippantly as she kissed Max again.

"You ruined our last party," Kayla spoke up angrily, "Why are you trying to ruin this one too? Lighten up."

Jessica stared hard at Angela. "Is this really just because Carson kissed you?"

"Yes."

"Well, what did you expect would happen tonight? He's a guy, you're a girl. It's prom night. Don't be so naive."

Angela looked around the room and saw several other couples staring at her with grins on their faces.

"This party doesn't stop 'til morning," Jessica shouted out with a shrill laugh. "I'm not leaving my party."

"Can anyone please drive me home?" Angela cried.

Carol, a fellow cheerleader, said, "I will."

As Angela saw her sitting across the room, she noticed a half empty beer bottle in Carol's hand.

"No!" Jessica waved her off. "Stay and enjoy the party. Let her walk home if she wants to."

"I thought Grove Girls had each other's backs," Angela said bitterly.

"You may be a cheerleader, but you're not really one of us. Enjoy your long walk home."

30

Andrew had stayed up late, hoping and praying that his sister was alright.

Uncle Billy had already gone to bed, and Andrew had taken a seat in the living room with a clear view of the door, waiting for it to open. He nearly fell asleep across the sofa, when suddenly he heard the door unlock.

Angela walked inside, with her high heels in her hands, and she closed the door softly. When she partially glanced towards the couch, she noticed Andrew there. Despite seeing his concerned look, she headed for the stairs.

"Angela!"

She lingered at the foot of the steps, until finally she turned fully towards him. Andrew now saw that the heels of her shoes had broken off and the mascara on her face was ruined by tears.

"Are you okay?" Andrew's heart nearly jumped through his throat in fear. He quickly got up and walked to her.

Angela hesitated to answer as she plopped down on the sofa and tossed her high heels aside on the floor. "No," she said softly, "I'm not."

"What's wrong? What did Carson do?"

"He... I shouldn't have trusted him."

She broke down into tears and hid her face with her shaking hands.

_Oh, God. Please no._ Andrew was afraid to ask, but needed to know the extent of what happened. "Did Carson—"

"He forced a kiss," Angela said, lower lip trembling. "I didn't want him to, I told him no, but he kissed my lips." She stared off for a moment and then said, "I feel dirty now... I trusted him to respect me and my body, but he just kept pushing for more. Holding hands wasn't enough for him, kissing my cheek wasn't enough... nothing was enough."

"I'm sorry. So sorry." Andrew felt he was to blame. _If I was the right kind of brother in the first place to Angela, she would have trusted me and stayed away from Carson. She would never have gotten hurt._

Angela shook her head. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. You warned me that Carson wasn't respectful, but I gave him too much credit. He only liked me for my looks, and that's all he wanted me for. I ignored all the warning signs about him not working out for me. I shouldn't have dated him at all."

"I remember a long time ago," Andrew began, "when our parents recommended against casual dating. They said that they both believed in courtship, where two people seeking marriage could learn about each other while staying chaste and treating one another with respect. I think it's way too soon to meet someone. For both of us."

His sister looked torn on the issue. "But the good times with Carson... they felt so right. I liked the attention he gave me and us having a good time together. I loved his compliments. He made me feel special."

"The problem is that we're too young," Andrew confessed. "We're still learning about what will make us truly happy. We're still working on our relationship with God. How can we have a healthy relationship with someone else unless we first strengthen our relationship with God?"

Angela remained silent, either unsure how to respond or just uncomfortable talking about God. Andrew could still see the sadness in her eyes. He hoped that now would be the time he could help lead her back to God, but he also did not want to push her further away.

"You know I've made some bad decisions recently," Andrew admitted. "I fell into the wrong crowd, I've given in to peer pressure, and I haven't been a great friend or brother."

"Are you implying that I'm making poor choices," she asked angrily, "and hanging out with the wrong crowd? That I've given in to peer pressure?"

She narrowed her eyes and stared at her brother with her defenses up. Andrew knew her heart was wounded and he did not wish to make it worse.

"No, of course not. I'm only talking about my mistakes. I had come to realize that I had been living the wrong way. I listened to offensive music, I had friends that were corrupting my morals, and I treated women like objects. Instead of admitting my mistakes and sins along the way, I was blinded by them. After the vandalism incident, I hit my lowest point. But, Senior Counselor Robertson had reached out to me and gave me the chance to change my life. He encouraged me to seek God and ask for His forgiveness. And so I did."

Angela shook her head. "A counselor at our public school told you to seek God?"

"Yes," Andrew said with a wide smile. "That's how amazing God truly is."

She fell silent again as she struggled with her emotions and thoughts. "You've really changed, Andrew."

"I know. I was afraid to turn back to God for so very long, and I just needed someone there to encourage me. I really needed a father figure. Counselor Robertson has been almost like a father to me in the way he has given me spiritual guidance. I feel fortunate and blessed, and now I would like to help others find God as well."

"That's... very mature of you."

"Thank you." Andrew excitedly continued, "You deserve a better life too, and if you're interested, I'd love to help you."

Angela stood up and waved her hands. "I... I need some time to be alone."

"I understand. I hope you know that you're never alone though. God's always with you, and I'm here for you too."

She wiped a tear away. "Thank you."

Angela then picked up her broken high heels, walked to the kitchen and tossed them into the trash. Andrew watched her head towards the stairs and he decided to follow her. As she reached her room, she turned back and saw her brother lingering in the hallway.

"Are you going to be okay?" His brown eyes were filled with worry.

Angela gave him a weak smile and shrugged. "I think so."

"Everything will be better tomorrow. We could always play games and hang out if you'd like."

She tilted her head, crunched her eyebrows and then said, "That could be fun."

For the first time since she came home, he saw his sister smile.

"Hey, you know, Counselor Robertson is picking me up tomorrow morning to go to Mass. Would you like to go with us?"

Angela hesitated and then replied, "I don't think... maybe some other time."

"Well, we go every weekend. You're always welcome to join us. Have a goodnight, Angela. God bless you."

She smiled again. "God bless you too, Andrew."

They both headed into their own rooms and closed the doors. Andrew walked over to his bed, kneeled down before it, did the sign of the cross, and prayed, "God, please be with my sister and let her feel your presence and your love. Please guide her in all of her decisions and let her find peace. Thank you for watching over her, bringing her home safely, and for protecting her virginity. Thank you for also allowing me the opportunity to support her and help her through this difficult time. In Jesus' name, Amen."

31

"How are you doing?" Angela asked softly as she sat down beside Melissa on the school bus.

Melissa shook her head and kept it lowered. "I'm a little depressed."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, all the cheerleaders got to go to prom, but not me. I was stuck at home just wishing someone would have asked me out."

Angela exhaled loudly. "Don't worry about it. Prom wasn't that great at all."

"You don't need to lie to try and make me feel better." Melissa threw her a dirty look. "All the girls on the squad are bragging about how much fun they had and how it was the best night of their lives. Don't pretend that you didn't have fun going with Carson."

At the mention of his name, Angela cringed. "He wasn't much of a gentleman, and I wish I never went to prom or the after-party."

"Seriously? But, the other girls said that the party was the best."

"I bet they did, but, their idea of fun isn't the same as mine."

"Maybe so," Melissa said shrugging her shoulders, "but, I'm not going to miss the next party."

Angela wanted to tell her friend more about what really happened that night and how the other cheerleaders had turned against her. However, there were too many students that could listen in to their conversation, and the bus just arrived at the school.

