My Church Girl

Chapter 6

After school, Harper couldn't shake the thoughts of Ava. She paced her room, her phone in hand. Finally, she took a deep breath and dialed Ava's number. The phone rang a few times before the girl's soft voice answered.

"Hey, Harper," The blue-eyed said, her tone gentle but tired.

"Hey, Ava. I just wanted to check on you. After everything that happened today... Are you okay?" she asked with a concern in her voice.

"Yeah, why?" She asked confused. 

"Because of what happen..." she said uncertainly, "with your locker, and Jenna's words. I mean, it was cruel."

There was a brief pause before the other girl responded. "Oh, that... you know that It's nothing new for me? I've dealt with this kind of stuff all the time. But thank you for calling."

The girl on the other end of the line sighed, her heart aching at these words. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this. It's not fair. I feel so bad being part of the problem. If only I had known you better earlier."

"You mean that it was okay while you didn't know me?" Ava asked with an unexpectedly irritated voice.

Harper was taken aback. "No, that's not what I meant at all. I just wish I could have been there for you sooner." 

Ava's voice softened slightly, but the hurt was still there. "I know you're trying, Harper. And I appreciate that, but the fact that you're calling to check on me just because they messed with my locker shows you don't really get what I went through because of you."

Harper felt a pang of guilt but also anger. "That's not fair. I can't change the past. I'm trying to make things right now."

"Saying that I deserve all that bulling just because you didn't know me better?" 

"That's not what I said and you know it!" The voice almost screamed in frustration, "But ok, if that's how you feel. Maybe I shouldn't have called at all!" There was a tense silence before Harper finally spoke again, her voice mix of anger and hurt. "I won't bother you anymore, bye." She hung up the phone, her heart pounding in her chest.

Throwing her phone onto her bed, her hands shaking with anger. "How could she twist my words like that?" she thought, pacing back and forth. "I was just trying to help, and she made it sound like I was the bad guy."

Her mind raced with frustration. "It's not fair. I'm trying to make things right, and she just throws it back in my face. What more does she want from me?"

But as the minutes ticked by, her anger began to fade, replaced by a palpable sense of guilt. She sat down on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands. "But I was a 'bad guy'. Ava's right," she thought, her heart heavy. "I've been so focused on my own feelings that I didn't consider hers."

Harper took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "She's hurting, and I made it worse. I need to be better. I need to show her that I care, not just say it."

She reached for her phone, determined to call Ava back and apologize. But just as she was about to dial, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was the girl she thought about.

Harper hesitated for a moment before answering. "Ava?"

"Harper, I'm sorry," girl's voice was soft, filled with regret. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like this. It's just...hard to erase my previous perception of your intention...you know."

"No, Ava, I'm the one who should apologize," she said with a nervous voice. "Your thoughts are absolutely valid after everything that happened... I'm really sorry. I don't know why I'm so angry. I feel like I lose control of my emotions... and I... I don't know how to fix things." Her voice cracked.