Free Road Trip by Melody Carlson Page B

three attempts to blow out all seventeen candles.
    It was a fun little break in our otherwise mundane day. Several locals were looking on with curiosity, and when they discovered (from the owner) that we were a real band, they came over and asked for our autographs. I'm sure they'd never heard of us before, but we signed for them just the same. And Willy even gave the cafe owner a CD.
    All in all, it was a good party, and I think Laura really appreciated it. It felt good to make her feel special, ibr some reason this tour has seemed harder on her than any of us expected. So Allie and I made a pact to go out of our way to make Laura happier.
    OUR TIKES
happy days and holidays
all days belong to You
the Alpha and Omega
the One who sees us through
time can be so fleeting
it's hard to understand
hours, seconds, minutes
all resting in Your hand
present, past, and future
we can't control the flow
of months and years and decades
but here's one thing we know
God can measure out our lives
to live in certainty
when we put all tiust in Him
we've all eternity
cm

Twelve
Thursday, October 28
    (OK IN OKLAHOMA)
    It's hard to believe that we've been opening for Iron Cross for more than a month now. Kan, how the time flies. I just looked at our concert schedule and discovered that we only have ten concerts left on this leg of our tour. Then we go home for Christmas break. Elise has really been riding us hard on our schoolwork. I think this has more to do with Allie than Laura and me, but I suppose we've all gotten a little lazy, or “unmotivated,” as Elise so kindly puts it.
    “You girls have to keep your grades up,” she said this morning as we were heading toward Oklahoma City. “0r else they might replace me as your chaperone.”
    “Oh, Mom. They won't do that.”
    “Oh, yes, they will.” Elisq helped Davie open up the tin that holds his crayons. “You girls know I don't have any teaching credentials. Good grief, I only completed two years of college before I quit to get married.” She shook her head. “Now, if that wasn't one of the stupidest moves of my life.”
    “You colila go back to college,” said Allie. “We could probably afford it now.”
    Elise laughed. “Hey, maybe you and I could go to college together.”
    Allie shook her head, “ifo way. I don't even want to go to college.”
    “Allie!”. Laura scowled at her from across the table where she was writing a paper for her economics class. “You've got to go to college.”
    “Why?.”
    “To further your education, stupid.”
    Allie stuck her chin out. “Who you calling stupid?”
    Laura looked down. “Sorry, that wasn't too cool. But get real, Allie. We all have to go to college. Right, Elise?”
    “That'd be my vote. I've always been sorry that I quit.”
    “But what about our music?” I asked. “How do we keep Redemption alive and go to college at the same time?”
    Laura shrugged. “Who knows what will happen by then, Ghloe. All I know is that I made a promise to my parents that I would go to college, and I intend to keep it.”
    Allie winked at me. “I guess we'll have to start looking around for another bass player.”
    “Whad'ya mean?” Laura looked up with a hurt expression.
    “Well, if you're going to bail on us—”
    “I never said—”
    “All right, all right,” Elise interrupted. “Whether or when you girls go to college does not have to be determined today. The fact is, none of you will get accepted into college if you don't do your schoolwork. So I am now imposing silence on the bus until we get to Oklahoma City. Understand?”
    “Amen!” called Rosy from her drivers seat. “You girls” fighting is wearing thin on my nerves.”
    So we quietly did our schoolwork, and the next thing I knew we were driving through Oklahoma City and parking in front of our hotel. As we were unloading I felt a tap on ray shoulder. A guy not much older than me, I'd guess, stood beside me, smiling in a hopeful way. I could tell right away that this