Chapter 6
I woke up the next morning at eight o'clock, feeling refreshed. I sat up, soaking up all of the Wednesday sun's rays. Today was a different day, and I was finally goin' back to my old church, cause there was no school and I was bored. Ever since my dad had died, I haven't even stepped foot in the place, so I'm going back. I smiled, getting up and turning on my stereo, blasting Group 1 Crew's song "His Kind of Love (Capital Kings Remix)", heading toward the closet. I love my church.
You see, my church doesn't care what you wear. It's a hey-you-showed-up-so-let's-get-the-party-started type of church. We don't get up at six in the mornin'. Performances start at ten, then the preacher/speaker talks, then lunch; more performances, then we're done. Thursday nights, though, it's a mega-party. That's where everyone has fun, there's food, music, games, dancing, and then there's a fifteen minute speech, then more party. Lasts until three in the morning. I loved goin' before, and it was fun.
I rolled up to the church, my sky-blue "I Found Mr. Right" shirt rippling in the wind. I stuck my skateboard into my old locker, stickin' my new shiny silver lock on it. I whirled around, walking into the church and seeing seven people doin' the sound check. "Hey guys!" I waved, and they looked up, smiling and waving. "What's new, stranger?" G-Man called out, his DC hoodie strings interfering with the wires. He was fifteen, with brown spiky hair and blue eyes. He had cargo shorts on and black Converse shoes. I smirked. "Ha-ha. You know how hard it's been on me, dog!" Tiny looked up and smiled, her blue eyes clashing with her bright red wavy hair. She was eighteen and wearing a red tank-top with red basketball shorts. (Told ya, wear whatever you want, we don't judge.) Her German Sheperd playfully followed Tiger, runnin' outside. I smirked. Lilly came runnin' up to me, givin' me a hug. I taught the now fourteen-year-old how to skateboard when she was six. She has purple hair and brown eyes, and she was wearing blue jean shorts with blue flip-flops and a-you guessed it- blue tank-top. (Who wears flip-flops in winter?) Her bunny, Bun-Bun, was sitting on a table beside Hasona, G-Man's parrot. Kacey was sitting at the table, her blonde hair covering her blue eyes. She was texting her friend Alex, probably. She's seventeen, and was wearing a Hello Kitty tank with white skinnys with Hello Kitty vans. She had a Hello Kitty phone cover, with Hello Kitty as her background on her Android. (Did I mention she's seventeen and still likes Hello Kitty?) T-Booty had the same hair and eye color as Kacey, but she was sixteen and she didn't like Hello Kitty. She has a pet cat named Fluff. Don't ask why. She was wearing a white tank with blue jeans covering her blue and white Nikes. Destiny and Katie, or Bug were chatting when I walked in. Destiny was sixteen, with brown hair and eyes. She was wearing a lime green tank under a TAPOUT tee that was tied up with a green hairbow. Her lime-green and black Nikes were covered by her blue jeans. Bug was seventeen, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her black pants clashed with her bright pink tank. She was Tater's cousin. Then the preacher, Mike, who was twenty-two, walked in. His blue jeans hid under his Romans 1:16 T-Shirt, which stood out. "Hey, Mike, what's up?" We high-fived. "Nothing much, Case. Ready to speak in two hours?" I nodded, holding up my old composition book. "Found it last night. I guess God wanted me to do this sermon!" We chuckled and I showed him the sermon. "Yes. That one is perfect. Just perfect. Thursday, though, you better come. We got a surprise for ya." "Now you're scarin' me, man. The way you smiled and you said it... you are REALLY scarin' me." We both laughed, and the others were smirking. Then we started talking about the Christmas play. I took the next hour learning my lines. I was a narrator, but the narrator in this play was an angel. I get to dress up. Yay! I got measured for the costume while spoutin' out my lines, puttin' them into memory. Meanwhile, the church was filling up and I was waiting in the right wing of the stage. Then Mike stepped out on the stage, and the church roared to life. I smirked and listened in to what Mike was saying. "Okay, quiet down, guys. Today, we have a guest speaker. Some of you know her, but she hasn't been here for a while. She's been going through some tough times lately, but she's the best speaker in this town. She writes her speeches from both personal experience and problems around her. But, she also throws in this-I don't know what to call it- this type of humor and edge that gives it this teen view, but it also sounds like an adult wrote it. She didn't deserve the things that have happened to her over the years, but she's fearless, 'cause she's got God. I swear, he uses her to speak through. And if I'm swearin', then it's gotta be good. Anyway, before you fall asleep, please welcome...KC!" The church roared again as I stepped onto the stage, causing them to get louder. I raised my hand, quieting the room. "Thanks! You guys are awesome. I know some of you from years ago, when I first walked through those doors. My father was never sober. He even cut me with a knife. Then we started to come to church here. After my dad had died, I couldn't even stand to walk through those doors. Then my mom had died, and I almost lost it. Then my man Mike gave me a shout on the phone and he's like: "Hey, Case, can you come speak to the church? Really need ya to." So, I'm here. I know what's it like to lose things. I've lost my parents, my home, I have even lost my innocence. But, then a Bible verse popped into my head. I forgot the whole verse, but it talks about how He won't give you more than you can bear. You may bend, but you won't break. I wake up, every morning, and look at it as "Hey, if I messed up yesterday, then today is the day to fix it. TODAY is a new day. TODAY is the day to start over. TODAY is God's second chance. Someone do you wrong yesterday, then let it blow over today and give them another chance. When you hold a grudge, you're lettin' people rent head space in your mind. Don't hold grudges. I've held a grudge on someone for the past six years, and I had just went to see what's up. I can tell he still has a grudge. I could tell by his bullet gnawin' through my shoulder. Is my shoulder really that tasty? Still, I forgave him for that. Even though the scar will be there, I will heal. Eventually. I have something that everyone needs to hear. I ain't no preacher, but just hear me out. You see, it's not our words. Our words aren't gonna be what stops people in their tracks. Our words will not change the world. They've heard it all. It not normally our music. Normally we make our music for us, to sharpen each other, edify the body, glorify our God. Yeah, once in a while one crosses over like I did, but it's not typically the music that's gonna stop the world in their tracks. Our music's not gonna change the world, more than likely. It isn't the buildings, as grand and beautiful as some of our church buildings are, it's not the architecture that's gonna change the world. But I believe what will change the world... is when we begin to love each other. And when we begin to love the world, and when we begin to reach out to the orphans and the widows, the lower-income families in our communities. When the world sees that kind of love, I'm talkin' about undeniable love, I believe they'll stop in their tracks and say "Yo! Whatever you people have over there, I want some of that man, I want some of that there for me!" When our houses are packed so full of love that we have to open the back door to let it ooze out into the valleys and the suburbs and the city streets. When the world sees that kind of love-Real love- they're gonna stop in their tracks, man. They're gonna say "Whatever, homie, homie! Yo! Yo, homie! Whatever you have over there, you Jesus Freaks! I want some of that, man! I want some of that Jesus fo me, man, if it's doin' all of that! I mean, dang! Ok, so I'm goin' to close off with a tobyMac song." The band gets on stage and I give them the sheet. "First, let's pray." Everyone bowed their heads. "Father God, I pray for Morganton today. I pray for everyone that's here in this church. I pray that you will refresh them, that you would renew them, that you would revive them. That they would leave this church in passion and pursuit of You, Father. Take that passion to their work, their school, the city streets of Morganton. Let the news of Your love, Your grace, your AWESOMENESS spread to those who need it. In Jesus's name we pray, Amen. Now, if you are a Jesus Freak, I want you to hold your hand up, and pump it while you say "Ho, Ho, Ho-oo!" Everyone copied. We done it abot six times while I continued. "This is the sound of the Jesus Freaks! DO WE HAVE ANY JESUS FREAKS IN MORGANTON? Where my freaks at?" Everyone joined in with the DJ while he sung the first part of the chorus, then I came in. We partied until noon, when we finished and I bolted to the skate park, my pen gripping my shirt for dear life.
I swerved into the skate spot, the place crowded. There was music blaring out of the boombox in the corner, some food stands, and there was a freakin' stage. A FREAKIN' STAGE! Why the HECK is there a freakin' STAGE at the skate spot, along with all of the food and stuff? Then I took a look at the stuff and listened to the music. It was a Christmas party/festival/get-together thing. The music was the WOW Christian Christmas CDs we had from years ago. We're still listenin' to this? We have "Christmas in Diverse City", ya know? I walked over to the boombox, switchin' CDs and started blaring out "Christmas This Year" by tobyMac. Then I headed over to where Drept was paintin' "Wild Grinders!" on one of the ramps with his new graffiti kit. It looked EPIC! I accidentally startled him, causing him to jump and whirl around. " 'Sup?" He asked nonchalantly. I smirked. "Nothin' much. Cool graffiti, man!" He turned back to the painting, adding a few touches. "Thanks! I thought, since it was yo gang's spot, it should have yo name on it." I nodded in agreement. "Can't wait for it to dry, dog!" I noticed his board again, getting a better look at it. "Dude, why dont'cha get a new board? I mean, that one could break." He shrugged. "Don't want a new one. I love the kit, though. Pretty dope!" I smirked. "It's cool you like it. I saw the graffiti downtown a few years back and I've been wantin' to meet you." He smiled. "Cool. You performin' on the stage?" I shrugged. "Maybe. I've been writin' a new song, so... I might try it out." He nodded. "Cool, dog. Heard you singin' at the church and I was just curious." My eyes popped out of my head. "What? You were there? Wow..." He nodded again. Hey, don't judge me, dog. There was a lot of people there. A LOT. Chris skated over to us. "Hey, Case! Wassup, Drept?" We high-fived him and watched him look down at the graffiti. "Cool, dog! Hey, are you guys gonna perform on the stage tonight?" I shrugged and looked over at Drept, who was noddin' his head. Chris snorted, smirking. I grunted, givin' Chris a "Na dip, tater chip" look, which he disregarded and gestured to me. "Yea, KC here writes songs. She's almost wrote her fourth song!" I glared at him. "Dude! Not cool! Yo know NO ONE other than us knows about that! And, plus, I have seven finished songs." He smirked, and Drept had his eyebrows raised. "Really? Let's hear one." My face pale, but a crowd had gathered, and they were chanting "KC! KC!", pumpin' their fists. "FINE! Fine! I'll drop one. Here we go...
