Amazing Grace

Chapter 3

I clutch my blue lunch tray carrying mysterious meat and look frantically at the chaos that stood before me, the cafeteria. There was both indoor and outdoor seating, and Eden texted me that she and her friends usually always sit outside. I scoured the lunch tables searching for a blond-haired math geek and her friends. Finally, I stumbled upon a group of girls sitting on a picnic blanket away from all the tables.

"Grace! Come on over!" Eden flags me down waving her arms in the air.

I walk over a bit nervous, Eden squeals as I approach.

"Everybody...this is Grace, she is a new transfer from South Carolina!" Eden smiled brightly.

I am technically from San Francisco, but Eden was so excited to introduce me that I didn't have the heart to correct her.

"Hey, Grace! I'm Carrie nice to meet you!" I smiled at the girl with bright pink hair who discreetly tucked her vape into the waistband of her skirt as she greeted me.

I pan over to look at the girl next to Carrie, she opens her mouth to say hello but was cut off by Carrie

"Oh! And this is Aria haha, anyways what is South Carolina like, or your old school at least, we wanna know everything about you. Or how did you get here? Did you just move for fun, did your parents separate or what? Aria's dad left when she was little so she and her mom had to move here and that's how we met Aria. But like I said we wanna know about you so what's your story? And if your stories are interesting enough I can write about it in the school paper!"

You'll have to excuse Carrie, she can get stuck in journalist mode, but we are excited to get to know you. I'm Aria, by the way, the one with the absent father."

"Wow erm nice to meet you guys. I promise my last school wasn't that interesting. I'm really only here because my older sister goes to college around here and my parents wanted to follow her."

"That is the perfect story! Ugh, can't wait to write about this!"

"Of course, it's the "perfect story", it's the only story you've been able to find after two weeks, now can you please stop using the new girl for writing content. It's not Grace's responsibility to help you meet your deadline."

I shouldn't have wished so hard that these girls wouldn't be in a bible cult, because it's starting to look like the opposite which could be dangerous for me.

"So on a more important note, are you going to the bonfire on Friday night? It's a great way to meet guys from the boy's campus" she nudged at me. "You are single right?"

"Yes, I am" I responded

"Thank God! Because we have tragically lost Carrie to Jack and don't get me wrong they're cute and all but sometimes they make me want to vomit so it'll be nice to not be the only single gal in this group."

"Oh stop it Aria you love us. But Grace, I can't wait for you to meet Jack. He is literally not my type at all but I think that's why it works. We actually met at the bonfire last year while I was throwing up in the bushes and he grabbed my hair for me, it was so adorable but we didn't start dating until like 4 months ago because I was in my slut era but I'm over that now."

"Wow, he sounds great." I said while forcing a little extra enthusiasm into my voice.

"Also he always has weed which is a plus. Do you smoke?"

"I do"

"Amazing, you'll fit right in"

Aria butt in "What she means is, 'Amazing, I can stop hiding my vape in my skirt now'"

We all laughed.

"Oh guys! Sorry to do this again but can everyone bring their bibles to the bonfire? I already asked the boys." Eden asked.

The group groaned in discontentment like they had done this a million times before.

"Eden you already get straight A's, when will your parents give you a break," said Aria.

"I'm confused," I chimed in.

"I should explain," Eden responded. "My parents would send me to the gates of hell if they found out what happens at these hangouts, so I have convinced them that all of my friends and I are in a bible study group so whenever I go out, I'm going to bible study. On the off chance, we see them around it's always good to have a bible in hand to keep this narrative alive."

The group got silent, awaiting my reaction. I soon burst into laughter, and everyone else joined in. I did in fact just join a bible study group, only it was fake.