Forbidden Fruits

Chapter 1: Faith

"... And so, Father, I ask that you guide me and help me through this challenging transition, and keep me safe as I move forward to this next stage in life. I pray you continue to watch over me, as you have for all these years, even as I step alone into this new, wonderful experience that you have helped me achieve. Thank you, Lord. Amen." I finish off my prayer with a smile on my face. While the nerves in my stomach are strong enough to make my legs shaky, I'm able to release all of that in my devotions. Sure, college is terrifying, and the scared little kid in me wants nothing more than to stay curled up in my bed. That kid wants me to revoke all of my enrollment paperwork I submitted to Florida State University, and stay back in my small hometown.

However, the adult in me, begging to burst free, wants nothing more than to hop in my car and speed drive the hour and a half to Tallahassee and jumpstart my college career. That adult is winning the fight, and praying just helps strengthen her when the call of my childhood bed is especially enticing. I have to make this step, I know I do. I can't keep living the perfect little life, wrapped with a bow that Goldcrest, Georgia has provided me for eighteen years. I have to see the world, the real world.

"Faith, you ready, sweetheart?" My mom's honey-sweet voice, laced with a pretty southern drawl, floats in from the doorway to my room. I smile at her.

"Yep, just finished up praying," I chirped. I carefully close the Bible laid out in front of me, and tuck it back into my backpack. Gathering the rest of my things, I skip over to meet Mom, who waits patiently.

"You're so good, my ladybug. You won't stop prayin' at school, right? Even if your roommate or those other kids don't believe?" Mom sets a soft, familiar hand on my cheek.

"Of course not, Mama. I haven't missed a day in my life, and I don't plan to start just 'cause I'm not home." I beamed up at her.

"Good. Now we've gotta get movin' so we don't miss your move-in time." Mom makes me do a quick once-over of my childhood bedroom, ensuring there's nothing of importance I'm leaving behind. I say a bittersweet goodbye, and then we're heading down the stairs and out to the car.

My dad's already in the driveway, finishing loading some of the last few items into the trunk. We're taking the big SUV that Mom typically drives. "You ladies ready? Get in and let's get this bus rollin'."

I bundle myself into the backseat while my parents occupy the front. Its almost reminiscent of when they drove me to my first day of Kindergarten. Its hard to know that this time, there is no coming back home at the end of the day.

My parents are in surprisingly good moods this morning. I'm glad for it, because I don't think I could take their griping about my choice of college on top of all my move-in anxiety. My parents, lovely as they are, have made no attempt to hide their displeasure in my school choice. While most parents I think would be happy that their child got into a school with an acceptance rate that's not even 40%, my parents are not. They believe that FSU is a "no-good party school" and that I would be better suited at one of the various Christian colleges they picked out for me. In fact, they gave me the silent treatment for a week after I told them that I had already accepted the offer of admission FSU extended towards me.

Eventually, after we sat down and had a long, long talk about it all, we came to an agreement. They had their own list of terms I had to agree to, and in return they would pay the small remainder of my tuition that my scholarships didn't cover, as well as pay for my cost of living. It's an easy deal, as most of their terms were things I was planning on doing anyways. Like joining a church on campus, not drinking or doing drugs, and calling them at least once every other day. Oh, and no boys. But that one's obvious.

In the end, I still won. I'm going to the school I want, pursuing the degree I want. I can handle their jabs and comments if it means I ultimately got the winning deal. I'm glad that it seems they're keeping their opinions to themselves today, though.