After homeroom, Angela headed to her first class and then frowned as she spotted Jessica already seated in the back of the classroom. Angela avoided eye contact and took her seat. She ignored Jessica and every other cheerleader throughout the day.

At lunch, Angela was used to sitting with Carson or with her squad, but she would not do that anymore. As she glanced around the cafeteria looking for a spot to sit, she saw Carson at a table with a girl beside him and his arm around her shoulder.

_The first day back in school_ , Angela thought _, and he already has another girl._

She began to feel sad again, knowing that he replaced her so fast and moved on so easily, as if their time together meant nothing to him. However, that also showed Angela how much he truly was not right for her. _At least he is not with Jessica._

She continued glancing around until she saw her brother at a table by himself.

"Is this seat taken?" she joked as she appeared beside him.

Andrew's face lit up when he saw her. "No, please, be my guest."

After Angela sat down, she slightly brushed him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry for not going with you and your counselor to Mass yesterday, and for not playing any games and stuff either. I was just so tired and had a lot on my mind."

"You don't need to apologize. I understand."

The rest of the lunch break they relaxed and talked about their classes and random things in general. Angela's last two classes went by relatively fast, and when school ended, she headed to the gymnasium for her practice.

"Hey Angela," Jessica called out from where she was stretching. "Are you feeling better today?"

Angela could not tell how sincere Jessica was, but she replied, "Yes, I am."

"Listen, about what happened at the party... try not to let it get you down. Carson just wasn't right for you. I mean, he's cute, tall, and muscular... and he was very talented on the football field... but, he's not the kind of guy for you."

Angela refrained from rolling her eyes, and tried not to relive what Carson put her through. What Jessica also put her through. "I know he's not."

"Besides, there are plenty of other guys out there. None of the boys I've dated so far were right for me. Don't let it get you down. I never do."

_Easy for you to say_ , Angela thought with a mental snort. _You don't take dating seriously._

She then remembered what Andrew had mentioned about courtship rather than dating. Angela smiled at the thought that someday she could meet the right guy, and knew that it was not that time yet. She then said, "I'll be okay."

"That's the spirit!" Jessica gave a wide smile, clearly believing her 'pep talk' had worked. "Alright, let's get to work. We've got the District Cheerleading Competition to win this Saturday."

After a hard and exhausting practice, Angela was unsure if Jessica was going to give her a ride home. In light of how the party had gone, she decided to just walk. She left the gym before everyone else, changed, and headed out.

When she finally arrived home, and immediately as she entered inside, she saw her uncle storming up the hallway towards her.

"You've crossed the line!" Uncle Billy sounded irate as he waved a credit card statement in front of her. "Why did you spend two hundred dollars on a prom dress?"

Angela was completely caught off guard. "You said Paula could buy me one."

"But," he objected, "I didn't say you should waste two hundred dollars on it."

Angela raised her hands defensively, "I'm not sure what to say."

"You can start by promising to pay me back," Billy growled.

"I don't understand. You gave Paula permission to use the money to buy me a dress. And, I didn't pick out the two hundred dollar one anyways. Paula did."

"Yeah? But, you didn't have to accept it."

When Angela stayed quiet, Billy shouted, "I don't care if that's all the money you have in your piggy bank, or if you need to go out and work a job, but you owe me two hundred dollars."

Footsteps echoed down the stairs as Andrew rushed to his sister's side. "Is there a problem here?"

"Why don't you just mind your own business!" Uncle Billy turned on him glaring.

Andrew stayed calm and cool. He stood up straight and stared directly into Billy's eyes. "My sister is my business. Now stop yelling at her."

"What? You can't tell me what to do in my own house."

"This is obviously all a misunderstanding," Andrew said, holding his ground. "Maybe this is something you should discuss with Paula instead. She is the one that used your credit card, not Angela."

Uncle Billy tore his hands roughly through his hair. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. You know what? Forget it. I don't even care about the dress anymore. Just don't expect anything else from me again. Ever."

As their uncle marched back into his room and closed the door, Angela turned to her brother. "Thank you for standing up for me."

"Of course. That's what family is for."

"Unfortunately," Angela said wryly, "Uncle Billy is family."

"Yeah, I know. But, I try not to worry about that much anymore."

"Why's that?" Angela asked genuinely curious. "You used to be really fired up about him and the whole mystery money thing. Aren't you still interested where he's getting it all from?"

"Yes," Andrew admitted, "but, it's not in our hands any longer. Counselor Robertson was right when he told me to focus on strengthening my relationship with God. Everything is in God's hands. We just need to have faith."

32

"Well Andrew," Senior Counselor Robertson said from behind his desk, "I have wonderful news to share with you."

Andrew eagerly leaned forward in his chair. "They said yes?"

"It wasn't easy to persuade the school board," he replied, "but, I made a strong case for you. When they put it to a vote, God was definitely with you. Congratulations, you are permitted to create the first ever Purity Club in the history of Grove High."

"Wow! That's great. Thank you."

"Have you been planning the agenda for the first meeting yet?"

"I have." Andrew handed his counselor several papers and gestured to them. "I think it'll be best to start the meeting by telling everyone my testimony, the struggles I have faced, and how I ultimately came to embrace my faith."

"Very good," his counselor said as he looked the documents over. "By sharing your own testimony, you will build trust with your classmates and they will be more open to sharing their own testimonies as well."

"I'm hoping so. Then, I will start to discuss with them how striving for purity brings us closer to God."

"Sounds like you are on the right track. You have come a very long way, Andrew. As a side note, I also wanted to mention that I appreciate you telling me about Angela and the party. I've been praying for her. I know she may feel uncomfortable, but please let her know that I am here for her if she ever wants to talk. From everything you have told me about her over these past few weeks, I feel like I know her. I am very thankful to God that she has you as a brother." Robertson got up from his chair and walked around to stand behind Andrew. He placed a hand on Andrew's shoulder. "I am so proud of the man you have become. You have truly changed your whole life around."

Andrew remained silent as he crinkled his brows and fell deep into thought. Moments later, he glanced back at his counselor. "Thank you for saying all that. But, there is something that has been haunting me for some time now, and I'd like to set things straight. Is there any way you can drive me somewhere right now?"

His counselor could sense the burden he carried and quickly responded, "Yes, of course."

After locking the office and heading downstairs, they soon left the school building. Counselor Robertson drove silently to the place Andrew requested to visit, allowing his student time to prepare himself for what he was going to say.

Andrew peered out of the passenger window and watched as the streets began to look more familiar. They soon drove past Daniel's Hardware Store and he remembered waiting in a car while Darren bought the spray paint. The rest of the drive brought back many bad memories.

As they pulled onto the parking lot at Westview High, his counselor fixed his kind eyes on Andrew's. "Would you like me to go in with you?"

"No thank you. This is something that I must do alone."

Andrew looked at the side of the school building and could imagine the places where his friends had tagged the wall with blue paint. Although it had been repainted, the recollection of that night made him shiver.

_God, thank you for opening up my eyes,_ Andrew thought.

Counselor Robertson dropped him off at the front doors and then went off to park and wait for him. Andrew walked inside the lobby and saw several groups of students lingering around. He hoped that none of them would realize that he did not attend that school. Andrew quickly searched for the principal's office, and when he finally located it, he went to it immediately.

After knocking on the door, he waited patiently for a reply. Minutes passed and random thoughts began to enter into his mind.

_What if he's not available?_ Andrew pondered anxiously. _What if I came all this way, but he refuses to see me?_

The wooden door cracked open and a woman looked out at him. "Yes?"

