Redwater's Secret

Journals and Band Merch

October 27, 1995

"Hey! Carmen!" Dante briskly walks over, dragging his backpack on the ground. "Did you see the news? About that body they found?" His voice gets quieter. "It wasn't me this time, I swear."

Carmen chuckles, putting Dante's backpack in his own locker. "Yeah, I heard. Did you hear about the guy who let his best friend get chased around by a knife? Shocker."

"Hey! I knew nothing would happen to you!" Dante laughs, stealing one of Carmen's lunch items. "And, if it did, you'd bet that guy wouldn't exist anymore."

Carmen rolls his eyes. "I'm so glad it's Friday and I don't have to see you tomorrow."

"You still will." Dante says. "I'll make sure you do."

"I know you will." Carmen hands Dante his journal and shuts his locker, his own journal in hand. "C'mon, we're gonna be late for English.

Dante groans, "I hate English. These stupid journals do nothing for me."

"Maybe if you'd hold onto it better. I mean, it's got holes in it! How'd you even do that?"

"Highway."

"What?"

"Nothing."

They get to English class just before the bell rings. Dante smiles at the teacher, Mr. Wright.

Mr. Wright sighs, "Dante, please sit down."

"Sure, sure. Yeah, I'll do that." Dante doesn't move.

"Dante. Sit down." Mr. Wright sounds more stern. Carmen walks over, grabs Dante's arm, and pulls him to his assigned seat.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Wright." Carmen apologizes for Dante. "He didn't eat breakfast this morning."

Mr. Wright looks at Carmen and gives him a nod, "I know, and thank you, Carmen. But, I want an apology from Dante."

"Keep dreaming, buddy, that's the American way!" Dante says, and the class laughs. Mr. Wright sighs.

"You have twenty minutes to write in your journals, and after that we will go around the room and discuss." Mr. Wright gets up, writing things on the chalkboard.

Dante sighs, flipping his journal open. He pulls out his favorite pen, and starts writing random words. "Done!"

Carmen looks behind him at Dante's journal. "That says, 'highway good luck air force shit.' Dante, what does that mean? You didn't even capitalize the first word."

Dante shrugs, "I think the journals are stupid." He doesn't look up from his page where he's drawing a pentagram. "Besides, I'll just say it's personal and start crying if he asks."

Carmen smiles and chuckles, going back to sketching in his journal. Mr. Wright suddenly wipes everything off the chalkboard and sighs loudly. He then restarts what he was doing, this time adding a big cross in the middle.

Dante finally looks up from his journal and leans forward to whisper to Carmen, "He's kinda weird, I've seen him at church. Isn't he our youth pastor?"

Carmen looks at Dante and nods. "I wouldn't say he's weird, though. I think he's charming."

Dante groans, "Of course you would. He also makes those god awful sandwiches. The tomatoes in them might as well be whole!"

Carmen narrows his eyes, "Y'know, for a homeless guy, you're really picky."

Dante tries to hold in his laughter, "I may be homeless but I have standards. You don't apparently, I mean look at Mr. Wright."