Sophia hadn't spoken to Georgina for a while, but that didn't mean she had forgotten what Georgina was going through. Although Sophia felt guilty for not reaching out and asking how things were, she knew Georgina didn't expect her to. But that didn't mean Sophia wasn't going to say anything. In fact, she planned on asking the next time she saw her, but Georgina saw her first and beat her to it. That day, while Sophia was at her locker, Georgina approached her, saying, "Ey, Blondie!" in a rather loud and fresh-toned accent. "Long time no see!"
Her sudden appearance startled Sophia, but she was happy to see her. "Oh, hey, Georgie!" Sophia replied with a smile. "Yes, it has been a while. I've been meaning to catch you and ask you something."
"Well, before you start," said Georgina. "I wanted to let you know that my family and I are moving into our new house next week! It's just a few blocks away from here!"
Sophia couldn't help but jump up and down with excitement. "Oh, Georgie, that's amazing!" she said. "I've been praying everyday for something to come up for you and your family."
"I know we're not exactly friends," Georgina smirked. "But you seem to be the only one who cares."
"What about your other friends?" Sophia asked her. "You know, Abigail and Lindsay?"
"We're not friends anymore," Georgina bluntly answered her.
"Why not?"
"Long story," Georgina replied.
"Well, I've got time later today after school. That's if you wanna share?"
"Yeah, that would be nice!" Georgina answered. "See you later!" she added, waving. But as soon as she turned to walk away, she bumped into someone coming down the hall. It was Samantha and a few friends.
"Watch where you're going, klutz!" Samantha shouted at Georgina, who dropped her schoolbooks on the floor.
Georgina quickly stooped down to retrieve her scattered books, but just as she reached for the last one, one of the girls deliberately kicked it out of her grasp. "Oops, my bad," the girl said, a hint of malice in her voice. Georgina was frustrated and recognized the voice immediately and, raising her eyes, saw Abigail's face smirking at her. Lindsay, another of her former friends, stood beside her, seeming equally amused.
After witnessing the altercation between the girls, Sophia intervened and tried to end it. "Alright, that's enough!" she said firmly. "Samantha, leave Georgie be. Haven't we got class to go to?"
However, Samantha was still annoyed and responded with a snide remark, "Whatever. I can't believe you, you traitor," before grabbing Sophia's books and throwing them on the ground. The loud noise caught the attention of Abigail and Lindsay, who quickly joined Samantha in giving Sophia a bag knock to the head as she tried to pick up her books.
As the group walked away, Sophia muttered, "There are many awful things I want to say to that girl, and God forgive me if I do," under her breath.
Georgina agreed and commented, "I know what you mean. Come on, let's get to class."
* * *
Because Asa had been distant and distrusting of people for so long, it was hard for him to interact with his classmates. Sophia knew this but took it upon herself to ask him questions about it anyway. "So, how's your first few weeks been on campus?" she asked him, fiddling with some papers scattered over her bed. "You haven't spoken much about it."
"I don't want to disturb you, lovely," he muttered with his hands over his face.
"It's no bother," she said with a soft chuckle. "Come on, Asa, speak your mind. Please?"
"Well," Asa began with a sigh, who was first sitting on her desk chair in the middle of her room, then stood to his feet and began pacing back and forth because of her question. "As you know, I have enjoyed delving into my studies. But, interacting with my classmates is difficult. I feel rather gutted."
"Oh?" she inquired, chuckling again, her eyes still focused on her papers. "Why is that?"
Asa hesitated for a moment before responding, "I don't know. I guess it's just because I, I. Oh, hang it all! I don't know."
"Well, have you tried introducing yourself to anyone?" Sophia asked him, hoping to understand the root of Asa's difficulty.
Asa paused, contemplating her question before finally admitting, "I haven't, no. But you understand why I feel about people in the way that I do," he continued with a heavy sigh. "And. Get this. Most of my classmates are female."
"Oh, I see," Sophia chuckled. "So that makes you feel..."
Before Sophia could continue, Asa planted himself next to her on the bed, turned her attention away from her study, and grabbed her hand. "Lovely," he said, looking her directly in the eyes. "You're my girlfriend and the most important person in my life. I don't want you feeling that I'm going against you or being unfair to you in any way. I won't..."
"Asa," Sophia stopped him. "I understand what you're saying. And I appreciate you thinking of me. But I want you to listen to me, okay?" Asa nodded, giving her his full attention. "I don't want you to choose between me and the friends you will make in life. Yes, we need alone time together, but remember this. Make friends. You don't know anybody but me. And quite honestly, I think we need to have time apart. Not only because we won't have a choice but I think it will do us good. We can miss each other. And most of all, we can learn to trust each other. Do you understand what I'm driving at here?"
