Read Online It's a Green Thing by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online

than that? Did she break something else?”
    “No. Not that kind of worse.” Now Caitlin lowered her voice. “Her dad plans to file a wrongful-injury claim.”
    “You mean he's going to sue someone?”
    “I'm afraid so.” Caitlin glanced around. “I'm not really supposed to say much, but I think you deserve to hear this. When Mr. Marshall learned that I was the one who had suggested Brooke and Amanda help out with the mural, he said he considered suing the church and me as well.”
    “Oh no!”
    “But for some reason he decided to focus primarily on the parks and recreation for his lawsuit.”
    “That doesn't seem fair.”
    “No, it doesn't. But he claims they were negligent. He says kids shouldn't have been climbing around on rickety laddersand scaffolding like that. He thinks it was a disaster just waiting to happen.”
    I considered this. “I suppose that could be true. But isn't that kind of like life? I mean, anyone can get hurt doing anything. I could trip going down the steps coming into the youth group room. But I wouldn't sue anyone over something like that.”
    “Of course you wouldn't.” Caitlin frowned.
    “What's wrong with Brooke's dad anyway?”
    “There's something else you should know, Maya.”
    “What?”
    “Mr. Marshall informed me that he plans to list you as a responsible party in the lawsuit as well.”
    “Me?” I blinked. “A responsible party?” I'm barely responsible for myself. How could I be responsible for anyone else?
    “Brooke told him you were the one in charge of the project.”
    “Me? In charge?” I shook my head. “That's ridiculous.”
    “Maybe so. I mean, I think the whole thing is ridiculous. But Mr. Marshall is an attorney. He thinks it makes perfect sense. After all, litigation and lawsuits are his business.”
    “Business must not be so good.”
    She shrugged. “I don't know what to say.”
    “Well, it seems like a pretty nasty sort of business, going around suing innocent people just because your own daughter is a klutz.”
    Caitlin put a hand on my shoulder. “Don't worry, Maya. Idoubt that a court could hold you responsible. You're a minor, and it wasn't your fault.”
    “I'm surprised it's legal to sue a minor.”
    “That's just what I said. But apparently it is legal.”
    I was still trying to grasp all this, wondering what I was supposed to do. “So do you think it's for sure? He's really going to sue me?”
    “I think it's a possibility, Maya. I tried to talk him out of it. Honestly, the whole thing is just absurd.”
    “It might be absurd, but it still hurts.” I glanced around the room full of “fellow” Christians and suddenly wondered if someone else in this group might do something to hurt me. “I just don't get this. It's like I keep getting blindsided by what Christians are capable of doing to each other. What about that ‘loving others’ scripture. What about helping your neighbors?”
    “I was wondering the same thing, Maya.” Caitlin shook her head and glanced over at Josh, who was looking our way with a compassionate expression. “If it's any consolation, Josh feels exactly the same as I do. It's so wrong. I think he and Pastor Berringer will have a talk with Mr. Marshall, and maybe they can reason with him. After all, the Bible says it's wrong for Christians to take Christians to court.”
    “Really?”
    She nodded. “So don't worry about it, Maya. I just wanted to give you a heads-up, you know, in case you hear somethingthrough the grapevine. But don't take it too seriously. Not yet anyway.”
    “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Still, I felt like a balloon that someone had slipped a pin into. I mean, I had been feeling enthused about the mural and how cool it looked, how we all had worked together to accomplish it. And now this.
    My final conclusion is that I need to get a job. I need to become independent as soon as possible. No way do I want my uncle and cousin to get pulled into my personal dramas. Am I a magnet for