"I... I would like to see Principal Thorton please." Andrew fought to keep his voice level.

The secretary peered closer at him, "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I didn't think of that."

"Well," she clucked her tongue, "He is a very busy man. Maybe I can help you. What may I ask do you need?"

Andrew shook his head. "It's confidential. Please, can you just tell the principal that Andrew Jensen would like to see him?"

She looked down at him and then smiled. "Wait here for a moment."

While the secretary went back into the office, Andrew waited in the lobby. Each moment he stood there made him even more nervous, and he began to debate if he should just go home instead.

_No, I need to do this,_ Andrew thought.

He nearly jumped as the secretary suddenly opened the door again. She grinned and said, "Principal Thorton will see you now. Right this way, Andrew."

She guided him into the office, past her desk, and through a second door. As he entered the back office, the secretary exited the room and closed the door, leaving Andrew staring at a tall man in a dark suit. The man's aged eyes narrowed at him, then softened.

"Mr. Jensen," the man said, "what brings you back to my school?"

His gaze was intimidating, yet Andrew managed to maintain eye contact. "Principal Thorton, I have come here today to apologize for my actions on the night of the football game. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I gave in to peer pressure."

As Andrew spoke, the principal remained emotionless. Andrew continued, "I appreciate how you handled the situation."

"I can't believe what I am hearing," Principal Thorton said as he drummed his fingers on the desk. "Did your principal ask you to come here today?"

"No. He doesn't know I am here. It was my idea to visit, with Senior Counselor Robertson's approval."

"And, what made you want to apologize?"

"My conscience." Andrew stated matter-of-factly.

Principal Thorton gazed hard at him. "So, you admit that you were wrong and you have learned from your mistakes?"

"Yes, sir. I'm a different person than I was back then. I'm sorry for everything that happened and for my part in it. Do you forgive me for my actions?"

He stared at Andrew for nearly a minute, deep in thought. Principal Thorton then said, "Yes, Andrew, I forgive you."

"Thank you." Andrew felt relief sweep over him.

Principal Thorton shook his hand firmly and led him to the lobby. He waved as Andrew left the school and returned to the car.

"How did it go?" Counselor Robertson asked curiously.

"Very well. I was really nervous going in there, but God helped me through it."

His counselor smiled and soon took him home. As Andrew entered the house, he sprinted upstairs to his room. He then sat at his desk, opened a notebook and wrote in the subject line, "The Purity Club".

_Next week,_ Andrew thought determinedly, _everything is going to change._

33

The day before the District Cheerleading Competition, Angela entered the cafeteria and looked around for her brother. But, when she did not see him, she noticed Jessica was motioning for her to join the squad at their table. Angela nodded and headed over to her friends.

She was upset with them after the prom and the after-party, but it was more about what Carson had done than what they refused to do. She had gotten past that night, and although she liked sitting with Andrew at lunch, she was not opposed to hanging out with the cheerleaders.

Jessica and her friends spent the lunch break talking about how far they had come as a team, and that they were ready to win Districts and advance to the State Championship.

That night, Angela slept well knowing that they were going to win the next day.

A dozen teams performed their routines at the District Cheerleading Competition and less than half qualified for State. The Grove High Cheerleaders had practiced hard and all their training had paid off. They were among the squads that were advancing to the final round, which was to be held a week later.

Jessica was so happy that her team had qualified that she invited all the cheerleaders to a small celebration that night at her house. Angela was a little hesitant to go, but knowing that it would be just the cheerleaders and no boys, she accepted the invitation.

Angela wanted to start being more open and honest with her brother, so she told him where she was going that night. She could instantly tell that he was not happy.

"Despite everything that happened at Jessica's house last weekend," Andrew said, dismay coloring his voice, "you're going back there again?"

"Carson won't be there, neither will any other boy," she said defensively. "It's just a little get together for us cheerleaders."

"But, don't you see that your friends are into things that are not good for them, for you?"

"Just because they do certain things," she replied, "doesn't mean that I will too. They're my friends, my team. I belong with them."

"I don't want you to get hurt again," Andrew said worriedly.

Angela smiled and gave him a quick hug. "I won't."

Less than an hour later, Jessica came and picked her up, then Melissa too. When they reached Jessica's house, Angela could hear music playing inside.

Angela crinkled her brows suspiciously. "I thought we were just hanging out?"

"Grove Girls love to play," Jessica flippantly responded.

Melissa's eyes lit up as they entered the house. A banner hung across the archway between the living room and kitchen. It read: _Congratulations!_

"My parents set up the decorations," Jessica said. "They're going out to eat so that us girls can have some fun."

Angela saw Julia and Kayla in the kitchen with beer bottles in their hands, and Carol was lounged on a recliner with a bottle as well. Some of the other cheerleaders were swaying to the music, or chatting amongst themselves.

When Kayla saw Angela and Melissa she raised a half empty bottle and called out, "Join the party."

Melissa started nodding her head to the music and taking it all in.

"We have food and drinks in the kitchen," Jessica said as she gestured.

They followed Jessica into the kitchen and noticed pizza, chips, and lots of beer.

Jessica grabbed a cold bottle and offered it to Melissa.

"Um," Melissa glanced uncertainly at Jessica, "I... I don't—"

"It's just beer," Jessica said pushing the bottle into her hands. "It's harmless."

Kayla walked into the kitchen. "We qualified for State. Live it up."

"You don't have to Melissa," Angela quickly spoke up. "Let's eat some pizza instead. It looks good." Angela tried to pull Melissa away from Jessica and the beer.

Jessica shook her head. "You're really missing out."

"I never drank before," Melissa admitted, pink in the face. "I'm not sure I want to."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "You can't know if you like it unless you try it first."

Jessica took the bottle cap off the beer bottle and handed it back to her. Melissa held it up and sniffed the top.

She winced and started to hand the bottle back.

"Just try a sip," Jessica cajoled. "You did great at Districts. You deserve this."

Angela felt sick to her stomach as she glanced between Melissa and Jessica. "Don't—"

But, as Melissa looked around at her friends, every one of them was drinking except for Angela. She put the bottle to her mouth and took a drink. At first, she wanted to spit it out, but she forced herself to swallow it.

"It's good, huh?" Kayla looked thrilled.

Melissa's facial expression revealed her true thoughts, but she forced a smile. "Yeah, thank you."

Jessica went over to Kayla, while Melissa took several more gulps.

"Why are you drinking?" Angela asked reproachfully.

Melissa gazed at her with sad eyes. "Some people are beautiful and super talented like you. I have to work a lot harder to make friends."

"What are you talking about? You are beautiful, and you do the best flips on the team. There's not a cheerleader here that can do them better. You don't need to drink to impress anyone."

After finishing half the bottle, Melissa gave a strained smile. "Last year, I tried out for the team and they laughed at me. I spent all summer learning to flip and even took lessons to get good enough. This year, I made the squad, but I don't feel like the girls like me much. And, none of the boys asked me out to prom. I'm tired of being left out."

Angela tried to grab the bottle from Melissa, "Please, stop drinking."

"Back off." Kayla quickly approached and stepped between the girls. "Let the girl have some fun."

Kayla motioned for Angela to walk away. For a long moment, she looked at Melissa, hoping that she would change her mind. However, when she finished the bottle, Kayla handed her a second one.

Angela shook her head and walked to the living room in defeat.

