cannibals.”
She gives me a wry smile. “Yeah, you’re right, Noah. I better go.”
“Aubrey?”
“Yeah?”
“A lot of things have happened lately. Things I can’t go into right now. And, well, I know you’re busy with Brandon and all, but Carson and I have a gig at this place called the Red Room. It’s an underground club on Seventh andNeches. This guy I know, Will, he set it up for us. Anyway, it’s a long story, but I was wondering if you might want to hear us play. The show’s next Saturday. Ten o’clock.”
She nods slowly. “Sure, I’d love to come.”
I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I let it out. “Great. Thanks. I’ll see you then.”
{twelve}
“HEY, NOAH , what do you think of a punk-slash-emo version of ‘Amazing Grace’?”
Carson and I have been practicing for our gig all week, and I’m seriously about to lose it. After seeing
Spears in the Jungle
, he had this major conversion experience—prayed with Marty and everything—and now he wants to be baptized. “You know what I think?” I set down my guitar and hold up a hand, measuring one inch between my forefinger and thumb. “I think I’m
this close
to marching into the DPCP’s bedroom and telling him what you’ve been up to.”
Carson’s eyes grow wide. “Dude, you wouldn’t.”
“Oh, yes I would. Now, enough of this punk hymnal crap. You need to get to work on ‘Flesh-Eating Zombies.’ We’ve got our first real show in two days, and right now, your lyrics still suck, and the music’s not that great either.”
I pick up my guitar and start plucking the melody of myanti-love song for Aubrey. I’ve finished writing the lyrics, but I’m having serious doubts about their potential effectiveness.
I glance at Carson. He’s slumped over his guitar, and there’s a hurt look on his face. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry. Really, man. I shouldn’t have said that. And if you want to do a punkemo, whatever, version of ‘Amazing Grace,’ fine. I mean, just because it’s not my thing doesn’t mean it’s not yours.”
“Hey, Noah? What’s been eating you lately? Ever since we came back from the greenbelt, you’ve been on edge. Something happened between you and Will. When you guys were writing that song for Aubrey. I know it.”
I chew the inside of my cheek.
“Did Will make a pass at you?”
“Shut up.”
“Come on, I’m joking. Look, Noah. It’s not a crime to feel weirded out if a guy’s into you. It’s a normal reaction. What matters is what you do with it. Plus, with the way you’ve been brought up, it’s not a surprise that you’re having a hard time.”
I glare at Carson. “I already told you I don’t believe any of that shit.”
“Well, maybe you’re not as tolerant as you thought.”
“Oh yeah? Let me ask
you
something, Mr. Holy Roller. Why are you so gung ho about the church scene when you know damn well their stance on gay people? They’re all going to hell, didn’t you know?”
“Not according to Marty.”
“Oh? Have you asked him about it? Because I guarantee—”
“Yes. I have asked him. In fact, we had a long conversation about it. He told me that he’s struggled with that teaching for a long time, and personally doesn’t agree with it. And he doesn’t think gays should try to be straight either. But he said change has to come from inside the church, and he thinks the youth group can be a catalyst.”
“A catalyst? Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Noah? Why do you hate Marty and the youth group so much? I mean, they’re really nice. At least, they are to me.”
I sit there for a while. There’s a brick in my stomach. “I don’t hate them, Carson. It’s just, well, it ticks me off how they think there’s only one way to God—
their way
. I just don’t buy that. I never have. My parents tried to brainwash me with that crap from birth. The thing they don’t get is I have a mind of my own, and I intend to use it.”
“Yeah, I understand what
She gives me a wry smile. “Yeah, you’re right, Noah. I better go.”
“Aubrey?”
“Yeah?”
“A lot of things have happened lately. Things I can’t go into right now. And, well, I know you’re busy with Brandon and all, but Carson and I have a gig at this place called the Red Room. It’s an underground club on Seventh andNeches. This guy I know, Will, he set it up for us. Anyway, it’s a long story, but I was wondering if you might want to hear us play. The show’s next Saturday. Ten o’clock.”
She nods slowly. “Sure, I’d love to come.”
I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I let it out. “Great. Thanks. I’ll see you then.”
{twelve}
“HEY, NOAH , what do you think of a punk-slash-emo version of ‘Amazing Grace’?”
Carson and I have been practicing for our gig all week, and I’m seriously about to lose it. After seeing
Spears in the Jungle
, he had this major conversion experience—prayed with Marty and everything—and now he wants to be baptized. “You know what I think?” I set down my guitar and hold up a hand, measuring one inch between my forefinger and thumb. “I think I’m
this close
to marching into the DPCP’s bedroom and telling him what you’ve been up to.”
Carson’s eyes grow wide. “Dude, you wouldn’t.”
“Oh, yes I would. Now, enough of this punk hymnal crap. You need to get to work on ‘Flesh-Eating Zombies.’ We’ve got our first real show in two days, and right now, your lyrics still suck, and the music’s not that great either.”
I pick up my guitar and start plucking the melody of myanti-love song for Aubrey. I’ve finished writing the lyrics, but I’m having serious doubts about their potential effectiveness.
I glance at Carson. He’s slumped over his guitar, and there’s a hurt look on his face. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry. Really, man. I shouldn’t have said that. And if you want to do a punkemo, whatever, version of ‘Amazing Grace,’ fine. I mean, just because it’s not my thing doesn’t mean it’s not yours.”
“Hey, Noah? What’s been eating you lately? Ever since we came back from the greenbelt, you’ve been on edge. Something happened between you and Will. When you guys were writing that song for Aubrey. I know it.”
I chew the inside of my cheek.
“Did Will make a pass at you?”
“Shut up.”
“Come on, I’m joking. Look, Noah. It’s not a crime to feel weirded out if a guy’s into you. It’s a normal reaction. What matters is what you do with it. Plus, with the way you’ve been brought up, it’s not a surprise that you’re having a hard time.”
I glare at Carson. “I already told you I don’t believe any of that shit.”
“Well, maybe you’re not as tolerant as you thought.”
“Oh yeah? Let me ask
you
something, Mr. Holy Roller. Why are you so gung ho about the church scene when you know damn well their stance on gay people? They’re all going to hell, didn’t you know?”
“Not according to Marty.”
“Oh? Have you asked him about it? Because I guarantee—”
“Yes. I have asked him. In fact, we had a long conversation about it. He told me that he’s struggled with that teaching for a long time, and personally doesn’t agree with it. And he doesn’t think gays should try to be straight either. But he said change has to come from inside the church, and he thinks the youth group can be a catalyst.”
“A catalyst? Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Noah? Why do you hate Marty and the youth group so much? I mean, they’re really nice. At least, they are to me.”
I sit there for a while. There’s a brick in my stomach. “I don’t hate them, Carson. It’s just, well, it ticks me off how they think there’s only one way to God—
their way
. I just don’t buy that. I never have. My parents tried to brainwash me with that crap from birth. The thing they don’t get is I have a mind of my own, and I intend to use it.”
“Yeah, I understand what
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