Unloved

Eight

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to make sure you get cleaned up well", Rachel replied.

"Oh, and Dawn wants to see us. So please hurry up", Rachel added.

"I know you pushed me into the pool, Rachel", I said after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah, I did. You can't prove it", Rachel said.

"I know. All I want to know is.... why did you do that to me?" I asked.

"It was just a prank. Plus, you have to see the lighter side of it", Rachel replied.

"There is no lighter side of anything, Rachel. I'm going to get in real trouble", I explained.

"It's not going to be long. Just a couple of weeks", Rachel told me.

I didn't say anything, but quickly cleaned myself up. I was ready to face the music for something that I didn't do. I went out with Rachel trailing behind me. Dawn didn't say anything when she saw us but motioned for us to follow her. After what seemed like minutes, we finally arrived at our destination. It was a small brownhouse surrounded with all kinds of flowers. Dawn had already left, leaving Rachel and I.  I lightly knocked on the wooden door.

"Come in", a quavery voice said.

We entered. Rachel's grandmother was writing something when we entered. I felt guilty for wasting her time, she had enough problems on her hands.

"I heard that you intentionally jumped into the pool", Rachel's grandmother said, going straight to the point.

"Yes", I lied.

"But it was an accident", I quickly added.

"Accident or no accident, you broke the rules and you deserve punishment. To be honest, I was taken aback by what I heard. The Megan I know doesn't do this", Rachel's grandmother said, looking at me intently. I looked at the red tiles on the floor. I couldn't meet her gaze. Great, just great. She was disappointed in me.

"How long will the detention be?" Rachel asked quietly.

I didn't even know she was behind me.

"Just some days, nothing harmless", Rachel's grandmother said and smiled at me. I smiled back.

"I think it's time for you two to leave", Rachel's grandmother told us. We nodded and left.

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The next morning, I tried to remember everything that happened yesterday. Oh, right! I was on detention. I did my morning things and said my morning prayers. I pulled out my Bible from my red tote bag. I flipped through the pages. I silently prayed that God would give me wisdom to understand what I was reading.

 I looked at the black Bible. I flipped through the pages again. That's what I always did. I didn't have any devotional book. I just pray and ask God for guidance and when I just flip through the pages and read whatever page I land is the page I read. I think it's better that way. Okay, so as I was doing this, I landed at Matthew 5:43-44.

Matthew 5:43-44

43. You have heard the law that says Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.

44. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Hmmm.... My mind drifted towards Rachel. I have never considered Rachel as an enemy, but I don't really consider her as a friend either. I was so confused. Maybe I needed to be somewhere else. I needed to get out of this room. 

I hated being stuck in the same place for hours.A walk and some fresh air would do me some good. I had no idea where I was going. I just needed to be out of that dorm room. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned round to stare into the most beautiful set of brown eyes. My lips instantly turned upside down when I realized who it was. What was he doing here?

"You're Megan, right?" He asked me.

"Yeah. You are?" I asked him.

"I'm Matthew. Aren't you supposed to be in detention?"

Oh. So that's why he walked up to me. I should have known.

"Yeah. So what are you going to do? Tell on me?"

"No, no. You don't deserve it. I saw what Rachel did to you."

I didn't say anything but was glad someone was on my side.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Matthew asked me.

I was tempted to snap at him but held my tongue.

"I just wanted some fresh air", I replied.

I felt a hand cover my eyes and another one tugging me to who-knows-where. I struggled to release myself from his strong grip but my efforts were useless. After what felt like hours, my eyes could see clearly. I took in my surroundings and realized that Matthew had taken me to what looked like an abandoned park.

Thoughts of despair run through my mind. What if Matthew brought me here to cause me harm?

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked angrily.

"You wanted a place that's quiet and where you would get some fresh air, right?"

I only nodded, not trusting myself to say anything.

We sat on a bench in silence , each of us lost in his own thoughts. Was it a trend for popular people to spend their vacation at summer? Why was Matthew being nice to me? He barely talked to me at school. Speaking of popularity, my mind shifted to the verse I had read earlier in the day. I knew God was telling me to show love to Rachel but it was so difficult. 

Apparently, she hated me and made it very obvious. Was I the only one who could see the despair in Rachel's baby-blue eyes? Behind her perfect facade, I could see brokenness, hurt and loneliness. Okay, God. I'm going to do it. Just give me the heart to love her, I silently prayed.

I leaned back in the seat, closed my eyes and sighed heavily in exhaustion. Today, at least, I was able to pull myself together. I knew what to do next. Knowing didn't make it any easier. This was going to be much, much harder than I thought.