Hope And Faith ✓

21. Hope

Author: What's one thing that has always kept you going when things were tough?

Faith: Remember that nothing lasts forever and that karma is more real than anything else.

~Faith Jennings.

••

It was exactly 3:16 pm. I could still remember how bright the blue sky was. I could still remember how I had avoided my parents the day before.

It all changed when my phone has buzzed.

It was a private message from a number that had not been saved to my phone. I could remember the way my eyebrows furrowed as I tapped on the message. I could clearly remember how Garrett's phone that was laying next to me on the couch of the living room had buzzed at the same time. I didn't pay any mind to it of course especially when I saw it was from a classmate of his.

When I opened the message it was a picture. A girl with long slick black hair that was pulled in a high ponytail stood in front of art in a museum. Her eyes had been closed shut from how widely she had been smiling and her dimples looked cute on her pale skin.

I would have guessed it was the wrong number if I had not seen the message that came with it.

And the person that was beside her. It was Faith. She had a carefree smile on her and had her backpack lazily flung over her shoulder. She had her arm around the girl and I stopped for a moment, unsure of what was going on.

Petition for Abella Bao Ling Johansson to get justice.

I had searched the web the moment I saw it and the answers had not left me satisfied nor happy. I needed to talk to Faith and I needed to do it fast.

••

The opportunity to talk to Faith never came.

It was like she knew exactly what I knew and was avoiding me like a plague. It was like she had disappeared, she did not answer my calls. Or texts or anything. And the few times I had the opportunity to run into her brother Aiden he was either busy with his friends or easily escaping from me.

I tried to hide frustration as I grabbed my steaming cup of coffee eagerly getting out of the line.

It was slowly all making sense. The way no one in town knew a Faith Jennings existed or why she was always so alone.

I was not sure why I was wasting any time on her, I mean I shouldn't. I had enough on my hands already and Faith was not helping my case.

When Jacob had left it was like Faith was no longer had anyone to pour her anger on so she turned to me.

She opened her mouth to say something but the guy beside her kept a hand on her shoulder.

He chuckled softly. "If you're going to give her a lecture at least wait until she looks less scared, I'm Aiden by the way, Faith's brother,"

Brother eh?

I smiled warmly still nervous at the death glare Faith had fixed directly at me. "I'm Hope, thanks again for handling. . . that," he just smiled while Faith huffed, looking annoyed and frustrated.