Broad Ripple on a Saturday night is a busy place: Laughing people make their way to various gatherings, cars cruise the streets looking for places to park, scary-looking teens hang out on the bridge over the canal.

If you were to visit the basement of the Broad Ripple United Methodist Church, you would see about 50 or so of these youth sitting around, eating pizza and talking with friends. These kids come for the free pizza and the fellowship. They talk about topics that are important to them: music, school, and the stereotypes they face because of their weird hair and dark clothes.

The weekly pizza night is sponsored by INRoads, a nondenominational Christian ministry. Its mission, as it explains on its Web site, is to provide "a safe community where one can come, develop relationships with caring adults and question life's realities in an environment where the search for meaning is encouraged."

While the church offers the space to the group, and some volunteers are from the church's membership, the pizza night is sponsored by INRoads.

One might wonder who needs the safe community, the kids inside the church or the adults outside. These youth, with their multiple piercings, mohawks and studded jean jackets, sometimes alarm passers-by. They usually hang out in groups, some more sinister-looking than others.

On a recent Saturday night, a few of them agreed to be interviewed. Conrad Cotterman, 22; Matt Puckett, 19; Justin Taylor, 20; Tristan Church, 17; and Blake Spears, Patrick Davis and Mitch Vice, all 16, shared their thoughts about life, pizza night and the difficulties of being different.

They make it clear that they are here for the pizza. "It's hard to not overhear the phrase 'free pizza,' " explained Mitch.

But they also appreciate the adults who serve it. Although many of the volunteers come to serve as mentors, they are busier giving advice and support than preaching.

"People really love the idea that, you know, it's a church just giving a place for kids to go, and the fact that they don't shove preaching down your throat," Conrad said.

Mitch agreed. "You don't have to come in and worship, you know, or anything like that. You can come in and hang out and maybe talk to some of the people here."

It's a win-win situation for everyone: The kids get free pizza and a cozy place to meet, INRoads volunteers get the opportunity to reach out, and parents don't have to worry that their kids are on the streets.

Many of these kids define their lifestyle as "punk." As Conrad said, "(It's) not just a fashion, you know, it's a statement. You're trying to go against the grain."

But going against the grain also leads to misunderstandings. "Basically, most of the bridge kids are 'punks,' and we get associated with, like, vandalism or whatever," said Matt.

And yet, they don't really care. "You don't want to be absolutely understood, you know what I mean? It makes it not as fun. You want to be weird to some people," added Mitch.

While some give the impression of homelessness, few are. In fact, some drive from nearby towns, such as Carmel and Camby, to attend pizza night.

But many know of youth who have been homeless. They described people who would stay at friends' houses for months because they couldn't stand their own homes.

"It's like borderline homeless, I think. They have friends they stay with, so it's not, like, clinically homeless, I guess," Conrad said. "If they didn't have friends, I guess they would be homeless."

Bonded by unique styles and unconventional opinions, these young people stick together. Though they may not know each other well, they feel the need to look out for one another.

"See, we're all outcasts, but we just stick together. I mean, I don't know these kids, but you know, I'd probably get their back," Tristan said.

Being able to relate to someone is what everyone looks for in a friend. And with these kids, it is no different.

"I come from a town of 6,000 people; there's no one who looks like me," said Tristan, who lives in Linton, in Greene County. "There's some kids who tell me, 'Punk sucks,' and I say, 'Well, your hippie music sucks and your Grateful Dead sucks,' and we make each other laugh. We'll party together, and that's just how it is. You can't be picky in small towns who you're friends with.

"The biggest part why I like hanging out with these kids is because they know what I go through," she added. "I mean, like it or not, you want to be around people who can relate to you."

Many of these kids have had rocky relationships with adults. They resent authority and often feel misunderstood.

Many of the youth feel especially alienated from school, where adult authority is always on display. They say that they don't mind learning, but need to feel passionate about the subject.

"I don't go to school, but I'm waiting for me to find something that I'm interested in. I'm just waiting for me to find something I care enough about to study," Matt said.

All agree that knowledge and learning can take place without books and classrooms.

"Being educated, not necessarily having a diploma, but knowing what's going on in the world, what to do, what not to do, is more important than having that piece of paper saying you can go to college for four years," Mitch said.

Another problem with school is dress codes. With their unique styles, they feel that these rules restrict their ability to express themselves and are an attack on their individuality.

"My biggest problem with school is that they care too much about petty things like if you wear that stud in your nose, or if you have that obscene word on your shirt, you know. They're not watching your grades," Tristan said.

She also feels that schools target people who stand out.

"They say they're having random drug tests, but really when you see who's taken out first, it's always the weird-looking kids," she said.

To these kids, how people act and treat others should speak louder than what they wear or where they hang out. To them, clothing is merely a statement of individuality, and too many people judge them by their appearances and don't take the time to look deeper.

Except at pizza night.

ASSISTANT EDITORS: Meher Ahmad, 14; Adrienne McLean, 16; Justin Riley, 17.

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