The Priest And The Demon

Chapter 4

frus·tra·tionfrəˈstrāSH(ə)n/noun

--the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.  

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The bible felt stiff in my hands along with the thin papers that sat between my fingers. I sighed and glanced up to the podium. Damien stood talking about who knows what. I had tuned him out a long time ago. He had talked about the story of Cain and Able. I had become bored and his voice had blurred out.

Miles had taken me here just before the lesson Damien was to give. Miles had to practically drag me up to the front—where Damien wanted me to sit—because I wasn't going to sit through this. I fought against Miles' grip, but it didn't do any good.

So, here I sat. Miles was next to me; to me-- looked as if he was clearly wasn't listening. I nudged him with my elbow. "Are you even listening to this?" I asked quietly.

His eyes darted to me in annoyance, "I was," he replied sharply.

I retreated my arm slowly as he stared at me with small flecks of gold in his eyes reflecting the light. I sulked back into the pew. "Sorry," I muttered.

He shrugged slowly. "I didn't mean to snap at you. . . I'm just tired. Really tired."

I glanced up at him and shot a worried expression as well. I began to notice the dark marks under his grey eyes. They were purple with blue almost. The marks were actually pretty in a way. They reminded me of the dark sunsets we have here.

"You're staring, Rachel." His voice caught me like a hook. "It's just the beauty of what insomnia can do to a person like me. I don't like to sleep, let alone, I can't sleep. You mustn't stare like that. A guy like me might get the wrong idea," he smirked smugly.

I scoffed quietly so I didn't disturb the other children trying to listen behind us. "I didn't realize that it was a real problem for people. I certainly didn't understand that it could impact a man like-"

"Boy," he corrected.

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow at him, my green eyes locked on the 'boy'.

"You were going to call me a man. I am no man," he said in a monotone voice. A small laugh escaped from his plump lips after a ghost of a smile swept over them. "Virgin, Rachel. I am no man just yet."

My eyes narrowed like lightning. "Pervert. What are you referencing to?"

He looked back down to his bible with that same quirky smile. "Oh, nothing, Mon Cher."

Mon Cher : my dear. That was a phrase that no one dared to say in that place. But why? I'm not sure.

Damien stopped his lecture and stared at us. "Is there something you'd like to share?" His eyes darkened and Miles was glaring his way already. The whole church had quieted and you could hear a pin drop-- if you did drop one. My heart sank with Damien's question--we'd been caught. 

Miles smirked. "It's nothing, Damien." 

Damien didn't soften his glare. Instead he just shifted his eyes to me and smiled. "Just don't make a real loud commotion, my love." His smile was fake, that I could tell.

Miles gave another shot of a death glare, "Mon amour. . ." 

Damien returned his eyes to the rest of the church and continued his lesson. I huffed in annoyance. "I was just saying that I didn't think that insomnia could affect a 'boy' like you."