Page 53 of My Vows Are Sealed

I turned to look at him. “I know. But you didn’t have a choice.Wedidn’t have a choice. I don’t like it either, but there wasn’t any other way to get him to stop.”

“Mr. Smith!” I heard Peter exclaim.

I looked back toward Ethan and saw him stumble his way toward our youth pastor. And if looks could kill, Ethan would have been six feet under.

“Whassup, Peter?” he slurred.

I was sure my eyes got as big as saucers. He wasn’t just a little buzzed. He waswasted.

“I want you to walk toward me in a straight line,” Peter instructed.

“You’re not my dad,” he scoffed, still slurring his words. “I don’t have to do shit.”

“As long as you’re under my care, and right now you are, youdoneed to do as I say,” Peter insisted. “Now, walk in a straight line.”

Ethan grumbled something I couldn’t make out under his breath, but attempted to obey. Key word being attempted. He couldn’t stay in a straight line. He could barely stay upright.

“Mr. Smith, come into the office with me while I call your parents,” Peter growled. “You’re not permitted to accompany us tonight.”

“I didn’t do nothin’!” he protested.

“When this youth group goes out in public together, we’re representing Christ and we’re representing First Baptist Church. I can smell the beer and cigarettes on you from here, and I willnotallow an intoxicated fourteen-year-old to join us. So, you’re banned from all youth group activities through the end of the year, and I will be calling your parents to come pick you up.”

“Well, guess what? They’re at work, so you can’t do shit! Unless you want to stop everyone from going,” Ethan cackled, like he thought he’d won the lottery.

“Ethan, if you still want to be welcome at this church, youwillshow respect for your elders,” Peter said sternly. “And either you come with me voluntarily or I’ll have Sergeant Gleason restrain you. He’s off-duty, but he’s still an officer of the law. I don’t care if I have to personally stay back from the concert until your parents get here; you arenotwelcome on this outing.”

“Peter, I can call my husband and have him take Ethan back to my store until his parents can come pick him up,” Mrs. Rhee offered. “No one else should have to miss the show.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Hana. I may take you up on that. Let me try to get a hold of his parents and see what they say. Saul, can you come with me?”

“Absolutely,” Alex’s dad, who was here as a chaperone, said.

Peter started to walk inside, and when Ethan didn’t follow him, Mr. Gleason offered some assistance.

“Mr. Smith, you know I’m a police officer, correct?” he asked.

“Whatever,” Ethan slurred.

“Not whatever,” he barked. “I have a breathalyzer in my car right now, and I could legally administer it to you because I have a suspicion that you’re intoxicated. What do you think your blood alcohol level is right now?”

Ethan didn’t answer.

“You and I both know it’s way above the legal limit, and I could place you under arrest right now, along with whoever supplied you with the cigarettes and alcohol. Instead, I’m giving you an opportunity to correct your behavior. Peter is in charge of this group, and you’ve broken his code of conduct, which means he’s within his rights to call your parents. I don’t want to restrain you and drag you inside with us in front of all of your friends, but I will if I have to. So, are you going to come inside with us willingly while we get a hold of your parents?”

“Fucking fascists,” Ethan muttered as he stomped toward the church entrance like a toddler.

“Dude,” Alex chuckled, coming to stand next to Brendan. “About time that little shit got what was coming to him.”

I was…a little torn about my feelings. On the one hand, if it hadn’t been for Brendan finding out about Ethan’s smoking and drinking, I probably would have ended up in the hospital because he would have told my dad about my new relationship. But on the other hand, seeing this with my own eyes, I kind of felt bad for him. I could only imagine how much he was hurting to feel like he had to do something like this.

“Is it weird that I kind of feel bad for him?” I asked.

Brendan looked at me like I had three heads. “Why?”

“I don’t know. I just feel like there has to be something else going on with him. Something to make him so angry at the world. I don’t think he’d be lashing out like this without a reason. I mean, he’s made my life a living hell and part of me wants to see him suffer, but at the same time, I wouldn’t wish that much pain on anyone.”

“Man, your girl is awaybetter person than I am,” Alex chuckled, playfully nudging my shoulder.

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