17

When Nia left the break room, she was surprised by the quiet. All the hustle and bustle had gone. And so had Lucy. The dishes were neatly stacked and waiting for the next meal. She walked out to the dining room expecting to see Tanya, but she wasn’t there. A few people sat at a table reading. She went over to them. “I’m looking for the person I came with. Her name is Tanya.”

Looking up from the book, one of the guys said, “Yeah, she told me to tell you she’d be in her car waiting. She didn’t sound all that happy about it.”

“Oh. Thanks.” When she got to the car, she slid into the passenger side.

“What were you doing in there? I’ve been waiting for over an hour.” Tanya glared at Nia as she turned the key.

“An hour? Really?”

“Yeeesss. We only had to be there for two hours and we were there for three. And they wouldn’t let me in that room, so I couldn’t even tell you it was time to go. They wouldn’t tell me what you and Sunny were even doing. What were you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, “nothing took two hours. I saw you go in.” She gave Nia a look. “Were the two of you having sex?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh, poor you.”

Nia rolled her eyes. “That’s a matter of opinion.” Look at what had happened because Keisha had decided having sex would be a good idea. Her good idea had ruined her chance at college—at least for now.

Tanya signaled and merged onto the highway. “Then what were you doing in there for two hours?”

“I already told you. Nothing.” She hated being dishonest. “Just talking.”

Tanya stared at her. “I don’t think so.”

Nia shrugged. “Think what you want.”

When they were back on campus, Tanya parked the car in the student area. “I don’t know about you, but I need a nap so I can go out and have some fun tonight. Want to come with us? We’re checking out Gatlinburg and their famous pancake houses.”

Nia shook her head. “No, thanks.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I appreciate you asking, but I need to get some studying done.” Especially since she’d be seeing Sunny again tomorrow. “But I think I’ll take a walk first.”

“Boring.”

Nia gave a half-wave as she walked in the opposite direction. She’d had enough of Tanya for one day. She immediately regretted the mean thought. It wasn’t Tanya’s fault Nia was aggravated. And she’d been nice enough to drive her to Helping Hands.

Nia didn’t like keeping secrets. It felt dishonest and somehow…wrong. Why would Sunny want her to hide what they were doing? But Nia suspected Sunny might be right. If she told Tanya the truth, she’d somehow find a way to turn it against her. Just the way Keisha had.

Her gaze fell on the campus chapel. Perfect. That was exactly what she needed. Some quiet time with God. Auntie had taught her over the years to talk with God about all sorts of things. She’d tell Nia, ‘Take it to God and then listen.’

And this seemed like one of those times.

If Sunny was telling Nia the truth, it could change her life. But it felt wrong. It probably had something to do with keeping it a secret. On the other hand, anything that could help her access her gift of healing had to be a good thing.

When she opened the chapel door, people were at the front of the sanctuary singing. Were they practicing for Sunday service? She backed out and began to close the door.

One of the guys on stage motioned for her. “Don’t leave. Come on in.”

She smiled but waved him off as she stepped back out.

“No. No. I mean it.” He leapt from the stage and jogged toward her, his brown ponytail bobbing behind him. The group kept singing, but several heads turned her way.

Nia held up her hand. “That’s OK. I don’t want to interrupt.”

“You aren’t an interruption.” He moved closer so he wouldn’t have to yell. It was hard not to notice his sweet smile and his amazing blue eyes. Really amazing. “This is Friday Night Worship for those of us who don’t like to go out and party. And we love seeing new faces. Especially pretty ones.”

Her cheeks warmed.

He took hold of her hand. “Come on in and sing with us. Don’t you like to sing?”

She was very aware of him holding her hand. “Sure, but—”

“Good.” He grinned as he led her up front. He motioned for her to sit in a pew.

She did, hoping not to cause any more disruptions.

He jumped back on stage. The boy sure had a lot of energy. “I know I said that was the last song, but maybe we should do at least one more so our new guest can sing one with us. What do you say?”

