loving you can make Jesus cry

temptation

1 Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Fourth was sharing a small apartment with a boy named Gemini Norawit. He hadn't seen him, of course. Perhaps this Gemini guy would come just before classes started. He hoped that they would get along well. That Gemini was a good guy and won't lead him astray like his father is worried about.

He had already unpacked and went to the market to buy groceries for the week so that he could do the week's meal prep. In doing so, it would not only save him money but time so he could focus his time on important things like studying and getting to know people and maybe make friends. He wasn't in his hometown anymore, so most of his peers won't automatically dislike him because none of them were compared to Fourth by the aunties and uncles at church or by the teachers at school.

When he came from the market, both hands ladden with grocery bags. He found his roommate there, sitting together with two other boys.

"Hi- hello." Fourth said, hurrying up to put the grocery bags on the kitchen counter.

"Hey! You must be my roommate." The boy with the pretty smile said, "I am Gemini, you can call me Gem. Everyone does, and this is my friends, Mark and Prom."

"Hi." Fourth said again, "I am Fourth."

"What you got there? Did you get beer?" The one named Mark asked.

"No. It's groceries for this weeks meal prep." Fourth replied and then added,"I don't drink."

"Like at all?" Mark asked, and Fourth nodded. "Why?" Mark asked, head tilted to the side.

"Because a person should not get drunk on wine as it leads to debauchery but must instead be filled with the spirit." Fourth replied. The other three boys in the room blinked at him several times, silently.

"Oh my god! You are one of those religious freaks." The one named Prom exclaimed, "this is hilarious."

"Shut up asshole! Don't be rude." Gemini said, kicking his friend in the shin, "I am sorry about him. He was raised in a barn." Gemini said to him, giving a small sympathetic smile.

"It's fine." Fourth said, giving a tight-lipped smile.

"Hey, look, I am sorry. I didn't mean it in like a bad way or a way that's offensive to you in particular. It's just that Gem here is an atheist, so I just found it funny that you two are roommates." Prom explained, but it didn't sound any better because he had literally called him a freak.

"I see. Well, everyone has the right to their own beliefs or lack thereof." Fourth said, his gazing trailing towards Gemini.

"That's right. I hope we'll be able to get along fine together, right?" Gemini said, giving a smile too wide and toothy.

"I hope so." Fourth said in response, "if you'll excuse me." He said as politely as he could. Fourth was a polite good boy. It didn't matter that Gemini was an atheist. Maybe just maybe his influence could make the boy see the light and turn to God.

Gemini had apologized to him once again once his friends left. He had told him that Prom could be an asshole but he was a good guy. He just didn't watch what he says most of the time. Fourth had dismissed him and told Gemini that he wasn't offended nor was he ashamed of his faith. In response, Gemini had raised an eyebrow at him and muttered an "I see."

Gemini was a good roommate. He wasn't loud, he wasn't messy and most of the time he wasn't home and when he was home he kept to himself. Gemini would always politely greet him and just leave Fourth to be. It wasn't what Fourth had expected. It wasn't what his father or the priest had told him about atheist. Gemini wasn't trying to convince him that God wasn't real. He wasn't trying to lead him astray. He let him be. Fourth didn't know how to feel like.