Faith Hope

Chapter 9

Faith had been freaking out all day. She was supposed to be going to the airport to fly out to Nick and Priyanka's house for the week of spring break. Frankie watched as his twin paced the floor, chewing on her fingernails.

"Faith, you have to calm down," Frankie said.

"I know, I'm trying," Faith said with a shaky breath. She was starting to sweat and felt like she was going to have a panic attack.

"What changed from last night? When I was here you were really excited to finally fix things," he asked.

"I know! I am! I want to go but - I don't know- I'm losing my nerve. Frankie, I spent the better part of my life running when I saw him and now I have to tell myself to stay. What if I can't do that?" Faith said as hot tears ran down her cheeks. Frankie got up and pulled his sister in for a hug.

"You will be able to. Priyanka will be there so you won't be alone and Nick will understand if you hide in your room for a little bit. Just think of it this way, this time when you hide. he will come and find you," Frankie said. Faith ended the hug and grabbed her suitcase.

"Ok, let's go to the airport," she said standing with confidence. Nick would come get her, she would be ok.

"That's my sister," Frankie said, grabbing his suitcase in one arm and wrapping the other around his sister as they made their way to the car.

Faith filmed some in the car and when they got to the airport. She hugged Frankie goodbye and told him to say hi to mom and dad for her before they headed to their separate terminals.

~~~~~~~~~

Faith was waiting to get her bag from the baggage claim when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around to find two girls her age with Jonas Brother t-shirts on. She smiled at them.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Your Faith Jonas right?" one of the girls asked.

"Yes, that's me," Faith said. She saw her suitcase come around the bend and she quickly grabbed it and then turned back to the girls.

"Can we get a picture with you? We watched your YouTube channel before you revealed you were Jonas and I actually can't believe I'm standing next to you right now," the other girl said.

"Yeah of course. You guys just want a selfie?" Faith asked and the girls nodded. The three smiled for the picture and then Faith hugged each of them. "It was nice to meet you both!"

The girls went back to their parents and Faith made her way to the exit where Nick and Priyanka were waiting for her. She hugged Priyanka while Nick put her bag in the trunk. Faith only smiled at Nick and subconsciously moved herself behind Priyanka. Nick noticed and decided to not try and hug her, she still needed time.

"Let's get out of here shall we?" Nick said, opening his wife's car door. Faith quickly hopped in the back seat.

Priyanka noticed that Nick's face fell when Faith didn't say anything to him. She hugged her husband and whispered in his ear, "We have a week, just give her some time."

Nick nodded, got into the driver's side, and drove to his home.

Faith walked in first and marveled at the beauty of her brother's house.

"So," her brother said, causing her to jump, "Your room is upstairs. We have three guest rooms so you can just pick one."

Faith nodded, took her suitcase from her brother, ran up the stairs, and closed the door to the first bedroom she could find. She sat on the bed and struggled to catch her breath. Her palms were sweating, so she tried to dry them on her pant legs but they were just as clamming again in seconds. How was she going to do this? It had only been an hour and she was already freaking out. Faith gently laid herself down in the bed and closed her eyes.

"Faith dinners ready!" Nick yelled upstairs to his sister.

Faith looked at the time, she had been asleep for 3 hours. She rubbed her eyes and started for the door. She stopped just as her hand was about to turn the knob. Every voice in her head was telling her to stay in the room and never leave. It was even like her muscles were refusing to move.

Nick waited at the bottom of the stairs for some sort of response from his sister but he heard nothing. He looked at his wife hoping she would tell him what to do.

"Maybe she's just asleep," Priyanka suggested.

Nick started to move away from the stairs but he stopped. 'What if she's not asleep though.' A voice in his head said.

"I'm just going to check on her," Nick said and Priyanka nodded. Nick walked up the stairs and knocked on the door to the room his sister was in.

"Hey Faith, I just wanted to make sure you heard me about dinner-" Nick was going to continue but he was cut off by his sister flinging the door open and throwing herself into his arms.

Faith thought of that night when she was 13, how she prayed that Nick would come up the stairs and find her. And now, this time, 6 years later he came, he really came. She was overcome with emotions and started sobbing.

"You came," was all she could get out. Nick was confused for a minute but then realized what she meant. His eyes started to water and he held his little sister tighter.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," Nick whispered. Nick just held her there until she let go. She wiped her eyes with her sweatshirt sleeve. "I love you so much, Faith. I'm going to prove it to you this week. I'm never leaving you alone again, I will always come."

"I- '' Faith wanted to say it, she really did. But she couldn't remember the last time she had said that to him. She had convinced herself that she didn't so why would she lie to them? Nick noticed her internal struggle and he caressed her cheek.

"Let's go eat ok?" he said.

"Ok," she said. As they walked down the stairs Faith made a packed with herself, before this week was over she was going to tell him she loved him and she was going to mean it.