We locked eyes in a staring contest. I lost.

I bowed my head, closed my eyes. I stayed that way for the rest of service. It was easier than seeing all the disappointed faces surrounding me.

Service ended. A huddle formed at the front of the sanctuary. All of the Purity Pledger parents, converging on my mother.

What was said, I did not know. It seemed calm. At first. Like watching muted television without the subtitles. Then energy shifted abruptly.

Tense shoulders and jerky hand movements. Shanice’s mother stomped away three paces, then spun back, speaking fast and wagging her finger. Helena’s dad laughed a lot, but not in a funny joke way. It was the “I’m supposed to buy your bull?” laugh.

What was Mom saying? She didn’t know anything about yesterday, none of them had until Newsome blew us up. It was only when he joined the huddle did things seem to calm.

Not among the Pledgers, though. We’d all stayed in our pews, flicking horrified looks at each other.

At Newsome’s direction, the other parents relaxed their hungry lion poses, allowing Mom a small window to escape, summoning me with a finger snap. “Let’s. Go.”

I jerked to my feet and hopped into the aisle like she’d snapped an invisible leash. We climbed into the car silently, and were a half mile from First Missionary before the conversation I dreaded started.

“What did you do, Del?”

“Mom, all we did was go to Cressie’s school to see—”

“You had those children lying to their parents and you took them out of the city without permission! Anything could’ve happened. Some of those kids are barely teenagers!”

“I know. I wasn’t trying to take them at first. They sort of—”

“I don’t care! You didn’t have permission. You’re not grown. You don’t pay for that car. Are you rolling your damn eyes?”

“No.” Maybe.

“Those parents are furious. At you. At me for not knowing what you were up to. They’re right to be. Do you even get that? It’s bad enough what I’ve been dealing with now that Cressie wants to be a NewsTuber or whatever.”

“YouTuber.”

“Boy, if you think this is the day for you to correct me, you are sorely mistaken.”

I shut up. Though I had questions. Cressie’s videos were causing problems for Mom around town?

Mom said, “You better start explaining yourself, Delbert Lamond Rainey Junior!”

My whole-whole name. Damn. “Pastor Newsome is blowing the whole thing up because he doesn’t like me, Mom.”

“The pastor doesn’t like you? So, it’s his fault that you snuck behind my back, and did things you weren’t supposed to. When are you going to grow up and take some responsibility?”

“I am, though!”

Mom said, “Oh sweet Jesus, I can’t with you right now. Let’s see what your daddy has to say about this.”

In the garage, I ejected myself from the car as the door ratcheted down behind us. I entered the house first, thinking I might catch a breather while stripping out of my church clothes. Maybe sneak-text Kiera to make sure she was okay.