FAITH & HOPE 40

FAITH By Saturday evening, Faith was willing and ready to go out and be social for the night. All she needed was some alcohol in her system. Sebastian sat on her bed, watching her as she titled the bottle of Vodka to her lips. She made a face and grabbed for the can of Soda that sat on the dresser beside her. Hope had a point - alcohol was used as a reliant. But Faith didn’t care. She loved alcohol in her body she could let loose and not care what anyone thought. Alcohol was good. Alcohol was fun. Sebastian took a swig from the bottle, then handed it back to her. ‘Whose party did you say this was again?’ ‘Some guy named Elton,’ Faith said, ‘I mean Luke. I think.’ ‘You Don’t even know?’ ‘He’s Hope’s friend, not mine.’ ‘And you’re sure we’re good to go?’ ‘Of course. We’re always Good.’ They found the house with ease. It was the only one on the street with music blaring and teenagers pilling out the front door. Faith stayed close to Sebastian and held his hand in hers. My crutch, she thought to herself. But I no longer need a crutch. The moment they walked through the front door, Faith immediately felt a comfortable sense of familiarity. Since she had arrived in Willows, it was at though everything had been foreign to her. The quietness. The churches. The quaintness of it all. But walking into the house party sparked something inside of her. She was in her element. She felt like she belonged. Faith instantly made her way to the kitchen and began filing a red solo - cup with Fruit punch. People were scattered around the house, sitting on the sofa, playing drinking games. More people were gathered out back around the bonfire. She smiled to herself as she surveyed her environment. This was perfect. ‘Faith!’ she heard that familiar voice and turned around. ‘Hope, hey! And Matthew, hello.’ ‘When did you get here?’ Hope asked her. ‘Just a few minutes ago. You?’ ‘We just arrived,’ Hope smiled. ‘Where’s Sebastian?’ ‘Uh,’ Faith looked around. ‘He was just here, I don’t know where he went.’ Hope laughed. ‘Been here not even five minutes and you’re already losing your boyfriend.’ ‘Well I hope you find him soon,’ Matthew said. ‘I’ve been looking forward to meeting him.’ Hope and Faith exchanged a quick glance, as though some secret was passing between them that only the two were aware of. They both burst into laughter. The night progressed in a way that made Faith feel content. The music was loud, the people were louder and she had Hope by her side. They were sitting on a log in the backyard, surrounding the bonfire. One of the boys was playing a guitar and everyone was singing along, Faith was clutching a beer in her hand, feeling the heat from the flames warm her skin. She could feel Hope’s presence beside her, their knees almost touching. Albeit, Matthew was on one side, and Sebastian was on the other. But regardless, Faith still felt sensational. It was as though in that moment, all of her problems subsided. Everything was okay and nothing else seemed to matter. ‘I need to pee,’ Hope muttered. Faith turned to her and was brought back to the current moment. The flames, the alcohol, the singing. ‘Me too,’ Faith said, and then they were standing, telling their boyfriends they’d be back momentarily and heading into the house. Faith didn’t know where she was going, but Hope seemed to know her way around, so she followed. Hope bypassed the crowds of people, took a left and found the bathroom. The door was closed. Hope knocked twice, but someone was in there. ‘Come on,’ Hope said. ‘This way.’ She turned around the corner, then headed up the narrow staircase. ‘Where are we going?’ Faith asked. ‘Bathroom. Upstairs,’ Hope said. ‘It’s less busy. And cleaner.’ They walked to the end of the hallway and found the bathroom. Hope was right - this one was clean. And it was empty. They walked inside and closed the door. Faith fixed her hair in the mirror as Hope peed, and then they switched. Faith sat on the toilet feeling unsteady as she stared at the bathtub in front of her. Everything seemed to be spinning and she couldn’t remember the exact amount of alcohol she had consumed. ‘Are you okay?’ Hope asked, noticing Faith’s blank stare. ‘Mhmmm,’ Faith said. She took a moment before she wiped and stood up, then washed her hands in the sink and splashed some water on her face. The bathroom was a decent size, but still, quite small. When she turned around, Hope was in her face. ‘Sorry,’ Hope said, trying to sidestep Faith, but not succeeding, their faces only mere inches from each other. It was quiet for a moment, neither one of them moving. Faith stepped forward, her hands moving swiftly to Hope’s face as she pressed her lips to hers. They tasted like strawberry bubble gum. Hope kissed her back, hard. Faith took a step backwards until she was pressed up against the sink, Hope’s hands in her hair. It felt so good, feeling suffocated and free simultaneously. Hidden away in the seclusion of the upstairs bathroom where no one would find them, letting their true feelings out of the box without fear or hesitation. This was what she wanted, Faith thought to herself. She may have always been with boys in the past, but right now, the only thing in the world that she wanted was this girl. