A/N. Well, we all know that Sarah isn't really a Christian. As far as I can tell, she believes everything is god - since she wants to get in touch with nature. But yet it's a thing of the world to call someone a 'saint' just for being outwardly pious or showy in good works.

Anyways...


A Place to Belong

This Chapter is Called: Enter Saint Sarah

It was the next day when they met up with Maxie in the halls trying to get her locker open. Oliver strode up to her. "Allow me" he said smoothly, gave it a few raps and it opened like magic.

"Wow, thanks!" Maxie grinned at him thankfully and went to get her books out. Miley noticed that instead of pictures of celebrities or death metal bands like any normal (or sub-normal) teenager would have on the inside of their locker, hers were covered with words.

"Matthew 13:11, Hebrews 6:12... Bible verses?" she asked her, feeling a little out of place for intruding on her privacy all of a sudden.

"Try to memorize one every week!" Maxie didn't act like she'd intruded though. She just closed up her locker and got ready to walk with her new friends to their first class.

Lilly raised her eyebrows. "Why?" she asked plainly.

"Because of Proverbs 3:4" She kept her grin planted firmly on her face, but Lilly thought it looked a little forced.

"Huh?" Asked Oliver who was slapped yet again by Miley.

"So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man."

"Thou? Oh man..."

Miley rubbed Oliver's shoulder affectionately. "He's having Shakespeare flashbacks. We had to do it in class last year."

"What happened?" Maxie asked with interest.

"Well... he remembered his lines, but he was a little over-dramatic with his death."

Lilly indicated a minuscule amount between her thumb and forefinger. "Just a tad."

"It was supposed to be dramatic. That's why they call it dramatic theater!" Oliver felt he had to defend himself yet again.

"I'm not very good at theater either" Maxie sympathized. "But I've just got to remember that it doesn't matter what people think of me."

Lilly opened her mouth again and Miley cringed, knowing that something painfully embarrassing was probably going to come out and offend her new friend. "What spaceship did you jump out of? It doesn't matter what people think of you? We're teenagers! It ALWAYS matters what people think of us."

"Maybe for you girls" Oliver said smugly, "but us boys don't have to worry about anything."

"That's a given" Lilly smirked at him.

"So Maxie... how about you come over to my place for dinner tonight? My dad used to go to the Southern Baptist church down in the center of town when we lived in Tennessee."

Lilly glowered as Miley asked her this. It took Miley a whole week to ask her for dinner when they first met and now this girl she's known for two whole days gets to come over! That wasn't fair!

Maxie hardly got words of acceptance out of her mouth by the time Lilly whispered to Oliver, "Looks like 'Saint Sarah' is coming our way."

"'Saint' Sarah?"

"Yeah" Miley seemed nervous. "She's just always working hard to try and outdo everyone. Be nicer, more environmentally conscious than everyone. Everyone thinks she's a do-gooder."

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Maxie muttered.

"Huh?" Miley, Oliver and Lilly said at once.

"It's just a verse" Maxie replied sheepishly. "There's always a verse in the Bible for everything. At least that's what I believe."

Lilly rolled her eyes and imagined Miley taking her aside and saying 'we'll be best friends' - they can share their southern Bible-believing hospitality and form their own little clique. "Come on Oliver, let's go to class." Lilly grabbed Oliver's arm and dragged him away from the lockers.

"Hi guys!" Sarah beamed standing in front of Miley and Maxie. "I'm collecting signatures to set free the bees."

"The bees? Don't you eat honey?" Miley raised an eyebrow.

"I don't eat anything that comes from animals."

"Let no thing that God has deemed clean..." Maxie started to mumble almost inaudibly to herself.

"I haven't seen you around" Sarah turned to Maxie. "Welcome to our school."

"Thanks" Maxie grinned back at her, sounding gracious "I haven't been welcomed yet."

"You've been welcomed by me" Miley muttered.

Sarah waved a clipboard and a pen in front of them, "So... signatures?"

Miley groaned and took the pen, scribbling her name. She passed it over to Maxie who declined.

"Don't you believe in animal rights?" Sarah asked her not pushing the issue any harder than taking back her clipboard and pen and asking this one question.

"I believe man has dominion." Maxie said firmly.

Ohhhh boy, thought Miley as Sarah chirped, "suit yourself" and turned her back on them.


Lilly isn't feeling too great about this. Maxie is hardly fitting in at the school. Miley is going to lengths to look good with her new friend. And Oliver... well... he's Oliver.

Spend some time today and pray! God just wants to hear from you! Faith is relying on Him for everything... realizing that His perfect will means that He's looking out for what's best for us.

Put your faith in that right now! Because a man in only as good as the object of his faith.