Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Mercy (01/15/26)
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TITLE: Busted | Previous Challenge Entry
By April Wenzel
01/21/26 -
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“Good evening. Would you ladies mind doing me a favor?”
Kelly turned and said, “Sure thing, Mr. Veers! Whatcha need?”
“I sent Derrick to the sanctuary to bring me a music stand ten minutes ago, and he’s still not back.”
Kelly laughed. “Why’d you send Derrick? That was dumb.”
Payton elbowed Kelly.
“What?” Kelly snapped. “He’s probably in the kitchen eating communion crackers and guzzling down all the grape juice.”
Mr. Veers sighed. “Never mind. I’ll ask Caleb and—”
“Nope. We got this.” Kelly locked arms with Payton and pulled her into the hallway. As they walked toward the sanctuary, she asked, “What’s your problem? Why’d you elbow me?”
“You were being disrespectful to Mr. Veers.”
“No, I wasn’t. I was just telling the truth. Derrick’s irresponsible. I don’t know why Mr. Veers asked him. That was dumb.”
Payton sighed. “I’m not sure you understand the definition of the word disrespectful.”
“Sure I do,” Kelly said as they reached the sanctuary door. “It’s when you have tone in your voice. I said it nicely.” She peered through the window in the door. “Ha!” She grabbed the door handle, pulled it open, flicked on the lights, and shouted, “Busted!”
Derrick, who was sitting on a stool in the middle of the stage, vaping, grabbed the music stand beside him, and jumped off the stage.
“I knew it! You’re always up to no good. Wait til Pastor hears about this. You’ll probably get kicked out of youth group.”
Payton gasped. “Kelly!”
“What? He deserves it.” Kelly watched Derrick stroll toward them. She stared him down and held the door open, wincing as he passed by. “You smell like flowery poison,” she said before turning off the sanctuary lights and heading back toward the classroom.
Payton called after her. “Kelly, wait.”
“What now?”
Payton sighed. “You’re not really going to get Derrick kicked out of youth group, are you?”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since he showed up. He’s a thorn in my side. Yours too.”
“God let Paul keep a thorn in his side. It was for his own good.”
“Whatever. Trust me. Everyone will thank me. Especially Mr. Veers.”
“No, actually he won’t. He’s the one who invited Derrick.”
“What?” Kelly folded her arms. “No way.”
“Yeah. He did.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” She tilted her head, squinted, and said, “How would you know, anyway?”
“He told my dad.”
Kelly relaxed her arms. “He did?”
“Yeah, my dad said Derrick comes from a rough, secular home. Mr. Veers is trying to minister to him and his family.”
“He is?”
“Yeah, and if you turn him in, you’ll ruin it.”
“Well, maybe Mr. Veers should find a better place for ministering. Youth group is for Christians, not secular troublemakers. He should invite him to his house.”
“Derrick’s been to his house several times. But my dad says we should help Mr. Veers minister to teens like Derrick. Don’t you think youth group is a good place to do that?”
Kelly’s shoulders dropped. “I never thought about it that way. I always saw youth group as a place to get away from the world. You know, somewhere to hang out where we feel loved, not criticized.”
“I get that, but you and I have that at home. I don’t think Derrick does.”
“Wow, I can’t imagine not feeling loved at home.”
“Right? So, don’t you think Derrick needs youth group as much as we do?”
“I guess.”
“So, you won’t tell Pastor?”
“Fine. But Derrick can’t just stroll in here, harass people, smoke, and do whatever he wants.”
“I agree.”
“Good. Then I’ll tell Derrick’s parents.”
Payton raised an eyebrow.
“What? How’s he gonna learn if he doesn’t get punished?”
“But his parents—”
“They’ll probably just ground him. That’s what my parents do.”
“From what my dad says, Derrick won’t get off anywhere near that easy…I’m afraid of what his parents might do to him.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Remember, he doesn’t have parents like ours.”
“Right…Hmm…Maybe we could talk to Mr. Veers privately. That way he’ll know what’s going on, but Derrick won’t get punished.”
“Good idea.”
“Just so you know, I still don’t like Derrick. But I guess we should get back to class so we can help Mr. Veers minister to him.”
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