“I’ve spoken to him, and I will allow you to go…under two circumstances. And you know I’ll find out if you disobey.”
“I won’t,” I promised immediately.
“You are only permitted to spend time with Heather and Naomi before the concert starts,” he started. “And you are not to leave the group for any reason. I don’t care what the reason is. It’s not allowed.”
I sighed. There went the idea of hanging out with my boyfriend before the show. But, I mean, I couldn’t help it if he came over and talked to me while I was with Heather or Naomi, right? And as for leaving the group, unless I had to go to the bathroom, I had no reason to go anywhere without them.
“Yes, sir,” I said.
“Then I will allow you to go. You put yourself in a situation that I misread when that boy brought you home from the dance, so I’m giving you another chance to prove your trustworthiness to me,” he said.
I smiled and walked over to give him a hug, and he haphazardly wrapped one arm around me.
“Thank you, Dad,” I murmured. “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“You’d better be,” he grunted, like he wasn’t happy about it.
Then he turned and left, and I shut the door again so I could get changed out of my jeans.
At least he was letting me go to the concert, even if he was putting strict limits on what I was allowed to do while I was there and who in the group I was allowed to socialize with. I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. That was a good way to have this come back and bite me later.
Chapter 15
Darla
Art in Me
TEN DAYS LATER
“Remember, you are to stay within the group at all times,” my dad reminded me as he pulled into the church parking lot. “And you may only socialize with Heather or Naomi.”
“I remember, Dad,” I said as I grabbed my purse. “Thanks for letting me go tonight.”
“Don’t make me regret it,” he grunted.
“You won’t,” I promised as I grabbed my purse and got out of the car.
It wasn’t like there was anywhere else I would want to be instead of the amphitheater anyway. I was so excited to go to my first concert, I was about to explode.
“Remember whose you are,” he said as I shut the door.
I groaned and stepped away from the car, and my dad sat there idling for a minute before driving off, revving the engine loudly for good measure. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I shook off the uneasy feeling that had settled in my stomach and then turned toward where a small group of kids had already congregated.
Brendan was talking to Alex Gleason, so I decided not to interrupt him, even though I knew he wouldn’t mind. I hadn’t seen him spending a lot of time with the other guys in the youth group recently, and I didn’t want to be the reason for it. Guys needed their guy friends, just like girls needed their girlfriends.
Instead, I headed over to where Heather and Christy were standing, slightly separated from the rest of the group. Heather’s lips spread into a grin when she saw me.
“Darla!” she exclaimed, giving me a hug. “Excited for tonight?”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I’ve, um…I’ve never actually been to a concert before.”
Both girls’ eyes widened.
“Wait. Seriously?” Christy asked.
“Her dad’s kind of strict,” Heather explained. “He’s basically the whole reason for that stealth move that Brendan and I tried to pull at homecoming. You know, the one that ended up blowing up in our faces because Brendan’s a guy and has Chromosome Y Poisoning.”
I giggled. “Chromosome Y Poisoning?”
“That’s what my mom always calls it when guys do something unbelievably stupid,” she said. “Since only guys carry the Y chromosome.”
That made me laugh. Not that I’d ever use it. I could only imagine what my dad would say if he heard me uttering that phrase. But she wasn’t wrong. Seriously, only a guy would use the kind of logic that Brendan did for that stupid plan at homecoming. Well, the plan itself wasn’t stupid. Just the fact that he hadn’t let me in on it.
“Well, you’re going to have so much fun,” Christy said. “Concerts are a blast. There’s just something about sharing breathing room with thousands of other fans while the band plays your favorite songs live. There’s nothing else like it.”
“I can’t wait,” I said with a grin.
“Can’t wait for what?” Brendan asked as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head.
Even though I knew my dad was gone, I still froze and stiffened as my eyes started to dart around for who might be watching. I wasn’t supposed to even be talking to Christy, let alone Brendan. But he just tightened his arms around me and lowered his lips to my ear.