So much for trying to be inconspicuous. There were cheers and shouts. Someone behind her patted on her shoulder. The band started playing. She didn’t know the words but listened to the message of the song. It was about God being a good Father—and that He was. Nia had never known her own father, but any time she felt bad about that, she’d go to God. And He was always there waiting for her.

Her gaze was drawn to the guy on the stage. He was medium height and his brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. But it was his blue eyes that transfixed her. Even from where she sat, she could see the twinkle in them.

When the song ended, he grabbed the microphone from its stand and then sat down on the edge of the stage. The other singers and musicians walked down the steps. One of them sat down beside her—an African-American girl. She leaned toward Nia. “Hi. I’m glad you stayed.”

“Thanks.”

“Wow. That was great worship, don’t you think?” The guy on the stage exclaimed. A spatter of applause around the room showed that most were in agreement with him. “There’s nothing better than singing and praising God with friends. Especially new ones.” He smiled at Nia. ”I’m Bart Simpson. Yes, like the cartoon character, and you are?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“I’m Nia. Nia Johnson.”

“Great. Glad you found us, Nia. This is our Fellowship Friday Time. We also have a Wednesday Worship. On Wednesday’s we do some singing and praying. Friday, we sing and then just hang out together. So, do you sing or make music?”

“Actually, I play the guitar.”

“Awesome.” Bart clapped his hands. “We could use another guitar player. Want to join us?”

Her first reaction was to say no. How would she fit Wednesdays and Fridays into her study schedule? Not to mention her time with Sunny. “Ah, maybe in a few weeks. I’m super busy right now, but after that, it’s a definite maybe.”

“Did you hear that? Nia is a definite maybe.” Bart grinned. “There are snacks waiting in the fellowship hall, people. Don’t let them go to waste.”

People started making their way to the back of the chapel. The girl beside her stood and touched her arm. “You picked a good day to come, Nia. I’m Donita. Glad to have another sister here with me.”

Bart walked up to her. “Hey Definite Maybe, I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much. I sometimes get a bit carried away, but when I saw you were leaving, I just…well the truth is, I didn’t want you to leave without finding out your name.”

Her cheeks warmed—again. She smiled. “No problem.”

“Obviously you weren’t coming in to sing with us.”

“I just came in to pray.”

“Praying is a very good thing to do.”

She smiled. “I agree.”

“Maybe I can help. I don’t want to brag, but I am a senior and spiritual counseling is my minor.”

“And your major?”

“Theology. I want to be a preacher.”

“Cool.”

“Thanks. So can I help you with anything? Want to talk about it?”

Sunny’s words came back to her. Don’t tell anyone. “No, that’s OK. I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing, but I wanted to pray about it. Make sure it’s what God wants me to do.”

He shrugged. “If you change your mind, let me know. You already met Donita.”

Donita gave a little wave.

“Are you a freshman?” Nia asked the smiling girl.

“I’m a sophomore, but I remember how hard it was to be a freshman, so I’m here for you, girlfriend.”

Nia’s eyes filled with tears. She sure missed Keisha, but it was good to hear those words. “Thanks.”

“If you see me in the dining hall, you make sure to come sit with me.”

“I’ll do that.”

Bart had wandered off during her conversation with Donita. Too bad, but she wouldn’t make a pest of herself. And besides he probably had a girlfriend. As cute and outgoing as he was, how could he not? She made her way out of the chapel.

“Hey, Nia,” someone called.

She looked back and couldn’t help but smile. Bart was jogging toward her. Did he ever just walk somewhere?

“I can’t believe you were sneaking away from me.”

She laughed. “I wasn’t sneaking away. I was walking.”

“It looked a lot like sneaking to me. Anyway…I’m really glad you showed up tonight. And I was serious. We’d love to have another guitar player. Do you sing, too?”

“Some.” A part of her wanted to tell him about her songwriting but it felt like bragging so she kept it to herself.

“Great. So I can count on you for Wednesday.”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to see what my schedule looks like. I really am busy right now.”

“Oh, another one of those definite maybes. You don’t like to commit, do you?” Bart’s arms moved theatrically. “The girl has to check her schedule.”

