Serena Tempted

This is post 22 of Section V. To begin at the beginning, go here. Section II begins here. Section III begins here. Section IV begins here, and Section V begins here

Serena examined the toe of her sneaker. “Mom made me,” she said, in a low voice. She continued more plaintively. “What am I supposed to do? My whole youth group decided to go.” She indicated a number of people in T-shirts like hers who were standing nearby. “You think I’m just gonna stand up in front of them and my parents and our pastor and everyone and say, ‘I think you’re ignorant about the Bible and I’m not going’? Oh yeah. That’d go over real well.”
Stephen looked at her face, raised towards his in appeal. Then he put an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Serena,” he said in her ear. “You’re not a lemming. Listen. The professor and Lizzy and I are going to sneak over the line and join the parade the first chance we get. For once in your life, be your own person. Come with us. Your parents love you. They’ll get over it.”
“Yeah, come on. We’re gonna be on TV, Serena,” piped up Lizzy, who had heard the end of the conversation.
Serena smiled down at the little girl, and then looked up at Stephen and giggled. “I might do it, just to see their faces. Oh my God, if Dad saw me on the news!”
“That’s the spirit,” Stephen said, giving her an encouraging squeeze.

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