"Alright girls!" Jessica followed Angela into the living room. "Who's up for a dance contest?"

Some of the cheerleaders waved their hands in the air. "Woo!"

Then, the music was turned up louder. The coffee table was moved out of the way to make room for a dance floor, and Kayla was the first to compete. She moved to the beat, fast during the high energy parts of the song, while slow and provocative for the rest. Jessica clapped along with some of the other girls.

Angela sat on the couch, wishing she had stayed at home.

"Beat that," Kayla said tossing her hair flirtatiously as she left the dance floor.

Jessica was the next one up and her moves were dirtier than Kayla's, which caused most of her friends to clap and cheer even more.

After the song ended, Julia started her performance. Angela was growing tired of sitting around watching her friends drinking and acting foolish. She looked towards the kitchen to see Melissa, but she was not there.

_What?_ Angela thought with concern. _Where'd she go?_

"Have you seen Melissa?" she asked Carol.

But she just shrugged her shoulders.

Angela stood up and glanced around the living room, spotting each of the cheerleaders except for Melissa.

She turned to Kayla and asked, "Have you seen her?"

"Who?" Kayla replied, somewhat annoyed from the interruption while she watched Julia dance.

"Melissa," Angela said with worry in her voice.

Kayla waved a hand towards the far room. "She was still in the kitchen, I think."

While the other cheerleaders continued to cheer on Julia, Angela rushed across the room. Several of the girls shook their heads and one said, "Out of the way, freshman."

Angela ignored her and as she rounded the counter in the kitchen, she noticed Melissa lying on the floor motionless.

"Melissa?" Angela whispered fearfully while kneeling down beside her friend and feeling for her pulse. "Melissa?"

She did not respond.

Angela stood up, and ran back into the living room. With panic evident in her voice, she screamed over the music, "Someone call 911, Melissa's not moving."

At first, Jessica and Kayla just stared at her, but as they realized that she was serious, all the cheerleaders came running over.

"How much did she drink?" Jessica asked nervously while pulling out her cell phone.

Kayla looked at all the empty bottles on the counter, "I'm not sure how many of these were hers or mine."

"Someone get rid of all these bottles," Jessica said with concern. "We don't want anyone seeing them." A moment later, she spoke on the phone. "Hello, our friend is sick. We need an ambulance right away."

The rest of the night was a blur of panic and fear. Angela stayed with Melissa until the ambulance came and the paramedics rushed her off to the hospital. The cheerleaders had been questioned about what had happened, and then one of the girls drove Angela home.

Andrew met her at the door and asked what was wrong.

She stayed silent for a minute as she shook her head. "I can't do this anymore. They didn't care about me and they didn't care about Melissa either."

"What happened?" Andrew asked tiredly.

"The other cheerleaders told her to drink, and I couldn't stop her. And, when I found her lying in the kitchen, she was barely even breathing. The paramedics said that she had alcohol poisoning. Then, the other girls lied and said that it was her idea to drink, not theirs."

Andrew shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry to hear that. Angela, you're my sister, and I love you very much. I see how the cheerleaders are negatively influencing you and now Melissa too." He paused and then said, "Don't you see how they're hurting you?"

His sister wanted to deny it, but she just began to cry. "I don't want to live like this. I want to change."

Andrew gave a partial smile. "I'll help you, Angela. I want you to be happy, and I want you to know that you are loved."

"Thank you. Please pray for Melissa tonight."

"I will," Andrew promised. "And, I will pray for you as well."

Angela leaned forward and hugged her brother. "God bless you."

34

Andrew woke up early to have a quick breakfast and to prepare for Mass. As he finished eating and went upstairs to get dressed, Angela came out of her room wearing a modest dress.

As he looked in confusion, Angela gave a timid smile, "Is it okay if I go to Mass with you?"

Andrew grinned, clearly elated. "Yes, of course. Counselor Robertson will be here shortly to pick us up."

Angela smiled and waited downstairs as her brother got ready. Soon, they went outside and stepped into the counselor's car.

"Hello Angela!" Counselor Robertson beamed at her and welcomed her with a warm handshake. "I'm so glad you could join us today."

"I appreciate the invitation." Angela immediately felt at ease with the counselor. _He almost reminds me of dad,_ she thought tenderly.

During the drive to the church, the counselor had the radio on a Christian station which played upbeat as well as soothing spiritual songs.

"Is this a CD?" Angela asked.

"No," the counselor replied, "This is a local station."

Angela raised a brow. "I didn't think they had music like this out here."

"Yes," Andrew turned toward her. "I just started listening to this station at home. Its way better than the other music I listened too."

Angela nodded with a gleam in her eye. "Same here."

Counselor Robertson then pulled onto the church's parking lot and they all went inside. Angela followed her brother and the counselor to an empty pew and they all kneeled down and prayed. As the Mass began, Angela felt a little strange, as if she was an outsider observing something beautiful. But, at the same time, everything felt familiar and comforting.

During the songs, Angela sung along with her brother, which made them both smile. They used to love singing together when they had gone to Mass with their parents. She did not realize how much she missed that until she sang with him again.

As the Mass concluded, Angela turned to Andrew. "Can you wait here for a few minutes while I talk to your counselor?"

"Sure, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I won't be long."

Angela followed the counselor out of the pew and asked him if they could talk. He nodded and they went outside to a small courtyard where they could talk alone.

"I know how much Andrew enjoys talking with you," she said softly. "I think he looks up to you like a father. I miss being able to talk with my parents about things."

"In some ways," Counselor Robertson admitted, "Andrew is like a son to me. My wife died of cancer and we were not blessed with any children. The way I get to help Andrew is what I imaged it would be like if I had my own children. God works in mysterious ways."

Angela then said, "I miss my parents so much. When we came to Grove High, I was so excited to have new friends, people who accepted me. I didn't have to feel alone anymore. I always loved dancing, and used to do ballet. My friends here are cheerleaders and got me to join the team. But, that's when things started falling apart."

Counselor Robertson nodded sympathetically, "Sometimes when we are lost we start to follow the wrong path."

"So I've realized. My friends encouraged me to date, so I started going out with someone, but it turned out to be a huge mistake." She shook her head and continued, "Andrew warned me about the guy, but I didn't listen. When things went wrong, I turned to my friends, only to find out that they weren't really there for me. They also tried to get me to drink alcohol at a few parties, and last night... last night they got Melissa to drink... she..."

Angela trailed off and started to cry. "She got really sick and she's in the hospital now. I don't know what to do about anything anymore."

"The best thing we can do when we feel lost is to pray." Robertson gently put a hand on Angela's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "When we speak to God, He answers. Andrew has been feeling lost, and through prayer he has discovered what God is calling him to do. I have seen so much change in your brother, and I know that if you speak to God, He will help you find your way as well."

She wiped away tears and impulsively gave him a hug. "Thank you for listening. I just didn't know who to talk to. My uncle, well, he's not supportive of us, of... our faith."

"I know." Robertson looked moved by her action. "But, don't worry about that right now. I appreciate that you came to me. I want you and your brother to know that you are both very special and that God is with you. If you ever need help, as a Catholic and as a friend I will be there for you both."

"Thank you so much." Angela turned towards the church door. "I'll get Andrew and we can meet you at the car."

Counselor Robertson nodded and she went back inside the church. As she reached her brother, he finished a prayer and then followed her to the parking lot.

"So," he said, trying not to sound as curious as he was, "did you guys have a good talk?"

"Yes," Angela replied. "Your counselor is really kind."