I'll find strength in the weak,
On any day of the week!
I don't care what people think,
I'm a seekin' Jesus Freak!
Even if I fail,
And then I have to bail,
I'm gonna hold back the hail,
And keep my mind on the rail,
Of leadership and faith,
And keepin' them awake.
In Christ I put my faith,
'Cause He's not a fake!"
By now there was chanting and Drept had brought his DJ set, which was already set up earlier that morning. He was droppin' some sick beats! I signaled for him to slow it down to 2/4 measure, which he did. Throughout the chorus, he was droppin' beats like no tomorrow, and he chimed in on the chorus. We did back-to-back style, the crowd roaring.
"Tonight is the night we're gonna break this party down,
I'm steppin' in with my Freaks from the crowd!
We're gonna bring it down, then build it up!
With our Savior as DJ, we can't burn up!"
The crowd was going haywire as we moved onto the stage and the colored lights came on, covering us in an array of color. I rose my hand, quieting everyone as Drept kept spittin' out hot beats in the background as I started to speak. "Hey, peeps! Thanks for comin' out here tonight, and, here in a minute, I'll finish my song. But, first, give a round of applause to Drept, our newer member and our DJ!" The crowd exploded ad Drept waved, grinning. "A'ight! So, how many here are Jesus Freaks?" Everyone's hands shot up into the sky. "On the next two choruses, I want you guys to do this simple dance, so check it. First, you raise your hands, if they're not raised by then, when we say "Tonight is the night". Then, make yo hands into guns and point down at the ground to break this party down. Next, you point at yoself with your thumbs and then point behind you when we say "I'm steppin in with my Freaks from the crowd!" Then, make the guns again and point down, then up. We're bringin' it down and then building it up! Last, I want you to point straight up to point at Jesus. Without him, we'll be charred to pieces. So, there's the dance. I'm writin' a song right now that is based on a dance that I made, so can't wait! But, before you get bored, here we go!
"Feelin' fly like an eagle
But I'm still stayin' legal!
Loyal like a disciple
"Cause I still read the Bible!
I don't need a label
To make it on the table
The Holy Spirit makes me able
To break free from the cable!
I pointed at myself and gestured for everyone to copy. "A'ight, get ready!" Drept set the board to replay the same thing as the last chorus and joined me on the stage. We nodded at each other and continued.
"Tonight is the night we're gonna break this party down,
I'm steppin' in with my Freaks from the crowd!
We're gonna bring it down, then build it up!
With our Savior as DJ, we can't burn up!"
Drept went back to the set, setting the tempo for the bridge. Then something had covered the whole park. There was a feeling of protection and safety, and I knew it was the perfect time for the bridge.
"Tonight is the night that we're gonna break the walls down,
Then His presence will make the lost become found.
From here all the way to Puget Sound,
Then everyone, everywhere will be unbound.
All around the world, the bells will sound,
And the praises, and the parties will be loud."
The crowd was jumping, energized by the beats Drept was droppin' and the rhymes we were spittin'. Some were trying to climb the railing in front of the stage. (Thank GOD for the little blue rail. Hey, it's blue. My fave color. :-] ) Others were chanting our names. A few were actually wearing graffiti-style Wild Grinders hats! I grinned and looked over at Drept, who was smirking. He nodded, and I gave him a thumbs-up.
"Tonight is the night we're gonna break this party down,
I'm steppin' in with my Freaks from the crowd!
We're gonna bring it down, then build it up!
With our Savior as DJ, we can't burn up!"
We stood with our hands raised, letting the crowd's deafening roar shower us. I took a deep breath, feeling complete. I pulled my hand down and brought the mic to my face. "Thank you! A'ight, so I got more, but I'm not gonna perform them right now. I have some Christmas songs, but I'm just warmin' yo guys up! We have some local bands tonight, along with a few famous artists! So, give a round of applause for After Burn, the newest Christian rock band in the music biz!" The crowd cheered as three dudes and one chick stepped onto the stage. They were wearing black clothes with matching fedoras. The lead singer, a.k.a. the chick, was wearing a red zip-up vest, though. They were also wearing black, fingerless gloves. The chick, her name was Jess, took the extended mic. "Thanks, KC! What's up, guys?" The crowd roared. I nodded and waved, stepping off of the stage and heading toward Drept and Chris. "Well, I guess it was combined, after all." I smirked, high-fiving Drept. "That was so AWE to the SOME! Can't wait for tonight!" Drept and Chris both nodded. "So, where is Alex?" I asked, lookin' around. Chris looked at me longingly. "Oh, she's hangin' out with Derek. You know..." I smirked, nodding. "Boyfriend/Girlfriend crap. I get it. They're perfect together. I just wish that I had come here before I met Demon." Drept's hands curled up into fists. "Demon? You mean, THE Demon?!" I nodded. Drept growled. "After he messed around with those girls, I wanted to murder him." Wait... I wasn't the only one? WTF! "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... there was more than one?" He nodded. "Yeah, dog. There was three. All treated the same way, except the last one. It sickens me. I mean, those girls must be either dead, mentally disturbed, or seriously messed up. (Interjection: Hey, dog. I'm not screwed.... am I?) The last girl was the strongest one, I heard. She was stabbed over and over, but she still lived, amazingly. She had a Canadian accent, but I hear she lost it. She must be crippled." Fun fact: I was in the hospital for half a year... not fun. I glanced over at Chris, the question "Should I tell him?" smolderin' in my eyes. He nodded and I looked back over at Drept. "Dog, this may shock you, but... brace yourself for this..." I didn't lose my Canadian accent, I just use a different, more Morganton-street accent. I dropped my new accent and pulled my Canadian out of the bag...well, the lttle bit I had. Fun Fact 2: My mom was Canadian. "Well, I'm that girl. The third one. And, FYI, you can't lose an accent." His eyes widened, his mouth becoming the Grand Canyon. Seriously, I probably could fit my fist in that black hole. "Dang, man. How yo dealin' with the whoIe thing, dog?" I shrugged, goin' back to my newer accent. "Went to go and patch it up, but I almost had it happen again. Then, I was runnin' away, and I got shot." I pulled the short sleeve up on my right shoulder, showin' him the now healin' wound. Then I pulled it back down and held my fist up. "Fist bump?" He pounded my fist and then we all went to check out the booths. (We three teens from Morganton...lol. My dad was a HUGE fan of Wizard of Oz.) There was a crapload of booths, some clothing, some merch for the bands here, some food and drink booths, and game/toy booths. There was people of all ages, even little tykes. That was pretty cool. l walked over to the Pepsi booth and got me a Mountain Dew to sip. (I had finished my Sun Drop that morning at church.... I drink a lot when I'm nervous.) Drept and Chris was talkin', Chris tellin' Drept about me and my story. I headed over to the merch booths, seeing about thirty bands/artist booths set up. There was music ranging from rap to rock to contemporary, but, here's the kicker: They were ALL Christian. (Notice how the word ALL is in CAPS...wink, wink.) This one little fact lifted my spirits. I mean, thirty Christian bands in one spot at one time.... wow. After Burn was still rockin' the mic, while I caught a glimpse of someone running around, high-fiving people backstage. I walked up the steps while Chris came up and threw a VIP pass over my head. "Wha-" He shushed me. "Come on!" I followed him and then gasped. The dude runnin' around was KJ-52 himself! Chris shouted over the music at him as I stood there, shocked. He looked at us and jogged over, me snapping out of my daze. "Yo, KJ, what's new?" They high-fived and Chris pointed at me. "This is KC, a.k.a. Manafestfan1423." (I'm on Twitter and Myspace. Hit me up!) KJ held his hand up, and we high-fived. "I've heard about you. You're that one kid who was... you know..." I nodded, too excited to be worried. "Eh, I'm still good. Your songs helped... A lot. I mean, you've inspired me. I wrote about that in one of my own songs. Thanks for writin' about Christ. It's helped." He smiled. "KJ, can you sign my poster?" I held up my "Tweezyman" poster and a Sharpie. He smirked and signed it. "Here ya go!" I beamed. "Thanks! Hey, also, thanks for 52 Academy." Fun Fact #3: I am a proud graduate of 52 Academy. Blow the horns! "You took the course?" I nodded. "Sweet! That's cool! Can you freestyle?" I shrugged. "Still workin' on it." He thought for a minute and then snapped. "Freestyle!" I smirked.
