Old Rugged Cross

         Zach and Lorena sat across from eachother in the library after school. They were the only two left of the peer helper group that met after school everyday.

         She tried her hardest to explain projectile motion to the boy who slumped down in his seat, a bored expression in his eyes. Lorena knew that Zach could addomplish just as much as one of her AP friends. He didn't need peer tutoring, but he just didn't care. She did this everyday - explained problem after problem as he studied the walls of the library, answering her questions, but never meeting her eye or looking at the work. Today, Lorena wanted to give up. She wanted to set down her pencil, push her chair back, and say, "I quit." But then she glanced down at the WWJD bracelet tied around her wrist and pushed on.

         "Zach," she sighed. "Please, help me."

         She saw his empty eyes shift back and forth then meet hers. "Why do you care whether or not I fail?" he demanded, sitting up and leaning across the table to glare at her.

         "Because I care about you," she answered.

         He rolled his eyes and slouched back against his chair. His eyes fell to her bracelet. "Why? Because God does?" he asked sardonically.

         She smiled. "Exactly."

         Zach held her eye, anger piercing through them unitl a bang on the library window made them both jump.

         Outside the door, a group of boys motioned to Zach eagerly.

         "I gotta go," he sneered. He stood and left the library while Lorena gathered her things.

         When she finally caught up with them, the boys were huddled by Zach's car, talking loudly. None of the boys glanced up as she passed.

         "So, you still in for tonight?" one boy asked.

         Lorena glanced sideways at them.

         Zach's eyes met hers for a second, and he looked away. "Yeah. Are you freaking sure that they're not gonna be home?"

         "Yeah, man. We're good."

         Lorena leaned against the hood of her car until the group of boys disperssed. Then she walked to the passenger side of his car and tapped on the window.

         The tinted window slid down and Zach stared at Lorena with curiosity. "Yeah?"

         Lorena leaned in, resting her elbows on the door frame. "Look," she began, fixing Zach with an intense look. "I don't know what you and your friends are planning tonight, but I can tell you that, whatever it is, you shouldn't do it."

         Zach held her gaze, and she saw a spark of vulnerability flash into his eyes. It quickly faded, and her turned to look out the front windshield. "Lorena, I appreciate everything you're trying to do, but you don't know anything about me or my life."

         Lorena tried to noe to be disappointed. She gave a gentle nod, and then opened her palm to let the silver cross she held drop onto his passenger seat, where it clattered to the floorboard.


         Zach heard the clanking metal as it slid through the vehicle. When he finally realized that Lorena had dropped something and turned to mention it to her, she had already disappeared.

         He chose to forget about it and drove home. Tonight was the night the boys had decided to break into the house at the end of the street; the big one with the Venus statue in the front garden; the one that belonged to a young, rich, happily-married couple.

         People who took what they had for granted made Zach sick. He wanted to take something from those people.

         But he didn't want to hurt them. He knew there was a chance that the owners would be in the house that night. There was always a chance. What would he do if they hadn't gone out like planned?

         Zach thought of this as he went into his room and grabbed the gun that his friends gave him. He didn't want to have to use it.

         He walked through the smoke-permeated apartment without glancing at his father, who sat in front of the TV, most likely already tipsy.

         Zach slammed the door behind him and stalked to his car. He set his gun in the passenger seat and raced through the neighbordhood. At the end of the street, he took a sharp left, causing his gun to roll off the seat.

         "Crap."

         He pulled up in front of the large house, where two more cars were parked, one belonging to the couple, and the other belonging to the guys. Zach resisted the urge to curse under his breath when the boys began to slouch toward his car, most likely to break the news that the couple had stayed in.

         Zach stepped out of his car and froze when he spotted the coupl sitting in the living room. Their curtains were pulled back and their living room gave off a soft glow that reached his eyes from across the garden. His hands became unsteady and his stomach turned to knots.

         "Dude," Graham, the leader of the pack, said. "They're home." He gave Zach a skeptical look. "You better not back down."

         Zach gave a frightened shake of his head and walked to the passenger side of his car to get his gun where it fell. He opened the door and reached in for the gun. When he pulled it out, something metal clanked out onto the street. He reached down to pick it up and froze when he saw what it was.

         A silver cross the size of his palm layed on the concrete by his feet. He picked it up and held it in his hands, examining the intricate designs that were carved into the silver.

         Lorena's face flashed suddenly through his mind. Sweet Lorena, who had tried so hard to help him and be his friend. He saw her smiling face, and then the look of concern that she'd worn while leaning in his window.

         The cross felt heavy in his hand, and he clutched it tight as he heard Graham say, "Man, come on. We don't have all night."

         "I'm sorry. I can't do this." Zach slipped the cross into his pocket as he walked back to the driver's side of his car. Before he climbed in, he toseed the gun to Graham, ignoring the shocked faces of the rest of the group.

         Then he drove home.


         Lorena sat alone in the cold cafeteria the next day, chewing on her sandwich as she did her Physics homework.

         When a dark figure sat down in the seat across from her, she looked up, syrprised to find Zach sitting there, acting as if thie was their daily routine.

         Lorena smiled and chose not to break the silence. Instead, she bit into her apple and reread the problem.

         "Could you help me on that?"

          Lorena looked up when Zach spoke. He was looking at her homework with interest.

         "Sure."