“Take it back,” Kiera ordered.

“But we thought it could be like communion. All of us.”

Kiera’s mom-like rage receded; she looked to me. I had nothing.

We followed Angie’s van back to the highway, much later than planned. We’d get back close to the library’s closing time, provided traffic was kind.

It wasn’t.

Angie’s brake lights flared as my phone GPS announced: “A collision is causing a half-hour delay.”

The highway was apocalypse still.

The dread in the car became palpable. Boxed wine was the least of our worries.

Kiera fished her phone from her pocket and called Jameer on speaker. “Hey! We’ve got a problem.”

“We know. Everyone’s freaking. Helena especially.”

What would happen to them—us—if we got caught? I couldn’t imagine more than a Mom and Dad lecture on my end, maybe losing my car keys for a couple of weeks. But I’d seen the wrath brought down on Jameer. Humiliation, privacy stripped away. Never considered that his parents might not be the most extreme in the church.

Kiera went silent, thinking. “Jameer, tell everyone to text their parents. Say I suggested we all go for pizza and milkshakes to continue our fellowship. We’re walking from the library, to Antonelli’s Italian restaurant. We’ll be done by eight.”

“Yes,” Ralph said, drafting the text.

“You’re awesome, Kiera,” said Bobby.

If it worked, that’d give us an extra three hours to get back to Green Creek. More than enough time. Impressive. More so because of who it was coming from. I was more turned on than ever.

Each parent approved the pizza date with no extra conditions, on the strength of Kiera’s endorsement. Good thing, too. That half-hour delay became a full hour. The library was dark and abandoned when we pulled into the lot to regroup.

We piled out, crowded between our vehicles. Jameer said, “Now what?”

“We do what we told the parents we’d do.” Irritation bled into Kiera’s voice. “Go to Antonelli’s, order pizza and milkshakes, then actually talk about our purity presentation. Enough fun for one day, guys. We’re lucky this didn’t go south.”

Reluctant grumbles favored Kiera’s thinking. Bobby Burton had a different idea. “We could get the pizza to go.”

“And do what?” Kiera activated full mom-voice. An unspoken warning in the air.

Where Bobby faltered, Ralph excelled, finishing the proposal. “Communion.”

He unzipped his bag and showed everyone his stolen wine. Sullen Qwan was the first responder here. “Whatever this is, I’m with it.”

Angie cut him some wicked side-eye, but did not object.

Jameer said, “I would not be opposed to breaking bread and drinking drink with my brothers and sisters.”

“Jameer!” Kiera scolded.

This particular demon was loose and hopping bodies. I was fascinated seeing the Pledgers so eager to break more rules.

“Unbelievable!” Kiera said. “We can’t crack open a box of wine here in the parking lot, you know.”

Jameer said, “I have a spot.”

Qwan clapped his hands. “Then it’s settled. What y’all like on your pizza? First person to say ‘pineapple’ getting slapped.”