There Goes Sunday School Read online

  Are they laughing at me?

  I don’t stop to find out. Someone’s waiting beside my locker, and I mutter a curse as I realize it’s Jackie.

  “Hey, Lazarus,” she greets me, leaning against the row of metal doors. “Glad to see you’re back from the dead.”

  “Hi, Jackie,” I say, turning my lock until it opens with a click. It’s a struggle to keep my voice level. “What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing,” she says, brushing off the front of her skirt. “Just wondering when you were planning to tell me your little secret.”

  Shit. So much for hoping. This is it, the beginning of the end. Prepare for impact!

  “What secret?” I play dumb, intent on enjoying every last moment of normalcy before my life is torn to shreds.

  She stares me down, and a bead of sweat rolls down the side of my head.

  “Tanner told me all about it yesterday.”

  Tanner? What the fuck does he know? I swear to God, if he picked up my book, I’m going to kill the bastard!

  “He said you were thinking about abandoning me for SCAD? Come on! We had a plan, dude!”

  The balloon in my chest deflates. She’s talking about college, not Mike’s homo-extravaganza, starring yours truly. I definitely think I’m starting to get an ulcer.

  “You caught me.” I grab a text book from my locker, stashing it in my bag.

  “You should know, by now, you can’t keep things from me.” Jackie grins, pleased with herself. “I know you better than anyone else.”

  “You sure do.” I let out a nervous laugh.

  Has she ever really known me?

  “Hey, Jackie.”

  A new voice makes me spin. Chris Myers is standing next to Jackie, tie hanging loose around his neck.

  “You finish your quiz for theology?”

  Oh God, he’s the last person I want to see.

  Our awkward encounter in the bathroom is on action replay in my head, and it summons heat to my face.

  “Actually,” Jackie says as she kicks off the locker, “that reminds me, I need to go finish it. I’ll just have to go visit the little ladies’….”

  Jackie slinks away, and I contemplate just bolting now. But that might look bad, and the last thing I need is to draw more attention from Chris.

  “How’s it going, Mike?”

  Fucking horrible, dickhead.

  “Fine,” I reply, busying myself with the contents of my locker. There’s never been a better time to alphabetize my textbooks.

  “Cool, cool.” His arms fold over his chest. “Hey, you’re an artist, right?”

  “W-why do you ask?” I don’t look at him, just keep rearranging.

  “I have this project I’m working on.” Chris leans against the locker beside me, tossing a strand of dark hair out of his face. “Maybe you could help me with a part of it? I suck when it comes to drawing. Like, not even stick figures come out right.”

  “Oh. Um, yeah, sure. Whatever.”

  “Awesome. We can talk about it this afternoon.”

  “This afternoon?”

  “Yeah.” He kicks off the locker, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. “Jackie invited me over to Tanner’s after school. I assumed you’d be there.”

  “Right.” My locker closes with a click. “Tanner’s.”

  “Sweet.” Chris looks down at his watch. “We’d better hurry if we don’t want to get locked out.”

  I nod, trying to shake the weird vibe he’s giving.

  He’s almost…nice.

  Chris and Jackie are waiting by my locker after the last bell. They’re locked in a deep conversation, but my arrival ends it.

  “Hey, guys.” I stow my Algebra book, the pages stained with sweat from my hands.

  “Mike!” Jackie smiles. “I was starting to think you’d ditched us.”

  “Ms. Abernathy held me after class,” I lie. “She wanted to talk about the pop quiz from last Friday.”

  In reality, I was dry heaving into a trashcan outside the teacher’s lounge, but that detail isn’t important.

  “Hey, Jackie,” Chris interjects. “I can give you guys a ride if you want.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Jackie laughs. “I’m convinced Tanner’s driving has shaved years off my life. I found my first gray hair the other day, and I just know he’s the reason.”

  “You sure it’s not your pack-a-day habit?” I tease, resulting in a slap to my nipple. “Ow!”

  “Well, it’s settled then. I will be your chauffeur.”

  Chris grins at Jackie, and I wonder if maybe that’s why he’s being so nice to me. He wouldn’t be the first boy who wanted to get in her pants.

