Saved Myself {Riarkle}

Chapter 5

I walk in and sit down as if nothing has changed. Maybe if I just pretend that this hasn't affected me everything will be fine.

Of course that just doesn't work.

As the rest of the class begins to file in, Maya looks at me for a long moment, but then takes her seat without a word.

"Today's lesson is about acceptance. Specifically the acceptance of religion," my dad says, "Here in our wonderful country we have the freedom of religion. But why is that?"

My dad pauses to glance around the room at everyone before calling on Lucas.

He clears his throat. "Our founding fathers gave it to us, sir."

Mr. Matthews nods in agreement. "That's right. But why did they give it to us? Riley?"

I look up at my dad and reply with, "Because where they came from they didn't have that choice. They had only one option for their religion by law."

"Yes," my father exclaims while going back to the board, "Now even though it all worked out for not just the world, but especially us Americans that England wasn't so accepting, wouldn't it have been better if they had been accepting?"

He pauses.

"Think about it like this: some people don't like that they don't have freedom, so they move away. Then other people realize that they don't have freedom and that they will never have freedom so they go too. If England had just accepted that maybe it's alright to believe in what you want to, then they would've kept many more of their citizens and stayed in a higher position of power."

My dad writes ACCEPTANCE on the board big enough for everyone to see.

"Of course we'll never really know what could've been since what happened is already chiseled in stone."

I look down and start to doodle in my notebook since I know that my dad is clearly aiming this lesson at Maya and I.

"Now I want you to all read pages 157 to 163 for homework. Go ahead and get a head start now, and please keep this lesson in mind. It's something that's important for life."

I pull out my book and get started on the reading even though I can feel both my dad's and Mays's stare on me.

I try to focus on the words, but I can't with what my father told my still reverberating in my skull. It's as if I'm feeling guilty when I have little to be guilty of. Okay maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but still. I'm not going to apologize for doing something that Maya did to me when I didn't get mad at her for it.

The bell rang and I started to put my stuff away when Maya and the guys come up to me.

Maya takes a deep breath than says, "Can you please come to Topanga's after school? I think we should talk."

I look at all of them trying to figure out what I should do. I mean it's not like I really want to throw my whole friendship with Maya away.

"Fine, but I'm bringing Farkle."

She makes a sour face, but quickly recovers with a small smile. "Okay thanks. See you later."

They then all walk out and I grab my stuff with a sigh. I can't believe I agreed to this. More importantly I have to drag Farkle into this too.

Things can't get worse.