Page 5 (2/2)

"You aren't allowed to ask why," I say "Okay, let’s see Would you rather drink an entire gallon of bacon grease for breakfast every day? Or would you rather have to eat five pounds of popcorn for supper every night?"

"Five pounds of popcorn"

I like the ga me with dinner I like that I have no idea where we're headed I even like that he didn’t co, which see line for dates So far, I like everything about tonight As far as I’m concerned, we could drive around for another two hours just playing ‘would you rather’-and it would be the most fun I’ve ever had on a date

But, we don’t We eventually reach our destination and I i

Club N9NE

"Uh, Will? I don't dance" I' he'll be empathetic

"Uh, neither do I"

We exit the vehicle and meet at the front of the car I'ers find each other in the dark and he holds et closer to the entrance, I notice a sign posted on the door

Closed for Slam

Thursdays

8:00-Whenever

Admission: Free

Fee to slan I start to inform him the club is closed but he see The silence is interrupted by the energy of the crowd as I follow hih the entryway and into the rooht of us, with tables and chairs set up all over the dance floor The place is packed I see a table toward the front that looks like a group of younger kids, around age fourteen or so Will turns to the left and heads to an empty booth in the back of the room

"It's quieter back here," he says

"How old do you have to be to get into clubs here?" I ask, still observing the group of out of place children

"Well, tonight it's not a club," he says as we scoot into the booth

It's a half circle booth facing the stage so I scoot all the way to the ht beside ht," he says "Every Thursday they shut the club down and people come here to compete in the slam"

"And what's a slam?" I ask

"It's poetry," he says as he smiles at me "It's what I'uy who h and loves poetry? Someone pinch me Or not; I'd rather not wake up

"Poetry, huh?" I say "Do people write their own or do they get it from other authors?"

He leans back in the seat and looks up at the stage I can see the passion in his eyes when he talks about it "People get up there and pour their hearts out just using their words and theYou aren't going to hear any Dickinson or Frost here"

"Is it like a competition?" I ask

"It's complicated," he says "It differs between every club Nores are picked at randon points to each perforht wins That's how they do it here, anyway"

"So do you slae, soht?"

"Nah Just an observer tonight I don't really have anything ready"

I'e I still have no idea what sla that requires a performance

"Bu to drink?" he says

"Sure I'll take some chocolate milk"

"Chocolate milk? Really?"

"With ice"

"Okay," he says as he slides out of the booth "One chocolate one, the ee and attempts to pump up the crowd No one is in the back of the room where we're seated, so I feel a little silly when I yell 'yeah!' with the rest of the crowd I sink further into my seat and decide just to be a spectator for the reht

The ees and the entire crowd roars, al to be chosen They pick five people at rando table As Will walks back to the booth with our drinks, the emcee announces it's time for the 'sac,' and chooses someone at random

"What's the sac?" I ask as he hands me my drink

"Sacrifice…It's what they use to prepare the judges," he says as he slides back into the booth Somehow, he slides even closer this ti that isn't part of the co"

"So they can call on anyone? What if they would have called on uess you should have had so ready," he says as he smiles at me

He takes a sip fro ers don't interlock this tiertips start to trace the outline ofthe lines and curves of ertips feel like electric pulses penetrating my skin

"Lake," he says quietly as he continues to trace up ertips with a fluid motion "I don’t knohat it is about you…but I like you"

His fingers slide between mine as he takes e I inhale and reach for lass The ice feels good againstwoman who looks to be around twenty-five She announces that she is perforhts are lowered as a spotlight is positioned on her She raises thedown at the floor A hush sweeps over the audience and the only sound in the entire rooh the speakers