"I got a Aston Martin,
it's better than the cart, and
I'm used to dartin'
When somebody is fartin'
I can't describe the smell,
But it does ring a bell,
It's worse than a Dell,
Oh, sorry, cause I fell
But I'm not goin' to hell,
Cause Christ is 'bout to sell,
So, I'm gonna tell,
How I was in a well,
I didn't have to yell,
Christ sent an angel!
Chris and KJ-52 was a little taken back, Chris more than KJ. "Wow, KC. Wow...." I smiled. I special... KJ cleared his throat. "What time you goin' on?" "Around eight-thirty-ish. You?" He smirked. "Eight. I'm before you." I pumped my fist. "Yes! Hey, can you perform "Daddy's Girl"? That song means a lot to me." He nodded. "Sure." Then someone called for him to help and we fist-bumped. "See ya on stage!" He said, and I gave him a thumbs-up. He ran off and I looked over at the clock. It was only 3:15, and I was anxious to get on stage. The band on now, a Christian hip-hop group named Cross, was rockin' the stage. I listened to them perform their hit song "Pierced On a Tree" before hittin' the KJ-52 merch booth, getting some blue shuttershades and a black KJ-52 hat. I put them on and headed toward the gang, seeing Alex holdin' hands with Derek. She saw me and waved, me wavin' back. Then Marianna noticed me and ran up to me, huggin' me to death. I finally broke away, Marianna lookin' like she was about to pee on herself. I smirked as she started speakin' at 50 mph. "Hey, Marianna, slow down. You're breakin' the speed limit." I pointed at the 45 mph sign for the road. She grimaced as the gang laughed. "Anyway, I'm datin' Ryan now." I took a spittake as she laughed. I punched her in the shoulder and she whimpered. Then Ryan walked up, puttin' his shoulder around Marianna's. " 'Sup?" "Sup." Then they left as a new group got onto the stage. This band was the Followers, a Christian dubstep/dance band from Tennesee, who traveled for this. I listened in to what they had to say. "Hey, peeps!" The crowd cheered in reply. "We just wanna shout-out to that last girl who was... well, you know, but she was one of our biggest inspirations. If she's here, please step forward." I stepped onstage as their mouths gaped. There was dead silence. The lead singer held the mic to his face slowly. "KC? You're...how?" I took the mic. "This may be surprising, but...it's true. Homeboy over in Winston messed with me. But...you know what? Even though he both physically and mentally scarred me, even though he's damaged this soul... I still forgive him. I'm open to him changing. I've forgiven (and I'm tryin' to forget,) what he did. I know he's still salvagable. He's still able to be saved. Jesus Himself favored the prostitutes and theives and tax collectors as much as the righteous. Bein' a Christian isn't just about believin' in God, it's about walkin' the talk. Don't just talk about forgivin' everyone, FORGIVE EVERYONE! That's what's wrong wit homeboy. He doesn't know our party's DJ, the Savior Himself! We walk our talk, and haters gonna hate. But, what happens to the haters and the critics who embrace Him? They ain't haters anymore! They're fighters! WE ARE FIGHTERS! We FIGHT through the troubles, We FIGHT against the hate, and we WIN! No matter what; fights, terrorists, loss, hate, disgrace, disease, all kinds of crap, we will fight and WE WILL WIN! We're down wit it with Christ! No one will bring us down! We will own the dance floor! So, with no further ado, the Followers!" The crowd burst out roaring like lions, and the Followers opened with "Get Up and Dance" as I went backstage, where everyone cheered as I stepped in. I raised my eyebrows in question. "Great speech! Can't wait 'til eight!" KJ said, and I smiled. "Thanks, man." He ran off and I went to my own booth, drinkin' my Mountain Dew. (How the heck did I have my own booth....oh, yeah, I'm the SURVIVOR spokesperson. Right...figures.) I had pencils, pamphlets, candy, a Christmas tree beside me, some flashlights, some ornaments, a few pairs of sunglasses, some stickers, some tattoos (the fake put-on-with-a-washcloth ones) and some toys. As soon as I sat down and flipped the sign to "Open", the crowd rushed in to get things signed, to buy, or to chat. When six rolled around, I was gone. The big acts were on. I dashed to the stage, where the last small-town band was just gettin' off. I went backstage to see who was all there. There was Family Force 5, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, B.Reith, Britt Nicole, Canton Jones, Lecrae, Third Day, Casting Crowns, George Moss, BarlowGirl, Superchick, Manafest, and tobyMac, with Diverse City. I almost fainted at the sight of my favorite fourteen Christian artists in one spot. I went on stage to stall the crowd and get them pumped for B.Reith. "Hey, peeps! Me again. Here in a minute, we're gonna start the big acts with B.Reith!" The crowd cheered. "Okay then! Who doesn't know this cat?" Not one hand moved. "Sweet!" I heard a grunt and knew he was ready. "So, give a warm North Cakkalacky welcome to B.Reith!" I headed off as B.Reith passed me, givin' me a high-five. "Thanks!" He went on as I jogged backstage. "Nice North Cakkalacky welcome." I whirled around to see George Moss standin' behind me. "Dude! It's the one and only George Moss! Wassup?" We high-fived and then headed over to his booth. "Pick out something!" "Seriously?" "Sure, man!" I chose a shirt that matched the blue/black bracelet I got on a Free Stuff Friday and I set it in my bag. "Thanks!" He smiled. "Welcome! Hey, you part of The Circle?" I nodded. (The Circle is George Moss's fan community on www.gmlifeonline.com. It's sweet!) He nodded, givin' me a thumbs-up. Then KJ came over, and I burst out singin'. "Ridin' windows up, ridin' windows up!" They looked at me, grins breakin' out on their faces. (The song is "Ridin' Windows Up" by George Moss featuring KJ-52 off of "It's Time". Great Album!) We sung together until someone called for George Moss and KJ. We high-fived and they bolted as B.Reith finished "The Comeback Kid" and was walkin' off the stage as I stepped up. "Give a cheer for B.Reith!" The crowd roared. "Okay, next is a cat that has inspired me since I moved here. Welcome Lecrae!" The crowd went wild as Lecrae himself stepped onstage. We shook hands and he took the mic. "Wassup? Thanks for the intro, KC!" I nodded as he burst into "Church Clothes" and I stepped offstage... only to get mobbed. I turned and ran backstage, where no one followed. I took a minute to eat a chocolate-covered doughnut and then went over my songlist with Drept, my DJ, of course. I had a setlist of six songs to perform, one of them were holiday. We finished setting up and headed over to Chris, who was mannin' the booth. "Scootch." I sat on the bench with him, Drept getting the stool. I heard cheerin' and looked to my right, where there was a crowd heading toward us. I ducked, rollin' under the table. I was safe and hidden by the tablecover. I peeped and saw about twenty blue million feet surroundin' the booth. (Yes, Twenty BLUE millon feet... again, welcome to North Cakkalacky, where we say 'twenty blue million' when we're estimatin' things and we deep-fry anything that fits into the deep-fryer. Ever tried Deep-Fried Kool-aid? Or how about Deep-Fried Reese's? Deep-Fried Ice Cream? Didn't think so.) They were screaming and bangin' on the table. I peeped my head and looked at Chris and Drept, who was startin' to panic. I crawled out and stood up, everyone screamin' and handin' me stuff to sign. I smirked and told them to get in line.