"What did you talk about?" he asked, unable to contain himself.

Angela shook her head and smiled. "Oh, just things. It's confidential, you know."

He smiled as they reached the car. After the drive back home, Angela asked her brother for the counselor's phone number. Then she asked Andrew if he wanted to play any games. He took the opportunity to bond with his sister and they spent many hours laughing and playing like they used to long ago.

The next morning at school went by quickly. Before Angela and Andrew knew it, they were sitting together having lunch, when suddenly two girls walked up to them.

When Angela looked up and saw Jessica and Kayla there, she quickly asked, "Have you heard anything about how Melissa is doing?"

"Coach Swanson called the hospital and they said that she's stable." Jessica said shortly.

"That's good."

"Yeah," Kayla waved her hands dismissively, "but her parents took her off the team. We have to go to State with one less cheerleader."

"That's too bad." Angela slightly glared at Kayla. "I just hope she feels better soon."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "That sophomore just jeopardized our chances of winning. We're going to have to rework some of our routine to compensate for that."

"It's not Melissa's fault," Angela stated with reproach.

"She should have been more careful," Kayla growled.

Jessica shrugged, "Anyways, we need you at our table so we can discuss the changes in our routine."

"I'll be at practice today," Angela replied. "We can talk about it then."

Jessica then stared hard at Andrew. "Hey, aren't you that guy who talked badly about us cheerleaders after that first football game?"

"I'm sorry," Andrew said sincerely, "I made a mistake and I've learned from it. I'm a new person now. Can you please forgive me?"

"Whatever." Jessica glanced away from him awkwardly. "Now, are you going to sit with us Angela or what?"

Angela snapped, "I'm busy talking with my brother."

Both Jessica and Kayla were caught off guard with that comment and they just shook their heads in disbelief and then left.

35

The next day, Andrew walked down the hallway with a stack of papers in his hand. Students were busy around him at their lockers, walking to their next class, and socializing. As he approached the bulletin board, he held out one flyer and stapled it up.

He quickly walked away from the board to head to the next one. Andrew glanced back to see if any students had seen what he had put up yet. But, everyone was too busy to notice. As he reached his next destination, he posted up another flyer. This time, as he started to turn away from it, he saw a random student stop to read it.

"The Purity Club?" the guy muttered before laughing and walking away.

Andrew ignored the student and continued to place the flyers on his route to his next class. When his class began, he was just thinking of how excited and nervous he was to be starting the Purity Club. He knew there would be mixed reactions from his classmates, but he was doing this for God.

After that class ended, he spent more time posting flyers up on a different floor of the school. He took a break for lunch, which he spent with Angela, but afterwards, he was back to distributing the flyers throughout the building.

During the next few days at school, Andrew smiled every time he passed by one of his flyers. He was proud to be creating a club and wanted nothing less than to inspire more students to value purity in their lives.

At the end of the week, the final bell rang and Andrew rushed off to the classroom where his first club meeting was going to be held. He posted a sign on the door that said the club's name and had an arrow pointing to inside the room.

Then, as he stood there in the empty classroom, he waited. In less than half an hour the meeting would begin, but after ten minutes passed, no one had shown up yet.

_They're probably just going to come at the last minute,_ Andrew thought as he tried to reassure himself.

Andrew finally decided to stand at the door to welcome people inside, and it was about two minutes after the meeting was supposed to have begun that his counselor arrived.

"Sorry," Counselor Robertson said as he quickened his pace. "I hope I'm not holding up the meeting."

Andrew motioned towards the empty room and sighed, "No problem there."

Robertson gave him a comforting smile. "There's still some time left."

"I guess so."

Robertson walked inside the classroom and took a seat in the far back. When Andrew heard footsteps from the hall, he looked out from the doorway.

"Hello," a younger teenage boy said timidly while approaching him. "Is this the Purity Club?"

"Yes, it is!" Andrew gave the boy a big smile and guided him to a chair. "Please, take a seat."

As the boy sat down, Andrew noticed a few more students in the hallway heading his direction. He greeted them excitedly and they soon went inside the classroom. Andrew waited for more people, but none came. When he realized that it was already ten minutes after the meeting should have begun, Andrew closed the door.

Andrew walked over to the podium and looked out at the four students seated in front of him and his counselor at the back of the room. He then began to read from the speech he prepared.

"Thank you all for coming today," Andrew said nervously. Robertson caught Andrew's eye and nodded encouragingly. Andrew took a deep breath and continued, "As you know, it's not easy being a Catholic, Christian, or just an ordinary teenager in today's society. There are many things that teens struggle with or may face each and every day such as addictions, depression and changing relationships. The Purity Club is a place where we can come together to discuss our hardships and struggles, and where we can support and encourage each other. I would like all of you to know that God loves you and that if we strive for purity in all aspects of our lives, we can remove the obstacles between us and God such as temptations, and we can truly become closer to God."

Andrew paused and looked out at his classmates. Many of them seemed a little uncomfortable, and perhaps unsure if they belonged there. He was thankful that they had shown up, and he was ready to connect with them.

"I would now like to share my testimony with all of you."

When he peered at the students once more, he noticed that one of them had their smartphone held up and they looked like they were watching something on the screen. Andrew bit his tongue, even as he felt himself redden in embarrassment and anger. _Do they all think this is just a big joke?_ _God, please let my testimony touch them somehow._

"I am Andrew Jensen and this is my testimony." He spoke at a higher than normal volume hoping to catch their attention completely. "Before I came here, my parents had died in car accident that I witnessed. It was not easy to handle the feelings of guilt, regret, and sadness. When I transferred to this school, I wanted to get over what had happened and overcome my loneliness, but I joined the wrong crowd and went down the wrong path. The music I listened to and the movies I watched affected me in more ways that I could have possibly imagined. In the beginning I made excuses for what I was doing. But the problem is, when you begin making exceptions for the 'little sins' it just makes it easier and easier to sin. I began to curse and to speak poorly about women. I gave in to peer pressure, trespassed on private property, and I nearly vandalized it along with my friends. I thought God had abandoned me, so I turned my back on Him. I didn't realize it, but I was losing the dearest person in the world to me because of my selfishness. I soon hit the lowest point in my life and I had to make a choice to either change my life around or to keep living like I was and lose everything."

Andrew stopped reading from the paper and started speaking directly from his heart. "God gave me a second chance. He had been with me the whole time and I had just never accepted it. I wasn't sure that I had the strength to change, to become the person God was calling me to be, but God gave me the strength, love, and hope that I needed. I no longer hung out with those that I thought were my friends, or listened to trashy music or watched offensive movies. I decided to go to church again, and to Confession. I admitted to God what I had done wrong, and He forgave me. He renewed my conscience and allowed me to see life through new eyes. I now realize that God calls us to embrace our faith, and to guard our eyes, ears, and hearts from sinful things; to seek purity in all aspects of our lives because He wants us to be able to make the right decisions in life, to become the best versions of ourselves, and to be able to love one another as He loves us. Thank you for listening to my testimony and God bless you."

After a moment of silence, Counselor Robertson began to clap and a few of the students applauded as well. The guy with the smartphone put it away, and then Andrew asked, "Would anyone else like to give their testimony today?"

When no one answered, Andrew then spoke briefly about the topics of purity that they would discuss at the future meetings. He concluded by saying, "Thank you all again for coming, and I hope to see you next week at the Purity Club."

After the students left, Counselor Robertson crossed the room and gave Andrew a half-hug. "I thought your testimony was really inspiring."