“No one cares, baby,” he whispered. “You’re safe. I promise.”
I relaxed a little, and he brushed his lips against my cheek. Christy and Heather both smiled at us.
“I’m glad you guys worked things out,” Christy told us.
“Me too. These two reminded me of us at the end of last year,” Heather said, threading her fingers through Christy’s.
“You mean back when we were herding cats?” Christy giggled as she hugged her arm.
“Yep, exactly,” she chuckled, turning to give Christy a quick kiss.
I happened to glance to the side and saw Naomi standing with her mom. She was looking right at us, and the expression on her face was absolutely heartbreaking. She looked like she was suffering the worst torture imaginable.
It had been almost two weeks, and I still hadn’t been able to get Naomi to admit that it hurt her to see me and Brendan together. She hadn’t been rude to me or Brendan, and she still ate lunch with our group every day, but she’d been so quiet and withdrawn. I hated that she felt like she couldn’t talk to me about it, because she was still my friend, no matter what. I’d tried toning down the PDA in front of her, but that didn’t even seem to be working, and I honestly didn’t know what else to do.
“She’s still not talking to you?” Brendan asked as he let go of me.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry I ever did this to you. It sucks. I mean, obviously she’s still talking to me a little, but it’s not the same. And I don’t know what’s going on, so I can’t make it better.”
He chuckled weakly. “I know why you did it. And that’s why I also know the solution is one you’re not going to like. You have to reach out to her. She’s not going to tell you what’s wrong on her own. But the longer you wait, the worse it’ll be.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I wouldn’t have been able to clear the air with you if you hadn’t backed me into a corner. Doesn’t make it easy, though.”
An old pickup truck I didn’t recognize pulled into the parking lot, and Ethan stumbled out of the front passenger seat before they sped away just as fast as they’d come. He wasn’t walking upright, and there was just something…off about his demeanor.
“Oh, my God,” Christy practically growled. “Seriously? I know you told me he was probably going to be here, babe, but…”
“He’s an idiot. Peter’s never going to let this fly,” Heather scoffed.
“Is he…drunk?” I asked quietly.
Brendan sighed. “Looks like it. Do you know how bad I feel about keeping that to myself?”
I turned to look at him. “I know. But you didn’t have a choice. We didn’t have a choice. I don’t like it either, but there wasn’t any other way to get him to stop.”
“Mr. Smith!” I heard Peter exclaim.
I looked back toward Ethan and saw him stumble his way toward our youth pastor. And if looks could kill, Ethan would have been six feet under.
“Whassup, Peter?” he slurred.
I was sure my eyes got as big as saucers. He wasn’t just a little buzzed. He was wasted.
“I want you to walk toward me in a straight line,” Peter instructed.
“You’re not
my dad,” he scoffed, still slurring his words. “I don’t have to do shit.”
“As long as you’re under my care, and right now you are, you do need to do as I say,” Peter insisted. “Now, walk in a straight line.”
Ethan grumbled something I couldn’t make out under his breath, but attempted to obey. Key word being attempted. He couldn’t stay in a straight line. He could barely stay upright.
“Mr. Smith, come into the office with me while I call your parents,” Peter growled. “You’re not permitted to accompany us tonight.”
“I didn’t do nothin’!” he protested.
“When this youth group goes out in public together, we’re representing Christ and we’re representing First Baptist Church. I can smell the beer and cigarettes on you from here, and I will not allow an intoxicated fourteen-year-old to join us. So, you’re banned from all youth group activities through the end of the year, and I will be calling your parents to come pick you up.”
“Well, guess what? They’re at work, so you can’t do shit! Unless you want to stop everyone from going,” Ethan cackled, like he thought he’d won the lottery.
