There Must Be Something More

28 | Supernatural

"I've been thinking about it for days now," Samuel said as soon as we were alone in the schoolyard. People passed by, some stopped to stare, probably wondering why the school president and the baseball star were talking. Some girls waved at me. Some kids from the Math Club said hi to Samuel.

"Thinking about what?" I asked Samuel.

"That certain day in the infirmary. You know, with Meredith. And then you barged in."

"Oh, yeah," I said. It was coming back to me now.

"You know what? After she declared some kind of prayer to me, when I got home, the pain and bruise was completely gone."

I raised my eyebrows in conflicting surprise.

"Like, completely gone!" He added. He rolled up his jacket sleeve and showed me his all-well arm. "I wanted to tell my parents or family about it, but I was afraid they won't believe and they'd think I'm becoming all religious. I... I was kinda ashamed. And I can't suddenly just approach Meredith. People might say stuff. But I know I can tell you, Charlie. You were there too!"

I grinned. I studied his arm. "Amazing. That's... wow. God is amazing."

Samuel broke out into a nervous chuckle. "I thought I was the only one! Oh, gosh!"

"We have to tell Meredith," I said excitedly.

"You guys know each other?"

"We're actually best friends now."

Samuel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Okay... so you're the guy everyone's been talking about. You're Mr. Meredith."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Mr. Meredith?"

"Yeah, everyone's saying you guys are the new couple in town."

I stared at him some more. "We're not dating! Besides, she won't date till God says so."

He smiled. "So you're waiting till God tells her it's you?"

I blushed. I shook my head. "No way. Meredith's my good friend. Just a friend. Besides, just because a girl and a boy hang out a lot, doesn't mean it's something romantic or something. And we don't hang out because of something meaningless. We started hanging out when I got interested in her faith."

Samuel's look changed. "You got interested in her faith? Whoa, me too."

I grinned. "Really?"

"Actually... that's why I wantes to talk to you too. I wanted someone with me when I tell Meredith how effective her faith was. How real it is."

"That's great!" I said. "Let's go see her!"

Meredith was cradling her books, skipping her way out the hall. Samuel and I trotted after her. When I called her name, she stopped short and turned around.

"Charlie?" She smiled. Then she saw Samuel. "School president!"

"Hi, Meredith," we both said.

"If you need a ride in my pickup, I'm totally fine with it," she shrugged. "But Grandpa has to know first--"

"We don't need a ride," Samuel said. He stepped up. "Meredith, when you prayed that prayer for my arm, it was kind of shocking, and..."

"It wasn't a prayer. It was a declaration," Meredith interrupted, smiling from ear to ear.

The school president cleared his throat. "Right. Anyway, as soon as I got home that day, the sprain from my arm completely vanished. I checked it. I even did some push-ups, and I did so excellently. It was even stronger than before. Whoever your God is, He's surely as real as you and me."

"Yes, He is!" Meredith said, flailing her arms in the air like riding a roller coaster.

I smiled.

"I've thought about it for days now, and..." Samuel added, "I want to have what you have, Mer. Never caring what people think, but still able to smile and be yourself. I want to believe what you believe. I've never experienced that kind of... happening before. I tried to explain it through science, but I just couldn't find the right hypothesis--"

"Because it's not science," Meredith said. "It's power from on high. It's supernatural."

Samuel blinked several times. He shook his head. "Whoa. Supernatural, huh?"

"Yes," Meredith said. Then she tilted her head, "You guys have anything to do today?"

"Wednesday nights are usually dull," I said.

"Surprisingly, today's the only day I'm totally free as a school president," Samuel said. "Where do you want to take us?"

Meredith grinned, her brown eyes grew were as widespread as her arms before us. "To the happiest place on earth!"

I smiled.

~~~

With every roll onto the asphalt driveway, my fright spread like a disease. It ate me up on the inside. I thought the thrill was going to kill me, until Meredith popped a cassette tape on the stereo.

I listened to it. It was obviously Christian music. It was nice. I've never heard it before, yet I felt like I've wanted to hear it all my life. Yet it moved me inside. Yet it gave me peace.

Until we got to the church.

"Christian Life Chapel," Meredith said. She pulled over. She was the one who offered to drive us. She picked us up from our houses since the service doesn't start until seven, and drove us there. Samuel was as quiet as I was in the back.

I glanced out the window and saw people walking inside the church. They all had bright faces and were interacting with one another.

I was frightened.

"You sure you're going through with this?" I turned to Samuel behind me.

He looked at me just as reluctantly. "Maybe I let my feelings carry me away a while--"

"Don't be silly! We don't bite!" Meredith grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the car. "Samuel, let's go. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Samuel and I exchanged glances and obeyed.

I could hear music from the church. It sounded lively, and not at all like the Catholic church Calum attends every Sunday.

One girl headed our way. She had short, dark hair and black-framed glasses. She waved and grinned at Meredith.

"Mer! So glad to see you!" She said.

"Anna!" Meredith tackled her in a hug. They both giggled and pulled away.

"Hi!" Anna said to me and Samuel.

"Hi," Samuel and I both said sheepishly.

Meredith introduced us. "Anna--Charlie and Samuel. Charlie and Samuel--Hannah." She turned to Anna. "They're my invites."

Anna smiled and spread her arm, showing the path to the entrance. "You're very welcome, first-timers."

Samuel and I stayed close to each other as Meredith led the way inside. She glanced at us and trotted to the front row seats. We were too shy to go, but she insisted we stay there.

And then a guy, probably in his twenties, trotted up front with a microphone.

Meredith turned to me. She was grinning. "It's starting!"