Mara sat cross-legged on her bed, struggling to solve an algebra equation. She nibbled on the corner of a fingernail and fought against the urge to hurl her textbook across the room. A picture popped into her mind of Dart, the gerbil she'd had in third grade, and how he ran on the wheel in his cage for what seemed like hours. 

     Algebra, Mara realized, was her version of a gerbil wheel, and she was exhausted trying to get anwhere with it. Working on her math assignment for  two hours made her anxious and inclined to head downstairs to reward herself with something sweet before chilling out with her favorite Christian rock group, Skillet.

     Probably nothing in the fridge but vegetables and fruit, anyway, she thought. Her mother's New Year's resolution was for the whole family to eat healthier and leaner. Mara knew, without her mom's saying so, that she hoped this would help her daughter lose weight.

     Since music was her preferred stress release anyway, Mara fought the urge to grab her earbuds and pop them in. Though she could liisten to music while working on English assignments, such was not the case with math. This year, it was important for her to dig in and get her math grade up (even a B would be making progress). She worried about Friday's quiz, fearing she'd missed something crucial. It wouldn't be the first time she expected to do well only to fail.

     Her parents, who'd graduated at the top of their classes in college, expected a lot from Mara. They'd been disappointed in her last term grade, and believed she needed tutoring in mathematics before she fell too far behind, especially in her freshman year, but Mara convinced them she'd work harder. She knew she was on thin ice with them and needed to up her game.

     She rubbed the base of her skull and shoulders to ease the tension. Intent on her thoughts, she didn't hear the knock on her door.

     "Mara, can we come in?" her mother called from the hallway.

     "Sure, Mom," she answered. A mild ripple of anxiety flitted across her chest as she watched her parents approach the foot of her bed. They usually don't come in together unless it's serious. "Is anything wrong?" she asked. "I mean, there's a math quiz coming up, and, um... well... I think I'll be doing okay on it."

     Mrs. Devlan adjusted her glasses, an action that often preceded a lecture, but her face was relaxed and telegraphing excitement. "This isn't about math," she said while giving her husband a sideways look. At his nod, she continued, "We're comfortable you'll keep your side of our bargain."

     "O...ka...a...ay. So, what's this all about?"

     Mrs. Devlan pulled out an envelope from her pocket and fanned the air with it. "This came in today's mail. It's an early birthday gift from your father and
me."

     Mara crawled across the bed on her knees in order to snatch the envelope from her mother's grasp. What she found inside seemed impossible. Two tickets for the only Wisconsin tour stop by Skillet lay in her hand. She dove for her mother's waist and pulled her close in a tight squeeze.

     "I can't believe you guys! What an awesome gift!"

     Mara's heart felt ready to burst. She looked from one parent to another, not quite believing what she was seeing and hearing. "The concert's been sold out for months. How'd you get tickets?!" 

      "When we realized how much you wanted to see Skillet, your dad pulled a few strings." Leaning into her husband's side, Mrs. Devlan turned her gaze upwards. "Turns out, getting your father to keep our plan a secret was the real challenge." 

     Mr. Devlan rubbed the stubble of his 'winter' beard' and cleared his throat. "The extra ticket's for a friend of your choice. Mueller Auditorium can be a bear to navigate. Your mother and I will feel better knowing you have someone with you for backup." 

     Looking into his warm brown eyes, she grinned. "You're the best, Dad. Thanks for all you did to get these tickets." 

     His eyes returned the affection. "It was worth it to see the look on your face just now, Princess." Then he pointed to her textbook. "I know this is exciting news, but try not to lose focus on what's important right now."

     Mara glanced down and back up again. "Right, Dad."

     Mr. Devlan smiled in that crooked way he had and reached over to squeeze Mara's shoulder by way of encouragement. He grasped his wife's hand and they exited the room.

     Falling back unto the bed, Mara extended her arms, raising the tickets up to the light. Studying them as one would the facets of a gem, she felt a tingle of excitement go up her spine.

     I've got to call Jujee, she thought. Rolling unto her side and grabbing her cell phone, Mara pressed the familiar number. Her friend answered on the third ring, and Mara gushed, "You're not going to believe what just happened, Jujee. My parents gave me two tickets for the Skillet concert a week from Saturday. It's an early birthday gift." 

     "Sweet," Jujee said with marginal enthusiasm.

     Knowing Jujee preferred the heavy metal Christian groups like Demon Hunters, Mara played to her ego. "I was hoping you'd want to come along. Y'know, most of the Mt. Zion's REVaTEEN group will be there. In fact, I overheard Jayson Newsom making plans to meet up with his friends for pizza at Milo's before the concert."

     Hearing the magic name, Jayson Newsom, the girl's voice rose an octave. "Jayson's going? I have to be there! But I don't have anything to wear or enough money to get my nails done!"

     "You have plenty of time to get an outfit together and your nails look fine. Didn’t you just get a pile of clothes for Christmas?" Mara rolled her eyes. "There’s got to be something in there you can wear."

     Jujee breathed a heavy sigh into the phone, and Mara pictured her fiddling with a strand of her hair like she always did when annoyed. "Most of the items need to be returned," she said. "Especially the ones from Gram who thinks I'm still eight years old."

     Mara, who was anxious to salvage the situation, assumed a conspiratorial tone. "Look at it this way, Jujee, you can exchange what you don't like and maybe have even more money to spend what with all the January discounts."  

     "Huh, you could be right, Mara. Now I just need to convince my mom to take to me to Northwoods Mall this weekend. I'll exchange what I can for cash and spend it at Rue 21." Jujee's voice vibrated with excitement. "They have the coolest collection of petite-sized clothes." 

     Mara’s good spirits dipped a notch. “I wouldn’t know about that. I’m a few sizes bigger than you, remember?”

     “Right. Well, I gotta get going,” Jujee continued without bothering to tone down her excitement. “I’ll call you later and let you know how it went.”

                                  ***

     Afterward, Mara tried to convince herself she hadn't resorted to bribery. Adding to the discomfort was the knowledge her parents were on the fence about her friendship with Jujee, whose mother held down two jobs to make ends meet after a divorce. They worried she might not have the time to monitor her daughter's activities.

     The rock concert was to be the first significant event Mara would attend without her parents. She knew it would set the tone for future situations. What if Jujee cancels at the last minute? She can be a real jerk like that sometimes, and I don't really have anyone else I can ask on short notice. 

     Mara's prayers that night were twofold: She asked God to guide her to a positive outcome on the math test in light of her honest efforts to improve. Her second prayer was for God to help her discern whether inviting Jujee to the concert was a good idea.

     Waking the next morning, she felt more at peace. Underneath her friend's tough exterior, Mara heard God whisper, was a hurting heart. The bitter divorce of Jujee's parents had left her angry and confused.

     I believe God's word, through music, can work miracles, Mara thought. The concert could end up being an awesome experience for both of us.