The kids waiting in the dark church parking lot were not at all alike.  Behind a car, a few older teenage girls were talking with each other, while on the stairs, three or four very small children were chasing each other around and hanging from the railing. A couple surly-looking boys with scruffy facial hair were standing by themselves, while a young boy Mike had not met before introduced himself to the group as "Crackhead." Josh and I thought we had misheard the name, but it turned out that was precisely what he had said. I never did find out his real name. If that wasn't it.

After Mike did a quick headcount, the parents all departed into the night to make the most of the South Jersey evening. Josh and I went back to our cars, as Mike said, "Okay, some of you go ride with Josh and Steve. They're nice. They won't bite." I went over to Mike's car, which I was driving, and found the youngest kids on the hood. "Who are you?", they said, and before I could answer, they jumped off and ran to Mike. "We thought you were driving your car, Mike!" But Mike was driving his parents' minivan, and they all climbed inside, to my great pleasure.

I sat inside the car with the door open and waited for something to happen, and sure enough, a quiet young man named Andrew, he of the scruffy facial hair, came over and sat in the front seat. He was followed by the other guy and the two older girls. I wasn't sure how this would go, but I was certain it was a better option than contending with Pokemon, cooties, and a boy named "Crackhead." As we pulled out of the parking lot, everyone introduced themselves (Katie, Christina, and Michael - plus Andrew), which I was sure was useless, because I couldn't see their faces anyway. I told them all we were going to Canada, and discussion ensued, based on the shocking topic that I had never been to New Jersey before. "You live in New York? Well then, what are you doing here?"

The game was taking place in downtown Philadelphia, in the sports complex containing the Spectrum, Veterans Stadium, and our destination, the First Union Center. Our voyage took us along several interstate highways, including the busy I-76. Remember, there were three older teenagers (all approximately 15) in the back seat, obscuring my vision, for the duration of the trip. Mike was in the lead, in the minivan, while Josh followed me, in the other car. We had followed him without incident for some time when he changed lanes to the middle. I tried to look behind me, but could not see anything. I checked the mirror, and didn't see anything. I started to signal and pull over into the middle lane, when suddenly a blaring horn sounded from the car now speeding past me in that lane. I am told that an obscene gesture from the car closed the deal.

I returned to the right lane, moving over almost as far as possible to allow the angry driver room. Josh is in Massachusetts right now, so I can't double-check with him as I write this. But I recall him telling me that I wasn't really in danger of obstructing the car's passage, and that I never left the right lane. As I considered how we could get back to Mike, another car roared up next to us, directly in the middle of our lane. I swerved into the emergency lane, going over the friendly rumble strip in the process. Again from the perspective of Josh's car - "Whoa! That guy just tried to run them off the road!" For no apparent reason, the car had decided to drive into the middle of our lane. Was he enforcing the obscene gesture of the previous car? Or was it just fortuitous that I had already been in the right side of the lane when he decided to drive recklessly? Josh and his passengers were only sure that it looked as if the car wished us dead.

For future lane changes, I elicited the help of the backseat passengers, who encouraged me with claims that they "got a 96" on their last driving test, and would be "happy to take over" driving, if I wasn't up to it. After some interesting moments stopping directly behind Mike at our exit lane, we pulled into the parking lot at the stadium. As we got out, both Mike and Josh were very curious as to what had happened on I-76.

-TO BE CONTINUED- 

Part Ten

NHS Speech

"My View" Editorial

The October Surprise
|  Round 1 |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |
|   6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |
|  11  |  12  |  Final Bell  |

Journey to Jersey II
|  Intro  |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |
|   6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |
|  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |

Journey to Jersey I
|  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |   6  |  7  |  8  |
|  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |
|  15  |  16  |  17  |  18  |  19  |  20  |

An Epic Saga
|  Act  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |
|   6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |
|  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16  |

Christian Rock Email

Freshman Room Draw
|  Part One  |  Two  |
|  Three  |  Four  |  Five  |