The Correlation Between Salvation and Love

By the time lunch had rolled around, Sian was regretting agreeing to meet up with Max and his friends as her nerves began to set in. She was never really social, fearing that her usually dry and sarcastic attitude would come through and she would be in trouble for being impolite. More than anything, Sian hated being seen as impolite or rude. She could handle being called perfect since she thrived on proving people that she was not, but to be seen as rude was an unimaginable idea to her.

She exited her class quickly and with her head down, hoping to avoid Max all around. Instead, she managed to run into him, instantly launching her into a fit of apologies. Max laughed at her, throwing his arm around her shoulders even though she tensed up. He noticed and let his arm slip away, smiling over at her as she glanced at him, “Sorry little Dove, forgot your nerves. Don’t need to worry about me, probably Josh ya need to worry on right now. Fighting with some lass he was seein’.”

“Frankie, correct?”

Max laughed at her politeness again, giving her an odd look before nodding, “Yeah that’s the one Dove. Come on now, I’ll introduce ya to the rest of my mates.”

“There are more of you?”

“Well, yeah. You can’t think Josh is my only mate! I mean he’s my best mate but not the only one I got! Didn’t ya have any good mates to hang with back in the states?” Max glanced over only momentarily, but not short enough to miss the flash of hurt Sian had before she even spoke. She slowed her pace a bit, contemplating his question. She had a few friends from painting classes back in the states, but they weren’t anyone she saw outside of those. Same with her music and debutante classes, she spoke to them daily but never brought them home with her. She didn’t bring people to her home at all, as her mother forbade it and she did not want anyone to see what her home was like.

“Sorry…”

“No! You did not know!” Sian was quick to cover up, smiling at Max, “I am honestly not bothered Max, it is completely okay. I was the one who dove into studies instead of hanging out with people. I had friends, do not worry about offending me. I just did not hang out with them outside of our lessons and things. We all were like that.”

“Oi, did you live in a commune? Hell that sounds like pure rubbish in my opinion!”

“Yes, well, we were being raised to be proper women according to an ancient and outdated standard. You can thank my fantastic mother for that…”

“Lil’ bit of a sarcastic bite there, ey Sian?”

Sian blushed, smiling shyly at Max as she nodded, “I try to hide it but you seem like you and your friends are quite capable of handling a little wit here and there.”

“Here I was thinking you were some innocent!”

“Oh no,” Sian shook her head, laughing a bit at Max’s sour expression, “I am most definitely an innocent. Trust me on that. No kissing, no drinking, no smoking, and barely even any hugging anyone else. I was sheltered and still am, I am well aware of this fact. I do not mind though! I quite enjoy myself.”

“Seem so shy this mornin’, where did this little feisty bird come from? Not a little dove after all, ey?”

“Doves fought wars and are brave as any other, they just look delicate.”

“So it is fittin’ then!” Max smirked at her as he pulled open the doors to their cafeteria, holding the door for Sian as she entered in. Sian spotted the boy who has been harassing her earlier, making her shuffle closer to Max as they began to enter and weave through the cafeteria, careful to avoid his gaze. Max led her to a table in the back where Josh was already seated with a few others, making Sian’s nerves kick in again. Max cleared his throat, to which no one even bothered to look up from their food. Rolling his eyes, he tried shouting at them and made Sian jump a bit as he did, “Oi, assholes, look up for a moment would ya?”

Four pairs of eyes slid up to meet Sian’s gaze, making Sian blush a deep crimson. Josh smirked at her before looking at the boy next to him, “This is the bird I was telling you about. Max’s new friend.”

“Her name is Sian and she’s a new one from America. Polar opposite of that slag Melody. Completely innocent and shy, so be nice and delicate with her sensibilities! The bloke by Josh on the left is Matt and next to him is Chris. Around the other side is Dan. We’re quite the merry bunch and I promise they won’t hurt ya.”

“Pleased to meet all of your acquaintances.”

“Dove, you don’t need to be all proper like with us!” Max laughed, shoving Dan over and patting the spot next to him, “Sit here, Dan won’t hurt ya. I promise ya.”

