She gave a curt nod as if that cleared everything up. I got what the verse was supposed to mean. I’m sure it comforted some of the Purity Pledgers because it came from Kiera. But, I’d been thinking on the God thing more and more lately, and monstrous stuff happens on His watch all the time. Turn on the news.

Jameer wasn’t sold either, obviously. With no Bible handy, or needed, he said, “Exodus 20:5 says the opposite. ‘I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.’”

Kiera sucked her teeth loudly. “You’re taking it out of context. The ‘those who hate me’ part is important.”

“What’s hate really mean? Let Pastor tell it, anyone who doesn’t fall in line hates Him.”

They bickered. Tossing out Bible chapters and verses back and forth like battle rappers. Then the Pledgers were in on it, the girls gravitating naturally to Kiera’s point. The Burton Brothers drawn toward Jameer. Me remembering why I zoned into my happy place instead of absorbing all this confusing and contradictory info on Sundays.

The librarian shot us the stink eye again, on the move now, intending to shush us or kick us out, for sure.

“Hey,” I hissed, “save the Bible Bowl for later and get studious fast. We got company.”

The librarian popped in and I apologized profusely, assured her we weren’t going to be a problem, and when we were left to our own devices again, I said, “Maybe we should talk about that fashion show, before we kill each other.”

No one argued.

We spent all day getting absolutely nowhere on the presentation, and by three that afternoon our group began to disperse, happy to move on with the rest of our day. Missus Burton got Ralph and Bobby first. Then the girls piled into Mya’s car for their ride home. Kiera remained preoccupied with her phone, breaking from her nonstop texting to say, “J, you okay getting home?”

Jameer said, “I’m fine. I’m going to hang with Del for a bit.”

Awesome. We had much to discuss.

I gave my good friend Kiera a wave goodbye that she barely noticed. Mya’s bucket puttered out of the lot, leaving me and Jameer to recalibrate our plans.

He shadowed me to the bike rack, where I undid my lock and asked, “Is she texting Mason?”

He twisted away, sighed. Delaying.

“Jameer.”

“I think so.”

I groaned at the sky. “How is this happening? Is he getting the same ‘timing’ excuses I am?”

“I don’t know. Probably. She’s said a bunch of times that she’s not interested in a boyfriend right now.”

“Because of Colossus.” We walked my bike from the library lot in the general direction of my house. “That asshole. What happened after we left the restaurant?”

“Colossus and his friends got a booth. I guess they ate.”

“You guess. Where did you go? Who dropped you off last night?” No quick answer that time. My overall frustration leaked. “It’s bullshit that you’re trying to keep secrets. I can be your perv question errand boy but you can’t tell me what’s got you so distracted that you don’t seem to really care that our well-laid plans are falling apart.”