"Kelsey! You were amazing!" she exclaimed. "It was great and it's not even the end of the two weeks!"
"God was really speaking through you," said Mrs. Lavoie. I smiled. It was like I wasn't talking at all. I just opened my mouth and the words sort of flowed out. I asked Elise if she could watch Dillan for a few minutes and she agreed. I walked out of the auditorium and down the halls. I wave of memory washed over me. It was exactly as I remembered it; the occasional couple making out in the hall, a few shady characters dealing drugs in the open, people copying homework for their next class. No one saw me or paid attention to me really, until I ran into someone else.
"Kelsey?" she asked excitedly. I answered yes. "I- I'm Katerine. I'm a Christian also, and I've been praying for you everyday for the past two and a half years… It started just by asking God to show you the way but I never thought He would actually answer them! This is amazing…"
"Thank you … I had no idea. Really, thank you."
"Well, I totally believe in the power of prayer now. If you can get saved, then anyone can." She smiled. "Even if I didn't know you… God still used me." She gave me her number and asked to keep in touch.
Then I met someone else who had also been praying for me. He told me that he had started right after he found out that I was going to Africa. He gave me a good Bible verse and was off. Then there must have been twelve other kids who came up to me and said that they were going to go to the end-of-two-week-retreat/worship-night! Then, there were my friends. I had tried to take an alternate route just to avoid them but it didn't work.
Landon laughed in my face. "So you've become a religious freak huh?"
"When is your nun application coming in?" Ana said more to the others than to me. She always did make the worst jokes…
Then Chris asked more sincerely than others, "Why did you do this? You made it without you God before. All of the sudden because you didn't have the balls to abort it, you have yourself a kid. Religion is just a crutch. We used to say that, remember? Or have you lost your memory as well as your touch with reality?"
I was shaken. These were my friends or I thought they were my friends. "That was the biggest load of (vulgar word) I've ever heard," added Lisa talking about my speech.
"Now, now guys. Kelsey doesn't really mean all of that! She's only doing it so that the religious old fogy will let her stay in her house. Tell them, Kelsey," Kirt said. I looked at Kirt. I shuddered at the memory of the stuff we did toogether. I hated myself for all the things I had done to myself and to him. They all looked at me, expecting the old Kelsey to spring back into action.
"Of course! What'd you guys think, I went to Africa and come back all religious and everything? Come on. It's still me, Kelsey! Who's got a joint on them?" I would have said... if I didn't have God on my side. If it wasn't God giving me strength at that very moment, I would have gone off with Kirt to make out in a dark corner like we always did. Instead I said, "No. I really believe what I just told you." They stared. "Come on. You know me. I wouldn't believe in something if I wasn't one hundred percent sure it was real!"
"I don't believe this. You're really gone aren't you?" Landon said.
"I'm not gone! I'm right here. It's the opposite. I feel better, than any drug ever made me feel."
"Man, I'm not taking this crap from you," Ana said and walked off with Landon.
Lisa looked at me for a long while and searched my eyes. "Where are you? You're not the same."
"I'm… I'm not the same, Lis. I'm better."
"Sorry, Kels. It was fun, but… I can't stand goody two shoes," she let out a short sigh. "You used to know that."
She left with the others and only Chris remained. "Don't try to convince me into anything alright! I'm still your friend, but don't even say the name God, Jesus, angel, saint, demon, heaven, hell or any of that crap. Alright?"
"You might change your mind between now and a few days. The two weeks will be up soon…" I replied.
"I know I won't. I'll even pay you a hundred dollars, if I do. You know what? I'll pay you two hundred dollars if I get saved. Deal?"
"I don't make bets anymore," I said flatly but then grinned. "Fine, I won't talk about God until you ask about Him."