  The tension in my stomach eased up, ever so slightly, as the day went on. I was even able to keep a couple bites of lunch down until a few minutes ago. So, that’s an improvement. But something about being around Chris amplifies the feeling.

  “All right,” Jackie announces. “Let’s find the sasquatch and blow this joint!”

  Chris drives a pretty nice car. It’s an older BMW, but it’s well taken care of and has leather seats, so that’s cool. We’re fighting our way northbound on the 400, which is kind of terrible. Thankfully, his taste in music doesn’t suck, so at least there’s that to keep us entertained.

  Jackie sits in the front seat, and I’m exiled to the back, which is totally fine. I swipe through my Facebook feed, fully expecting someone to have posted a hateful message by now, but there’s nothing.

  Maybe this sketchbook thing won’t be a problem after all. I mean, it’s been a full twenty-four hours. If my life isn’t ruined by now, then who knows?

  Chris and Jackie are going on about something in Theology class again, and honestly, I’m tuning them out. I took the class last year, and it triggered my first existential crisis, so I’m not looking to re-open that can of worms.

  It’s probably right up Chris’s alley. Being the Pastor’s son, he must have no trouble following blindly. His beliefs are crystal clear, I’m sure.

  My beliefs are murky at best. I mean, yes, I’ve been a card-carrying Christian my entire life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my doubts. Lately, more so than usual.

  It’s not that I don’t believe in You, Big Guy. It’s more to the fact I find it hard to believe in anything. Like, at all. Apathy and ignorance are just so much easier.

  We pull into Tanner’s driveway before I can get too lost in the deep end of the theologian’s swimming pool.

  “Wait, go back,” Jackie says, opening her door. “What do you mean it’s like gas lighting?”

  “Think about it,” Chris replies as we climb the steps to the front door.

  I’m a few feet ahead, trying to outrun the conversation.

  “They start when we’re young, telling us all about how God is this enormous thing we can’t even wrap our head around, and we’re all doomed to suffer forever in a horrifying place if we don’t do exactly what God says, which really means what they say. And then, somewhere along the way, they switch it on you! Now, God is this loving and benevolent force who takes you as you are. So, you end up thinking you’re this terrible person who can’t do anything right. And this God has condemned you to an eternity of suffering, but He’s also just and merciful, so obviously—”

  I open the door, not bothering to knock. Tanner’s sound system echoes through the house. He’s probably already up to his neck in zombies.

  “—even thought about it that way.”

  Jackie’s voice is drowned out, and I start up the stairs to Tanner’s room.

  He’s hunched over in his gaming chair, transfixed on the avatar who’s currently being munched on by a pus-oozing, maggot-covered corpse.

  God, I love zombies.

  “I’m tagging in,” I tell him, picking up the spare controller from his desk.

  He doesn’t even look over. “About fucking time. Come get this bitch off me.”

  Jackie and Chris enter the room, still locked in their discussion.

  �
��What are they talking about?” asks Tanner, grabbing a fistful of Doritos from the bag in his lap.

  “Something from Theology class,” I reply, hacking a zombie in half with a cleaver.

  “Gross.” Crumbs spew from his mouth. “Hey, losers. How about we leave school at school, and you guys help me stop a zombie invasion here?”

  “I suck at that game.” Jackie plops down on the bed. “Besides, you always yell at me when I play.”

  “That’s because you always kill us instead of the zombies.”

  “You two are a lot easier to kill. Let’s play Kart Racer. I always win at that one.”

  “What about you, Chris?” Tanner looks over his shoulder. “Does the heart of a zombie hunter beat inside you?”

  “Uh, not so much.” Chris shakes his head. “I don’t like anything gory.”

  “Fuck!” My character’s head gets separated from his body, blood spewing onto the screen.

  “Spoken like a true P.K.” Tanner laughs.

  “P.K.?” Chris echoes.

  “Preacher’s Kid,” Tanner answers, pausing the game. “Wait, you’ve never heard that before?”

  Chris gives him a puzzled look. “Guess not.”

