Chapter Seven
... the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Colossians 3:6
“Jeremy, phone!”
“I got it Dad! Hello?”
“Hey Jeremy, it’s Michael. What’s up?”
“Hey, not much. You?”
“Same. I was planning some stuff for tonight, but since the curfew…”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“I bet you’re pretty bummed out about your date huh?”
“Not really.”
“Not really! Are you feeling all right? This date is all you’ve been talking about.”
“I mean the date’s still on. I called Katherine right after the curfew was announced and we decided to sneak out any way.”
“Are you crazy?”
“What? You think I’m gonna’ get in big trouble if I sneak out… again? I’ve done it lots of times Michael, you know that. Half the time you snuck out with me, so what’s the deal?”
“I know, but this time it’s different.”
“What, you mean because of the curfew?”
“Not that.”
“Are, you afraid I might get eaten by a dingo?”
“That’s not funny Jeremy.”
“Come on man, what’s the deal? Why are you getting all parental on me all of a sudden? Did you give this same speech to Jacob before you called me?”
“I just have a very bad feeling about all this that’s all. You know about the dreams and stuff that I’ve been having, I didn’t even know Jacob was going out tonight. Did he tell you he was?”
“No. Will said he’d been sneaking out every night lately and that Jacob would owe him big time for keeping his folks from finding out. I just figured he’d do it again tonight. What you didn’t know?”
“No.”
“So, have you had one about Katherine and me?”
“One what?”
“Dream! That’s what all this is about isn’t it?”
“No.”
“See, there you go. You’re just being paranoid.”
“It’s not that Jeremy; you’re my best friend...”
“Well then stop harpin’ on me. You know how long I’ve waited to go out with Katherine Price and no curfew or stupid dog is going to stop me. Tell me you wouldn’t sneak out for a date like that?”
“Not this time, besides it’s like your twelfth date anyway.”
“Michael quit acting like a little girl. Nothing’s going to happen, and it’s our eighth date.”
“I’m not acting like a little girl I’m acting like a guy thinking with his brain not with his...”
“Knock it off Michael!”
“You’re the one acting like an idiot.”
“I may be acting like one, but you are one!” With that the phone went dead with one push of the button. Jeremy had a date with Katherine Price, in his eyes the hottest girl in town and nothing and no one was going to prevent him from spending the night with her. Michael was just jealous.
But Michael wasn’t jealous; he was just the opposite. The idea of his best friend and Katherine together made him happy. All Jeremy talked about was Katherine this and Katherine that, he knew they were serious. It was Michael who got them talking in the first place and he understood how Jeremy felt about tonight; he was just being a jerk. His thick head was going to get him into trouble one day and Michael was afraid that this was going to be that day. Anger and frustration only festered when he thought about Jeremy’s attitude; after all he was only trying to help. Michael’s mind filled with harsh words as he repeatedly jabbed at his beaten black punching bag hanging in the corner of his dark foreboding room. An obsession with death, darkness, and the mysterious things of this world had leaked onto the walls of his room where evil reigned. He himself was not evil in any way, and for the most part he didn’t buy into the whole devil, demon thing, he just thought it was cool. The metal music reverberated off the walls and into his mind, he couldn’t care less about its message, but it was fast, harsh, and it got his blood pumping and his mind off whatever problem it happened to be wrapped around at the moment and at this moment it was consumed with the nightmarish dreams that haunted him lately and the fear of death paying a visit to his best friend. Jeremy’s refusal to listen infuriated him more and more and with each punch of the bag his anger only grew. Why wouldn’t he listen? Why was he being so stupid? Punch after punch, question after question until all that was left was white hot anger, completely forgetting that Jeremy wasn’t his only friend testing that cruel hand of fate tonight.
Jeremy’s thoughts held nothing of what Michael’s did, no beast, no psycho, and no curfew. Nothing except Katherine, beautiful, funny, smart, perfect Katherine and nothing was going to stop him from spending the night with her. No one in his right mind would give up a chance to be with her and tonight she was all his, the most sought after girl in Epson was his if only for a little while. Jeremy had been dreaming of her for over a year gazing at her from afar it seemed. There was something spectacular about her that he just couldn’t get out of his mind. She wasn’t like the bubble headed cheerleaders who giggled and flirted and teased their way through the student body. She didn’t wear clothes two sizes too small that showed everyone what God had given her, and she didn’t apply makeup like it was paint. Sure she was beautiful, but it was so much more than that. There was something inside her that drew guys of all ages to her, a kindness, a peace, a sense of adventure that drove him crazy. The girls didn’t care much for her, at least not the shallow ones which snubbed her at times, but something about that loneliness made her even more desirable. Maybe it was her confidence that turned him on, but whatever it was he was going to spend the night enjoying every minute of it no matter what the cost. It had taken him months to build up enough courage to ask her out and now that they were together, nothing was going to stand in his way. He had planned a romantic candlelit picnic on the beach with some of her favorite songs and a whole lot of kissing. He knew he wouldn’t get past first base; he wasn’t going to try. Fact was he was still a virgin and he liked it that way. He didn’t have to worry about STD’s or daddy hood or the responsibility that sex brought into life. As far he was concerned he wanted to wait until he was married at least then he knew that the relationship was going to last and the girl wasn’t going to show up a year after they had broken up and hand him a kid. Jeremy grabbed the picnic basket that he had packed earlier while thoughts of Katherine put a smile on his face that nothing could rub off. Maybe he would marry her and have a house full of kids one day. He bounded down the stairs secure in the knowledge that his parents were oblivious to his leaving. They were entranced in the living room completely fascinated by the book that he and his friends had found; and had informed him that it was quite old and rare or something, he wasn’t really paying attention; oh and the binding was made of skin. Gross. Both of his parents worked at the science museum in the city and to them the book was an amazing find. With any luck the two would still be translating the pages when he returned to his room never knowing he had left, sneaking out had never been so easy. All he had to do was walk right out the back door, push his dirt bike a few blocks down the street before starting it and off he went to pick up his dream date.
Katherine had crawled out her bedroom window in the typical teen fashion and was waiting for him at the end of the drive. She beamed as her knight in blue jean shorts rode up on his trusty steed and hopped onto the back of his bike before racing off to the lake. All cares and concerns were forgotten as the couple walked hand in hand along the shore kicking water onto each other and playing like children in the sand. They watched the sun set on the lake and spread their blanket wide while laughing, talking, and enjoying the snacks that Jeremy had packed. As God painted the sky deep hues of pink, blue, orange, and purple Jeremy played the playlist he had made.
“Jeremy, that’s my favorite song!”
“I know it is, and now it’s our song. Could I have this dance
?” The stars arrived one by one to watch the couple dance under their glow in the most perfect night either had ever known. The couple danced through many of the songs holding each other close before deciding on a moonlight swim, the perfect end to another perfect date. Being a gentleman, Jeremy walked into the woods to put on his trunks, but as the minutes passed the sinking feeling that something was wrong began to gnaw at Katherine.
“Jeremy? Come on Jeremy things are getting creepy out here all by myself. Quit fooling around, besides wouldn’t you rather be out here with me?” Her voice was quaking and she did a pretty lousy job of hiding her anxiety, but her calls all went unanswered.