West Six #3
Finn slipped the robe over his head. “Better than you-know-who tonight.”
Dressed and looking ridiculous, the Misfits morphed into Sinners again and filed in line to make a fuckery of the pastor.
It was a horrible idea. It was going to steal attention away from Blue’s service. One she deserved, in the most pitiful way imaginable.
With each step down the hallway, I think we all came to the same decision.
We kept catching each other’s silent apologies for losing our minds.
Reading each other, easily, we all nodded and tried to step out of line, but the man was having none of it, ushering us through the doorway and into the sanctuary.
Sorry, Jesus.
Before I knew it, we were walking up a set of steps to a platform in front of a huge crowd.
I heard Ethan bitch to Finn, “You just stepped on my dress.”
Or choir robe.
“Sorry,” replied Finn, who was in a robe about seven inches too short. His clunky sneakers were visible for all attendees to see.
My robe was the opposite. So long that I tripped on the last step and fell into Finn’s back. Which, of course, threw him into Ethan, who bitched again, “Are you fucking serious?”
Instead of apologizing, I corrected, “Technically, you shouldn’t cuss in church.”
“Fuck you,” mumbled Ethan.
Luckily, there was music playing, so no one in the audience could hear any of this train wreck, but the other choir boys were certainly suspecting we didn’t belong. As did Dale when I caught him staring at us, his jaw in his lap.
Oops!
Not that there wasn’t more for him to see. The music started, and so did the true choir boys’ movements, stepping side to side.
Did the Misfits join, accordingly?
Not so much.
We bumped into one another like balls in a ping-pong machine gone wild. I stepped on Finn’s foot. He stepped on Ethan’s, who in turn got flustered and shoved Finn into one of the choir boys, who shot us all a frustrated look.
Ethan would have had more to say if it wasn’t now time to sing a song we didn’t know. His eyes widened as if just now realizing the shit-show we’d landed ourselves in.
Nothing else to do, we all faced forward and started moving our mouths like chewing on gum that never existed. Yes, with scars, a few cheap tattoos, the gunmetal gauges in my ears, and longer hair than any choir boy is probably allowed, these Misfits were no fit, in the slightest.
In the pews, where we should’ve been, Harmony was grabbing her chest, and Sarah was covering her mouth. No doubt, both in utter disbelief.
Mercifully, we survived. At least, for the time being. Once the pastor grandly reappeared at the original entrance of the church, arms wide, loudly announcing he would ‘lead his sheep’ outside for the candlelight ceremony, Finn had to put Seb in a chokehold and drag him behind the other choir boys.
They eyed the not-so-church-like action but continued with what they had rehearsed, following in a single-file line off the stage. Gage and I stayed toward the back of the line with Finn and Seb, hoping we could help de-escalate the situation.
With the church now mostly emptied—all remaining churchgoers facing the door—and time for us to descend the stairs, Ethan slid the portrait under his robe as if there was nothing to see. To Seb, he whispered, “I got your girl. Now chill.”
It was so hard to watch Sebastian so torn up inside. Since Blue’s passing, he would be calm one minute, then demonic the next. It was as if multiple wars battled inside his body.
Tonight, he conceded. His arms came down from reaching out to throttle the pastor. His shoulders caved slightly as he exhaled a lost battle I knew would eventually reignite, whether he wanted it to or not.
At the end of the hallway, Finn gestured to a door. It led to a private parking lot with a fancy brand new Mercedees. We just knew whose it was.
Ethan peered around, including checking the roof of the church. “No cameras, boys.” He carefully set Blue’s portrait aside, facing it away from us. “You don’t want to see this, sweet girl.” Then he lifted his robe to fumble with his pants.
My inner Sinner smirked. Yup!
Again, wise? Didn’t give two fucks. Four angry penises were whipped out and happily pissed all over the car we were sure Blue’s donations were paying for. Hell, I hit the handle, so he’d have to touch it when he opened the door.
Once done, I couldn’t help but notice little dolls lying about in the backseat. “No.”
I was quickly flanked by fellow fosters, all of whom appeared as close to vomiting as me.
Ethan growled, “Soon, motherfucker. Soon, you’re done hurting the innocent.”
Both Finn and I grabbed hold of Seb as he began to kick the car, practically foaming at the mouth. Ethan grabbed the portrait and followed us, checking our surroundings.
Beyond annoyed with us, Seb shrugged us off him. Together, we all jogged around the building, gently placed Blue in the back of the van, then discarded our ‘dresses’ in a dumpster before nonchalantly finding Dale, Harmony, and Sarah, all staring up into the night.
There, floating toward heaven and our angel, were dozens of glowing paper lanterns.
The higher they went, the wider the gap between them grew.
As the wind caught and lifted the lights higher, the sky filled with flickering pops of color against the darkness.
And to further announce the beauty and serenity of the moment, the stars appeared and twinkled in between those fairy-like lights.
My throat suddenly became too tight to swallow. It’s like she was there with us. A shroud of warmth that can only be described as a ghostly embrace. The feeling stayed with me until the lights disappeared.