Point of No Return by Paul McCusker

nuts. He jerked at the headphones and told Donna to turn down the volume. She told him to lay off and pushed him away. He pushed her back. They yelled at each other.
    Dad pulled the car over to the side of the road. “Stop it!” he shouted at them. “This is tough enough without you two acting like babies!”
    The harshness of his voice brought wide-eyed silence from Jimmy, Donna, and even Mary.
    Dad turned away from them, lowered his head onto the steering wheel, and let the tears flow. Mary moved close to him, put her arm around his back, leaned her head against his shoulder, and cried with him. It struck Jimmy that he hadn’t seen his dad cry at the hospital, the funeral home, or even Grandma’s house.
    â€œI’m sorry,” George said. And he kept crying.
    Donna glared at Jimmy and whispered, “See what you’ve done!”
    Jimmy felt awful for being so selfish. What else could go wrong? he asked himself again. Nothing , he answered. This is as bad as it gets .

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
    Sunday
    J IMMY’S MOM TIGHTENED the belt of her dress. “I don’t know if I can handle everybody saying how sorry they are,” she said. “I’ll cry. I just know it.”
    The family was back in Odyssey. They were getting ready for church.
    â€œJust take some extra tissues,” George advised and kissed his wife on the cheek.
    â€œMy purse is stuffed to the top,” she replied.
    Jimmy drained the last of the milk from his cereal bowl. He was eager to get to church so he could talk to Dave or Jacob. He felt confused about a lot of things—his grandma’s death, how to decide about his friendship with Tony, why so many things went wrong after he became a Christian—and he knew they’d tell him what to do.
    â€œDonna, let’s go!” George called out.
    The Barclay family got into the car and drove to church for what should have been a normal service. It wasn’t.

    Jimmy looked for some sign of Dave or Jacob in the Sunday school assembly. He couldn’t find either of them. He sat down in the auditorium and waited for Dave to take the podium as he usually did. Instead, Mr. Lucas led the morning devotional and prayer.
    Jimmy went to class distracted and annoyed. He bumped into Lucy and asked if she had seen Dave or Jacob. She hadn’t but said that rumors were flying all over the place about where they were.
    â€œWhere are they?” Jimmy asked.
    â€œKidnapped by aliens if you want to believe Jack Davis,” she said and walked off.
    Jimmy’s mood worsened. Maybe they took the day off. But that didn’t make sense. Dave was an assistant pastor; he couldn’t be allowed to take Sundays off!
    In between Sunday school and church, Jimmy saw his dad. “I can’t find Dave or Jacob!” Jimmy said.
    â€œReally?” George said. “Maybe they’re gone for the weekend.”
    â€œBut they can’t be gone! I wanna talk to them!”
    George laughed. “I’m sure they would’ve canceled their plans if they’d known.”
    â€œFind out, will you, Dad? Please?”
    â€œOkay, there’s Tom Riley. He should know; he’s a deacon. I’ll see you in church in a minute.” George strode off.
    How could they leave me like this? Jimmy fumed. They knew my grandmother was sick. How could they take a vacation when my grandmother died?
    Jimmy walked into the sanctuary and dropped himself onto the pew next to his mom.
    â€œWell, hello, Mr. Happy,” she said.
    Jimmy grunted.
    George arrived just as the organist started the first hymn. Jimmy looked at him expectantly. George’s brow was furrowed into several worried lines.
    â€œDad?” Jimmy whispered.
    â€œI’ll tell you after church,” George said.
    â€œ Now , Dad. Please . Are they on vacation?”
    â€œNo,” George said. “They’re gone.”
    â€œWhat!” Jimmy said so loudly that people around