"I think so," he replied. "At least, I hope I do. You manage to make things rather hard to understand."
"And remember," she continued. "We'll have to get used to being apart for a bit. I am going on a few trips with my dad coming up. Not out of the country or anything, just day trips. Missionary work with the church mostly." Asa nodded, acknowledging her point. "And something else," she added. "We should have confidence in our relationship, even when physically apart."
Asa smiled affectionately at Sophia and leaned in for a kiss. "How wise you are, my love," he said admiringly.
Sophia accepted and received his kiss with pleasure, then asked him, "Do you feel better now?"
"I do," Asa replied, his expression softening.
"Good," Sophia said, returning his smile. "Just one thing, though," she added, stroking his face. "Don't change too much, okay?"
"Sure thing, ma'am," Asa replied, gazing at Sophia's lips, hinting at yet another kiss.
Sophia caught his drift and said, "Asa, it's getting late. You should head home."
"It's not that late," Asa whispered.
"Asa," Sophia said, crossing her arms.
"Alright," he chuckled. "I'll leave. But, first, won't you read me that story from the Bible again? You know, the story of Asa. I'd love to hear it."
"Okay," Sophia reluctantly agreed, glancing at the clock on her desk. "But you have to leave right after, alright?"
"Absolutely," he replied, grinning. Sophia grabbed her Bible from her bookshelf, wiped off the slight dust on it, and soon after seated herself on the floor, leaning against her bed. Asa followed and sat down next to her. Sophia began reading the story, her voice calm and soothing. And despite her initial reluctance, she found herself immersed in the story, the words flowing effortlessly and enthusiastically from her lips. Sophia always loved reading, especially the Bible. But what made it much more enjoyable was that someone was there listening and appreciating it with you. When she finished, minutes later, she looked up to see a look of contentment on his face. "Thank you," he said, standing up. "You read beautifully. I'll see you tomorrow."
* * *
As Sophia arose the following morning and went into the kitchen, she noticed Gary, the man she found in the kitchen with her mother some days ago, in the front room, and he was sleeping on the couch, all sprawled out. Curiosity piqued, and Sophia quietly approached Gary. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here. Sophia didn't know much about the men her mother dated or spent time with, but one thing Sophia did know for sure: the men Janet kept company didn't stick around for too long. While looking at this man's face, Sophia found it unusual that he looked relatively at peace. Sophia wasn't sure if she should wake him, so she didn't, stepping into the kitchen to make breakfast.
After about ten minutes, Gary awoke. He was a bit weary when he woke from his slumber, and Sophia was now sitting at the kitchen table, eating her breakfast. By now, the aroma of that breakfast filled the room, causing Gary to rub his eyes and say, "Something smells good."
Sophia replied with a smirk, "Yeah, I made pancakes." The man rubbed his eyes again. "What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.
Initially, the man didn't realize, at first, that he was speaking to Sophia, but after he did, he apologized and said, "Sorry, darling. I thought you were Janet. You two sound alike."
"My mom's already at work," Sophia said, taking a bite of pancake. "And I would appreciate it if you would stop calling me darling, alright?"
Gary chuckled and replied, "Alright, Sophia. I promise no more, darling. But those pancakes do smell amazing. Mind if I have some before I head off to work?"
Sophia first glared at him, then shrugged, saying, "I suppose. Just don't expect me to make them for you every time you spend the night," she added with a hint of sarcasm.
"You're a feisty one," he said as he sat at the table. "Just like your mama."
Sophia rolled her eyes and grabbed a plate, placing a stack of pancakes on it and setting it in front of Gary. "Just don't get used to it," she said, smirking slightly.
"Yes, ma'am," he said. Gary took his first bite and couldn't help but say, "Wow! I must admit, Sophia. Your cooking is so much better than your mother's. It's truly delicious."
Inside, Sophia felt flattered, but she didn't want to show it. Instead, she asked sarcastically, "So, what's the deal between you and my mom?"
The man was caught off guard and nearly choked on his food. He replied shortly after, "Well, uh, I, uh. It's kinda a long story."
"I'm sure it's not that long," Sophia retorted. "I've got time."
* * *
After school that day, Sophia headed over to the Church of God to find her father. To her surprise, she didn't see him there but did find Pastor Taron getting the pews ready for service on Sunday. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hoffman," she said, walking up to him.
"Oh, hello, Sophia," he smiled. "What brings you here?"
