About a week had passed from the time when Mike last called, and the television was abuzz, lit up by the 16-bit signals from our favorite Nintendo game: Tecmo Super Bowl. Josh was progressing along in our season, making mincemeat out of another hapless computer opponent, when I asked whether he had made plans to borrow Jenny's car yet for our trip. Jenny is a good friend of Josh's; she attends and works at his church, graduated last year, and lives about a half hour away.

He looked quite surprised. Apparently, he had not yet fully thought through our master plan, and did not realize we would need to find a way down to New Jersey. He promised me that he would bring it up to her, and he did not foresee any problems. Yet a scant five days later, he returned with bad news. There was only a week remaining before we were to leave, and he did not think he could borrow the car. Each and every piece of bad news he gave me he would introduce with, "Well, here's the deal," or "Okay, here's the thing." I found my orange water gun very useful during this period of time.

I tried to look around for another person willing to travel to New Jersey, but there was no one else who would do it. I didn't want to go down by myself, and the church had already purchased two tickets. And no one would be going anywhere without a car. Finally, Josh, through the use of Oriental martial arts tactics I cannot dream of explaining and lengthy late-night telephone conversations, managed to coerce Jenny into allowing us to use the car. Their "Teen Club" event would have to be rescheduled, she would have to change her weekend plans, and three men would have to die in El Paso - but all this was acceptable to us. As long as we had a car.

Death was in the air the night before we left. Very different deaths - one sad and meaningful, and one merely inconvenient - but nonetheless, there were two deaths. I will consider the effects of these deaths next time.

-TO BE CONTINUED- 

Part Three

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  |