"Thank you, but I wish more students would have come. I don't know if any of them actually cared or were really listening."

"It was just the first meeting," his counselor said admonishing him slightly, "and now that those students know what the Purity Club is all about, they can tell their friends and peers. I'm sure more of your classmates will be here next week. Just stay positive, pray, and have faith."

36

"Won't you please change your mind?" Angela pleaded while standing in the living room wearing her blue cheerleader uniform.

"I'm sorry," Andrew shook his head and crossed his arms. "You know how I feel about this."

"It would mean a lot to me if you would just come and watch me. It's the State Championship. I could really use your support."

"I don't think cheerleading is appropriate. The uniforms are immodest, and the songs and dance moves are very provocative. I need to guard my eyes, ears and heart. I don't want to ever fall back to the way I was. Just because I confessed my sins and am working on my faults, it doesn't mean I still don't have struggles. I am trying to be blunt with you to help you understand. Guys really struggle with sexual temptations. I can't support something that goes against purity."

"It's just dancing," Angela protested. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Andrew frowned. "I hope and pray that someday you will."

Angela stormed outside and slammed the door behind her. While she marched down the stairs and to the curb, she waited impatiently for Jessica to arrive.

_Why can't he see that cheerleading is innocent fun?_ _I love to dance. I need to dance. I need cheerleading._ Angela mused.

As the thought had formed, so had the doubt inside of her. She recalled the halftime show and what her brother had said right after the game ended. She then reflected on Carson watching the other cheerleaders at the prom dancing to the song Spotlight. The look in his eyes was not innocent, not pure.

If the song and dancing was so innocent, why then would it provoke such behavior?

Angela shrugged off the question as Jessica's car pulled up and she got inside. While the car drove down the street, she almost asked Jessica why Melissa was not in the car too. Then she remembered that Melissa's parents had taken her off the cheerleading squad.

Jessica distracted Angela from those thoughts too as she turned on the CD player and blasted pop music at a nearly ear-piercing volume. The song was from the same album as Spotlight, and the singer's lyrics were just as provocative. The drive to the high school felt long as Angela listened intently to the words, many of which made the singer seem like she wanted to be an object of sexual desire.

Even though Angela had heard many controversial songs since joining the cheerleading squad, with everything on her mind and weighing heavy in her heart, the song's lyrics tore at her conscience. She almost asked Jessica to turn the music off, but the song ended, and Angela just tried to forget about it. When they reached their school, they parked and joined the other cheerleaders on the bus.

The girls were definitely excited for the State Competition, but while some of them talked about how great it would be to win it all, Angela still struggled with conflicting views about cheerleading. Even as the bus reached its destination and the girls all walked into the large auditorium, Angela could not shake the issue.

Peering at the opposing squads, she looked at their uniforms and realized just how much skin the girls had exposed. Bare arms, shoulders, nearly their full legs too, and some uniforms had low-cut necklines to highlight their features, but what bothered Angela the most was that her uniform was just as immodest as the rest of them.

The chairs overlooking the vast stage were filled with parents and students from various schools, as well as children and young girls and boys. The place was packed, and everyone was there to watch the cheerleaders give their all to win. The noise level was nearly as high as the pop music that was setting the mood.

The Grove High cheerleaders assembled beside the stage where they could see all the action, yet still be able to stretch and get ready to perform. The announcer called forth the first squad, and they soon began their routine. The R&B music was very hip-hop in nature, fast-paced and accompanied by a lot of body movements that would be deemed inappropriate in any other setting.

Angela saw how the crowd reacted, with teenage boys cheering the girls on as they danced provocatively. The cheerleaders were all smiles as they did their final body thrusts and movements. The last of the song was replaced by a standing ovation and clapping that drowned out everything else.

The next team took the stage and started their performance to rap music.

"We are up next," Coach Swanson informed the squad before returning to her seat.

The cheerleaders stretched while still observing their competition on the stage. Jessica raised a hand to get her teammates attention. "Everything we have done this season has prepared us for this moment. We know the moves, but we really need to bring it this one last time. Half of the judges are men, so let's rile them up for their votes. Catch their attention with your smiles but win them over with your bodies."

Angela shook her head as Jessica finished the pep talk. She had been trying to convince herself the whole season that cheerleading was just another form of dancing, with nothing to be ashamed of. However, as much as she could tell herself that what her team was doing, how they dressed and the sexual moves they displayed in their routine was innocent, Jessica's words said everything.

_Win them over with your bodies_ , Angela heard in her thoughts over and over again.

As her squad looked ready to show the crowd and judges how dirty they could dance in order to win the State Cheerleading Competition, Angela's stomach churned. Her nausea was accompanied by sweaty palms and shaky hands.

"Oh my gosh," Kayla said while holding her smartphone out for Jessica to see it. "Have you seen this video yet?"

"You have got to be kidding me," Jessica replied as the internet video played.

Julia looked at the video too and snorted. "A testimony?"

"Yeah." Kayla shook her head in disbelief, "and it went viral."

"So he really thought that this would inspire people? After how he talked to us at the football game? He's such a joke."

A wave of fear swept over Angela as she walked over to glance at the video that they were laughing at, but those feelings were replaced by confusion when she saw that it was of her brother.

"What?" Angela muttered as a mix of emotions swept through her. "Is this real?"

A grin crossed Kayla's face. "You mean you didn't even know your joker of a brother started this club?"

Angela shook her head slowly. "What club?"

"The Purity Club," Kayla stated. "Someone posted this video on the internet and I bet Andrew doesn't even know it."

_The Purity Club?_ Angela pondered in awe.

She vaguely recalled spotting a few posters up in the hallways at school about it, but she never would have imagined that her brother would have ever gone to such a club, let alone had created it.

"Well." Angela felt overwhelmed. She had never been so proud of her brother before. "I think the club sounds interesting."

"A Purity Club in a public high school." Jessica rolled her eyes as she continued sardonically, "Your brother's going to be the laughing stock of the entire school."

_Andrew's standing up for purity_ , Angela thought, _while we're about to dance dirty for judges to win a competition. And he's the one who would get ridiculed and shunned by his peers?_

Clapping echoed all around them as the cheerleaders on the stage bowed for the audience and judges. As Jessica and the other squad members lined up to take the stage, Angela remained off to the side deep in thought.

_We should value purity_ , Angela thought, _not try to justify our bad actions_.

"I'm proud of him," Angela said loud enough for her whole team to hear.

"Who cares?" Jessica nearly shouted. "We're about to perform."

Angela suddenly felt tired of cheerleading, tired of Jessica, tired of all the drama in her life that started because of her involvement with them. "I care. You shouldn't talk bad about him for trying to inspire people."

Some of her teammates looked at her with confused expressions, while Jessica seemed highly irritated by her newfound attitude. "You are so much better than him; I just wish you could see that. He belongs in Bottom Grove, but you have the talent, the moves, and the body to reach heights he never will. It's bad enough that you sit with him at lunch in front of everyone, but if you hang out with him now that he's started the Purity Club, you can kiss your social life goodbye."

"Yeah!" Kayla called out, "you want the school to remember you as a State Cheerleading Champion, not the sister of some Christian purist telling us to embrace our faith and live for God."

"I quit," Angela declared before she even fully realized the thought that had escaped her lips.

"Please welcome the cheerleaders of Grove High," the announcer stated.

Jessica stepped out of the line of girls to walk up to Angela and stare her down. "Don't even think about abandoning us now. Grove Girls stick together."