  “Lame.” Tanner frowns. “That means we’ve failed to emotionally scar you. No worries, Chris. I’ll personally see to it that you get the tormenting that you deserve!”

  “Oh, please.” Jackie leans forward, smacking Tanner’s shoulder. “You couldn’t torment someone even if you tried. You don’t have the attention span.”

  “True,” he agrees, controller now smeared in orange dust. For someone whose bedroom is always immaculate, he sure doesn’t mind cheesy residue.

  “Maybe we can just watch a movie,” Jackie suggests, “and get blazed?”

  “On a school night, Jackie?” Tanner laughs. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Now, move your ass.”

  He pauses the game, and I set my controller down. I can’t help watching Chris and Jackie. They sit on the bed, Chris angled towards her as if she’s some kind of magnet. Every time she moves, he counters her. I was stupid not to see it sooner. Of course, he’s into her. The entire junior class is into Jackie. Though, she won’t give them the time of day.

  “When you say get blazed…” Chris leans into Jackie.

  “It’s exactly what you think.” She laughs. “Do you not partake, P.K.?”

  “Not really.” He smiles, cheeks burning scarlet. “Guess I am kind of lame.”

  “Nonsense.” Jackie places her hand over his. “You’re just not a horrible person like the rest of us. Don’t worry, we won’t judge. Much.”

  “I might,” says Tanner from his closet. “But I’m only going to call you a pussy behind your back.”

  “Ugh!” Jackie’s face twists in disgust. “What did I tell you about using that word, Tanner Mitchell?”

  “Uh oh.” I laugh. “She broke out the middle name, Tan. I’d run if I were you.”

  “Fuck that.” He snickers, carrying in his shoebox. “This is my house, and I’ll use whatever language I want. If you don’t like it, you can go lick a pu—”

  “That’s it!” Jackie flings herself at him, wrapping around his legs to pull him to the ground. They roll over each other in a playful tousle.

  “Ow! Jackie, that was my eye!”

  “Cry me a river!”

  I rescue the shoebox from the scuffle, carrying it to the safety of the bed. Chris watches the two of them wrestle, hands tangled in a nervous clump. I grind a nugget and ignore them.

  “Do they do this often?”

  “You’ll get used to it,” I tease, portioning out a couple pinches of strong smelling greenery. Then, my smile fades when I remember who I’m talking to.

  He isn’t someone to get chummy with, Mike. Remember that.

  Jackie’s got Tanner in a headlock at this point. “Who’s your president?”

  “I’m…not…saying it!” he manages to say through her hold.

  “You’re looking a little blue, Tan,” I point out.

  “Who’s your president?”

  “…you are.”

  “Damn right!” She releases him.

  Tanner’s glasses hang off the side of his face as he comes up for air.

  Jackie rises to her feet. “Now, then.” She brushes off the edges of her uniform skirt. “Where were we before I was so rudely interrupted?”

  “I think you bruised my windpipe.” Tanner rubs his throat and winces.

  “That was intense,” Chris says.

  “Sorry you had to see that.” Jackie pats Chris on the head. “But, sometimes, I just have to put a man in his place.”

  “Amen.” I raise the freshly rolled joint. “Now, let’s get this show on the road.”

  “Do I need to leave?” Chris asks, rising from his seat.

  “Only if you want to.” Jackie moves to open the window. “Like I said, horrible influences.”

  “Feel free to hang out,” Tanner says, clambering to his feet. “This stuff isn’t strong enough to give you a contact high.”

  “All right, cool.” He retakes his place, still looking like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

  Jackie lights the end, taking a long drag before leaning her head out the window. “That’s just what I needed to end my shitty Monday.”

  “No kidding,” I agree, taking the next toke. My lungs burn, but I don’t choke like normal. I aspire to be as adept a stoner as Jackie one day.

  “Sure you don’t want some, P.K.?” Tanner offers.

  “I’m good.” Chris waves his hand. “With my luck, my dad will catch me the minute I walk in the door. Better not risk it.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Jackie looks back at him. “I keep forgetting your dad is Pastor Myers. What’s that like?”