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and the handle was twisting. They quickly pulled apart just in time for the door to open and Sebastian to walk in. ‘You okay?’ he said, looking at Faith. Hope was still standing extremely close to Faith, Suspiciously close. ‘No,’ Faith said quickly, feeling as though she’d been caught red - handed. The only things she could think to do to cause some sort of distraction was to collapse into Hope’s arms. Hope understood what Faith was trying to convey. ‘She’s not feeling well, Sebastian,’ Hope explained. ‘I think she should go home.’ ‘Come here,’ He stepped closer and took his girlfriend into his arms. ‘Babe, you good?’ She felt herself in Sebastian’s grasp and opened her eyes slightly. ‘Seb?’ she muttered, trying to pretend as though she was gaining consciousness. ‘Too much to drink?’ he laughed. ‘Mhmmm,’ she nodded, then closed her eyes again. ‘I’ll take her home,’ he said to Hope. ‘Okay,’ Hope fiddled with her fingers, unsure of what to do, before finally finding her feet and moving towards the door. ‘Thanks again,’ he said just as she was almost gone. Hope looked at him. ‘For what?’ ‘Looking after her. Thank you.’ ‘Of course,’ Hope nodded, and then she left. She was laying in her bed, a cool cloth on her head and a glass of water on the nightstand. Sebastian took off his watch, placed it on the dresser, then slid into bed next to her. ‘Still dizzy?’ he asked, rubbing the back of his fingers on her cheek. ‘Yes, Everything is spinning.’ ‘It’s a good thing I found you when I did.’ ‘My knight in shining armour.’ Sebastian paused a moment. ‘And it’s a good thing that Hope was there too,’ he said. ‘To catch you, I mean, You nearly passed out.’ Faith took in a small breath and tried to force a smile. ‘Mhmm,’ she said. ‘Good thing.’ Then she turned towards him. ‘How did you know we were up there, by the way? When you came knocking at the door.’ ‘You were taking an awfully long time,’ he laughed slightly. ‘I came inside to find you, but the bathroom was empty. One of the guys inside said he saw two girls heading up the stairs, so I just assumed it was you.’ Faith didn’t know how to respond, feeling the uncomfortable silence in the room, She had an uncanny feeling that Sebastian was lying to her. ‘Well, it’s a good thing you found me then,’ she said, then turned over onto her back. ‘Yeah,’ he said, kissing her forehead and turning off the lamp. ‘Good thing'. HOPE When she awoke on Monday, Hope Chamberlain did not feel any different. In fact, waking up to the sound of her alarm clock at seven a.m on that particular morning was no different than it was any other day. But today was different. She was another year older, another full circle around the sun. She was seventeen! No longer the sixteen year old girl that she was yesterday. Her life was changing! Only three more years remaining of her teens, and then it would be the twenties, then marriage and children. Her parents sang happy birthday as they brought her breakfast in bed which consisted of her favourite, of course; banana pancakes and orange juice. Hope was grinning ear to ear as her parents stood there singing to her. She has so much love and peace in her life. What more could she possibly ask for? Camp made her day even better. The entire staff surprised her at lunch with a customized cake with her favourite bible verse written on it. She blew out the candles and closed her eyes as they all told her to make a wish. But when it came down to it, Hope didn’t wish for anything, because everything she ever wanted, she already had. Some of her fellow counsellors even gave her gifts, which Hope attempted to decline politely. She didn’t want presents. Simply being surrounded by the people she loved was enough. But still, they insisted and so she opened them. Felicity gave her a brand new journal to write in. Dark brown pleather with a string that tied around the exterior. She couldn’t wait to go home and write in it. Noah gave her a homemade picture frame he had crafted himself and inside the frame was a group photo from last year’s final day of camp. She adored it. Sarah gave her a polka - dotted summer dress which Hope fell head over heels