She laughed.

“I’m glad you get my sense of humor.”

“Is your name really Bart Simpson, like the cartoon character?”

“Oh, yes, it is. My Dad had the name before the cartoon. I was named after him. Of course, now it’s a great way for people not to forget my name. At least that’s what Mom says.”

Nia grinned. “I guess she’s right. I’m not very good at names, but I’ll probably remember yours.”

“Yeah, gotta love the mom, right?”

Nia nodded even though her own mom was a no-show in her life. But Auntie was more than enough. For all practical purposes, Auntie was her mother.

“Ah…look, the real reason I chased you down is I wanted to see if you wanted to go see a movie with me tomorrow night.”

A date? Nia had never been on a date before. It wasn’t something she’d been interested in. Until now. “You’re white.”

He grinned. “And you’re not. Is that a problem for you?”

She felt a little uncomfortable, unsure if it was because he was white, or just because he was a guy. Auntie had told her college was a time to try new things. She took a deep breath. “I…uh…I guess not.”

“Great so are we on for tomorrow night?”

“Sure. Why not?”

***

Tanya stood on the steps waiting for her new friends. Finally, a car pulled up and a boy rolled down the window. “Hurry up, Tanya. Daylight’s a burning.”

“I’m not the one who’s late. I’ve been out here waiting for fifteen minutes.” She ran to the car, opened the back door, and smiled at the other two girls. They were packed in like sardines. “Hey, I’m Tanya.”

The girl closest to her said, “I’m Bobbie and this is Lily.”

“Let’s get moving,” Donnie yelled. “Can’t wait to get off grounds.”

Lily pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “Tell me about it. It’s practically like a prison here. I can’t believe my parents are making me come here.”

Tanya understood that. “There are too many rules, if you ask me.”

“Yeah, including no smoking.” The girl offered the pack to her.

“No, thanks.”

Bobbie groaned and then asked, “Oh, no. Did we make a mistake?”

The boys in the front laughed.

“What do you mean?”

“We thought you were like us. Not one of the geeks but someone who likes to have fun.” Bobbie opened her purse and pulled out a bottle of rum.

Tanya’s heart raced as she stared at the rum. “I’m not like them. I like to have fun. I’m just trying to quit smoking. ’Cause it’s so hard when you can’t smoke on campus. Oh, well, I can try again tomorrow.” She reached for the pack.

Bobbie handed it to her.

“I thought we were going for pancakes.”

Lily shrugged. “That was a euphemism. But we can take you back to the dorm if you don’t want to hang with us. We don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Tanya stared at the bottle. It had been more than three months since she’d had a drink. Alcohol wasn’t good for her. It always made her do things she regretted. She’d come to terms with that.

“Well.” Bobbie’s tone wasn’t happy. “What do you want to do?”

One little drink wouldn’t hurt. She reached for the bottle.

****

Tanya opened her eyes. Where was she? She looked around as she moved to a sitting position on the ground. Why was she here? She’d needed some fresh air, and they’d dropped her off at her dorm. But she’d gotten sick. She must have thrown up and fell asleep on the lawn. She sure hadn’t meant to drink that much. She looked at her watch: 3:10 AM.

Wow! She must have passed out. But so what? She’d been having a good time with her new friends. It was good to know not everyone at St. John’s was a Jesus freak. Like Nia. There were some normal kids who liked to do normal things—like party.

So tired. She closed her eyes for a moment, then she’d go back to her… Tanya opened her eyes again. Her watch now read four thirty. She definitely needed to get back to her room, so she didn’t get in trouble. If they found her passed out on the grass, they’d probably call her parents.

She grabbed her purse and stood, but her knee gave way, and she fell to the ground. Her stomach rolled and then… She actually felt better when she finished barfing. She must look a mess. Oh, well, no one would see her. If she could just sneak in without getting caught by the RA, everything would be fine. The fresh air cleared her head as she stumbled toward the dorm. Her stomach felt queasy once again. She grabbed onto a bench and bent over. This was horrible. She was never drinking again.

She laughed out loud. Who was she kidding?