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think he has much of a choice. He makes a lot of jokes about it though. He says that for a bunch of eighteen to twenty-five-year-olds holding guns and facing the possibility of death, there is a surprising amount of laughing that goes on.”
    â€œPeople can’t deal with being scared all the time,” says Tess. “It would be too much. Making jokes must help keep their minds off the scary stuff.”
    â€œI feel bad sometimes. You know, I’ll be doing magic or watching some stupid movie and I’ll forget, for even like an entire day that he’s over there. Then I feel like this bad person for living my life while he’s risking his.”
    â€œIt’s exactly what your brother is doing though. Occupying his mind with something else because it’s too hard to think of what could happen every second of every day. Don’t feel bad about it. You need it. Otherwise you’d just sit here and worry.” Tess kind of smiles sadly at me and puts her hand on mine and says, “Soldiers want everyone to live their lives. That’s why they’re there, right? He probably just wants you to be a kid. ”
    We’re silent for a few seconds and Tess’s hand is so obviously on mine. I don’t think either of us knows what to do, so she lifts it off and I say, “Can you leave your Bible here so I can read up on this Peter guy?”
    â€œYes. That’s probably a good idea,” she says, rubbing her hands together.
    â€œYou’re my first friend that came with homework, you know that?”
    â€œYou’re the first friend I’ve lied to my parents for.”
    â€œYou win.”
    â€œSo why don’t you show me some magic?”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYeah. I’m interested.”
    â€œPrepare to be amazed. Or, you know, mildly entertained.”

 
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    Chapter 8
    Sunday is Church Day, Not Sleep until Noon Day
    On Sunday morning, my mom wakes me up, sets down a respectable shirt and pants (because obviously I can’t be trusted to dress myself), and tells me to get in the shower. I need to be ready in half an hour when Kenny picks me up for church. I just finish eating some cereal when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Kenny and his mom.
    â€œHi, Ben. I’m so glad you’ll be coming with us today,” she says. “I was hoping I could just say a quick hello to your mom.”
    â€œSure, hang on.” I run to the bottom of the stairs and yell, “Mom!”
    She comes downstairs, whispers “Don’t shout” as she passes by me and then puts on a big smile as she greets Kenny’s mom. Kenny motions for me to follow him out to the car.
    I feel a little overdressed. Kenny is wearing jeans and a T-shirt while I’m in khakis and a dress shirt. We get into the car and he introduces me to his dad, a tall, fat, bald man wearing a bowtie. There’s some rock music playing, but the more I listen to the lyrics, the more I hear that even though it’s rock, it’s not the kind of rock I might listen to. It’s rock devoted to god. All the same, I say, “Cool music.”
    â€œThanks. This band is awesome. I’ll burn you a CD if you want,” he says.
    His dad gives him a look.
    â€œActually, I can just lend you my copy.”
    Kenny’s dad asks, “Have you ever been to a mega church before?”
    â€œJust a Catholic church back home. It wasn’t called mega or anything.”
    â€œSo you’re Catholic?” he asks.
    â€œUm, well, not really.”
    â€œPerhaps you’ll find that Southern Baptist suits you better, although there will be many different denominations there today.”
    Kenny’s mom gets back in the car and we hit the road.
    After about twenty minutes, I ask, “So, how far is this place?”
    â€œIt’s in Colorado Springs, so about an hour away,” says his mom.
    â€œIt’s kinda far. Most people from Forest