“Ethan, if you still want to be welcome at this church, you will show respect for your elders,” Peter said sternly. “And either you come with me voluntarily or I’ll have Sergeant Gleason restrain you. He’s off-duty, but he’s still an officer of the law. I don’t care if I have to personally stay back from the concert until your parents get here; you are not welcome on this outing.”
“Peter, I can call my husband and have him take Ethan back to my store until his parents can come pick him up,” Mrs. Rhee offered. “No one else should have to miss the show.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Hana. I may take you up on that. Let me try to get a hold of his parents and see what they say. Saul, can you come with me?”
“Absolutely,” Alex’s dad, who was here as a chaperone, said.
Peter started to walk inside, and when Ethan didn’t follow him, Mr. Gleason offered some assistance.
“Mr. Smith, you know I’m a police officer, correct?” he asked.
“Whatever,” Ethan slurred.
“Not whatever,” he barked. “I have a breathalyzer in my car right now, and I could legally administer it to you because I have a suspicion that you’re intoxicated. What do you think your blood alcohol level is right now?”
Ethan didn’t answer.
“You and I both know it’s way above the legal limit, and I could place you under arrest right now, along with whoever supplied you with the cigarettes and alcohol. Instead, I’m giving you an opportunity to correct your behavior. Peter is in charge of this group, and you’ve broken his code of conduct, which means he’s within his rights to call your parents. I don’t want to restrain you and drag you inside with us in front of all of your friends, but I will if I have to. So, are you going to come inside with us willingly while we get a hold of your parents?”
“Fucking fascists,” Ethan muttered as he stomped toward the church entrance like a toddler.
“Dude,” Alex chuckled, coming to stand next to Brendan. “About time that little shit got what was coming to him.”
I was…a little torn about my feelings. On the one hand, if it hadn’t been for Brendan finding out about Ethan’s smoking and drinking, I probably would have ended up in the hospital because he would have told my dad about my new relationship. But on the other hand, seeing this with my own eyes, I kind of felt bad for him. I could only imagine how much he was hurting to feel like he had to do something like this.
“Is it weird that I kind of feel bad for him?” I asked.
Brendan looked at me like I had three heads. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I just feel like there has to be something else going on with him. Something to make him so angry at the world. I don’t think he’d be lashing out like this without a reason. I mean, he’s made my life a living hell and part of me wants to see him suffer, but at the same time, I wouldn’t wish that much pain on anyone.”
“Man, your girl is a way better person than I am,” Alex chuckled, playfully nudging my shoulder.
I groaned a little under my breath, hoping that Brendan wouldn’t notice. My shoulder was feeling better, but my rib was still healing, so getting jarred like that hurt. But I knew Alex hadn’t meant to hurt me and I didn’t want Brendan to start going all alpha male on him.
“She’s a better person than me too,” Brendan agreed, smiling at me. “I’m not that evolved. He’s an ass, and I’m just glad he’s getting called out on it.”
I sighed and turned around, sliding my arms around his waist. I needed a hug. A real hug. I’d only just gotten the okay from my mom to take the sling off today, and it was surprising how much I’d missed hugs, especially from him. Having to maneuver around my injured shoulder just wasn’t the same. It seemed like he felt the same way, because he immediately folded his arms around me and buried his head in my hair, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
“I’ve missed this,” he murmured. “Getting real hugs from you.”
I smiled and felt my cheeks heating with embarrassment. Thank goodness my face was already hidden by his chest.
“Me too,” I mumbled.
He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed my head again.
“I think I just threw up a little in my mouth,” Alex chuckled.
Brendan snorted, but didn’t let go of me. “And it’s such a mystery why Amy wouldn’t go out with you.”
“She’s a spoiled brat,” he scoffed.
“So why’d you ask her out in the first place?” I asked, turning to look at him.
“Because he’s a dog,” Brendan snickered. “He’ll learn one day when he meets the right girl.”
“He talks a big game, but when he does meet the right girl, she’ll be the luckiest girl in the world,” Heather chuckled.
