Fiction

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THE YOUTH MOVEMENT, PART TWO: CONVERSATION

One Sunday after church, Mom and Dad asked Arthur and me if we would pick up Mardi and Warren from their classes while they got us a seat in our church's café. Arthur and I agreed, and we went and picked up Mardi and Warren when Reverend Bowmer's sermon was over. On the way to the café, we saw Phyllis coming out of James's Sunday school class, holding his hand in hers. Another thing I love about Phyllis is her motherly nature. She's always been very nurturing, but since her mom died three years ago, she's really stepped up to the plate in caring for James. Her father often buries himself in his work and has hardly any time for either of them. I guess he's too busy thinking up new, ridiculous rules for his congregation. I swear, he makes up so many rules about what's right and wrong that sometimes I think he's worse than the Pharisees who argued with Jesus.

I decided to say at least hi to Phyllis, since her dad wasn't around, and maybe we could talk a little bit. "Hi, Phyllis," I said.

"Hi, Vinnie," Phyllis said, smiling. (Gosh, I love those teeth!) "How are you?"

"Good," I said. "How are you?"

"Good. Just heading over to the café to eat right now," Phyllis told me.

"Maybe we could walk together and talk on the way," I said, a little nervously.

Phyllis looked nervous now. "I don't know, Vinnie. Dad has this thing about wanting to keep guys away from me. If he saw us--"

I looked around. "I don't see him anywhere, and it's not like we're doing anything wrong. Just talking and going to eat lunch like friends."

Phyllis thought for a minute. "I guess you're right. Okay, we'll walk with you," she agreed.

As the six of us kids walked toward the café, Mardi said, "I see you every day, Phyllis."

"You do?" Phyllis asked. "How can you see me every day? Vinnie, Arthur, and I all go to a different school than you and Warren."

"When I pass by Vinnie's room at home, I always see your picture on his wall," teased Mardi. I shot her a look.

Phyllis blushed a little, and the color in her cheeks made her look even more beautiful. "Well, that's very sweet," she said. Then she looked at me. "Vinnie Johnson! How did you ever find a picture of me to put on your bedroom wall?"

"He blew up a picture from the yearbook," Arthur said, adding to the teasing. "The size of the picture kills me."

"I'll kill you if you don't shut up right now," I threatened. Phyllis only giggled.

"Do you have any pictures of people you know?" I asked Phyllis.

"Yes, but just on my dresser, not my wall," Phyllis told me.

Just then we were interrupted by her father. "All right, you little hoodlum, you leave my daughter alone!" he yelled.

"Dad, we were just talking," Phyllis protested.

"When guys engage in conversation with you about things in your room, they only want one thing," Reverend Bowmer said. "Come along, Phyllis and James. We're going home." He glared at me, and then they left.

I didn't enjoy the rest of my day. How could he think I only wanted one thing? He knew me. Later that evening I read the Song of Solomon. Even the Bible contained a book about love between a man and a woman! How could having feelings for Phyllis be wrong?

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