𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏' 𝑰𝒕 | 𝑹𝒆𝒏 𝑴𝒄𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒌

EIGHTEEN

《︎𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝》︎

"Thanks, Chris." Ren grunted. He was at work trying to find a way to distract himself. He looks up when he feels another presence in front of him.

"You know you was railroaded." Andy Beamis, his boss spoke. "Shaw Moore walked into that meeting with those votes already in his pocket. You didn't have a prayer." Ren huffs and looks down. "So what happens now?"

"Nothing. It's over." Ren says turning back to his work.

"What if it's not?" Ren stops and turns back to him. "What if you had your dance in Bayson?"

Ren scoffs. "The point was to have it in Bomont. What's Bayson, like 30 miles away?"

"No. You're standing in it." Ren furrows his brows. "Come here. You see that water tower?" Andy points off to the Bomont Water Tower. "That's in Bomont. Everything east is in Bayson. That means the cotton gin. Now, I figure that if the Bomont fire trucks can't come." Ren looks around.

"What about the long arm of Reverend Moore?"

"Well, try to convince him it won't be a spiritual corruption. Maybe he'll think about it." Ren smirks to himself and nods.

"I'll talk to him after work." Ren says turning back to his stuff. Andy smiles and walks off.

"Oh and Ren," Ren turns back to Andy. "You may want to speak with Roger. I know he's a pain but if you really love that girl, you need to prove to him that you only have good intentions with her." Ren looks down. "Chloe may not know it but she is all that that man has."

"I'll talk to him, I gotta show him some respect at some point." Ren says turning away.

After Ren got off work he headed home so he could shower and look somewhat presentable. He decided to go speak to Shaw first. When he arrived he could hear Shaw talking to himself, probably reading over his notes for the upcoming service.

"And the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Master, why is it that we can't do such things?" And Jesus said," Ren eases his way inside and sits on the back pew. "it's because you have little faith. If you even had the faith of a tiny mustard seed, you can say to the tallest mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. For with faith, anything..." Shaw stopped when he saw the figure in the back. "Who's there?"

"It's me. It's Ren McCormack." Ren says as he sits up. Shaw sighs in relief.

"Ren. I thought you were someone else. My son used to sit there when I would practice my sermons, and I..." Shaw cut himself off.

"Yeah, with me it's grocery stores." Ren says standing up.

"Excuse me?" Shaw gives him a questioning look.

"There's always so many mothers at grocery stores. You get enough of them calling after their kids and pretty soon, you know, one of them starts to sound like your own mom. Sometimes I think I can really hear her." Ren crosses his arms as he makes his way to the front.

"Sit down." Shaw says pointing to a pew in front of him. They both sit. "My boy, Bobby, was taken from us so suddenly, and... I can't remember the last thing I said to him." Shaw huffs.

"Well, it ain't so easy with time, either." Shaw looks back at Ren. "With my mother, I always thought there'd be this day where we got to say our good-byes. But, you know, death... death is on its own clock." Shaw nods.

"Yes... it is."

"Look, I know you and the council voted against us having this dance, but it's not gonna stop it from happening." Shaw huffed.
"Andy Beamis gave us permission to use his place. And hell after all of this mess I think we deserve a dance." Ren cringes. "I didn't mean to swear in your church. I'm sorry." Shaw laughs.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Shaw says referring to Chloe.

"I would like to apologize for my behavior if anything I've done has offended you. But I just thought you should know."Ren says.

Shaw nods. Ren stands up to leave. "Ren just promise me you won't let any of those kids get hurt." Ren nods.

"I promise." Ren gets up and heads out the door. He gets back in his car and makes his way to Roger's house. When he arrives he gets out and slowly makes his way to the door. He takes a breath and knocks on the door. After a few seconds Roger opens up the door.

"Uh, good evening Ren." He says giving the boy a weird look.

"Good evening, Mr. Dunbar. I'm sorry to bother you so late at night." Roger lifts his hand.

"You're fine. But I think Clover may be asleep." Roger says pointing upstairs. Ren puts his hands in his pockets.

"Well, Sir I actually came to see you. May I come in." Roger nods and invites him inside. The walk over to the dining room table and sit.

"What did you need?" Roger says folding his hands in front of him.

"Well first and foremost, I wanted to apologize for all of the problems I may have caused your family and for jeopardizing your relationship with Chloe." Roger nods.

"Well I appreciate you coming here and saying all this but I feel like there's something else." Chloe slowly made her way downstairs and hid in the living room.

"Well, Andy Beamis is letting us have our prom at the Cotten Gin. Now I know you guys got the votes but technically what we are doing is legal." Roger nods. "But with your permission sir. I would like to take Chloe to the dance." Chloe smiles to her self and quietly punches the air. "Now I promise you, I would never, ever do anything to hurt her or disrespect her. And I sure as hell won't let anybody else. The dance means a lot to me. I mean, you know that. But your daughter... she means more." Chloe gets tearful at Ren's words. "And if you don't let her go, I'm not gonna go. I know you got to do what you got to do. But please let her have this one night." Roger says nothing. Ren frowns and starts to stand.

"Well. Thank you for hearing me ou-"

"Ren, I'm not happy about y'all having this dance. But I respect you, since you came and asked for my blessing." Roger says smiling at the boy.

"So does that mean that?"Roger nods.

"She can go, but just this once." Ren smiles brightly.

"Thank you so much." Ren says shaking his hand. Roger stands.

"You're welcome. Just don't do anything stupid." Roger starts heading for the stairs. He turns to the living room. "That goes for you too Clover!" Chloe's head pops up from behind the couch. Ren furrows his brows.

"How'd you know I was here?" She asks. Roger laughs.

"I know everything. Good night you two!" Chloe and Ren smile at each other.

"So, We got our prom?" Chloe asks. Ren nods.

"We got our prom!"