My Church Girl

Chapter 10

It was a quiet Sunday evening when David, asked Harper and Mason go to the grocery store to pick up a few items. His daughter agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to talk to her best friend.

As they walked through the aisles, she recounted to him the events that happened on Friday at church. "After this I couldn't enjoy the rest of the meeting." She concluded, expressing her feelings about Billie's interaction with Ava.

"Why did it bother you so much?" Mason asked curiously, placing the bananas in the cart.

Harper sighed, picking up a box of cereal. "I don't know. I guess... I wanted to hear Ava sing, but not with him. And then she asked me if I wanted to pick a song, but I was too upset to even respond properly."

The boy nodded, understanding, as he grabbed a carton of milk. "Did you talk to her about it?"

"Eventually," the girl said, placing the cereal in the cart. "After the meeting, she asked me if something was wrong, but I remained somewhat reserved—you know how I can be at times."

"Ah, yes. I remember it well," he teased. "Those two weeks in fifth grade when you wouldn't speak to me—just because I sat next to Josh Milligan once instead of you. The wounds still ache."

The girl playfully nudged him. "Betraying my trust back then, and now you're joking about it? Perhaps I should reconsider my forgiveness."

"Oh no, not this again!" He laughed, "but seriously, why do you think you felt that way about Ava?" The boy said, trying to lead his friend to a certain idea. He leaned against the cart, his eyes scanning the green ones. "Was it really just about Ava singing with someone else?"

"What are you implying?" Harper asked in a defensive tone.

"Nothing, just thinking out loud." He said sighing, "what happened next?"

"Next I saw how devastated she was about my reaction and  I apologized. I told her I was angry about the duet with Billie." The girl explained.

"And how did she react?" Mason asked, picking up a bag of apples.

"She was confused about my reaction at first," She admitted, selecting a jar of peanut butter, "Then I...I asked if she liked that stupid boy, but she explained that she was just polite and that her dad would never allow it anyway."

Her best friend smirked as he placed the apples in the cart. "And why do you care if she likes him?"

Mason't words hung in the air, while he studying Harper's face. The fluorescent lights of the grocery store flickered overhead, casting shadows on her green eyes. He felt there was more to this story—something deeper, as he knew his best friend even better that she did herself.

The girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, "Because...He doesn't deserve her, and as a good friend I..."

However, Her best friend cut her short with provocative question, "And who do you think deserves to be with Ava?"

Harper's cheeks flushed a light pink as she looked away, avoiding Mason's gaze. "I don't know," she mumbled, picking up a loaf of bread and placing it in the cart. "Someone who appreciates how amazing she is, I guess."

The boy raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "Like me?"

The green eyes snapped back to his, wide with surprise. "What? You...you like Ava?"

"What if I do?" He asked in amusement.

Harper's heart raced as she processed her friends words. She had never considered that he might have feelings for the girl. "I... I didn't know," she stammered, trying to keep her voice steady.