>Be Evan.

>Be 12, standing outside church at catechism, waiting in line for the church staff to unlock the doors so classes can begin.

>Lily Trent from down the street comes over and makes small talk.

>What up, Barker the Younger?

>Nothing, he says, teeth chattering. Can't wait to get inside.

>Yeah. Hey, do you know the Nicene Creed?

>The what?

>The Nicene Creed?

>The Nicey Creed?

>No, the NICENE Creed? I have to have it memorized. It's really long. You're smart, so I thought you might know it.

>Oh. No. I had to memorize it too but that was last year. I never had to recite it again so I forgot it.

>Oh. Damn.

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>Lily stands there a moment.

>Why do they make us do all this anyway?

>I have no clue, says Evan.

>They're standing underneath one of the snow-covered crab-apple trees that line the asphalt drive in front of the church entrance.

>The tree branches grasp and grope over top of them, dusted with snow.

>All of a sudden, a disturbance in the top of the tree.

>Snow drifts down like powder.

>In the thick of the tree's top branches, a huge hawk spreads its wings and flaps out into view, cruising away over the front lawn of the church.

>Holy shit, yells Lily.

>Evan sees a dead rat or chipmunk or something grasped in the hawk's talons, dangling limply as the hawk beats its wings in the January air.

>Did you see that? Lily shrieked.

>Yeah, it got a rat or something.

>It was eating it. Right above us, the whole time!

>Yeah, I know.

>It was like, why don't you guys shut the fuck up, I'm trying to eat this fucking chipmunk!

>Yeah, it sure was, says Evan. He's shocked by Lily's language. This is the first time he's heard a girl younger than him say the f-word multiple times. And she said it right in front of a church!

>Lily chuckles.

>She steps closer to him, gets her face right next to his.

>You ever smoke weed? she asks him.

>Uh, no. I haven't.

>You should, she says, her eyes twinkling. It gets you... closer to God.

>She darts off, laughing.

>Evan is good on the weed. His parents would kill him if he ever even thought about it.

>He decides he should probably avoid Lily Trent for awhile. She cusses and is probably a pothead. He'll get in trouble if he hangs around with her.

>He watches Lily join another group of kids, make small talk, and ask if any of them know the Nicene Creed.