Free Point of No Return by Paul McCusker

you became a new Christian, you tried to plaster Christian bumper stickers all over the car. And I don’t think you asked us first, either.”
    â€œThat was different.”
    â€œNo, it wasn’t. You were enthusiastic about your newfound belief— just like Jimmy. But what we need is balance and consideration . So, Jimmy, next time you get the…uh, inspiration to purge the house of things you consider less than Christian, talk to us first, okay?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œWhere did you put Donna’s things?” Mary asked.
    â€œIn the garage. I put everybody’s stuff in a box next to the garbage can,” Jimmy answered.
    George shook his head as if he hadn’t heard correctly. “ Everybody’s stuff? Which everybody’s stuff?”
    â€œYours and Mom’s,” Jimmy said.
    Mary was on the edge of her seat. “Our stuff?” she asked. “You went through our stuff, too?”
    â€œYeah! You guys really oughtta be ashamed of yourselves,” Jimmy said.
    But his words were lost in the commotion as George, Mary, and Donna raced to the garage.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    Wednesday Afternoon
    J IMMY DIDN’T SEE Tony again until the next day at recess. He had just finished a round of dodgeball when he noticed that Tony was sitting on the sidelines, watching him. Mr. Parks blew the whistle for everyone to go back into the building.
    â€œHey, Jimmy,” Tony said as he ran up to him.
    Jimmy prepared himself another clash, maybe even a fight. “What?” he asked.
    Tony walked at Jimmy’s side. “Slow down, I wanna talk to you.”
    â€œWhat about?”
    â€œYou know,” Tony said.
    At a glance, Jimmy noticed that the punch in the nose hadn’t done any damage. He felt a twinge of disappointment that he didn’t have more power in his punch. “No, I don’t.”
    â€œWhat happened yesterday. Do I have to spell it out?” Tony asked.
    At that moment, Jimmy realized that in all the years of their friendship, they had never had to say they were sorry to each other. Even when they got on each other’s nerves or had an argument, apologies were simply understood, not spoken.
    â€œLook,” Tony said, “I shouldn’t have teased you so much. It’s just that…well…I don’t get this Christian thing. That’s all.”
    Dad was right , Jimmy thought. Tony acted like a jerk because he felt Jimmy was rejecting him—leaving him behind by heading into a new experience. So that was it. That was Tony’s apology. “Forget about it,” Jimmy said.
    They walked silently to the door. “A bunch of us are going to the gazebo in McAlister Park after school,” Tony finally said. “Tim Ryan has something he wants to show us. He says it’s real cool. You wanna come?”
    Tim Ryan was well known for finding all kinds of neat things for Jimmy and his friends to look at. A few weeks ago, he had brought bullets from his dad’s gun. But Jimmy said, “My parents said I have to go straight home after school. I’m still on restriction, remember?”
    â€œJust tell ’em you stayed after school to do homework or something. You can figure it out,” Tony suggested.
    Jimmy knew this was like offering him a peace pipe. It was a way to be friends the way they were before. If he said no, it would be the same as hitting Tony in the nose all over again. He had to say yes. “Well…okay. I’ll try.”
    â€œGood,” Tony said, and he spun on his heel to go to class.

    The gazebo in McAlister Park was a popular place in the summer, even though it was out of the way. It was shaped like a large, round, wooden porch with open sides and a white roof. Bands often played there, politicians made speeches from it, and couples sat in it with their arms around each other while dreaming the warm days away. As the cloudy afternoons of September rolled into October,