I had signed seventy-five things by seven-fifteen when the last person had left and I charged to the stage. I grabbed the mic. "Whassup, peeps? Enjoyin' the concert?" The crowd roared. "A'ight! Next up is one of my biggest inspirations, along with tobyMac, Lecrae, and KJ-52. This dude's a Christian skateboarder from Canada that can drop an awesome tune that gets the crowd sucked in. So, please welcome...MANAFEST!" He came jogging up on stage, high-fivin' me as the crowd burst into cheers. "Thanks, KC! What's new in the US of the A?" The crowd cheered as he burst into "4-3-2-1" I stepped off-stage and met up with KJ, Drept, and Chris. "So, KJ, intro you before you go on?" He shrugged. "It's up to you, man." I smirked. "Sweet!" Then we heard a crash backstage and bolted over there to see our DJ system destroyed and a kid in all black running away. Drept got ticked and started chasin' him as KJ and I started to clean up the damage. "Hey, man, you can use ours." I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously?" He nodded and I smiled. "Thanks! I have my beats backed up on my MP3." I pull it out to show him and slip it back into my pocket. "Why did he or she do that?" KJ asked. "Well..." I told him my story, from when the accident happened with Demon. "Wow. I didn't know 'bout that." I nodded, standin' up. "Eh, well, I think God's preparin' me for somethin', but I don't know what. He'll let me know, though." KJ stood up and smiled at me. "You're tough." I smirked. "Thanks." I slipped the broke system into the box and put on my shutter-shades while KJ checked the time on his white watch. "Seven-fifty-five. Let's go!" We headed to the stage, where Mana was performin' his last song. He stepped off as I jogged onto the stage. "Thanks, Mana! Now, here's a guy who's really hilarious, but he's mature. He's kinda like Mana, but neither fit in any category, anyway, except the Christian category, so...Ladies and gents, please welcome KJ-52!" I saw about fifty shuttershades whip out and go on peoples' faces. I stepped back as KJ stepped on stage, causing the crowd to freak out. I gave the mic to him while the DJ set up the song "It's Goin' Down" on the setlist. "What's new, guys?" The crowd roared. "If you haven't, then go ahead and put on your shuttershades while it's goin' down!" The song started and the crowd sung along with him. When the song finished, KJ cleared his throat. "So, we have a request from KC, it's the song "Daddy's Girl". She wanted me to perform it and I want to dedicate it, right now, to every girl and woman who has lost their father through a traumatic experience. KC, here, if you don't know, her dad was killed in a terrorist attack at the soccer game. Her mom made it, and shout-out to her, wherever she is right now. So, here we go..." The song kicked up and he gestured for me to join him onstage. I stepped up beside him, the music bangin' in my ears. He sung the first verse and then I sung the chorus and the second verse. We finished the song, me lowerin' my raised hand slowly. A tear trickled my cheek, and I wiped it away. "OK, now to lighten this concert. Who here knows the Bill Cosby?" Everyone with shuttershades raised their hands. I smirked and stretched while KJ taught them. "If you get lost, watch KC and George Moss to see what they're doin'." George Moss stepped out onto the stage, recievin' a warm welcome from the crowd. Then the beat dropped and I started to bob my head while KJ started to sing. When he got to the instructions, me and George Moss danced, showin' the crowd how we got down. We finished the song and then KJ played a few more songs. "Now, it's eight-thirty. Y'all know what that means...I'm out. But, there's a person almost ALL of you know here... It's KC! I'm out. Deuces!" He tossed me the mic as I stepped onto the stage, the crowd shakin' the ground with their jumping. My ears hurt when they roared. "Thanks, KJ and George Moss! Hey, what's new in North Cakkalacky? You keepin' it C-R-U-N-K in the U-S of the -A?" The crowd replied with a deafenin' roar. "Sweet! Now, shoutout to KJ, man, my mom just passed away in the apartment fire a few months ago. It's all good, though. Now, I have some songs that I've been workin' on, and my objective is to reach everyone. I know it's impossible, but if I help one person, then the purpose of these songs will be filled. It's not about the money, the awards, the sell-outs, the popularity, or even the sponsors. It's about reachin' others with the gospel in a form that will make them want to listen. Hey! We are JESUS freaks, mot MONEY freaks! Not POPULARITY freaks! Not AWARD freaks! JC is the DJ at this party! Hey, followers gonna follow, haters gonna hate...but God's love will make all hate dissipate! Right?" The crowd roared as the beat dropped. We performed the song we performed earlier to get the crowd pumped. "Now this next song is one I wrote just for fun. It's called "Dance", and I hope you like it." The beat dropped and I started bouncin' to it. "Here we go!
I gotta new dance, just listen to the song
So then, when I dance, you can just dance along!
First off, what you do is you slide to the right
Then spread your arms like an eagle in flight!
Slide to the left and pull your arms in
Drop 'em down so they hang, but you're not at the end!
Step back, then forth, repeat it again,
Left and right so you don't get pinned!
Move your arms like a robot through the next bar,
Turn left, lean back, push forward like a car,
Whirl around and do the same thing, but to the right,
Just listen to what I got to say and you'll do it right!
The crowd was tryin' to dance to the music, but they were epically failin'. I smiled and swung right into the chorus of the song.
Come on, everybody, join in with me and dance,
Come on down to the dance floor and do a little prance!
Get out of of the sidelines, come on, advance!
Get down on the floor, get down wit it and dance!
The crowd was crazy when I stepped out,
I had my road planned, but it was the wrong route!
Then He erased my pain, so now I don't doubt,
I just party on, not carin' and not hearin' them pout!
I'm tearin' up the floor with my crazy rave,
Hearin' this beat pound out with the newest crave!
I know that I'll carry this tune to the grave,
But I'm gonna stare death in the face and be brave!
This time, KJ came out and performed the dance with me as we sung the chorus. Then he stepped back as I stepped forward.
Now, there's a ton of dances in this place,
Here, I'll name a few, just in case.
There's the T-Rex, the dino dance,
Then there's the one with the little tiny prance.
Then there's the two-step, I bet you know,
Bet you didn't know the wobble, though!
Did you know the "Do the Bill Cosby",
A.K.A. the dance that's created by Five-Tweezy!
Do you know any type of dance?
If so, come on down, come on and advance!
As we finished the performance, the crowd was goin' crazy as everyone there to perform came out and sung the chorus with me. ALL FOURTEEN of them. I sang loud and proud as the crowd sang along with us. We finished in a pose with me up front with my mic held high. My head hung low, and I slowly raised it to see the crowd going ballistic. I smirked as the others high-fived me and walked off-stage while I stayed on. "Thanks, you guys! Now, the next song that I perform is the holiday freestyle, so get ready for Christmas!" The lights dimmed as the neon red and green lights were warming up. They weren't fully on until I started to sing.
"Hey guys, it's KC again,
Here to celebrate the Christmas season!
Now that Halloween has to an end,
And our faces stuffed from Bambi and all of his friends,
We all get together and drink egg nog,
And we sit around and sing some Christmas songs!
After I finished the song, I shot the peace sign to the crowd. "Well, time's out, so I'll be at my booth. But, the next rock group will set it off, so here's Thousand Foot Krutch! Peace out, peeps!" I stepped off as they stepped on, high-fivin' each other. I walked over to the gang where Alex was talking with Marianna, who was startin' to piss her off. "Dude, I told you already, you need to shut the heck up!" Marianna stuck her tounge out at Alex, who shot her infamous death stare back at her. (Seriously, that stare could make MARIANNA shut up. Call Guiness World Records, we got a winner!) I walked over to them while Marianna sulked away, runnin' away to Ryan. Little wimp. Alex saw me comin' and grinned. "Sup, bro?" "Sup, man?" We high-fived. "Hey, remember what went down in health?" I chuckled as she grinned like a freakin' possum. "She even showed pictures. Ugh." We both laughed, getting a few what-the-heck-are-they-laughin'-at looks from the crowd. Oh, yeah, we went to health, math, and reading together. Sorry, Alex. Heh-heh...whoops. "Hey, what's new with you and Derek?" Alex smirked. "It's steady. We're gonna be careful, though. I don't want to lose him, and vice versa. I'm not sure you'd understand. But, at least you listen." I smirked, my fist clenching in my pocket. She didn't know me as well as I thought. Wow. "I understand, dude." You see, this is a side of Alex only Derek and I see. She really trusts me. She smiled as Derek came over. "Sup, Hawk?" That was the gang nickname for him. We got it from Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. Rob gets a hawk to stop the pigeons from crappin' all over his car. Hawk's name: Derek. Get it? "Sup, dog?" We pounded fists and Alex hugged Derek. "Hey, babe." Derek said nonchalantly. "Hey!" They hugged for a minute before I deliberately cleared my throat. "Sorry, KC. I'll holler at ya later! Peace!" "A'ight. Deuces!" She left and I sat down at my booth, traffic slowed down. Chris saw me and walked over, leaning on the side of the booth. "Wanna walk with me?" I shrugged. "Sure." I told Alex to stand guard, and she sat down, Derek followin' her like a lovesick puppy. (Need a bodyguard? She's also known as Killer, our personal bouncer. She has a mean accuracy when it comes to someone's head and that board. Board's name: Old Faithful. Mortal enemy: My mom.) I walked to the park, which was across the street, and walked on the gravel paths cut into the ground. Chris walked beside me, looking up at the moon, surrounded by stars. I looked up with him, reminded how awesome God is and how beautiful His creations are. I looked behind me at the skate spot, realizin' that I was so wrapped up in life, I wasn't payin' attention to the things that matter. I looked over to Chris, who was looking at me, his electric eyes sparkling. His breathing had slowed down, I could tell. I smiled and he smiled back. He held his hand out and I took it, leading him to the center of the park, where a bench and a glorious fountain sat alone, isolated by the trees. We sat down, the bench chilly against my sheltered leg. I sat forward, my hands clasped together. The breeze flowed over us, making me shudder a bit. I looked over at Chris, who was staring at me, worried. "Everythin' okay?" I smirked. "Other than the fact that I'm a teen that has to watch over a whole town and stand up to the metropolis that is Winston-Salem, and the fact that I am so freakin' sick of havin' to run, I'm great!" His puzzled look made me smirk. "How are we supposed to fight fifteen different gangs in less than a week? Battle's Monday." He smiled. "They're made out of tougher material than you think, girl. I mean, even the dogs can tear up an enemy. And, our gang has been through a ton of crap. We feel what you feel." "Only what you see. You guys, you don't know the feelin' of bein' , well, raped. And, also, how it feels to be shot. So, yeah. When you have, then we'll talk." I said this with a smirk so he wouldn't take it the wrong way. He smirked and then cleared his throat. "Well, we better live it up 'til then. I gotta Q... will you go to prom with me?" He said this with a scared tone, and I smiled. "Yeah, why not." He hugged me for a minute, and I hugged him back. Then we walked back to the skate spot, where the party was.