"As you pointed out after the prom," Angela retorted through stiff lips, "I'm not one of you guys. I've known that for a while and I can't keep acting like someone I'm not."

Kayla walked over and spitefully said, "You traitor. What do you think you're doing?"

"Embracing my faith," Angela said, "and living for God."

Angela turned from them and she heard Jessica grind her teeth and Kayla mutter curses. As the cheerleaders took the stage without her, Angela walked out of the auditorium. When she reached the fresh air outside, she saw a small group of people near a bench and approached them.

"Hello," Angela said. "Does anyone have a cell phone I can use to make a quick call?"

A girl nodded, handed her a phone and Angela thanked her.

37

"Thank you so much for coming." Angela turned in the passenger seat to smile at the driver. "I really appreciate it."

Senior Counselor Robertson briefly let his warm brown eyes rest on her face before returning his focus back to driving. "Any time."

As he drove her back home, Angela was surprised that he was not asking her more about what happened at the State Cheerleading Competition. She had told him the basics over the phone, and he accepted her story without questioning it or prying for more details.

Even though he did not ask, Angela felt that she should say, "I had made a big mistake when I joined the cheerleading team, but I'm glad that I was able to leave."

"It's never too late to change," the counselor said. "What you just did today proves that you have a lot of strength, which you can now use for a greater purpose."

Angela nodded. "You're very understanding."

"You are not the first person to make a mistake. The important thing is that you admit it, regret it, and do your best to never make that same mistake again."

The car stopped in front of her house.

Angela grabbed her things and got out. "Is it okay if I join you and Andrew for Mass tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, of course."

After saying goodbye, Angela headed inside the house and found Andrew in the kitchen.

"Hello," he said with a hint of concern. "You are sure back early. How did it go? Did your squad win?"

"Honestly..." Angela shifted her weight from side to side uncomfortably. "I have no idea."

When he raised an eyebrow, she added, "I quit the team before our performance. Your counselor came and drove me home."

"Seriously? What made you—"

"Let's just say that I was inspired to change." Despite Andrew's attempts at getting her to explain herself, Angela kept quiet.

The rest of the day they relaxed and played some board games together, occasionally talking about random things, but not about cheerleading or Angela's decision.

The next morning they went to Mass with Counselor Robertson, and afterwards Angela went to confession. All evening long, she was more content with life and much happier too.

As Monday morning came, Angela and Andrew sat together on the bus a row in front of Melissa. Angela had briefly turned around to see how she was doing, now that she was back in school.

"I'm much better now," Melissa said. "So, I heard about what happened at State. You really just quit the team like that?"

"I'm not sure about what people are saying," Angela began, "but, yes, I decided that cheerleading was no longer right for me."

Melissa hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you think the squad would have won if you and I would have performed?"

_So they didn't win_ , Angela thought.

"Maybe," Angela replied, "but it wasn't meant to be. God has a plan for us, but it's not cheerleading."

"I suppose so."

In Angela's first class, she saw Jessica at the back of the room, but she knew there was nothing more to be said. As the day went by, Angela thought about her life, especially about what she could do differently.

Days later, shortly after school had ended and most students were leaving the building, Angela met up with Melissa and they went to a classroom on the fourth floor. They were lucky to find seats since most were already occupied, including the one in the far back where Counselor Robertson had been.

As Andrew walked into the room he saw all the students and his mouth dropped open. Nearly every desk was taken and over a dozen and a half of his peers were waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Hello," Andrew said in astonishment. "Welcome to the Purity Club."

He paused, but when no one got up and left, he knew he was in the right room.

Angela watched as her brother introduced himself to the newcomers, then he asked, "Would anyone like to give their testimony today?"

When someone raised their hand near the side of the room, Andrew recognized the girl immediately. "Um, okay, please, come on up."

Moments later as the girl stood at the podium, she said, "Hello, I'm Angela Jensen, and this is my testimony."

She glanced at her brother, who seemed rather shocked and curious as to what she was going to say. "My love for dancing led me to cheerleading. I was hesitant at first, but was convinced by some of my teammates that joining the squad was just innocent fun. As I learned the truth, I had trouble walking away. At the same time, I had a boyfriend, which I regret to say was also a mistake I wish never happened. As I grew closer to him, I was losing my innocence a little at a time. First we held hands, then he kissed my cheek every chance he got. At the prom, he danced closer to my body than I knew was right. I felt uncomfortable, and later that night, he tried to take advantage of me."

Andrew crinkled his brows, but he remained silent. She had never fully mentioned what Carson had done to her that night, but she had decided that in her testimony, she would not keep it a secret.

"My first kiss on the lips was against my will," Angela stated. "I was saving that kiss for my wedding day, but I lost it to someone I never should have even dated. I felt alone, but I was not. God was there through it all, calling out to me. At the State Cheerleading Competition this past weekend, God showed me something that brought me back to reality. I saw a recording of the first purity club meeting my brother gave. I had been so wrapped up in my own selfishness and drama that I didn't even know he had created the club. Through seeing that video, God gave me the courage to finally stand up for what was right, to step away from the bad influences in my life and to become a better person. If some of you feel lost, just know that God is also with you, always. Thank you."

After she finished, the room filled with clapping, and Angela smiled. Andrew felt tears form in his eyes. His heart was bursting with love and joy for his sister. Andrew took the podium once more and offered for others to give their testimonies as well. Several students stepped up and spoke about their own struggles, including Melissa who talked about how peer pressure and wanting to fit in led her to drink and nearly caused her to lose her life to alcohol poisoning.

The students seemed very open at the meeting, and as the testimonies concluded, Andrew had felt deeply moved. "Thank you for your testimonies. When we admit that we have done wrong, we can then take the steps to not only do what is right, but also guard ourselves from making those mistakes again. What is one way we can avoid temptations and become stronger?"

"Have an accountability partner," one student said.

"That's a great suggestion," Andrew said sincerely. "We can pair off or have small groups within the club to further discuss our struggles and then we can support each other by holding one another accountable and encourage each other to do what is right. For instance, if we are struggling with listening to offensive music and we also curse, then our accountability partner or small group can ask us if we avoided those things or if we stumbled again. What I have learned is that consuming harmful things is like playing with fire, and eventually we get burned. But, if we strive for purity in what we watch, listen to, how we interact with one another and think about each other, we will become the best versions of ourselves. The men and women God is calling us to be. We can be each other's accountability partners, for we are accountable to God, and as His children, we can assist each other and become stronger together."

Andrew then let everyone break off into pairs of two or sets of three to form the accountability partners within the Purity Club. Each of the students greeted each other and talked amongst themselves about what they had or were still struggling with. Then they spoke about ways to change.

When the meeting came to a close, Andrew was very satisfied with all the progress everyone made and how things had gone. He had given some finals thoughts about valuing purity and helping each other change, then everyone started to leave. Several students said goodnight to him, and many even thanked him for creating the Purity Club.

Angela said goodbye to Melissa and then joined her brother at the front of the classroom. "That was amazing," Angela said as she hugged her brother. "Very well done."

"You sounded very mature in your insights too," Counselor Robertson said as he stood beside them.

"Thank you! A lot of what I said I got off of you." Andrew beamed at his counselor. "But, I have been reading the Bible and many inspirational spiritual books too."

"It really shows." Robertson grinned. "Would you like a ride home with us Angela?"

"Yes, please." she replied, "thank you."