“Okay…” Sian nervously sat down, glancing around at everyone and trying to not keep eye contact too long before returning her gaze to her folded hands that sat in her lap. They all began to resume their conversation, Dan and Chris chatting about music while Max and Matt began into a conversation about their homework they didn’t do. Sian knew she had only a few months of schooling before she was expected to go into her secondary studies before college, so she really did not expect to get attached to anyone. But it was always nice having someone to sit with, she would have to admit that. She felt someone’s foot hit hers and looked up from her daze, meeting the eyes of Josh.

He smiled at her goofily, nodding at her before he spoke, “Little deep in thoughts over there love. You have French with me I believe, though the old wench likes you and not me.”

“Oh! Oh she seemed so sweet though!” Sian frowned, “Why would she dislike like you?”

“Oi, most of the teachers here dislike Josh,” Max interrupted, laughing at Josh as the boy began to blush under Sian’s inquisitive gaze. “He has too much to say for their taste.”

“Do not! They just don’t like my opinions!”

“Sure mate, whatever you say,” Max rolled his eyes as he shook his head at Josh, returning to his conversation with Matt. Josh blushed deeply, turning his gaze down to the table. Sian smiled at his reaction. She waited a moment before nudging him in the leg with her foot gently, just hard enough to get his attention, “Would you care to escort me to my locker Joshua? I need to pick up my books for my next course and do not wish to have any more issues with men like I have been having today...”

“Oi, Josh is not going to protect ya from anything!” Dan laughed, smiling over at Sian, “Should’ve asked me love!”

“Oh, I should be okay. But I sincerely thank you for volunteering.”

“You're right mate,” Matt spoke up for the first time, catching Sian’s attention as he stared at her for a moment before glancing to Max, “Proper Dove this one is. All prim and pristine.”

“Leave her alone, yeah? New here and needs to feel welcomed, not attacked cause she’s polite,” Josh was the one to stand up for her, making her surprised. She smiled at him thankfully before standing up, gathering her things she previously set down, “Thank you all for allowing me to dine with you.”

With a small curtsey, she took off with Josh in tow. He had his hands shoved deeply in his pockets as they walked, his head down and no real words being shared. She made her way over to her locker, smiling at him as he leaned on the one next to her, “I really do wish to thank you for accompanying me, but I must confess I just felt awful for the way they spoke about you and wished to remove you from the situation is all. I could walk here alone.”

“Oh I know, don’t worry love,” Josh laughed at her airily, smiling shyly, “I don’t mind though. Just had a rough day, usually more talkative than this and just as rude as them…”

“It is quite alright, I do not judge on first impressions. You would be out of luck if so with that shouting in the study hall today.”

“Yeah, sorry. Some slag did something she shouldn’t have though…”

“De rein.”

“What?”

“I means no problem in French. Do you really not pay attention in that class?”

“Oi, I don’t in most classes. Especially at 8 in the morning.”

“You are quite the character Joshua.”

“Just Josh, please.”

“If you insist!” At the loud ring of a bell, Sian looked up for the source and smiled at the clock in the hall, “Oh bother. Je vais étudier les maths. Au revior Josh!”

“Wait…tell me what that meant.”

“I am going to study math!” Sian laughed as she curtsied at him, “Farewell!”

Sian took off down the hall, glancing around at everyone around her that was rushing to their classes. She had come to realize public school really was not as bad as she once had believed, though she still preferred private. However the people she had become acquainted with so far made her feel rather comfortable and for that she was thankful. As she entered into her math class and spotted Dan, she moved to sit near him with a smile, “Thank god one of you is intelligent.”

“Oi, I copy off my brothers old notes and test from when he was here. But I am still here ey?”

Rolling her eyes, Sian shook her head with a smile and turned her attention to the front as their teacher walked in. She could handle languages and arts and sciences, but math was never her forte and she knew that. With a deep sigh, she pulled out her notebook and began to write down as much as she could. At least she had her history classes at the end of the day. Smiling at the thought, Sian knew the class would be a little bit more bearable with history to look forward to.