I woke up the next morning at eight o'clock, feeling refreshed. I sat up, soaking up all of the Wednesday sun's rays. Today was a different day, and I was finally goin' back to my old church, cause there was no school and I was bored. Ever since my dad had died, I haven't even stepped foot in the place, so I'm going back. I smiled, getting up and turning on my stereo, blasting Group 1 Crew's song "His Kind of Love (Capital Kings Remix)", heading toward the closet. I love my church.
You see, my church doesn't care what you wear. It's a hey-you-showed-up-so-let's-get-the-party-started type of church. We don't get up at six in the mornin'. Performances start at ten, then the preacher/speaker talks, then lunch; more performances, then we're done. Thursday nights, though, it's a mega-party. That's where everyone has fun, there's food, music, games, dancing, and then there's a fifteen minute speech, then more party. Lasts until three in the morning. I loved goin' before, and it was fun.
I rolled up to the church, my sky-blue "I Found Mr. Right" shirt rippling in the wind. I stuck my skateboard into my old locker, stickin' my new shiny silver lock on it. I whirled around, walking into the church and seeing seven people doin' the sound check. "Hey guys!" I waved, and they looked up, smiling and waving. "What's new, stranger?" G-Man called out, his DC hoodie strings interfering with the wires. He was fifteen, with brown spiky hair and blue eyes. He had cargo shorts on and black Converse shoes. I smirked. "Ha-ha. You know how hard it's been on me, dog!" Tiny looked up and smiled, her blue eyes clashing with her bright red wavy hair. She was eighteen and wearing a red tank-top with red basketball shorts. (Told ya, wear whatever you want, we don't judge.) Her German Sheperd playfully followed Tiger, runnin' outside. I smirked. Lilly came runnin' up to me, givin' me a hug. I taught the now fourteen-year-old how to skateboard when she was six. She has purple hair and brown eyes, and she was wearing blue jean shorts with blue flip-flops and a-you guessed it- blue tank-top. (Who wears flip-flops in winter?) Her bunny, Bun-Bun, was sitting on a table beside Hasona, G-Man's parrot. Kacey was sitting at the table, her blonde hair covering her blue eyes. She was texting her friend Alex, probably. She's seventeen, and was wearing a Hello Kitty tank with white skinnys with Hello Kitty vans. She had a Hello Kitty phone cover, with Hello Kitty as her background on her Android. (Did I mention she's seventeen and still likes Hello Kitty?) T-Booty had the same hair and eye color as Kacey, but she was sixteen and she didn't like Hello Kitty. She has a pet cat named Fluff. Don't ask why. She was wearing a white tank with blue jeans covering her blue and white Nikes. Destiny and Katie, or Bug were chatting when I walked in. Destiny was sixteen, with brown hair and eyes. She was wearing a lime green tank under a TAPOUT tee that was tied up with a green hairbow. Her lime-green and black Nikes were covered by her blue jeans. Bug was seventeen, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her black pants clashed with her bright pink tank. She was Tater's cousin. Then the preacher, Mike, who was twenty-two, walked in. His blue jeans hid under his Romans 1:16 T-Shirt, which stood out. "Hey, Mike, what's up?" We high-fived. "Nothing much, Case. Ready to speak in two hours?" I nodded, holding up my old composition book. "Found it last night. I guess God wanted me to do this sermon!" We chuckled and I showed him the sermon. "Yes. That one is perfect. Just perfect. Thursday, though, you better come. We got a surprise for ya." "Now you're scarin' me, man. The way you smiled and you said it... you are REALLY scarin' me." We both laughed, and the others were smirking. Then we started talking about the Christmas play. I took the next hour learning my lines. I was a narrator, but the narrator in this play was an angel. I get to dress up. Yay! I got measured for the costume while spoutin' out my lines, puttin' them into memory. Meanwhile, the church was filling up and I was waiting in the right wing of the stage. Then Mike stepped out on the stage, and the church roared to life. I smirked and listened in to what Mike was saying. "Okay, quiet down, guys. Today, we have a guest speaker. Some of you know her, but she hasn't been here for a while. She's been going through some tough times lately, but she's the best speaker in this town. She writes her speeches from both personal experience and problems around her. But, she also throws in this-I don't know what to call it- this type of humor and edge that gives it this teen view, but it also sounds like an adult wrote it. She didn't deserve the things that have happened to her over the years, but she's fearless, 'cause she's got God. I swear, he uses her to speak through. And if I'm swearin', then it's gotta be good. Anyway, before you fall asleep, please welcome...KC!" The church roared again as I stepped onto the stage, causing them to get louder. I raised my hand, quieting the room. "Thanks! You guys are awesome. I know some of you from years ago, when I first walked through those doors. My father was never sober. He even cut me with a knife. Then we started to come to church here. After my dad had died, I couldn't even stand to walk through those doors. Then my mom had died, and I almost lost it. Then my man Mike gave me a shout on the phone and he's like: "Hey, Case, can you come speak to the church? Really need ya to." So, I'm here. I know what's it like to lose things. I've lost my parents, my home, I have even lost my innocence. But, then a Bible verse popped into my head. I forgot the whole verse, but it talks about how He won't give you more than you can bear. You may bend, but you won't break. I wake up, every morning, and look at it as "Hey, if I messed up yesterday, then today is the day to fix it. TODAY is a new day. TODAY is the day to start over. TODAY is God's second chance. Someone do you wrong yesterday, then let it blow over today and give them another chance. When you hold a grudge, you're lettin' people rent head space in your mind. Don't hold grudges. I've held a grudge on someone for the past six years, and I had just went to see what's up. I can tell he still has a grudge. I could tell by his bullet gnawin' through my shoulder. Is my shoulder really that tasty? Still, I forgave him for that. Even though the scar will be there, I will heal. Eventually. I have something that everyone needs to hear. I ain't no preacher, but just hear me out. You see, it's not our words. Our words aren't gonna be what stops people in their tracks. Our words will not change the world. They've heard it all. It not normally our music. Normally we make our music for us, to sharpen each other, edify the body, glorify our God. Yeah, once in a while one crosses over like I did, but it's not typically the music that's gonna stop the world in their tracks. Our music's not gonna change the world, more than likely. It isn't the buildings, as grand and beautiful as some of our church buildings are, it's not the architecture that's gonna change the world. But I believe what will change the world... is when we begin to love each other. And when we begin to love the world, and when we begin to reach out to the orphans and the widows, the lower-income families in our communities. When the world sees that kind of love, I'm talkin' about undeniable love, I believe they'll stop in their tracks and say "Yo! Whatever you people have over there, I want some of that man, I want some of that there for me!" When our houses are packed so full of love that we have to open the back door to let it ooze out into the valleys and the suburbs and the city streets. When the world sees that kind of love-Real love- they're gonna stop in their tracks, man. They're gonna say "Whatever, homie, homie! Yo! Yo, homie! Whatever you have over there, you Jesus Freaks! I want some of that, man! I want some of that Jesus fo me, man, if it's doin' all of that! I mean, dang! Ok, so I'm goin' to close off with a tobyMac song." The band gets on stage and I give them the sheet. "First, let's pray." Everyone bowed their heads. "Father God, I pray for Morganton today. I pray for everyone that's here in this church. I pray that you will refresh them, that you would renew them, that you would revive them. That they would leave this church in passion and pursuit of You, Father. Take that passion to their work, their school, the city streets of Morganton. Let the news of Your love, Your grace, your AWESOMENESS spread to those who need it. In Jesus's name we pray, Amen. Now, if you are a Jesus Freak, I want you to hold your hand up, and pump it while you say "Ho, Ho, Ho-oo!" Everyone copied. We done it abot six times while I continued. "This is the sound of the Jesus Freaks! DO WE HAVE ANY JESUS FREAKS IN MORGANTON? Where my freaks at?" Everyone joined in with the DJ while he sung the first part of the chorus, then I came in. We partied until noon, when we finished and I bolted to the skate park, my pen gripping my shirt for dear life.
I swerved into the skate spot, the place crowded. There was music blaring out of the boombox in the corner, some food stands, and there was a freakin' stage. A FREAKIN' STAGE! Why the HECK is there a freakin' STAGE at the skate spot, along with all of the food and stuff? Then I took a look at the stuff and listened to the music. It was a Christmas party/festival/get-together thing. The music was the WOW Christian Christmas CDs we had from years ago. We're still listenin' to this? We have "Christmas in Diverse City", ya know? I walked over to the boombox, switchin' CDs and started blaring out "Christmas This Year" by tobyMac. Then I headed over to where Drept was paintin' "Wild Grinders!" on one of the ramps with his new graffiti kit. It looked EPIC! I accidentally startled him, causing him to jump and whirl around. " 'Sup?" He asked nonchalantly. I smirked. "Nothin' much. Cool graffiti, man!" He turned back to the painting, adding a few touches. "Thanks! I thought, since it was yo gang's spot, it should have yo name on it." I nodded in agreement. "Can't wait for it to dry, dog!" I noticed his board again, getting a better look at it. "Dude, why dont'cha get a new board? I mean, that one could break." He shrugged. "Don't want a new one. I love the kit, though. Pretty dope!" I smirked. "It's cool you like it. I saw the graffiti downtown a few years back and I've been wantin' to meet you." He smiled. "Cool. You performin' on the stage?" I shrugged. "Maybe. I've been writin' a new song, so... I might try it out." He nodded. "Cool, dog. Heard you singin' at the church and I was just curious." My eyes popped out of my head. "What? You were there? Wow..." He nodded again. Hey, don't judge me, dog. There was a lot of people there. A LOT. Chris skated over to us. "Hey, Case! Wassup, Drept?" We high-fived him and watched him look down at the graffiti. "Cool, dog! Hey, are you guys gonna perform on the stage tonight?" I shrugged and looked over at Drept, who was noddin' his head. Chris snorted, smirking. I grunted, givin' Chris a "Na dip, tater chip" look, which he disregarded and gestured to me. "Yea, KC here writes songs. She's almost wrote her fourth song!" I glared at him. "Dude! Not cool! Yo know NO ONE other than us knows about that! And, plus, I have seven finished songs." He smirked, and Drept had his eyebrows raised. "Really? Let's hear one." My face pale, but a crowd had gathered, and they were chanting "KC! KC!", pumpin' their fists. "FINE! Fine! I'll drop one. Here we go...
