Set Free

Set Free Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

  Several hours later, I checked the time on my cell phone. It was 6:45 pm.

  "Whoa, time to leave already." I said to myself, "I guess I'll eat when I get home."

  I got to the church and raced up the steps carrying the purple Bible I hadn't touched since Justin had died.

  "Hey." someone said.

  "Hi." I said back after I'd turned to see a man who looked to be in his late twenties with blue eyes that were hidden by glasses.

  "I'm John, the youth pastor here. What's your name?" asked the man, who was smiling in a comfortable way.

  "I'm Amber. Nice to meet you, John." I said and smiled back.

  I felt welcome already. Maybe church wasn't such a bad and boring place after all. It would be better if it weren't always full of people trying to shove the words, 'You need to change', down my throat all the freaking time though.

  "I'll show you the way to the youth room." he offered, gesturing the way with his hand.

  "Thanks." I replied.

  John smiled again and led me back to the youth room, where loud voices that belonged to teenagers came from. The room itself was quite large with many chairs facing a small stage that sported a podium and a microphone.

  John left me to find a seat and walked up to the podium, picking up the Bible on top of it and adjusting the microphone in preparation.

  Now came the real problem for md. I didn't know anybody here, but I'd just conveniently expected that that wouldn't be such a problem since I knew that this was also Nick's church.

  But I was wrong.

I was disappointed immediately to spot Nick being flanked by two very pretty and popular girls: Justice and Mandy. And, as if somehow knowing that I'd arrived, Justice turned around and looked at me. I knew to her, I must look like some kind of lost puppy. Maybe she'd notice and invite me over?

Then, she winked at me, and turned back around. And suddenly, I knew I'd been right about her true self. So I decided to steer clear and sit somewhere else because, well, I wasn't about to get caught up in that mess.

I instead moved to a chair in the back row, feeling rejected and stupid for assuming something that turned out to be completely wrong. Of course Nick was popular with girls....he was amazing. But why Justice and Mandy? They were completely wrong for him, and I knew it. But still, he was with them, and not me. And to my eyes, he seemed happy. So I resolved to childishly staring daggers into the backs of Justice and Mandy, wishing I was them.

I absolutely hated this feeling. I always had. I hadn't felt it in the longest time, in fact, I couldn't even remember the last time I had felt like this. It was an ugly green-eyed monster, looming over me. No, not Justin, who'd stolen my heart and hid it away for so long. It's besides the point, I know, but, Justin had NOT been ugly.

The name of this monster was Jealousy.