The Battle of Jericho (23 page)

“Understood,” they repeated.

“Now,” Madison continued, “we must deal with what happened. What we call the cleansing ceremony has been done dozens of times—hundreds if you count each individual member—and what happened to Dana was a first. It was not planned, we did not know, and we truly apologize.”

“It's not you who owes me an apology,” Dana replied sharply.

“Eddie Mahoney has been officially reprimanded by the senior council of the Warriors,” Madison explained. “He understands what he did was totally inappropriate.”

“He didn't get kicked out?” Jericho asked, astonished.

The pledges crowded close to Rick, who held up his hands. “We stand by each other, even if we make mistakes.”

“So who will stand by me?” Dana asked.

“The Warriors of Distinction are very proud of your efforts as a pledge, Dana, and we will stand by you, no matter what you decide,” Rick continued. “But we fully understand if you choose to drop out of the procedure at this point.”

Dana looked at them in amazement. “So you're gonna
let
me quit?” she asked angrily. “How noble of you!”

“Sounds to me like you're tryin' to get rid of her!” Kofi yelled.

“Not at all,” Rick replied calmly. “She simply might decide the effort and embarrassment are too much for her.”

“You just finish what you have to do!” Dana shot back at Rick. “But you're going to have to deal with me while you do it!
I will not quit!”

Jericho glanced at the other pledges, who had gathered around Dana in encouragement. Josh looked relieved. Kofi looked proud. Jericho wasn't sure how he felt, but he knew he was glad to be a part of the group that stood there together as one powerful team.

Rick and Madison glanced at each other. Then they smiled at the pledges, and Rick said, “We have eliminated this morning's service activity. However, normal pledge activities will resume this evening at eight at the warehouse. Tonight is the final night, and it will be an experience you will never forget.”

Madison added, “Be aware that nothing will change tonight, and no activities will be made easier or less intense because of last night's incident. Got that?”

The pledges nodded without comment. At that point, Eddie Mahoney walked into the room. All was silent.

“I want to apologize,” he said without hesitation, “to my brothers who are Warriors, to the pledges, and especially to you, Dana.” He looked directly at her. Jericho thought his eyes looked cold and distant; he didn't look very sorry at
all. “What I did was not worthy of a Warrior of Distinction,” Eddie continued. “Please forgive me.”

Everyone looked at Dana. She stared at Eddie for a full minute. He finally had to turn away from her gaze. At that point she said, “Of course, Master Senior Mahoney,
sir”
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “But sometimes forgiveness comes with a price.”

The bell rang then and she walked proudly out the door. Jericho and the rest of the pledges followed.

“She's some kinda woman!” Kofi said as they walked down the hall.

“Probably more than you can handle, dude!” Josh teased.

“Wonder Woman!” Jericho chuckled.

“Super Girl,” added Kofi.

“Do I hear you talkin' about me?” Dana asked as they walked into the classroom.

“Yeah, I was tellin' Jericho about how sweet and feminine you are,” Kofi told her.

“Feminine is powerful, and don't you forget it!” she told him as she pretended to punch him on his arm.

“You're not likely to let us forget that!” Josh said with a laugh.

Then, by the pencil sharpener, Kofi asked her seriously, “You okay, Dana?”

“Yeah, I'm fine—ready for tonight,” she answered with quiet determination. She headed to her seat as the bell rang. “You know, Josh,” she teased, “if I looked as bad as you do in that shirt, I'd never say a word about anybody else. I didn't think it was possible for you to make
that shirt look any worse, but how did you manage to get black splotches all over it, along with the white spots from the other day?”

“Skills!” he said simply. “Skills!”

AFTER LUNCH JERICHO SAW ERIC BELL IN
the distance, and he knew he should say something, but he was embarrassed. Still, he hurried over to him when he saw Eric struggling with a door that would not stay open long enough for him to get his wheelchair through.

“Let me help you with that, man,” Jericho offered. He couldn't look Eric directly in the face.

“I can do it myself,” Eric said sullenly.

“I know. Hey, Eric, I was a butt the other day.”