I'll find strength in the weak,
On any day of the week!
I don't care what people think,
I'm a seekin' Jesus Freak!
Even if I fail,
And then I have to bail,
I'm gonna hold back the hail,
And keep my mind on the rail,
Of leadership and faith,
And keepin' them awake.
In Christ I put my faith,
'Cause He's not a fake!"
By now there was chanting and Drept had brought his DJ set, which was already set up earlier that morning. He was droppin' some sick beats! I signaled for him to slow it down to 2/4 measure, which he did. Throughout the chorus, he was droppin' beats like no tomorrow, and he chimed in on the chorus. We did back-to-back style, the crowd roaring.
"Tonight is the night we're gonna break this party down,
I'm steppin' in with my Freaks from the crowd!
We're gonna bring it down, then build it up!
With our Savior as DJ, we can't burn up!"
The crowd was going haywire as we moved onto the stage and the colored lights came on, covering us in an array of color. I rose my hand, quieting everyone as Drept kept spittin' out hot beats in the background as I started to speak. "Hey, peeps! Thanks for comin' out here tonight, and, here in a minute, I'll finish my song. But, first, give a round of applause to Drept, our newer member and our DJ!" The crowd exploded ad Drept waved, grinning. "A'ight! So, how many here are Jesus Freaks?" Everyone's hands shot up into the sky. "On the next two choruses, I want you guys to do this simple dance, so check it. First, you raise your hands, if they're not raised by then, when we say "Tonight is the night". Then, make yo hands into guns and point down at the ground to break this party down. Next, you point at yoself with your thumbs and then point behind you when we say "I'm steppin in with my Freaks from the crowd!" Then, make the guns again and point down, then up. We're bringin' it down and then building it up! Last, I want you to point straight up to point at Jesus. Without him, we'll be charred to pieces. So, there's the dance. I'm writin' a song right now that is based on a dance that I made, so can't wait! But, before you get bored, here we go!
"Feelin' fly like an eagle
But I'm still stayin' legal!
Loyal like a disciple
"Cause I still read the Bible!
I don't need a label
To make it on the table
The Holy Spirit makes me able
To break free from the cable!
I pointed at myself and gestured for everyone to copy. "A'ight, get ready!" Drept set the board to replay the same thing as the last chorus and joined me on the stage. We nodded at each other and continued.
"Tonight is the night we're gonna break this party down,
I'm steppin' in with my Freaks from the crowd!
We're gonna bring it down, then build it up!
With our Savior as DJ, we can't burn up!"
Drept went back to the set, setting the tempo for the bridge. Then something had covered the whole park. There was a feeling of protection and safety, and I knew it was the perfect time for the bridge.
"Tonight is the night that we're gonna break the walls down,
Then His presence will make the lost become found.
From here all the way to Puget Sound,
Then everyone, everywhere will be unbound.
All around the world, the bells will sound,
And the praises, and the parties will be loud."
The crowd was jumping, energized by the beats Drept was droppin' and the rhymes we were spittin'. Some were trying to climb the railing in front of the stage. (Thank GOD for the little blue rail. Hey, it's blue. My fave color. :-] ) Others were chanting our names. A few were actually wearing graffiti-style Wild Grinders hats! I grinned and looked over at Drept, who was smirking. He nodded, and I gave him a thumbs-up.
"Tonight is the night we're gonna break this party down,
I'm steppin' in with my Freaks from the crowd!
We're gonna bring it down, then build it up!
With our Savior as DJ, we can't burn up!"
We stood with our hands raised, letting the crowd's deafening roar shower us. I took a deep breath, feeling complete. I pulled my hand down and brought the mic to my face. "Thank you! A'ight, so I got more, but I'm not gonna perform them right now. I have some Christmas songs, but I'm just warmin' yo guys up! We have some local bands tonight, along with a few famous artists! So, give a round of applause for After Burn, the newest Christian rock band in the music biz!" The crowd cheered as three dudes and one chick stepped onto the stage. They were wearing black clothes with matching fedoras. The lead singer, a.k.a. the chick, was wearing a red zip-up vest, though. They were also wearing black, fingerless gloves. The chick, her name was Jess, took the extended mic. "Thanks, KC! What's up, guys?" The crowd roared. I nodded and waved, stepping off of the stage and heading toward Drept and Chris. "Well, I guess it was combined, after all." I smirked, high-fiving Drept. "That was so AWE to the SOME! Can't wait for tonight!" Drept and Chris both nodded. "So, where is Alex?" I asked, lookin' around. Chris looked at me longingly. "Oh, she's hangin' out with Derek. You know..." I smirked, nodding. "Boyfriend/Girlfriend crap. I get it. They're perfect together. I just wish that I had come here before I met Demon." Drept's hands curled up into fists. "Demon? You mean, THE Demon?!" I nodded. Drept growled. "After he messed around with those girls, I wanted to murder him." Wait... I wasn't the only one? WTF! "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... there was more than one?" He nodded. "Yeah, dog. There was three. All treated the same way, except the last one. It sickens me. I mean, those girls must be either dead, mentally disturbed, or seriously messed up. (Interjection: Hey, dog. I'm not screwed.... am I?) The last girl was the strongest one, I heard. She was stabbed over and over, but she still lived, amazingly. She had a Canadian accent, but I hear she lost it. She must be crippled." Fun fact: I was in the hospital for half a year... not fun. I glanced over at Chris, the question "Should I tell him?" smolderin' in my eyes. He nodded and I looked back over at Drept. "Dog, this may shock you, but... brace yourself for this..." I didn't lose my Canadian accent, I just use a different, more Morganton-street accent. I dropped my new accent and pulled my Canadian out of the bag...well, the lttle bit I had. Fun Fact 2: My mom was Canadian. "Well, I'm that girl. The third one. And, FYI, you can't lose an accent." His eyes widened, his mouth becoming the Grand Canyon. Seriously, I probably could fit my fist in that black hole. "Dang, man. How yo dealin' with the whoIe thing, dog?" I shrugged, goin' back to my newer accent. "Went to go and patch it up, but I almost had it happen again. Then, I was runnin' away, and I got shot." I pulled the short sleeve up on my right shoulder, showin' him the now healin' wound. Then I pulled it back down and held my fist up. "Fist bump?" He pounded my fist and then we all went to check out the booths. (We three teens from Morganton...lol. My dad was a HUGE fan of Wizard of Oz.) There was a crapload of booths, some clothing, some merch for the bands here, some food and drink booths, and game/toy booths. There was people of all ages, even little tykes. That was pretty cool. l walked over to the Pepsi booth and got me a Mountain Dew to sip. (I had finished my Sun Drop that morning at church.... I drink a lot when I'm nervous.) Drept and Chris was talkin', Chris tellin' Drept about me and my story. I headed over to the merch booths, seeing about thirty bands/artist booths set up. There was music ranging from rap to rock to contemporary, but, here's the kicker: They were ALL Christian. (Notice how the word ALL is in CAPS...wink, wink.) This one little fact lifted my spirits. I mean, thirty Christian bands in one spot at one time.... wow. After Burn was still rockin' the mic, while I caught a glimpse of someone running around, high-fiving people backstage. I walked up the steps while Chris came up and threw a VIP pass over my head. "Wha-" He shushed me. "Come on!" I followed him and then gasped. The dude runnin' around was KJ-52 himself! Chris shouted over the music at him as I stood there, shocked. He looked at us and jogged over, me snapping out of my daze. "Yo, KJ, what's new?" They high-fived and Chris pointed at me. "This is KC, a.k.a. Manafestfan1423." (I'm on Twitter and Myspace. Hit me up!) KJ held his hand up, and we high-fived. "I've heard about you. You're that one kid who was... you know..." I nodded, too excited to be worried. "Eh, I'm still good. Your songs helped... A lot. I mean, you've inspired me. I wrote about that in one of my own songs. Thanks for writin' about Christ. It's helped." He smiled. "KJ, can you sign my poster?" I held up my "Tweezyman" poster and a Sharpie. He smirked and signed it. "Here ya go!" I beamed. "Thanks! Hey, also, thanks for 52 Academy." Fun Fact #3: I am a proud graduate of 52 Academy. Blow the horns! "You took the course?" I nodded. "Sweet! That's cool! Can you freestyle?" I shrugged. "Still workin' on it." He thought for a minute and then snapped. "Freestyle!" I smirked.
