To de Klerk

"FXXXYOU... racial discrimination... To Mandela..."

Song Ya found a quieter spot, pulled out some paper and a pen, and copied down the lyrics, his mind racing so fast it felt like it would explode.

The Thrift Shop was a lucky find, and Milla Jovovich's tight-throated curse, so close to the original singer's voice, had been the key to his second revelation. But that wasn't nearly enough. His earlier thoughts about how to write the letter to Mandela had also played a huge part. There was no coincidence in the fact that the word "racial discrimination" appeared in the lyrics.

Just like when he'd received "Thrift Shop," the "twenty dollars" in the lyrics, Old Joe's pink suit and distinctive bass voice, Connie shouting "SHOPPING," the thrift shop, Little Lowry's rap music...

Only when all those things came together had he received that revelation, and this time would be no different.

"This song seems to be speaking up for gay people. That won't work..."

He crossed out "GAY" in the lyrics and replaced it with "equality." The Black community was extremely conservative at the time, and he didn't want trouble. Changing the whole song to support racial equality would be much "safer."

After making a rough pass over the lyrics, an idea gradually took shape in his mind. He crossed out the blunt title, FXXXYOU, then found a phone in the shop and called Michelle.

"Sure, I'll come right over..."

Michelle happened to be free. He found Silencer again. "Got time? Give me a ride somewhere."

Silencer nodded, and they got in the car. "The University of Chicago..." Song Ya directed him straight to Michelle's office.

"Wait here for me."

Leaving Silencer outside, Song Ya knocked and went in. Michelle was busy, so he got straight to the point.

"So..." Michelle quickly understood what Song Ya was getting at. "You want to use a song condemning South Africa's white authorities as your essay for this event?"

"Yeah!"

Talking to clever people was easy. "The whole world is paying tribute to Mandela. What could a high school student like me possibly write that would stand out? I think I need to change my approach. I'll call it 'To...' What's the name of South Africa's white president again?"

"De Klerk, but..." Michelle answered with a wry smile from behind her desk. "That president is our friend. He's the one who released Mandela and pushed through a series of reforms toward equality."

"Friend..."

Song Ya had never expected that. "Didn't you say in your speech last time that South Africa still had apartheid? Why is he our friend?"

"Yes, but change doesn't happen overnight," Michelle said.

"That's all right."

Song Ya pressed on. "Even if de Klerk really is our friend, he still hasn't ended apartheid, has he? So I'd have a solid basis for cursing him—no, writing a song criticizing him, right? And it's only natural for a high school student like me to be a little immature, isn't it? Besides... you're one of the moderates, the ones who are friendly toward him, but we need radicals to fight the enemy too, just like the Black Panther Party..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

Michelle's eyes widened. "Where did you learn to come up with ideas like that at such a young age?"

Huh? Yeah, where had he learned to think that way...

Song Ya suddenly felt that something was off. The idea really had come out of nowhere, just like the song he'd received in his revelation. "That doesn't matter." He shook his head to clear away the distracting thoughts and continued, "Just tell me if it makes sense?"

"Could I hear the song first?" Michelle suggested.

"Sure." Song Ya kept the beat with his fingers and hummed the song.

As soon as he sang "FXXXYOU, FXXXYOU," Michelle started laughing. She was still laughing when he finished. "My God, can't you use a milder word?"

"It's a curse. What kind of nice words were you expecting..." Song Ya shrugged.

"It's pretty catchy, hmm..."

Michelle calmed down and thought it over for quite a while. "All right. When can this song be released?" she asked.

Song Ya considered it. "That's hard to say. There's a long road from writing a song to releasing it as a single, you know. Copyright, profit-sharing, all kinds of things..."

"I understand, I understand. All right..." Michelle stood up, named a date, and held out her hand. "If you can get the song released before then, I'll put you on the list for the South Africa event."

"Great, thanks!"

After saying goodbye to Michelle, Song Ya called Hayden, then met up with Silencer.

The plan was going smoothly: points for social activism! A new song meant more money! And then he could use it to get Mira... Three birds with one stone. Heh heh heh.

He was grinning to himself as he went along. When he saw Silencer, he noticed that the other guy was grinning stupidly to himself too. "What's up with you?" he asked.

"That girl." Silencer got two words out, then went right back to grinning.

"Which girl?"

Silencer raised his middle finger.

Song Ya took a while to figure it out. "The girl who flipped Little Lowry off?"

Silencer nodded.

That had to be Milla Jovovich. "What about her?" Song Ya asked, bewildered.

At Song Ya's insistence, Silencer drove straight to a video rental shop.

When Silencer took a tape called "Return to Two Moon Junction" to the counter to pay, Song Ya saw the clerk's identical lecherous grin. Then he saw Milla Jovovich's name on the box, and his heart sank...

Back at home with Silencer, Song Ya watched him close the bedroom door, turn down the TV, and slide the tape into the VCR Song Ya had given him...

Song Ya felt like he was waiting to hear his death sentence.

Silencer fast-forwarded like he knew exactly what he was doing...

"What was that..."

"You scared me half to death. Couldn't you have said a few more words?" Song Ya silently grumbled as he watched Silencer stare fixedly at the TV.

He still had plenty to do. Silencer had wasted so much of his time for nothing. "Let's go!" he said impatiently. "Take me somewhere else. Oh, and stop by an electronics thrift shop. I'll buy a VCR too."

He spent the whole afternoon discussing the new song strategy with Hayden. That evening, with Tony's help, he found a small hotel.

His mind was full of Mira...

Huh! Wait, why had she turned into another sultry, bewitching woman?

Sherilyn Fenn was really beautiful...