for. She could wear it tonight. While all of the gifts and gestures of the day were phenomenal and special in their own individual way, and they truly made Hope feel over the moon on her special day, nothing could compare to what would come next. She arrived home after camp to find a note taped on her front door. When she asked her parents, they didn’t have a clue as to what she was talking about. She dropped her bag off in her bedroom, then followed the instructions: “Apparently today is your special day, There’s so many things that I could say. But instead I’ve created this scavenger hunt for you, and right now you’re reading the very first clue. You are getting excited now, I bet. Now go to the place where we first met. P.S bring a bag.” Hope held the note in her hands, smiling to herself. Faith, OF course. She tucked the note into her pocket and headed out the front door, bag in hand. She knew exactly where she was going. She arrived back at St. Andrews, which was now cleared out and empty. She had met Faith on the field that very first day of camp, so Hope wandered to the back, walking through the field in hopes of spotting something, that’s when it caught her eye, a bright pink gift bag sitting on the grass. She hurried towards it. Hope knelt down beside the bag which was tied together at the top with a ribbon. She undid the ribbon and opened it up. Inside was a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. Hope peeled off the papers as gently as she could. It was a book. The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf. And inside the front page was another note. “Congratulations, you’ve found gift number one, but don’t get excited, you’re still far from done. It’s a gift for a girl, a book about beauty, to honour you with this, I believe it’s my duty. Educate yourself, acknowledge your worth, know a woman’s place on this great, vast earth. Now for clue number two, you’re going to go the house, where we tiptoed upstairs, remaining quiet as a mouse.” Hope was smiling again, She knew this one. The abandoned house that she took Faith to in the beginning. Hope would need to go back home first and get her bike. She placed the book inside of the bag she brought, dropping the note inside with it. Then she stood up and headed back to her house. Once she had her bike, she made her way over to the abandoned house. Memories of that day played throughout her mind. Talking to Faith in a new way. Showing her the house and explaining the history. Faith was so apprehensive at first. But now, here she was, leading Hope back to where it all began. The box was sitting on the staircase, a small white square placed just on the fourth step. Hope walked to it and removed the lid. Inside was a bag of M&M’s and another note. Hope unfolded it and read. ‘So you’ve found gift two, good for you, there’s still so much more for you to do. Now listen up, this next clue isn’t free, you’re going to have to think about me. I know you may think it’s a little bit Ghetto, But you need to visit the only place I enjoy in Willows.” Hope stood up and read the note again. Faith despised Willows. Where was the only place she truly enjoyed? Hope opened the bag of M&M’s and poured a couple into her mouth. Faith knew that M&M’s were Hope’s favourite candy. And they were rainbows. Now Hope had to see how well she knew Faith. This would be tricky. It Didn’t take long for the answer to come to her. All she had to do was think about food and then the answer was obvious. Hope pedalled on her bike, the bag with her gifts and notes swinging on her handle bars. She was eager to find the next clue. Once she made it to Frenchie’s, she walked through the front doors, exasperated. The boy at the counter spotted her and said, ‘Happy Birthday!’ Hope approached him, grinning widely. He went into the back and came out holding a strawberry milkshake with a cherry on top. Then he passed her the note. She took the milkshake and the note to a table and sat down. “Well since you’ve made it, I guess you really know me, for the only place I don’t loathe here, would be Frenchie’s. Only two more clues until you get your grand prize, and trust me honey, you’re in for a surprise. So for clue number four, you’re going to want more, perhaps it’s somewhere on Matthew’s front door.” Matthew's place? Did Faith even know where Matthew lived? That was a silly question; everyone knew where one another lived in Willows. And besides, it would be easy for Faith to track down and involve him in her plan. Hope just wondered how long Faith had been planning this for. Once she was finished with her milkshake, Hope hopped on her bicycle and headed off to the most familiar place to her - her second home. She saw the note as soon as she pulled in the driveway. A bright yellow piece of paper plastered to his front door, Hope parked her bike, walked forward and read the note. ‘You did it, you made it, now for clue number five. Matthew will explain, you just have to go inside.’ So Matthew was involved. She silently applauded Faith and her efforts. Hope rang the doorbell, then walked inside as she usually did. Matthew appeared from the living room, smiling once he saw her. ‘Hi birthday girl,’ he said as he kissed her. ‘Hello,’ she kissed him back. ‘So where’s my next clue?’ ‘I’ll have to drive you there. Faith said you wouldn’t find it with her directions.’ ‘Okay.’ ‘By the way, I have something planned for us later. But Faith’s little game came first, so.’ ‘That’s okay,’ she said to him. ‘I knew I’d see you at some point today.’ ‘Okay,’ he kissed her again. ‘Seventeen. Wow.’ ‘I know,’ she laughed. ‘So old!’ ‘Only one more year until we get married.’ She stared at him. ‘I’m counting down the days.’ They went to his car and Hope placed the note in the bag on the floor. She was excited and nervous all at once. Wherever he was driving her would be the final destination. Hope didn’t know what to expect, but knowing Faith, it would be something worthwhile. They only drove for five minutes when they reached the old dirt road leading down to the forest. Matthew slowed down and shut off the engine. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked, turning to him. ‘Here’s where I drop you off. You have to go solo from here.’ ‘Where do I go?’ ‘Just walk straight,’ he pointed. ‘Follow the yellow brick road.’ ‘Okay,’ she was a bit apprehensive. What if she didn’t find the next clue on her own? She collected her bag, gave Matthew a kiss goodbye, then stood back and watched as he drove away. Hope took in a deep breath and began walking down the road. The balloon was what caught her eye first. Just at the beginning of the entrance to the forest was a singular pink balloon, tied to a tree branch. Hope didn’t have to question if it was her or not. She knew. She walked towards it and looked around. She couldn’t see anything else, so she walked into the forest, taking one step at a time, going slow to ensure she didn’t miss anything. She walked for a few minutes, unsure whether she was going in the right direction or not, when all of a sudden, she saw it. In the middle of the clearing was the grand finale, A blanket was set on the ground, a picnic basket in the center with a bunch of balloons tied to it. There was food and cupcakes laid out on paper plates, And sitting beside it all, perched at the edge of the blanket, was Faith. ‘Surprise!’ she yelled once Hope spotted her. Hope brought her hand to her mouth, not saying a word. She stood there, speechless, staring at the scene in front of her. ‘Well hurry up and get over here,’ Faith gestured her over. Hope walked slowly, taking it all in. The balloons. The cupcakes. The pink card that sat on the blanket. ‘Oh my goodness,’ Hope said, then took a seat on the blanket beside Faith. ‘Happy Birthday, Hopey!’ And that’s when Hope started to cry. Not out of fear or sadness, but out of happiness. Out of pure surprise and love. ‘What’s wrong?’ Faith sat up and moved towards her. ‘What happened? You Don’t like it?’ Hope laughed into her hands and looked up to meet Faith’s eyes. ‘No, I love it,’ she cried, then laughed again. ‘Sorry, I’m a mess.’ Faith handed her a rainbow napkin. ‘You’re happy crying?’ Hope nodded. ‘Yes. No one has ever done something like this for me before.’ ‘Awe, Hope. Suck it up and stop crying. I don’t do tears.’ Hope laughed again. She couldn’t help it. That was such a Faith thing to say. ‘Thank you,’ Hope looked up again and smiled. ‘For everything. This is so wonderful.’ ‘Okay, enough,’ Faith jokingly rolled her eyes. ‘Just open your card,’ Faith thrust it at her. Hope took the card and opened it. ‘Happy Birthday Hope! I can’t believe you’re already seventeen. Not like I’ve known you that long, but still. Wow. Anyways, I did this scavenger hunt to give you a bit of fun on your special day and to let you know how much you mean to me. You’ve truly changed my life for the better. I’ve found a great friend in you. Yours forever, Faith…’ Hope closed the card and turned to Faith, her bright blue eyes almost glimmering as she stared at Hope. Mesmerizing and inviting. There was something so alluring about Faith. As though she had some sort of gravitational pull that lured in Hope. Like they were ends of a magnet, being pulled towards each other at all times. ‘Want a cupcake?’ Faith asked. Breaking the silence. ‘I could kiss you right now.’ Faith stared at her, tilted her head to the side. ‘Well then, what are you waiting for?’