"I got a Aston Martin,
it's better than the cart, and
I'm used to dartin'
When somebody is fartin'
I can't describe the smell,
But it does ring a bell,
It's worse than a Dell,
Oh, sorry, cause I fell
But I'm not goin' to hell,
Cause Christ is 'bout to sell,
So, I'm gonna tell,
How I was in a well,
I didn't have to yell,
Christ sent an angel!
Chris and KJ-52 was a little taken back, Chris more than KJ. "Wow, KC. Wow...." I smiled. I special... KJ cleared his throat. "What time you goin' on?" "Around eight-thirty-ish. You?" He smirked. "Eight. I'm before you." I pumped my fist. "Yes! Hey, can you perform "Daddy's Girl"? That song means a lot to me." He nodded. "Sure." Then someone called for him to help and we fist-bumped. "See ya on stage!" He said, and I gave him a thumbs-up. He ran off and I looked over at the clock. It was only 3:15, and I was anxious to get on stage. The band on now, a Christian hip-hop group named Cross, was rockin' the stage. I listened to them perform their hit song "Pierced On a Tree" before hittin' the KJ-52 merch booth, getting some blue shuttershades and a black KJ-52 hat. I put them on and headed toward the gang, seeing Alex holdin' hands with Derek. She saw me and waved, me wavin' back. Then Marianna noticed me and ran up to me, huggin' me to death. I finally broke away, Marianna lookin' like she was about to pee on herself. I smirked as she started speakin' at 50 mph. "Hey, Marianna, slow down. You're breakin' the speed limit." I pointed at the 45 mph sign for the road. She grimaced as the gang laughed. "Anyway, I'm datin' Ryan now." I took a spittake as she laughed. I punched her in the shoulder and she whimpered. Then Ryan walked up, puttin' his shoulder around Marianna's. " 'Sup?" "Sup." Then they left as a new group got onto the stage. This band was the Followers, a Christian dubstep/dance band from Tennesee, who traveled for this. I listened in to what they had to say. "Hey, peeps!" The crowd cheered in reply. "We just wanna shout-out to that last girl who was... well, you know, but she was one of our biggest inspirations. If she's here, please step forward." I stepped onstage as their mouths gaped. There was dead silence. The lead singer held the mic to his face slowly. "KC? You're...how?" I took the mic. "This may be surprising, but...it's true. Homeboy over in Winston messed with me. But...you know what? Even though he both physically and mentally scarred me, even though he's damaged this soul... I still forgive him. I'm open to him changing. I've forgiven (and I'm tryin' to forget,) what he did. I know he's still salvagable. He's still able to be saved. Jesus Himself favored the prostitutes and theives and tax collectors as much as the righteous. Bein' a Christian isn't just about believin' in God, it's about walkin' the talk. Don't just talk about forgivin' everyone, FORGIVE EVERYONE! That's what's wrong wit homeboy. He doesn't know our party's DJ, the Savior Himself! We walk our talk, and haters gonna hate. But, what happens to the haters and the critics who embrace Him? They ain't haters anymore! They're fighters! WE ARE FIGHTERS! We FIGHT through the troubles, We FIGHT against the hate, and we WIN! No matter what; fights, terrorists, loss, hate, disgrace, disease, all kinds of crap, we will fight and WE WILL WIN! We're down wit it with Christ! No one will bring us down! We will own the dance floor! So, with no further ado, the Followers!" The crowd burst out roaring like lions, and the Followers opened with "Get Up and Dance" as I went backstage, where everyone cheered as I stepped in. I raised my eyebrows in question. "Great speech! Can't wait 'til eight!" KJ said, and I smiled. "Thanks, man." He ran off and I went to my own booth, drinkin' my Mountain Dew. (How the heck did I have my own booth....oh, yeah, I'm the SURVIVOR spokesperson. Right...figures.) I had pencils, pamphlets, candy, a Christmas tree beside me, some flashlights, some ornaments, a few pairs of sunglasses, some stickers, some tattoos (the fake put-on-with-a-washcloth ones) and some toys. As soon as I sat down and flipped the sign to "Open", the crowd rushed in to get things signed, to buy, or to chat. When six rolled around, I was gone. The big acts were on. I dashed to the stage, where the last small-town band was just gettin' off. I went backstage to see who was all there. There was Family Force 5, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, B.Reith, Britt Nicole, Canton Jones, Lecrae, Third Day, Casting Crowns, George Moss, BarlowGirl, Superchick, Manafest, and tobyMac, with Diverse City. I almost fainted at the sight of my favorite fourteen Christian artists in one spot. I went on stage to stall the crowd and get them pumped for B.Reith. "Hey, peeps! Me again. Here in a minute, we're gonna start the big acts with B.Reith!" The crowd cheered. "Okay then! Who doesn't know this cat?" Not one hand moved. "Sweet!" I heard a grunt and knew he was ready. "So, give a warm North Cakkalacky welcome to B.Reith!" I headed off as B.Reith passed me, givin' me a high-five. "Thanks!" He went on as I jogged backstage. "Nice North Cakkalacky welcome." I whirled around to see George Moss standin' behind me. "Dude! It's the one and only George Moss! Wassup?" We high-fived and then headed over to his booth. "Pick out something!" "Seriously?" "Sure, man!" I chose a shirt that matched the blue/black bracelet I got on a Free Stuff Friday and I set it in my bag. "Thanks!" He smiled. "Welcome! Hey, you part of The Circle?" I nodded. (The Circle is George Moss's fan community on www.gmlifeonline.com. It's sweet!) He nodded, givin' me a thumbs-up. Then KJ came over, and I burst out singin'. "Ridin' windows up, ridin' windows up!" They looked at me, grins breakin' out on their faces. (The song is "Ridin' Windows Up" by George Moss featuring KJ-52 off of "It's Time". Great Album!) We sung together until someone called for George Moss and KJ. We high-fived and they bolted as B.Reith finished "The Comeback Kid" and was walkin' off the stage as I stepped up. "Give a cheer for B.Reith!" The crowd roared. "Okay, next is a cat that has inspired me since I moved here. Welcome Lecrae!" The crowd went wild as Lecrae himself stepped onstage. We shook hands and he took the mic. "Wassup? Thanks for the intro, KC!" I nodded as he burst into "Church Clothes" and I stepped offstage... only to get mobbed. I turned and ran backstage, where no one followed. I took a minute to eat a chocolate-covered doughnut and then went over my songlist with Drept, my DJ, of course. I had a setlist of six songs to perform, one of them were holiday. We finished setting up and headed over to Chris, who was mannin' the booth. "Scootch." I sat on the bench with him, Drept getting the stool. I heard cheerin' and looked to my right, where there was a crowd heading toward us. I ducked, rollin' under the table. I was safe and hidden by the tablecover. I peeped and saw about twenty blue million feet surroundin' the booth. (Yes, Twenty BLUE millon feet... again, welcome to North Cakkalacky, where we say 'twenty blue million' when we're estimatin' things and we deep-fry anything that fits into the deep-fryer. Ever tried Deep-Fried Kool-aid? Or how about Deep-Fried Reese's? Deep-Fried Ice Cream? Didn't think so.) They were screaming and bangin' on the table. I peeped my head and looked at Chris and Drept, who was startin' to panic. I crawled out and stood up, everyone screamin' and handin' me stuff to sign. I smirked and told them to get in line.