As they left the school and drove home, they brainstormed ideas for the next Purity Club meeting. When they entered Bottom Grove and started down their street, Andrew noticed two police cars with flashing lights directly in front of their house.

38

"What's going on?" Andrew asked as the counselor parked behind the police vehicles.

"You two should stay in the car while I find out."

As he stepped outside and rounded the vehicle, Angela pointed to the front door of the house. "Look."

Andrew watched with her as two officers in black uniforms escorted Uncle Billy out of the house. His hands were cuffed behind his back, his clothes were stained with food and drink, and his face was flushed.

"You can't do this to me," their uncle shouted as he struggled to break free from the officers.

The policemen held him firmly and encouraged him to remain silent as they guided him towards one police car. As they opened the back door and started putting him inside, he yelled drunkenly, "You are making a big mistake. I'll have your badges for this."

After Billy was secured in the police car, Counselor Robertson walked over to one of the cops and began talking with him. As Andrew tried to overhear the conversation, he felt his sister's hand tap his shoulder. When he glanced at her, he followed her gaze back towards the door of the house where an older man and woman were coming out onto the porch.

Andrew and Angela opened the car doors and ran across the lawn to reach the couple near the stairs. As they approached, Angela called out in surprise, "Grandma and Grandpa, what are you guys doing here?"

"I'm sorry you have to see all this." Their grandmother shook her head sadly as she gave them both reassuring hugs. "It wasn't easy coming out here, especially with your grandpa's health conditions. But, he's doing better now, and we really needed to talk to your uncle."

"That's right." Their grandfather was very thin and faint sounding. "We have been trying to call you two for months now, but each time we either couldn't get through or Billy answered and said you both were too busy to talk to us. And after we heard that you were in a public school, not a Catholic one, we needed to know the reason why."

"You didn't know we were in a public school?" Andrew asked in confusion. "How did you find out?"

"I called them," Counselor Robertson said as he walked up the stairs and joined them on the front porch. "You see, Andrew, when you told me that your uncle had been getting money from nowhere and spending it wastefully, I wanted to get a hold of your next closest relatives besides Uncle Billy, your grandparents. I had to contact your old school to get their phone number."

"When we spoke to your counselor," their grandmother continued softly, "he told us that you attend Grove Public High School. This of course didn't make any sense to us at all. You see, your parents' will said that there was a bank account set up for your schooling. It specifically stated that in the event of their deaths, whoever was your legal guardian could only use that money for your Catholic education."

Their grandfather nodded glumly, "Your uncle Billy had access to that account, but what we learned through a private investigation was that your uncle had sent you to a public school so that he could siphon the money from the bank account for himself."

_The new sofa, television, sound bar,_ Andrew thought as he shook his head. _And taking out his girlfriend to fancy restaurants too. I was right, but I had no idea he was stealing the money from us._

At the same moment, Angela thought about all the trouble they had gotten into at their school. "All this time we've been stuck in a public high school when we should have been in a Catholic one?"

"Yes." Their grandmother gazed sorrowfully at them. "We confronted Billy with the evidence to give him the option of paying back the money. Unfortunately, he had been drinking. He became irate, started cursing and even threatening us. We were forced to call the police and we officially pressed charges."

"So what's going to happen now?" Angela felt overwhelmed. "With Billy being taken away, who's going to watch over us?"

For an awkward moment, the grandparents looked silently at the counselor. Their grandmother then said, "That's something we have been discussing recently. We are so sorry for the way Billy has treated you. We wish that we could somehow take care of you, but our situation hasn't changed. Since we're in assisted living, we cannot."

"However," their grandfather gazed at them both carefully assessing their reactions. "We have determined that there is someone who would be more than willing and able to look after you."

Counselor Robertson took a step closer. He suddenly seemed almost timid. "I know that this is all very sudden for you. You have both gone through so much and have grown in so many ways. If you are willing, I'd like to provide a home for you, and mentor you both until you are able to be on your own. There may be other options, but I did want to make this offer. Of course, you don't need to decide tonight."

"We have a hotel you can stay at for a few days," their grandmother said, "while we're in town for the trial. Our lawyer is working to get the money back that Billy stole from the account. There should be enough for you, Andrew, to go to college, and you, Angela, to spend the next three years in a Catholic high school."

"Even if the money is tied up in a long trial," the counselor continued kindly, "I'd be financially able to support you and your schooling."

"Wow, I'm not sure what to say." Angela stated as she looked at brother, clearly overwhelmed.

"That's a really great offer," Andrew said barely able to contain his excitement. "I'd love that." As he glanced towards his sister, he noticed her uncertainty, then added, "but we'll definitely have to talk it over."

Counselor Robertson nodded. "That's fine, take your time and pray about it too." He then peered at the grandparents. "I'll be in touch."

"Thank you. Thank you for everything." The grandmother shook his hand warmly.

As he left, Andrew and Angela went inside the house to grab their things.

39

"God, I thank you for Andrew and Angela," Jeff prayed, "for this time that we may share together, for the opportunities before us, and for each new day that we may strive to be closer to you."

"Thank you for Counselor... I mean, Jeff," Andrew said, smiling in embarrassment, "for taking us in and providing a real home for us, and for all his support and encouragement."

Angela grinned. "Please guide our new family and help us to always be thankful for the many gifts you have given us."

Together they said, "Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen."

As they concluded their ritual night prayer, Jeff gave them both comforting hugs, "God bless you both and goodnight." He then retired to his room, while Andrew and Angela headed outside.

Standing on the back deck beneath the night sky and countless stars, Andrew reflected upon the past several weeks. After he had a deep heart to heart with Angela regarding their counselor's offer, they had agreed that he was truly genuine and very generous. They accepted his proposal and moved into his spacious home only days later. It was some time before they heard the verdict in Uncle Billy's trial. They were relieved to find out that although he had initially denied the claims against him, when the evidence was presented, he admitted to being guilty to avoid time in jail. And, he had agreed to pay back the stolen money.

Angela looked away from the stars back at her brother. "Everything seems so different here. The house is nicer, the neighborhood is safer, and even the night sky seems clearer."

"Being in a real home with a strong spiritual leader and a father figure again makes such a huge difference." Andrew said with feeling.

"I still really miss mom and dad."

"So do I," Andrew replied. "But, seeing the beautiful stars above makes me think of our parents in Heaven right now, looking down and smiling at us. I think they'd be really proud of us and the way we are embracing our faith and encouraging others."

"Yeah, I really love the Purity Club. It's too bad though that you'll be graduating soon. I mean, the Purity Club just began, and it has so much potential to help a lot of people. Now I'm worried that it's all going to end and be forgotten."

"Next year, you'll be starting at a Catholic high school and I'll be at college. We may be headed down separate paths in life, but I believe that is part of God's plan. He is spreading us out in the world so we can touch new people's lives wherever we go."

Angela's frown changed into a smile as her eyes lit up. "I bet Jeff can find another person to continue the Purity Club at Grove High. And, we can always start new Purity Clubs at our next schools."

"Yes, we can." Andrew stared up at the bright stars. He could feel God's presence totally surrounding him. He had never felt more at peace. "God has amazing plans for us. We just need to have faith."

About the Author

Anthony Lampe holds a BA in Media Communications from Webster University. He is also the author of interactive adventure books. He lives in southern California with his wife and children. Find him online at www.anthonymlampe.wix.com/home

Interactive Adventure Books by Anthony Lampe

Once Human

The Sword of Vanquish

Beauty and the Beast: A Twisted Tale

Channel U

