Beauty From Ashes

Chapter 31 Part 1: Farewell

Well we're finally here at the second half of the story, where we're finally going out to New York where we come to the church from the future interviews.

After the final song written by Albert was over, this giant kerfuffle of a party was over. However, that didn't mean everybody was done for the night.

Most of the people who showed up for the high school reunion have left and gone home. And then Travis, the main pastor's son, offered to take his father to the hospital and Curtis' family back home. But most of them, mainly the Divinity crowd and the Fresno visitors are still hanging around, sitting in the cafeteria area, eating the last of the snacks and drinks that are remaining, including a few beer bottles that Donnie and a few other Conquerors had packed in their bags for a victory shot. Speaking of which, the defective Conquerors are sitting there among these people as they all talk and share stories to each other. Despite the fact that things started out, understandably uncomfortable, as soon as we all got down here, it was like a switch had been flipped.

It's been made clear that these Conquerors like the strong connections that these people bave showcased and after Albert's speech, many of them are willing to give them a chance. And now, none of these guys have been able to shut up or separate from one another. Nearly all of the tables are occupied and filled as we all interact.

"No, we used to beat up people just as badly, you guys will fit right in," Duncan snickered.
"And yeah we may be Christians but, we just may surprise some of you," Patrick said with a wink, which made two PC girls chuckle.

"And there we went, running straight through the woods in our underwear, until we tripped over a wire and BOOM, a cooler of iced water poured all over us!" Wes hollered.
"Oof, that's cold bro," Joshua said.
"RIGHT?!!"

"Yeah, I met my husband because of your guys' work, and, now here we are. Weird how it all works," Miranda commented.
"Do you know who he was watching?"
"It wasn't you, I can say that."
"Ohhh!"

"Yeah, I was serious when I said I work with cars. I'm even running my dads company," Vinnie said to a few Conqueror guys.
"Oh that's dope, you need some help on that?"
"You serious?"
"Yeah!"

"Geez, and I thought I was a piece of crap to Albert," Bryce said as he and Zackary sit with Hunter.
"Yeah this Sean dude sounds like such an asshole," Zackary said.
They don't realize that he was the guy they knocked out at Vinnie's house.
"Yeah he was a dick," Hunter said, with Najee and Scott snickering.

"And that's when he said, 'That's not a mountain, that's my girlfriend,'" Theresa said, slapping Andre on the shoulder as a few Conqueror guys, including Jerome, chuckled at this.

"Yeah, they let me do other crazy guitar stuff all the time, maybe we can show you guys," Levi said, talking to two Conqueror guys who play music.

"It sounds bad, but trust me, the way this priest went running tripping on his robes, you can't unsee it nor contain the giggles," Carson laughed, sitting with his brother Jason, and Andy's worship team from Fresno.

Sierra smirks and comments on that. "During a Shabat dinner."

"Yeah," Jason said.

"Somehow, I can't see that happening," Sierra added, waving a hand over her blind eyes.
"OHH!!"
"Sierra!!" Andy hollered while everyone else laughed.

"I can't believe you guys are really okay talking to people who worked as pornstars?"
"Ehh it's no big deal," Tyler said.
"As long as you don't say anything to our parents," JT joked, with Tyler shaking his head.

"So, does this mean we're on good terms now, barbie doll?" Colton asked Donnie.
"Yeah, only if you promise to stop calling me that."

Cheyenne, Albert, Mark, Phoebe, Madison and a few others are sitting with Lexi, Antoine, Veronica and Raymond, talking about some of their early experiences wirh Cheyenne.