"Well, I came to speak with my dad. Is he here?" Sophia's disappointment was evident as she glanced around the empty church.
Pastor Taron, noticing her dejected expression, offered a comforting smile and said, "Don't worry, Sophia. Your father might be running a bit late. Why don't you wait here for a while? I'm sure he'll be here soon." Sophia nodded. "But while you're waiting," he continued. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Actually, yes, there is," she replied. "Do you have a moment to listen?"
"Of course," he replied. "Here, let's sit." Sophia followed Pastor Taron to a nearby pew and took a seat.
After about twenty minutes, David walked through the doors. "Hey, you two!" he called out.
Sophia and Taron both turned, looking his way and with a smile, Sophia quickly stood up and rushed over to him. "Hey, Dad!" she said.
"Hey, hun," he chuckled. "What's with the big grin?"
"Oh, well," she began. "Pastor Taron and I were just discussing the fundraiser this weekend."
"I see," he said, rubbing her head.
"But I came to talk to you too," she added.
"Okay," he replied. "Just let me put my stuff in the back room first, okay?" Sophia nodded and softly smiled as she followed him to the back room.
After David hung his jacket, put his briefcase away, and sat comfortably down, he asked, "Alright, what can I do for you, my daughter?"
"Well," Sophia began as she sat down. "Do you know that mom's dating someone? And she is letting him stay at the house?"
Her father's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Janet's dating someone?" He couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to stop chuckling. "I had no idea."
"I wanted to tell you because I'm uncomfortable with this strange man staying at the house. Mom's not home most of the time, and it just feels weird having someone I don't know around."
Her father nodded understandingly, his smile fading slightly. "I see. If you want me to talk to your mother about it, I will."
Sophia hesitated before speaking, but she knew what she had to say. "Actually, I was wondering if I could move in with you." As soon as she said it, Sophia felt like the words hung in the air, waiting for a response.
And as David processed her words, his expression shifted from understanding to surprise. Finally, he spoke. "Sophia, I want you to know that I will always support you, but you know that you can't move in with me."
Sophia knew some of the reasons, but those reasons didn't seem relevant. "But why?" she asked him.
David took a deep breath before answering Sophia's question. "Sophia, believe me, I understand how difficult it is to live with your mother, but you know I have a demanding job that requires me to travel frequently. I wouldn't be able to provide the stability and consistency that you need. And your mother and I have already agreed on arrangements for your living situation. And believe me, it wasn't easy to get there." Sophia's disappointment was evident as she absorbed her father's explanation. She almost believed it would be easier to live with him and maybe it would solve some of her problems, but now she realized it wasn't as simple as she had hoped. "But I promise you," David continued. "I will always be here for you and support you."
"But Dad, why won't..."
"Daughter!" he spoke firmly. "End of discussion. Now, you better get home before dark," he added. "Go on."
"Yes, sir," she said and soon left the room.
As Sophia walked home alone, her mind became flooded with conflicting thoughts as she tried to make sense of her father's words. She couldn't help but wonder if there was something else he was keeping from her. In the meantime, Joshua decided to head over to Alexander's house, seized by a burning curiosity to discuss the matters between him and Sophia. Upon arriving, Alexander's mother greeted Joshua at the door and kindly let him in, telling him Alexander was in his room. Joshua thanked her, and as he walked towards Alexander's room, he heard Alexander strumming his guitar and singing a few notes. "Hey, bro," he said, knocking on the slightly open door. "Mind if I come in?"
Alexander instantly looked up from his guitar, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Sure, come on in," he replied, setting his guitar aside.
After Joshua stepped into the room, noticing the scattered sheet music and lyrics strewn across Alexander's desk, he asked, "What'cha playing?" It was clear that Alexander was taking this music thing seriously.
"I'm working on a song," Alexander replied.
Joshua glanced back at the sheet music and lyrics on the desk once more and said, "That's cool, man. What's it about?"
Alexander smiled and blushed a little before answering his friend. "It's about Sophia," he said.
Joshua crossed his arms and sighed as a mischievous smile played on his lips. "Alexander," he said. "What have I told you a million times?"
Alexander, unamused by Joshua's comment, didn't let him continue. "Josh!" he said, irritated. "It's not that! I'm over Sophia, alright? Please stop bringing that up! We are just friends; she has made that clear."
Joshua raised his hands in surrender, realizing he had struck a nerve. "Alright, man, my bad," he said sincerely. "I won't bring it up again, I promise."
After a moment, Alexander's emotions settled, and he finished with, "I'm writing this song for her because she deserves it, Josh. I want my first song to be for her."