I had signed seventy-five things by seven-fifteen when the last person had left and I charged to the stage. I grabbed the mic. "Whassup, peeps? Enjoyin' the concert?" The crowd roared. "A'ight! Next up is one of my biggest inspirations, along with tobyMac, Lecrae, and KJ-52. This dude's a Christian skateboarder from Canada that can drop an awesome tune that gets the crowd sucked in. So, please welcome...MANAFEST!" He came jogging up on stage, high-fivin' me as the crowd burst into cheers. "Thanks, KC! What's new in the US of the A?" The crowd cheered as he burst into "4-3-2-1" I stepped off-stage and met up with KJ, Drept, and Chris. "So, KJ, intro you before you go on?" He shrugged. "It's up to you, man." I smirked. "Sweet!" Then we heard a crash backstage and bolted over there to see our DJ system destroyed and a kid in all black running away. Drept got ticked and started chasin' him as KJ and I started to clean up the damage. "Hey, man, you can use ours." I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously?" He nodded and I smiled. "Thanks! I have my beats backed up on my MP3." I pull it out to show him and slip it back into my pocket. "Why did he or she do that?" KJ asked. "Well..." I told him my story, from when the accident happened with Demon. "Wow. I didn't know 'bout that." I nodded, standin' up. "Eh, well, I think God's preparin' me for somethin', but I don't know what. He'll let me know, though." KJ stood up and smiled at me. "You're tough." I smirked. "Thanks." I slipped the broke system into the box and put on my shutter-shades while KJ checked the time on his white watch. "Seven-fifty-five. Let's go!" We headed to the stage, where Mana was performin' his last song. He stepped off as I jogged onto the stage. "Thanks, Mana! Now, here's a guy who's really hilarious, but he's mature. He's kinda like Mana, but neither fit in any category, anyway, except the Christian category, so...Ladies and gents, please welcome KJ-52!" I saw about fifty shuttershades whip out and go on peoples' faces. I stepped back as KJ stepped on stage, causing the crowd to freak out. I gave the mic to him while the DJ set up the song "It's Goin' Down" on the setlist. "What's new, guys?" The crowd roared. "If you haven't, then go ahead and put on your shuttershades while it's goin' down!" The song started and the crowd sung along with him. When the song finished, KJ cleared his throat. "So, we have a request from KC, it's the song "Daddy's Girl". She wanted me to perform it and I want to dedicate it, right now, to every girl and woman who has lost their father through a traumatic experience. KC, here, if you don't know, her dad was killed in a terrorist attack at the soccer game. Her mom made it, and shout-out to her, wherever she is right now. So, here we go..." The song kicked up and he gestured for me to join him onstage. I stepped up beside him, the music bangin' in my ears. He sung the first verse and then I sung the chorus and the second verse. We finished the song, me lowerin' my raised hand slowly. A tear trickled my cheek, and I wiped it away. "OK, now to lighten this concert. Who here knows the Bill Cosby?" Everyone with shuttershades raised their hands. I smirked and stretched while KJ taught them. "If you get lost, watch KC and George Moss to see what they're doin'." George Moss stepped out onto the stage, recievin' a warm welcome from the crowd. Then the beat dropped and I started to bob my head while KJ started to sing. When he got to the instructions, me and George Moss danced, showin' the crowd how we got down. We finished the song and then KJ played a few more songs. "Now, it's eight-thirty. Y'all know what that means...I'm out. But, there's a person almost ALL of you know here... It's KC! I'm out. Deuces!" He tossed me the mic as I stepped onto the stage, the crowd shakin' the ground with their jumping. My ears hurt when they roared. "Thanks, KJ and George Moss! Hey, what's new in North Cakkalacky? You keepin' it C-R-U-N-K in the U-S of the -A?" The crowd replied with a deafenin' roar. "Sweet! Now, shoutout to KJ, man, my mom just passed away in the apartment fire a few months ago. It's all good, though. Now, I have some songs that I've been workin' on, and my objective is to reach everyone. I know it's impossible, but if I help one person, then the purpose of these songs will be filled. It's not about the money, the awards, the sell-outs, the popularity, or even the sponsors. It's about reachin' others with the gospel in a form that will make them want to listen. Hey! We are JESUS freaks, mot MONEY freaks! Not POPULARITY freaks! Not AWARD freaks! JC is the DJ at this party! Hey, followers gonna follow, haters gonna hate...but God's love will make all hate dissipate! Right?" The crowd roared as the beat dropped. We performed the song we performed earlier to get the crowd pumped. "Now this next song is one I wrote just for fun. It's called "Dance", and I hope you like it." The beat dropped and I started bouncin' to it. "Here we go!
I gotta new dance, just listen to the song
So then, when I dance, you can just dance along!
First off, what you do is you slide to the right
Then spread your arms like an eagle in flight!
Slide to the left and pull your arms in
Drop 'em down so they hang, but you're not at the end!
Step back, then forth, repeat it again,
Left and right so you don't get pinned!
Move your arms like a robot through the next bar,
Turn left, lean back, push forward like a car,
Whirl around and do the same thing, but to the right,
Just listen to what I got to say and you'll do it right!
The crowd was tryin' to dance to the music, but they were epically failin'. I smiled and swung right into the chorus of the song.
Come on, everybody, join in with me and dance,
Come on down to the dance floor and do a little prance!
Get out of of the sidelines, come on, advance!
Get down on the floor, get down wit it and dance!
The crowd was crazy when I stepped out,
I had my road planned, but it was the wrong route!
Then He erased my pain, so now I don't doubt,
I just party on, not carin' and not hearin' them pout!
I'm tearin' up the floor with my crazy rave,
Hearin' this beat pound out with the newest crave!
I know that I'll carry this tune to the grave,
But I'm gonna stare death in the face and be brave!
This time, KJ came out and performed the dance with me as we sung the chorus. Then he stepped back as I stepped forward.
Now, there's a ton of dances in this place,
Here, I'll name a few, just in case.
There's the T-Rex, the dino dance,
Then there's the one with the little tiny prance.
Then there's the two-step, I bet you know,
Bet you didn't know the wobble, though!
Did you know the "Do the Bill Cosby",
A.K.A. the dance that's created by Five-Tweezy!
Do you know any type of dance?
If so, come on down, come on and advance!
As we finished the performance, the crowd was goin' crazy as everyone there to perform came out and sung the chorus with me. ALL FOURTEEN of them. I sang loud and proud as the crowd sang along with us. We finished in a pose with me up front with my mic held high. My head hung low, and I slowly raised it to see the crowd going ballistic. I smirked as the others high-fived me and walked off-stage while I stayed on. "Thanks, you guys! Now, the next song that I perform is the holiday freestyle, so get ready for Christmas!" The lights dimmed as the neon red and green lights were warming up. They weren't fully on until I started to sing.
"Hey guys, it's KC again,
Here to celebrate the Christmas season!
Now that Halloween has to an end,
And our faces stuffed from Bambi and all of his friends,
We all get together and drink egg nog,
And we sit around and sing some Christmas songs!
After I finished the song, I shot the peace sign to the crowd. "Well, time's out, so I'll be at my booth. But, the next rock group will set it off, so here's Thousand Foot Krutch! Peace out, peeps!" I stepped off as they stepped on, high-fivin' each other. I walked over to the gang where Alex was talking with Marianna, who was startin' to piss her off. "Dude, I told you already, you need to shut the heck up!" Marianna stuck her tounge out at Alex, who shot her infamous death stare back at her. (Seriously, that stare could make MARIANNA shut up. Call Guiness World Records, we got a winner!) I walked over to them while Marianna sulked away, runnin' away to Ryan. Little wimp. Alex saw me comin' and grinned. "Sup, bro?" "Sup, man?" We high-fived. "Hey, remember what went down in health?" I chuckled as she grinned like a freakin' possum. "She even showed pictures. Ugh." We both laughed, getting a few what-the-heck-are-they-laughin'-at looks from the crowd. Oh, yeah, we went to health, math, and reading together. Sorry, Alex. Heh-heh...whoops. "Hey, what's new with you and Derek?" Alex smirked. "It's steady. We're gonna be careful, though. I don't want to lose him, and vice versa. I'm not sure you'd understand. But, at least you listen." I smirked, my fist clenching in my pocket. She didn't know me as well as I thought. Wow. "I understand, dude." You see, this is a side of Alex only Derek and I see. She really trusts me. She smiled as Derek came over. "Sup, Hawk?" That was the gang nickname for him. We got it from Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. Rob gets a hawk to stop the pigeons from crappin' all over his car. Hawk's name: Derek. Get it? "Sup, dog?" We pounded fists and Alex hugged Derek. "Hey, babe." Derek said nonchalantly. "Hey!" They hugged for a minute before I deliberately cleared my throat. "Sorry, KC. I'll holler at ya later! Peace!" "A'ight. Deuces!" She left and I sat down at my booth, traffic slowed down. Chris saw me and walked over, leaning on the side of the booth. "Wanna walk with me?" I shrugged. "Sure." I told Alex to stand guard, and she sat down, Derek followin' her like a lovesick puppy. (Need a bodyguard? She's also known as Killer, our personal bouncer. She has a mean accuracy when it comes to someone's head and that board. Board's name: Old Faithful. Mortal enemy: My mom.) I walked to the park, which was across the street, and walked on the gravel paths cut into the ground. Chris walked beside me, looking up at the moon, surrounded by stars. I looked up with him, reminded how awesome God is and how beautiful His creations are. I looked behind me at the skate spot, realizin' that I was so wrapped up in life, I wasn't payin' attention to the things that matter. I looked over to Chris, who was looking at me, his electric eyes sparkling. His breathing had slowed down, I could tell. I smiled and he smiled back. He held his hand out and I took it, leading him to the center of the park, where a bench and a glorious fountain sat alone, isolated by the trees. We sat down, the bench chilly against my sheltered leg. I sat forward, my hands clasped together. The breeze flowed over us, making me shudder a bit. I looked over at Chris, who was staring at me, worried. "Everythin' okay?" I smirked. "Other than the fact that I'm a teen that has to watch over a whole town and stand up to the metropolis that is Winston-Salem, and the fact that I am so freakin' sick of havin' to run, I'm great!" His puzzled look made me smirk. "How are we supposed to fight fifteen different gangs in less than a week? Battle's Monday." He smiled. "They're made out of tougher material than you think, girl. I mean, even the dogs can tear up an enemy. And, our gang has been through a ton of crap. We feel what you feel." "Only what you see. You guys, you don't know the feelin' of bein' , well, raped. And, also, how it feels to be shot. So, yeah. When you have, then we'll talk." I said this with a smirk so he wouldn't take it the wrong way. He smirked and then cleared his throat. "Well, we better live it up 'til then. I gotta Q... will you go to prom with me?" He said this with a scared tone, and I smiled. "Yeah, why not." He hugged me for a minute, and I hugged him back. Then we walked back to the skate spot, where the party was.
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