“You got that right,” Eric agreed.

“I didn't mean to hurt your feelings,” Jericho told him.

“My feelings get hurt all the time. I ought to be used to it, but it never gets any easier.”

“I'm sorry, man,” Jericho said sincerely.

Eric sighed. “You know what bothered me the most?”

“What?”

“You figured Arielle wouldn't like me because I'm in a wheelchair.”

Jericho was silent for a moment. “Actually, that wasn't it—honestly. The wheelchair had nothing to do with it. I was just afraid she wanted to be with you and not with me. I got scared.”

It was Eric's turn to be quiet. “So what did Arielle say when you talked to her?”

Jericho laughed. “She told me where I could stuff my opinions about who she talked to or who she associated with. She got me told real good!”

Eric laughed with him this time. “Serves you right! I better get through this hallway before the bell rings. I'll talk to you later, Jericho.”

“Take it slow, Eric.”

“Hey, Jericho,” Eric called as he rolled away.

“Yeah?”

“Good luck tonight with the Warriors of Distinction.”

“Thanks, man,” he replied quietly. “Thanks.” He watched Eric roll down the hall and around the corner.

“Why you got that funny expression on your face?” Arielle asked, walking up to Jericho.

“Nothing,” Jericho said as he took a deep breath. “What's up, Arielle? You look good today.”

“Thanks. Aren't you supposed to be running around the school doing good deeds for the Warriors?” she asked Jericho.

“Not today. Tonight is the big whatever, so they're letting us take it easy.”

“You nervous?”

“Of what? How bad can it be? Naw, I just want it to be over so on Monday we can come to school in our new silk jackets. You still goin' to the celebration party with me tomorrow night?”

“Me and Dana and November are going shopping after school to get outfits for the party. Does that give you a hint?”

Jericho grinned. “There's the bell—I gotta get to class. I won't call you tonight because it will be too late, but I'll call you first thing in the morning.”

“And tell me all about it?” she teased.

“All that I can,” he answered.

“Whatever! Good luck, Jericho.” She hurried off in one direction to her class, and Jericho in the other direction to his.

Jericho was tense with anticipation, but the day seemed to crawl by. The cold rain and dreary clouds and the muddy puddles on the brown and sodden grass didn't help. Finally the last bell rang. Jericho saw Josh coming from his last class.

“What's up, my almost-Warrior cousin?” Josh called.

“I wonder if they give a prize tonight for the ugliest pledge shirt,” Jericho told him as he gazed on Josh's blotched, spotted, and now shrunken T-shirt.

“Well, I wonder if they give a prize for the ugliest pledge!” Josh shot back at him. “You'd win face first!”

“Don't let me start talkin' about your cookie-dough head!” Jericho laughed.

“Aw, man, well at least I'm not mistaken for Godzilla when I walk down the street!”

The two of them headed out into the rainy afternoon,
laughing and punching each other. Jericho shivered. “We're gonna freeze our butts off tonight.”

“I got my love to keep me warm,” Josh boasted.

“November won't be anywhere near there—I heard they're all going shopping together.”

Josh pointed to his heart. “I got my girl here where it counts.” For a second he looked pensive and serious. Then, running around the parking lot and oblivious to the rain, he shouted to the sky, “Hey, world! This is Josh! Tonight I get my black jacket, and I'm gonna look goooood!”

“Man, you losin' it!” Jericho laughed as he watched Josh splash through all the puddles in the parking lot. Maybe he just needed to relax like Josh and get this week over with.

Josh's father pulled up in front of the school then. Josh, soaking wet and out of breath, opened the car door and greeted his dad. “Tonight's the night, Dad, and I'm charged up!”

“What you are is messed up, boy! You out here playing in the rain like a ten-year-old? Get a towel out of the trunk.” Uncle Brock wasn't really angry, Jericho realized as he watched them tease each other. “Do you need a ride, Jericho?” Uncle Brock asked as Josh, still laughing, got in the car.

“Thanks, Uncle Brock. I'm driving today.” Josh had rolled down the window and Jericho leaned inside to talk.