  “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you imagine.”

  “I have a pretty vivid imagination,” Jackie replies.

  “He’s like any other parent, I guess.”

  “So, can you, like, date?” Tanner exhales a noxious cloud.

  “Haven’t really had anyone interested,” Chris admits. “So, I guess I don’t really know.”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Jackie chimes in, sitting next to him on the bed. “A handsome guy like you must be beating girls off with a stick.”

  “I’m afraid not.” He laughs.

  Jackie grabs the sides of Chris’s face, adjusting him to stare into her eyes. He gulps, the quickest flash of fear changing his features.

  After a few seconds, Jackie releases him with a shrug. “Meh, I don’t get it. You’re adorable.”

  “T-thanks,” Chris mutters, edging away from Jackie.

  Why would he do that?

  Tanner offers me the joint before I can dissect Chris’s behavior any further. Another hit, and I forget all about Chris, the tension in my stomach finally easing.

  “Well, we need to solve this conundrum,” Jackie continues. “Tanner, you’re the resident gossip whore. What’s the rumor mill churning out these days regarding our friend, Chris?”

  “I haven’t really heard of anyone pining after him,” Tanner answers, taking a seat at his computer. “But give me five minutes, and I’ll cast a few lines out there to see who’s biting.”

  “Don’t you worry, Chris.” Jackie leans on his shoulder. “By the end of the night, we’ll have you bumping uglies. I mean, erm, courting with the best of them.”

  “Uh, thanks.” Chris smiles, shrugging Jackie off as he stands. “But I have to hit the road. Dad will be expecting me home for dinner.”

  “You sure you don’t want to stick around to see who I have?” Tanner asks.

  “I’m already going to be late.” He trips over his feet stepping toward the door. “But I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow.”

  “Sure thing.” Jackie rises to give him a hug.

  He breaks away, giving a nod to Tanner before leaving the room.

  “Kid’s way too uptight,” Tanner says after Chris
leaves.

  “Totally,” Jackie agrees, taking the joint from me.

  I’m flying pretty high at this point, so I just nod along with what they’re saying.

  “I just think he needs a little pussy.” Tanner laughs, typing away.

  “Seriously?” Jackie’s livid. “Mike, hold this.” She returns the joint.

  “Sorry.” Tanner smirks like a smart ass. “It slipped.”

  Jackie tackles him, chair and all falling to the floor.

  I take another hit, watching Chris pull out of the driveway.

  “Who’s your president?”

  Hey, it’s Chris. I got your number from Jackie. Do you think you could come over and help me with that project for school today? 2:21 AM

  The text comes in the middle of the night, so naturally, I don’t read it until the next morning. I squint at the message for a solid thirty seconds and still can’t comprehend, so I just respond with a thumbs-up emoji. An hour later, what I just agreed to clicks in my head.

  I’m going into deep enemy territory—the home of Pastor Myers. The thought makes the back of neck itch.

  Tension builds through the rest of my morning, knotting my stomach. Rosy and I climb out of Dad’s car, and I head straight for the dumpster pad. I have to do something about this Myers situation.

  “Morning,” Jackie puffs.

  “Hey.” I pat the side of my messenger bag—a nervous habit. It’s lighter than usual without my sketchbook, but I have to remind myself it still hasn’t resurfaced. “What are you doing after school?”

  “I’m going to go hang out with Brad and his friends,” she says, typing on her phone with her freehand. “Why?”

  “No reason.”

  Shit. There has to be a buffer between me and Chris. I don’t know if I can make it through an afternoon alone at Casa di Myers.

  “You’ve been kinda jumpy lately.” Jackie flicks the end of her cigarette. “What’s going on?”

  “N-nothing,” I lie. I’m getting really sick of everyone asking that question. Can’t I have my emotional breakdown in peace? “Just haven’t been sleeping very well, I guess.”

  Jackie pauses, watching me, and then shrugs. “It’s probably all that coffee you drink. I’m surprised your heart hasn’t burst out of your chest. It’s not good for you, ya know.”