Alex looked away from us, turning toward Naomi and Mrs. Rhee. Maybe no one else caught it, but I noticed his gaze lingering on Naomi.
“Yeah, whatever,” he mumbled uncomfortably.
I knew Alex had pretty much been dating his way through the entire athletic department at Charleston High, so maybe I should have been uncomfortable seeing him looking at my friend that way. But the thing was, Heather was right. He might have had a few more ex-girlfriends than the average high school senior, but he had a good heart and I knew that he cared way too much about his friends here at church to ask them out if he wasn’t serious about them. And when he did meet the right girl, I knew he’d make her feel as special as Brendan made me feel. So, if that girl was Naomi, I was okay with that.
“Hey, Brendan, think you can give me a lift home tonight since my dad has to take out the trash?” he asked, effectively ending the conversation about his dating life.
“Yeah, of course,” Brendan told him. “You’re on my way home anyway.”
“All right, everyone, listen up!” Peter shouted.
Everyone in the group turned in the direction his voice had come from. He was standing in front of the bus with Marie and Mrs. Rhee on either side of him.
“I’m sorry about the sideshow a few minutes ago,” he started. “Sergeant Gleason is going to be escorting Ethan home, so we’re down a chaperone, but I’m sure we’ll manage. Now, we need to get moving, but I just want to go over a few ground rules with everyone before we leave. First, I don’t care who sits with who tonight. You do not have to abide by the seat number on your ticket. Just remember that when we’re out as a group like this, we’re representing Christ and we’re representing this church, so we need to make sure our actions reflect that. Second, you’re all young adults, and we’re going to treat you as such. You don’t have to ask for permission to leave the group to get a snack or go to the merchandise booth or the restroom, but for safety’s sake, we are going to ask that you use the buddy system. Don’t go anywhere without at least one other person with you. And third, if either Marie, Miss Hana, or myself give you any instruction, please be respec
tful and do as we say. We want this to be a fun evening for you guys, but it’s our job to keep all of you safe. Everyone clear?”
We all murmured some form of an agreement.
“Okay. Then let’s get this show on the road!” he exclaimed.
“Love Song” by Third Day was playing over the loudspeakers as we walked into the venue and found our seats, and I couldn’t help quietly singing along.
Even though I was with a bunch of people I knew, I still felt a little lost and out of my element because I’d never been to any event like this before. I was kind of glad that this was a smaller venue, because if it had been at a big arena, I would probably have been overwhelmed.
Peter and Marie had bought out two rows of seats for everyone, and they just told us to find seats wherever we wanted in the rows. I ended up next to Brendan, of course, but I was shocked when Naomi took the seat on the other side of me. I’d figured she would want to sit as far away from me as possible, especially when Brendan was in the vicinity.
“Hey,” I mumbled.
“Hey,” she chuckled weakly. “Kind of crazy about Ethan, huh? I mean, I knew he was a jerk, but I never thought he’d show up to youth group drunk.”
Gosh, there was so much she didn’t know because we’d drifted apart. Kate and Ashton both knew about what had gone down with me, Brendan, and Ethan at school, but there had never been a good time to tell Naomi about it because it just felt weird when she was being so distant. But that needed to change. I didn’t know if there was anything I could do to fix this rift between us, but I had to try. I didn’t want to lose one of my best friends just because I was involved with the guy she had a crush on.
“Come to the bathroom with me,” I told her. I didn’t actually have to go, but I figured it would give us some privacy away from the rest of the group.
She nodded, then turned to her mom. “We’ll be right back, Eomma.”
“Okay,” Mrs. Rhee told us. “Stay together, girls.”
“We will,” I promised.
We shimmied out of the row and made our way to the ladies’ room. I pulled her into a corner so we wouldn’t be in the way of people who actually did have to use the bathroom, and she could barely meet my eyes. A knot started to twist in my stomach, but I just took a deep breath and went for it.
My Vows Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss) Page 16