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07| These are the moments I'm missing.
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These are the moments I never took in when
I was just standing there wishing I could grow up,
and my life would be different.
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Song for this chapter: These are the moment's I'm missing by Nina Nesbit.
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It was around 11 when Sammy decided that he was going to head to the church to finish up his sermon and overlook the mini activities usually held there.
Deborah and Varsity still hadn't returned from their grocery shopping, and fearing that I might ditch again, Sammy suggested that I tag along. I agreed.
Pulling up to the church for the second time still didn't stop my eyes from bulging at it's beauty.
"Great day out, isn't it?" A man approaches as we got out the vehicle.
"You can say that again."
"Is this the Mckaine Porter I've been waiting to see?"
I awkwardly glance at Sammy, but he was too occupied talking on his cellphone.
"...I guess," I mumble.
The man smiles. "I'm Deacon Mathew, but call me Matt for short. Welcome to Arizona!"
I plaster a smile on my face. "Thank you, Matt."
"What did I miss?" Sammy spoke up after shutting his flip phone close.
Matt simply winked in response.
"Okay, Mrs. Linderburg is waiting for you in your office, I'll have- Rhian, dear come here," Matt brought his eyes back to me, "Have you met my Goddaughter Rhian? She'll take you to the other teens."
Yay.
A short chubby girl changed her course from the annex and beelined to Matt's side.
"Rhian, have you met Pastor Nicholas' niece, McKaine? Do you mind taking her around with you? No? Great!" And with one sturdy nudge, he sends Rhian and me down the path to the annex.
"Ignore my godfather, he's... something," Rhian spoke up. "I'm Rhiannon, but everyone calls me Rhian."
I nod. "McKaine. But you don't have to babysit me, it's fine."
Rhian scratches her head for a bit. "We're going to the Missionettes. You know what that is right?"
I didn't like the tone of her voice. So instead I chose to ignore her question and follow her up the stairs of the annex.
The main halls that greeted us were filled with boys. Young and old. One face I even recognized; Kaze.
"These guys are a part of the Royal Rangers... which is basically the male version of the Missionettes. If you were wondering."
I wasn't.
At the end of the hallway held a door that opened up to another hall. The only difference this one contained girls.
"Rhiannon, you're late." A woman calls, not even looking up from her desk.
Rhiannon playfully rolls her eyes. "Hello to you too, Miss Dawn."
Rhiannon walks closer to the woman but I instead paused to eye the room. Everyone was basically grouped together, I'd say by height, but I knew it was most likely by age."
"-niece, Mckaine."
The sound of my name brings my attention back to Rhian and the woman. 'Miss Dawn' smiles and leaves her seat to greet me.
"So nice to meet you, dear. I'm Dawn, but that's Miss Dawn to you." She laughs.
I didn't.
After all the greetings and casualties, she led me to the group of 4 girls, who were most likely around my age. From what I gathered from them, they seemed much like those Jehovah's Witnesses Varsity and I would hide from when they come around.
But as the infamous quote about books and covers, I left my mindset open for changes.
"Girls, this is McKaine- Faith's cousin. Hope you don't mind making room for one more."
"Of course not!" One of the girls waves, scooting her chair down to make space for me.
"Great, I'll catch you guys later."
I awkwardly took a seat in the chair the girls pulled out for me, and almost instantly wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Well, Mckaine," The girl who spoke before started. "I'm Chianti, most people call me 'chai tea' but that's borderline racist so just call me Chianti."
"It's not racist... technically. You're always drinking chai, it has nothing to do with your race." One of the other girls rolled her eyes. "And hi, I'm Harper."
"I'm Teresina. Probably the only normal one in the midst. Nice to meet you, McKaine."
I forced a smile at the dirty blonde girl.
"Well can we go back to studying? I have a basketball game in a while. I'm Becca, by the way."
"Oh yeah." The Korean raced girl said before handing me a Bible.
"How kind of Harper to get McKaine a Bible when she won't even get me a cup of water." Becca muses, using her fingers to play with her kinky fro.
"Okay, back to business now guys. Romans 8:18-20, who's reading?"
Chianti glanced around the circle in search of a volunteer, but we all found other things to distract us from making eye contact.
"Okay then, I guess I'll read then." She mutters before adding. "McKaine you're getting along with these girls well, and I don't whether I like it or not, please don't be like them."
Becca wraps her arms around my shoulders and says in a singsong voice, "We fly so high we fly together, we are a girl gang like birds of a feather."
I try my best to be mad about the physical contact, but I couldn't. And besides, Teresina throwing a dirty tissue at Becca would've distracted me if I was.
"I know... I KNOW you did not just sing the theme song for the Chicken Girls!"
Becca smirks in Teresina's direction. "Then you must not know much, do you?"
All the girls start laughing, and for the first time in a long while, I wholeheartedly join in too.
