Fallout (Crank 3)

into the room. Heaven must be

a whole lot like this. A sigh escapes

as I roll onto my side, notice my cell

phone flashing. Good thing I had

it on “silent.” I punch voice mail.

The message is from Jude, the

X program director. Snagged

those David Cook tickets for you.

I’ll leave them in your mailbox.

MOM IS AN AMERICAN IDOL DEVOTEE

And a huge David Cook fan.

When he was on the show,

she bugged me every week

to call in and vote for him.

So when I heard the Brewery

Arts Center was bringing him

in for Halloween, I asked Jude

for tickets. The station gets them

for just about every concert.

I don’t ask for them often,

but Mom and Dad have been

totally stressed lately. Being

around them is like tiptoeing

on broken glass, razor-sharp

slivers aiming for the soles

of my feet. Sometimes

I wonder how their lives

would be if I had never

been born. It’s not like

they asked to start over.