“Be careful, Jericho. The roads are wet and slick from all this rain,” his uncle said.

“I will.”

“Are you two ready for tonight?” he asked.

“Josh sure is!” Jericho replied.

“It will be the most memorable night of your lives,” Mr. Prescott replied with a pleasant smile, as if he were thinking of fond memories. “It will make a man of you.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “Sure, Dad. Does this mean I get a car like Jericho?”

“It may make you a man, but it's not going to make me a blockhead!”

“He shut you up, man! Nice goin', Uncle Brock,” Jericho teased as he punched Josh once more through the open car window.

“See you tonight!” Josh called cheerfully as they left the parking lot.

Jericho waved as they drove away.

WHEN JERICHO GOT TO THE WAREHOUSE, A
little early, Dana was already waiting at the door. The night was cold but clear—filled with stars and promise.

“You scared?” he asked her.

“I can't imagine anything worse than last night,” she whispered, shuddering a little.

He nodded.
This girl is, like, too tough,
he thought. He didn't think he could have accomplished what Dana had. They shivered nervously in the darkness, waiting for they knew not what. The rest of the pledges arrived a few minutes later, and at exactly eight
P.M
. Rick opened the door to the warehouse. “Good evening, Pledge Slime. Please come in.”

The room was dark and shadowy. Fifteen chairs had been placed in a circle in the center of the room. A single candle flickered on a table in the middle of the circle. The silence was thick.

“Remove your coats and be seated,” Rick said quietly. The pledges stacked their winter jackets on a table in the back of the room. There sat fifteen neat white boxes, unopened, the coveted black silk jackets waiting to be caressed and admired by the new members of the club. Jericho smiled with anticipation, then walked quickly back to the circle, ready for whatever might happen that night.

The pledges found seats within the circle. They looked at each other hesitantly. Rick stood in the center by the table. The other pledge masters stood behind the pledges at various points around the circle.

Jericho noticed, once his eyes had become accustomed to the dim light, that sitting on the table next to the candle was a mirror, a rusty brown brick, what appeared to be a whiskey bottle, and the gun they had found in the Dumpster. All of Jericho's feelings of dread and foreboding flooded back.

“Tonight,” Rick began, “is the final night of pledge activities. Soon you will join us as Warriors of Distinction. Tonight's activities will be intense, perhaps overwhelming. So we will begin with a quiet reflection.”

Rick's quiet, serious tone made Jericho even more nervous about the final activities than ever. Rick picked up the brick from the table and passed it to Jericho.

“This brick,” Rick said, “is a symbol of our brotherhood. Slowly pass it around the circle. Look at it. Feel its weight and its rough edges. Notice it is not perfect. All of us have rough edges and imperfections.” Jericho noticed that Rick stopped then and glanced at Eddie.

Jericho felt the roughness in his hands. He'd never bothered to look at a brick up close
before. It had little holes and ridges in it, but it was surprisingly heavy.

“Jericho, pass the brick to the person sitting next to you. Hold it at eye level as you do. This is to remind you that you may not always see things eye to eye, but you should be man enough to confront each other and solve your problems face-to-face.”

Jericho passed the brick to Josh.

“Bricks can be found anywhere,” Rick continued. “They are strong and powerful, but are rarely noticed individually. Only when a brick is missing does a building look unusual. Together we have power.”

Josh passed the brick to Luis, who passed it to Kofi, who passed it to Dana. It traveled slowly to all the pledges in the circle.

“This brick is also a symbol of our unity,” Rick said. “It's made of cement, rocks, sand, and water. Just like this brick that is made up of a combination of materials, the Warriors of Distinction are also a group with diverse cultural and social backgrounds, values, and experiences. Like the composition of the brick, that's what makes us strong.”

As Rick spoke, Jericho began to relax. The Warriors are off the hook, he kept telling himself. He was so lucky to be part of this. He thought about the faces of the people they'd helped through the toy drive, and the pride on Arielle's face the night of the New Year's Eve party.